Poker Great Tom McEvoy

Tom McEvoy is proof that if you are dedicated enough you can come from nothing and still win at poker despite the odds being against you. In 1983 McEvoy was the first ever to earn an entry into the World Series of Poker via satellite tournament. At the time, poker was more of an exclusive “boy’s club” and inaccessible to those outside the circuit and not a big money maker for casino owners. WSOP Director, Eric Drache is credited with creating the concept of tournaments via satellite as a way to allow more to participate in these once super exclusive events.

1983 was also the year the McEvoy took home the bracelet in the in WSOP’s second longest heads-up match, a $1,000 Limit Hold’em event. The win added $540,000 to Tom McEvoy’s bankroll and also put him ahead of legend Doyle Brunson who was third in the tournament.

As an accountant, McEvoy, born November 14, 1944, wasn’t a die-hard gambler his whole life, but this fact actually lent to the credibility of the game. Also sparking more interest in poker was the fact that he was able to qualify via satellite, opening up new possibilities for poker champion hopefuls. After McEvoy’s win, the poker world saw a steady increase in business and interest.

McEvoy credits Poker Hall of Famer, Henry Orenstein with improving poker’s popularity. Orenstein is responsible for creating the lipstick cameras used to show players cards to viewers during a game, allowing those who are watching to understand players’ strategies better and become more involved in the game. McEvoy stated, “I absolutely give credit to Henry for making the poker boom possible. Watching a poker game was about as exciting as watching paint dry before those cameras came along…All you saw was the action after all the money went in when you might see a few exposed hands.”

After being fired from his job, the Grand Rapids, Michigan native, the accountant decided to give playing poker a try. Considering he made more money in a $5.00 limit poker game than he earned in a week at his measly $18K a year job, he thought it was worth a try. Describing the firing as “the best break of his accounting career”, McEvoy thanks his grandmother for teaching him penny ante poker when he was the tender age of 5. For a year Tom McEvoy flew back and forth from Vegas to Michigan before finally deciding to commit to play poker professionally full time. After the decision was made, McEvoy packed up a U-Haul that read “Vegas or Bust” on the back, his wife, 3 children and pet cats and headed to the gambling Mecca determined to succeed in his new career. His determination paid off four years later when he won the World Championship.

Since then tom McEvoy has won a totally of four WSOP bracelets: 1983 $1,000 Limit Hold’em $117,000; 1983 $10,000 No Limit Hold’em World Championship $580,000; 1986 $1,000 Razz $52,400; 1992 $1,500 Limit Omaha $79,200.

Recently in 2009 he was proclaimed the first winner of the WSOP’s Champions Invitational, taking down 19 former Main Event champions, winning a 1970 Classic Corvette and the first ever Binion Cup presented by Jack Binion (son to Benny Binion, WSOP creator and owner of Binion’s Horseshoe Casino).

Tom McEvoy’s 30 year career in poker has earned him over $2.9 million, given him the opportunity to write 14 popular poker books, become a coveted speaker for seminars and poker events, and coach players in free time. Tom McEvoy’s story is truly a heartwarming and inspiring one.

Casino Research