Tom McEvoy
- Twitter: @McEvoy_Tom
- Website: www.tommcevoy.com
- Birthdate: 14th November 1944
- Birthplace: Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada
- WSOP Bracelets: 4
- Biggest Win: $540,000
- Total Winnings: $2,966,493
- Sponsored by: ex PokerStars
Tom McEvoy’s grandmother taught him how to play poker and when he and his brothers took their poker skills into the school playground they would invariably return with the other kids’ money. Armed with a good sense of finances, Tom studied to become an accountant and became a bachelor of science in the subject. After university, he didn’t leave poker behind and played at the weekend while Mondays to Fridays were spent at the office, calculating his client’s accounts.
Poker began to take up more and more of the weekend and sometimes the whole weekend and with little time to sleep, McEvoy was often the worse for wear on Monday mornings. This started to get noticed and in 1978, Tom was laid off. By this time however, poker was his primary income and he decided to play full time rather than take up another accountancy job. He moved to Las Vegas and played as often as he could and though he reached the final table at the WSOP in 1982, it was 1983 that kicked off his tournament career.
Since his double in 1983, he has won two more WSOP bracelets and finished in the money in WSOP events 43 times. Although his $540,000 main event win remains his biggest cash prize, he was successful in 2005 in a Professional Poker Tour No Limit Hold’em event when he took first place in the tournament worth $225,000.
In poker circles, his name is well known and he has written and co-written sixteen highly acclaimed poker books including ‘Tournament Poker’ and ‘How to win at Poker tournaments.’ He is also a regular contributor to ‘Card Player’ magazine, a poker instructor available for one-to-one tuition or online advice and his prolific poker output is fuelled by a widely respected knowledge and massive passion for the game. His other hobbies take second place and despite being an avid film fan, he has only been able to see a small percentage of the movies that fill up countless boxes at his home.
Unfortunately, a respiratory illness in the winter of 2007 meant he was able to watch a few more than normal as he was housebound for a time but poker players at the WSOP can be grateful to him for the fact he helped reduce their chance of similar breathing problems. As an organizer of no-smoking events since 1998, he managed to convince WSOP director Benny Binnion Behnen to make the WSOP smoke-free in exchange for poker lessons and smoking was banned at the WSOP in 2002.
Tom is back at the tables and continues to finish in the money on many occasions.
WSOP 1983
At the Binion’s Horseshoe Casino in 1983, Tom McEvoy faced Rod Peate, heads up in the World Series of Poker Texas Hold’em main event. The table was surrounded by spectators, eagerly watching a piece of history as for the first time at the WSOP, neither finalist had bought into the main event. In the days before the internet, both McEvoy and Peate had qualified from a casino satellite tournament.
McEvoy was in a white shirt and black hat, looking every bit the cowboy with his wife sat at his side. Pre-flop, McEvoy announced ‘all in’ and unceremoniously pushing his chips over, Peate called him. ‘What have you got?’ Peate asked and McEvoy turned over a Q♠ Q♦. Peate looked worried as he showed his J♦ K♦. McEvoy’s wife turned her back to play, unable to watch as the flop of 3♦ 6♥ 6♣ was drawn. McEvoy stood to watch the turn card while Peate sat motionless, his hands in prayer position.
The turn was a J♥ which spoilt Peake’s flush draw but added another out if a jack came on the river. The dealer turned the final card of a 3♣ and McEvoy jumped on to the table and let out a great yell of ‘Alright!’ He pumped his fists into the air as his glasses slipped from his nose. He was still visibly excited as he got down from the table and when his wife grabbed his hand he seemed not to notice, lost in the moment. Just five days earlier he had won his first WSOP bracelet and now he was world champion.
Last updated May 2013