Editing Dave Ulliott (section)

=== Poker Success and the Origin of "Devilfish" ===
Ulliott first gained recognition in poker tournaments in 1993, gradually honing his skills in tournament play. His breakthrough came in 1996 when he won £100,000 over a two-week period at The Vic in London, which encouraged him and his friend, Gary Whitaker, to travel to [[Las Vegas|Las Vegas, Nevada]], for the first time.<ref name=":2" />

Taking £10,000 with him, Ulliott maintained an even bankroll until he entered the $500 [[Pot-Limit Hold'em|Pot Limit Omaha]] event at the 1997 Four Queens Poker Classic.<ref>{{cite web |title=1997 Four Queens Poker Classic, Pot Limit Omaha: Hendon Mob Poker Database |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=19428 |access-date=25 September 2024 |website=The Hendon Mob }}</ref> During the heads-up match against [[Men Nguyen]], a large group of [[Vietnamese Americans|Vietnamese-American]] supporters cheered for Nguyen, calling him "The Master." In response, Whitaker coined the nickname "Devilfish" for Ulliott, cheering, "Go on the Devilfish".<ref name="swimming" />

The nickname had been suggested earlier that year by Stephen Au-Yeung, who hosted a poker game Ulliott attended in [[Birmingham]]. Au-Yeung also sold Ulliott the domain name DevilFishPoker.com in 2005.

In the tournament, Ulliott reduced Nguyen's stack to a single chip. Despite Nguyen's protests, the [[Tournament director (poker)|tournament director]] insisted on taking the scheduled one-hour break. Ulliott famously told Nguyen, "We're taking the break, and in all fairness to you, I think you should go upstairs and think about your tactics." Ulliott eventually won the event, and the following day's headline read, ''Devilfish Devours the Master''. Despite the fame the nickname brought, Ulliott later downplayed the tournament's significance, claiming it only mattered because of his new moniker.<ref name=":2" /> Before that nickname, Ulliott was known as "Dave the Clock" because he once used a grandfather clock as a buy-in for a local poker game where a furniture dealer was presented.<ref name="mayarthendonmob">{{cite web |last=May |first=Jesse |author-link=Jesse May |title=Devilfish |url=http://www.thehendonmob.com/index.php?id=175 |access-date=4 September 2006 |publisher=[[The Hendon Mob]]}}</ref>