| Name |
Tom McEvoy |
| Current Residence |
Las Vegas Nev. |
| Born |
Nov. 14, 1944 |
| Birth Place |
Grand Rapids Michigan, US |
Tom McEvoy's reputation as a true gentleman of poker is reflected in his ideas about how professional poker might be improved. He says, "If I could change anything in the poker world it would be as follows: uniform rules, no smoking, and a disciplinary committee to bar players for rule infractions and abuses."
Tom learned to play poker on his grandmother's knee and has been working to improve his game ever since. He went pro after finding that he was earning more at weekend games than he was during his week in the office as an attorney.
Tom has an enviable roster of poker accomplishments to his name: four WSOP bracelets, 29 in-the-money finishes at World Series events, a Hall of Fame title, an Irish Championship, and a Super Bowl of Poker title, which is to say nothing of his many well-regarded poker books and articles.
Tom believes that one of the keys to his success is his ability to handle the bad moments. He says: "When I play, I'm looking for the big money, which usually means placing in the top three spots. Most of the time, even the best tournament players are going to be beaten 80% of the time. That means they aren't going to 'cash.' If a major league player hits .300, he's a superstar. No one bats .300 in tournament poker. If you hit as high as even .250 then you're a superstar."
While acknowledging that poker is a game of combined luck and skill, Tom is particularly proud of his skills. "If skill was not a factor, no one - including myself - could make much money off the game."
According to Tom, "There's nothing that will ever be better than winning the World Series" - he knows that much from joyous experience. He enjoys the side benefits of the profession as well: "I get to travel the world and see foreign countries and exotic islands." Nonetheless, he's most comfortable at home, in front of his computer, playing online. "Some days, I never even get out of my pajamas."
Trivia
