Dewey Tomko
Dewey Tomko at the 2006 World Poker Tour Bellagio Five Star Tournament
Nickname(s)Dewey
ResidenceWinter Haven, Florida
BornDuane Tomko
(1946-12-31) December 31, 1946
World Series of Poker
Bracelet(s)3
Money finish(es)43
Highest ITM
Main Event finish		2nd, 1982, 2001
World Poker Tour
Title(s)None
Final table(s)2
Money finish(es)5

Duane "Dewey" Tomko (born December 31, 1946, in Glassport, Pennsylvania)[1] is an American former kindergarten teacher turned professional poker player, based in Winter Haven, Florida.

Tomko was the runner-up in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) $10,000 no limit Texas hold'em Main Event in 1982 (to Jack Straus) and 2001 (to Carlos Mortensen).[2][3] Besides his success in the Main Event, Tomko has won three WSOP bracelets, all in different variations of poker, in addition to various other tournament wins throughout his career.[4]

Early life

Tomko was born and raised in Glassport, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. He began playing poker profitably as a 16-year-old in Pittsburgh pool halls, which allowed him to finance his education.[5]

Tomko worked as a kindergarten teacher for several years, and often played poker through the night. After Tomko realised that playing poker was more profitable than his job, he left his full-time job, played poker full-time and invested a sum of his winnings into businesses.[5]

Poker career

Tomko won his first career WSOP bracelet in 1979, in the $1,000 No Limit Hold'em event. He defeated Duanne Hammrich heads-up to win the title and $48,000 cash prize.[6]

At the 1984 WSOP, Dewey won two bracelets. First, he won the $10,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw event for $105,000.[7] The next day, he went back-to-back, winning the $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha with re-buys event for his third bracelet and $135,000.[8]

In addition to his WSOP success, Tomko has made two World Poker Tour (WPT) final tables. He finished runner-up in the 2003 Five Diamond World Poker Classic for $552,853 and in fourth place in the Costa Rica Classic for $14,650.[9][10]

As of 2008, Tomko had played every WSOP Main Event since 1974, the longest streak at the time.[11]

Tomko finished in third place in the 2005 WSOP Deuce-To-Seven lowball event, worth $138,160.[12] He made the final table of the first WSOP $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. tournament in 2006 ,which featured some of the best tournament and cash game poker players in the world. He finished in seventh place earning $343,200.[13]

As of 2010, Tomko's total live tournament winnings exceeded $4,960,000.[14] Just over half of his tournament winnings, $2,641,573, have come at the WSOP.[15] He is a 2008 inductee into the Poker Hall of Fame. He was inducted alongside Henry Orenstein.[16]

World Series of Poker bracelets

Year Tournament Prize (US$)
1979 $1,000 No Limit Hold'em $48,000
1984 $10,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw $105,000
1984 $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha $135,000

Family

Tomko is married with a son, Derek, who encouraged him to return to playing poker tournaments.[17]

Golf

Tomko is an excellent golfer, spending much of his time on the golf course when he is not playing poker.[18][19] He has played with many of his fellow high-stakes poker players like Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, and many others. One of his most frequent golf partners is fellow poker professional Hilbert Shirey, who also lives in Tomko's hometown of Winter Haven, Florida.[20]

Rick Reilly chronicles a day with Dewey on a golf course in his book Who's Your Caddy.[21]

On NBC's Poker After Dark, poker professional and 2004 WSOP Main Event champion Greg Raymer noted that professional golfer Rocco Mediate has said that if he had one person to putt for his life, it would be Tomko.[22]

References

  1. ↑ "Dewey Tomko - Tournament Poker". Tourney.com. August 1, 2005. Archived from the original on August 1, 2005. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Jack 'Treetop' Strauss, a 6-foot-6 Texan, won the World Series of Poker Main Event - UPI Archives". UPI. May 26, 1982. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  3. ↑ "WSOP ME Heads-Up Flashback: Carlos Mortensen vs Dewey Tomko". PokerListings. September 8, 2021. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Dewey Tomko". PokerNews.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Pajich, Bob (2010). "A Brief Introduction to Dewey Tomko". New Yinzer. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  6. ↑ "10th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 1979: No Limit Hold'em". CardPlayer. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  7. ↑ "15th World Series of Poker - WSOP 1984, No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw". The Hendon Mob. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  8. ↑ "15th World Series of Poker - WSOP 1984, Omaha Pot Limit". The Hendon Mob. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  9. ↑ "2003 Bellagio Five-Diamond World Poker Classic, WPT No Limit Hold'em Championship". The Hendon Mob. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Costa Rica Classic, No Limit Hold'em - WPT". The Hendon Mob. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  11. ↑ Wise, Gary (December 22, 2008). "Winning the right way". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  12. ↑ "36th World Series of Poker - WSOP 2005, No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw". The Hendon Mob. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  13. ↑ "37th World Series of Poker - WSOP 2006, H.O.R.S.E." The Hendon Mob. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Duane Tomko's profile on The Hendon Mob". The Hendon Mob Poker Database. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Dewey Tomko". WSOP.com. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  16. ↑ Pajich, Bob (October 31, 2008). "Dewey Tomko and Henry Orenstein in Poker Hall of Fame". CardPlayer.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  17. ↑ White, Gary (February 12, 2006). "Is Polk's Poker Master Stil Having Fun? - You Betcha". The Ledger. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  18. ↑ Boisineau, Jeffrey (April 5, 2015). "Dewey Tomko: Rambling Gambling Man". Pro Player Insiders. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  19. ↑ Kaplan, Michael (2007). "The Hold'em Hackers". Cigar Aficionado. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  20. ↑ White, Gary (February 13, 2006). "For Poker Pro, Golf Is a Side Bet". The Ledger. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  21. ↑ Hudy, Stan (August 25, 2003). "Hudy's Hardcovers: 'Who's Your Caddy' makes for entertaining round". Saratogian. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  22. ↑ Struby, Tim (July 10, 2012). "Have I got a Story for You". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
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