Review of Swimming With the Devilfish

Title:

Swimming With the Devilfish ... Under the Surface of Professional Poker

Author:

Des Wilson

Publisher:

Macmillan

Date:

2006

ISBN:

1-4050-8952-0

Pages:

330

Price:

$19.95

Reviewed by Nick Christenson, npc@lvrevealed.com

January 22, 2007

The United States may be the center of the world poker scene, but it's hardly the only place where interesting poker is being played. The UK, for example, is replete with skilled players plying their trade within their own poker economy and ecology. The stories of these players aren't well known on this side of the Atlantic, but one source for this information is Des Wilson's book, Swimming With the Devilfish.

Wilson's book is divided into two parts. The first section, comprising about a quarter of the book, is a biography of Britain's most famous poker personality, David "Devilfish" Ulliott. We learn of the Devilfish's upbringing and his troubled life before he became one of the most recognizable poker players in the world. We also get a play-by-play account of how he transformed himself from a hooligan into a widely respected poker professional.

The second section of the book covers "everyone else", a group of poker professionals that Wilson calls the "Usual Suspects". Included in this group are such notables as the Hendon Mob, Andrew Black, Dave Colclough, and Donnacha O'Dea. They may not be as widely known as the biggest names in the US, but they are well respected by those who closely follow the international poker scene. Their stories are woven together through a narrative in which the author travels the professional poker circuit through the UK, the US, and parts of continental Europe during the 2005 tournament season.

Wilson is a poker player, although admittedly occupying a much lower strata than his subjects. He understands the game well enough to "get it right", but he isn't ashamed to admit when he is in over his head. Wilson uses these two aspects of his make up to straddle a tough line. His story is accessible to those who are relative poker novices while still earning the respect of hard-core players.

Wilson is also a skilled writer, a fact that is easy to overlook as his narrative moves effortlessly along. If the reader looks a little deeper, however, one will find many spots in the book where a careful choice of words displays a keen intellect and quick wit. Much of what he writes contains significant subtleties revealed only upon careful inspection of his meticulously crafted prose. As a writer, I'm impressed by the deliberateness with which he writes while making the effort he puts into his craft completely transparent to the reader.

In addition to the excellent writing, the thing I enjoyed most about this book was its unfamiliarity. I have read so many books about the poker scene in the United States, that the topic has become a bit dull for me. In Swimming With the Devilfish, I learned a great deal about people that I knew only superficially, and I was introduced to an entire poker culture that was entirely unfamiliar. I really enjoy reading about topics that I both enjoy and know nothing about, and when a book comes along that fulfills both criteria, I get a little excited.

Because of this, I may be a little more exuberant about this book than the typical poker book reader. Also, the book is definitely written for a British audience, so certain terms and phrases may be unfamiliar to US readers. However, I expect that anyone who finds the book's subject matter even a little intriguing will enjoy it greatly. I certainly did.

Capsule:

Swimming With the Devilfish is a narrative about the poker environment and characters that dominate the poker scene in the United Kingdom. I found it to be extremely well written and was especially intrigued by the subject matter largely because I knew so little about the book's subjects going in. Some of the language may require a little work for US readers not familiar with British English, but I believe most people interested in poker will enjoy this book. I recommend it.