David Williams
Poker is seen as a hip, "young" game, and it may seem shocking that a "nerd" is so good at it. David Williams is one of the game's stars, with model good looks and great style. Behind that facade is a sharp mind- he had a 4.0 GPA in college and scored 1550 on the SATs. He went to Princeton, and is one of the world's top "Magic: The Gathering" players.
David Williams was born in Texas, and grew up in a broken home. He learned to be independent from a young age, and he credits that self-reliance with teaching him the discipline and responsibility necessary to be a pro poker player. Williams' mother frequently attends poker tournaments with him- she is a great poker player in her own right.
Williams was suspended from "Magic" tournament play for a full year, and during that time. he started playing poker online full time. He took Marcel Luske as a mentor, and returned to Magic. But, by that time, he'd caught poker fever, and decided to pursue it. He qualified for the 2004 WSOP main event, and placed second, earning over three million dollars and the best-ever tournament finish for an African-American.
After that start, David Williams became a household name. He became a sponsored pro for Bodog in 2004, won a WSOP bracelet back in 2006, and earned several WPT final tables. He was even featured in the game "Stacked", along with Jennifer Harman, Daniel Negreanu and Erick Lindgren. He won the WPT championship last year, along with $1.5 million.
Williams has had some minor scandal in his career; he was alleged to have starred in an explicit home movie- a rumor which he flatly denies. Despite the controversy and his good looks, David Williams has become a modern legend in poker.