Dewey Tomko

Dewey Tomko
Dewey Tomko at the 2006 World Poker Tour Bellagio Five Star Tournament
Nickname(s)	Dewey
Residence	Winter Haven, Florida
Born	Duane Tomko (1946-12-31) December 31, 1946
World Series of Poker
Bracelet(s)	3
Money finish(es)	43
Highest ITM Main Event finish	2nd
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 is chiefly noted as the runner-up in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) $10,000 no limit Texas hold'em main event in both 1982 (to Jack Straus) and 2001 (to Carlos Mortensen.) 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.

Early life

Tomko was born and raised in Glassport, PA., 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.

He worked as a kindergarten teacher for several years, but often played poker through the night. After Tomko realised that poker was more profitable than his job, he invested a sum of his winnings into businesses while choosing to play poker full-time and leaving his full-time job.

Poker career

Tomko won his first 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.

At the 1984 WSOP, Dewey won two bracelets. First he won the $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw event. The next day he went back-to-back, winning the $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha with re-buys event.

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 ($552,853) and in fourth place in the Costa Rica Classic ($14,650.)

Tomko has played every WSOP Main Event since 1974 which is currently the longest active streak.

Tomko took third place in the 2005 WSOP Deuce-to-seven lowball event worth $138,160. He also 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 7th place earning a $343,200 payday.

As of 2010, his total live tournament winnings exceed $4,960,000.^[2] Just over half of his tournament winnings, $2,641,573, have come at the WSOP.^[3] He is a 2008 inductee into the Poker Hall of Fame.^[4]

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 three children. His son, Derek, encouraged him to return to playing poker tournaments.

Golf

Tomko is an excellent golfer, spending much of his time on the golf course when he is not playing poker. 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 poker player Hilbert Shirey who also lives in Tomko's hometown of Winter Haven, Florida.

Rick Reilly chronicles a day with Dewey on a golf course in his book Who's Your Caddy. In it, he contends that Tomko is not interested in competition if there is not a wager riding on it. Dewey is just as good a gambler on the golf course as he is sitting at a poker table. He notes that many PGA professionals will refuse to play him for money.Dewey has now opened Dewey's Golf and sports grill in Orlando Florida, it open's officially on 2/4/2014.

On NBC's Poker After Dark, Greg Raymer noted that pro golfer Rocco Mediate has said that if he had one person to putt for his life, it would be Tomko.

Notes

↑ Tourney.com profile
↑ Hendon Mob tournament results
↑ World Series of Poker Earnings, www.worldseriesofpoker.com
↑ Pokernews.com: Poker Hall of Fame 2008 Inductees Announced

1970s WSOP bracelet winners

1970	Johnny Moss

1971	Bill Boyd Jimmy Casella Johnny Moss (2) Puggy Pearson

1972	Bill Boyd Amarillo Slim

1973	Sam Angel Joe Bernstein Bill Boyd Aubrey Day Puggy Pearson (3) Jack Straus

1974	Bill Boyd Jimmy Casella (2) Johnny Moss Sailor Roberts Amarillo Slim

1975	Sam Angel Billy Baxter Jay Heimowitz Johnny Moss Sailor Roberts

1976	Howard Andrew (2) Doyle Brunson (2) Doc Green Perry Green Johnny Moss Walter Smiley

1977	Billy Allen Bobby Baldwin (2) Gary Berland Doyle Brunson (2) Perry Green George Huber Louis Hunsucker Jackie McDaniels Fats Morgan Jeff Sandow Richard Schwartz

1978	Bobby Baldwin Billy Baxter Gary Berland (2) Doyle Brunson Aubrey Day Terry King Lakewood Louie Hans Lund Chip Reese Henry Young

1979	Bobby Baldwin Gary Berland (2) Starla Brodie Doyle Brunson Hal Fowler Barbara Freer Perry Green Lakewood Louie (2) Sam Mastrogiannis Johnny Moss Dewey Tomko

note number in brackets represents the number of bracelets earned in that year

1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s

1980s WSOP bracelet winners

1980	Mickey Appleman Robert Bone Pat Callihan Deby Callihan Pete Christ Sarge Ferris Gene Fisher Jim Fugatti Lynn Harvey A.J. Myers Bobby Schwing Lakewood Louie Stu Ungar

1981	Ed Barmach Frank Cardone Fred David Sid Gamerman Ruth Godfrey Bruce Hershenson Juanda Matthews Johnny Moss A.J. Myers Mickey Perry Dody Roach Glen Rodgers Stu Ungar (2)

1982	Billy Baxter (2) Tom Cress Jim Doman June Field Nick Helm Dani Kelly Ralph Morton John Paquette Chip Reese Vera Richmond David Sklansky (2) Jack Straus Don Williams

1983	David Angel David Baxter Artie Cobb Donna Doman Jim Doman Ken Flaton Carolyn Gardner Buster Jackson Berry Johnston John Lukas Tom McEvoy (2) David Sklansky (2) Don Todd Stu Ungar

1984	Dick Albano Todd Baur William Bennett Norman Berliner Paul Fontaine Mike Hart Jack Keller (2) Sandy Stupak Bob Martinez Mike Schneiberg Dewey Tomko (2) Karen Wolfson

1985	Dick Carson Johnny Chan Tommy Fischer Rick Hamil John Lukas Mark Mitchell Rose Pifer Amarillo Slim Zorn Smiljanic Bill Smith Tony Thang Harry Thomas Don Williams Edwin Wyde

1986	Jim Allen David Baxter Mike Cox Hamid Dastmalchi Barbara Enright Tommy Fischer Ron Graham Jay Heimowitz Berry Johnston Sam Mastrogiannis Tom McEvoy J.B. Randall

1987	Bob Addison Billy Baxter T. J. Cloutier Johnny Chan Artie Cobb Jim Craig Hal Kant Ralph Merton Joe Petro Carl Rouss Linda Ryke-Drucker Hilbert Shirey

1988	Val Carpenter Johnny Chan Russ Gibe Gilbert Gross Thor Hansen David Helms Lance Hilt Loretta Huber Merrill Hunt Seymour Leibowitz Johnny Moss Don Williams

1989	Lyle Berman Barry Blackburn Thomas Chung Phil Hellmuth Frank Henderson Don Holt Mel Judah Norman Keyser John Laudon Harry Madoff Alma McClelland Mike Sexton George Allen Shaw Bob Stupak

note number in brackets represents the number of bracelets earned in that year

1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s

Poker Hall of Fame

1979	Johnny Moss Nick Dandolos Corky McCorquodale Red Winn Sid Wyman Wild Bill Hickok Edmond Hoyle

1980s	Blondie Forbes Bill Boyd Tom Abdo Joe Bernstein Murph Harrold Red Hodges Henry Green Puggy Pearson Doyle Brunson Jack Straus Sarge Ferris

1990s	Benny Binion Chip Reese Amarillo Slim Jack Keller Little Man Popwell Roger Moore

2000s	Stu Ungar Lyle Berman Johnny Chan Bobby Baldwin Berry Johnston Jack Binion Crandell Addington T. J. Cloutier Billy Baxter Barbara Enright Phil Hellmuth Dewey Tomko Henry Orenstein Mike Sexton

2010s	Dan Harrington Erik Seidel Barry Greenstein Linda Johnson Eric Drache Sailor Roberts Tom McEvoy Scotty Nguyen Jack McClelland Daniel Negreanu Jennifer Harman John Juanda Todd Brunson Carlos Mortensen

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