Willie Tann
Encyclopedia
Willie "The Dice Man" Tann is an English
professional poker
player.
Tann was born in Singapore
and came to England to study law
in the 1960s.
Tann has numerous nicknames on the poker circuit. Although usually called "The Dice Man", he also goes by the monikers "The Governor" and "Mister Miyagi".
Tann made one appearance on the original televised poker show Late Night Poker
, finishing 3rd in his heat behind Padraig Parkinson
and Ken Lennaárd
. In later years he would also play in the European Poker Tour
.
Tann mentored Zac Goldsmith
(editor of The Ecologist) in poker, leading Goldsmith to his 3rd place finish in the 2004 Poker Million
.
Tann made a final table at the $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha event of the 2000 World Series of Poker
(WSOP), receiving $26,910 for his 4th place finish behind Johnny Chan
. In 2005 he won a WSOP bracelet in the $1,000 No Limit Hold'em event, to take home a prize of $188,335. In the 2007 World Series of Poker
Tann cashed in the money
for the first time in the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event coming in 77th place out of a field of 6,358 players, winning $106,382
Tann is a spokesman for Betfairpoker. He qualified for the 2005 WSOP
Main Event via an online tournament on the site, eliminating the site founder Andrew Black in the process.
As of 2008, his total live tournament winnings exceed $1,300,000.
Tann currently lives in Bovingdon
, Hertfordshire
. He is married and has one son.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player.
Tann was born in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and came to England to study law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
in the 1960s.
Tann has numerous nicknames on the poker circuit. Although usually called "The Dice Man", he also goes by the monikers "The Governor" and "Mister Miyagi".
Tann made one appearance on the original televised poker show Late Night Poker
Late Night Poker
Late Night Poker is the pioneering television show that helped pave the way for the explosion of interest in poker in the 2000's. With it's ground breaking use of "under the table" cameras that enabled the viewer to see each player's cards, the show became a cult hit on Channel 4 UK when it first...
, finishing 3rd in his heat behind Padraig Parkinson
Padraig Parkinson
Padraig Parkinson is an Irish professional poker player. He is chiefly recognised as the grand final winner of Late Night Poker series 5 and as the third-place finisher of the 1999 World Series of Poker, where he lost to fellow countryman Noel Furlong.Originally, Padraig refused to play in Late...
and Ken Lennaárd
Ken Lennaárd
Ken Richard Douglas Lennáard is a Swedish professional poker player, based in Stockholm, Sweden. He was also the chairman of the Swedish Poker Federation until he resigned in October 2006.-Poker career:...
. In later years he would also play in the European Poker Tour
European Poker Tour
The Pokerstars European Poker Tour is a series of poker tournaments similar to those in the World Poker Tour , created by John Duthie, winner of the inaugural Poker Million tournament. It began in 2004 as part of the worldwide explosion in Texas Hold 'em popularity...
.
Tann mentored Zac Goldsmith
Zac Goldsmith
Frank Zacharias Robin "Zac" Goldsmith, MP is an English environmental journalist, entrepreneur and Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for Richmond Park since winning the seat at the 2010 general election.Goldsmith is the middle child of the late financier Sir...
(editor of The Ecologist) in poker, leading Goldsmith to his 3rd place finish in the 2004 Poker Million
Poker Million
The Poker Million has been a televised European poker tournament since its inception in November 2000. The final debuted to 30 million viewers and has since remained popular. It was created by UK gaming outfit Ladbrokes with the help of sports promotion firm Matchroom Sport...
.
Tann made a final table at the $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha event of the 2000 World Series of Poker
2000 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 512 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.Ferguson had a 10 to 1 chip lead when starting his heads-up vs Cloutier. After a see-saw battle, Ferguson decided to call Cloutier's AQ all-in with his own A9...
(WSOP), receiving $26,910 for his 4th place finish behind Johnny Chan
Johnny Chan (poker player)
Johnny Chan rather than his Chinese birth name. born in Guangzhou, China in 1957) is a Chinese American professional poker player. He has won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, including 1987 and 1988 World Series of Poker main events consecutively....
. In 2005 he won a WSOP bracelet in the $1,000 No Limit Hold'em event, to take home a prize of $188,335. In the 2007 World Series of Poker
2007 World Series of Poker
The 2007 World Series of Poker began on June 1, 2007. The $10,000 no-limit Texas hold 'em Main Event began on July 6 and was completed on the morning of July 18...
Tann cashed in the money
In the Money
In the Money is a comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on February 16, 1958 by Allied Artists Pictures and is the forty-eighth and final film in the series. It was directed by William Beaudine and written by Al Martin and Elwood Ullman.-Plot summary:Sach is hired to take...
for the first time in the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event coming in 77th place out of a field of 6,358 players, winning $106,382
Tann is a spokesman for Betfairpoker. He qualified for the 2005 WSOP
2005 World Series of Poker
The 2005 World Series of Poker opened play on June 2, continuing through the Main Event No Limit World Championship starting on July 7. The conclusion of the Main Event on July 15 marked the close of play, and the largest prize in sports and/or television history at the time was awarded to the...
Main Event via an online tournament on the site, eliminating the site founder Andrew Black in the process.
As of 2008, his total live tournament winnings exceed $1,300,000.
Tann currently lives in Bovingdon
Bovingdon
Bovingdon is a large village in the Chiltern Hills, in Hertfordshire, England, four miles south-west of Hemel Hempstead and it is a civil parish within the local authority area of Dacorum...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. He is married and has one son.