Bill Smith

Bill Smith was an American poker player who won the 1985 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.

He made the final table of the WSOP Main Event on two other occasions (1981 and 1986), finishing fifth both times.

Smith died in Las Vegas in 1996, aged 61.

Biography

Smith was born in 1934 in Rozwell, New Mexico. He served in the United States Navy during the Korean War.

Read More: Bill Smith and the 1985 WSOP Main Event

1985 WSOP Main Event

Smith had made the final table of the 1981 WSOP Main Event, finishing fifth. In 1985, he finished first, winning $700,000 after defeating T. J. Cloutier heads-up.

"There's not much to say - I just drink and gamble." —Bill Smith

"Bill was the tightest player you'd ever played in your life when he was sober," said Cloutier. "And when he was halfway drunk, he was the best player I'd ever played with. No one could read opponents’ hands better than half-drunk Smith. But when he got past that halfway mark, he was the worst player I'd ever played with."

Upon winning, in response to a reporter's question about his personal life, simply acknowledged Smith said: "There's not much to say - I just drink and gamble."

One year later, Smith made the WSOP Main Event again, finishing fifth.

Unfortunately, many pros believe his alcohol vice may have cut his career short. proving to be both a weapon and a weakness.

"I think it’s a very impressive tournament record," said poker legend Mike Sexton. “And all the guys I know from the Dallas area say he was as tough as anybody in the cash games — until he had a few too many beers.”

WSOP Main Event Winners 1976-85