At the end of 2024 we published an article listing the best poker books that were published that year and one of them was “Poker Pioneer”, the biography of a true legend of the game: Tom McEvoy. Working together with Brad Smith, the pair produced a book that is one of the four nominees in the “Best Poker Book” category of the 2024 Global Poker Awards, which will be presented on February 22 in Las Vegas.
We got in touch with McEvoy and Smith to get more details about the book and to talk to Tom about his successful career, having been a professional poker player for 46 years. After the interviews you can read a brief review of the book.
The name of the book is apt, as Tom McEvoy was a pioneer in several ways:
- First to win WSOP Main Event via winning a satellite tournament.
- First to publicly play poker against a computer, and win.
- First to write instructional books on poker tournament strategy.
- Among the first, in 1985, to advocate to the WSOP against top-heavy tournament payouts and for paying more players.
- Among the first, in 1988, to advocate to the WSOP to pause tournament play after 12 hours and resume the next day.
- One of the principal leaders of the poker tournament non-smoking petition drive.
- First to run a smoke-free poker tournament in Las Vegas.
- Won the first and only WSOP Champion of Champions Binion Cup, topping the field of 20 former Main Event champions.
- First PokerStars ambassador
Interview with Tom McEvoy
How did the idea of writing the book come about?
The idea of writing my biography came to me after I turned 70 because I wanted to leave a legacy for my family and the poker public. I started writing it a couple of times, but I realized I couldn’t do it alone. In my previous books I had always had an editor or co-author and I found Brad Smith to be the ideal partner to do it with.
How did you meet Brad?
I met him 4 or 5 years ago. He is the publicity director for the Casino Collectibles Association and he contacted me to do a meet and greet with the attendees of the convention they hold once a year at the South Point Casino in Las Vegas. We became friends and I got to read some excellent articles he penned on the early casinos. I liked his writing style and asked him to help me with my biography. I told him I wanted to finish the book before my 80th birthday and we were able to do that. It took a year and nine months. This book would not have been made without Brad Smith and I love the work he did.
Something I liked about your book is the honesty, not being afraid to talk about your mistakes and the people you don’t like. Is this a necessary quality in a good biography?
When we started writing the book, I told Brad that I wanted to tell the absolute truth of everything I experienced, straight from the heart. I didn’t have to make up stories because I had experienced many good ones. I made a number of bad decisions in my life and they are all in the book, but they were not because of gambling or addiction. I trusted some people too much and I wasn’t street smart enough as I am now. Just as I was the architect of my own success, I was also the architect of my failures. I may not have much money these days, but I am rich in other ways, as I am healthy despite my age and have a great family of which I am proud.
How does it feel to be nominated for the Global Poker Awards? Will you be attending the ceremony in Las Vegas?
Yes, we will be present at the ceremony and Brad will be coming from Ohio to Las Vegas. Being nominated means a lot to me and I think it would be an injustice if we don’t win since the book is far above those published in 2024. I am very confident that we will win, but if we don’t, I will accept it and I will not criticize anyone.
What reasons would you give our readers to read the book?
If you have any interest in the history of poker and what it takes to be a successful poker player you should read “Poker Pioneer”. In addition to reading a lot of interesting stories about well-known players, you can learn from the mistakes I made. The story has so much drama, successes and failures that it could make a great movie. I think it is the best book of the 15 I wrote without a doubt, and it is very likely that it will be the last one I write.
How do you view your WSOP Main Event win 40+ years later?
The Main Event 40 years later is not recognizable. In 1983 when I won the tournament, it had 108 players and no dead money. It has grown 100 times larger. Also, back then we started all the tournaments dollar for dollar. In other words, the Main Event cost the same to enter as today — $10,000 — but then you got 10,000 in starting chips. Now you get 60,000 to start with. Back then it took four days to finish, although I went into the fifth day because we played 7 ½ hours heads up. That was a record that stood for over 30 years. Now it is almost two weeks before they finish and they have at least three starting days.
Tom winning the 1983 WSOP Main Event | Photo credit: Ulvis Alberts
What do you miss about the old days of live poker tournaments?
In the old days in the live tournaments you knew practically everybody you played with. Now I seldom recognize even one player at my table. The World Series of Poker was a poker reunion, often seeing old friends for the first time in a year. Now it is very impersonal and business-like.
You helped to achieve several changes in poker. Which are you most proud of?
Getting the WSOP to become smoke-free in 2002 was my biggest achievement in poker. I didn’t do it alone and I had help from several people, but I was a key part of it and people are still grateful to me for it.
You were a pioneer in several aspects. Do you feel that you lack recognition in the industry?
I have got a fair amount of recognition over the years, but I am not a major force in the poker world. My success mostly took place during a different era, so I am very often not recognized when I play, and I certainly don’t advertise myself. In a lot of ways I was a true Poker Pioneer, hence the name for the book.
You played with many legends. Who were the ones that impressed you the most with their game when you first met them?
The two that impressed me the most were Erik Seidel and Phil Ivey. I met Seidel in ’88 playing a cash game where he was completely dominating the table. And a few days later he finished second in the Main Event. I saw Ivey for the first time in Tunica where we were playing Limit Hold’em. I remember him raising every street with a super aggressive style and I thought he was either a total maniac or someone special. It ended up being the latter.
How often do you play poker now?
I still play mostly cash games about three or four times a week, but only short sessions, seldom longer than four or five hours. My occasional tournament play takes longer if I am doing well. During the World Series I play almost nothing but tournaments, but I pace myself. My stamina levels no longer permit for playing every day and doing a good job.
What is a typical day in your life like?
My typical day is reading the newspaper, answering emails and playing both backgammon and spider solitaire online. I read a lot of books, but watch more Netflix shows than reading books these days.
What opinions do you have about the Poker Hall of Fame? Do you think it’s right to have only one person inducted per year?
My case was a bit curious. I campaigned for entry for four years in a row and failed to get in. I managed to get in the fifth year that I was nominated, during which I did not do any publicity. I do not agree with only one person being inducted each year, since there are many players who deserve to be in and there are also contributors like Matt Savage, Isai Scheinberg and the duo Lon McEachern and Norman Chad. I would change the system and put in two players and one contributor per year.
Do you have a set vote for this year?
The 10 official nominees for this year are not in yet, but my votes usually go to T.J. Cloutier and Kathy Liebert. I like the older players since I’m an old guy. And on the contributors list I’d vote for Matt Savage, since he deserves to be in and is a great player.
Talking with Tom for the interview
Which player or person in the poker industry would you like to read the biography of?
I would like to read the biography of T.J. Cloutier, who has made 5 WSOP Main Event final tables, great stories to tell and I think was the best tournament player for 20 years. Another one would be Albert Eather, who was very successful playing poker without ever being famous and has great stories from the old days of Las Vegas. I was joking that he knows where the bodies are buried in the desert. And also the biography of Billy Baxter would be very interesting, as he has been in Las Vegas for decades and has a lot of stories to tell. I would be the first to read it if he publishes it.
You have many poker collectibles. What do you think about the idea of creating a WSOP or poker museum in Las Vegas with input from players?
I think it’s a great idea, as I don’t think there’s a poker museum. I have a lot of items that I kept as souvenirs, but I also gave away many other items, like old cowboy hats that I used to wear when I played.
Were you never able to recover your Main Event bracelet that you sold on Ebay?
No, I tried to get it back and was told that someone in Canada had it, but I was never able to get in touch with him. It was a tough time in my life where I needed money, but I regretted selling it.
Will we see you playing the 2025 WSOP? Any other poker tournaments you plan to play this year?
The only major tournaments I play these days are at the World Series. I played nine events in 2024, but only cashed once—not good. I plan to play maybe seven or eight events this year at the World Series, plus a few of the smaller non-bracelet daily tournaments.
Tom McEvoy during the 2018 WSOP / Photo credit: Joe Giron
Interview with Brad Smith
What was the experience of writing the book with Tom like?
Unbelievably fun! It combined my loves of poker, history (specifically Vegas history), research, casino memorabilia and writing all together in one. I got to spend hundreds of hours going through Tom’s scrapbooks (he saved everything written about him from the 70s on) and photo albums. Turning a page in either brought up memories for Tom and he has a wonderful memory. He wanted to tell his story with warts and all, so he didn’t hold anything back.
What part of the process did you enjoy most?
Getting to know and become best friends with Tom McEvoy. Can’t tell you how much I admire and respect the man.
What does the nomination at the Global Poker Awards mean to you?
I was a professional ad man/copywriter, so I’ve written brochures, position papers, magazine articles – you name it. But never a book. It’s thrilling to be recognized for your work, especially something that represents over two years of work. I am very proud of my very first book, but did not expect it create as much interest and as many accolades as it has within the poker community. The Global Poker Awards nomination — to be recognized as one of the four top poker books of the year – was so totally unexpected it just blows my mind!
Is it true that you received offers to write new biographies?
I have not received any offers – yet. I had discussions with one poker pro, who decided against telling their story. But I’m open to offers.
We know you have a lot of knowledge about Las Vegas casinos and chips. Would you like to write a book about that in the future?
I am! I’m writing about the little-known casino pioneers from 1906 to the 1930s. Arizona Club, Rainbow Club, Red Rooster. Bet you have never heard of them, right? The book will be painstakingly historically accurate, so you won’t see it soon.
Which poker player, legend or personality would you like to read the biography of?
The only one I have read is Doyle’s. In Tom’s opinion all the poker biographies were written to shed a positive light on the player. Tom’s decision NOT to do that is part of what’s so fascinating about him. In poker parlance, it’s a strong tell. But I do have one person I think would make a fascinating biography, but doubt it would ever occur.
Tom McEvoy and Brad Smith
Poker Book Review: “Poker Pioneer”
The first thing I would like to say about the book is that it was the best poker reads I had in 2024 and that it entered my personal podium of best poker biographies along with “One Of a Kind” (Stu Ungar) and “The Godfather of Poker” (Doyle Brunson).
Tom moved to Las Vegas in 1979 and began playing the WSOP regularly in 1982. In 1983 he achieved his first of many milestones when he became the first Main Event winner to have qualified through a satellite. This began his great career that has spanned 46 years thus far. Very few players have managed to have such a long and successful poker career.
Reading about Tom’s career is reading about the history of poker, as he lived through the game’s early days in the 80s, 90s and 2000s. The more than 500 pages of the book go by very quickly, as it is very entertaining to see how he did in each decade. One of the last chapters is about stories of famous players and you can read anecdotes about Benny Binion, Doyle Brunson, T. J. Cloutier, Eric Drache, Larry Flynt, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Gabe Kaplan, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Mike Matusow, Puggy Pearson, Amarillo Slim, Erik Seidel, Mike Sexton, Jack Straus and Stu Ungar, among others.
Another plus point of the book is the author’s honesty in telling the facts. He has no problem relating the bad decisions he made in his life, like selling his Main Event bracelet. It’s not easy to live as a poker player and rely on variance to pay the bills. Tom is also honest about what he thinks of other players and some are criticized, like Amarillo Slim, David Sklansky, Johnny Chan and Mason Malmuth.
To sum up, it’s an excellent book about one of the players who made many contributions to the world of poker and he deserved to have his own biography a long time ago. If you like poker biographies and you like reading about the history of the game you should not miss this book. It’s rightly nominated in the Global Poker Awards and I think the book deserves to win.
Book Information: By The Numbers
- Title: “Poker Pioneer: The Autobiography of Tom McEvoy, World Champion & Hall of Famer”
- Author: Tom McEvoy & Brad Smith
- Year of Publication: 2024
- Pages: 540
- Prices: $28 Paperback / $9.99 Kindle
- Where to buy it? Amazon
- You can read an excerpt of the book here
Those who read the book, don’t forget to leave a review on Amazon, as it is a great help to the authors.
We close this article with a trip down memory lane to show you what the WSOP was like in 1983 and you can see how Tom won the Main Event that year:
About The Author
