David Colclough has had a long and successful poker career. He has now semi-retired but still playing, and winning, poker tournaments in his new home in Asia. He has twice won ‘European Player of the Year’, been the youngest player inducted into the European Players Hall of Fame and won a WSOP bracelet (but gave it away). He is widely regarded as the best Pot-Limit Omaha players in the world, earned over $2,5000,000 in tournament winnings alone and is ranked 17th on the GB and Ireland All Time top 100 list.
Not bad for a boy from Llanon, Carmarthen who used to get in trouble at secondary school for playing poker in the common room and began his working career as a computer programmer.
You have a Welsh mother and an English father. Who are you cheering for on Rugby International day?
Cymru am byth … always Wales when it comes to rugby
I gather you’re a soccer fan. Which is your team?
Liverpool … I spent much of my childhood in North East Wales which is very much a Liverpool suburb
I understand you play golf. Are you a member anywhere? What’s the best course you’ve played?
I am very bad at golf. I enjoy the exercise but for some reason I can’t get competitive at golf in the same way as I do all other sports. I haven’t played Celtic Manor and the best course I’ve played would be St.Kitts alongside the Ocean.
Have you ever met Mansour Matloubi (Welsh winner of WSOP Main Event 1990)?
No. I‘ve never met Mansour. I would very much like to. I think he would be interesting to talk to.
Who is the most famous Welsh person you’ve met?
Gosh that’s a hard one to call. Neville Southall, Mark Williams and Matthew Stevens are probably contenders.. I can’t think of anyway mega famous … I’d love to meet Tom Jones of course.
I read you went to a huge Catholic School in North Wales (Sir Richard Gwyn Catholic High in Flint). Ian Rush attended the same school, I understand he plays poker. Have you ever met him?
I’ve never played poker with Ian … I probably passed him in school. He was 2 years above me. And I remember going to Cardiff with the school to watch him play a schoolboy international.
What would you say if your daughter Sian told you she wanted to become a professional poker player?
Please, please, please, don’t do it … it is far too emotional.
How did you land the job at the Dusk ‘Til Dawn club?
Well I am sure Rob Yong will probably tell a different story now. But the Dusk ‘Til Dawn concept was in fact my idea and I invited Rob over to Birmingham to look at a very similar premises in Solihull. However Rob could not get a long lease in Birmingham … so he moved the project to Nottingham and just sponsored me for a year
How do you feel about playing poker these days?
I have semi – retired to Asia now … I came here in March… I still play poker but not for big money nowadays. actually shall we say semi-retired … I actually won the biggest comp in The Philippines last weekend 450,000 peso and just completed a back to back this weekend winning the biggest comp of the weekend 184,000 peso…. they think I am still a bit of a poker god out here – lol.
byron kalies 