Todd Witteles
Encyclopedia
Todd Witteles is an American
professional poker
player. A former computer scientist, Witteles made poker his full-time pursuit in 2003.
, where he played the $1500 Limit Texas hold 'em
event. He finished in third place out of a field of 1,049 entrants. He took home nearly $116,000 after getting knocked out of the tournament by 21-year-old Eric Froehlich
. As a gimmick, Witteles used a small Head & Shoulders
bottle to protect his cards while playing, in reference to his online moniker "Dan Druff."
During the same World Series of Poker, Witteles played the $3,000 Limit Hold 'em event finishing first, earning a World Series of Poker
gold bracelet and $347,385. Witteles set a World Series of Poker record, as no other player in history has finished better in their first two events. He was also named CardPlayer Magazine's 2005 World Series of Poker Player of the Year.
In subsequent years, Witteles cashed eleven other times at the WSOP, including finishes in 4th, 10th twice, and 12th. He finished 88th out of 7,319 entrants at the 2010 WSOP Main Event, good for nearly $80,000.
Witteles was a victim of the Absolute Poker/Ultimatebet "Superuser" cheating scandal. He and several other online players took part in uncovering and proving the cheating. This attracted enough media attention to where it became the subject of a story on the TV news program "60 Minutes
", where Witteles was featured. The episode aired on November 30, 2008. Witteles appeared on the front page of The Washington Post about the same matter. On December 16, 2009, he appeared on CNBC
to discuss the cheating. In the CNBC special, Witteles claimed that legalization and regulation of online poker was necessary in order to prevent future cheating scandals.
In March 2008, Witteles was selected among eight other top online poker players to participate in ESPN's "Online Poker Think Tank." In 2009, he was a guest broadcaster on ESPN360
for the final table of a World Series of Poker event. He co-hosted two poker-related podcasts, The Cold Call Show and The Dan Druff +EV Show, from 2008-2011.
As of 2011, his total live tournament winnings exceed $800,000. His 13 cashes at the WSOP account for $658,671 of those winnings.
, after being out of contact for 16 years, and are currently engaged.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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. A former computer scientist, Witteles made poker his full-time pursuit in 2003.
Poker career
Witteles entered his first tournament at the 2005 World Series of Poker2005 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...
, where he played the $1500 Limit Texas hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
event. He finished in third place out of a field of 1,049 entrants. He took home nearly $116,000 after getting knocked out of the tournament by 21-year-old Eric Froehlich
Eric Froehlich
Eric Froehlich is an American professional poker player, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. As of 2009, Froehlich's total live tournament winnings exceed $1,300,000. His 16 cashes at the WSOP account for $867,783 of those winnings....
. As a gimmick, Witteles used a small Head & Shoulders
Head & Shoulders
Head & Shoulders is a brand of anti-dandruff shampoo produced by Procter & Gamble. Head & Shoulders Classic Clean Shampoo is the top-selling shampoo in the United States by dollar sales.- History :...
bottle to protect his cards while playing, in reference to his online moniker "Dan Druff."
During the same World Series of Poker, Witteles played the $3,000 Limit Hold 'em event finishing first, earning a World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
gold bracelet and $347,385. Witteles set a World Series of Poker record, as no other player in history has finished better in their first two events. He was also named CardPlayer Magazine's 2005 World Series of Poker Player of the Year.
In subsequent years, Witteles cashed eleven other times at the WSOP, including finishes in 4th, 10th twice, and 12th. He finished 88th out of 7,319 entrants at the 2010 WSOP Main Event, good for nearly $80,000.
Witteles was a victim of the Absolute Poker/Ultimatebet "Superuser" cheating scandal. He and several other online players took part in uncovering and proving the cheating. This attracted enough media attention to where it became the subject of a story on the TV news program "60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
", where Witteles was featured. The episode aired on November 30, 2008. Witteles appeared on the front page of The Washington Post about the same matter. On December 16, 2009, he appeared on CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
to discuss the cheating. In the CNBC special, Witteles claimed that legalization and regulation of online poker was necessary in order to prevent future cheating scandals.
In March 2008, Witteles was selected among eight other top online poker players to participate in ESPN's "Online Poker Think Tank." In 2009, he was a guest broadcaster on ESPN360
ESPN360
ESPN3 is an online streaming service for WatchESPN to deliver both live streams and replays of global sports events to sports fans in North America, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Middle East, New Zealand, and Europe...
for the final table of a World Series of Poker event. He co-hosted two poker-related podcasts, The Cold Call Show and The Dan Druff +EV Show, from 2008-2011.
As of 2011, his total live tournament winnings exceed $800,000. His 13 cashes at the WSOP account for $658,671 of those winnings.
Personal life
Witteles has a son, Benjamin, born in October 2010. During his radio show, he identified the child's mother as a college friend that he reunited with on FacebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, after being out of contact for 16 years, and are currently engaged.