David Williams

David Anthony Williams was born on June 9, 1980, in Arlington, Texas. At age 16, he attended the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, a two-year early college program at the University of North Texas. He later briefly attended Princeton University before switching to study economics at Southern Methodist University. Williams currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, and has one daughter, Liliana.

Williams' poker career skyrocketed at the 2004 World Series of Poker. He won his $10,000 Main Event buy-in through an online poker site and made the final table, ultimately finishing second to Greg Raymer and winning $3.5 million. Four months later, he finished second at the Borgata Open World Poker Tour, earning $573,800.

World Series of Poker

Williams has 111 WSOP cashes, 16 final tables, and one bracelet. His sole bracelet came in 2006 in the $1,500 Seven Card Stud event, where he defeated John Hoang to win $163,118. Later that year, he finished second in Event #39 ($1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball) for $256,091. His mother, Shirley Williams, often attends his events and competed in the 2006 WSOP Main Event, outlasting her son. As of 2025, his total live tournament winnings exceed $9.5 million, with $5.5 million from the WSOP. Recent cashes include a 3rd place in 2024 WSOP Event #61 ($2,500 Mixed) for $102,335, and a 26th place in the 2025 $10,000 Big O Championship for $24,635.

World Poker Tour

Williams has one WPT title and five final tables. In March 2006, he finished 4th in the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star event for $280,000, and two months later, another 4th in the WPT Mirage Poker Showdown for $221,958. His biggest WPT victory came in 2010 when he won the $25,000 WPT World Championship, defeating Eric Baldwin heads-up for $1,530,537. Overall, his WPT earnings exceed $3 million.

Online Poker

After the 2004 WSOP, Williams became a member of Team Bodog, then joined Team PokerStars in June 2010. He won a World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) title in 2009, taking Event #42 ($2,100 8-Game) for $107,800 under the screen name "RugDoctor".

Williams is also an accomplished Magic: The Gathering player. He made the Top 8 of eight Grand Prix events in cities such as San Diego, Cannes, Moscow, and Cleveland, and the Top 8 of Pro Tour Tokyo 2001 (7th place). He also won Team Events in Yokohama and Taipei in 2001. He had won over $30,000 playing Magic when he reached the Top 8 of the 2001 World Championships in Toronto, but was disqualified for marked cards—three of his four Accumulated Knowledge cards were bent more than the others, making them easier to cut to when he cut his own deck after his opponent shuffled.

In addition to poker, Williams competed on Season 7 of the FOX cooking show MasterChef, where he finished as co-runner-up. In 2023, he was a contestant on GGPoker's first season of Game of Gold, a Survivor-style reboot of Poker After Dark.

Williams has one daughter, Liliana. He was known as the "bad boy of poker" earlier in his career but has since matured. He is a passionate sports fan, especially basketball, and co-founded the Poker Education Foundation, a charitable organization that provides scholarships to underprivileged students.

As of 2026, Williams' total live tournament earnings have reached $9,640,613, with $5,333,807 from the World Series of Poker and $3,097,581 from the World Poker Tour. He has 190 total cashes, with 111 at the WSOP (16 final tables, 1 bracelet) and 21 at the WPT (1 championship, 4 final tables). His best live cash remains the $3,500,000 from the 2004 WSOP Main Event.

Williams continues to cash regularly. In 2026, he placed 17th in the $3,000 Nine Game Mix at the WSOP for $10,760. Notable 2025 results include: 85th in the $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Six Max ($6,434), 50th in the $3,000 T.O.R.S.E. ($6,312), 24th in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Double Board Bomb Pot ($9,709), and 858th in the $300 Gladiators of Poker ($1,676). In 2024, he added cashes such as 104th in the $3,000 6-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha ($6,021) and 100th in the $1,000 Super Turbo ($2,224).

Williams began playing Magic: The Gathering in the late 1990s, making his initial foray into the Pro Tour circuit during that era. His first major success came with a Top 8 finish at Pro Tour Tokyo 2001. He also recorded Top 8 appearances at eight Grand Prix events worldwide, including San Diego, Cannes, Moscow, and Cleveland, and secured Team Event wins in Yokohama and Taipei in 2001. His Magic earnings exceeded $30,000 before his disqualification at the 2001 World Championships.