Shirley Williams

Shirley Williams is an American poker player best known as the mother of professional poker player David Williams, but she has also built her own modest poker career. She has 11 WSOP cashes totaling $60,040, with most of her success coming in Seniors and lower buy-in events.

Williams first cashed at the WSOP in 2007, competing in Event #55: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event where she finished 465th out of 6,358 players, earning $29,883. This remains her largest single cash. She outlasted her son David in that tournament, who was eliminated on Day 1.

She has made multiple appearances in the $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship:

• 2011: 268th place ($2,329)
• 2014: 158th place ($2,986)
• 2021: 454th place ($2,157)
• 2023: 1,216th place ($1,601)
• 2025: 49th place ($14,788) – her second-best result

Other cashes include the 2024 $400 COLOSSUS (2,587th, $801), 2024 $300 Gladiators (2,731st, $600), 2023 $300 Gladiators (440th, $1,740), 2021 $400 The Reunion (1,280th, $1,000), and a 2006 Main Event entry where she outlasted her son.

Shirley Williams is the mother of David Williams, a professional poker player with over $9 million in live tournament earnings. She often attended his poker events and even competed in the 2007 WSOP Main Event, outlasting her son. According to a PokerNews report from the 2010 WSOP, Williams was described as being "up and down in the chip counts" before being eliminated in the $1,000 Seniors event.

While specific details of her playing style are limited, her tournament results suggest a preference for low-to-mid buy-in events, particularly Seniors tournaments. Her deep run in the 2025 Seniors event (49th out of 7,575) indicates solid tournament skills.