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Location:
London, UK
Total Winnings:
$2,767,481
Titles:
Poker Million Hold'em Tournament (2000)
Working on both sides of the pond, John Duthie is a successful Bafta winning TV director and producer who also happens to be one of the nicest men in poker and creator of the European Poker Tour!
John played as a keen amateur poker player for many years, and then Duthie’s won the inaugural Poker Million televised tournament in the Isle of Man, netting a cool £1,000,000 in November 2000 and the rest is history!
Early fans of watching Poker on TV may remember this charismatic player appearing in the seminal UK poker TV programme ‘Late Night Poker’ in 2001. Following this John went on to notch a string of live poker cashes across Europe, including a win at the Vienna Spring Festival in 2004, and a second place (losing to US legend Mike Sexton) at the European Heads-Up Championship held in Paris in 2003.
Hugely respected and liked throughout the poker world, John Duthie is a member of Team PokerStars Pro and plays online using the screen name ‘JohnDuthie’.
What made you start playing poker and who first taught you?
I first started playing recreationally when I was a student and then saw a group of men playing 7-card stud in my local casino and decided to write to the gamblers bookshop in Vegas for a copy of Sklansky, Malmuth and Zee and then sat in the game and it all started there.
When did you know you wanted to play poker professionally and that you had the ability to do it?
Not sure that I have ever really claimed to be 100% professional player as I have various other business interests. However I am definitely considered a semi-pro and this decision just came over time as a large part of my income was coming from poker tournaments. My ability is something I constantly question.
You came into pro poker fairly late by today’s standards, how supportive were your friends and family of your choice?
No I didn’t. I came into it fairly early. Well before most of the internet kids. My family don’t question what I do, as all my decisions in life regarding my work and income have appeared to be correct historically.
How did your experience in T.V help you win the first million dollar prize on a televised event? Do you think the cameras may have putt less media savvy players them off their game?
Yes I think that I felt very comfortable in the studio as opposed to all the other players. I was very much at home in the studio and at one point remember thinking that we hadn’t seen a flop for a while, so called to give the viewer something to watch. That was when I had to put in a big bluff to defend my weak call.
Does playing poker feel like work or do you still enjoy the buzz?
I enjoy playing more than I used to because I’ve spent so much time in the last 6 years watching the game.
You have gone on record with some scathing remarks about “Poker Ego’s” do you think that the increased coverage of Poker in main stream media is creating celebrities rather than true poker talent?
I think that there are far too many individuals capitalising on the TV side of the game by becoming ‘personalities’ when the truth is that they’re not. Silly hats, stupid clothes, absurd behaviour….it’s all cringe making.
Do you feel most comfortable in cash games, SNGs or MTTs?
Probably MTT’s, but I can hold my own in cash games too.
What is your favourite poker variation?( NLTHE, Omaha for example) and why?
I think probably veering back to Omaha now as NLH really can get a bit dull after a while and there’s more action in PLO.
How has Poker changed in the UK since you started playing?
Well there are thousands more players. When I started there were a solid core of about 250 players. The game itself is much tougher as so many players know how to play really good aggressive poker.
Have people’s responses changed over the years when you say you are a professional poker player?
Not really as I have never introduced myself as such. I still consider myself a director and hopefully always will. I enjoy and love poker as a recreational game, but think that one should always have a goal aside from bracelet accumulation. Build, write, paint do something that you can feel proud of.
In 2004 you created the EPT with PokerStars, why was it important at the time to have a poker tour outside of the US?
I actually created the EPT alone. PokerStars came in at a later date and were offered the branding rights in return for covering the TV production costs. Their involvement has increased over the last 3 years or so. European players wanted a tour similar to US tours and that’s why I did it.
What differentiates the EPT different from other poker tours like the APT and the WPT?
Well we have wonderful locations, brilliant structures, a multi-cultural field and every location we go to has something unique about it. The WPT events are the same be they in Atlantic City, LA or Vegas.
What is your favourite location on the EPT or any other live poker event and why?
I don’t really have a favourite venue, but I was instrumental in creating poker tournaments outside of the Parisien Cirques in France, so Deauville will always be special.
You have two sons – have you taught them to play poker? Will we be seeing them on the EPT in years to come?
No and No.
Which tournament would you most like to win and why?
This is s difficult question and I suspect that it is the WSOP HU Championship because I got so close last year and really enjoy the HU format.
How much time do you spend analysing hand histories and potential leaks in your game?
None, which is probably my biggest weakness.
Do you use poker training websites? (If so which ones)
I don’t use any but I probably should if only to know what my opponents are thinking.
When did you first become involved with PokerStars and how did PokerStars approach you to be in their team?
We first became involved when they were one of the 5 companies tendering for branding rights to the EPT. When they were successful I approached them as a player as it would seem odd if I were to wear Ladbrokes or UB logos at poker events when we were so closely tied.
Would you ever consider using your knowledge of the poker to make a credible poker film or drama?
I think this is unlikely, but you never know.
Who are your poker role models?
I have great respect for Billy Baxter as he has always been up there at the top in all forms of cash and tournament poker. Other include John Juanda, Allen Cunningham and strange as it may sound, Chris Moneymaker. Chris has coped admirably with criticism over the years and whilst he may well not be the best player in the world, he is a stand up guy and let’s face it was a great world champion and sparked the poker boom in more ways then one.
Have these changed as your game has changed?
No not really. I kind of admire the Durrr’s and Patricks of our world and OMG Phil Galfond is a phenomenal player, but I still can’t tear myself away from the old-timers who were travelling around when this game was part of a fascinating sub-culture and before it became what it is now.
What do you expect (or would like) to see in the world of poker over the next 5 years?
I would like to see younger players realise that there is more to life than just poker and whilst they may have made large amounts of money would hope that they learn to do something else in life. Wealth is so much more than material as we all come to learn.
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