World Poker Tour

Buddy Williams

Birthplace
Lawton, Oklahoma

Hometown
Lawton, Oklahoma

Birthday
April 9

Total Winnings
$91,620

Buddy Williams was born in Lawton, Oklahoma. He has been confined to a wheelchair since he was badly injured in a childhood accident, but that hasn't kept him from pursuing two careers: one in commercial real estate and one in poker. Williams says he's played around with poker since he was a child, but he learned a lot about the game later in life. A friend's father was concerned that Williams was spending too much time at home. They convinced Williams to join a social club where some of the members held a regular poker in the back room. It was a two dollar limit game, but it ended up being priceless for Williams. He found a mentor at that game, and Williams says he learned how to win at poker by watching him. The next year, Williams kept track of his game stats. He won about $15,000 playing twice a week.

Williams has played poker for more than three decades, but he admits he hasn't played in as many tournaments as a lot of poker pros. One of this most memorable tournaments was in 2000. He convinced his brother to drive him to Mississippi, so he could play in the Jack Binion World Poker Open. His brother, Ronnie, ended up winning his way into the tournament through a super satellite, and even though he was pretty new to the game of poker, he ended up winning the tournament. Buddy Williams, the poker pro, was right there with his brother, the poker tournament newcomer, as he accepted his prize money and bracelet.

Buddy Williams made the final table at a World Series of Poker event in 1996. He finished sixth in that No Limit Hold'em tournament and took home more than $21,000. In the first season of the World Poker Tour, Williams placed fourth in the Main Event at the World Poker Open. For that victory, he made more than $91,000. Then, in season two of the WPT, Williams made another nice showing. He finished sixth in Event #15, Pot Limit Hold'em, at the Jack Binion World Poker Open. In 2007, Williams won the Deuce to Seven Lowball Draw event at the Oklahoma State Championship of Poker.