THE EYE OF THE WHIRLWIND
It is a bright blue morning that salutes me as I step from the platform at Morden Tube station. As I head across to The Royal Surrey Poker and Snooker Club to meet its new owners, I recall days from my youth when I watched the unstoppable march of Messieurs Davis and Hendry, and how I wished that one day, the World Snooker title would find its way into the deserving arms of Jimmy White. He certainly came close; about as close as one can without actually winning it, but his is a story that doesn’t require a world title to justify its legacy. Jimmy White made snooker exciting, and being a kid, that’s all you cared about. So the opportunity to meet the man who turned me on to the game as a child was one I pretty much accepted before the verbal invitation had been delivered. Thus, I was excited!
Not too extravagant a distance from Morden Tube station is The Royal Surrey, which as I’m buzzed in immediately invites the same sense of excited anticipation you had as a child when you felt the first faintest echoes of chlorine tingle in your nostrils on your way from the changing rooms to the swimming pool. The entrance hall is adorned with pictures of some of snooker’s finest players and you get a sense of importance, even heritage as you assert yourself towards the stairs. It feels like the perfect place to play snooker, and it was very much the perfect place to meet Jimmy White.
The club has been established for over 30 years, and has been renovated with great care by its new owners to include 10 top quality poker tables, 10 snooker tables, a bar and eating area, and importantly, a private snooker room for its new resident professional Jimmy White, who is in good spirits as we meet.
“Well I used to own my own snooker club in Epsom, and the guys who bought The Royal Surrey I knew from the Surrey poker circuit. I remember the club from 20 years ago and it had a really nice match room and good facilities, so when they said they were going to turn it into a poker club, I advised them to keep snooker involved as well, so we decided to get together. It’s fantastic, I can come down here and play snooker in perfect conditions like I can on the snooker circuit and I can stop and play poker in the afternoon…(laughs) it’s like paradise for me!
“Basically we’re just starting out with this club, but you can already see it’s perfect and we’re going to get proper punters in. We have a lot of good cash games going on at the moment but we’re going to get some tournament games going and hopefully get it on the map as one of the big clubs. Hopefully this venue will be perfect.”
There have been many new card clubs opening up and down the country but few boast the facilities that are on offer at the Royal Surrey.
“It’s not like they’ve just got a few pool tables dotted about, they’ve got perfect facilities for snooker. I used to work for Riley’s who have got 250 clubs and they have poker nights in their snooker clubs once a week; but nothing like this! First and foremost it’s a poker club, but it’s also got the snooker side to it which is great.”
I enquired as to a typical day in the life a resident professional to which Jimmy responded with a keen focus on the future that would be a recurring theme to our conversation.
“At the moment I’ve got the final World Championships qualifier coming up in 5 weeks so I’m getting the table recovered tomorrow. I come in here about 11am and play until 4pm and break that up by going for some lunch around 1pm, and then in the evening I play poker so it’s perfect for me as I get 2 buzzes in one day without travelling. I’ve also got an exhibition night here were we get the local public to come and watch some exhibition frames of snooker and then to play poker afterwards. The poker side of it is something that we’re going to continue as we’re having a big competition every fortnight, although ideally we’d like to run them more often, which is something that we’re building towards.”
Indeed, walking through the venue, one of the first things you pick up on is the ambience; downstairs, the musty air of newly fitted poker felt, and upstairs, the comforting smell of table cloth and chalk. Visiting the club in its infancy before it officially clicks open the chip sets and de-suits the card decks is a very pleasurable experience. There is something nostalgic about empty sporting arenas, a calmness of a living theatre at rest that is just as apparent throughout the wood panelled halls of the Royal Surrey as it is at any enclosed space you could care to mention. Very few dual game clubs manage to create an atmosphere that is beneficial to both its games, prioritising one over the other. Indeed, this is true at some of the bigger casinos in London (which shall remain nameless) that although openly advertise poker as part of its offering, still feel the need to stick it away in a back room well away from its main gaming space, like they’re ashamed of its existence. Needless to say the Royal Surrey does things differently, and has managed to engineer a club whose ambience serves both snooker and poker in equal measures.
“That’s absolutely spot on. When you walk in, you are surrounded by poker tables and then you’ve got your snooker tables upstairs so everything is closed off and separate. Normally in a casino, a player might want to get up for an hour and go and play blackjack or one of the other roulette games on offer, but here they can go and play snooker, get some food in the restaurant, get a drink at the bar, or take advantage of the Internet access that we’ve got here. Another thing is that it’s 24 hours if you want it!”
Snooker and poker together under one roof isn’t new, but the way in which the Royal Surrey does it makes you feel like they have just invented the idea from scratch. The club doesn’t pretence to heirs and graces, yet its charm is its simplicity which neither overawes nor under whelms.
Having Jimmy White as resident professional will clearly help the club to build up a healthy list of patrons, not because he is one of British sport’s most recognisable and loved figures, but rather because of the quietly determined belief he has in the club’s concept. He wants it to work just as much as the people who have made it their business to create it, and for that reason there is much cause for optimism.
Distant Cousins
If you are fortunate enough to get the chance to talk a professional snooker player, try asking him if he plays poker, because there’s a very good chance he’ll say yes. Jimmy White, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Steve Davis, John Higgins as you’ll see later in the magazine, to name but a few, are all stars of both cloth and felt.
“All of them play! When you’re on the circuit, everyone’s got a laptop and they’re all playing online, and when we’re at tournaments we all put in £50 each and have a competition and it kills a lot of time. Because snooker’s an individual sports game and centres on an individual personality, things like this bring us all together and we have a laugh and a game of poker. I think it goes back years to when gambling was associated with snooker through horseracing, and the people who used to do that are now plating poker because it’s your money, you don’t have to rely on a jockey as it’s your decision. I think poker and snooker go together because they’re gambling games.”
Apart from being gambling games, both snooker and poker share similar traits in terms of skill, with forward thinking, strategy and concentration all fundamental components of both. So does that give snooker players an advantage at the poker table?
“I think so, as thinking ahead is important and you’ve also got the odds of what cards you’re going to get, which is that same in snooker when you weigh up whether to go for a particular shot. So the two definitely compliment each other–there is a big connection there. I think one of the differences now is that where years ago, you’d go around to people’s houses and the girls would go into one room and the men would sit around and play poker, nowadays everybody sits together to play.”
It’s possibly this difference which has made poker the phenomenon that it is; anyone can play. This is certainly the ethos that the Royal Surrey adopt as they are keen to build an establishment that excludes no-one and accommodates players of all levels in both games. Certainly we’ve learned that snooker players make good poker players, but what about the games themselves, how similar are they? From Jimmy’s explanation, it would advisable not to get into heads up cash game with Terry Griffiths if you’ve got anything to get up for the next day. “With snooker players you’ve got the people who take chances and then you’ve got safety players, who you’d call ‘rocks’ in poker, who are a bit careful. When these guys sit down at the poker table, they’re exactly the same as they are at the snooker table; the safety players are rocks, and the so called ‘flair players’ are loose- aggressive. Now Steve Davis, and he won’t mind me saying this, he’s unbelievable! My friend took him to a poker game in Cork, Ireland because he wanted to play poker–only Steve Davis can do this, you’ve go to admire him–he went for a 3 hour drive from the hotel to play poker, never played in one hand all night and just left, saying “thanks for the game boys”, and went back to his hotel. He said to me that he didn’t get any cards, but he can do that as he’s the same in snooker, he’ll close up, shut up shop. The great thing about poker is that in a cash game, you have to play for about 4-5 hours to get to know people’s characteristics, and the real top players can change strategies on the hour.”
You’d be forgiven for thinking that poker was something that players have picked up on the snooker tour as a means of whiling away the hours between matches. Yet poker is something that has been a part of White’s life for nearly as long as snooker.
“I’ve been playing poker from an early age. I started off in private card games around houses where you needed £20 to sit down, which was a lot of money back then. We used to play 7 Card back then, which is boring these days isn’t it? I got into Hold’em about 7-8 years ago when it started to get really popular over here, and then in 2002 I entered into the Poker Million for the first time and won it! I managed to hit some miracle cards and ended up winning the tournament, so I was delighted about that.”
Impressive stuff indeed from a man who has no qualms whatsoever in placing that Poker Millions win in the same bracket as those of his snooker titles. And the players who faced him on that final table would have come up against the same ‘Whirlwind’ style so loved by snooker fans up and down the country.
“I’d call myself a bit of a loose poker player but I like to play it like that, and I enjoy playing it that way. I’m a bit too loose to play Omaha so I stick to Hold’em.”
Along the way, White has struck up a friendship with professional player Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliot, although he is quick to rebuff any suggestion that the well known UK pro had become a tutor.
“I think if you play any form of poker then you can pick up the different variants quite easily. I used to play 7 Card so Hold’em was something that I picked up relatively quickly. The Devilfish did give me a few tips I must admit, although I don’t like to because his head’s big enough as it is, but he did give me a few tips prior to some tournaments.”
It’s clear from his love of the game that Jimmy White would neither need nor accept much tuition, and proof of this is his entry into this year’s WSOP in Las Vegas. But it’s not just the big tournaments that serve to quench what he refers to as his ‘poker fix’.
“I play online maybe 2 or 3 times a week but I have to play live, I have to have my poker fix about 3 or 4 times a week. I miss it badly when I haven’t played for a few days–I’m itching to have a game. I do a lot of travelling and I find myself looking up casinos up and down the country and planning a small game. One of those was with Michael Greco, who is probably the most improved player I think I’ve seen. We shared a final at the Palm Beach one night, and don’t forget we’re not professionals, and a lot of people were targeting us because I play snooker and he’s on EastEnders. People wanted to be able to say “I knocked that Jimmy White out” so that gave us an advantage.”
White’s love of the game is also rubbing off on his friends, as he explained the day when Rolling Stone Ronny Wood became addicted.
“As I was saying before, we were having a few drinks and we took my mate Ronny Wood to the Palm Beach to get away from the paparazzi because they were driving him mad. They don’t bother me at all but they were driving him mad. So we got in there and he said “I want to play poker”, and there was a £250 freezeout going on. I said that it was a waste of £250 if he’d never played before, but anyway he lasted for about 4 hours and from that he’s become totally hooked. He’s playing all the time and he’s phoning me up about hands and everything. So it just shows you, someone like that who’s big into his horseracing, into his artwork, and obviously his music–now he’s big into poker.”
Though his biggest victory has come in tournament play, White’s preferred option is the cash game table although his style doesn’t vary too much between the two variants. Yet it was during his Poker Million victory where he fondly remembers his biggest bluff.
“I didn’t have many chips left, and I played 7-deuce off suit. There was a call, then someone raised, I re-raised meaning that half of my chips were now gone. The flop comes 3 picture cards so I bet out again, and the initial raiser just calls. The turn card comes and adds the possibility of a straight draw, so I move all-in and he passed and I thought “thank God for that” and I ended up winning the competition.
“There’s a lot of bluffing in cash games, and people tend to bully people a bit more. I find that the worst thing about new players is that they don’t know how to raise when they get the cards, so they’re giving people free cards all the time.”
However, it’s not all brutal and the reason White enjoys cash games over tournament play has a lot to do with the fun factor.
“I don’t mind tournaments but I just think that the cash games in the Royal Surrey are going to be so good. I will obviously play in the tournaments at the club and elsewhere, but I like the cash games here because you get the same characters, and you can sit down and have a laugh.”
And which characters would be on his fantasy poker table?
“Well I’d have Ronny Wood, because he loves it. I’d have Steve Davis because he’s a rock; I’d have the Devilfish and Phil Ivey as well. The final one would probably be Teddy Sheringham, because he plays all the time and he loves it as well, and he’s a good player with it. In fact the Devilfish is probably the best player I’ve played against because he’s so unorthodox isn’t he?”
White laughs at the suggestion that Ulliot’s unorthodoxy isn’t restricted to the poker table.
“He thinks he’s James Bond you know! We were out in Ireland and he was going up to women going “Devilfish is the name, poker is the game” and he’s flashing the bracelet, and we’re like “what’s going on here?” But we have such a laugh; he’s a really great guy. He enjoys himself and he’s not afraid to say that he’s been successful, and why not? And because of TV coverage, people in tournaments can pick up tells but someone as good as Devilfish can play a different game at the cash table to his tournament style. I play slightly different but I’m not in his class at all.
So who does Jimmy White think is the best poker player on the snooker tour?
“Definitely me! I’d love to play with them all for a lot more!”
One place he will hope to be playing with them for the highest stakes of all is The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. White’s relationship with the World Championships has been one of unfulfilled promise having been defeated in the final on 6 occasions, 5 of them in consecutive years, and 4 at the hands of Stephen Hendry. However, White refuses to look back in anger, and appears as focused as ever on mounting a realistic challenge for a title he maintains is still within his reach.
“The big one for me this year is the World Championships. I’ve had to qualify because I’ve dropped out of the top 32, so I’ve had to go to Pontins in Prestatyn, North Wales. It’s difficult up there because you’re 250 miles away from home, you’re in a holiday camp and you have to stay there to qualify as there’s nowhere else to stay. I’ve had to dig in, but just towards the end I managed to find a bit of form and I’ve got one game up in Sheffield to go before the main tournament. Because of the facilities here at the Royal Surrey, I’m able to concentrate and do my 5 hours a day, and I’m going to give it my best shot–the best I’ve given for 10 years. My form is good, but when you get to my age it’s all about concentration. Where before you would get into a zone and you wouldn’t hear anything, now you can hear Auntie Betty opening her crisp packet, so I’m trying to work on that mentally and so far it’s going alright.”
Jimmy’s passionate following will be happy to hear that his confidence is in check ahead of what may prove to be his most serious assault on the Crucible for some years. And any suggestions that his love for snooker has diminished over time would be very wide of the mark, as he passionately explains.
“I love playing–I love playing! A few years ago I decided to go to live in Spain to play golf, and I was there a couple of months and I nearly went mad. I love playing the game. When I was younger the travelling was fun, but when you get to my age, one night you’re staying in a nice hotel and the next you’re in a bed and breakfast–which will probably look after you better–but in the end it becomes monotonous. The trains, the airports, the motorways; that I can’t do anymore, so I’ve cut down on my personal appearances to concentrate on getting my game together.”
You would be forgiven for thinking that the disappointment of those successive final defeats, in particular in 1994 when a missed black in the final frame handed victory to Stephen Hendry, would have soured White’s memory of what was a successful part of his career. But true to the gentleman that he is, Jimmy can only be thankful for the time he had.
“I’m a very lucky boy, a very lucky boy. I come from Tooting, and we had it very tough, so to be doing what I love doing for a living, and still doing it at 46 is something I’m very thankful for. It doesn’t bother me at all because I’ve beaten all those people before, and if I have a bit of a fizz in the next 2 months then who knows? I could go and win the World Championship! I’m not drinking, I’m not staying out late; all those things that used to be against me of my own self doing, I don’t have those burdens anymore so who knows? I have a lot of faith in my game. There’s no point in me looking back to that period and getting down about it because I have to focus on now, the chase is still on and I still believe I can do it. Maybe in 5 years when I retire, then I can look back, but while it’s still in my heart I’ve got to focus on that.”
And as long as Jimmy has it in his heart, so his legions of fans will follow where he goes. Jimmy’s extraordinary popularity works on many levels, which he narrows down to three vital components.
“Firstly I think it’s because of my snooker, I take chances and I attack the game and people go onboard with that; they know you’re taking chances. The second reason is that I’ve never refused anyone an autograph and I think the third one is that I’ve never moaned when I’ve lost–I just beat up my agent and smash a few hotel rooms (laughs). Seriously, I am absolutely honoured that I have such amazing support.”
So what can his supporters look forward to in the future? Jimmy White at the snooker table or Jimmy White at the poker table?
“You’re going to see both! You’ll see me winning at snooker, and participating at poker–I can’t say that I’ll be winning because they’re all too good! I really do love both games.”
You can rest assured that Jimmy White’s snooker career is far from over, and such is his comfort in his own ability and current form that his focus is very much on the future, and in particular on the World Snooker Championships in April. His is a character that bleeds affection, generosity and honesty, and is one that certainly merits the loyal army of supporters that follow him wherever he goes. Snooker has had many icons and legends down the years but I doubt whether any will be remembered as fondly, or with more admiration than Jimmy White MBE. Come on Jimmy!
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