Dewey Tomko

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**Dewey Tomko**
Dewey Tomko in Poker Superstars II
Nickname(s)	None
Hometown	Winter Haven, Florida
World Series of Poker
Bracelet(s)	3
Money finishes	35
Highest ITM main event finish	2nd (1982 & 2001)
World Poker Tour
Titles	None
Final tables	2
Money Finishes	6

Dewey Tomko (born December 31, 1946 in Glassport, Pennsylvania) ^[1] is an American former kindergarten teacher turned professional poker player, based in Winter Haven, Florida.

Tomko is chiefly noted as the runner-up in the World Series of Poker "WSOP" $10,000 no limit hold'em main event in both 1982 (to Jack "Treetop" Straus) and 2001 (to Carlos Mortensen.)

Tomko began playing poker profitably as a 16-year-old in Pittsburgh pool halls which allowed him to finance his education. He worked as a kindergarten teacher, but often played poker through the night. Tomko realised that poker was more profitable than his job and invested a sum of his winnings into businesses whilst choosing to play poker full-time.

In addition to his WSOP success, Tomko has made two World Poker Tour (WPT) final tables. He finished runner-up in the 2003 Five Diamond World Poker Classic ($552,853) and in fourth place in the Costa Rica Classic ($14,650.)

Recently, Tomko took 3rd place in the 2005 WSOP Deuce to Seven Draw Lowball event worth $138,160.

Tomko is married with three children. His son Derek encouraged him to return to playing poker tournaments. (Tomko claims his son is a better player than he was at his age.)

As of 2006, his total live tournament winnings exceed $3,300,000.

Rick Reilly chronicles a day with Dewey on a golf course in his book Who's Your Caddy. In it, he contends that Tomko is not interested in competition if there is not a wager riding on it. Dewey is just as good a gambler on the golf course as he is sitting at a poker table. He notes that many PGA professionals will refuse to play him for money.