Todd Witteles
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| Nickname(s) | Dan Druff |
|---|---|
| Hometown | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet(s) | 1 |
| Money finishes | 5 |
| Highest ITM main event finish | None |
Todd "Dan Druff" Witteles (born 1972) is an American professional poker player. A former computer scientist, Witteles made poker his full-time pursuit in 2003.
Primarily a cash game player, Witteles entered his first tournament at the 2005 World Series of Poker, where he played the $1500 Limit Texas hold 'em event. He finished in third place out of a field of 1,049 entrants, with the final table being shown on ESPN. He took home nearly $116,000 after getting knocked out of the tournament by 21-year-old Eric Froehlich. As a gimmick, Witteles used a small Head & Shoulders bottle to protect his cards while playing, in reference to his online moniker "Dan Druff."
Nearly a month later, Witteles entered his second tournament, again at the World Series of Poker. This time he played the $3,000 Limit Hold 'em event, and bested his previous tournament by finishing first, earning a World Series of Poker gold bracelet and $347,385. Witteles set a World Series of Poker record, as no other player in history has finished better in their first two events.[1] He was also named CardPlayer Magazine's 2005 World Series of Poker Player of the Year.[2]
After finishing 2nd and 6th in smaller Los Angeles area tournaments, Witteles picked up his next major cash by finishing 4th at the Caribbean Poker Classic on the island of St. Kitts. He won $87,000 for that effort, and it was his first appearance at a final table of a major No Limit Hold 'Em event.
Witteles returned to the World Series in 2006. He finished in 12th place at the $1500 Limit Hold 'Em Shootout, and earned $34,589 for his 4th place finish in one of the $1500 No Limit events. He ended up cashing three times in the 2006 Series.
In November 2006, Witteles made the final table in the first-ever live tournament of the new game "Hold 'Em Blackjack", a game that is actually a hybrid between 7-Card Stud and Blackjack. He ended up finishing in 5th place.
As of December 2006, his total live tournament winnings exceed $630,000.[3]
