In nature, the Devilfish is a poisonous animal that can be lethal if ingested. Surviving the dangerous consequences of an encounter with sea creature will make folks sit up and take notice. In poker the Devilfish is an Englishman named Dave who has a World Series of Poker bracelet and World Poker Tour championship as part of his resume. Surviving an encounter with this player, and prevailing, is stuff legends are created from. In 2001 Rob Hollink got the attention of the professional poker world by beating Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott, head to head, in Pot-Limit Omaha at the Master Classics.
Before that day in 2001, Hollink's trips to the poker table were infrequent at best. He had a wide range of other interests that kept him busy and well compensated. Earlier in his career he had tried his hand (and feet) at professional sports. While being rather good at tennis, football (soccer) and basketball nagging injuries kept him from making any real headway at a career as an athlete. Luckily he had a sideline, professional gambling. From the day he won a slot machine jackpot at the age of 14, Rob has been fascinated with the thought of playing games for a living. In the casino he became a jack of all trades. He was skilled in Blackjack, Roulette, and just about any other game that the casino had to offer. Poker was something he would dabble in only occasionally. Once a year he would play a tournament in Amsterdam, but that was just about it for his foray into the world of professional poker. Taking out the Devilfish changed all this. One cannot just slay a legend and walk away. Since that day in 2001, Rob has more than dabbled in the game. He has embraced poker and done quite well for himself at it. Not only did he win the EPT Grand Final in Monaco but Hollink regularly finishes in the money at WSOP events, and in April of 2006 won the 4th Annual Five-Star World Poker Classic. Today he is a true fixture in the sport of poker and one of those special players who is a legitimate threat to win every time he sits down in a tournament.
