Andy Black | |
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Andy Black at the 2006 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas
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Nickname(s) | The Monk |
Residence | Dublin, Ireland |
Born | July 20, 1965 |
World Series of Poker | |
Bracelet(s) | None |
Money finish(es) | 24 |
Highest ITM Main Event finish |
5th, 2005 |
World Poker Tour | |
Title(s) | None |
Final table(s) | None |
Money finish(es) | 3 |
European Poker Tour | |
Title(s) | None |
Final table(s) | 1 |
Money finish(es) | 5 |
Andrew Black (born 20 July 1965) is a poker player from Belfast, Northern Ireland, who presently resides in Dublin.
Black played cards with his mother when he was younger, and began playing more seriously in 1986, whilst he was studying for a law degree at Trinity College, Dublin. He also began playing in the Griffin Casino in Dublin, reportedly because of the free food and coffee.
He was knocked out of the 1997 World Series of Poker (WSOP) main event by the eventual winner, Stu Ungar. There were rumors that Ungar got lucky and defeated Black's AK while holding AQ. Black dispelled this rumor and candidly affirmed that Ungar "just outplayed me" and that the AK vs. AQ story was nothing more than journalistic spice.
The following year a documentary titled Million Dollar Deal (narrated by John Hurt) was made of his visit to the same tournament. When he lost that too, he discarded all his possessions, travelled to England and lived in a semi-monastic Buddhist environment for 5 years.
Black successfully returned to poker in 2004, dominating in Irish tournaments and placing fifth in the 2005 World Series of Poker main event. He led the final table of the main event at one stage holding over 1/3 of the chips in play, however he was unable to maintain this lead and finished 5th, winning $1.75m.
In 2005 he appeared on the chatshow Heads Up with Richard Herring to discuss his faith and his poker career.
Since the 2005 World Series of Poker main event, he has made a money finish on both the European Poker Tour and the World Poker Tour. In 2006 Black made the final table of the Tournament of Champions where he once again held a huge chip lead only to cripple his stack when he overplayed AK and ran into Daniel Negreanu holding pocket Kings. Black once again was eliminated in 5th place earning $100,000.