Think about mould breakers. Football had Georgie Best, who either got sent off, or scored a hat trick. Horse Racing had Lester Piggott, first or last. In Snooker it was Jimmy White, he either got whitewashed, or won every frame. And cricket's man was Ian Botham. Golden duck & knocked all over the ground, or scored 147 & took 6 wickets. Guys who not just do it better, they did it different. Everything was glorious, be it victory or failure.
Poker's equivalent is probably Gus Hansen. Gus is the Danish guy, "any two cards" Gus. Nobody, but nobody, even the world's top pros, understands this mans game.
But there's a new kid on the block, one Julian "Yoyo" Thew. Why "Yoyo"? His stack goes up and down like a ......well, you know what I am saying. This boy does not do sit quietly. And you cannot put him on hands, so don't even try, he could be holding anything. And he's blazing a trail cross Europe, with major Finals in London, Copenhagen, & Dublin.
Next stop - next week in fact - he's off to Las Vegas, to make his WSOP debut. Her wont sit there waiting for monsters, he'll be mixing it up early, with his 6-5 off, or his Q-2 suited. Not just limping either, he rarely uses the limp button, it's either raise or pass with Thewy. Heaven only knows what the Americans are going to make of this prodigy. Will he win it? That's a big ask, but what he will do is mix it with anyone who wants to take him on. He could easily make the Final, he has the game, the heart, and the backbone, but he's just as likely to bust out inside the first hour.
Most of Julian's life was spent in Dublin, where Mum. Dad and brother Graham all still live. Julian was a white-water slalom canoeist - paddled for England no less - in International comps the world over. Britain's best training facility for canoeists is in Nottingham, so Julian relocated there, to the leafy and really rather refined West Bridgeford, where he lives a comfortable life. But his middle aged body was starting to feel the stress of 6 day a week training, and that's when he found poker.
Two or three years learning his trade at the grass roots level followed, & suddenly in 2004, he burst on to the major circuit like a breath of fresh air. At first the established pro's dismissed his results.
Flash in the pan. Too loose. Can't change gear. But as the results continued to mount up, they were forced to look again at poker's new wonder boy. Suddenly, he was everyone's tip for the top. William Hill Poker beat off a whole rush of would be sponsors to sign him up, as he fitted their profile perfectly - he can play, he has perfect table manners, and is liked and respected - not to say feared - by the entire poker community.
Julian is also a founder member of the much vaunted Notts Elite, a group of players based in the East Midlands who have been plundering the European circuit during the last year, and who currently hold the Inter Casino Challenge Trophy, after thumping Blackpool recently. Bragging rights being what they are, this means a lot more than money.
Handsome boy, too, though his impish looks belie the fact that he is in his late thirties. Married to Amanda, they dote over their 18 month old son, who goes by the name of Reuben Madison. Amanda is a schoolteacher, so she is the brains in the family, and young Reuben looks very much like his Mum.
So life is good for the Yoyo. William Hill use him to meet and greet their poker clients, and be a poker ambassador, along with their other two sponsored players, Smokin Steve Vladar, and Xuyen Bad Girl Pham, the current Pot Limit World Champion. All three of them have had plenty of TV exposure, with more in the pipeline.
Julian still works part time - he's an architectural draughts man - and is a connoisseur of fine food and wine, and a mean cook himself. Supremely fit, he cycles to work, helping to keep his slim but muscled body in reasonable shape. He enjoys movies, TV, and reads a little too. And enjoys an annual pilgrimage to the Chelsea Flower Show - not too many poker players there! But I suspect that's Amanda's influence, she's the gardener in the family. The family car is a Volkswagen, though both Amanda and Julian are notoriously bad drivers, so just as well they do not hanker after fast cars.
If you get the opportunity to watch, or even better, play in a competition in which Julian is playing, don't waste the chance to see this guy in action. Poker has probably never seen his like before. Friendly and affable at the table, but don't be stealing his blinds, because then he bites. It's a weird thing, but he can't stand other players on the table getting busy, or making moves. He's one to talk!
After Vegas, Julian will be playing in London (The Vic), Luton, Barcelona, Blackpool,
and Naples - and that only takes him up to September.
These extraordinary talents don't come our way very often, so don't miss the chance to play against him. As he donates his chips, or takes yours, you sure wont forget his game in a hurry. You'll know when you've been Thewied.