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Bill's story is one of determination and survival. You see, he was headed to the World Series of Poker last year, but had a heart attack, so when it rolled around again this year he told himself he wasn't going to die not having played in the WSOP. Jumping on his motorcycle, he drove to the bank, took out the $10,000 buy-in for WSOP, $3,000 for a seat at a World Poker Tour camp, airfare and pocket money, and headed to Vegas.

Born in Brockton, Massachusetts on January 16th, 1947, Bill learned to play poker with his mother at age eight one summer while they were on vacation at their beach cottage on Cape Cod. When he was 13 he would walk horses for his father at the race track, and during his time off he'd play poker with the other horse-walkers in the tack room. His father saw that he had money all the time, but just figured he was walking horses for the other owners and trainers.

After he was 21, he would visit Vegas a couple times a year to play seven card stud, win some money then go play craps, win more money then go back to playing cards again. He told me he needed to mix it up because "Limit poker, if played right is very boring".

Then it was back home to Massachusetts to work as a carpenter, saving his money and winnings. Eventually he was able to convince a banker to loan him money to start his own construction business, buying vacant lots and building spec homes on them to rent or sell. Today, with his brothers and sister, he owns enough real estate to live off the earnings each year, and has plenty of spare time to play poker.

Poker is being very good to Bill too, as he finished 13th in this year's World Series of Poker. I went with Bill when he collected his check for $429,000, and then we had dinner and talked about his immediate plans, which sounded like a full plate to me.

I called him after he'd gotten home, and the first thing he did was buy a new pearl white Cadillac, then it was off to the South Dakota badlands in his motor home with his brother for the 68th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Then, after going to Atlantic city for a poker tournament, he headed off to China for a couple weeks.

Now he's back home, and ready to get back into the game ...

Interview with Bill Spadea:

PokerAllstar: When I was 12, I learned how to play poker with the older caddies at a golf course. I understand that you had a similar learning experience when you were about the same age?

Bill: Yep, when I was 12 or 13 years old my father had race horses and I would go with him in the summers to stay at the track and walk the horses. In between walking the horses I started playing poker in the tack room . My father knew he wasn't paying me much for walking horses, and he couldn't understand how I always had a pocket full of money.

PokerAllstar: Did you continue to play poker once you were on your own in life?

Bill: After I was 21 I started going to Vegas a couple of times a year, and I would play seven card stud. I would play for an hour or so, win like $100 then go to the craps table run it up to $500 or so, and keep playing until I lost it. Then I would go back to the poker table to make more money. Limit poker if played right is boring, so I could play good but not a long time. I liked the action of craps. Now I stay away from the craps table. In 1985 I bought Doyle Brunson's book "Super System", but was still playing mostly 7 stud.

PokerAllstar: PokerNews.com did an interview with you after you were eliminated from contention for the final table, and you mentioned this was the first time you'd played in WSOP. Had you played semi-pro prior to entering WSOP?

Bill: I played small tournaments with $100 to $500 buy-ins. I won at Foxwoods and Atlantic city, but never won more than $5,000.00.

PokerAllstar: What about playing online poker? Have you practiced your game from home using the free-play at online websites?

Bill: I started playing no-limit holdem online in 1999, and that gave me the time to learn to play, but I always liked playing live games a lot more.

PokerAllstar: How do you feel about the United States making cash poker games on the internet illegal?

Bill: I think its a joke. Prohibition never worked, they would be much better trying to get tax money out of it because it's going to keep going anyways.

PokerAllstar: I know talking with you many times during WSOP that you met allot of the players there. Was there anyone in particular that you met who had good advice as you were progressing in the standings? Or someone that you had wanted to meet, and did?

Bill: I played with Gus Hanson, Scotty Ngyuen, and Humberto Brenes, plus I also liked playing with David Tran. Rhain Khan was a lot of laughs with his dancing around and funny faces.

PokerAllstar: What most sticks out in your mind about your experience playing in the WSOP?

Bill: It was the first tournament I played in where the blinds went up slow, so you didn't ever get to a point of just shoving it all in with a wing and prayer.

PokerAllstar: Jerry Yang, Jon Kalmar, Alex Kravchenko, Philip Hilm, and Hevad Khan were at the final table, and you played against all of them at the last two tables prior to the final table. What do you think it was about your game that prevented you from taking one of their places?

Bill: When I got near the end I suppose I could have played a little safer, and maybe made it to the final table, but at that point I was trying to win the whole thing, and second place wasn't going to be good enough.

PokerAllstar: Do you plan on returning to WSOP in 2008? If so, will you be entering other events besides the main event?

Bill: Yes, I'll be there, but this time I'm planing to play some of the other events, maybe even seven stud, and some high low games.

PokerAllstar: Just for fun we put up a picture of you with Jennifer Tilly in the Bahamas recently. Did you play in an event there against her and Phil Laak, or was this just a chance meeting?

Bill: There was a WPT event in the Bahamas called Battle for the Season Pass. The winner got their buy-ins paid, plus expenses for all the WPT events for a year. A lot of pros played in the event including Jennifer & Phil; Todd Brunson, Clonie Gowen, Gavin Smith and several others were there. It was a three day tournament, and I got knocked out late the second day.

After my interview with Bill we discussed what plans he has for the immediate future, and it looked to be a full schedule straight off.

• WPT event at Borgata in Atlantic City.
• U.S. Poker Championship at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.
• Going to China for two weeks on vacation.
• Foxwoods World Poker Final a WPT event, Nov 8th to 13th

PokerAllstar plans on doing follow-up articles of Bill because we see great things in store for him, and wish him the best of luck in all his endeavors.

YouTube Interview by Cindy Michelle of PokerNews.com:
YouTube - William Spadea 2007 WSOP - Finished 13th

New York Times article: "When to Hold ’Em, and When to Go to Poker School"

Related Bill Spadea Article:
CardPlayer.com - Player Database - Results for William Spadea

Editors note: The author, Kurt Stine, is publisher of PokerAllstar, and other poker related websites in the ComKings network.

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