From The Gridiron to The Green Felt
by: Bill Sparks

 

Kevin "coach-1973" Fillman, an avid poker hobbyist from Ottawa, Canada, stunned the local poker community by winning the first ever JackSeven TLB Championship in April of 2007. A co-production of the JackSeven.ca poker forums and Eurolinx Poker, the JackSeven TLB consisted of a 10 week season that culminated in a final table featuring the top 10 point earners from the season. Kevin was 9^th overall going into the final table, but when the cards settled he was the last man standing and managed to win it all.

As a young man Kevin dreamed of becoming a professional football player and as he grew up his dream matured into wanting to be a world-class football coach and follow in the footsteps of his hero, Vince Lombardi. Unfortunately an injury in his youth would prevent that dream from becoming a reality. Nevertheless the competitive fire that burned deep within him and made him a great athlete never subsided.

 

In fact, I remember just a few years ago, Kevin and I went bowling together. It was my first time playing the sport and I somehow managed to beat him. A week later we went out again and he gave me a sound thrashing. He played like a man possessed and, scoring strike after strike. I later found out that he had gone bowling every night since our first match just to be sure he could beat me. He is without a doubt the most competitive human being I know.

Despite his fervent desire to always be the best, he manages to stay humble about his proficiency at poker. "I don't think I'm anywhere near the greatest yet; I have a lot to learn" he admits. I for one can attest to the fact that he has learned quite a bit since his humble beginnings in No Limit Texas Hold'em. You see, it was on vacation in the Dominican Republic, during a rain storm, that I taught Kevin how to play. We didn't have any chips, so we borrowed every box of "Connect Four" and "Scrabble" from the resort's recreation center and used the pieces for betting. I never could have imagined back then that I would be writing about his accomplishments just a few short years later.

When asked about his style of play Kevin says "I play defensively; I just bide my time, protect my stack and wait for my opponents to make a mistake". When asked if that style relies too heavily on getting cards to win, Kevin says "The key is to really capitalize on your opponent's mistake and always maximize your profits". Often seen as a tight player, Kevin admits "I do bluff; you have to in order to be successful, but I'm just very careful about when and who I bluff. I like to really pick my spots".

 

Kevin says he would like to one day take a shot at turning pro and having watched his progress and witnessed his unquenchable thirst to be the very best at anything he undertakes, I truly believe he has a shot. When asked about his chances of repeating his success in the second season of the TLB, Kevin says "I think my chances are very good. Besides, what's the point of competing if you don't believe you can win?". Time will tell, but for now, I can't think of a more determined, passionate player who could wear the JackSeven belt more proudly than my friend and worthy competitor, Kevin Fillman.