Our Verdict:
“Bill was the tightest player you'd ever played in your life when he was sober. And when he was halfway drunk, he was the best player I'd ever played with. But when he got past that halfway mark, he was the worst player I'd ever played with.”
These were the words of T.J Cloutier describing 1985 Main Event Champion Bill Smith. It was the first of Cloutier’s runner-up finishes when he moved in with A? without looking at the other card pre-flop. Smith called with 33 and to his horror he saw his kicker was another 3. That was that and Smith pocketed $700,000. Unfortunately, his thirst for alcohol got the better of him on many occasions and was even arrested 3 times in a day for playing poker (back when it was considered illegal gambling).
He managed to finish 5th in the 1986 Main Event for $51,300 but the Championship remained his only bracelet.