Even if you are not a devoted follower of the World Series of Poker - or of professional poker in general - it is virtually impossible to deny that this competition is populated by players with some extremely colorful and memorable names. There are not many sports which can boast a roster that includes the likes of "Amarillo Slim," "The Master" Nguyen and Daniel "Kid Poker" Negreanu. These are but a few of the more memorable names to appear on the WSOP tables.

It might be all too easy to conclude by looking at some of these names that a snazzy moniker is essential to being successful at this very high level of the game. In fact, this is not the case. The old adage that you cannot a judge a book by its cover holds true in the sport of poker as much as anything else. For a very vivid example of this fact, consider the career of Bill Smith.

Let's just be honest for a moment: Bill Smith is not exactly the sexiest name on the planet. It is a good handle for your banker or your barber to have, especially if you live in a small Midwestern town. But it hardly is apt to attract people's attention on the glittering Las Vegas strip. And yet, that is just what makes it so effective for this particular player. An understated, almost casual approach can be devastating in terms of willing opponents into a false sense of comfort. It is at precisely this point that Bill Smith has been known to strike with absolute ferocity.

Few can argue that Bill Smith's greatest achievement came at the 1985 World Series of Poker when he won the main event and took home $700,000 as a result of his efforts. In fact, the 1980s were a good decade for this player, in general. In both 1981 and 1986 he placed fifth in the world series of poker, impressing many experts and commentators by his tenacious play. He has only finished in the money in the World Series of Poker on three occasions, but that does not diminish the overall impression regarding his poker skill.

While it is true that the name of Bill Smith is not likely to be one of the very first mentioned during any comprehensive discussion about the greatest players to appear at the World Series of Poker, it would be a serious mistake to overlook him entirely. In his reign, he has played with an unusually high level of poker skill, while doing it all along in his own natural and unforced manner. Many younger players just starting out on the professional circuit could learn a lot by studying the career of Bill Smith.