Poker Player - Frankie O'Dell
Frankie O'Dell is a professional poker player from Denver, Colorado and is well known and respected among the professional poker community.
Do first appearances count? Can you really judge a person's character in from your very first meeting with them? If you have answered 'yes' to either of these questions then you probably won't like Frankie O'Dell. There are many people who after meeting Frankie O'Dell for the first time, will walk away from the encounter believing Frankie to be a loud, rude and obnoxious man. Ok so he may cause the odd arguments at the poker table but so determined is Frankie to get the last word in that he will continue to argue and fight with other players rather than just let it pass and get on with the game. Despite the impression he gives off, Frankie O'Dell is actually a pretty nice guy. Those to have gotten to know him will tell you he is a decent person even if he does have a tendency to be loud.
Frankie O'Dell is almost strictly an Omaha player. He has been quoted many times as having said "The only game I enjoy is Omaha". This love of the game most likely contributes to the tremendous success that he has had at this particular game.
There is no doubt that Frankie O'Dell is one of the best Omaha players in the business. In 2003 Frankie was ranked number one in Omaha by Card Player Magazine with no other player even coming close to him. His other Omaha accomplishments include a 7th place finish in the $500 Omaha event and a 4th place finish in the $1,000 Omaha event, both at the 2003 Legends of Poker tournament. He also finished in 8th place in the Commerce Casino's 2003 Poker Championship of California. His Omaha titles include the 2003 World Poker Open after which he went on to win the 2005 World Series of Poker $1,500 buy in Omaha high low split event making him one of the few poker pros who has won both titles at the World Series of Poker and World Poker for the same game, and of course earning Frankie O'Dell his first World Series of Poker Bracelet. His joy at winning the Omaha WSOP Bracelet was tinged with a hint of sadness, as Frankie O'Dell dedicated his win in remembrance of his father who sadly passed away in 2000.
Frankie O'Dell is not shy about his success and is often boisterous about his skill in Omaha. He wears the WSOP Bracelet he won often and with pride and will make sure that he points it out to anyone who is within earshot. Of course it takes a lot of dedication and training to reach the level of skill in Omaha that Frankie has obtained and he has worked hard to get to the level he is at today. Frankie gives a lot of credit to his coach, Mike Matusow (who is himself regarded as the 'Babe Ruth' of Omaha players) and Frankie makes it a point to let people know he was coached by Mike who Frankie has often proclaimed "The best Omaha player in the world".
Although known for his love of and his success in Omaha, Frankie O'Dell shows some versatility by winning other events besides Omaha. He has had numerous final table appearances in limit hold em and no limit hold em including finishing 1st place in no limit at the 2003 Legends of Poker tournament.
Despite what you may think after meeting Frankie O'Dell for the first time, he is frequently thought of as being one of the games 'true good guys'. Frankie plays with a confidence that at times may annoy and infuriate his fellow players but he is also very enjoyable to watch, confident in his ability and plays an entertaining, albeit sometimes loud, brand of poker.
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