Bobby Baldwin: The Owl – World Series of Poker Player Bio
Born in 1952, The Owl turned his attention to the pool table and his studies. He attended Oklahoma State University and achieved worldwide success at the pool table. However, Bobby Baldwin just couldn’t keep his mind off poker. Lucky for him, his poker thrills paid off – in more than one way.
In 1978, The Owl won the World Series of Poker main event, taking home $210,000. At that time, the 23-year-old Bobby Baldwin was the youngest player to ever win the event – a record he held till 1980 when Stu “The Kid” Ungar won the WSOP main event. Between 1977 and 1979, Baldwin won four World Series of Poker gold bracelets.
In 1982, The Owl jumped ship from the professional poker world and into the casino corporate world. He took on a consultant job at the Golden Nugget and in 1984 was named the casino’s president. In 1987, Bobby Baldwin headed The Mirage and in 1998 moved on to the Bellagio. From 1999 to 2000, The Owl worked under Steve Wynn as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Mirage Resorts. In 2000, after the MGM Grand and Mirage Resorts merged, Baldwin was named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Mirage Resorts.
In 2005, Baldwin added CEO and President of Project City Center to his resume. Baldwin also continues his work at The Mirage.
In 2003, the Poker Hall of Fame inducted Bobby “The Owl” Baldwin. He can still be found playing live cash games and is known for his super-aggressive poker style.
To date, Bobby “The Owl” Baldwin has won more than $400,000 in World Series of Poker events. His poker life is the subject on Bobby Baldwin’s Winning Poker Secrets by Mike Caro. Baldwin himself wrote chapters for poker great Doyle Brunson’s Super/System and Omaha Hi-Low Poker (8 or Better). The Owl published Tales Out of Tulsa in 1985, which details how to read tells, managing poker winnings, and playing the players of the game.
As for his personal life, Baldwin has been married three times. His first marriage to his high school sweetheart ended in divorce after less than a year. His second marriage lasted until his wife Shirley’s death in 1996. The couple had two children. Currently, Baldwin is married to Donna McNiel. The couple and Baldwin’s son live in Las Vegas.
