William Anderson's battle outside the box
Cancer is forcing one of the Circuit's favorite dealers to take a break. Again.
William Anderson has pitched a million cards all over the country for two decades, making friends and smiling in the box the whole way. He dealt some incredible hands (more on that later), and he’s assuredly dealt some bad beats to players along the way. But now he’s on the other side of the table, hoping to be the last one standing in a rematch for the fight of his life.
Anderson was diagnosed with Stage 3 prostate cancer in 2023 while living in Chattanooga, TN. He had surgery to remove his prostate and was healthy enough within a matter of months to return to dealing.
“I recovered really well and was able to go back to work at the (WSOPC) August Cherokee event,” Anderson said. “The biggest change was teaching my system to do what it did prior. We are blessed to have some of the best doctors in the country in my health network.”
Growing up and all around
Anderson’s path to a seat in the box wasn’t linear; in fact, his childhood was anything but. His dad was in the Air Force and growing up, he attended 13 schools across five states. “I was very shy, mostly because I moved so much,” he said.
“I had a hard time developing relationships, but I loved sports and that helped me grow,” he said. “I blossomed into an athlete as a teen and became good at football and baseball. That helped me become a leader.”
After high school, Anderson studied chemical engineering at Georgia Tech. He got married, had three children and is the proud grandparent of six. He worked as a teacher and found his passion in coaching. In 2003 he had a chance meeting with Josh Arieh that sparked his poker bug.
The poker boom and a second career
“He told me all about poker and it was going to be on TV,” Anderson said. “My wife and I watched Moneymaker win on ESPN and I found the game fascinating because of the math and people skills needed to play the game.”
“Math is what drew me to the game at first,” he said. “When I realized that reading people was a big part of the game, I was in big time. I coached for 24 years, and I won games because we understood analytics and how to read our opponents. That’s the greatest strength of a poker player.”
Anderson learned the game and dealt a home game to learn the trade. Then, he was in Las Vegas in 2004 and the WSOP announced they had a dealer shortage. “I was encouraged to audition, and I got a spot.”
“I started dealing the WSOP every summer and built relationships with Dennis Jones and Kurt Dau,” said Anderson. “Then I could deal around my teaching career at stops across the country. I took two years off to play professionally but got burned out from the big swings.”
When Anderson is in the box, he’s one of best dealers on the Circuit. “My friends will tell you that away from the table I’m a quiet person, but as a dealer I believe in giving a service,” said Anderson.
“I try to deal to the moment – I get a feel of what is going on,” he added. “If it’s a satellite or Sit&Go, I’ll be very chatty as it’s a social atmosphere, but when we get deep in tournaments or a final table, I will only site the action when needed.”
“Players don’t realize just how much most of us love dealing and how much we appreciate them playing in our events,” Anderson said. “We wouldn’t have a job without them. I’m grateful to anyone who plays in our events, and I hope I show that on a daily basis.”
Remembering the beats
One of Anderson’s biggest moments dealing came at Pompano Beach earlier this year. “The main event was down to 27 players and I dealt a hand that had three players go to the Kx Kc Tc flop. Action checked around, a second ten came on the turn and all three players go crazy and get their stacks in.”
“I dealt quad kings, quad tens and the third player had Qc Jc,” he continued. “Yes! I put out the 9c on the river for a straight flush and two knockouts. I love watching players; it’s fun to see them execute their craft.”
After his initial cancer diagnosis, Anderson rejoined his team and had 18 months back on the road, but then came a bad beat.
His cancer returned. Anderson needed more intense treatment and he left work a second time.
Fighting cancer. Again.
He started radiation therapy in mid-May. “It’s been interesting,” Anderson said. “The first dozen treatments weren’t so bad, but now I’m getting nauseous and my energy levels are going down.”
The treatment and time away from work comes at an incredible cost. His daughter set up a GoFundMe to help with the mounting medical bills and they’re closing in on the $12,000 goal.
“I am having to force myself to eat and stay active, so when I get through this, I can return to work,” he said. “Because with my health issues, it’s caused our family to be tight on daily expenses.”
Anderson has radiation treatments scheduled through July 9th and his doctors are hopeful there won’t be a need for further surgeries or chemotherapy. “The good news is that the cancer hasn’t gotten into my blood, bones or vital organs,” he said.
A scroll through the donations reveals a ton of names from the poker world. “The support they’ve given me and my family has been amazing,” said Anderson. “We have some great friends (in poker) and they’ve shown up for us. I’m rooting for all my poker friends who gave to win a big event this summer so they can tell me all about it in person at Cherokee.”
Anderson’s family is grateful for all who have supported them. “I’m grateful to everyone who supported with words of encouragement, and I appreciate their friendships more than words can say,” he said.
“We do have a financial hurdle to overcome and we really hate asking as we are private people,” said Anderson. “But my daughter said that we have great friends and need help. It’s been amazing and we want to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts.”
All photos are courtesy of 8131Media.