Thomas Grundy: Flash, with or without the shades

This is Thomas Grundy. Players from the Grosvenor Casino in Wallsall might recognise him from the final table of a recent £300 freezeout, while anyone around the PokerStars rooms might know him as "tollamus". But no matter how familiar he is at either of those two locations, there are folk from the University of Warwick Poker Society who know even more about the man they call Flash.

For it is there that Grundy cut his teeth, joining the huge ranks of poker players financing their way through university with their takings from the tables. It's also there that he earned that nickname, turning up for the £10 games in a pair of sunglasses. High stakes, high fashion. "Flash" stuck to Grundy longer than the sunglasses did.

In fact, their fate was rather unseemly. Trapped in a friend's car after it was written off in a crash, the glasses were reportedly unscathed. That's before the car itself made its journey to the wrecker's yard, crushed for scrap with Flash's flash accessories inside.

No matter: Flash is one of just 36 players still remaining in this field. Nine from the money. He can buy a new pair - and maybe a degree while he's at it.