In many ways David Berry fits the mildew of an ordinary, successful poker player.

Known as "Dmmberry" when playing on PokerStars from his home in Toronto, Berry uses poker to fill his free time. If not poker then its golf together with his wife, or coaching his kids' soccer team. If not that then he unwinds at his ski cabin in Canmore, Alberta, high up within the Rocky Mountains.

It sounds idyllic, and it probably is. But then, Berry, who just turned 41, is a person with time on his hands. He lost his job some time back, a setback that has effects on lots of people annually. But Berry's departure from his old job was slightly different, as it set in motion what became the largest individual lawsuit in Canadian history.

Back to poker for a second.

Berry won the Super Tuesday a couple of weeks ago, the weekly highlight for the most efficient online players within the game. It was worth $59,598 to Berry who defeated fellow Canadian gilleschro heads-up to earn his biggest ever tournament win.

It was hardly a shocking win. Within the poker sense Berry has the pedigree to check any of the event's usual winners, starting as a math major at university.

"I put myself through university and graduate school with student loans," he said. "I USED TO BE $20,000 in debt popping out of faculty. I managed to speak my way into getting a research job a bank owned brokerage house. I then managed to speak my way into the most well liked share trading desk."

Turn out Berry was pretty good at it. Actually he was the best.

"Within a year I USED TO BE installed charge of the most popular share area. Within a year of that we had 70% of the market share."

The Toronto Life feature on Berry describes the job in great detail. Suffice to mention that by making millions once a year he became the bank's highest paid employee, at one point earning 20 per cent of the profits he made. Recall to mind the highest poker players, playing after they want, for prime stakes, and being their very own boss. This was Berry, albeit on this planet of high finance, the star trader working his own hours. As he told Toronto Life:

"I came and went after I wanted. I USED TO BE my very own boss. No person infringed on my territory. What I said went. I ruled the industry. It was good for everybody."

Actually he got such a success that the bank decided to place a cap on it. As his counsel said at one of the most hearings, Berry was successful "because he was willing to take more risks than his competitors."

That word "hearing" tips off what followed.

Berry prefers to not speak about it, not least on account of a confidentiality clause, but two articles specifically tell the entire story well. As he put it, the Toronto Life magazine had an outstanding" overview of the last ten years".

The short version though is that Berry, offered new terms to his contract that were less favourable than previous, refused to enroll. It was a moment that set in motion his departure from the bank under controversial terms which, as he put it, were settled literally at the court room steps last year.

It forced Berry right into a kind of unemployed limbo. So he did what many competitive people do when denied their first choice pursuit, he found replacements. Certainly one of which was poker.

"The timing corresponds almost exactly to me leaving the bank."

All of which brought him to the business end of the Super Tuesday earlier this month, and the largest prize pool event he'd ever played for. No confidentiality clause in this result, only a solid performance by a player who knows when to take the dangers other players will not be prepared for.

"I'm very competitive and will get a little bit impatient and emotional," he said. "I play best when I'm patient and do not let emotions enter into the mix."

He came close. Berry was clear that gilleschro, his heads up opponent, had his number. "He took most of my stack early on. After I moved tables I BELIEVED to myself that I'D eventually see him again."

Berry is now away from the lawsuits and able to put what happened behind him.

"Things have settled," he said. "I'VE three beautiful kids which are happy to peer things settled. I now invest my very own capital within my investment company. I generally take an active role in my investments."

That left only one more question. Did he have plans to play any further poker?

"Absolutely," he replied.

Our congratulations and due to David Berry.

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Stephen Bartley is a staff writer for the PokerStars Blog. Follow him on Twitter: @StephenBartley.

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