Poker 1 on 1

David Pham: The Dragon Learned From the Master

David Pham is a Vietnamese immigrant, also known as The Dragon, got his nickname from his performances at the tournament tables. He is one contender who puts his opponents on fire; the one who always heats up the game whenever he is around. Pham has been given the title of 2002's Tournament Player of the Year by Card Player. He has one world series of Poker bracelet and more than $ 2.4 million earnings from tournaments as of 2004.

Pham lost at the 2000 World Series of Poker to Chris Bjorin and John Clements. Being defeated does not faze The Dragon; he simply becomes stronger and prepared for the next battle. Pham did a comeback at the 2001 World Series of Poker. He won his first bracelet at the S.H.O.E. event; this is the combination of four popular poker versions Seven-card Stud, Texas Hold'em, Omaha hi/lo, Stud Eight-or-better. This event is said to be the champions' ultimate test, and The Dragon nailed it without a doubt.

The 2003 Limit Hold'em event of the L.A. Poker Classic held at the Commerce Casino was attended by 415 players with a buy-in amounting to $ 1,500 and a $ 1 million guarantee. Pham and his opponent, Ray Dehkhargahi, were neck-and-neck but the latter won most of the hand. Pham won the event and was given the title King of Limit Hold'em.

In the 2005 World Series of Poker, Pham got seventh place and took home a cash prize of $ 65,740. He has a record of fourteen first place wins at major tournaments in the past four years. David Pham came from a poor family. He was a native of South Vietnam and he was born in 1967. He migrated to the United States and took odd jobs. He is the cousin of another popular pro poker player none other than the Master, Men Nguyen. Pham learned poker from his cousin Men Nguyen while working at the latter's laundry shop.

He learned so many things from Nguyen; pressing clothes, operating washing machines and dry cleaning machines, but the best lesson he learned was playing poker. In fact many of Nguyen's students became tournament winners. He has been the poker professor to his students. Nguyen was always very supportive of his cousin and Pham definitely owes his success to him. There may be no material wealth from their family, but their talents and poker prowess led them to enjoy life as they have today.

David Pham currently resides in Bell Gardens, California with his wife and four kids.