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Sometimes players seek out the spotlight. Sometimes, their play forces the spotlight on them. David "The Dragon" Pham is definitely amongst the latter, and he’s earned every one of the accolades that have been draped upon him.
Pham was poker’s Player of the Year in 2000. He won his first bracelet in 2001 in a H.O.S.E. event with a monster final table including Cyndy Violette, Paul Darden, Miami John Cernuto and Tom McEvoy. He’s made three WPT final tables. This guy can just flat out play.
Pham came to North America when he was seventeen, settling in California and going to work for his cousin, Men Nguyen . Men taught David to play poker and provided him with a starting bankroll, reportedly in exchange for a cut of Pham’s winnings. It’s a standard practice in the industry that benefited both players immensely in the long run.
Pham won his second bracelet in the 2006 World Series, taking down the $2000 NL Shootout event. He survived a tough table including Rolande DeWolfe and online pro Dustin "Neverwin" Woolf, getting to the final against Charlie Sewell with the chip lead intact.
The final hand of the tournament saw Sewell move in from the button with Ac-8d. Pham looked at his cards and called instantly, flipping over Jd-Js. The heavy favorite, Pham was all smiles as the board came Qh-10c-7s. Sewell needed running cards for a straight or an ace to avoid defeat.
The turn was7h, nullifying all straight draws and the river came 4h, giving the man they call Dragon the pot and the tournament. David took home just over $240,000 for his time, but more importantly he got that five years-elusive second bracelet, the one that proves the first was no fluke. Seems like a good way to get that spotlight.
Gary Wise
gary@wisehandpoker.com
