Poker Profiles: David Pham

David Pham is a fairly driven guy. He has proven his valor first when he escaped Vietnam and traveled to the United States at age 17. Originally, Pham traveled on the boat with 145 men. At the end of the journey, there were just 46 of them. He was one of the lucky and brave ones who survived the trials and tribulations of sailing under indefinite circumstances.

Now, he is proving his bravery once more as he comes face-to-face with equally talented (most of which are more prominent than he is) Poker players at each and every battle for money and fame. Men Nguyen, who is actually David's cousin, opened the gambling door for 'The Dragon'. Apparently, Men's own successes at the Poker table brought him to build a cleaning business, where David worked for. Like the rest of the employees, David often took a Poker lesson from Men, which armed him to fit in at the tournament circuit. Soon enough, David was found making a name for himself and out of the shadows of his successful cousin.

David was named 'Player of the Year' by CardPlayer.com in 2000. The following year, he took a seat at a World Series of Poker event and eventually won a serious stash of cash along with a golden bracelet. He repeated that feat in 2006, beefing up his bankroll further and his stature as a respectable Poker player.

But the WSOP is not the only tournament half Vietnamese, half-American David invaded. He also went around the circuit for exciting cash games, which cemented his name recall. Looking at it from here, David has obviously achieved what he's been yearning for when he left Vietnam. Yet, he is still thirsty for more. He is looking to make a nice, clean sweep of all the existing professional Poker tournaments, thinking that appearing consistently on the final table is not enough.

The best thing about David is that he never forgotten his roots. He constantly slice a percentage from his winnings o give to charitable institutions in Vietnam. With a total cash in of more than $7 million, that good deed should not hurt a bit. As it is, David is proud and satisfied of his achievements. Aside from Poker, he is also busy tending to his family composed of a wife and four children. They currently keep a residence in Bell Gardens, California. When there is an opportunity, David do not mind moving here and there, leaving his family behind for a while.