Sam Farha
Ihsan "Sam" Farha ( born 1959 in Beirut ) is a Lebanese professional poker player who lives in Houston, Texas. He won in 1996, 2006 and 2010 each a bracelet at the World Series of Poker in the game variation of Omaha Hold'em and was only beaten by Chris Moneymaker at the Main Event in 2003.
Sam Farha, who is considered one of the best poker players in the world, has already shown as a child, his extraordinary talent for games of all kinds Once he won $ 5,000 at Pac -Man and his skill at pinball, he was published on the cover of a Lebanese magazine.
1977 Farha moved to the United States after in his home in Lebanon, a civil war had broken out. In the U.S., he attended the University of Kansas, reaching a degree in Business Administration. After graduating Farha moved in with his brother in Houston. There he worked for several years, but began to discover his talent for poker game. At first he played with friends around a little money each hand until he tried his luck in Las Vegas and from $ 2000 starting capital $ 7,000 made .
Around 1990, Sam Farha professional poker player then decided to be and was now regularly seen in Las Vegas. He was Omaha Hold'em World Champion in 1996 and was awarded $ 145,000 in prize money. In 2003, he lost in heads up the main event against Chris Moneymaker, a hitherto completely unknown accountant from Atlanta, but could console himself with his largest ever profit of $ 1.3 million. In 2006, he won his second bracelet in Omaha Hi -low and $ 398,560 in prize money. At the 2010 WSOP, he won as the 2006 championship event in Omaha Hi -Low, and thus his third bracelet and $ 488,241 in prize money. 2007, 2008 and 2009, he had not participated in this event.
Currently lying in his career tournament earnings over $ 2.8 million.
Sam Farha, who describes himself as superstitious, is considered aggressive and unpredictable player. He has a particularly good estimate property and be able to intimidate his opponents. His trademarks include the often hanging in his mouth lucky cigarette (which he, however, never smokes ) and his saying " Raisy - Daisy" with which he sometimes initiates overweight increases.
Sam Farha was a regular guest in the poker series High Stakes Poker.