With a Vietnamese-American poker master as his tutor, David Pham has risen from working in a laundry and as a manicurist to become a respected master player himself. His cousin is poker professional Men Nguyen, who is known as "the Master" or "the Professor" for his poker skill and his patience in sharing that knowledge. With his poker winnings, Nguyen had set up a school of poker and a laundry. The school later closed, although Nguyen continued tutoring, reportedly turning out more tournament winners than anyone. It was in Nguyen's laundry, in fact, that Pham learned both how to starch shirts--and how to wilt opponents.
Born in 1967 in Saigon, Vietnam, Pham has earned his own nickname: "The Dragon", apparently because of his fire-breathing style of playing. In 2002, this onetime apprentice student of the game was named Card Player magazine's Tournament Player of the Year. It's small wonder why-- he has piled up tournament top positions like a master. He scored his first World Series of Poker gold bracelet in 2001, in the S.H.O.E. mixed game event that featured Seven-Card Stud, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi/Lo, and Stud Eight-or-Better. In 2003, Pham placed first in the Limit Hold'em event of the Los Angeles Poker Classic. As of 2004, he has 14 first-place tournament finishes. The year 2005 was an especially rewarding one for Pham. He won the No Limit Hold'em event at the Borgata Poker Open, the Short Handed No Limit Hold'em at the Legends of Poker, and the No Limit Hold'em in the World Poker Classic. And there is one position that summarizes his success: he is listed as ninth in The Hendon Mob's 2005 Money List of the Top 100, with winnings of more than $1.7 million. This father, married and with four children, now resides in Bell Gardens, California.
