It's no secret that Asians kick all kinds of ass in the world of professional poker. But are we so damn good that we can even win in games that we've never played before? That's what happened to one guy who showed up at the World Series of Poker, accidentally signed up for a game he had never played before, but somehow walked away with the tournament's coveted gold bracelet.
Minnesota man's mistake leads to winning poker's top prize
Christian Pham, a professional poker player, arrived in Las Vegas to play no-limit Texas Hold 'em, but instead inadvertently signed up for No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw -- an entirely different game, and one he had never played before. Dude apparently had no idea until he was dealt five cards instead of the usual two.
Essentially, the goal is to have the lowest poker hand, no straights or flushes, and if a player ends up with a pair, it's better if it's a pair of twos. Players can also draw cards.
The event was just one of 68, all offering a chance at a golden bracelet prize, happening in Las Vegas at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino throughout the 51-day World Series of Poker that started on May 27 and culminates with the closely watched Main Event.
Pham said he didn't realize his mistake until he was dealt five cards instead of the usual two. He panicked, then observed, leaning on helpful players who advised him what beat what.
But Pham made the most of his mistake. Somehow, with a some guidance from his fellow players (and probably a little luck), Pham figured it out on the fly, and managed to climb his way past 219 players, including experienced veterans of the game, to the top of the tournament -- and a $81,314 prize.
I'm guessing Pham has a future in no-limit deuce-to-seven draw lowball.
More here: Christian Pham Runs the Tables After Accidentally Playing the No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw
