Sam Farha
| Sam Farha | |
|---|---|
 Sam Farha (2008) |
|
| Personal information | |
| Date of birth | July 28, 1959 |
| place of birth |
 Beirut
|
| place of residence |
 Houston
|
| Live Poker Tournament Achievements | |
| Highest prize money | $ 1,300,000 |
| Total prize money | $ 2,884,300 |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelets | 3 |
| Cashes | 11 |
| Best main event | 2. ( 2003 ) |
| Main Event of the World Poker Tour | |
| title | no |
| Cashes | 3 |
| Last updated: March 16, 2020 | |
Ihsan "Sam" Farha (born July 28, 1959 in Beirut , Lebanon ) is a professional American poker player of Lebanese origin. He is three-time bracelet winner of the World Series of Poker and was the 2003 Main Event of this tournament series only Chris Moneymaker struck.
Training and beginnings
Farha, who is considered one of the best poker players in the world, showed his extraordinary talent for games of all kinds even as a child. He once won $ 5,000 at Pac-Man and his pinball skills made him on the cover of a Lebanese magazine .
In 1977 Farha moved to the United States after civil war broke out in his home in Lebanon. In the United States, he attended the University of Kansas and earned a degree in business administration . After graduating, Farha moved to live with his brother in Houston . He worked there for a few years, but also began to discover his talent at poker. At first he played with friends for little money per hand, until he tried his luck in Las Vegas and turned $ 2,000 into $ 7,000.
Poker career
Career
Around 1990 Farha decided to become a professional poker player and could now be found regularly in Las Vegas. In 1996 he became Omaha Hold'em World Champion at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) for which he received a prize of 145,000 US dollars and a bracelet . In 2003 he lost in the heads-up of the main event to Chris Moneymaker , a hitherto completely unknown accountant from Atlanta, but was able to console himself with his biggest win of 1.3 million US dollars. In 2006 Farha won his second bracelet at the Omaha Hi-low and nearly $ 400,000 in prize money. At the 2010 WSOP , as in 2006, he won the championship event in Omaha Hi-Low and with it his third bracelet and almost 490,000 US dollars in prize money. Overall, Farha's live tournament revenue is over $ 2.8 million.
Farha, who describes himself as superstitious, is considered an aggressive and unpredictable player. He has a particularly good judgment and is able to intimidate his opponents. His trademarks include the lucky cigarette that often hangs in his mouth (which he never smokes, however) and his saying “Raisy-Daisy” with which he sometimes introduces weighty increases. Farha was also a regular guest on the poker show High Stakes Poker .
Bracelet overview
| year | Buy-in (in $ ) | competition | Attendees | Prize money (in $) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 2500 | Pot Limit Omaha w / rebuys | 78 | 145,000 |
| 2006 | 5000 | Omaha Hi-Lo (8 or better) | 265 | 398,560 |
| 2010 | 10,000 | Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship | 212 | 488.241 |
Web links
- Sam Farha in the Hendon Mob Poker Database (English)
- Sam Farha in the database of the Global Poker Index (English)
- Sam Farha in the database of the World Series of Poker (English)
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Farha, Sam |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Farha, Ihsan (real name); Farha, Sammy (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American poker player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 28, 1959 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Beirut , Lebanon |