Poker Player - Ram "Crazy Horse" Vaswani
Ram Vaswani is one of the famous (or infamous!) Hendon Mob, along with Ross and Barney Boatman and Joe Beevers, all of whom are high ranking poker professionals. However, Ram Vaswani's background did not lie with poker originally, but snooker. Ram is a former snooker professional, who still maintains an interest in the sport, managing a new group of young aspiring snooker stars known as The Snooker Mob.
A love for poker always lay in the background however; at the age of 12, Ram discovered the thrill of playing and winning tournaments whilst on a school trip to Wales. The win was paid out in sweets, but Ram was hooked. He could already read his opponents, saying "I was picking up on everyone's tells and it wasn't long before I was cleaning up." He finally turned to playing professionally after realising that it was far more profitable than snooker.
Ram has a taste for gambling, reputed to be happy placing a bet on anything that moves, but when it comes to the poker table, thrill seeking makes way for a skill that is close to an artform. He is one of the few players that are able to play with "gears", being capable and proficient as a fast and aggressive player, as well as a player who uses tactics and caution when required. As a member of The Hendon Mob, he is " the Quiet One", but when it comes to professional tournaments, he is "Crazy Horse", reflecting his ability to adapt his style of play.
His adaptability has brought Ram a lot of success in live tournaments, so far racking up 14 first place finishes, making history as the first ever player to make three final tables at the 2006 European Poker Tour and having recorded cash winnings in excess of £2,200,000. He also won the Dutch Master Classics in 1999, the European Superbowl in 2000, finished in the money at the World Series of Poker in $3000 No Limit Hold'em, won the French Championship in 2002, the Midland Masters No Limit Hold'em event and the Poker Classics Pot Limit Seven-Card Stud in 2003. In 2004, he made it to three final tables at the WSOP and won the European Poker Tour event. In 2005, he had 10 money finishes in the WSOP and participated in the World Speed Poker Open. He is ranked 53rd on the All Time List for professional poker players, and 5th for English Tournaments.
Ram has appeared regularly on the television series Late Night Poker, and also has a strong online presence due to his membership to the Hendon Mob. He is part of the new generation of poker professionals, who are not restricted to live tournaments alone and that are bringing poker into a more modern and high speed world. His belief is that poker is not merely a card game to be played in a dark back room, but that poker is a sport in it's own right, deserving of visibility and recognition. And as with all sports, success comes through training, "Train for major tournaments by exercising and practising your moves." If Ram Vaswani's success is anything to go by, all aspiring poker players would do well to follow his advice!
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