Poker Player - Tuan Lam
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Twenty years ago, Tuan Lam immigrated to Canada from Vietnam. An expert poker player, Lam explains that he learned to play poker in Canada, not Vietnam. So when he went to Las Vegas to play in the World Series of Poker tournament in June 2007, he felt he was representing his new homeland of Canada. Lam finishing second to Jerry Lang and took home a cool $4.84 million; second place in the WSOP event is hardly second rate!
Placing second means Lam beat 6,358 other entrants who were all eager to try their luck at the poker tables. The WSOP tournament began on June 1, but the Big Event started July 7 and came to an end when Lam was forced to move all his chips in the pot with ace-queen. Yang showed a pair of eights and the rest was history.
Loyal Lam supporters shouted “O Canada” and fans of Lang responded “USA” every time one or the other showed their hands. Lang immigrated to the United States from Laos when he was thirteen. Lam loves his second country and in an interview after the final hand commented that he feels bad that he let Canada down. He is determined to enter more tournaments and continue his quest next year to win a WSOP bracelet. It’s hard to imagine any feelings of disappointment connected to such a large win, and after 3 cashes. The good people of Mississauga, Ontario expressed their support and delight with Lam’s effort when he arrived back home.
After calling home and telling his kids the news, Lam shut off the phone in his hotel room to get some badly needed sleep. He was just absolutely exhausted after the grueling experiences at the last table.
The 41-year-old husband and father of two children, a 5-year-old girl and an 11-month-old boy, had a premonition the morning the last table of the Final Event began. “Something came into my mind that I would come in second,” Lam said in an interview after the tournament. The final play began at noon Tuesday and didn’t finish until almost 4 am on Wednesday morning. The last hour Lam recalls that he “got a couple of big hands, but it didn’t work out.”
Lam kept going even though the last 4 days of the tournament he played poker 14 hours a day. Although he seemed rather emotionless when it was all over, this was due more to exhaustion than lack of response. He was just too tired to do more than smile. And Lam has every reason to share the pride that Canada feels in his victory. The highest amount won by a Canadian before his $4.84 million win was $519,000 at the 1995 WSOP tournament. $519,000 is not exactly pocket change either.
Lam worked very hard in Canada as a welder. He met his wife Kim there and they started their family. About ten years ago, Lam started to develop his talent at poker. He became so successful at Internet poker that he resigned his day job and became a professional. Others were impressed with his talent at the WSOP event, including Nolan Dalla, media director for the WSOP. He noted that Lam has a unique style that couldn’t be pinned down. Lam is quite adaptable and will usually react correctly to his opponents play. He’s a thoughtful cerebral player who analyzes the weaknesses of other players and turns it to his advantage. On the quiet side, Lam is aggressive when he needs to be but underneath it all is cool and collected.
According to a close friend, Lam plans to build a Buddhist temple back in Viet Nam and a school for disadvantages children. Lam leaves to visit his parents in his country of birth and celebrate his victory with them.
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