Hoai Pham (43) has won Event #1 of the WSOP 2010, after defeating a field of 721 players over two days to collect a WSOP bracelet and the $71,424 first place prize.
As the action got started at the $500 Buy-In NLHE Casino Employee Event, all the competitors were hoping to help themselves to a share of the $324,450 prize pool.
Near the end of Day 1, Dan Miller ignobly became the bubble boy when he exited the tournament in 73rd place to become the last player to go home empty handed. The first day of play eventually wrapped up with just 53 players remaining.
The play resumed at 2:30pm the next day, and by 10pm the remaining ten players took their seats at a single table, and after David Patent was eliminated in 11th, the official final table was set.
Yuta Motoyama was the first player to be eliminated in ninth ($5,434), after his pocket rockets were cracked by Patrick Silvey’s Kc-Qc, which turned into two pair.
It wasn’t until 4:30pm and 14 hours later on Day 2 of the competition, that the heads-up play had been reached between Hoai Pham and Arthur Vea. A mere 10 minutes later, Hoai Pham was dealt pocket A’s to his opponent’s pocket 4′s. Pham put in an 80,000 pre-flop raise and was called by Vea. After the flop fell 7d-2c-Qh, Vea checked and then called Pham’s all in bet only to realise what bad shape he was in as the cards were flipped.
With no further help from the board, Arthur Vea was eliminated in the runner-up spot for $44,079, while Vietnamese born Pham collected a prestigious WSOP bracelet and $71,424 prize money.
Commenting on his magnificent victory, the San Diego resident who works at the Village Club Casino said:
“I am very happy. I’m a poker dealer and the whole table was fun. I told my boss I was going on vacation.” Obviously feeling exhilarated after his famous win, Pham said “I want to be like them, the legends” whilst pointing at photos of past WSOP ME Champs displayed on the walls of the Amazon Room.
