UK's Sam Holden: Anatomy Of A WSOP Finalist

UK pro Sam Holden has the support of a nation behind him as he returns to Las Vegas in November to compete at the 2011 WSOP final table.
The 22 year old managed to overcome a 6,865 strong starting field to become one of the remaining nine players still competing for the $8,711,956 (£5.3m) top prize.
Nonetheless, despite his incredible run at the WSOP it is not surprising that little is known about this young British talent as he has only been playing poker professionally for around a year.
Sam Holden comes from Herstmonceux, East Sussex, UK. He then got his first introduction to playing poker while studying forensic science at Kent University. Holden enjoyed immediate success which helped pay for his time at college and since graduating in June 2010 has taken up a career as a professional poker player.
Just over a year later and despite having earned just $11,311 in live tournament cashes, Holden has at least guaranteed himself a minimum of £480,000 ($782,115) for reaching the final table.
Like so many young pros, however, Sam Holden really started out as a talented online player, where he would compete under the screen name ‘SamDMND.’
Over his short career the 22 year old has already managed to win $285,614 playing tournaments online, including $133,860 at PokerStars and $134,849 at Full Tilt Poker, with his biggest online score coming on April 17th, 2011,when he finished 5th at PokerStars $215 buy-in Sunday Million for $54,390.
In addition to the money he has won playing tournaments, Sam Holden also enjoys a lucrative sideline playing cash games, presently at the $1/$2 and $2/$4 levels.
All in all it makes for a pretty impressive poker CV for the newly turned pro, and in three months time Holden will be aiming to heap further accolade on his flourishing poker career at the 2011 WSOP Main Event final table.
Nonetheles, Holden will have a bit more to do than the other players at the table as he is currently the shortest stack (12.375m), and has been given long-odds of  12/1 to lift the title.
“It’s a great feeling to get there. I’m looking forward to it. I don’t have too much pressure on me but hopefully I can surprise a few people,” explained Holden.
The good humoured Brit also took time to comment on a news headline which appeared recently in popular UK tabloid The Sun, which read ‘Jobless Brit eyes £5m poker prize.’
On his twitter account Holden replied;
“So The Sun decided to brand me ‘Jobless Brit’ today. I don’t even think they were trying to be offensive, bless.”