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| 2005 Bally's Las Vegas Poker Tournament World Series of Poker Circuit Event Tournament Results |
| World Series of Poker Circuit Events 2005 Bally's Las Vegas Poker Tournament Main Event No Limit Hold'em Final Results |
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| November 22, 2005 Bally's Las Vegas Poker Tournament Bally's Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada |
Buy-In:
Prize Pool:
Entries:
Prize Pool:
Entries:
| Thang "Kido" Pham |
|
Tournament Report
The Hand of the Year:
Kido Pham pulls off stunning upset victory and wins his first major poker
tournament at Ballys-Paris WSOP championship
One single poker hand can change a life. One poker hand can create a new
star out of someone previously unknown. One poker hand can validate a
deeply personal decision made years earlier, against the well-intended
advice of parents and peers. One poker hand can be riveting to behold, and
even more extraordinary to analyze.
The poker hand of all poker hands took place precisely at 4:20 pm PST on a
Tuesday afternoon in Las Vegas. The loser of the hand was destined to walk
away shell shocked in frustration as the fifth-place finisher. The winner of the
hand was to ultimately soar to victory in the World Series of Poker Circuit
championship held at Ballys-Paris- an event which will be nationally televised
later by ESPN. The hand essentially cost one player $352,000. It was- the
hand of the year.
This final table promised to be a crowd-pleaser. Two World Series of Poker
champions, including the reigning world champ Joe Hachem (chip leader)
were present, in addition to former WSOP Circuit winners -- Doug Lee and J.
C. Tran. High-limit cash game player, Minh Ly was eliminated as the 9th-place
finisher on the previous day.
Things started off horribly for Doug Lee. If the young Canadian remembers
anything from his all-too-brief ten-minute stay at the final table, it will be the
terrible curse of the King-Deuce. Lee's first tough beat occurred when he
moved all-in with two pair (Kings and Deuces) when the flop showed K-8-2. J.
C. Tran called with A-5 of clubs. On the turn he caught a fifth club to make a
flush. Lee failed to catch one of four remaining ‘outs' on the river and lost the
120,000 pot.
Three hands later, it was deja vu all over again. Lee moved all in holding K-2
after the flop showed K-Q-9. John Smith practically beat Lee into the pot with
his chips. Smith had Jack-Ten and had flopped the stone-cold nuts with a
straight. Lee failed to improve and staggered away from the final table as the
8th-place finisher. Doug Lee, the winner of the WSOP Circuit championship
held at the Rio Las Vegas last February, failed to become the first player to
ever win two WSOP Circuit championships. Eighth place paid $50,384.
The next big hand electrified the standing-room only crowd and would be a
pre-curser of the excitement to come. J.C. Tran escaped final table death
when he was dealt pocket Jacks and found himself drawing to only two outs
when he was all-in against Kido Pham. Tran stood up preparing to exit while
staring at the turn in desperation, which showed A-K-6-4. Pham (holding A-4)
had two pair- aces and fours. Just when it looked as if Pham would be the
next player out, the earth shook and a merry Jack rained down on the river,
giving salvation to Tran. Those same Jacks would later apologize in a very big
way to Kido Pham. For the moment, J.C. Tran moved into second-place behind
the chip-leader, Joe Hachem.
A few hands later, Steve Hudak would not be so lucky. He was dealt pocket
Queens and moved his last 50,000 into the pot when the flop showed A-9-2,
with three spades. Hudak had the Queen of spades and also had several
outs. But Joe Hachem was the slight favorite with A-8 (no spades). Two
blanks sealed Hudak's fate- a 7th place finish. Hudak, who finished as the
runner-up in the Pot-Limit championship at this year's WSOP, added $62,980
to his poker bankroll.
John Smith was short-stacked and moved his last 40,000 into the pot with A-
6. It was a case of bad timing. Kido Pham called instantly and flipped over A-
K. Neither player made a pair and the Ace-King played giving Pham another
big pot. John Smith, a highway contractor from Southern California hit the
road with $75,576 for 6th place.
Then came- the hand. What followed next was a bombshell or an
abomination, depending upon one's perspective. The hand clearly
demonstrates that poker tournaments can be either won or lost within
seconds. It all started when 2005 world poker champion Joe Hachem was
dealt pocket Kings. After J.C. Tran made an initial 18,000 raise, Kido Pham re-
raised another 50,000. Hachem must have thought he was in final table
heaven. Pondering his move, Hachem re-raised again up to 150,000.
Tran immediately folded and Pham moved over the top with an all-in re-raise,
for 157,000 more. Hachem later admitted that he feared his opponent having
pocket Aces. But there was no way to lay down the big hand. Hachem called
and Pham knew immediately he had made the wrong move at the wrong
time. Pham sheepishly showed J-10, a huge underdog to Hachem's
powerhouse K-K. With 650,000 in the pot at stake (about half of the chips in
play), it was to be the turning point of the final table.
'I didn't want to play a big pot,' Hachem said later. 'But I made the right read
and was the leader by a mile.'
When three cards fell on the flop, the second floor of the Ballys Casino was
rocked to its foundation. It took a few seconds for Hachem's eyes to focus on
the horror he was about to confront. Wham! J-J-2 (trip Jacks) twisted Tran
from a big dog into a huge favorite and put the pocket Kings into a meat
grinder. In an instant that will certainly haunt Hachem for some time, the
Australian's dreams of winning his second WSOP title were demolished.
Hachem failed to catch one of two remaining Kings and was left with just
40,000 in chips. The damage has clearly been done. Hachem looked like he
had been hit in the stomach with a sledgehammer.
But poker champions never go out without a fight. Hachem managed to win
one more pot and doubled-up to nearly 100,000 before finally running out of
steam. He was dealt K-8 in the small blind and moved all-in hoping to steal a
round of blinds and antes. Unfortunately, Lee Watkinson was sitting in the
big blind with pocket Nines.
He called the raise. A Nine on the flop effectively ended any hope of Hachem
making a dramatic comeback. The reigning world poker champion walked
away to a standing ovation from the crowd. Perhaps more importantly, he
proved the $7.5 million win back in July was no fluke. With this impressive
performance, Joe Hachem demonstrated he is a serious contender in any
event he enters. Fifth-place paid. $88,172.
'I came here wanting to avoid making any mistakes,' Hachem said in a post-
tournament interview. 'The fact is- I didn't make a mistake. I'm proud of the
way I played in this tournament, although it is very painful not to win.'
When asked which emotion is more powerful in poker- joy or despair,
Hachem was candid. 'Despair is more powerful,' Hachem admitted. 'It's great
to win, but it takes some time to get over losing. But that's poker- you have
to get over the tough beats.'
Down to four players, Kido Pham enjoyed a sizable chip advantage. He had
650,000. J.C. Tran had 280,000. Lee Watkinson had 170,000. Meanwhile,
Scotty Nguyen was on life-support. Down to about 75,000, Nguyen found a
playable hand with A-J and moved all-in. Kido Pham could not have been
more delighted to call the raise, holding pocket Kings. This time, the normally
formidable cowboys held up, and Pham dragged the last chip from Nguyen's
stack.
Scotty Nguyen, the 1998 world poker champion and official host of this
tournament on behalf of Harrah's Entertainment was in top form at this final
table. But the $100,768 in prize money was bittersweet. 'Second, third,
fourth- it's all disappointing,' Nguyen said afterward. 'First place is what it's
all about. Money is good. But there's nothing like first-place, baby.'
During his five hours spent at the final table, Lee Watkinson had been the
stealth player. While other players openly talked, laughed, and cheered for
themselves and each other, Watkinson sat stoically, rarely showing any
emotion. Down to his last 100,000 in chips, Watkinson was dealt K-Q. He
raised and was called by Kido Pham. The flop, K-K-5, was a thing of beauty to
Watkinson. Unfortunately, there was danger on the horizon as two clubs
were on board.
Watkinson moved all-in. Kido Pham had more than enough chips to call the
raise and did so with J-9 of clubs. Watkinson's advantage was short-lived. A
club on the turn brought a scowl to the emotionally-detached Watkinson.
Hoping to see the board pair, all Watkinson could do was watch hopelessly
as another club fell in the river. Third-place paid $138,556.
Lee Watkinson has enjoyed a stellar year in tournament poker that any other
player would envy. He has won well in excess of a million dollars with two
second-place finishes, netting over $500,000 each time. Despite financial
success, Watkinson has not fared so well in tournament victories. This would
prove to be another impressive showing, but less than satisfying conclusion
for the poker pro from Washington State.
That said -- in stark contrast to Scotty Nguyen, Watkinson had a different
view of his finish. 'I really can't be disappointed with this,' Watkinson said. 'I
was low in chips from the start and never had a big hand. I'll take one of the
top three spots (finishes) anytime I can get it.'
It would be an all-Vietnamese finale. Heads-up play began with Kido Pham
(894,000) holding a 2 to 1 chip lead over J.C. Tran (446,000). The two
finalists played for about 20 minutes before the relatively uneventful ending.
On the final hand of the tournament, Pham was dealt A-8. Tran was dealt K-
8. The flop came A-K-6. Pham bet out with top pair and Tran called with
second pair. When a Queen fell on the turn Pham moved all-in. Tran thought
for six long minutes before announcing 'call.' Everyone in the audience rose
to their feet and when Tran saw Pham's Ace, he realized the end was only
seconds away. A harmless Jack fell on the river, sealing the victory for Pham.
J.C. Tran, decked out in his trademark Sacramento Kings (NBA) hat and
jersey, slam dunked second place- good for $251,920.
If anyone deserved to catch a few breaks and get lucky, it was Thang ‘Kido'
Pham. His personal odyssey is one of compassion and inspiration. At the age
of eight, Pham fled his native Vietnam on a wooden boat and drifted out into
the South China Sea. He and his family evacuated his war-torn homeland
with all of their possessions tucked inside a few knapsacks. Pham's family
eventually arrived in the United States and settled down in Dallas.
Pham later married and now has two children- ages 2 and 4. One of his
children is autistic and has special needs. 'I could not make it this far in my
life without my wife,' Pham said. 'I owe everything to her. This (win) is for her.'
When he started to take poker seriously, his family expressed their
reservations about gambling. But Pham believed in himself and his talent. He
studied and started playing in poker tournaments. Pham cashed in two major
tournaments earlier this year, but this win marked his biggest win ever. First-
place paid $453,456.
'My nickname is ‘freeroll,' Pham said. (The reason is because) everything for
me has been a freeroll in my life. I came here and am freerolling. When I left
my home country, there was shooting and was very lucky to survive. Now, I
can play poker and nothing affects me because whatever happens- I'm a
winner.'
When asked about the hand against Hachem, Pham was brutally sincere. 'I
played the hand very badly,' Pham admitted. 'That was very lucky. I had
already committed half of my chips, so I tried to steal the pot….I caught a lot
of cards today. I think after what I have been through (in my life), I deserve
to get a break.'
Who could possibly disagree?
Official Report by Nolan Dalla - World Series of Poker Media Director
Ballys Poker Room Manager - Chris Eggers
Tournament Directors - Robert Daily and Michael Matts
Assistant Tournament Director - Jimmy Sommerfield
The Hand of the Year:
Kido Pham pulls off stunning upset victory and wins his first major poker
tournament at Ballys-Paris WSOP championship
One single poker hand can change a life. One poker hand can create a new
star out of someone previously unknown. One poker hand can validate a
deeply personal decision made years earlier, against the well-intended
advice of parents and peers. One poker hand can be riveting to behold, and
even more extraordinary to analyze.
The poker hand of all poker hands took place precisely at 4:20 pm PST on a
Tuesday afternoon in Las Vegas. The loser of the hand was destined to walk
away shell shocked in frustration as the fifth-place finisher. The winner of the
hand was to ultimately soar to victory in the World Series of Poker Circuit
championship held at Ballys-Paris- an event which will be nationally televised
later by ESPN. The hand essentially cost one player $352,000. It was- the
hand of the year.
This final table promised to be a crowd-pleaser. Two World Series of Poker
champions, including the reigning world champ Joe Hachem (chip leader)
were present, in addition to former WSOP Circuit winners -- Doug Lee and J.
C. Tran. High-limit cash game player, Minh Ly was eliminated as the 9th-place
finisher on the previous day.
Things started off horribly for Doug Lee. If the young Canadian remembers
anything from his all-too-brief ten-minute stay at the final table, it will be the
terrible curse of the King-Deuce. Lee's first tough beat occurred when he
moved all-in with two pair (Kings and Deuces) when the flop showed K-8-2. J.
C. Tran called with A-5 of clubs. On the turn he caught a fifth club to make a
flush. Lee failed to catch one of four remaining ‘outs' on the river and lost the
120,000 pot.
Three hands later, it was deja vu all over again. Lee moved all in holding K-2
after the flop showed K-Q-9. John Smith practically beat Lee into the pot with
his chips. Smith had Jack-Ten and had flopped the stone-cold nuts with a
straight. Lee failed to improve and staggered away from the final table as the
8th-place finisher. Doug Lee, the winner of the WSOP Circuit championship
held at the Rio Las Vegas last February, failed to become the first player to
ever win two WSOP Circuit championships. Eighth place paid $50,384.
The next big hand electrified the standing-room only crowd and would be a
pre-curser of the excitement to come. J.C. Tran escaped final table death
when he was dealt pocket Jacks and found himself drawing to only two outs
when he was all-in against Kido Pham. Tran stood up preparing to exit while
staring at the turn in desperation, which showed A-K-6-4. Pham (holding A-4)
had two pair- aces and fours. Just when it looked as if Pham would be the
next player out, the earth shook and a merry Jack rained down on the river,
giving salvation to Tran. Those same Jacks would later apologize in a very big
way to Kido Pham. For the moment, J.C. Tran moved into second-place behind
the chip-leader, Joe Hachem.
A few hands later, Steve Hudak would not be so lucky. He was dealt pocket
Queens and moved his last 50,000 into the pot when the flop showed A-9-2,
with three spades. Hudak had the Queen of spades and also had several
outs. But Joe Hachem was the slight favorite with A-8 (no spades). Two
blanks sealed Hudak's fate- a 7th place finish. Hudak, who finished as the
runner-up in the Pot-Limit championship at this year's WSOP, added $62,980
to his poker bankroll.
John Smith was short-stacked and moved his last 40,000 into the pot with A-
6. It was a case of bad timing. Kido Pham called instantly and flipped over A-
K. Neither player made a pair and the Ace-King played giving Pham another
big pot. John Smith, a highway contractor from Southern California hit the
road with $75,576 for 6th place.
Then came- the hand. What followed next was a bombshell or an
abomination, depending upon one's perspective. The hand clearly
demonstrates that poker tournaments can be either won or lost within
seconds. It all started when 2005 world poker champion Joe Hachem was
dealt pocket Kings. After J.C. Tran made an initial 18,000 raise, Kido Pham re-
raised another 50,000. Hachem must have thought he was in final table
heaven. Pondering his move, Hachem re-raised again up to 150,000.
Tran immediately folded and Pham moved over the top with an all-in re-raise,
for 157,000 more. Hachem later admitted that he feared his opponent having
pocket Aces. But there was no way to lay down the big hand. Hachem called
and Pham knew immediately he had made the wrong move at the wrong
time. Pham sheepishly showed J-10, a huge underdog to Hachem's
powerhouse K-K. With 650,000 in the pot at stake (about half of the chips in
play), it was to be the turning point of the final table.
'I didn't want to play a big pot,' Hachem said later. 'But I made the right read
and was the leader by a mile.'
When three cards fell on the flop, the second floor of the Ballys Casino was
rocked to its foundation. It took a few seconds for Hachem's eyes to focus on
the horror he was about to confront. Wham! J-J-2 (trip Jacks) twisted Tran
from a big dog into a huge favorite and put the pocket Kings into a meat
grinder. In an instant that will certainly haunt Hachem for some time, the
Australian's dreams of winning his second WSOP title were demolished.
Hachem failed to catch one of two remaining Kings and was left with just
40,000 in chips. The damage has clearly been done. Hachem looked like he
had been hit in the stomach with a sledgehammer.
But poker champions never go out without a fight. Hachem managed to win
one more pot and doubled-up to nearly 100,000 before finally running out of
steam. He was dealt K-8 in the small blind and moved all-in hoping to steal a
round of blinds and antes. Unfortunately, Lee Watkinson was sitting in the
big blind with pocket Nines.
He called the raise. A Nine on the flop effectively ended any hope of Hachem
making a dramatic comeback. The reigning world poker champion walked
away to a standing ovation from the crowd. Perhaps more importantly, he
proved the $7.5 million win back in July was no fluke. With this impressive
performance, Joe Hachem demonstrated he is a serious contender in any
event he enters. Fifth-place paid. $88,172.
'I came here wanting to avoid making any mistakes,' Hachem said in a post-
tournament interview. 'The fact is- I didn't make a mistake. I'm proud of the
way I played in this tournament, although it is very painful not to win.'
When asked which emotion is more powerful in poker- joy or despair,
Hachem was candid. 'Despair is more powerful,' Hachem admitted. 'It's great
to win, but it takes some time to get over losing. But that's poker- you have
to get over the tough beats.'
Down to four players, Kido Pham enjoyed a sizable chip advantage. He had
650,000. J.C. Tran had 280,000. Lee Watkinson had 170,000. Meanwhile,
Scotty Nguyen was on life-support. Down to about 75,000, Nguyen found a
playable hand with A-J and moved all-in. Kido Pham could not have been
more delighted to call the raise, holding pocket Kings. This time, the normally
formidable cowboys held up, and Pham dragged the last chip from Nguyen's
stack.
Scotty Nguyen, the 1998 world poker champion and official host of this
tournament on behalf of Harrah's Entertainment was in top form at this final
table. But the $100,768 in prize money was bittersweet. 'Second, third,
fourth- it's all disappointing,' Nguyen said afterward. 'First place is what it's
all about. Money is good. But there's nothing like first-place, baby.'
During his five hours spent at the final table, Lee Watkinson had been the
stealth player. While other players openly talked, laughed, and cheered for
themselves and each other, Watkinson sat stoically, rarely showing any
emotion. Down to his last 100,000 in chips, Watkinson was dealt K-Q. He
raised and was called by Kido Pham. The flop, K-K-5, was a thing of beauty to
Watkinson. Unfortunately, there was danger on the horizon as two clubs
were on board.
Watkinson moved all-in. Kido Pham had more than enough chips to call the
raise and did so with J-9 of clubs. Watkinson's advantage was short-lived. A
club on the turn brought a scowl to the emotionally-detached Watkinson.
Hoping to see the board pair, all Watkinson could do was watch hopelessly
as another club fell in the river. Third-place paid $138,556.
Lee Watkinson has enjoyed a stellar year in tournament poker that any other
player would envy. He has won well in excess of a million dollars with two
second-place finishes, netting over $500,000 each time. Despite financial
success, Watkinson has not fared so well in tournament victories. This would
prove to be another impressive showing, but less than satisfying conclusion
for the poker pro from Washington State.
That said -- in stark contrast to Scotty Nguyen, Watkinson had a different
view of his finish. 'I really can't be disappointed with this,' Watkinson said. 'I
was low in chips from the start and never had a big hand. I'll take one of the
top three spots (finishes) anytime I can get it.'
It would be an all-Vietnamese finale. Heads-up play began with Kido Pham
(894,000) holding a 2 to 1 chip lead over J.C. Tran (446,000). The two
finalists played for about 20 minutes before the relatively uneventful ending.
On the final hand of the tournament, Pham was dealt A-8. Tran was dealt K-
8. The flop came A-K-6. Pham bet out with top pair and Tran called with
second pair. When a Queen fell on the turn Pham moved all-in. Tran thought
for six long minutes before announcing 'call.' Everyone in the audience rose
to their feet and when Tran saw Pham's Ace, he realized the end was only
seconds away. A harmless Jack fell on the river, sealing the victory for Pham.
J.C. Tran, decked out in his trademark Sacramento Kings (NBA) hat and
jersey, slam dunked second place- good for $251,920.
If anyone deserved to catch a few breaks and get lucky, it was Thang ‘Kido'
Pham. His personal odyssey is one of compassion and inspiration. At the age
of eight, Pham fled his native Vietnam on a wooden boat and drifted out into
the South China Sea. He and his family evacuated his war-torn homeland
with all of their possessions tucked inside a few knapsacks. Pham's family
eventually arrived in the United States and settled down in Dallas.
Pham later married and now has two children- ages 2 and 4. One of his
children is autistic and has special needs. 'I could not make it this far in my
life without my wife,' Pham said. 'I owe everything to her. This (win) is for her.'
When he started to take poker seriously, his family expressed their
reservations about gambling. But Pham believed in himself and his talent. He
studied and started playing in poker tournaments. Pham cashed in two major
tournaments earlier this year, but this win marked his biggest win ever. First-
place paid $453,456.
'My nickname is ‘freeroll,' Pham said. (The reason is because) everything for
me has been a freeroll in my life. I came here and am freerolling. When I left
my home country, there was shooting and was very lucky to survive. Now, I
can play poker and nothing affects me because whatever happens- I'm a
winner.'
When asked about the hand against Hachem, Pham was brutally sincere. 'I
played the hand very badly,' Pham admitted. 'That was very lucky. I had
already committed half of my chips, so I tried to steal the pot….I caught a lot
of cards today. I think after what I have been through (in my life), I deserve
to get a break.'
Who could possibly disagree?
Official Report by Nolan Dalla - World Series of Poker Media Director
Ballys Poker Room Manager - Chris Eggers
Tournament Directors - Robert Daily and Michael Matts
Assistant Tournament Director - Jimmy Sommerfield
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