Minnesota man enters wrong poker tournament by mistake -- and wins it - Tulsa World
Christian Pham of St. Paul, Minnesota, did exactly that last week, rising to the top of 219 players, including a few poker icons. The 40-year-old professional poker player said he intended to play no-limit Texas Hold 'em but instead inadvertently signed up for a different game happening the same day: so-called no-limit deuce-to-seven draw lowball. Different strategies," said Shawn Harris, Pham's dealer at the final table. Essentially, the goal is to have the lowest poker hand, no straights or flushes, and if a player ends up with a pair, it's better if it's a pair of twos. Players can also draw cards. The event was just one of 68, all offering a chance at a golden bracelet prize, happening in Las Vegas at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino throughout the 51-day World Series of Poker that started on May 27 and culminates with the closely watched... Pham said he didn't realize his mistake until he was dealt five cards instead of the usual two. "At first you suspect an act, but if it was, it was very good," said Chris Mecklin who was sitting next to Pham when the game's newbie realized he had made a mistake. Mecklin said it became clear that Pham was an experienced player, just not in this game. When he won a hand with the best set of cards one can get in the game — a two, three, four, five and seven — he said Pham seemed confused that he happened to be holding the most desired combination of cards. Pham said the guidance from his fellow players at the table helped, and he studied up the night in. Source: www.tulsaworld.com
