David Pham - Year of The Dragon

An interview with the amazing David Pham, who just keeps racking up final tables

DAVID “THE DRAGON” PHAM FLIES UNDER THE PROVERBIAL RADAR. You don’t see him on TV much, he doesn’t have an overabundance of endorsement deals, he doesn’t have gimmicks or catchphrases.

But there may not be a more consistently successful tournament player on the planet.

He had an exceptional year in 2007, and was named Player of the Year by CardPlayer while finishing third in ALL IN’s Player of the Year voting. The Dragon took home four tournament victories and 11 top-10 finishes in ’07, and after a hot start to ’08 that saw him record three top-four finishes by early-February, his career earnings were over the $7.1-million mark. That positions him 14th on the all-time money list, and if you eliminate the ridiculous amounts won at the WSOP Main Event final table in ’05, ’06, and ’07, Pham would climb to ninth all-time. To be in that position, without ever having won a million dollars in a single tournament, is simply remarkable.

Playing as well as ever at age 41, the two-time-bracelet-winning Vietnamese-American pro recently sat down with ALL IN at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City to give us a glimpse of what keeps this dragon’s competitive fires burning.

ALL IN: Why are you so successful?
Pham: It is probably because I was poor when I was young. I came from no money, so I understand what it means to have nothing. When you have a chance to make the money in a poker tournament, you have to try as hard as you can. You have to figure out a way to win.

What attracted you to the game?
My family didn’t have any money, so when I came to the United States, I began looking for a good job, so that I could take care of them. I worked really hard for two years before I began playing. I think it was somewhere between 1988 and ’89 that I saw Men [“The Master” Nguyen, Pham’s cousin] walk away from the poker table with handfuls of hundred dollar bills. I was making like $250 a week and every night I would have to sleep on a couch. I knew that if Men could do it, I could find a way to be successful at it as well.

How did you begin learning the game?
I believe you should learn from the best and follow those that are successful in tournaments. When I first started to play poker, I would watch great players from the rail. Nobody knew me, so I just followed the top players. I would watch how they carried themselves at the table and tried to figure out exactly what they were doing that would help them win.

What player left the greatest impression on you?
I once watched Stu Ungar at the Four Queens. Everywhere he moved, I followed him. I really admired the way he played. I didn’t see his hands often, so I focused on his table image and his aggressive play. There is no way he had a hand every time, but he made the other players think he did. Even when he moved to a new table, he would do the same thing. He could read how weak the players were in the blinds and he would make moves on them constantly. I made his style a part of my game.

How do you stay sharp year after year?
Usually I just try to do better than the previous year. I always want to move forward. When I won my first Player of the Year award seven years ago, it was easy, but the last couple of years have been a lot tougher. I have to keep working on my game to be successful. A lot of good Internet players started coming out to tournaments and a lot of good players started coming to the game after the World Poker Tour started broadcasting. It forced me to mix up my game to adjust my style of play. I play a lot of different styles now to keep my opponents confused.

Do you switch your style with every new table draw?
Yes, but I usually wait a while before I make a move. I typically wait 15 minutes to a half-hour, sometimes playing only one hand. I watch how the people move and try to figure out who is aggressive at the table and who I can bully. If you jump right in and make a mistake, it can cost you a lot of money.

Does the tournament blind structure influence your play?
A little bit. You can be much more aggressive early on and this can confuse a lot of people, but once the blinds start to get really big, I tend to become more conservative if I am at a tougher table.

Which do you prefer, being tight or aggressive?
Aggressive is definitely better, because you can collect so many antes and the blinds. For example, if you win three or four rounds of blinds and antes, you have money to, let’s say, play a side pot later in the day. Now many people may not think much of that, but if you didn’t steal those blinds, you might lose out on a big score later simply because you don’t have enough chips to maximize your payout.

Does being so aggressive early on in a tournament ever get you into trouble?
It happens from time to time, but over the long run, I have been very successful with this style of play. Sometimes you will get caught with a weaker hand, but most of the time, I find that I can outplay my opponents even though I have nothing.

What part of your game is your greatest strength?
I think I can out-bluff and outplay my opponents. Let’s say I make a raise with 5-6 suited and the flop comes A-K-4. I figure the guy to play ace-rag maybe, but most of the time he’ll play hands like K-J. I know how to bet to make him lay it down. When a player makes a bet and I make a call, I know I will make the next move and force my opponent to fold.

Is that what separates a pro from an amateur?
Yes. A good pro can get a read on other players and figure out what they are doing about 80 percent of the time.

What does it take to be a consistent winner?
A lot of people say they have run bad for a couple of years, or they’re simply unlucky, but I don’t believe in luck. I am Catholic, so I am not superstitious. Men [Nguyen], on the other hand, is very superstitious. You can’t even ask him if he is out of a tournament or he will get mad. I don’t believe in stuff like that. In the long run, the skill stands out. I have been a consistent winner for a long time now. I don’t always take first, but I am always trying to find a way to get in a position to win. I don’t think you can run bad for a year or two. You have to find a way to win and always be willing to look at what you are doing that keeps you from being successful.
You also have to have a clear head. If you are having family problems or financial issues, you can’t play properly. Your head isn’t in the game and you play scared. That is a major reason why people can’t win tournaments.

What do you do to keep improving your game?
I take care of things outside of poker, so I can concentrate on what is happening at the tables. I always make sure my family is taken care of. As long as I know that everyone is okay, I play well. When I have problems with them, it directly affects my game. Also, when I don’t win for a while, I get hungry and try very hard to find a way to win. I am a really competitive guy. I know I can win, so I try to do my best at all times.

How much time do you spend thinking about poker and is it the last thing on your mind at night?
A couple of years ago, I used to spend most of my time thinking about the game, but now I don’t. Everything is done when I go home. I forget about what happened at the tables. Whether it is good or bad, I just let it go. If I make a mistake in a tournament, I may think about it for a half-hour, but then I let it go. If you think too much, your head is always running and you neglect other important things in your life. Every day is a new day, so you have to let things go if you want to be happy.

You have said how important family is to you. How has your wife helped your game and how does she feel now after you’ve continually found a way to win?
When I married my wife, we were very poor. I didn’t have money to pay the rent. I was playing $3/$6 and $5/$10 and I went broke so many times I can’t count them all. I agreed to go back to work and we opened a nail salon. I actually quit poker for at least five years and didn’t play, but I never stopped thinking about the game. At first she said not to try again, but I kept telling her I could win. This was about 1989. Reluctantly, she agreed, so I knew I had to win. I love my wife. She knew what it was like when I had nothing and I know I can trust her.

Is being successful a worthwhile trade-off from being away from your family for so long?
When you are winning it is okay, but when you are losing, it hurts. My wife and I decided together that I would stay in the game, so she understands what it takes for me to do what I do. Whatever I have is hers, so she can take care of the family. I always told her not to think about the times when we are apart, because when I win, I can provide for my family, so she doesn’t have to worry about it.

Is there anything special you do with all of your winnings?
My family is so big. I have 12 brothers and sisters. Four are in the U.S., the rest are in Vietnam. I opened a business for my brother in Arizona. When I go back to Vietnam, I bring money with me. The first house, I bought for myself, but the second house I bought was for my parents. I usually use my money to help everyone in the family, especially my four kids.

Do you want your children to be poker players?
No. It is a tough life. I want them to be businessmen or engineers, maybe even become a doctor. You have to work hard to be a good player and it takes away from your life outside of the tables. I want them to do well in school, so they don’t have to play poker. I didn’t have that choice because I wanted to give them a chance to do more with their lives. I had to figure out a way to take care of them. Hopefully, they won’t be in the same position I was.

What was your favorite victory of 2007?
I won the $2,500 buy-in tournament [at the Bellagio Five Diamond] in December. It wasn’t for a lot of money, but it was the tournament where I locked down [CardPlayer] Player of the Year. If I don’t win that one, I can’t win the Player of the Year. I killed two birds with one stone. I won over $280,000 and ensured winning the Player of the Year title. If I didn’t win that one, J.C. Tran would have taken home the title. I had come close in earlier events, but it was the $2,500 that guaranteed my win.

Which is more important, the recognition from your peers or the money?
I think it is both. I do well in a lot of events, so I feel like I get some respect from other players. The money is for the family, so that is important. A title may make your career look good, but it doesn’t always justify respect. When people say the money is not important, I disagree. If you don’t have the money to play, you can never get a title, so the two kind of go hand-in-hand. Without money, you can’t support your family and then you can’t concentrate on your career. You have to have both.

How much of a role does luck play in your game?
A lot of pros say it is 50/50 and I agree with that, but over the long run, I think skill takes over. You really can’t get lucky for five straight days. There has to be some level of skill there for you to keep winning. Month by month, you can’t be a consistent winner unless you have the skill to be a winner.

How long do you plan on playing?
I love poker. I’m going to stay and play until I cannot beat the other players. If I get old and my mind goes down, I will stop, but until then, I will keep playing.
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Michael Friedman is a Las Vegas-based freelance writer and television producer who has worked for numerous publications in the poker industry.

Pham Favorites
A look at the 15 most notable results of “The Dragon’s” tournament career:
YEAR EVENT PLACE PAYOUT
2000 World Series of Poker $2,000 NLHE 4th $47,520
2001 World Series of Poker $2,000 S.H.O.E. 1st $140,455
2003 L.A. Poker Classic $1,500 LHE 1st $457,320
2003 L.A. Poker Classic $10,000 NLHE 4th $80,080
2004 Doyle Brunson Championship $10,000 NLHE 3rd $255,000
2004 World Poker Finals $10,000 NLHE 6th $277,014
2004 Five-Diamond Classic $3,000 NLHE 1st $414,419
2005 Five-Star Classic $3,000 NLHE 1st $270,165
2005 World Series of Poker $1,000 NLHE 4th $154,125
2006 World Series of Poker $2,000 NLHE Shootout 1st $240,222
2007 World Poker Challenge $5,000 NLHE 3rd $182,260
2007 Mirage Poker Showdown $5,000 Heads-Up 1st $135,200
2007 Legends of Poker $10,000 NLHE 2nd $800,815
2007 Five-Diamond Classic $2,500 NLHE 1st $279,845
2008 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $7,800 NLHE 4th $600,000