SAM FARHA – THE LEBANESE SENSATION IN PRO POKER
How many famous athletes from Lebanon do you know? In fact, how many celebrities from the Asian country have you heard of? Basketball coach Steve Kerr, philosopher Khalil Gibran, rocker Serge Tankian and pop artist Massari are among the Lebanese you may have heard of. If you follow the world of poker, however, you may not have missed legend Sam Farha on your radar.
Born in Beirut under the name Ihsan, he is among the most successful in the history of the World Series of Poker (WPS). Houston-based "Mr. Serenity" is among the non-US players with the most bracelets on the tour with 3. He has a total of 6 final tables and 9 cash finishes on one of the strongest tournament circuits in the world. In 2003, he reached 2nd place in the SPS Main Event. The Lebanese becomes the latest casualty in the tournament of amateur Chris Moneymaker, who shocked and changed the poker world forever with his success.
Farha himself is not among the biggest stars in poker, but he is definitely of the "good old days" generation. Always ready to crack a good joke and almost always with his signature cigarette in hand.
Born in Lebanon but moved to the US at the age of 16. The reason is the civil war in his homeland. He graduated from the University of Kansas, where he accumulated winnings from various bets. Poker is just one of them. He developed his skills in the favorite card game of millions after 1980, when he moved to live in Houston.
Thanks to her, she makes a serious impression in the SPC and the World Poker Tour. He participates in a number of television poker programs, and often sits down at the cash tables with really high stakes. All of this before getting his fill of poker under the spotlight, which currently seems to be hidden away in Sammy's professional poker bunker.