Xuyen Pham
Encyclopedia
Xuyen "Bad Girl" Pham is an English
professional poker
player.
Pham was introduced to poker by playing Texas hold 'em
in her local casino
in Luton
.
Pham has finished in the money in Texas hold 'em
, seven-card stud
and omaha
poker tournament
s from 2001 onwards, in Southampton
, Luton and Dundee
.
She came to note as the winner of The Gaming Club World Poker Championship
in Dublin during 2004, which was played in pot limit
format. In her qualifying heat she outlasted the likes of Peter Costa
, Robert Williamson III
, Ben Roberts and John Cernuto
to progress to the final where she defeated Joe Beevers
in the final heads-up confrontation to take home the €250,000 ($302,477) first prize.
She has also finished in the money of five European Poker Tour
events, including one final table.
In August 2005, Pham made the final table of the VC Poker Cup
, won by Tony Bloom
.
As of 2008, her total live tournament winnings exceed $520,000.
Pham has three children and is married to fellow poker professional Steve Vladar
. They are both sponsored by William Hill Poker
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player.
Pham was introduced to poker by playing Texas hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
in her local casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
in Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
.
Pham has finished in the money in Texas hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
, seven-card stud
Seven-card stud
Seven-card stud is a variant of stud poker. Until the recent increase in popularity of Texas hold 'em, seven-card stud was the most popular poker variant in home games across the United States, and in casinos in the eastern part of the country. Two to eight players is common, though eight may...
and omaha
Omaha hold 'em
Omaha hold 'em is a community card poker game similar to Texas hold 'em, where each player is dealt four cards and must make his best hand using exactly two of them, plus exactly three of the five community cards...
poker tournament
Poker tournament
A poker tournament is a tournament where players compete by playing poker. It can feature as few as two players playing on a single table , and as many as tens of thousands of players playing on thousands of tables...
s from 2001 onwards, in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, Luton and Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
.
She came to note as the winner of The Gaming Club World Poker Championship
The Gaming Club World Poker Championship
The Gaming Club World Poker Championship was held at the Merrion Casino Club in Dublin, Ireland during 2004.The international field included 6 World Champions together with numerous other professionals and celebrities.The tournament was competed in...
in Dublin during 2004, which was played in pot limit
Betting (poker)
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing...
format. In her qualifying heat she outlasted the likes of Peter Costa
Peter Costa
Peter Costa to Greek Cypriot parents is a British professional poker player based in Las Vegas, Nevada.He is most well known as the winner of the sixth series of the popular Late Night Poker television series during his time living in the United Kingdom, where he defeated Austria's Jin Cai Lin in...
, Robert Williamson III
Robert Williamson III
Robert Williamson III is an American poker player from Dallas, Texas.Williamson grew up with three sisters and his best friend, Chris Caywood in Granbury, Texas and received B.B.A. degrees in finance and real estate from Angelo State University in San Angelo.He began playing aged 10 or 11, after...
, Ben Roberts and John Cernuto
John Cernuto
"Miami" John Cernuto is an American professional poker player based in Las Vegas, Nevada, specialising in Omaha hi-lo events.-Early years:...
to progress to the final where she defeated Joe Beevers
Joe Beevers
Joseph "Joe" Charles Beevers is an English professional poker player and a member of The Hendon Mob....
in the final heads-up confrontation to take home the €250,000 ($302,477) first prize.
She has also finished in the money of five European Poker Tour
European Poker Tour
The Pokerstars European Poker Tour is a series of poker tournaments similar to those in the World Poker Tour , created by John Duthie, winner of the inaugural Poker Million tournament. It began in 2004 as part of the worldwide explosion in Texas Hold 'em popularity...
events, including one final table.
In August 2005, Pham made the final table of the VC Poker Cup
Victor Chandler Poker Cup
The Victor Chandler Poker Cup was a poker tournament held in 2004 and 2005 in England for broadcast on Sky Sports....
, won by Tony Bloom
Tony Bloom
Anthony Grant "Tony" Bloom is a football club chairman and successful poker player.-Poker and betting:Bloom made a name for himself as a successful sports bettor and property investor...
.
As of 2008, her total live tournament winnings exceed $520,000.
Pham has three children and is married to fellow poker professional Steve Vladar
Steve Vladar
"Smokin'" Steve Vladar is an English professional poker player.Vladar has been a regular at European poker tournaments since the mid-1990s, with numerous finishes in the money in London, Dortmund, Vienna and Birmingham before the end of the decade....
. They are both sponsored by William Hill Poker
William Hill (bookmaker)
William Hill plc is one of the largest bookmakers in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters is in the north London suburb of Wood Green and in Leeds, West Yorkshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
.