Bon Phan
Encyclopedia
Bon "John" Phan is a Vietnamese-American professional poker
player based in Stockton
, California
who is a two time World Series of Poker bracelet
winner and is a winner and four time final tablist of World Poker Tour
Championships.
(WSOP) money finishes, including the final table of the $5,000 Seven-card stud
event in 2005
, finished fourth and outlasted both professional poker players Dave Colclough
and Rob Hollink
.
At the 2006 WSOP
, Phan finished second in the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em event when his failed to improve against Jon Friedberg
's on a board of . Phan earned $289,389 for his runner-up finish the next year at the 2007 WSOP Phan was runner-up to Francois Safieddine
in the $2,500 No Limit Hold'em event, earning $330,846 but it was not until the 2008 World Series of Poker
that Phan won his first bracelet after winning the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em event, earning $434,789 and then he won his second bracelet the same year, this time in the $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw event, earning $151,896. Phan cashed for a total of $608,464 at the 2008 WSOP.
(WPT) making the final table in three of them, one was at the $25,000 WPT Championship of season 3, receiving $518,920 for finishing in fourth place above Hollink, Phil Ivey
, Joe Beevers
, Chris Ferguson
and Juha Helppi
. and the other was at the $9,600 No Limit Hold'em WPT season 6 event at the 2008 Bay 101
Shooting Stars where he finished 6th, earning $135,000. In July 2008 Phan made another WPT final table finishing in fifth place at the Bellagio Cup IV, earning $193,915
On the WPT seventh season
, Phan won his first WPT title after defeating well known online player Amit “Amak316″ Makhija during heads-up play, winning the WPT bracelet and over $1.1 million at the Legends of Poker held at The Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, California
.
Phan won two events at The Fifth Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open
in 2004, the $500 Limit Hold'em event, earning $160,965 and $500 Pot Limit Hold'em event, earning $85,257 also cashing three other times at that same event. He later won the $3,000 No Limit Hold'em event at the Festa al Lago II in 2004, earning $189,900. He won the $2,425 No Limit Hold'em event at the 2005 L.A. Poker Classic, earning $300,578 and was runner-up to Marcel Luske
in the $3,000 No Limit Hold'em event at the Fourth Annual Five-Star World Poker Classic in 2006, earning $179,195.
As of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $5,300,000. His 16 cashes as the WSOP account for $1,346,839 of those winnings.
He was Cardplayer Magazine 2008 Player of the Year with 6,704 points as well as 2008 Bluff Magazine Player of the Year.
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 based in Stockton
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
who is a two time World Series of Poker bracelet
World Series of Poker bracelet
The World Series of Poker bracelet is considered the most coveted non-monetary prize a poker player can win. Since 1976, a bracelet has been awarded to the winner of every event at the annual WSOP. Even if the victory occurred before 1976, WSOP championships are now counted as "bracelets". ...
winner and is a winner and four time final tablist of World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
Championships.
World Series of Poker
Phan has made numerous World Series of PokerWorld Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
(WSOP) money finishes, including the final table of the $5,000 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...
event in 2005
2005 World Series of Poker
The 2005 World Series of Poker opened play on June 2, continuing through the Main Event No Limit World Championship starting on July 7. The conclusion of the Main Event on July 15 marked the close of play, and the largest prize in sports and/or television history at the time was awarded to the...
, finished fourth and outlasted both professional poker players Dave Colclough
Dave Colclough
David E. Colclough is a Welsh professional poker player, now living in Thailand.-Before poker:Prior to becoming a poker professional, Colclough worked as a computer programmer. Amongst the companies he worked for were the Post Office and the National Health Service...
and Rob Hollink
Rob Hollink
Rob Hollink is a professional poker player based in Groningen. He has won both a European Poker Tour title and World Series of Poker bracelet, becoming the first person from the Netherlands to do so, first was at the EPT's inaugural Grand Final of the European Poker Tour in Monte Carlo in 2005...
.
At the 2006 WSOP
2006 World Series of Poker
The 2006 World Series of Poker began on June 25, 2006 with "satellite" events, with regular play commencing on June 26 with the annual Casino Employee event, and the Tournament of Champions held on June 28 and 29...
, Phan finished second in the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em event when his failed to improve against Jon Friedberg
Jon Friedberg
Jon Friedberg is an American professional poker player and business owner. In his World Series of Poker career he has finished in the money 14 times including two Final Tables and one WSOP bracelet. As of 2010, his lifetime career tournament earnings total $1,031,447. His 14 WSOP cashes...
's on a board of . Phan earned $289,389 for his runner-up finish the next year at the 2007 WSOP Phan was runner-up to Francois Safieddine
Francois Safieddine
Francois Safieddine is a nightclub owner in Denver, Colorado who won a World Series of Poker bracelet at the 2007 World Series of Poker's $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em event. Safieddine, 33, is married and has four children. He was born in Lebanon and moved to the U.S. during the 1980s.As of 2008,...
in the $2,500 No Limit Hold'em event, earning $330,846 but it was not until the 2008 World Series of Poker
2008 World Series of Poker
The 2008 World Series of Poker was the 39th annual World Series of Poker . Held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, the series began on May 30, 2008, and featured 55 poker championships in several variants. All events but the $10,000 World Championship No Limit Texas hold...
that Phan won his first bracelet after winning the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em event, earning $434,789 and then he won his second bracelet the same year, this time in the $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw event, earning $151,896. Phan cashed for a total of $608,464 at the 2008 WSOP.
World Series of Poker bracelets
| Year | Event | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 2008 World Series of Poker The 2008 World Series of Poker was the 39th annual World Series of Poker . Held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, the series began on May 30, 2008, and featured 55 poker championships in several variants. All events but the $10,000 World Championship No Limit Texas hold... |
$3,000 No-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... 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... |
$434,789 |
| 2008 | $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw | $151,896 |
World Poker Tour
Phan cashed nine times on the World Poker TourWorld Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
(WPT) making the final table in three of them, one was at the $25,000 WPT Championship of season 3, receiving $518,920 for finishing in fourth place above Hollink, Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey
Phillip Dennis "Phil" Ivey Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title and appeared at nine World Poker Tour final tables...
, Joe Beevers
Joe Beevers
Joseph "Joe" Charles Beevers is an English professional poker player and a member of The Hendon Mob....
, Chris Ferguson
Chris Ferguson
Christopher Philip Ferguson is an American professional poker player. He has won five World Series of Poker events, including the 2000 WSOP Main Event, and the 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. On September 20, 2011, the U.S...
and Juha Helppi
Juha Helppi
Juha Helppi is a Finnish professional poker player from Helsinki.-Career:Juha was originally a poker dealer, but made a name for himself in the first World Poker Tour event in Aruba, where he eliminated Kathy Liebert on the way to defeating professional player Phil Gordon in a heads-up challenge...
. and the other was at the $9,600 No Limit Hold'em WPT season 6 event at the 2008 Bay 101
Bay 101
Bay 101 is a cardroom in San Jose, California. Like other California cardrooms, Bay 101 offers poker cash games and tournaments as well as special "California" style table games....
Shooting Stars where he finished 6th, earning $135,000. In July 2008 Phan made another WPT final table finishing in fifth place at the Bellagio Cup IV, earning $193,915
On the WPT seventh season
World Poker Tour season 7 results
- Spanish Championship:* Casino: Casino Barcelona, Barcelona * Buy-in: €5,000* 5-Day Event: Friday, May 23, 2008 to Tuesday, May 27, 2008* Number of Entries: 253* Total Prize Pool: €1,278,396...
, Phan won his first WPT title after defeating well known online player Amit “Amak316″ Makhija during heads-up play, winning the WPT bracelet and over $1.1 million at the Legends of Poker held at The Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, California
Bell Gardens, California
Bell Gardens is a city in Los Angeles County, California. The population was 42,072 at the 2010 census, down from 44,054 at the 2000 census.Bell Gardens is notable for being one of only five Los Angeles County cities to permit casino gambling...
.
Other poker events
World Poker Open
The World Poker Open was one of the annual events on the World Poker Tour....
in 2004, the $500 Limit Hold'em event, earning $160,965 and $500 Pot Limit Hold'em event, earning $85,257 also cashing three other times at that same event. He later won the $3,000 No Limit Hold'em event at the Festa al Lago II in 2004, earning $189,900. He won the $2,425 No Limit Hold'em event at the 2005 L.A. Poker Classic, earning $300,578 and was runner-up to Marcel Luske
Marcel Lüske
Marcel Lüske is a Dutch professional poker player. He finished 10th in the 2004 WSOP main event and as of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $3,700,000 USD...
in the $3,000 No Limit Hold'em event at the Fourth Annual Five-Star World Poker Classic in 2006, earning $179,195.
As of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $5,300,000. His 16 cashes as the WSOP account for $1,346,839 of those winnings.
He was Cardplayer Magazine 2008 Player of the Year with 6,704 points as well as 2008 Bluff Magazine Player of the Year.