World Poker Tour

Chris Karagulleyan

Hometown
Glendale, CA

Birthday
November 30

Total Winnings
$746,641

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Chris Karagulleyan lived through the civil war and a good deal of poverty during his early years. He learned to play cards at a young age and spent time in casinos with friends. By his mid-teens, he was anxious to leave his war-torn country and seek new opportunities in the United States. Ending up in Los Angeles, California in 1986, he finished high school at Hollywood High and made money during that time at the local card rooms. Quickly, he made friends " his age was never questioned " and he honed his poker skills.

Though Chris took some traditional jobs as a cab driver and baker, he felt more at-home and confident at the casinos. Spending time with other pro players and using a very disciplined method to learn everything about poker, he was finally able to make the transition to full-time player. In 1998, he won his first poker tournament at the L.A. Poker Open in the $100 limit hold'em event, and tournaments had won over the heart of this young pro.

Chris' specialty has always been cash games, but pursuing a big tournament win was his focus for many years. Finally, in 2002, he played in the Legends of Poker main event at the Bicycle Casino. He not only made it to the final table " in a suit, as is his style " of the World Poker Tour event, but he won the title, along with $258,000. The victory propelled him to poker popularity after the show aired, and his image as a WPT champion helped him achieve more tournament success. Admittedly, lessons about gambling, especially at the blackjack tables, had to be learned, as he claims to have lost much of his winnings to such vices, but through the continual learning process and betterment of his game, he made his money back and then some.