Tim Phan

Birthplace
Vietnam

Hometown
Westminster, CA

Total Winnings
$909,260

He's originally from Vietnam, but Tim Phan was raised in Westminster, California. He comes from a large family with nine siblings. Phan's family ran a restaurant, where he worked as a bus boy. Phan says he started playing poker with his family while he was working at the restaurant. His mother played and won often, and Phan learned a lot from watching her. He later married his junior high school sweetheart, and they now have three children. Phan eventually decided to go from playing poker with family and friends to playing cash games at the Bicycle Casino. He enjoyed poker, but he says it became a means to support his family. Most of his winnings came from high-stakes cash games in Las Vegas and Los Angeles casinos.

When poker tournaments became an option, Phan decided to try his hand at them. He started playing tournaments in 1998, but he didn't make money immediately. In 2004, he made his first cash in the California State Championships. He placed second in the $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'em event and won nearly $50,000. His first tournament win came a month later in the $3,000 No-Limit Hold 'em championship event at the Grand Slam of Poker. He made three times what he did in his first tournament cash. In 2005, Phan placed 24th in the World Series of Poker Main Event, winning more than $300,000. He made his first World Poker Tour final table at the 2005 Legends of Poker where he finished fourth. The following year, Phan made the final table of the $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'em event at the WSOP. In 2007, Phan made a very lucrative showing at another WPT final table. He placed fifth in the WPT No-Limit Hold 'em World Championship. He made more than $464,000 for that performance. Phan's lifetime tournament winnings total more than $1.7 million, proving that some people can support a family by playing poker.