Sam Farha

Ihsan "Sam" Farha (Template:Langx; born 23 February 1959 in Beirut, Lebanon) is a Lebanese professional poker player. He is best known for finishing as runner up in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in 2003. He has won three bracelets at the WSOP in his career.

Personal life

When the civil war erupted in Lebanon in 1975, the Farha family moved to the United States in search of a better life.

The young Ihsan "Sammy" Farha went on to earn a degree in business administration from the University of Kansas. While completing his studies, he also learned to play pool, ping ball, and the video game Pac Man so well that he earned substantial money by playing these games against others for cash.

After graduating from college, he moved to Houston, Texas. That is where he had his first encounter with poker, in the eighties. Shortly after, he made a trip to Las Vegas. His winnings at the poker tables made him realize he could make a living playing cards. Farha then decided to quit his job and moved to Vegas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

World Series of Poker

Farha's biggest tournament finish was in the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event, where he finished second to Chris Moneymaker for $1,300,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On TV, Farha was identified as an "investor", a job Farha said he never actually held but was rather an identity he held to convince people to start a game with him. On the second day of play, Farha lost a major pot to Barry Greenstein leaving him with only 10% of the average stack. He was considering leaving at this point and was talked into staying in the tournament by Greenstein. He lost the final hand to Moneymaker when he went all-in with a pair of jacks on the flop, only to be called by Moneymaker who had flopped bottom two pair, which held after the final river card was dealt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In a rematch between Farha and Moneymaker a few months later, organized by PokerStars, Farha won.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They played against each other again in a special "grudge match" during 2011 World Series of Poker, which was won by Moneymaker in best-of-three format.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

World Series of Poker bracelets

All of Farha's WSOP bracelets have come in Omaha events.<ref name="hendon" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Year	Event	Prize Money
1996	$2,500 Pot Limit Omaha w/Rebuys	$145,000
2006	$5,000 Omaha Hi-Lo (8 or better)	$398,560
2010	$10,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship	$488,241

Other poker activities

• Farha has also finished in the money in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, once for $75,000 and the other time for $125,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also has three cashes in World Poker Tour events, for a little over $100,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Farha co-authored a book Farha on Omaha, a detailed guide on Omaha poker strategy. Farha intersperses basic strategies with his own personal strategies, so players can learn not only the game but also the style of Farha himself.
• Farha is working on a book, tentatively titled Luck is Far More Than Enough, a reality TV poker series, and a video game.Template:Citation needed
• Farha is a spokesman for Harrah's casino in Las Vegas.
• Farha has appeared on the GSN series High Stakes Poker, in seasons 1-4.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Farha also made a cameo appearance in the 2007 film Lucky You.<ref name="g553">Template:Cite web</ref>
• As of 2017, his total winnings exceed $2,800,000 in live tournament poker,<ref name="hendon">Template:Cite web</ref> although he tends to primarily play in high-stakes Omaha cash games. His eleven cashes at the WSOP account for $2,586,105 of those winnings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

References

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External links

• Card Player profile
• Global Poker Index profile
• Hendon Mob profile
• WPT profile
• WSOP profile
• PokerPlayerProfiles.com profile