Dragonheart - David Pham Wins No-Limit Shootout

By Arthur Crowson Jul 18, 2006 | 2 years ago

David Pham Takes the No-Limit Hold'em Shootout Tournament

On Tuesday night, David "The Dragon" Pham won Event 25 with a pair of jacks. The aggressive Pham is a world renowned player that has had considerable success wherever he's played, and he owned the table on Tuesday. "The Dragon" sat down with PokerListings.com moments after his victory and gave us the story.

How many bracelets is this for you David?

This is my second one. I make a lot of final tables but for the last few years I've only been getting second place.

What event did you win your second bracelet in?

It was a S.H.O.E. game. Stud, Hold'em, Omaha, Eight-or-Better.

How does this win rank in your career, is this a big victory for you?

Yeah, a little bit, but the biggest one for me was actually a Limit tournament where I won half a million dollars [2003 L.A. Poker Classic No-Limit Hold'em Championship - WPT].

David Pham

What do you think of your play over the last two days?

I think I played well and made good decisions when I had to, but the cards also turned well for me. I made the right choice most of the time.

What did you think of your opponents at the final table?

Roland De Wolfe played great. He was really good at moving the chips around. I knew if I could get De Wolfe out I would have a good chance of winning. Charlie [Charles Sewell] was also a very dangerous player.

Is the Shootout an event you've taken a liking to?

Yes. A few months ago I played a shootout event at the Commerce Casino in California, and I won it. Last year I won my table at the WSOP Shootout event, but I lost on the second day.

What do you like about the event?

This event favors the players that are strong. The weak players are always eliminated. You have to be strong but not crazy. It's a big event to win.

How would you describe your playing style?

I usually play aggressive. I like to read my opponent, and I'm smart enough to know when to lay it down.

Who was your toughest opponent?

Roland De Wolf and Chad Layne were both very difficult to play against. Layne was a short-stack with ace-ten, and I was lucky to bust him with pocket jacks. Sometimes everything just goes right for you. I'm not saying I'm good, but I'm ok. I can play with all these players.

Are you going to be playing more events this year?

Yeah, I play most of the events. Tomorrow I'm going to skip the Pot-Limit Hold'em because I want to play in the Short-Handed Hold'em event.

Thanks, David.