Michael Vela, World Poker Finals - Day 6, World Poker Tour

When Mike Vela won the 2007 World Poker Finals the entire crowd was shouting, "MVP! MVP!" and there couldn't have been a more fitting analogy for the caliber of Vela's play at the final table.

Vela entered the final table as one of the chip leaders and he used that advantage like it was a club to hammer his competition. Vela played aggressively and after getting one lucky break - hitting a jack on the river to eliminate Tom Dwan - he was in the driver's seat. No one could get the Most Valuable Player off his game and Vela went on to face two former World Finals winners and dominate both of them.

The family man from upstate New York chatted with PokerListings.com a couple minutes after winning first place for $1.7 million.

So Mike, how are you feeling right now and what does this victory mean to you?

It means I can build a house that I put a bid in on before I came here and pay cash for it. As for winning, it probably hasn't sunk in yet. I think I'm taking it more in stride than I should be. I think 10 years ago I would have been doing cartwheels around here so maybe I'm getting a bit more mature.

It allows me to take care of my house and my kids and it also shows that I can play with these guys. In my mind I knew I could and I validated that today.

Mike Vela and the WPT gang at the final table.

Were you intimidated going into the final table knowing there were two former winners and online powerhouse Tom Dwan all sitting down at the same table?

No, not at all, I'm not someone that can be intimidated. I was taught since I was a young man that you deal with issues and whatever life throws at you. I wasn't intimidated at all walking in. I knew I had to come in and play the game right. I had a strategy and I followed it. I got some luck and things worked out well.

Was that a strategy you had from Day 1?

No. I had a specific strategy going into today. I play tournaments very similarly. It's been a good year for me playing tournaments and I've cashed a lot. I play a very different style in tournaments compared to cash games. Most cash game players don't believe that I play the way I do in tournaments.

Are you a Hold'em specialist?

I only play No-Limit Hold'em. I don't really play a whole lot. I work full-time and I have children so that takes most of my time. That's the important stuff. I play this event because it's a local one for me.

Mike Vela brought his A-game to the final table.

How many events have you played?

Well I actually played this event last year and came in 13th. I played in two preliminary events to this event and I placed 10th and 10th. I played Borgata here two months ago and placed 18th.

Whereabouts are you from?

I'm from upstate New York, Newburgh, actually.

Did you feel like you could have done a lot better than 13th place last year?

No. I was pretty short last year and I probably bled as much as I could have out of that tournament. Things didn't go my way and I didn't play as aggressively as I did this year. I actually learned a whole bunch watching Nenad [Medic] play last year. I was with him for about 15 hours and it helped my game a lot.

The name is Vela, Mike Vela.

Did you have a read on him this year?

No reads, I just learned how to play the game better. Basically when to make moves and when to push the antes.

How long have you been playing poker?

About five years. I was on a fishing trip and I stopped in somewhere and learned the game. I think I played for eight hours and won $3 in my first game but I got a good lesson.

What do you do for a living?

I'm a senior vice president at a financial planning company.

Will we see you at a few events in the future?

Absolutely. I've already got my buy-in to the Borgata because I won a super-satellite. You'll also see me in May when I'm at the Bellagio.

At a final table full of interesting stories a family man who has a full-time non-poker-related job turned out to be the most interesting story of them all. Although you won't see Vela at as many events as guys like Nenad Medic or Nick Schulman it's obvious that MVP can play with the best of them. Congratulations on your big win, Mike!