Chris Karagulleyan survived the tragedy of the civil war in his native Beirut and made his way to the United States in 1984. Regardless of the civil war, however, Chris racked up gambling experience in Beirut before immigrating to the States. He says: "There were a lot of casinos in Beirut and everybody seemed to be passing their time there because everyone was out of work during the war."

During his years at Hollywood High School, Chris managed to gain entry to casinos in Los Angeles. "I started playing at Commerce, El Dorado and Normandy. I didn't waste my time playing my friends in home games. I went straight to the casinos, and I made money there. Everybody knew me at those places, and no one cared that I was under 21."

Contrary to received wisdom, Chris doesn't believe that having a mathematical mind is essential to success in poker. In his words: "If you're disciplined enough there's enough fish out there." Chris' favorite casino is the Commerce in L.A.; indeed, he doesn't at all mind letting relatively inexperienced players lose to him at its tables.

Chris has learned a great deal by watching other pros in action, observing both what they do right and what they do wrong. "That is the key to success," in his opinion. He thinks newer players should do more of it too. He says of some of the novitiates: "These people love to gamble but they just don't have any skill. They're at the table to win, but they don't realize they're not good enough to win. They push all-in, and they try to bluff me, wanting to steal the pot. But I don't care if they want to waste their chips. People make mistakes so I get more chips." Talk about a word to the wise!

Chris admits that he can be somewhat reckless, and yet in 2003 he made 50 final tables and won first place in the WPT tournament at the Bicycle Club in Los Angeles. He's ultra-confident in his abilities; when asked if the fast action at his Bicycle win was a result of the relatively modest quantity of dough left after most had been cut at the outset, he opined that the real reason was "I'm the best and I can push everybody around."

As a result of his having tutored three friends who went on to victories at an L.A. Poker Classic, Chris has been nicknamed "Coach." He is a regular dandy, wearing a suit and tie at final tables and adopting a courtly manner to match. He says, "A lot of people like the way I play because I never get upset at the table. I'm friendly with everybody. If I win or lose a big pot I'll act the same. Either way, I want to be gracious to other players."