About David Woo

Name	David Woo
Current Residence	Atlanta Ga.
Birth Place	, KR

David Woo may have picked up his first bracelet after championing Event 39, the fifth of seven $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em tournaments at the 2008 World Series of Poker, but it wasn't the first time he'd final-tabled at the Series.

In 2007 he busted fifth in Event 27, another $1,500 NLHE tournament. Coincidence? Hardly. David Woo has the raw talent and drive necessary to make it work at the felt. He also has a penchant for NLHE events.

Indeed, of all the tournaments he's cashed in since turning pro in the early 2000s, only one wasn't NLHE, and it was at the Superbowl of Omaha in San Francisco, Calif. in 2002.

Before embarking on his poker career, David worked long hours running his family-owned coffee shop. The demands of owning and operating a small business were intense, and to let loose David would sling chips all night.

Like many a poker pro, his decision to switch careers came rather easily; David realized he was making more money at the tables than wiping tables. In other words, coffee got in the way of poker.

"I was starting to make some money [at poker] and then I was selling coffee for $1.15 and working all day," he explained to PL.com after his 2008 World Series win.

"So I quit the coffee gig and picked up poker full time ..."

He's been competing and cashing in tournaments ever since, with his first major tournament finish coming in the 2006 World Series Main Event.

There, he dominated Day 4 as chip leader but ultimately cashed for $47k in 132nd place after a coin flip determined the fate of a huge hand. A hand that would have placed him squarely at the final table with Jamie Gold, mind you.

But Woo isn't one to dwell on the past ("That's poker," he says). He persevered and struck gold the next year after 6.5 hours of heads-up play against Canadian Matthew Wood. Needless to say, he was overjoyed with his win.

"The bracelet is a huge validation," he admitted to PokerListings.com. "It's kind of crazy to say, but it's not a validation for me, because I always thought I was capable and a lot of my friends did to.

"I think for me it validated poker [laughs] because you run into so much bull crap in poker, to finally win it - it's definitely a good feeling."

Trivia

• Was nicknamed "The Magnificent" by fellow pro Josh Arieh, who he regularly plays home games with
• Won Event 39, $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em at the 2008 WSOP
• Final-tabled in a $1,500 NLHE event at the 2007 WSOP
• Was chip leader on Day 4 of the 2006 WSOP Main Event
• Loves to gamble on sports, craps, blackjack, etc.
• Once bet $50k that he could make at least 80 of 100 three-point shots on the basketball court, and he won
• Had been supporting himself with poker for about five years when he won his first bracelet
• Is about 5'5" tall