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John Phan

John Phan
Phan at the 2008 World Series of Poker.
Nickname(s) The Razor
Born October 10, 1974
World Series of Poker
Bracelet(s) 2
Money finish(es) 16
Highest ITM
Main Event finish
149th, 2012
World Poker Tour
Title(s) 1
Final table(s) 4
Money finish(es) 11
Information accurate as of 20 July 2009.

Bon "John" Phan (born October 10, 1974 in Da Nang, Vietnam) is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player based in Stockton, California who is a two time World Series of Poker bracelet winner and is a winner and four time final tablist of World Poker Tour Championships.

World Series of Poker

Phan has made numerous World Series of Poker (WSOP) money finishes, including the final table of the $5,000 Seven-card stud event in 2005, finished fourth and outlasted both professional poker players Dave Colclough and Rob Hollink.

At the 2006 WSOP, Phan finished second in the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em event when his Q♠ 5♠ failed to improve against Jon Friedberg's A♥ 7♥ on a board of 10♥ 9♦ 3♠ 2♥ 7♠. Phan earned $289,389 for his runner-up finish the next year at the 2007 WSOP Phan was runner-up to Francois Safieddine in the $2,500 No Limit Hold'em event, earning $330,846 but it was not until the 2008 World Series of Poker that Phan won his first bracelet after winning the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em event, earning $434,789 and then he won his second bracelet the same year, this time in the $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw event, earning $151,896. Phan cashed for a total of $608,464 at the 2008 WSOP.

World Series of Poker bracelets

Year Event Prize Money
2008 $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em $434,789
2008 $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw $151,896

World Poker Tour

Phan cashed nine times on the World Poker Tour (WPT) making the final table in three of them, one was at the $25,000 WPT Championship of season 3, receiving $518,920 for finishing in fourth place above Hollink, Phil Ivey, Joe Beevers, Chris Ferguson and Juha Helppi. and the other was at the $9,600 No Limit Hold'em WPT season 6 event at the 2008 Bay 101 Shooting Stars where he finished 6th, earning $135,000. In July 2008 Phan made another WPT final table finishing in fifth place at the Bellagio Cup IV, earning $193,915

On the WPT seventh season, Phan won his first WPT title after defeating well known online player Amit “Amak316″ Makhija during heads-up play, winning the WPT bracelet and over $1.1 million at the Legends of Poker held at The Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, California.

On February 26, 2012, while playing at the L.A. Poker Classic, Phan was eliminated in controversial fashion. While in a hand with another player who had moved all in, Phan requested the "all in" button from the dealer, and while playing with it, dropped it in an area that is reserved for live chips. The tournament director, Matt Savage, ruled this was an all in despite heated disagreement from Phan. As the ultimate authority on rules violations, Savage's ruling was final, and Phan was forced to call, and was eliminated. This is notable not because of the incident, but because Phan has requested the all in button so frequently in an attempt to gain advantage that Tournament Director Savage instituted a rule forbidding such conduct, and named it "the John Phan rule".

Other poker events

John Phan at Nicky Hilton's poker tournament

Phan won two events at The Fifth Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open in 2004, the $500 Limit Hold'em event, earning $160,965 and $500 Pot Limit Hold'em event, earning $85,257 also cashing three other times at that same event. He later won the $3,000 No Limit Hold'em event at the Festa al Lago II in 2004, earning $189,900. He won the $2,425 No Limit Hold'em event at the 2005 L.A. Poker Classic, earning $300,578 and was runner-up to Marcel Luske in the $3,000 No Limit Hold'em event at the Fourth Annual Five-Star World Poker Classic in 2006, earning $179,195.

As of January 29, 2014, his total live tournament winnings amount to $5,493,415. His 16 cashes as the WSOP account for $1,346,839 of those winnings.

He was Cardplayer Magazine 2008 Player of the Year with 6,704 points as well as 2008 Bluff Magazine Player of the Year.

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