Sam Farha

  • Name: Ihsan (Sam) Farha

  • Nickname: Sammy

  • Current Residence: Houston, Texas, USA

  • DOB: 1959

  • Birth Place: Beirut, Lebanon

  • Sponsored by: PokerStars

  • Online site he plays at: PokerStars.com

  • WSOP Bracelets: 2

  • WSOP Cashes: 8

  • Total Tournament Winnings: $2,318,350 (March 2010)

Who is Sam Farha?

Sammy Farha is one of the most recognized faces in poker, mostly due to his cheerful bad boy personality. An originally Lebanese player, Sammy moved to the US when the civil war in Lebanon broke out in the 70's. During his teens he was an avid gambler in other fields, he won money playing pinball and Pac-Man.

He got a degree in Business Administration from Kansas University, then went to Houston to work with his brother. In the 1980's he began playing at clubs in Houston and managed to make several thousands of dollars. By 1990 he had given up his full time job to become a professional poker player.

Sammy is known for being very superstitious, he puts an unlit cigarette in his mouth during games despite the fact that he does not smoke, he calls it his lucky cigarette and when he gets bad hands he changes it for a new one. He's a natural for TV and at several WSOP tournaments he has come up as one of the shining stars in the broadcast. Besides playing poker Sammy is also a poker author and his book (co-authored with Storms Reback) has been out since 2007. Sammy has also created a video game and some reality TV poker series. He is also a spokesman for Harrah's Casino.

In 2003 Sammy came agonizingly close to the biggest title in poker when he finished runner-up to Chris Moneymaker in the WSOP Main Event. However, he is mainly a cash game player and a permanent fixture in the biggest games in Las Vegas. He has also performed in every season of the popular High Stakes Poker tv-series.

Public Perception and Reputation

Sammy Farha is often friendly and joyful at the tables, however at some casinos he is known for giving hard time to the dealers when taking a bad loss and some may say that those who see him only on TV may have a wrong perception of him.

Poker Techniques

When it comes to Sammy Farha you should be careful, cause you will never know whether he's holding aces or 2-9; he has really good instincts and often calls with some crazy looking hands. He is a really good bluffer and extremely hard to read. He is sometimes called "Mr Pot Limit Omaha" for his expertise in this variant of poker.

Farha is probably one of the most natural gamblers on the circuit.

Media Exposure