Young Phan

Young Phan, an American professional poker player from Irvine, California, is known by the nickname “Papa.” He has amassed over $2.5 million in live tournament earnings throughout his career. His journey in poker took a significant turn in January 1999 when he achieved his best live cash, finishing in 1st place at the Carnivale of Poker II, where he earned $370,475.

Following this success, he continued to make his mark in the poker world and, in September 2007, he earned a WSOPC Ring at the WSOPC Tunica.

Young Phan: Early Life

Phan moved from Vietnam to the U.S. in 1975 as a teenager to start a new life. When he arrived in California, he worked hard to learn English, going to school for 12 hours a day. Because of this effort, he was able to study at UCLA and graduate from California Polytechnic in San Luis Obispo.

After graduating, Phan got a job as a casino supervisor at the Bicycle Casino, where he discovered his love for poker. As he played and became successful, he realized he could make more money playing poker than he did at his job. This made him decide to become a professional poker player, even though he was still earning a good income at the casino. Johnny Chan was his biggest inspiration during this time.

For a long time, Phan kept his poker career a secret from his family because, in Vietnam, playing cards wasn’t seen as a real job. His family found out when he appeared in a TV interview on the Discovery Channel. Since then, they have started to see his career in a more positive light.

Young Phan: Live Tournament Participation

Young Phan recorded his first live cash in March 1993, he placed 8th in the $300 + $30 Hold’em Shootout at the Masters of Poker Championship II in Gardena, taking home $1,140.

Subsequently, in January 1999, he won 1st place in the $5,000 + $80 Championship Event in No Limit Hold’em at the Carnivale of Poker II in Las Vegas, securing a prize of $370,475.

Moreover, in February 2001, he again achieved 1st place in the $5,000 + $100 No Limit Hold’em Championship at the Poker Classic in Los Angeles, which netted him $186,850.

Following this success, in April 2003, he took 2nd place in the $2,500 Limit Hold’em event at the 34th World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, earning $85,700.

In April 2007, he continued his strong performance by finishing as the runner-up in the $5,000 + $150 Circuit Championship Event at the WSOP Circuit in Southern Indiana, pocketing $125,273.

Later that year, in November 2007, he again placed 2nd in the $4,800 + $200 No Limit Hold’em event at the 2007 World Poker Finals in Mashantucket, earning $142,832.

In July 2024, he achieved 12th place in the $250 No Limit Hold’em tournament at The Gardens Casino in Los Angeles, taking home $680.