Poker Player - Chris Karagulleyen
Chris Karagulleyen is one of the most well known players on the professional poker circuit. He came first in the World Poker Tournament, Season One, and Legends of Poker in August 2003, winning a prize of $258,000. In fact 2003, was a major year for Chris Karagulleyen as he made 50 final tables, including his Bicycle Club win in the WPT. In the 2005 World Series of Poker, he took 21st place, but still took home a prize $9,860.
Chris currently lives in Glendale, California, but his roots are far more colourful. He was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1968, and under the shadow of a tragic civil war, he built up his knowledge of gambling and Poker skills in the casinos of a desperate city. He immigrated to the United States of America in 1984, and although he was under the age of 21, he still managed to find his way to the Poker tables of The City of Angels. He was regularly to be found at the Commerce, El Dorado and Normandy, Los Angeles, and admits that no one in the houses cared that he was under age.
In a past that has had him work in a variety of jobs from baker to cabbie, he now plays poker professionally, exuding a confident and suave style. He wears a classic suit and tie at the final tables, and sits down with the attitude that he is one of the best and is going to win. After winning the WPT at the Bicycle Club, he claimed that his win was due to the fact that "I'm the best and I can push everybody around". He also believes that the key to winning at Poker is not to analyse the mathematics of the game, but to observe the people playing.
Chris Karagulleyen is a believer in watching how other professionals play, in order to learn what they do right and what they do wrong. He has said that novice players literally throw away their chips, but he doesn't mind; "These people love to gamble, but they just don't have any skill. They're at the table to win, but they don't realise that they're not good enough to win." The mistake of these beginners, who lack the patience to observe and learn, simply results in Chris taking all their chips! His theory is that "If you're disciplined enough, there's enough fish out there!" His words ring true when his winnings in excess of $305,000 are taken into consideration. Not bad for a player who was still regarded as a rookie until 2002!
Chris is best at playing No Limit Texas Hold'em Poker, which he plays with a predatory style, trying to trap other players into making mistakes and bluffing. His manner is courteous, confident but not offensive, gracious in both success and defeat. He has also recently earned the nickname of "Coach", having played a tutor role to several of his friends, who are now making their own names in the world of Poker.
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