Sam Farha: From Poker Pro to Businessman

Sam Farha was born in 1959 in Beirut. In 1977, due to the civil war, he moved from Lebanon to the USA. Farha graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in management. He moved to Houston to live with his brother and found a job. Sam Farha first learned about poker in the mid-1980s in Houston. In 1990, Farha went to Las Vegas with $2,000 and left with $7,000.

Farha is known for his unlit cigarette at the poker table, which he changes after bad beats. He has three WSOP bracelets: one in PLO and two in Omaha-8. In 2003, Farha finished second in the Main Event, losing to Chris Moneymaker. Farha was introduced on TV as an investor from Houston, though he never worked as an investor.

Farha now focuses on business and investments, and helps run a poker club in Houston. He believes the poker boom led to increased cheating and chip dumping.