From humble beginnings trying to find work as an actor, Sam Razavi managed to win a small tournament online while playing as a hobby. From there he began to experiment with Holdem cash tables, and quickly moved up through the stakes as his talent and bankroll grew. Originally from southern England, Sam has had some great results on tours around the United Kingdom, famously winning the Cork leg of the UKIPT for $100,000 while dressed as a leprechaun in 2011. He also became was of the best known players on Neil Channing's online poker room 'Black Belt Poker.' playing mostly No Limit Holdem Heads Up.
From Online Cash Games to Live Tournaments
But when you play Online Poker for a living it can be extremely lonely, especially with Heads Up poker with sessions ranging between three hours to three days. Looking for an healthier lifestyle, started to travel around the world to play live tournaments. Few years later, Sam has made a name for himself in Asia, as he picked up the APT Player of the Year title in 2012. Astonishingly, he went on to win it again in 2013, and a third time in 2014, and is currently 2nd in the race for 2015. In the live tournament world, where variance can hold down even the best of players at times, the way that Sam Razavi has consistently risen to the top each year has been admirable. His biggest wins on the APT tour include over PHP$1.5 million for 3rd in the APT Manila main event in 2014, and more than PHP$1.9 million for 2nd in the APT Cebu main event in 2012. His Aussie Millions main event 6th place added USD$222,000 to his list of cashes. He hasn't yet had a break through result at the WSOP, but remains a great tournament player who has dominated the APT Circuit in a way that has never been seen before, and there will undoubtedly be more headlines created by Sam at this years APT.
A love story with the APT circuit
Despite playing APT events every year, Sam is fortunate in that he doesn't have to travel back and forth around the world. He met his wife while playing in an APT event, and now resides in the Philippines. Last year, he came close to missing out on the Player of the Year title as he skipped an event in Manila to attend the birth of his son, but after grabbing two 1st places in side events right at the finish line, he once again managed to triumph.
October 2014: Sam Razavi in an Interview with Angelina Ong for CalvinAyre.com
This year, he has already managed two 1st places and a 2nd at the APT Cebu events, which included a PHP$246,000 win, putting himself immediately into early contention for this year's title. Sam Razavi has been prolific in tournament poker, having cashed on most continents of the world, but his family, the fine weather, and the endless run of APT Player of the Year titles should ensure that he remains busy on the Asian circuit for years to come.
Bonus track
Louis Hartwell
Graduated in Media Communication at the University of Lausanne, Louis Hartman is a co-founder of somuchpoker.com. He began his career in Cambodia as freelance journalist. In same time he was making his living by playing poker every night at that time. Intense learner, he read dozens of poker strategy books to improve his skills during many years. With a strong interest about poker "behind the scene" in Asia and his communication skills, Louis launched Somuchpoker in 2014.
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