A few of the largest names in poker began on the by desk dealing playing cards, having fun with the job safety, insurance coverage, and regular paycheck that skilled gamblers lack. That features World Sequence of Poker primary occasion winners Scotty Nguyen and Johnny Chan. Mike Matusow dealt throughout Las Vegas within the early days of his profession to complement his revenue.
Ted Forrest additionally started his profession working as a supplier in Las Vegas, and Layne Flack labored the field in Deadwood, South Dakota, whereas attending school. David Chiu credited his time dealing in Black Hawk, Colorado, for studying how gamers react to arms.
Add Sami Bechahed to that record of profitable gamers who began out within the supplier chair. The 38-year-old parlayed his expertise within the field and a love for the sport into some main success on the tables over the previous few years, racking up $1.6 million in reside event winnings.
The Paris native’s run began in 2021 after successful a pair of occasions on the Bike, and in August 2022 he stepped it up with a runner-up end in a $275 facet occasion on the Legends of Poker for $194,100. That November, he added one other WSOP Circuit ring at Choctaw in Oklahoma, grabbing the largest rating of his profession for $274,916.
In March 2023, Bechahed continued his sizzling streak by scoring the trophy within the Mini Mega Thousands and thousands at Gardens On line casino in California for $155,540. The wins and deep runs simply saved piling up, and when the PokerStars North American Poker Tour returned to Las Vegas in November 2023, the Frenchman got here out on high for one more $268,945.
“It was by far the spotlight of my younger skilled profession,” Bechahed mentioned. “Having the ability to win it towards high gamers like those I confronted on the remaining desk and prior felt like an enormous accomplishment.”
Bechahed has an actual card-playing workmanlike story – rising up the ranks from supplier to participant in decrease buy-in occasions earlier than graduating to the upper stakes.
“I’m unsure there’s a key to the success, however the expertise I constructed by dealing undoubtedly helped me have an excellent understanding and really feel for the sport,” he says. “I don’t use solvers in any respect. I don’t even know methods to use them. I by no means employed a [strategy] coach. However that doesn’t imply I don’t work on my recreation, I take into consideration poker on a regular basis and watch a number of content material. I employed a psychological coach, which actually helps me construction my ideas, emotions, and my recreation generally. I actually have pleasure in realizing that my recreation is the reflection of who I’m and my interpretation of the sport.”
With a rising poker document, Bechahed spoke with Card Participant about his journey within the recreation, shifting to turning into a full-time participant, and the place he’s headed sooner or later.
Getting In The Recreation
Born in France, Bechahed spent his early years in Tunisia, the place he lived till age 6. He then returned to France till age 29 and says he had a “fairly regular and blissful childhood.” He now believes three nationalities characterize the individual he’s turn into – France, the U.S., and Tunisia.
A love of poker started in his late teenagers when he began enjoying with a few of his soccer teammates round 2005. Video games have been an everyday prevalence within the clubhouse, with gamers shopping for in for €10.
“We might play all evening,” he recalled. “I bought hooked instantly. I used to be successful persistently, then began enjoying rather a lot on-line. I used to be a successful participant however nothing loopy. I saved enjoying rather a lot for 10 years, however all this was very leisure and really small.”
The stakes ramped up significantly after a transfer to Los Angeles in April 2016. Bechahed was captivated with poker, however his English wasn’t nice. He additionally wanted a job after receiving his work allow. A free dealing college on the Bicycle On line casino appeared like a very good resolution and earlier than lengthy he was shuffling and pitching playing cards at one in every of California’s main poker rooms.
The gig appeared like a pure match and he should have been spectacular within the position. By March of 2017, Bechahed was chosen as one in every of a choose few sellers for the Dwell on the Bike, spreading a few of the largest livestreamed money video games on the time.
COVID modified all the pieces. Casinos across the state closed and Bechahed wanted one thing else to make ends meet. To get by, he began dealing at house video games throughout L.A.
“That was life-changing when it comes to cash, since I constructed a legitimacy dealing Dwell on the Bike,” he says. “I’d get employed in the perfect house video games. By December 2021, casinos reopened, and residential video games have been dying little by little.”
The slowdown in his house recreation dealing turned out to be fortuitous for Bechahed as a participant. He began coming into smaller tournaments and located some quick success to construct a bankroll – scoring $5,000 right here and there earlier than grabbing a runner-up in a $300 WSOP Circuit occasion on the Gardens for $59,935. Regardless of the success, Bechahed saved dealing, which led to a different alternative in March of 2022 with Hustler On line casino Dwell.
“Regardless of the early event success, I couldn’t ever think about myself going as full-time poker professional. Working for HCL was nice due to the expertise of dealing to superb gamers and the flexibleness of the job,” Bechahed says. “Ryan Feldman (Hustler On line casino Dwell founder and proprietor) knew I performed tournaments, and let me have my very own schedule so long as I used to be skilled and dependable on the job, which I by no means did not be.”
Feldman says Bechahed is among the greatest sellers he’s ever labored with, having identified him since 2017 when he was operating operations for the Bike. The HCL proprietor additionally testified to his character behind the scenes as nicely.
“He was such a very good supplier, and extra importantly an important individual,” Feldman says. “Sami is among the nicest and friendliest individuals I’ve ever labored with, at all times a pleasure to be round. I keep in mind years in the past he would inform me about on-line tournaments he’s enjoying, and he would ask me for recommendation. In between supplier downs he could be working towards. He at all times had the urge to turn into an important poker participant. He would be taught rather a lot by watching gamers play whereas he’s dealing and predicting what arms they’ve.”
“When he began having large event success, all of us at HCL could be rooting him on and following alongside. It made us so blissful each time to see him go deep in tournaments. It’s superb to see his success.”
Event Examined
Bechahed’s poker facet venture changed into a full-time lifestyle after the massive win on the NAPT in 2023. On the 2024 WSOP, Bechahed notched 15 cashes in reside and on-line occasions, together with a 74th-place end within the $10,000 primary occasion for $120,000. His primary occasion journey ended when his full home was topped by a straight flush, concluding what he referred to as “an incredible summer season.”
Bechahed additionally grabbed an eighth-place rating of $48,904 in a $3,000 no-limit maintain’em six-handed occasion and fifteenth in a $5,000 no-limit occasion for $32,059. Within the latter, he rivered his personal one-outer straight flush to ship Erik Seidel to the rail. The hand was named as one of many largest unhealthy beats of the 12 months.
In November, Bechahed was again in Resorts World Las Vegas making an attempt to defend his NAPT title. Whereas he didn’t pull off the double, Bechahed did give it a stable effort – taking thirty seventh for $17,100. He additionally gained a $550 eight-game combine occasion so as to add yet one more trophy to his show case.
“For now, I solely play reside tournaments,” he says. “However I’m additionally conscious that I’m going to search out an alternate. Both reside money video games, which I don’t actually get pleasure from, or on-line tournaments, however I’m not adequate technically (in these) to play profitably. So, for now I journey all all over the world to play poker tournaments, which is enjoyable and a longtime dream, however tiring and tough when you’ve gotten slightly household.”
Again In France, However On The Hunt For Poker
The household packed up and relocated again to Paris in August after contemplating the transfer for some time. Bechahed married his spouse Nicole in 2019 and so they now have a son that’s virtually a 12 months previous. The transfer supplied a little bit of a change of surroundings, regardless of extra restricted choices to hit the tables.
“We moved to France primarily as a result of it was my American spouse’s dream to reside in Paris,” he says. “She has been making an attempt to persuade me to take action for 5 years. It lastly made sense initially of 2024. We wished a change of way of life and being near my household performed a giant half on this transfer. The poker scene isn’t the perfect in Paris. There usually are not a number of choices in tournaments, moreover low stakes, and the rake is simply too excessive in money video games, so I’ve to journey rather a lot to play poker.”
When not on the card desk, Bechahed enjoys spending time with Nicole and their son, exploring Paris, consuming at good eating places, and consuming good wine. Soccer additionally stays a ardour. He as soon as dreamed of enjoying professionally however poker now suits the invoice with regards to staying aggressive.
“My primary aim is to win an EPT,” he says. “I do know that it’s laborious to realize as I share this aim with a number of superb gamers. Ever since I began watching poker on TV a few years in the past, it was one thing so fascinating for me that I’d by no means have believed I’d even be capable to play them. Clearly, successful a WSOP bracelet would even be nice.”
Bechahed’s gritty rise to the highest continues. After a giant run over the past two years, don’t wager towards him.
Discover Bechahed on Twitter/X @SoWIZZSami
*Photographs by PokerStars – Joe Giron, Manuel Kovsca – WPT
