| John Kabbaj | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Large |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelets | 2 |
| Money finishes | 22 |
| Highest WSOP Main Event finish | 281st,2010 |
| European Poker Tour | |
| Title | None |
| Final table | 1 |
| Money finishes | 3 |
| Information last updated on26 August 2009. | |
Jean-Michel (John) Kabbaj (born 19 June 1973 inBirmingham,Warwickshire) is anEnglish professionalpoker player, referred to byThe Hendon Mob as their unofficial fifth member.
Kabbaj quit school at the age of 16. He worked as a builder and was later employed atHeathrow Airport.[citation needed]
Kabbaj became a professional poker player in 1995, after winning his first major tournament at the Main Event of the 1995 Christmas Cracker tournament inLondon. He defeated a field including Dave Gardner (father ofJulian Gardner) andRam Vaswani to take home the £14,750 first prize.[1]
Kabbaj made his first money finish in theWorld Series of Poker (WSOP) in1999, finishing 9th in the $3,000pot limithold'em event won byLayne Flack.[2] He finished above several notable players, includingEli Elezra,Lucy Rokach, John Bonetti, andPaul Phillips.
In 2000, Kabbaj made his one and only appearance on the popularLate Night Pokertelevision series. He finished 7th in a competitive heat including Charalambos Xanthos, Peter Evans andVictoria Coren. Kabbaj went on to win tournaments in London andMoscow during 2001.
At the2004 WSOP, Kabbaj finished as the runner-up in the $3,000no limit hold'em tournament. He won $260,520 for his finish, and was ahead of numerous players including Ram Vaswani, Paul Phillips,Amir Vahedi,John Juanda,Annie Duke,Martin de Knijff,Johnny Chan and Surinder Sunar.[3]
In late 2004, Kabbaj also made the final table of the firstEuropean Poker Tour event inBarcelona.[4]
During 2005 he made four money finishes in the WSOP.[5][6][7][8]
He won his first bracelet at the 2009 WSOP, although the achievement was overshadowed by a row involving the bracelet ceremony. Instead of playing the British national anthemGod Save The Queen, theSex Pistolssong of the same name was played, much to Kabbaj's disgust.[9]
At the2014 WSOP, Kabbaj won the $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo event, defeatingThomas Keller heads-up to earn $267,327 and his second career bracelet.[10]
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | $10,000 World Championship Pot Limit Hold'em | $633,335 |
| 2014 | $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo | $267,327 |
As of 2014, his total live tournament winnings exceed $2,700,000.[11]