He was born in 1974 in Canada from Romanian parents who had immigrated to Canada.  He started playing while in high school and first tried his hand at professional play when he was just 21.  Las Vegas won the first time and he had to return home and raise a new stake so he could try again.  Kid Poker, as he is called, returned with a vengeance.  He has, since his first disastrous try, more than made up for his first failure.

As of January 2007 he has won almost ten million dollars in tournament money.  He has won three WSOP poker events in his short career.  He seems to make final tables with an ease that makes other players wonder.  His ability to read other players is above reproach.  His card-calling ability is beyond amazing and even causes seasoned pros to raise their eyebrows in disbelief.

His personality is warm and engaging and -- unlike Hellmuth -- he is well liked as well as respected.  Part of his game is, he seems to have a great deal of fun playing a game that can be deadly serious.  The large prize money does not seem to bother him or cause any hesitation on his part to follow his instincts.  When you prove to yourself like he has that he can trust them, you can see why he does what he does.  So far his best reward is being named the WSOP Player Of The Year in 2004.

As of now he is trying to gain mastery of another game that takes personal control.  He is trying to become a decent golfer.  If he masters that sport like he has poker, he could be a very good cash golfer.