In 1978, Tuan Le was born in Paris, France to parents of Vietnamese heritage. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Kansas City where they remained for several years, then this close-knit family established roots in Los Angeles, California.

A highly intelligent young man, Tuan Le always did well at school. In 1995, he passed a proficiency test at the age of 16 so as to begin attending classes ahead of schedule at Los Angeles Junior College. Three years later, he graduated and enrolled in classes as a Finance major at California State University in Northridge. It was in the Student Union at that university, where some students gathered to study and socialize, that he was first bitten by the poker bug.

Tuan began playing poker as much as possible during his free time and won on a consistent basis. With a growing confidence in his abilities and a craving for serious competition, he began to play in live $20-$40 Hold 'Em games at the Hustler Casino in Los Angeles. Though his skills were not always a match for more seasoned players at the casino, his determination kept him going back. Using money from his college loans and financial aid packages, he managed to play over 70 hours each week with a mix of wins and losses. While his college classes were left to carry on without him and his grades began to suffer, his passion for the game took precedence. He was winning at the tables and had improved his game enough to begin entering poker tournaments.

By choosing to follow his heart, Tuan left the college education behind, only 16 credits short of a Bachelor's Degree in Finance, to pursue a career in poker. As risky as it was, he had the emotional support of his family and friends to push him forward. Moreover, his younger cousin by two years, Nam Le, eventually joined Tuan at the tables. They learned the finer points of the game together, honed their skills, and both young men began to find success in 2004.

As Tuan's game improved, he was noticed by poker professional Barry Greenstein, who became his mentor. Tuan humbly maintains that Barry deserves much of the credit for his successes thus far. In particular, he was given an advanced copy of Barry's yet unpublished book to peruse, and through its pages, Tuan was able to better his tournament play on many levels.

Consequently, in 2004, Tuan won a Texas No Limit Hold 'Em tournament at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles. The proceeds enabled him to pay off some college loans and enter the Foxwoods World Poker Open on the WPT Tour. His ability to read opponents and his aggressive play not only won the live poker tournament with its $1.5 million prize and WPT title, but it made the poker world take notice of this rising, young star.

The Foxwoods victory earned Tuan a seat into the 2005 WPT World Championship tournament at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Over five days, he outplayed 446 players to make it to the final table with poker champions like Phil Ivey and Hasan Habib. During a marathon poker finale that lasted almost eight hours, he maintained a calm disposition but played extremely aggressive poker. As his family cheered for him along with many of those in the studio audience, Tuan finally beat Paul Maxfield in the heads-up portion of the game to win the WPT Championship, complete with a silver momento, $2.8 million prize, and title of WPT Champion.

Not only has Tuan proved that his poker skills are acute enough to compete with the best in today's poker world, he has established a new standard for winning players. His quiet and unruffled behavior at the table, his humble words to fans and fellow players alike, and his passion for and mastery of the game have gained him a tremendous amount of respect.

All the while, Tuan continues to work to improve his own abilities at the table while working with his cousin, Nam, to refine his game. He has established a running series of friendly poker challenges with friend and fellow player Ted Forrest, in which he feels his game is confronted on a level that enables the examination of his play. He constantly tries to improve aspects of his game that he views as weaknesses, such as focus and discipline during long poker tournaments.

Nevertheless, if you sit at the table with this young poker sensation, you will only see the confidence and fearlessness that he exhibits when he plays. Whether you catch him practicing his game at a local Los Angeles casino or playing amazing poker at a WPT tournament, keep in mind that you're only seeing the beginning of Tuan Le's career as a poker professional. Remarkably, the best may still be to come.