Five WPT Gardens Qualifiers Jump in the Five Diamond Field

By Sean Chaffin

The WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic is officially underway at Bellagio and there are once again several qualifiers in the field from the Gardens Casino in Los Angeles. The property, which is the only WPT-branded poker room, regularly sends several players to various WPT events throughout the season.

The Gardens now has five qualifiers in the action at Bellagio. Those players include: 

Quang “Andy” Truong, Khuong “KK Junior” Le, Jeremy Hamey, Luis Arellano, and Kevin “KK” Sou.

The Gardens WPT Satellite Spectacular has become a popular promotion at the property. Players earn points for playing tournaments throughout the month to qualify for the $20 monthly event. The event these players won their seats in featured that featured 324 players. Those in the top five earned a trip to the Five Diamond, competing against some of the biggest names in poker.

Le and Truong also won trips last season to play at WPT Choctaw. Both will now be looking to turn their big Satellite Spectacular finishes into some bigger money at Bellagio.

“I think it’s just luck,” Le says of his success in qualifying for another WPT event.

Before losing his job recently, he worked in a plant making cable assemblies for the aviation industry. He’s now trying to play more poker. With a room full of some of the best poker players in the world at the Five Diamond, what’s his plan?

“I’m just going to try hard and stay fresh,” he says.

Truong has more than $30,000 in live tournament winnings including seven cashes at the Gardens since September. Le has more than $106,000 in winnings, including winning a $160 in 2014 for $87,000. Both will now be looking for their first WPT Main Tour cash.

Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas, and his work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions.