Look Out: Owais Ahmed

Every year at the World Series of Poker, a player comes seemingly out of nowhere to challenge for the Player of the Year award.

This year, that player was Owais Ahmed. He cashed a total of fives times this summer, and won his first gold bracelet and $255,959 for a victory in the $2,500 Omaha/seven-card stud eight-or-better event.

He followed his first major tournament title with an appearance at the most prestigious final table of the summer, the $50,000 Players Championship. Ahmed cashed in fourth place at that final table, which was good for $482,085 in prize money — even more than he made for his gold-bracelet win. He grew his career earnings to $803,329 and jumped to 53rd place in the Card Player Player of the Year race with 1,932 points.

Ahmed’s performances this summer came against impressive competition. He beat Michael Mizrachi heads up for the gold bracelet, and he lasted longer than seasoned professionals Ben Lamb, Scott Seiver, George Lind, and Matt Glantz at the Players Championship final table.

The heads-up victory against Mizrachi might be the most impressive, because he had to come back from a 3-1 chip disadvantage to top The Grinder. Ahmed also faced a disadvantage in crowd support, as well.

“When we started the match, it was like a 50-to-1 crowd advantage for Mizrachi,” Ahmed recalled after his win. “I had a chip disadvantage; the whole room felt really small, and it felt like it was me against the world. I meditated a little bit, and I said, ‘You know, I am just going to come out and play my A-game, and that is going to win me that bracelet. The crowd doesn’t matter.’ I put my glasses on; I was in my zone, and when I do that, I am as good as anyone in the world.”

Ahmed is originally from Pakistan, and he now resides in Orange Country, California. He is a 27-year-old data-warehouse analyst and a supply-chain manager. He holds a college degree from U.C. Irvine, and he also attended film school at UCLA. For Ahmed, being Pakistani-born was an extra source of pride. He joined professional Hasan Habib as the only Pakistani gold-bracelet winners.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in America, but my family is from Pakistan,” said Ahmed. “I’m just representing Pakistan in the World Series of Poker; It’s a great honor. Growing up, I watched Pakistan win the Field Hockey World Cup, the Cricket World Cup, and now … Pakistan has [another] World Series of Poker champion, and that is a great honor for me.”

Although Ahmed might still be considered an amateur due to the fact that he holds a full-time job, he has proved that his talent is at a professional level, and he will be a player to look out for in the future. ♠