Ram Vaswani

Ram Vaswani (born September 1, 1970) is from Finchley, London, of Indian descent. He started playing cards at age 9 and organized a low-stakes poker game during a trip to Wales when he was 12, which the teacher stopped and had them use candy instead of chips. Vaswani initially played £100 Seven-Card Stud at the Victoria Casino on Edgware Road, which he considered the most skill-testing poker variant.

While betting on greyhounds in Luton, Vaswani met Joe Beevers and together they organized private poker games. Through these games, they encountered Barny and Ross Boatman, and the four formed the famous "The Hendon Mob." In journalist Victoria Coren's first report, Vaswani's nickname was set as "The Looks," meaning he was the most handsome member of the group, but he soon changed it to "Crazy Horse," sharing the name with the Lakota leader Tasunka Witko.

Vaswani and other Hendon Mob members were invited to appear on the new television show Late Night Poker. He appeared in all six seasons, reaching the final table in Season 2 and the semi-finals in Seasons 4 and 5, making him one of the pioneers of televised poker.

Early Victories

Vaswani's first major tournament win came in 1999 when he won the HFl 5,000 LIDO event at the Master Classics of Poker in Amsterdam. At the time, he was financially struggling and had to borrow money from Joe Beevers to play in a cash game to raise the buy-in.

WSOP Gold Bracelet

Vaswani's first WSOP cash was in 2001 in the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em event won by Erik Seidel. In 2002, he finished 3rd in the $2,000 Limit Hold'em event and runner-up in the $2,000 Half Stud/Half Hold'em mixed event. In 2004, he made three final tables, with his best result being 3rd in the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em event.

In 2007, Vaswani won his first WSOP gold bracelet in the $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout event, earning $217,438, becoming the first member of the Hendon Mob to win a bracelet. In 2008, he made the final table of the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Championship, finishing 7th. His best result in the WSOP Europe Main Event was 15th in 2009, earning £40,481.

EPT Achievements

Vaswani is the first (and still only) player to reach four European Poker Tour (EPT) final tables. He won the Season 1 Dublin stop and finished 2nd in the Season 2 Monte Carlo stop. Other final tables include the 2007 Monte Carlo stop, where he was eliminated on the first hand.

In addition to the WSOP and EPT, Vaswani won the Poker Nations Cup and finished runner-up in two other televised events. In 2010, he finished 3rd in the WSOP Europe £10,350 No-Limit Hold'em Heads-Up High Roller event for £96,212. In the 2011 WSOP $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo event, he finished 27th for $12,623.

Vaswani is known for being solid and patient, especially in Limit Hold'em. He emphasizes position and hand selection, makes accurate post-flop judgments, and avoids unnecessary risks. In cash games, he uses psychological reads to apply pressure or make disciplined folds at key moments. His style blends mathematical probability with opponent range analysis, allowing him to adjust his strategy flexibly in tournament late stages.

Vaswani lives in Finchley with his wife Jackie and daughter Hollie. He was a member of Team PokerStars Pro and has gained extensive experience playing online poker platforms. As a member of the Hendon Mob, he is widely liked by his peers and actively participates in poker charity events, sharing his knowledge.

Vaswani's career demonstrates that success requires not only aggression but also patience in waiting for the right opportunities. His disciplined approach in limit games is worth studying. His ability to maintain a high level of play over many years comes from continuous learning and self-adjustment, reminding players to constantly review their play and adapt to changes. He views poker as a long-term competition rather than short-term speculation, a mindset that provides valuable growth paths for amateur players.