If every poker player has a good story to tell, then the best deserves an encore. Just two days ago, Bach "B" Vu won $79,298 in his first-ever poker tournament victory. After his win, he vowed to donate a substantial portion of his prize money to family members who suffered devastating losses in Hurricane Katrina. Some in his family lost their homes and possessions. Now, Vu will be able to provide even more.

Vu demolished a tough field of 394 players and added $118,478 to his bulging bank account. Now, everyone at Harrah's New Orleans is talking about the good-natured local semi-pro who is playing the best poker of his life. He's two for two with three events still to go in this series of tournaments.

The third event of the 2006 Bayou Poker Classic attracted players from all over the region, who each paid $1000 to play in the no-limit Texas hold'em event. On the first day, it took 12 hours to eliminate 385 players, leaving the final nine to come back and compete at the final table on day two.

Harrison Agnew, from Cross Hill, SC started off as the chip leader. He began day two with 138,500 in chips. But everyone seemed to be in contention as even the shortest stack (Grady Abraham) had a respectable 45,000. "B" Vu started fourth in chips, with 103,000. Indeed, the final table was anyone's to win - although Vu later boldly remarked that he knew he'd win again. Players were eliminated as follows:

9th Place - It took 45-minutes before the first finalist went bust. Local poker player Allen Gregoire from Metairie, LA was short on chips and moved all-in with A-8. He was disappointed to get one caller, holding A-10. Gregoire's hand was dominated and he failed to catch an eight that might have prolonged his stay. Instead, Gregoire collected $7,644 in prize money for ninth place.

8th Place - Grady Abraham, from Lafayette, LA was low on chips and had to commit with a less-than-desirable hand - 10-8 offsuit. He ran up against A-K and failed to connect with a pair. Abraham, who has previously made it to final tables at various Louisiana and Nevada casinos, earned $11,465.

7th Place - Trey Ourso had an interesting story coming into the finale. The political consultant from Baton Rouge, LA helped to orchestrate one of the biggest electoral upsets in the history of New Orleans politics when his candidate upset a longtime incumbent in yesterday's election. Ourso was not so personally fortunate at this final table. There would be no such upset in poker. Ourso exited with $15,287.

6th Place - Every final table has a devastating hand or two. Kelly Clark had the best of it when he moved all-in holding 4-4 against "B" Vu's A-6. But the final board showed J-7-3-7-J. That meant Vu's ace-kicker played as the fifth card with two pair, and Clark's pocket fours were counterfeited. Clark, from Tennessee, exited gracefully. "I really have nothing to complain about," he said. Sixth-place paid $19,109.

5th Place - Speaking of devastating hands, ask Harrison Agnew about how he busted out. Agnew got all his money in with by far the best of it - holding K-Q against "B" Vu's completely dominated Q-J. Agnew and Vu were very close to even in chips. That meant the winner would be up close to the chip lead (Brett Kimes, at this point) and the loser would be doomed. Wham! Vu caught another miracle card, this time spiking a jack -- good for a pair -- to crush Agnew's dream of victory. Harrison Agnew, from South Carolina, who had arrived as chip leader, ended up going out fifth, good for $22,931.

4th Place - Down to the final four, Charles Lineberry was short and all-in with A-2 against the chip leader Kimes, holding J-9. Again, another favored hand went down in flames. Kimes ended up making a full house which meant Lineberry, from San Antonio, was disconnected in fourth place. He collected $26,753.

3rd Place - Vu's run of good cards continued. He gradually seized the chip lead when he called an all-in bet post-flop by Brett Kimes. Vu had an open-ended straight flush draw with 7-8 (hearts) to the board's 6-5-x (two hearts). Kimes had a small pair. Bingo! Vu caught a heart on the turn to extract Kimes from the final table proceedings. Kimes was drawing dead but did manage to win a $30,574 in prize money.

2nd Place - Down to the final two, Vu enjoyed a slight chip lead over Lester Waquin, who had been very quiet up to that point at the final table. Vu had 432,000 to Waquin's 359,000. It took only 10 minutes of heads-up play until the final hand of the tournament was dealt.

On the last hand, Vu experienced what every hold'em player fantasizes about. Waquin decided to raise all-in before the flop, hoping to steal the high blinds with 10-9 suited. Vu looked down and saw every player's dream hand - pocket aces. "I call!" Vu shouted at the top of his lungs, slamming down two powerhouse aces. Vu's reaction might have been premature, but it was hard for him to contain his genuine enthusiasm and recognition that he was about to win his second major WSOP tournament in just three days.

The final board showed a relatively meaningless Q-6-4-6-x giving Vu two pair - aces and sixes. It was over. The runner-up was Lester Waquin who has played many poker sessions alongside Vu. In what turned out to be a dead-on accurate prediction, Waquin and Vu had joked the previous day about coming in first and second. The local man from nearby Houma, LA collected $61,149 for second place.

The champion "B" Vu is aged 32. He was born in Vietnam. Vu arrived in the United States with his parents when he was only six-months old. His family worked and eventually owned a grocery store in the area. Until a few days ago, Vu worked boiling crawfish at a local restaurant.

When asked what provided his greatest motivation for winning, Vu became very quiet and reflective upon the full impact of the victory.

"My father passed away, but I still think he was here for me today. After I won (the first tournament), I made a visit to his grave at St. Bernard Parish," he said. "I felt it was my destiny. When I was out there, I asked him to be here with me and give me a lift and help me out. My dad came through for me in his own way."

Vu also complimented this most recent lineup of opponents. "Today was a much tougher lineup (than two days ago)," he said. "Now I really want to play with the big boys. I want to see if I can play at the next level. I want to be the first player to win a third."

It looks as though Harrah's New Orleans has created a new poker star. His name is Bach "B" Vu. The question everyone now will be asking is - can he win a record third WSOPC tournament within the next week and become the first player ever to pull off poker's trifecta?

Several close family members and a growing legion of poker fans in New Orleans certainly hope so.

-- By Nolan Dalla