In seat 5 with 16.32 million chips we have Raymond Rahme. At 62, Raymond, from Johannesberg, South Africa, is the oldest player at the final table.
Raymond is one of three
Pokerstars players to make the final table..
Although he doesn't show any cashes on databases like
The Hendon Mob, bios, such as
Cardplayer, tell us otherwise:
Raymond Rahme is the first person ever to appear at the final table of the main event from the continent of Africa . At age 62, he is also the senior participant at the final table. He is married to his wife Teresa, and together they have six children. Prior to his retirement, Rahme owned and operated a bed and breakfast inn. Although he played stud for three decades, Rahme has only been playing the game of hold'em for about two years. Yet, Rahme has already enjoyed significant tournament success. He's taken first and second place at major events held in South Africa. He also took fourth place in the All Africa Poker Championship recently, which was the largest poker tournament ever held in Africa. As part of his prize, he received a travel package to Las Vegas and an entry into the 2007 main event. And now, he is ranked fourth in the chip count at the start of the final table.
Apparently Raymond is something in South Africa!
We get some glimpses that he's a popular guy from Pokernews updates:
Life is Good, Baby
During an all in hand between two opponents, Raymond Rahme came over to his rooting section and sat in the middle of them, stretched out and relaxed. This is the way life is supposed to be when you're 62 and eligible for Social Security.
Scotty Nguyen walked by and high-fived Rahme.
"Life is good, baby!" he said.
Look, Ma -- I'm on TV!
After Raymond Rahme emerges victorious from an all in pot, his rowdy cheering section stands up and chants "Africa!"
There's a big smile on Rahme's face as he glances above and sees his big smile splashed on a TV screen. He leans back to get a better view of his mug and someone yells out to him from the audience "You look good, baby!"
Gonna Be A TV Star!
Raymond is from Johannesburg, South Africa and is a retired entrepreneur who was successful in the auto body business and owned several bed & breakfast hotels. He's being followed around for a major documentary being made on him representing South Africa in the World Series. The All-Africa TV station shows the WSOP, the WPT and other poker events 24/7 and Raymond will be on his own show. In fact, the TV company making the film has already planned a royal reception for Raymond upon his return to South Africa.
These shots leave me thinking Ray is probably a genuinely nice guy:
Ray & Scotty
Ray consoles Ray Hensen
Ray & Kenny Tran