Sometimes, a player comes to the game with little live tournament experience in the hopes of having a good time, and becomes a Cinderella story. Mike Vela was that player. He never played too much poker outside of a recreational game here or there. The world of business was his niche, working hard over the course of 20 years to become the Senior Vice President of an investment company on the east coast. Being a divorced father of two children – ages ten and eight – family was and continues to be a priority, wanting to provide the best life possible for his offspring.

Poker was a fun game for Vela, though it became more intriguing when the World Poker Tour came into his life via television. He had a natural penchant for competition, even coaching his son’s baseball teams. But poker was something he could fit into his spare time with friends, along with an occasional tournament during a trip to Foxwoods or Las Vegas. But those occasional events showed that he could play with the pros and do well. In 2005, he won a $1000 tournament at Bellagio, and he placed 13^th the following year at the World Poker Finals.

Vela had another significant finish – 18th place at the 2007 Borgata Poker Open in Atlantic City, and he felt that his moment in the sun wasn’t far off. When the WPT came to Foxwoods again in November of 2007, he made the trip. He played a satellite, won his entry, and found himself playing in the WPT World Poker Finals main event. In the end, he not only made it to the final table that would be broadcast on television, but he eliminated two former WPT champions to take the title himself – along with over $1.7 million in prize money. Whether Vela will continue to turn up in east coast tournament remains to be seen, but he has proven that he can play with the best of the players on the tour – and win.