Early Life
Laak was born in Dublin, Ireland, raised on the East Coast of the United States, and now lives in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1987 with a degree in mechanical engineering and worked as an engineer, a repo man, a dishwasher on Cape Cod, a stock day trader, a gardener and a real estate investor, prior to getting into open poker games in California. He is a former roommate of fellow professional poker player and close friend Antonio Esfandiari. Prior to his move west, Laak lived for several years in New York City where he honed his skills as a world-class backgammon player before he turned his focus to poker.
Read more about this topic: Phil Laak
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