Biography of a Pro Poker Player: Scotty Nguyen

Flashy and charismatic, Scotty Nguyen has earned a reputation for talking - a lot - at the poker table. It is a strategy that draws information from his opponents while he attempts to guide their choices, and while Scotty's incessant chatter and commentary may annoy some, it is a style that has worked marvelously for the "Prince of Poker." Not to mention it makes for great TV, and entertaining stories on many a poker website.

Exuding confidence, Scotty Nguyen takes delight in every win, and he seems to play every table he can get to. With nearly 200 live tournament cashes, over 30 final tables, and more than $10 million dollars in career earnings, Scotty Nguyen is one of the most active professional poker players in the world.

Scotty Nguyen's Early Days

Born Thuan Nguyen in Nha Trang, Vietnam on October 28, 1962, Scotty Nguyen was the oldest of thirteen children. At eleven years of age, Nguyen managed to escape war-torn Vietnam, and found a job doing manual labor in Taiwan while he awaited an opportunity to go to America.

A couple of years later Nguyen was on his way to Chicago with the help of an American sponsor. But the drastic change in weather was unbearable and prompted Nguyen to request a sponsor who lived in a more hospitable climate. He soon found himself in Orange County, California, where Thuan Nguyen attended school.

Nguyen finally made his way to Las Vegas, at the age of 20, where he picked up the name "Scotty" from the manager of a casino where he took a job cleaning tables. Scotty soon began dealing cards, and used the money he earned to enter tournaments. While the road to poker stardom and success was rough and riddled with potholes for Scotty Nguyen, we all know that his persistence and dedication eventually began to pay off.

Scotty Nguyen's Poker Career

Scotty Nguyen finally scored his first live tournament cash at the age of 32, with three more cashes to follow during 1995 and '96. In April of 1997, Scotty claimed his first WSOP bracelet in Limit Omaha Hi/Lo for $156,950 - a tremendous victory, to be sure. Legendary Stu Ungar had won the 1997 WSOP Championship Event, receiving $1,000,000 and all of the accolades that come with the coveted triumph. Scotty Nguyen vowed that he, too, would one day win a WSOP Championship Event, looking everyday at Stu's photo on the cover of a magazine to fuel his determination.

While Scotty Nguyen played very well at tournament tables, he had begun betting on sports indiscriminately. In fact, Scotty admits, his betting had become so outrageous that he would make bets on anything, even which way a woman would turn after leaving the room.

With plenty of cash in hand, Scotty Nguyen arrived at the 1998 WSOP at Binion's Gambling Hall in Las Vegas. However, Scotty's compulsive gambling habit's resulted in Nguyen going broke only days before the Main Event began. Mike Matusow put up $500 to help Nguyen get a seat in a satellite game, and it paid off.

Scotty won his entry into the Main Event and flawlessly played his way to the final table, where he eventually found himself heads up against Kevin McBride. In one of the most famous championship hands in poker history, with a full house of eights over nines on the table, Scotty made the much quoted statement, "You call this one, and it's gonna be all over, baby!" McBride did call, and Scotty was true to his word, revealing his pocket nines which turned Nguyen's full house into nines over eights, and winning the WSOP Championship he so desired.

As a WSOP Champion, Nguyen felt a new sense of responsibility. Having split the $1,000,000 prize money 3 ways, two shares going to Mike Matusow and another who sponsored Nguyen's satellite seat, the Championship wasn't about a huge cash win to Scotty. It was much more meaningful, an honor that he felt he should live up to. Scotty Nguyen used to throw his cards when he lost hands, and call people names.

He admittedly embarrassed himself and his wife on numerous occasions. But Scotty Nguyen decided that such behavior was not befitting a champion, so he made an effort to calm his temper and treat people better at the poker table. While he still became frustrated with people at the felt now and then, he managed to control his angry outbursts.

Scotty Nguyen has since won three more WSOP bracelets, two of which he claimed in 2001 playing $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha for a prize of $178,480, and $5000 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo for $207,580. Nguyen's fifth bracelet win was at the 2008 $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. Event where he cashed just under $2,000,000. Nguyen's has earned almost $5,000,000 from WSOP events alone.

Nguyen earned his WPT title in 2006 at the Goldstrike World Poker Open playing the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event. Scotty Nguyen was the third person to have earned both a WSOP bracelet and a WPT Title. He has collected nearly $2,000,000 in WPT prize money from 13 WPT cashes, and Nguyen is also ranked 2nd in WPT final tables with a current total of 7.

Scotty Nguyen Live Tournament Stats

Cashes: 191 First Place Finishes: 32 Career Earnings: $10,217,869 Largest Cash: $1,989,120 WSOP Bracelets: 5 WPT Titles: 1

A flamboyant character, "The Prince of Poker" is wildly entertaining to observe at the felt. But at the 2008 WSOP H.O.R.S.E. Championship Scotty Nguyen stirred up controversy throughout the professional poker world, articles popped up on top poker sites all over the world, when he began acting out belligerently at the final table. Drinking heavily, Scotty directed slurred swearing and insults toward his opponents, drawing significant disdain from the commentators as well as poker enthusiasts who watched the televised event.

Scotty Nguyen released an initial apology that seemed to blame everyone but himself. He later, after realizing the first apology wasn't going to cut it, issued a 'heartfelt' apology to his fans, explaining that he was ashamed, and that there was no excuse for his behavior that night.

Active as ever, Scotty started out 2009 with a 50th place cash at the No Limit Hold'em Championship event at the Crown Aussie Millions for $13,993, which was immediately followed up by a 1st place victory in the L.A. Poker Classic H.O.R.S.E. Championship worth $339,743. An 11th place cash at the NBC Heads Up Championship in March for $25k was followed by four final tables in the Five Star World Poker Classic in April, all playing No Limit Hold'em for a combined total of over $350k. Nguyen then cashed in 11th at the 40th WSOP 2009 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo World Championship for over $30k.

Scotty's name is attached to the Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge held at Cherokee Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Scotty is an active participant in the tournament, both when he's playing and when he's not, offering smiles and wishes of good luck to the multitude of players.