Men "The Master" Nguyen Wreaks Havoc on Way to WPT Gardens Final Table
There’s no arguing that Men Nguyen is “The Master,” but those who played and tournament directed alongside him during Day 3 of the WPT Main Event at The Gardens Casino in Hawaiian Gardens, Calif., Wednesday may contend that he is "The Master" of tomfoolery.
According to the WPT live updates, Nguyen’s antics on Wednesday included letting his time expire before folding without committing a time-extension chip, announcing incorrect raise amounts, refusing to stack his chips in an organized manner, and even putting out calling chips only to take them back after seeing his opponent’s hand. It appears all the infractions were ruled fairly by floor staff, while Nguyen maintained his innocence throughout.
Men Nguyen's Day 3 Antics
Nguyen did receive a one-round penalty after causing multiple delays with his incorrect raise amounts, to which he responded, “What did I do wrong? I never do nothing wrong!”
Upon his return from the penalty box, Nguyen was on the up and up, complying with tournament staff. At one point, he was away from the table when cards were being dealt, only to return to his seat after the first card was already there. He sat down, ready to play his hand, but some players at the table mentioned his hand should be dead due to the first-card-off-the-deck rule that Gardens follows.
Staff was called and it was ruled a dead hand. Nguyen put up no fight, and smiled as he pointed to the floorperson who made the ruling, saying, “Whatever he says, I’m OK.”
His reformation didn’t seem to stick though, as he was soon the root of another controversy in a hand against Steve Sung. In this instance, Sung raised to 75,000 from the cutoff and Nguyen defended his big blind. On the jack-jack-eight flop, Nguyen checked, Sung continued for 100,000 and Nguyen check-raised to 215,000.
Sung called after using a time extension and on the six turn, Nguyen led 225,000. Sung used another time extension before moving all in for 435,000 and Nguyen reportedly dropped in two T100,000 chips to indicate a call. Sung then tabled his ace-jack for trip jacks, only to see that the two chips Nguyen had put in the pot were now back in his hand.
As Sung confronted Nguyen, saying he called, Nguyen continued to respond, “I no do nothing!”
Nguyen also reportedly said, “I bet $1,000,” an argument that didn’t hold much water. Once the cameras were checked, it was confirmed that Nguyen did indeed drop in the chips for a call, and Sung was awarded his double up.
Nguyen maintained that they were wrong, but relinquished the chips. Sung asked if Nguyen was live, and it turned out he was with his seven-nine for an open-ender. Nguyen shouted, “I’m live!” but the six on the river didn’t bail him out. A tough hand for Nguyen — he not only lost the pot, but also his beer-drinking privileges as beverages were removed from his table and he was cut off.
Live look at the chip leader w/8 left in this WPT. He was cut off from ordering more Coronas so now he’s struggling… https://t.co/xrueDQAkJY
— Jared Griener (@jaredgriener)
Shortly after Sung busted in ninth place, Nguyen jockeyed into the chip lead, but the time without alcohol seemed to wear on him and he began dozing off at the table. The hot tea brought by staff didn’t help, and Nguyen was catching naps between folding, rarely playing out an entire hand.
He eventually went for a walk with some friends to wake himself up, and after 25 minutes of absence from the final table where first place gets $565,055 and a new Mercedes-Benz, Nguyen returned much more alert, apparently feeling like “Superman.”
After about 25 minutes away from the table, Men the Master has returned. He looks rejuvenated and is saying he’s “S… https://t.co/vYnCewrULa
— Donnie Peters (@Donnie_Peters)
The eliminations of Tuan Phan and Jesse Yaginuma in eighth ($69,705) and seventh ($89,360) followed, and the official final table was set with Simon Lam leading the way and Nguyen sitting on a healthy stack of 66 big blinds. Here’s how the final six stack up, all guaranteed at least $115,885.
Final Table Seating and Chip Counts
| Seat | Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat 1 | Simon Lam | 6,115,000 | 102 bb |
| Seat 2 | Craig Varnell | 1,955,000 | 33 bb |
| Seat 3 | Jake Schindler | 4,045,000 | 67 bb |
| Seat 4 | Jared Griener | 3,875,000 | 65 bb |
| Seat 5 | Saya Ono | 3,445,000 | 57 bb |
| Seat 6 | Men Nguyen | 3,935,000 | 66 bb |
The final table is set to get underway at 4 p.m. PT, with the stream to follow on a short delay. The live stream and live updates will be available at WPT.com, and if the Day 3 antics are any indication, this final table live stream is one not to be missed.
Photos courtesy of World Poker Tour.
