Scotty Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American poker player. Over the course of his career, he has won five World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets including the 1998 WSOP Main Event.
He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2013.
“Thank you so much, this is wonderful news,” Nguyen said at the time. “You work so hard, you put so much time in that you want and hope it will be recognized. This is something my grandkids will talk about. It’s awesome, baby, thank you.”
Biography
Having left his home country of Vietnam as a child, Nguyen spent time in Taiwan before moving to the United States to live with a host family. He subsequently left school to pursue a career in poker.
His intrigue for the game of poker led him to take on the competition in backrooms and pool halls around California before he made the jump to Las Vegas in his early twenties. His bankroll fluctuated up and down and Nguyen soon decided to pick up a job dealing at some of the local casinos. After a few years dealing and playing, he quit to focus on poker properly.
Read More: Scotty Nguyen Talks Motivation and Legacy
Nguyen at the WSOP
Having won his first WSOP bracelet in 1997, Nguyen won the WSOP Main Event in 1998 having defeated Kevin McBride heads-up.
In the final hand, with a full house on the board, Nguyen held a larger full house and put McBride all in before sipping on his beer and uttering the memorable line "You call, it's gonna be all over baby!"
"I call, I play the board," came the reply from McBride, only for Nguyen to turn his hand over and secure victory.
WSOP Main Event Winners 1989-1998
| YEAR | ENTRIES | CHAMPION | COUNTRY | PRIZE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 350 | Scotty Nguyen | Vietnam | $1,000,000 |
| 1997 | 312 | Stu Ungar | United States | $1,000,000 |
| 1996 | 295 | Huck Seed | United States | $1,000,000 |
| 1995 | 273 | Dan Harrington | United States | $1,000,000 |
| 1994 | 268 | Russ Hamilton | United States | $1,000,000 |
| 1993 | 220 | Jim Bechtel | United States | $1,000,000 |
| 1992 | 201 | Hamid Dastmalchi | Iran | $1,000,000 |
| 1991 | 215 | Brad Daugherty | United States | $1,000,000 |
| 1990 | 194 | Mansour Matloubi | Iran | $895,000 |
| 1989 | 178 | Phil Hellmuth | United States | $755,000 |
Tragically, the very next day Nguyen's brother was killed in a car crash in Vietnam. For this reason, Nguyen does not wear his 1998 WSOP bracelet.
Nguyen followed up this victory with two bracelets in 2001 before winning the prestigious $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship in 2008 for $1,989,120 and his fifth WSOP bracelet. He is the only player to have won both the Main Event and the H.O.R.S.E World Championship/Poker Players Championship.
Related: Scotty Nguyen's Winning Smile Shines Bright at the WSOP
Scotty Nguyen WSOP bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | $2,000 Omaha 8 or Better | $156,959 |
| 1998 | $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship | $1,000,000 |
| 2001 | $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha | $178,480 |
| 2001 | $5,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Split Eight or Better | $287,580 |
| 2008 | $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship | $1,989,120 |
Scotty Nguyen Top Five WSOP Cashes
| DATE | EVENT | PLACE | PRIZE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2008 | $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship | 1st | $1,989,120 | |
| May 1998 | $10,000 Main Event | 1st | $1,000,000 | |
| June 2018 | $25,000 PLO High Roller | 3rd | $592,875 | |
| June 2007 | $10,000 Main Event | 11th | $476,926 | |
| May 2001 | $5,000 Omaha Hi-Lo | 1st | $207,580 |
Chan on the WPT
In 2006, Nguyen defeated Michael Mizrachi heads-up to win the Gold Strike World Poker Open for $969,421.
Other Poker Achievements
In 2009, Nguyen won the inaugural LA Poker Classic $10,000 H.O.R.S.E World Championship.
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