Poker Player - Thuan "Scotty" Nguyen
Thuan "Scotty" Nguyen is loud, confident, colourful and fun. He arrived in the United States in 1979, from South Vietnam. He was 14 years old and moved to California after his first year in Chicago, staying with a host family. He often tells the story of his birth, saying that his hand was curled into a tight little fist, and when the doctors finally prised his fingers open, a tiny deck of cards was lying in his palm. This, he says, is why his fate was sealed. Scotty did not launch himself straight into playing however, but started as a dealer on the other side of the table. He used these experiences to observe other poker players, and learn from the mistakes that they were making. By the time he changed sides to become a player himself, he had already acquired a firm knowledge of do's and don'ts for the game.
Scotty stands out at the table, not least for his taste in flashy clothes and eye-catching jewellery. He can often be seen in white leather boots, and blue tinted sunglasses, drinking Michelob at the table and loaded down with huge chains and pendants. This unique trademark style caught the eye of a film producer, and he even made an appearance in the poker movie "The Big Blind" 2003. Despite this whirlwind of glitz and glamour though, Scotty has still found time to marry, settle in Henderson and be a father to 5 children. In addition, he returns to his native Vietnam often, to spend time with his extended family and offer them financial support.
And of course, Scotty is famous for saying "baby" at the end of all his sentences, most significantly in the 1998 World Series of Poker final when he said to his opponent Kevin McBride "You call and it's all over baby". McBride called and indeed, it was all over. Despite holding a full house, Scotty's cards were even higher and he walked away with the title, and huge smile and One Million Dollars.
If playing poker is Scotty Nguyen's passion, then winning at poker is his purpose. "Winning is EVERYTHING, baby!" he says. His style is intensively competitive, sometimes brash, and distinctly aggressive. He oozes confidence, and says "I play to win, not to lose". It is almost as though he wins not only through skill, but through sheer force of will. He is full of energy is in his attitude and in his playing. Not one to sit at the table quietly and contemplate the cards, he is chatty and frequently provides an ongoing commentary on the play, which many of his opponents find unsettling. Which is of course, part of Scotty's plan!
His full-on style has gotten him into trouble in several games, but still remains the reason why he has been so successful. Scotty has taken part in countless poker tournaments and between 2000 and 2004, successfully won money in over 100 events. Some examples of the titles that he holds include the Pot Limit Omaha World Series of Poker 2001, Limit Hold'em and Seven Card Stud Legends of Poker 2003, Omaha HiLo and Seven Card Stud Festa Al Lago 2003, and two titles from the World Poker Open at Foxwoods. He has four World Series of Poker bracelets under his belt. Most recently in January 2006, Scotty defeated Michael Mizrachi to take the Gold Strike World Poker Open title.
On the cash level, Scotty is one of the most successful poker players of all time. The 1998 WSOP title earned him a million dollars. He took three hundred thousand dollars for one of his Foxwood's titles. To date, his earnings from live tournament play alone are in excess of $5920,000. By February 2006, he had already made over a million dollars from play. To quote the man himself, "Scotty wins!"
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