1.About Phil Ivey
| Name | Phil Ivey |
|---|---|
| Current Residence | Las Vegas Nevada |
| Born | Feb. 1, 1976 |
| Birth Place | Riverside California, US |
It also, however, happens to be one of the most frightening faces in poker. Particularly if you're on the other side of a big pot from it.
The face belongs to Phil Ivey: deified tournament hero, feared cash-game icon and quite possibly the best all-around poker player on the planet. He's grown from known and respected to famous and feared, and he reaps the rewards of that status, on the table and off.
And he's earned it.
Born in Riverside, California in 1976 but transplanted to Roselle, New Jersey shortly thereafter, Ivey was introduced to poker young. His grandfather dealt from the bottom of the deck while he taught an eight-year-old Ivey Five-Card Stud, trying to hustle him out of becoming a gambler.
It didn't work. By 16, he was playing backroom games for money. By 18 he had a $50 ID from a guy at his telemarketing job named Jerome Graham and was playing - a lot - at the live tables in Atlantic City. He spent so much time there players in the casino nicknamed him "No Home Jerome."
His nickname, unfortunately, didn't progress very quickly to "Bringing It Home Jerome." He lost. And often. Things weren't great. There were times the rent was late, the hot water shut off, the electricity cut.
But shortly thereafter, as with all feel-good stories (and you knew this was going that way ... he is Phil Ivey, after all), the tide turned.
He started a relationship with a woman he met at the telemarketing job, Luciaetta, who eventually became his wife. He continued playing poker. He turned 21; announced his name was Phil to the casino floor staff. He continued playing poker. And he made progress.
And then came the World Series of Poker. In 2000, at the age of 24, he took the leap to the big time. And never looked back.
In $2,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em, he finished fifth.
In $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha, he sat down at the final table with poker legends Amarillo Slim Preston, David "Devilfish" Ulliott, and Phil Hellmuth and walked away with his first bracelet.
And that was that. The Phil Ivey legend was born.
In 2002, he won three more WSOP bracelets in three different games: Seven-Card Stud, Stud Hi-Lo and S.H.O.E., tying Hellmuth and Ted Forrest for most wins in a single year.
He took his fifth bracelet in a Pot-Limit Omaha event in 2005, putting him almost halfway, at younger than 30 years old, to the standing record of 11.
In 2006, he almost took the total up to seven, placing second in an Omaha Hi-Lo event and third in the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event, cashing in for over $800,000.
By any measure, Ivey has proved his poker mettle. Tournament success? The five WSOP bracelets. Six World Poker Tour final tables. Wins at the Monte Carlo Millions, the Bellagio, the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles.
Cash-game resume? Consistent wins in the "Big Game," the $4,000/$8,000 table at the Bellagio - to some, the pinnacle of poker cachet - where he butts heads regularly with Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese, Chau Giang, Jennifer Harman, Barry Greenstein and Ted Forrest.
Not big enough? How about serving as clean-up hitter for "The Corporation" - a collection of the absolute best high-stakes poker players in the world - in their latest match-up with billionaire banker Andy Beal, and reportedly taking him for over $16 million?
How about kicking off 2007 taking $120,000 on NBC's Poker After Dark from Phil Hellmuth, Tony G., Mike Matusow, Andy Bloch and Sam Farha?
The list goes on.
And for those who suggest - and believe it or not there are a few, despite all evidence declaring otherwise, who do - that he still hasn't finished at the top enough to justify his reputation:
Phil Ivey has made nine final tables at the World Series of Poker. He's finished first five times. And when asked how many bracelets are possible before he's done? "I want to win 30," he says.
In a sport notoriously void of consensus and rife with backdoor excuses (can't compare cash games to tournaments, old to new, Omaha to Hold'em, fat guys to little guys, etc.), Ivey's status as one of the best all-around poker players, past, present and future, is as close as it gets.
The "Professor," Howard Lederer, says before his career is over Ivey may well be considered the best player in poker's history. Legendary philanthropist and big game player Barry Greenstein calls his raw talent "unmatched."
Phil Ivey is a player's player: the one the talkers keep their mouths shut around and the silent talk nervously through hands with.
He believes he'll win if he plays how he's capable, and no evidence has ever surfaced to the contrary.
Nothing, likewise, has surfaced to suggest it has gone to his head. While some players have spent more time promoting their image away from the tables than winning tournaments at them, Ivey stays focused on being just a guy who really likes what he does for a living, letting the fame and fortune sort itself out.
Aside from poker, Ivey likes videos games and basketball. He likes traveling with his wife and going to the movies. His MySpace profile says he likes the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers; when pressed in an interview he says his favorite team is the one he's got money on.
He's taken time to tutor up-and-coming pro Victor Ramdin. He plays regularly online at his sponsor site, Full Tilt Poker, showing up at $0.50/$1 tables to play with people who might not get a chance to play with him in a real game; he offers tips, and sticks around long enough to show he's interested in seeing them used.
He likes prop bets, shooting dice, playing golf. But mostly he just likes to play poker.
"I'm not a prodigy," he says with his usual humbleness. "I just work at what I do.
"I work at poker very hard. And I'm always thinking about how I can get better at it."
And everyone in the game is in trouble if he does.
Trivia
- Regular winner in “The Big Game” at the Bellagio in Las Vegas
- Five WSOP bracelets before the age of 30
- Tied with Phil Hellmuth and Ted Forrest for most WSOP bracelets in one year, winning three in 2002
- In November 2005, won back-to-back tournaments at Monte Carlo Millions and Full Tilt Poker Invitational for $1.6 million total
- Took Phil Hellmuth for $536,000 in a Chinese poker side game at the European Poker Tour Grand Final in 2007.
2.About Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu may well be the best-liked player in poker.
Name Daniel Negreanu Current Residence Las Vegas Nev. Born Jul. 26, 1974 Birth Place Toronto Ontario, CA
Young, talented and friendly - on or away from the table - it's easy to see how he has nearly as many distinctions for his positive image as for his countless tournament victories. It's also not surprising then, based on both reputation and tournament success, that PokerStars.com has chosen Negreanu to represent them as one of their elite sponsored pros.
Negreanu's parents, Ann and Constantin, left the Communist regime of Romania in 1967, looking to start a new life in the United States. They ended up settling in Toronto instead, where Constantin found work as an electrician. They soon started a family, Daniel arriving five years after his older brother.
It was a supportive environment, even when it became clear Negreanu was destined for an unconventional lifestyle. While nursing dreams of a career in acting or comedy, the 15-year-old learned to play a little poker. By 16, he was spending time in pool halls, hustling, sports betting and - yes - playing cards.
By the time he was 18, Negreanu had dropped out of high school - one credit short of graduation - to focus on poker. He started supplementing his play at illegal games around town with trips to charity casinos. Ever charming, he met and started dating a local dealer by the name of Evelyn Ng. For a more traditional lifestyle, he tried one day as a telemarketer and a month working at a Subway, but his path clearly led elsewhere.
At 21, an eager (and finally legal) Negreanu took the money he'd made to try his talents against the world's finest in Las Vegas. He lasted about seven months before returning home, broke but determined. Building up a new bankroll at games around Toronto, he made one last push to Vegas, this time for good.
Around this time that Daniel's father passed away. The young player took the occasion to evaluate his lifestyle. Deciding he was destined to play poker, he seemed to gain the focus necessary to become a truly great player. His career took an upward turn which has continued largely unabated.
The next year, 1997, saw Negreanu's first substantial wins, including two at the World Poker Finals at Foxwoods where he was named the tournament's best all-around player. Encouraged and with a considerably fattened bankroll, Negreanu entered the World Series of Poker the next year, where he won the first event he entered - $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em. He was history's youngest bracelet winner, a title he held until 2004, and "Kid Poker" was born.
In 1999, the Kid took down the United States Poker Championship. Around this time, success started to catch up with Daniel. Excessive drinking, money mismanagement and too much time alone affected his game, and 2000 was a quiet year for wins. Turning his life and his game around, in 2001 he made the money in dozens of tournaments and finished 11th in the WSOP Main Event.
But the best was still to come for Kid Poker. In 2004, he took a gold bracelet in the WSOP - for Limit Hold'em - and made it to the money in five other events, earning him ESPN's Toyota Player of the Year award. That same year he won the Borgata Poker Open, and a prize of $1,117,400, as well as the Five Diamond World Poker Classic, worth $1,770,218.
Negreanu's presence continues to be felt on the WPT circuit, where he is one of the all-time money leaders, and at the WSOP, where he was welcomed onto the Player Advisory Board in 2006. Passionate about maintaining the event's integrity, Negreanu was key in the introduction of a $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event - which he believes is a truer indicator of skill than the Main Event - as well as significant scheduling changes.
In addition to playing and advisory duties, Negreanu is in demand as an author, contributing to the strategy of Doyle Brunson's Super/System 2, the sequel to what may be the best poker book ever written. In 2007 he released his own work, Hold'em Wisdom for All Players, which has sold out numerous printings. He also writes regular blogs and articles for online and print publication.
People, it seems, cannot get enough of Negreanu; the newly opened Wynn Las Vegas recruited him as their "Poker Ambassador" in 2005, which meant he would play for any stakes in their poker room. The next year he was awarded the title "Favorite Poker Player" and was featured in the video game "Stacked with Daniel Negreanu." He has also tutored for Poker School Online and given personal lessons to celebrities like Tobey Maguire.
Negreanu continues to play tournaments as he always has, preparing for big games by watching all five Rocky movies and eating vegan meals prepared by his mother, who has been cooking for his tournaments since he was 18. He can often be spotted at tables wearing a hockey jersey and headphones, listening to relaxing music to focus his game.
Away from the tables he finds time to support charities like the Make a Wish Foundation, various Canadian charities and - of course - charity poker tournaments. He continues to live in his adopted home of Las Vegas with his dog Mushu.
TRIVIA - Featured author in Doyle Brunson's Super/System 2
- Known as one of the nicest players in poker
- Won his first WSOP bracelet at age 23
3.About Jamie Gold
| Name | Jamie Gold |
|---|---|
| Current Residence | Malibu Calif. |
| Born | Aug. 25, 1969 |
| Birth Place | Paramus N.J., US |
But instead of shrinking off into the sunset, Gold has stuck around: he's appeared on High Stakes Poker; shown up on NBC's Poker After Dark; and despite being dropped by his sponsor, Bodog.com, he's still making the rounds of the major tournament circuit.
So here's the question on everyone's mind: is he a poker donkey, as many like to call him, and a glutton for punishment, or a legitimate poker pro with an undeserved bad rap and a recent run of bad luck?
The truth: Likely somewhere in between.
The simple story: Jamie Gold is a Los Angeles-based television producer who got his start in cards in a competitive household with his poker-playing mother and his grandfather, who was a gin rummy champion.
After getting his bachelor's degree from the University of New York at Albany, where he graduated with honors, Jamie moved to California in 1991 to study entertainment law at UCLA. Having obtained valuable work experience in the entertainment business when he interned at the J. Michael Bloom & Associates Talent Agency in New York City at the age of 16, Jamie immediately found work in L.A. as a talent agent, and over the years was an employee of several high-profile agencies.
He soon became known as the youngest franchised agent in the business - a feat he achieved at the age of 21 - and went on to co-found an agency in 1994. In 1996 he started his own firm, JMG Management.
Known around Hollywood for discovering new talent and developing the careers of up-and-coming artists, Gold has worked with actors James Gandolfini (The Sopranos), Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives), Jimmy Fallon (Saturday Night Live), Lucy Liu (Charlie's Angels) and Kristin Davis (Sex and the City).
Recently, however, Gold quit his career as a talent manager and began working as a television producer full-time. JMG, a small and personal company, has a slew of projects in development, including an untitled poker show featuring 2003 WSOP Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker and 10-time WSOP bracelet winner Johnny Chan, a constant fixture at the 2006 Main Event final table as a friend and tutor to Gold, and who cheered the champ on to victory together with Jamie's mother.
Jamie entered the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event as a member of the Bodog.com celebrity team alongside actors Mekhi Phifer (ER) and Dean Cain (Lois and Clark). An unstoppable force at the tables throughout the event, Gold left his fellow celebrities in the dust as he surpassed player after player to make it the final table.
The truth of the matter is Gold dominated the last four days of play, continually increasing his chip stack at the expense of several more seasoned players, and throwing the weight of the big stack around like it was second nature.
No one could stop him, including respected pro and final-table competitor Allen Cunningham, one of seven players at the final table Gold himself knocked out.
And all of a sudden, Jamie Gold was poker's World Champion.
In the wake of his win, Jamie signed a two-year endorsement and production contract with his WSOP 2006 sponsor, Bodog.com. The agreement included the standard tournament buy-ins and promotional appearances as well as a $1 million television production deal. In addition, Jamie was to host his own table on Bodog.com, where he was to play frequently with Bodog.com players.
The deal wasn't to last, however, as Bodog Poker dropped Gold as a spokesperson in January 2007.
Also in the wake of his win: Fellow poker player Crispin Leyser filed a lawsuit staking claim to half of Gold's winnings, and Harrah's froze his full payment until the matter was settled. Leyser claimed Gold agreed to pay him half for getting celebrities to wear Bodog.com gear; Gold claimed he agreed to a payout, but it certainly wasn't half, despite a voicemail he left on Leyser's phone indicating otherwise.
It didn't do much for his already somewhat maligned persona, both on the felt and off, and neither has a slew of mediocre finishes in all the tournaments he's played in since the WSOP.
Nonetheless, two years later, the lawsuit is settled and Gold is still a fixture around the poker circuit.
Gold, in his first post-settlement interview, claims it was all a misunderstanding and easy to resolve once the two sat down together, although he says the settlement doesn't allow him to reveal the details.
In the same interview, he fessed up to a couple of etiquette breaches during the WSOP that also may have contributed to the vitriol directed at him by some of his fellow pros: He flashed a card to a competitor during a hand; he told a friend what he was holding so he wouldn't bust him out. He's apologized, and asked for people to forgive him.
So the Jamie Gold story continues. And despite his post-WSOP results, there are some signs in his past that indicate he does have some poker chops:
Prior to his World Championship win, Gold played live poker 40 hours a week at the Commerce, Bicycle and Hustler Casinos near L.A., and almost never competed online. A self-proclaimed poker book junkie, Gold has honed his skills in high-stakes cash games over the last several years and has placed in a slew of tournaments in the L.A. area, including in the Bicycle Casino's Stars and Stripes tournament in 2006 where he won first place and $60,000.
Aside from his $12 million first place finish at the 2006 WSOP, Gold has a number of other in-the-money finishes under his belt, such as a fifth-place finish in the $300 No-Limit Hold'em event at the 2006 Winnin' o' the Green at the Bicycle Casino; a seventh-place finish in the $100 No-Limit Hold'em event at Larry Flynt's Grand Slam of Poker IV at the Hustler Casino in 2005; and an eighth-place finish in the $500 No-Limit Hold'em event at the Ninth Annual National Championship of Poker at Hollywood Park Casino in 2005.
So who knows? There may be some game in Gold after all.
At the very least, because of his newfound celebrity, we'll definitely get to watch it all play out.
Trivia
- Won $12 million and the World Championship title at the 2006 World Series of Poker
- Was mentored by Johnny Chan
- Is a neighbour of Chris Ferguson
- Studied entertainment law at UCLA
- Helped launch the careers of several high-profile film and television stars
4.About Phil Hellmuth
| Name | Phil Hellmuth |
|---|---|
| Current Residence | Palo Alto Calif. |
| Born | Jul. 16, 1964 |
| Birth Place | Madison Wis. |
A living legend, Hellmuth joined Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson in 2006 as one of only three poker players in history with ten WSOP bracelets to their names. But what separates Hellmuth from even this legendary pack is that all of his WSOP wins have come in Texas Hold'em events - that and a record 11th bracelet in No-Limit Hold'em won by the Poker Brat at the 2007 Series.
He also holds the distinction of being the youngest man to win the WSOP Main Event after beating two-time defending champion Johnny Chan in 1989 at just 24 years old.
Born on July 16, 1964 in Madison, Wisconsin, the first of five children, Hellmuth is the son of an assistant dean and professor at the University of Wisconsin who holds an M.B.A., J.D. and Ph.D.
Growing up with five siblings, Hellmuth played a number of different board games with his brothers and sisters and was always competitive, feeling like he had to win because he was the oldest.
Hellmuth was raised in a middle-class Madison neighborhood. The entire family shared just one bathroom, where his mother had posted a sign on the mirror that read, "You are what you think. You become what you think. What you think becomes reality." Hellmuth said he read that sign every time he brushed his teeth or took a shower and was inspired by his mother's belief that he and his siblings could all achieve great things in life.
He learned the game of poker while he was a student at the University of Wisconsin, moving up from cash games at the student union to higher stakes poker with the professors and eventually dropping out of school to play professionally, much to the chagrin of his academic father.
After the win at the 1989 WSOP, Hellmuth spent the next decade and a half accumulating more tournament victories than any other professional poker player before him. In addition to the ten WSOP bracelets, he has more than 50 tournament titles, five World Poker Tour top-ten finishes and has amassed tournament winnings in excess of $8.8 million.
Eventually, Hellmuth's father and the rest of his family came to see poker as a viable career choice for him. He promised to buy his father a new Mercedes if he won the WSOP Main Event in 1989 and convinced him to fly out to Las Vegas to watch the finals. When he beat Chan to take the title, he delivered on his promise and his father never bothered him about playing poker again.
Hellmuth claims they got on even better terms after he married an M.D. and graduate of the University of Chicago, his father's alma mater.
While Hellmuth's reputation for having a huge ego and a less than professional attitude when he loses has earned him the "Poker Brat" nickname, it has also made him a favorite of poker television producers across the globe.
He once boasted that if luck weren't involved, he'd win every pot he played; told opponents, "I can dodge bullets, baby!" during the 2005 WSOP Main Event after laying down A-K to pocket aces; and even accused another player of not being able to spell poker after taking a bad beat.
Hellmuth is often compared to tennis star John McEnroe because of his antics, and the cameras are always on him at televised tournaments because you never know when the Poker Brat's next tirade is coming.
The Brat claims his temper tantrums only last a few minutes and in interviews following his public rants he is often calm and rational. He says it drives him crazy when opponents make mistakes only to be saved by the luck of the cards, and he can't control himself. While many find it entertaining and good for poker ratings, Hellmuth claims none of it is intentional.
The one knock on Hellmuth is that he may not play cash games as well as other top pros. Hellmuth disputes the charge, claiming he simply doesn't play in as many cash games in order to pursue other business interests and spend time with his family.
In his defense, his business interests are many. Hellmuth writes for poker magazines and has penned a number of best-selling poker books including Play Poker like the Pros and Bad Beats and Lucky Draws.
A screenplay based on his life story has been optioned and an autobiography is also planned. Hellmuth has interests in an online poker Web site and has taken part in a number of instructional poker videos. He is working with Oakley to develop his own line of poker-style sunglasses, is planning the launch of a clothing line and has several endorsement deals on the go as well.
Hellmuth lives in Palo Alto, California with his wife, a psychiatrist at Stanford University, and two sons. He is a dedicated family man who often remarks that the athletes, movie stars and other poker players he admires most are the ones who can balance family and work.
He is one of the best poker players in the world - just ask him. But seriously, in 1996 Hellmuth's professional poker playing peers voted him the best No-Limit Hold'em tournament player in the world, and while many professionals lament his antics at the table, there is no doubt he's earned their respect as a player and a person.
Hellmuth has said he wants to be known as the greatest poker player of all time. In his own mind, he's already almost there.
Trivia
- Youngest ever winner of the WSOP Main Event (1989)
- Author of Play Poker Like the Pros
- Sponsored by UltimateBet.com
- Currently holding the record for most WSOP gold bracelets with 11 tournament wins
- Almost $9 million in career tournament winnings
- Holds the record for most final table cashes at the WSOP
- Was inaugurated into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2007
5.About Scotty Nguyen
| Name | Scotty Nguyen |
|---|---|
| Current Residence | Henderson Nev. |
| Born | Oct. 28, 1962 |
| Birth Place | Nha Trang , VN |
But when Scotty was born in 1962, Nha Trang, like the rest of Vietnam, was a very different place. Though the United States had not yet officially entered the war, the conflict between North and South Vietnam was escalating, destabilizing life across the country. No community was left untouched, and daily life was too often characterized by hardship and poverty.
With an eye to the future, Scotty's mother put aside what little the family could save in order to send her firstborn away from the war-torn beaches of Southeast Asia. And after much convincing by his close-knit family and friends, 11-year-old Scotty set sail for the United States to begin a new life.
His first stop was Taiwan, where he escaped the confines of a refugee camp and found a job working as a manual laborer. Scotty stayed put for a couple of years until an American family volunteered to sponsor him. Now 13 years old, Scotty was ready to begin the next phase of his life.
But once he arrived in the United States the goings were tough. Adjusting to a new country, language and culture without the support of his family and community took a toll. Scotty was struggling to be happy, and, to make matters worse, he hated the weather.
The transition from the tropics of Southeast Asia to the landlocked, windswept frigidity of Illinois was difficult and, well, kind of unappealing. So Scotty requested a new host family in a climate and setting that more closely resembled Nha Trang's.
His request was eventually granted and Scotty shipped out once again, this time to the beaches of Orange County, Calif., where he settled in with a new host family in Costa Mesa.
Life in his new digs meant better weather, but Scotty still didn't fit in. Bored with high school, he skipped class and diverted himself by making a ruckus around the neighborhood, stealing the odd bike, breaking the occasional window. Until he found poker, that is.
Poker quickly became all the diversion Scotty could handle.
His first experiences at the felt took place at friends' houses, and despite his inability to take down pots, his ambition led him to pool halls and backrooms, where he tested his game at the higher levels.
When Scotty was in in his early 20s he moved to Vegas to be closer to the action. Growing up, he had heard stories about the city, and after arriving in California his interest in it grew alongside his passion for poker. And blessed as he was with an insatiable appetite for excitement and cards, there was no better place for Scotty to put down roots and learn his trade.
He picked up a job cleaning tables at a casino and somehow managed to build a bankroll. Scotty then turned to the felt, where he hoped to transform his poker hobby into a bona fide career. But his game still wasn't developed enough. He quickly lost his bankroll and took a job dealing cards, first at Harrah's Holiday Casino and later, the Golden Nugget.
Dealing poker turned out to be a valuable career move; Scotty honed his understanding of the game by observing the methods and mistakes of his customers. He began applying his new knowledge to the low-limit games he played, and his bankroll - and confidence - started to grow.
His dream of playing poker professionally more attainable now than ever before, Scotty hunkered down and got serious. And after just two years of up-and-down play, the 23-year-old rounder quit dealing cards and picked up poker full time.
Over the years, Scotty has lost and rebuilt his bankroll innumerable times. But he has never again taken another job. Poker is his career, and time and again he's proved just how suited he is to the game.
He has cashed in hundreds of tournaments, including nearly 40 WSOP events, more than a dozen WPT tournaments, and countless standalone events like the California State Poker Championship, Aussie Millions, Poker Superstars Invitational, U.S. Poker Bowl, Caribbean Poker Classic, Monte Carlo Millions and Austrian Masters, to name a few.
Though there are many impressive finishes on his tournament resume, Scotty's most notable achievements were notched at the World Series of Poker.
Since his first Series in 1995, he's collected five bracelets and made history as the first player to ever win both the Main Event (1998) and the $50k H.O.R.S.E. Championship (2008). Furthermore, of the numerous events he's cashed in, he's final-tabled in nearly half, and has rarely finished outside the top 25.
And his WPT record is nothing to sneeze at either. With more than half a dozen Championship finishes under his belt - most of them at the final table - Scotty holds several World Poker Tour titles and was the first player in history to win the triple crown of a WPT Championship, the WSOP Main Event and the WSOP H.O.R.S.E. Championship.
But what is perhaps even more incredible is how down-to-earth Scotty has remained. Yes, he's confident. And he's cocky, too. But arrogant? Never. Pretentious? No way. Where other players may have let their egos run free in the emotional wasteland of self-importance, Scotty Nguyen has effortlessly kept his ego in check.
A practicing Buddhist with a positive outlook and bountiful reserves of internal strength, Scotty has persevered through the highs and lows in order to achieve his dreams. And while he'll be the first to admit he's at the top of his game, he refuses to take all the credit. He understands the role his fans have played in making him who he is today.
"The fans are No. 1 for a poker player," he confessed to PokerListings.com after his 2008 H.O.R.S.E. victory. "Without the fans, I'd never be who I am now ..."
"It's important to give fans what they want - a good game, a good show," he continued.
"The fans fly in from all over the world. They fly in from Germany, Australia, London, Paris, just to come and see you. They ask you for pictures, autographs, and you can't say no to them. I always stop."
With an attitude like this, is it any wonder he's known as the Prince of Poker? There can be no doubt the warmth and kindness with which he greets every fan has earned him the respect of poker enthusiasts worldwide. But he's also won the admiration of his opponents.
Although he is fiercely aggressive and competitive at the tables, Scotty's gentlemanlike manners, friendly chatter and respectful professionalism make him hard to hate, even when he's just knocked you out of the game.
Indeed, Scotty Nguyen is a unique character in the poker world. And, considering how many unusual people you find slinging cards at the felt, that's saying something.
Armed with his contagious exuberance, deadly plays and beguiling charisma, Scotty has forever altered the way rounders play poker, and the way fans watch the game. He's cheeky, he's easygoing, and he's polite, and he remains one of the most beloved and talented poker pros on the scene. Not to mention one of the most feared.
Trivia
- First player to win the WSOP Main Event (1998), a WPT Championship (2006) and the WSOP $50k H.O.R.S.E. Championship (2008)
- Suffered a meltdown and depression following his 11th-place finish in the 2007 Main Event
- Took down his first WPT Championship in just one hand
- Considers himself to be the people's poker champion
- Appeared on <em>Late Night with Conan O'Brien</em> in 2004
- Coined the phrase "That's poker, baby!" in reference to a particularly bad beat
- His birth name is Thuan Nguyen
- Was featured in a Diet Pepsi commercial in 2006 with Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu
- Is an Omaha Hi-Lo specialist
- Has 12 siblings
- Changed his name to Scotty when he started cleaning tables at a Vegas casino
- Has two small Japanese monkeys, Lucky (male) and Jackpot (female)
- Enjoys cooking (<a href="http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=9add9a870c581053201892a1975130a5">chicken wings are his specialty</a>), barbequing and working in the garden
- Loves spending time at home with his wife, Julie
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