As poker instituted itself into mainstream society over the last decade, the game has changed in a variety of ways, big and small. Almost overnight, poker morphed into entertainment and successful players became celebrities. Some players seemed to barely notice their newfound status while others began changing and adjusting to it with varying degrees of success. A select few players seem like they were born to be poker celebrities and have just been waiting for he world to notice: Scotty Nguyen serves a prime example.
While there may be lots of professional poker players in the world, only a few can be called true “personalities” in the game. Among all of them, Scotty Nguyen stands out like a skinny guy rocking rainbow colored clothes in a sea of grey and black…which is basically what you’d see if you hovered above a tournament with Scotty in it.
Born in Vietnam, Scotty came to the United States when he was 14. He ended up living with a host family in California where he was introduced to poker. As with most successful poker players, Scotty instantly fell in love with game and the game fell in love with him just as quickly.
Like many teenage love affairs, the relationship Scotty had with poker was disruptive and troublesome at times. Especially the times Scotty would skip school to play in back room games. Ultimately, Scotty left school and went searching for a way to turn his passion into profits.
While there may be lots of professional poker players in the world, only a few can be called true “personalities” in the game. Among all of them, Scotty Nguyen stands out like a skinny guy rocking rainbow colored clothes in a sea of grey and black…which is basically what you’d see if you hovered above a tournament with Scotty in it.
Born in Vietnam, Scotty came to the United States when he was 14. He ended up living with a host family in California where he was introduced to poker. As with most successful poker players, Scotty instantly fell in love with game and the game fell in love with him just as quickly.
Like many teenage love affairs, the relationship Scotty had with poker was disruptive and troublesome at times. Especially the times Scotty would skip school to play in back room games. Ultimately, Scotty left school and went searching for a way to turn his passion into profits.
He didn’t immediately find success and took a job as a dealer, an occupation that many pros dabbled in while they were getting started. Scotty used the position as an opportunity to study the way other people played, observing what worked and what didn’t work . Through this study, he also developed greater insight into the way players behaved, reacted and responded at the table.
In addition to Hold’Em, Johnny learned how to win at a variety of games, including Pot Limit Omaha, Stud Hi-Lo, 2-7 Lowball and others. In addition to increasing his earning potential, learning to win at many different games provided Johnny with insight into a variety of playing styles and strategies that could be modified and applied according to his whims.
After years of honing his skills and mastering the cards, Johnny placed thirteenth in a Limit Hold’Em tournament at the World Series of Poker. While not going to the final table, Johnny got noticed for both his play and his persona. Two years later, Johnny won his first bracelet and the world was put on notice to not confuse friendly showmanship with inferior play.
The following year Johnny made good on that notice by placing in three WSOP tournaments and winning the Main Event bracelet.
While winning the WSOP Main Event is a monumental accomplishment that will be written about and discussed widely, Johnny took it to the next level with one of the most repeated quips in poker history. He was sitting behind the leading chip stack, heads up with Kevin McBride at the final table. When the river was laid out, the board showed an eights over nines full house. Scotty reviewed the board carefully and then plopped enough clay on the felt to force Kevin all-in if he wanted to call.
Having set his multi-stack trap, Scotty was kind enough to warn the soon to be 2nd place finisher: “You call this one and it’s all over, baby!” Responding that he played the board, McBride didn’t hear the trap snap shut around him as he called the hand. He saw the fatal results, however, when Scotty turned his hold cards to display a higher full house and claim the prize. It sounds a bit like the ending to a Hollywood poker movie and that’s one of the reasons the cinematically beautiful final hand became instantly unforgettable.
Coming from any other player, the line could easily have sounded arrogant or incredibly antagonistic. From Scotty it was obviously just humorous teasing and fit perfectly with his larger-than-life persona and fun loving style. While many poker tables are fairly quiet, Scotty’s mouth produces an almost constant fast-paced banter that frequently ends in the word “baby.” His chattiness tends to keep players amused and slightly off their game at the same time.
The Hollywood feel of Johnny’s flashy clothes, gold chains and personality to cement him a player poised to take full advantage of the coming “poker entertainment” craze. The association between the entertainment world and the world of entertainment known as Johnny Nguyen was formalized when he was cast in the poker-themed movie, The Big Blind.
Thanks to the media explosion of poker, millions of people have been exposed to Johnny. Possibly hoping that similar flash would bring similar cash, a number of incoming players have attempted to adopt a similar persona. The results vary from the almost-but-not-quite-successful to the incredibly annoying and no one pulls it off like Johnny.
Of course, that’s because Johnny’s not “pulling it off,” he’s just a naturally exuberant person who likes having a good time and being adorned by colors most people would be afraid to wear. He has extravagant tastes, as evidenced by the expensive clothes and jewelry, to match his extravagant personality. Because it’s all an organic extension of his personality, Johnny’s flamboyance contains a sincerity that can’t be faked.
If you ever find yourself at a table with skinny guy who seems to have set it appearance on “blind” and his mouth on “turbo,” know that you’re in the presence of greatness. When you hear that it’s all over if you call, baby, be aware that you may be setup for an amazing Scotty Nguyen story to tell your friends.
To your success,
Morrie Finkelstein
