Scotty Nguyen

Scotty Nguyen – 2008 H.O.R.S.E. Champion

2008 was the Year of the Pro at the World Series of Poker and the pro that ended up making history was the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event champion, Scotty Nguyen. Nguyen outlasted a field of 148 players to take down the $1.989 Million prize and the coveted gold bracelet.

The final table of the 2008 WSOP H.O.R.S.E. event boasted a solid group of professionals. Barry Greenstein and Erick Lindgren both were at their third final table of the WSOP. Both had won bracelets previously. Greenstein won his in Razz and Lindgren in Mixed Holdem. In fact, Lindgren missed making a 4th final table by only one spot. In the end Lindgren was the 2008 Player of the Year at the WSOP. Lyle Berman and Huck Seed were also two well known pros who made the final table. Seed is considered a Razz specialist with 2 of his 4 bracelets in the game.

Other players included Patrick Bueno, Michael DeMichele, and Matthew Glantz. As many saw on television, Nguyen got quite heated at times with DeMichele due to some antics that DeMichele pulled earlier at the final table. Nguyen came off very bad on TV due to some of his comments and actions, but in the end issued a formal apology to DeMichele. In fact, it was DeMichele that Nguyen faced heads up for the bracelet. The battle between the two went back and forth for quite a while, but in the end, Nguyen emerged victorious and took down his 5th WSOP bracelet.

The H.O.R.S.E. title was the first bracelet for Nguyen since 2001 when he won the $5,000 Omaha 8 or Better title. Nguyen holds two bracelets in Omaha 8, as well as bracelets in Pot Limit Omaha and the 1998 Main Event bracelet. Scotty is famous for telling Kevin McBride during the final hand of the 98 Main Event, “You call this one and it’s all over, baby.” To date, Nguyen is the only person in history to win the WSOP Main Event, a WPT Championship, and the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event. He won the World Poker Open in 2006 when he took out Michael Mizrachi in just one hand.

His win in the H.O.R.S.E. event is viewed as a validation after he had a meltdown late in the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event. He was among the chip leaders with 15 players left and could have coasted into the final table. Unfortunately, a couple of bad beats cause him to go on tilt and he would up finishing in 11th. Many players would not have been able to bounce back from such a loss, but Nguyen did so by taking down the most coveted prize amongst top professionals.

After his win in the H.O.R.S.E. event, Nguyen was quoted as saying, “I’ve now done it all in poker baby. About the only thing left for me to do is take a lowball bracelet.” Considering his skill and accomplishments, taking down a lowball bracelet should be cake for the man that considers himself “The People’s Champion.”