Nguyen wins H.O.R.S.E

World Series of Poker Event #45, H.O.R.S.E. World Championship, 25-29 June 2008

Entrants: 148
Buy in: $1,500
Prize pool: $7,104,120

Final results:

1. Scotty Nguyen, $1,989,120

2. Michael DeMichele, $1,243,200

3. Erick Lindgren, $781,440

4. Matt Glantz, $568,320

5. Lyle Berman, $444,000

6. Barry Greenstein, $355,200

7. Huck Seed, $284,160

8. Patrick Bueno, $230,880

9. Rafael Perry, $177,600

The 2008 H.O.R.S.E. World Champion is Scotty Nguyen. He is from Henderson, NV. Nguyen won the WSOP Main Event in 1998. This was his fifth WSOP gold bracelet.

The $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. World Championship (Event #45) attracted 148 entries, creating a prize pool totaling $7,104,000. The top 16 finishers collected prize money.

Despite his extraordinary success in tournament poker for more than a decade, Nguyen suffered through one of his lowest points following last year’s meltdown, which resulted in an 11th place finish in the 2007 Main Event.

At one point, Nguyen seemed primed to go much deeper in last year’s championship and many say he should have won. But Nguyen went through a horrific two-hour phase late on the preceding day to the final table and was eliminated. So distraught with disappointment, Nguyen reportedly did not eat regularly for months afterward. He was physically ill. He lost 15 pounds and refused to leave the house.

Nguyen’s wife Julie was instrumental in rekindling the former champion’s enthusiasm for poker. Prior to the start of this year’s WSOP, Nguyen was determined to win one of two events – this H.O.R.S.E. championship, or the Main Event.

Nguyen started playing in small poker games in Las Vegas about 20 years ago. He eventually built his bankroll and began playing in poker tournaments in 1994. Nguyen’s first WSOP cash came in 1995. He won his first WSOP gold bracelet in 1997.

This was Nguyen’s first WSOP gold bracelet victory since 2001.

Scotty Nguyen’s poker nickname is “The Prince.” He relishes the nickname as he considers himself the people’s champion.

“When I was first coming into poker, I wanted to be playing with Doyle (Brunson), Chip (Reese), and Stuey (Ungar),” Nguyen said. “Now, two of them are gone. I wanted to win this trophy to be the first winner to honor Chip.”

As proud of he was of this victory, Nguyen still referred to his 1998 WSOP Main Event win as his most satisfying poker accomplishment.

At one point during final table play, Nguyen became testy – quite uncharacteristic for the popular poker champion. He was dissatisfied with many things, anger perhaps misdirected from a flurry of bad cards and poor luck. He later defended his emotional outbursts by saying, “You can’t be friends at the poker table. You have to want to win. If you want to make friends, then go bowling.”

Nguyen won $1,989,120 for first place, and joins an exclusive club of five-time WSOP gold bracelet winners which includes Bones Berland, Allen Cunningham, Phil Ivey, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Ted Forrest, Berry Johnston, and Stu Ungar.

Former WSOP gold bracelet winner Erick Lindgren finished in third place. As the early chip leader, he seemed primed to seize victory. But he was the shortest-stack during most of the 3.5 hour three-handed exchange, which forced him to be more selective about hands.

“It hurts a lot (not to win),” Lindgren said afterward. “I really wanted to honor Chip (Reese) by winning.”

All WSOP images are supplied by “IMPDI for the 2008 WSOP”