From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Men "The Master" Nguyễn (born 1954 in Phan
Thiet, Vietnam) is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player.
Early
years
In 1967, he dropped out of school at age 13 and became a bus
driver to help support his family. In early 1978, a staunch anti-Communist, he escaped from the Communist regime of Vietnam by boat and sailed with
87 compatriots to Pulau Besar in Malaysia. In 1978, he received political asylum from the United States and settled in Los Angeles, California. In 1986 he would become an
American citizen.[1]
In 1984 he went on a junket to
Las Vegas,
Nevada and played poker for the first time in his life. He
would continue to go every weekend and lose hundreds of dollars,
earning him the nickname "Money Machine."[2] He
quickly mastered the game, however, winning his first tournament in
1987. With his poker winnings, he opened a dry cleaning business
and furniture store, but sold them in 1990 because they took too
much of his time and didn't make enough money. Through these
businesses he would, however, meet and work with many Vietnamese
people who would fall under his tutelage.
Professional poker
career
Nguyen has over 120 finishes in the money from 2000
to 2004, and has won more than 75 tournaments. Nguyen is known for
tutoring players, many of whom go on to be successful in their own
right, including his cousins David Pham and Minh Nguyen. At one time, Benny Behnen,
grandson of Benny
Binion, believed Nguyen trained more tournament winners than
anyone else. Men receives a portion of some of his students'
winnings.[3]
In 1991 one of his students gave him the nickname "The Master," and
now he is widely known as "Men the Master." He donates a portion of
the money he earns through tournaments and tutoring to charities in
Vietnam, and in 1996, with the earnings from his final-table finish
in the World Series of Poker, built a
kindergarten in Vietnam.[1]
Nguyen won the Card Player
Magazine Player of the Year award in 1997, 2001, 2003 and 2005
and is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished tournament
players in the world. While allegations have been made regarding
Nguyen's possible involvement with tournament cheating,[3]
nothing has been proven and Nguyen has consistently denied any such
actions.[4] As of
2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $9,100,000.[5] His 65
cashes as the WSOP account for $2,183,152 of those winnings.[6]
World Series of Poker
bracelets
| Year |
Tournament |
Prize (US$) |
| 1992 |
$1,500 Seven-card stud |
$120,600 |
| 1995 |
$2,500 Seven-card stud hi-lo |
$96,000 |
| 1995 |
$2,500 Limit Texas hold 'em |
$110,000 |
| 1996 |
$2,500 Omaha
hi-lo |
$110,000 |
| 2003 |
$5,000 Seven-card stud |
$178,560 |
| 2003 |
$1,500 Ace to Five Triple Draw Lowball |
$43,520 |
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