Poker history applies to many facets of poker. Last week I told you about one of the most well known poker players in recent poker history, Doyle Brunson. Outlining the past of these iconic players has been interesting for me because it shows that these guys are regular people just like you and me. It showcases that anybody can have the opportunity to do well with some dedication and a bit of luck. This week I would like to outline a little bit about Thuan “Scotty” Nguyen, a very well known poker face in recent history.

Scotty Nguyen, born in Vietnam, is one of the most well known and successful poker players in professional poker. He has cashed in 174 events, winning a total of over seven million dollars. Out of those 174 events he has taken first place thirty times, four of those netting him a World Series of Poker bracelet.

Many of us will recognize him for his very animated style of playing, making comments such as “baby” and “yeah baby” during exciting matches. Nguyen has not only won World Series of Poker Events, he has won a few in the World Poker Tour as well. He’s won in both Texas Hold’em and Seven Card Stud High Low Eight or Better events, and has been seen playing Blackjack on television as well.

Scotty has done well even in the face of negativity. The day after his win at the 1998 World Series of Poker his brother was hit and killed by a car in Vietnam. To this day he does not wear the bracelet he won the day before. Even when things get tough or he takes a bad beat on the poker table or in life he seems to bounce back. Nguyen has coined the term “That’s poker baby” when facing a bad beat. If all of us could take such things in stride we wouldn’t have the Tony G’s of poker, and a lot less stress to go around because of it!

Stay tuned for more interesting poker history articles. Keep tabs on this stuff, you never know if you’re going to be the feature player in a poker history article 10 years down the road!