The Scoop -- Scotty Nguyen

Scotty Nguyen is one of the most recognized poker professionals in the industry, because of both his outspoken personality at the table and his incredible results. He’s accumulated more than $10.2 million in live-tournament winnings, with his biggest cash coming in his 2008 World Series of Poker $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. championship win (almost $2 million). Nguyen sat down recently with Adam and Diego to discuss some troubles he had early in his poker career.

Scotty Nguyen: From 21 to 24, I lived so good. I had money, I won in poker, I won in craps, I had millions. I was 23 years old and a millionaire, baby. I had so much money, I didn’t know what to do with it. Just think about it, 20 years ago, I had a million dollars, starting without even a dollar. Then, my family in Vietnam was suffering. Here, I’d spend $3,000 on a tip a day, and I gave them nothing. I’m talking about 20 years ago, baby. You guys know, I’m a big tipper. I would stay at Caesars Palace, $3,000 a night. Now, that room would cost you $20,000 or $30,000 a night. I wasted money, and stayed there for three months. My bill was $200,000. My family couldn’t afford anything. I was in the spotlight, living the American dream.

Diego Cordovez: When did that change for you?

SN: I was the biggest a—hole of all. I was so mean to people. I was so mean to my younger brother, and I never thought about my family, because I had so much money. I wanted women, I wanted the spotlight, and it led me to drugs. Then, I went broke, because God punished me. I promised that if I got the money back, I would do so many things for my family, for homeless children, and everything that I didn’t do before.

DC: So you were back to where you started, flat broke.

SN: Yes, flat broke. Busted. I went to my brother. He looked at me, and said, “You remember, you had millions, and I had nothing. I’d ask you for help and you’d give me two or three hundred dollars and push me away, tell me to go stay with someone. You wouldn’t give me even $1,000 at the time when maybe $10,000 didn’t mean anything to you, because that’s what you spend in three days on a tip.”

DC: You’d give that to a parking valet instead of your brother.

SN: Yes. We had a long talk, you know. I looked at him, and he said that mom and dad have nothing over there [Vietnam]. All the brothers and sisters eat mixed rice. They can’t eat 100 percent rice. It’s half rice, half flour. He said, “You eat two bites of steak and leave it; what is wrong with you?”

Adam Schoenfeld: So that talk with your brother, is that what changed you?

SN: Yes, we talked about it all. I said, “Bro, I promise you, if you help me this time and get me back on my feet, I will never, ever treat you wrong, and I’ll take care of the family.” So, he cleaned out his account. He gave me $2,700 — everything he had. That’s one thing about Vietnamese people, we’re there for each other. So I stayed with him for a while, and then I told him that I was going to go back to Vegas. That’s when I chose to be a poker player full time.

DC: Is it fair to say that after that, you felt like it wasn’t a game anymore and that you were going to do it to support yourself and your family?

SN: Yep, after I promised my brother, I helped my family. I sent home like $2,000 or $3,000. At that time, a whole family could live on that for three months without working. I spoiled them so much, hundreds of them. Nieces, nephews, uncles never worked a day for the last 20 years.

DC: Even cousins you didn’t know you had?

SN: Yes, I take care of everything.

AS: You know, I might be one of your cousins [laughing].