Scotty Nguyen - Great or a Jerk?
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
# Scotty Nguyen - Great or a Jerk?
Scotty Nguyen has not been without his share of controversy over the last couple of years. What should you do of it?
First, he imploded at the 2007 WSOP Main Event to finish in 11th place after making a crucial mistake against Phillip Hilm. He clearly went on tilt after the hand and ended up busting short of the final table.
The next year, Nguyen would go on to win the $50,000 WSOP H.O.R.S.E. World Championship, but not after some drunken tirades towards eventual second place finisher Michael DeMichelle. A lot of people lost respect for Scotty after his escapades at that final table and many have begun to question his overall greatness.
Scotty Nguyen during WSOP 2008
For many years, Scotty has been considered the prince of poker. He has used his charm and customary “baby” expression to entertain and befriend many players. He is very gracious to fans in the hallway and is always willing to sign autographs and take pictures with fans.
Also, there has been many times he has taken a bad beat at the table from clearly inferior players, but he takes it in stride and a smile.
The 2007 WSOP and 2008 H.O.R.S.E. events are unfortunate blips on Scotty’s reputation, but they can be explained. Many players have succumbed to the pressure of the Main Event and have made asses of themselves. Look at Havad Khan in 2007.
He made such a spectacle of himself that rules were changed and unofficially dubbed with his name. Also, Scotty made a clear misstep that he probably felt cost him the Main Event. This type of pressue can be overwhelming, regardless of the caliber of player.