Men Nguyen - Global Poker Player

Biography

Men Nguyen is a highly skilled Vietnamese-American professional poker player who has won seven bracelets in the World Series of Poker Main Events. His strategy and style of playing poker have inspired many players to participate in poker tournaments. Many poker players consider Men Nguyen, a legendary player in the poker world.

Background

Men Nguyen was born in 1954 in the beautiful Phan Thiet, Vietnam. Men quit school at 13 to support his family economically and became a bus driver.

Men Nguyen was an anti-Communist, so in early 1978, he escaped Vietnam by boat and sailed towards Pulau Besar, Malaysia, with his 87 compatriots. The same year, he was given political asylum from America and eventually settled in Los Angeles, California.

He gained American citizenship in 1986 and went to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he developed an interest towards poker and played for the first time. His passion grew extensively, and he visited Las Vegas every weekend only to lose hundreds of dollars. Because of his trait, he earned the nickname "Money Machine."

But with time, he learnt how to play the intriguing card game and mastered it, eventually winning his first tournament in 1987. Men Nguyen invested the poker winnings in his dry cleaning business and furniture store. However, as the company was not providing good returns, he sold them in 1990.

He is usually popular for his habit of being brash and abusive while playing. He has even left the WSOP Final Table several times without a reason. However, he has earned such a reputation that the popular Card Player Magazine has termed him the best card player in the world over the past decade.

Some poker players even call Men Nguyen the messiah of poker. He has his stable of proteges, among whom are newbies from his native Vietnam. His proteges are made to live by Men’s rules. Most of his proteges have successfully emerged winners in significant tournaments, among which David “The Dragon” Pham has won the WSOP bracelet.

Men Nguyen claims a portion of his students' winnings. Because of his teaching skills, one of his students nicknamed him "The Master," he is currently popularly known as "Men, the Master."

Men Nguyen is also known as a philanthropist. He donates a portion of his earnings to charities in Vietnam. In 1996, he built a kindergarten in Vietnam using his earnings from the World Series of Poker.

Poker Career

Men Nguyen has an impressive poker career, which includes winnings and achieving titles. In his poker life, he has won more than 75 tournaments.

Because of his exceptional and impressive poker skills, Men Nguyen won the Card Player Magazine Player of the Year award in 1997, 2001, 2003 and 2005. He is revered as one of the most accomplished tournament players to date.

Men Nguyen has won seven World Series of Poker bracelets, 57 Poker cashes, and 9 circuit cashes. His live tournament earnings amount to $11,202,278. Apart from poker player Johnny Chan, Men Nguyen is known as a successful non-US player who has played and won major tournaments.

Men Nguyen is a much-admired member of the LA community. For his achievements and excellence in poker, he was featured in an article in the May 2003 edition of the magazine LA Weekly.

Winnings in WSOP Events

WSOP Bracelets 

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bracelets did Men Nguyen win in his poker career?

Men Nguyen won seven WSOP Bracelets throughout his poker career.

How much is Men Nguyen’s total live earnings?

Men Nguyen’s total live earnings are $11,202,278.

What rank did Men Nguyen hold in the All Time Money List?

Men Nguyen holds 133rd rank in the Hendon Mob All-Time Money List.