Men “the Master” Nguyen

Men "The Master" Nguyễn was born in 1954 in Vietnam, where he drove a bus at age 13 to help support his family. At age 24 he escaped Vietnam by boat to Malasia and received political asylum in the United States. At age 30 he played poker for the first time during a trip to Las Vegas. Three years later he won his first tournament and with winnings opened a dry cleaning business and a furniture store. His poker capabilities soon after impelled him into professional play on a full time basis. Men Nguyen finished “in the money” more than 120 times between 2000 and 2004, and has won over 75 tournaments. His first WSOP bracelet came in 1992 with Seven Card Stud. He then came to win five more through 2003. Men Nguyen is also recognized for bringing other players along, notably some of Vietnamese origin, like David Pham and Minh Nguyen. He has trained many tournament winners, earning the nickname “Men the Master.” Colleagues consider his friendly, but extremely determined at the poker table. Men was Card Player Magazine’s Player of the Year four times in nine years. His estimated lifetime earnings from poker are about $8 million as of 2008.