Event #18
No-Limit Hold’em Shootout 
Buy-In: $1,500
Number of Entries: 400
Prize Money: $552,000

 
Placed	Name			Hometown		Amount
1st	Phi Nguyen		El Monte, CA		$180,000
2nd	Kiril Gerasimov		Moscow, Russia		$100,000
3rd	Michael Salem		Hope Valley, RI		$50,000
4th	Jeff Rin		Detroit, MI		$40,000
5th	John Juanda		Marina Del Rey, CA	$33,000
6th	Asher Derei		Sherman Oaks, CA	$26,000
7th	JC Tran			Sacramento, CA		$19,000
8th	Andre Boyer		Las Vegas, NV		$12,000
9th	Daniel Negreanu		Las Vegas, NV		$5,000
10th	Beverly Kruskol		Tarzana, CA		$5,000
11th	Annie Duke		Portland, OR		$5,000
12th	Dennis Waterman		Myrtle Point, OR	$5,000
13th	Joseph Grew		Carlsbad, CA		$4,000
14th	Tony D			Anaheim, CA		$4,000
15th	Gabe Thaler		Cupertino, CA		$4,000
 

If America is the land of opportunity, then poker has become the “port of entry” to a better life for many immigrants. Indeed, poker is among the most democratic of human endeavors. It doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t play favorites. Players of all ages, skin colors, religious affiliations, ethnic backgrounds, and both sexes spar on a level playing field. There are no language barriers or educational requirements to be a winning poker player. The fact is – poker has become the gateway to the American Dream for many players.

This edict applies to the Vietnamese-American community in Southern California more than any other ethnic group. Consider this fact: Poker players with the “Nguyen” surname have won more World Series of Poker championships (14) than players named Smith, Jones, and Johnson – combined. There are more gold bracelets engraved with the Nguyen name than any other in the 35-year history of the WSOP.

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Appropriately enough, “Nguyen” is pronounced “win.” The latest Nguyen champion is a 43-year-old professional poker player named Phi “John” Nguyen, from the Los Angeles-area community of El Monte. Nguyen won $180,000 and his first gold bracelet in the $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Shootout at this year’s World Series. He topped a mammoth field of 400 players and defeated the final eight competitors on day two, earning a well-deserved victory.

John Nguyen’s story is the narrative of many newcomers who arrive in this country, with nothing more than the desire for a better life and courage to pursue it. Nguyen’s father was enlisted in the South Vietnamese Army. In 1975, after the fall of Saigon and the end of the war in Vietnam, Nguyen fled his homeland on a small boat that drifted out into the South Pacific. The media tagged the refugees as the “boat people,” a disparaging inference that neither recognizes their sacrifice, nor reflects the desperate levels some brave people will endure in order to live in freedom.

After his arrival in the U.S., Nguyen settled down in the San Francisco Bay Area and worked odd jobs. At one point, he worked as a day laborer for minimum wage. Then, in order to better himself, he enrolled in college and studied business management. Nguyen later opened a travel agency in San Jose and decided to expand his business in Los Angeles. In 1989, he began playing poker in the big mega-cardrooms in Southern California – namely the Bicycle Casino and Commerce Casino. Within a year, Nguyen went from playing low-limits, including $1-2 hold’em, to much bigger games, from $100-200 eventually up to $500-1,000. Nguyen also cashed in several local tournaments with his biggest win at $60,000 at the Legends of Poker, but until this date had never enjoyed the success of some of his peers, particularly at the World Series.

And so, the stage was set for Nguyen to reach new heights. Event 18 of the 2004 World Series of Poker would be the stage for Nguyen to transform himself from a mostly unknown, albeit successful poker pro, to a “world champion.” To give the contest added significance, the final table was a truly international affair. Six of the eight finalists were born outside the United States – with Vietnam, Russia, Canada, Indonesia, and Israel represented among the league of nations. The players took their seats on day two, and were eliminated in the following order:

8th – ANDRE BOYER – This was Boyer’s 15th time to cash, since his first WSOP appearance eight years ago. Boyer’s best finish was third in the Seniors’ event last year. Boyer, who is originally from Montreal and now lives in Las Vegas, went out with J-10, after a position raise on the button. John Nguyen woke up in the blind with K-Q of diamonds and made a flush. Boyer received $12,000.

7th – J. C. TRAN – Vietnamese-born Tran was making his second final table at this year’s WSOP – after coming in 8th in the $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event. After losing a big pot with A-10 against pocket deuces, Tran was short-stacked and went “all in” a short time later with A-5, which was steamrolled by pocket queens. Tran collected $19,000.

6th – ASHER DEREI – Israeli-born Derei moved “all in” on A-Q under the gun, and ran into Kiril Gerasimov’s Q-Q. An ace failed to rescue Derei, which meant a 6th-place finsih. This was Derei’s first WSOP final table, although he has cashed on three previous occasions.

5th – JOHN JUANDA – Of the eight finalists, Indonesian-born Juanda had the most final table experience. The three-time gold bracelet winner (for 2002 Ace-to-Five Triple Draw Lowball, 2003 Seven Card Stud, and 2003 Pot-Limit Omaha) has now won over $750,000 in twenty lifetime cashes. Juanda went from the chip lead to the rail after he lost three big pots in a row. The last hand took place when Juanda’s pocket 5s were whacked by Nguyen’s A-9, when a nine flopped. Juanda received $33,000.

4th – JEFF RINE – Rine, from Detroit, made his first ever WSOP final table. He arrived in second chip position, but ran card dead later in the day and busted out in 4th place. Rine went out with A-7 suited, which was smoked by Mike Salem’s A-K. Rine received $40,000.

Phi Nguyen joined his friends with his victory at the WSOP. (AP Images)

3rd – MIKE SALEM – Without a doubt, the worst beat of the final table – and perhaps of the WSOP so far this year – took place when Salem started with pocket aces and lost to A-J. Salem put all his money into the pot against John Nguyen on the turn, with an overpair (aces). Nguyen had two outs with one card to come and hit his 22-1 shot when a third jack fell on the river. It was a stunning blow to Salem, a low-profile cash game specialist who is one of poker’s top players on the East Coast. Salem took $50,000 from the deal, and – it’s fair to say – would have been a favorite to go on and win the gold bracelet had he not taken the terrible beat.

When heads up play began, John Nguyen had a slightly better than 2 to 1 chip lead against Kiril Gerasimov, from Russia. It took nearly two hours for Nguyen to finally overpower Gerasimov. On the last hand of the night:

NGUYEN: J-9
GERASIMOV: J-5

The flop came J-8-5. Gerasimov moved “all in” and Nguyen called. Gerasimov’s two pair was way ahead, but then disaster struck for the Russian poker pro. An eight on the turn made two pair – jacks and eights (for both players). However, Nguyen’s nine out-kicked Gerasimov’s five as the fifth card. A blank on the river meant the end for Gerasimov, and a WSOP win for Nguyen.

Gerasimov, who now lives in Moscow but plays poker regularly in both the United States and Europe, finished as the runner up. He received $100,000 for second place.

The winner -- John Nguyen is married and has three children. He received $180,000 in prize money. Not bad for an immigrant who essentially came to this country with nothing 25 years ago. Some dreams do come true.