Vietnamese American Excels in Professional Poker

News Feature, Bao Ong, Nguoi Viet, May 04, 2005 He came to the United States in 1977 after leaving Vietnam by boat, then spending time in a refugee camp. He could have thought he was living the American Dream, escaping Communism, settling in Los Angeles, finding steady work as a machinist. But for Men Nguyen, there was something more. Something he found in 1984, when a friend asked him to come along on a trip to Las Vegas. He found poker. Just by watching, he knew it was a game he could master. And now, the world knows him as Men “The Master” Nguyen, one of the most well-known professional poker players, thanks to the game’s regular appearances on cable television. Since winning his first tournament in 1987 — 10 years after landing on U.S. soil — this player has pocketed more than $4 million from his expertise. “It’s just a gift from God,” said Nguyen, of Bell Gardens, Calif., who said he never read a book showing him how to profit from poker. “I can read people. I can tell if he has a good hand or not. Then I use my strategy to win. It just instantly comes to me.” Among Vietnamese Americans, he isn’t alone. Immigrants from this group are becoming a force on the professional poker tour, acing tournament after tournament, earning tens of thousands of dollars. For example, Vietnam-born John Phan of Long Beach, Calif., currently is second in Card Player magazine’s player-of-the-year rankings, snaring more than $450,000 so far in 2005. Such an emergence has not gone unnoticed. David G. Schwartz, an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and coordinator of the Gaming Studies Research Center, said there are two reasons for the group’s ascendancy: Gambling is not looked down upon in Asian cultures and immigrant groups often strive for success. “Poker isn’t a game you can’t improve in because every time you play it, you’re getting better,” he said. Moreover, “when they came to America, that was a gamble.” Schwartz said a $500 bet at the poker table can seem minuscule compared to men and women who leave everything behind to start new lives in a new country. At most big competitions, Vietnamese Americans make up as much as 10 percent of the tournament fields but they always do well, Men Nguyen said. In the 2004 World Series of Poker, which featured a lineup of different games, Vietnamese Americans won three events. Californians Minh Nguyen, John Nguyen and Crystal Dòan each scored a title, taking home nearly $400,000 combined. And in a January tournament in Atlantic City, N.J., little known Nghi Van Tran, born in Vietnam and now living in Toronto, walked away victorious. Mimi Tran, of Torrance, Calif., came in fourth place. Combined, the two earned nearly $1 million. Nolan Dalla, media director of the World Series of Poker and an industry insider, isn’t surprised by the success of so many Vietnam-born players. For one thing, poker isn’t a game that has a language or education requirement, he said. “It’s a game anybody can pick up,” said Dalla, a former competitive player. “There isn’t quite so much intimidation to try the game.” He said he has noticed that many Vietnamese American competitors have the most important skill to succeed at poker: discipline. “They seem to have patience and can suppress natural tendencies to overreact like most people do,” Dalla added. “You can be the best player in the world but if you have no discipline, then you’ll never win.” Men Nguyen agreed. “You cannot win this game without patience,” he noted. He learned to play the same way, slowly, step by step. He didn’t start off placing five-figure bets as he regularly does today. He started off small, practicing and perfecting his instinct every weekend in Las Vegas. It took three years of doing so to sweep a tournament, and he took home $23,000. Nguyen now mentors other Vietnamese Americans. “In this game, you can begin at the lowest level and go to the top very quickly,” he said. “When I teach others, I tell them to be patient, learn, and then take your chances.” Still, why does a high-stakes game of poker appeal to so many Vietnamese Americans? It’s because it’s not like slot machines or blackjack, where the chances are against most players, Nguyen said. “The game involves a lot of skill and strategy that you can use to win,” he added. “It’s not all about the cards.” The Vietnamese players also teach each other their best approaches as well as support each other, Nguyen said. Dalla said he didn’t want to stereotype Vietnamese Americans as especially adept at mathematics but believes that a knack for numbers is key to their achievement. The ability to understand human psychology also was a winning trait. “A lot of people can get very nervous in this game but the Vietnamese players are very difficult to read,” Dalla added. “They control their emotions well. That’s one of the most important things.” He also notices that many immigrants tend to be more aggressive compared to other challengers. They put constant pressure on their opponents, he said, but have their own boosters as well. “The Vietnamese tend to be tighter as a group,” he explained. “A lot of people are free agents and don’t have anyone to turn to.” In Men the Master’s case, he never lacks a following. He is known for his entourage of fans. He has a Godfather-like reputation among many Vietnamese poker players. But things weren’t always so bright for one of the game’s most respected competitors. After spending about six months in a Malaysian refugee camp in 1977, Nguyen came to America. One of his first jobs delivering furniture paid him $10 a day. In one night, he can win more money than a year’s salary at one of his old stints. Now, he figures he’ll retire in five years. “When you sit down at the table, focus,” he urges himself. “But if it’s not my day, I go just home and come back.”