In 1974, at the age of 14, Thuan "Scotty" Nguyen left his native Nha Trang, Vietnam, in order to escape the hardships of poverty and corruption. He found himself with a family in Chicago but soon after moved to Orange County, California. This was beginning of a long and successful journey for a man who became one of the most active and well-respected poker players in the world, one they would call "The Prince of Poker."

When he first arrived in Orange County, California, Scotty set up all-night poker games in the backroom of his house. Eventually, it meant expulsion from school due to spending too much time at the card table and not in class. Shortly after, he received a job as a dealer at a southern California casino, memorizing every tick and mannerism of winners and losers, which invaluably helped him as his poker career began.

Scotty is known for his charismatic, loose-lipped phrases at the poker table. From "yeah baby yeah" on good deals to "that's poker, baby" whenever a bad hand comes up, he is a favorite among poker enthusiasts everywhere. In fact, "baby" is tagged at the end of everything he says. But that's just part of his charm.

His most notable comment comes from the final table at the 1998 World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournament when he called out to his opponent Kevin McBride, "You call this one and it's all over, baby." The table dealt 9-9-8-8-8, a full house. McBride sat on a Queen and a 10, Nguyen was holding a Jack and a nine. Banking on a famously cocky Nguyen bluff, McBride hoped to split the pot. He called and Scotty left with the full $1 million purse, his first major title, and a higher full house on the table.

Players like McBride cannot be faulted to call Nguyen on certain hands, especially those hands that hold a little more weight than others. Scotty's tough-skinned, aggressive and calculating. He plays with an edge that matches his appearance, one of slick suits, dark sunglasses, and gold chains hanging around his neck. His decisions are as deliberate as the way his hair lays, his words careful and precise and directed particularly at the younger players bending them until they snap under his pressure. And his risks are justified by his total purse and impressive winning record.

This alchemy of intimidation and intelligence has catapulted Scotty to the heights of the poker world, earning him four WSOP titles. In 2004, he earned close to $4 million solely from poker. Between 2000 and 2004, Scotty banked in over 100 tournaments and as of 2006 has a total purse of $6.3 million. His cashes number over 160, first place finishes over 30, and has been ranked top dog in poker more than 80 times.

In addition to his WSOP titles, Scotty has also won the $2,000 Omaha Hi/Low Event in 1997, the Pot Limit Omaha in 2001, the $5,000 Omaha Hi/Low Event in 2001, two World Poker Open at Foxwoods titles, and several Legends of Poker titles. His final table appearances are much higher, including the Bellagio Event, the Party Poker Million Event, and the Mirage and Horseshoe Tunica Event to name a few. His most recent first place finish came in January 2006 at the Gold Strike World Poker Open, taking home $969,421.

Scotty's usual haunt is Las Vegas, Nevada, the home of the WSOP tournament. With an attitude unlike any other, a beer in one hand and randomly throwing out the occasional comment to a nearby woman, he gives off a false sense of comfort for his opponents.

Make no mistake, Scotty Nguyen is one of the most aggressive and menacing faces to meet in a tournament, an opponent only the brave (and possibly the lucky) can defeat. He boasts when the doctors pulled his tiny, newborn hands from making fists they found decks of cards in them. With this arrogant, self-made legend of him being born to play poker and his personal motivation phrase he says to himself, "Winning is everything and I play to win," it's not wonder why he's at the top of his game and the top of the game…baby.

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