SCOTTY'S FIFTH WSOP BRACELET (Update)

4 July 2008

Nguyen gets a great return on his $50 000 H.O.R.S.E. investment


Five days on in Event 45, the $50 000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. World Championship (see previous InfoPowa updates) we have a winner.
Scotty Nguyen added a fifth World Series of Poker bracelet to his impressive collection this week in winning one of the biggest events in the WSOP series, in the process scoring a healthy return on his investment by picking up a check for almost $2 million and the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy.

The final table took 14 hours to conclude, and was initially headed by Erick Lindgren with 3 680 000 in chips, followed by Thuan 'Scotty' Nguyen (3 535 000), with a comfortable gap between them and the remaining players: Barry Greenstein, Matt Glanz, Lyle Berman, Huck Seed, Michael DeMichele and Patrick Bueno.

Short stacked Bueno was an early casualty, taken out by Erick Lindgren but perhaps consoled by his $230 880 eighth placing check. He was followed by Huck Seed who collected $284 160 after being busted out in seventh position by DeMichele, and by Greenstein in sixth for $355 200 who fell victim to Nguyen

Lyle Berman lasted a little longer, but was eventually shown the exit door in fifth position for $444 000 by Nguyen, who went on to eliminate Glantz in a hand of Omaha Hi Lo, sending him home with $568 320 for his fourth placing.

Following the departure of Glantz the game settled down to a tough six hours of professional poker play, leading to just short of 200 hands of three handed play before Erick Lindgren saw his hopes dashed by Nguyen and headed for the rail in third place and a reward of $781 440.

Going into the heads up, Nguyen had, at 12 140 000, a massive 4 to 1 chip lead on his opponent, Michael DeMichele. It was a daunting test for DeMichele; only his second WSOP final table, against a highly experienced player, and more money on the table than he had earned in his playing career to date.

After the marathon struggle immediately prior to the start of the heads up, play was relatively quick and the matter was decided in 10 hands. Nguyen had his fifth piece of jewelry, $1 989 120 in cash and the memorial trophy. DeMichele gave his career earnings a massive shot in the arm with his second placing reward of $1 243 200.

The 22-year-old from Connecticut commented: "I never dreamed I would finish this deep. There were so many players more deserving of this victory than me – I was the new kid on the block."

For Nguyen, it was a welcome come-back from a bad streak last year which saw him finishing eleventh in the WSOP Main Event, leading to a temporary loss of both personal confidence and physical mass. The win, Nguyen's 36th cash in WSOP events, brings the veteran's career earnings to nearly $10 million and a hoard of five WSOP bracelets.

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa