Reaching the final table of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event was no easy task for Qui Nguyen, who battled his way through three satellite tournaments before earning his seat. The only Las Vegas resident to reach the final table, the 39-year-old will be in seat 4 with 67,295,000 chips when the tournament starts on Oct. 30.
“The first day, I just tried to get in the money,” Nguyen told the Las Vegas Review Journal. “No way did I think I’d go to the final table. No way I’d say that.”
Despite his lack of confidence, the Vietnamese not only reached the final nine, but sits second in chip count, rebounding from where he sat at the beginning of the final day (25th place) thanks to three eliminations in six hands. He has a strong cash-game history, but has only cashed in one other WSOP event and his tournament success has been limited.
The poker pro moved to Vegas from Florida ten years ago and is also a frequent baccarat player, but it is usually a less-successful game for him than Hold ‘Em. When asked if he was going to sell his WSOP Main Event entry, he simply said: “It’s just $10,000 … I lost a lot more in baccarat.”
Nguyen and the rest of the November Nine are guaranteed at least a $1 million payout, each.
Other November Nine profiles:
(Photo credit: WSOP)
