Congratulations to the 2008 WSOP HORSE event winner, Scotty Nguyen. Poker professional Scotty Nguyen won nearly $2 million at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas on Monday, topping a field of 148 players and emerging from a strenuous final table with his fifth WSOP gold bracelet.
Nguyen beat 23-year-old Michael DeMichele in H.O.R.S.E., a rotating-game tournament that cost $50,000 to buy in.
The various poker games and limited betting structure reward all around play and is said to truly reward the best players over the long haul. Along with the main event, many players consider H.O.R.S.E. the most important tournament in the World Series of Poker.
Nguyen won the final hand Monday at limit Hold ’em, pushing DeMichele all in with an ace and a 10. DeMichele, far behind in chips, called with an ace and a three, and Nguyen’s 10 gave him the win when both players paired their aces. DeMichele won $1.24 million for his second place finish.
“I guess I’ll have to live with being that guy,” said DeMichele of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Nguyen said it felt good to break through and win his first gold bracelet since 2001.
“I’m gonna make Phil Hellmuth squirm,” he said, referring to the World Series of Poker record holder with 11 bracelets.
Nguyen started the final table Sunday with the second-highest chip stack among a tough field that included DeMichele and poker professionals Erick Lindgren, Barry Greenstein and Huck Seed.
Learn more about Scotty Nguyen
Win a seat into the 2008 WSOP main event at PokerStars
