On its one-year anniversary, the ESPN.com poker news program “Inside Deal” welcomed “The Prince of Poker,” 1998 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champ Scotty Nguyen. In celebration, a special “Baby-O-Meter” ran in the corner of the screen, counting the number of times Nguyen dropped his trademark word.
The rumored sale of the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas took center stage to open this week’s episode of “Inside Deal.” WSOP Vice President Ty Stewart joined the set via phone and explained, “We can’t predict the future, but I can tell you that the November Nine will definitely be played at the Penn and Teller Theater and big, large organizational meetings are already underway to host the 2011 WSOP at the Rio.” The action in the Main Event resumes on November 6th.
Meanwhile, the 2010 WSOP Europe schedule begins on September 14th. Stewart was looking forward to the five-event series: “We’re back at the Empire, which has really been a solid home for the WSOP in London. It seems that special things just happen there. It’s where Annette Obrestad broke out. It’s where we set the record for the longest final table when John Juanda won. It’s where we’ve had November Niners do so well and Daniel Negreanu make the final three in back-to-back years.” The £10,350 buy-in WSOP Europe Main Event begins on September 23rd.
Also discussed on this week’s cycle of “Inside Deal” was the departure of Liv Boeree from UB.com. “Inside Deal” host Bernard Lee explained the background to Boeree becoming a free agent: “This situation has been brewing a while, basically since the Main Event. A lot of people were very surprised when she was not wearing a UB.com logo as she did during the previous bracelet events.” Lee added that Boeree could sign with PokerStars or DoylesRoom, the latter of which is searching for two women to flank its Brunson 10.
Meanwhile, Nguyen is preparing to publish his life story and turning to a fan to write it. Nguyen told Lee and fellow “Inside Deal” host Laura Lane, “The people of the United States of America allowed me to become who I am, so I want to give back. I want to give one of the fans an opportunity to make it big in life, the same way they gave me a chance to make it big. That’s what happened, baby.”
Nguyen revealed that he was on a boat for 23 days fleeing from Vietnam to Thailand and ran out of oil and food after two days. Now, he may become a member of the Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2010. Nguyen was nominated last year, but did not make the final cut potentially due to character issues. Nguyen explained, “Everything happens for a reason. I would never be disappointed if I don’t get nominated because everything – you have to earn it – you have to work hard for it. If this year, I don’t get in, it’s going to be next year and I’ll work harder and harder.”
Nguyen’s overzealous use of the word “baby” began in 1997, when the phrase made it easier to interact with his poker tablemates. In 2008, Nguyen took down the $50,000 HORSE Championship while allegedly inebriated, spouting off a tidal wave of expletives on national television. On the incident, Nguyen asserted, “I apologized to the fans all over the world, wherever I go and wherever I play. Wherever I go, the media always ask me the same question, so I tell them there are no excuses about my behavior. Sometimes winning is not everything; you have to win in a pretty way, not an ugly way.”
Throughout his career, Nguyen’s focus has remained the fans, which have largely stood by him despite episodes like the HORSE Championship. “The fans are everything,” Nguyen remarked. “A lot of poker players forget how they got there. Without the fans recognizing you, you would never become who you are right now. They give you support, they give you love, and they point out what you do wrong and what you do right. All they do is make you become a better person and a better poker player.”
Nguyen dropped 44 “baby” bombs during the course of the 10-minute interview. Catch new episodes of “Inside Deal” every Tuesday on ESPN.com.
