The first ever Vietnam Poker Cup recently concluded crowning Hai Minh Nguyen as the champion. Though Vietnamese nationals were not allowed entry, still the event draw noticeable field size of 60 runners in the Main Event.
The Main Event saw many notable poker players, to name a few, Men ‘The Master’ Nguyen, Norbert Koh, Sam Nee, and David Steicke. In the heads-up match, Hai Minh Nguyen battled out Sam Nee for the first prize which was inflated by the additional USD$8,800. This additional money led to the players striking a deal heads up. For this foremost victory at maiden Vietnam Cup, Nguyen took home USD$14,360.
Julien Tran finished 8th for USD$990, with Norbert Koh ranking 7th with USD$1,370. Bien Nguyen finished 6th for USD$1,870 with David Steicke finishing 5th for USD$2,580. Hideki Samashi was eliminated at fourth position with USD$3,540 while Camilla Samsing stood 3rd for USD$4,860.
Originally from the USA, Hai Minh Nguyen resides in Ho Chi Minh City, and balances his time well between running businesses, and his passion for poker. Local expat Vietnamese poker players respect Men ‘The Master’ Nguyen as their poker father, calling him “Master” with no irony. In 2001, he was ranked first on Card Player magazine’s list of the top winning players. At poker tables in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nguyen has won more than 75 major poker tournaments and raked in prize money in excess of $4 million over 17 years.
Poker action in Vietnam will return with the 2nd edition of Asian Poker Tour, Vietnam in November this year.