Rich Nguyen
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Medial Engineer Wins Stud!
By Max Shapiro
Rich Nguyen, chief engineer for a company producing medical ventilators, had a fairly easy time of it as he won event number seven in Big Poker Oktober, 7-card stud. Early on he piled up a lot of chips after winning a big pot with three-way action, came to the final table with a sizeable lead and pretty much coasted until he got heads up with Sam Kassis, who recently sold his automobile dealership to start an advertising business doing dealership promotions. When they were fairly even in chips, the two finalists divvied up almost all the prize money, playing for a small amount plus the trophy and points.
Credit Marco Kodor with an assist. He had been Kassis' "closer" at the dealership, and he helped close the deal for the chop by persuading his boss to accept Nguyen's offer.
Interestingly, this was the first final table, probably since tournaments were invented, without any pros in attendance. Besides Nguyen and Kassis, there was another engineer, a financial advisor, a retired businessman, a retired Air Force career man and one law student (Robert Campbell, winner of the $100 Omaha event).
Mario Zakoer and Barbara Enright, playing at separate tables, were knocked out simultaneously to set the final table. Larry Rosenblum, a financial advisor, arrived with only $2,400 and couldn't make anything against Westwood attorney James Kashanni.
With limits at $2,000-$4,000 Air Force retiree Wayne Gulliver and Kassis both went all-in on separate hands, but survived. Sam Vahdani, an engineer from Arcadia, was less fortunate. He started with pocket kings, went all-in and made kings-up, but lost to Nguyen's club flush.
A few hands later, Gulliver traveled home. He called Nguyen's bet for his last $5,600 on fifth street with four diamonds. "I WILL have a flush!" he declared. The deck didn't listen and he lost to Nguyen's two pair. Next, Grand led with an ace kicker to Campbell's king until the law student rivered a second king.
Depleted in chips, Grand made his last stand against Nguyen. Starting again with split tens, he raised and Nguyen, after long thought, played back at him with split sixes and then put him all-in on the next card. Both players missed straight draws, but Nguyen made two pair to narrow the field to four.
Immediately after, there was three-way action. After raising Kashanni all-in, Nguyen made a flush on fifth street. He checked, but Kassis, with pocket kings, didn't bite, figuring that if he bet he'd be committed all the way. Nguyen caught another ace on sixth street and had to bet. Kassis folded and Kashanni, with two pair, exited. Campbell checked out soon after limits were raised to $3,000-$6,000. Nguyen missed his straight draw, but a paired river queen was all he needed to beat him.
Heads-up, Rich had about $58,000 to Sam's $35,000. The auto man took a slight lead with a nine-high straight, and after a couple more hands they brokered a deal. The chips then went back and forth for a while until, with limits at $5,000-$10,000, Nguyen pulled well ahead with tens up and on the next hand finished his opponent with a pair of jacks against a busted flush.
Biography - Rich Nguyen
Rich Nguyen, 41, lives in Corona, California, and is an engineer for a Newport Beach medical equipment manufacturer. He came to this country from Vietnam 22 years ago and has been playing poker for ten years. An occasional tournament player, he holds titles in hold'em from the Normandie and in stud hi-lo from the Bike's October event.
He said he got his big break tonight in a very big hand when there were about 12 tables left. He made four of a kind on fifth street and got a big payoff from one player holding a flush and another with a full house. Then, at the second table, he relieved Barbara Enright of a lot of chips with kings-up. Another key hand for him was when he made his flush in five cards in three-way action to knock out James Kashanni.
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