Mark Nguyen

Men Nguyen was born in 1954 in Phan Thiet, Vietnam. At age 13, he dropped out of school and worked as a bus driver to support his family. In early 1978, as a staunch anti-Communist, he escaped Vietnam by boat with 87 compatriots, landing in Pulau Besar, Malaysia. He received political asylum in the United States later that year and settled in Los Angeles, California. He became an American citizen in 1986.

Nguyen first played poker in 1984 on a junket to Las Vegas, initially losing hundreds of dollars and earning the nickname 'Money Machine.' However, he quickly mastered the game, winning his first tournament in 1987. He used his poker earnings to open a dry cleaning business and furniture store, but sold them in 1990 to focus on poker.

Nguyen has over 475 money finishes and more than 95 tournament wins. He is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished tournament players in the world, known for tutoring many successful players, including his cousins David Pham and Minh Nguyen, as well as his wife, Van Nguyen. His nickname 'The Master' was given by a student in 1991. He has won Card Player Magazine Player of the Year four times: in 1997, 2001, 2003, and 2005. As of 2022, his total live tournament earnings exceed $11,000,000, with over $4,100,000 from WSOP events.

Nguyen has been a WSOP staple since the late 1980s, winning seven bracelets across three decades. His bracelets are:

His largest WSOP cash came in the $5,000 No Limit Hold'em Six Handed event in 2010, where he finished runner-up for $412,746. He has cashed in every WSOP since 1998, except during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

Nguyen has made several WPT final tables but no titles. His top five WPT results are:

Nguyen met his wife, Van, in Vietnam and brought her to the United States. She learned poker from him and won the 2008 WPT Celebrity Invitational, becoming the first woman to win a WPT mixed event. They have three children. Nguyen is known for his philanthropy, building a kindergarten in Vietnam with his 1996 WSOP Main Event earnings. He has donated to charities in Vietnam. Despite unproven allegations of cheating, he maintains a stellar reputation. His total live earnings exceed $11 million, and he ranks 58th on the US all-time money list as of 2024.