Qui Nguyen

Qui Nguyen (born 1977) is a Vietnamese-American poker player from Las Vegas, Nevada. He was born in Vietnam and emigrated to the United States in 2001 at the age of 24. Initially settling in California, he worked in a nail salon, which he later opened himself. His favorite casino game was baccarat, but he discovered poker during his time in California. He moved to Las Vegas in 2007 to pursue poker more seriously.

Nguyen began playing poker in 2003, concentrating on small limit hold'em cash games. His first recorded cashes came in tiny $20 limit hold'em tournaments in Los Angeles. After arriving in Las Vegas, he turned to no-limit games and recorded several cashes in small buy-in events. His only WSOP cash prior to the Main Event came in a $1,500 No Limit Hold'em event in 2009, where he finished 54th for $9,029. Other early cashes included a 9th-place finish in the 2007 Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic ($2,100 buy-in, $8,655) and a 2nd-place finish in a $225 event at the Wynn Casino in 2015 ($7,607).

Nguyen won his seat in the 2016 Main Event through a $1,100 satellite. He entered the final table (the "November Nine") in second chip position. The final table lasted 364 hands, with Nguyen defeating Gordon Vayo on the 181st hand of heads-up play. His K♣ 10♣ held against Vayo's J♠ 10♠ on a board of K♦ 9♣ 7♦ 2♠ 3♥, earning him $8,005,310 and his first WSOP bracelet. The win was the largest prize in poker at the time, and Nguyen became the first Vietnamese-born player to win the Main Event.

Nguyen is known for his aggressive, unpredictable style, often making large bets and bluffs. His nickname is "Tommy Gun" (sometimes also "Qui Win"). During the 2016 Main Event, his unorthodox approach confused opponents and commentators alike. He frequently bet large amounts with marginal hands, forcing opponents to make difficult decisions. His style was described as "reckless" by some but proved effective against the deep stacks of the final table.

Since his Main Event victory, Nguyen has continued to play in WSOP events and other tournaments. As of 2024, his total live tournament winnings exceed $8,186,461, ranking him 217th on the all-time money list. He is 103rd on the United States all-time list and 11th on the Nevada all-time list. Notable later cashes include:

• 2019 WSOP Main Event: 455th place ($30,780)
• 2019 WSOP Event #17: $1,500 Shootout: 40th ($5,279)
• 2021 WSOP Main Event: 241st ($38,600)
• 2022 WSOP Event #37: $1,500 Millionaire Maker: 247th ($6,600)
• 2022 WSOP Event #27: $1,500 Shootout: 86th ($5,835)
• 2022 WSOP Event #16: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em: 154th ($5,276)
• 2022 bestbet Jacksonville Spring Series $1,680 Mystery Bounty Main Event: 48th ($1,993)
• 2024 WSOP Event #1: $5,000 Champions Reunion: 21st ($15,471)
• 2025 WSOP Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker: 1512th ($3,010)
• 2025 WSOP Event #20: $1,500 Shootout: 121st ($5,360)
• 2026 WSOP Event #50: $1,500 Millionaire Maker: 597th ($4,440)

He also cashed in the 2018 WSOP Millionaire Maker (332nd, $5,097) and 2018 Event #13 ($2,851).

In November 2017, Nguyen published his autobiography, From Vietnam to Vegas! How I Won the World Series of Poker Main Event, co-authored by Steve Blay. The 450-page book dissects over 170 key hands from the final table and tells his life story. Steve Blay is the founder of AdvancedPokerTraining.com, a software engineer who used his poker training software to create bots simulating each of the November Nine's playing styles. The simulations kept predicting a Qui Nguyen victory. When Nguyen heard of these results, he flew Blay out to Las Vegas to help him train for the final table. D&B Publishing reached out to Nguyen and Blay after the WSOP victory to publish the book.

As of November 2017, Qui Nguyen lives in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas, Nevada, with his son Kyle. He remains active in the poker community and occasionally plays in high-stakes cash games. His rags-to-riches story continues to inspire many aspiring poker players.