WSOP star Cuong Nguyen: 'I don't even play poker'
US amateur on brink of $9million win has barely played the game before
| by The Suited Connector |  July, 17th 2010 |
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Above: Cuong 'Soi' Nguyen barely plays poker...but is storming the WSOP
AN amateur player who has only ever entered four tournaments in his life is a day away from the World Series of Poker Main Event final table.
Cuong 'Soi' Nguyen, from Santa Ana, California is in second place overall with just 27 players fighting it out for the $8.9m 1st prize.
The Vietnamese-born rookie, who works for a medical supplies company, has a staggering 23.1million chips – putting him in prime position to challenge for the world title and the biggest prize in poker.
But he seems totally bewildered to find himself at the centre of the poker world's iconic event in Las Vegas, which had 7,319 entrants – making it the second biggest tournament in history.
After bagging up his enormous chip stack, he said: “I don’t play poker.
“I work sick hours and in 10 years, I’ve taken two weeks of vacation. So I figured, I’m going to do it this year. I’m just going to try it.”
The superstitious Nguyen – no relation of former World Champ Scotty – added: “This room is freezing, but the first day I came in here wearing shorts and sandals and every day since I’ve been wearing the same thing.
“ My feet are freezing, but I refuse to wear shoes and socks because I don’t want to change anything.”
The only player ahead of Nguyen is another amateur American, Joseph Cheong, who has 24.4 million chips.
In third is Pascal leFrancois, with 15,780,000 and fourth is Jason Senti, a former software engineer from Minnesota who plays in a rock band called Suburban Hero, with 13,550,000.
Bookies favourite Matt Affleck (12/1 with Bet365) is in fifth with 12,515,000 and the last remaining brit, Redmond Lee, is short-stacked back in 20th with just over 3 million chips.
Former chip leader Theo Jorgensen had a terrible Friday and lost all of his 12 million chips to finish in 30th, winning $255,242.
All 27 remaining players are now guaranteed at least $317,161, with the top eight finishers set to become dollar millionaires.
The 'November Nine' – the final table players – will be decided late tonight at the Rio Hotel and Casino's Amazon Room.
WORLD SERIES OF POKER MAIN EVENT 2010: CHIP COUNT
Joseph Cheong — 24,490,000
Cuong Nguyen — 23,100,000
Pascal LeFrancois — 15,780,000
Jason Senti — 13,550,000
Matthew Jarvis — 13,300,000
Matt Affleck — 12,515,000
Jonathan Duhamel — 10,520,000
John Racener — 10,470,000
Filippo Candio — 10,020,00 0
Benjamin Statz — 9,885,000
Robert Pisano — 8,060,000
Michiel Sljpkens — 7,765,000
Duy Le — 7,255,000
Scott Clements — 7,250,000
David Baker — 6,825,000
Michael Mizrachi — 6,300,000
Brandon Steven — 6,045,000
Adam Levy — 4,745,000
William Thorson — 3,680,000
Redmond Lee — 3,315,000
Mads Wissing — 3,070,000
Ronnie Bardah — 2,525,000
Matthew Bucaric — 2,270,000
John Dolan — 2,175,000
Patrick Eskandar — 1,655,000
Johnny Lodden — 1,560,000
Hasan Habib — 1,510.000
