Although nobody likes to see a professional poker player making an ass of
their self (cough, cough...Phil Hellmuth Jr.), it is good to see when a
professional reaches for redemption by making a public apology for behaving like
an ass. Surprisingly, this time around it wasn't Hellmuth doing the damage
control. Even more surprising, it was none other than the "Prince of Poker"
himself - Scotty Nguyen.
Following a raucous final table at the WSOP Chip Reese Memorial $50,000 HORSE
tournament (not to mention the aftermath of criticism and disappointment to
follow), during which Nguyen lost his composure with finalist Michael DeMichele and
Erik Lindgren, and spouted off many a drunken curse, Nguyen
typed up a rather lengthy apology and sent it on its way across the World Wide
Web via his personal email account. In no time at all, the email had made its
rounds across the internet, and online gaming news articles (like the very one
you are reading at this moment) were quoting Nguyen's apology left and right.
Nguyen pleaded for his fans to understand that his is only human, and that
everybody has "good, bad, sad and angry times". Although he wasn't searching to
justify his actions, Nguyen did remind folks that the event had spanned five
days, with the final table alone consuming fourteen hours of play time. He also
noted that what fans saw on a condensed two-hour television airing, showed him
in a more favorable light than what really went down (Do a search on You Tube if
you want to see some clips).
I personally hope that Nguyen's lesson is a lesson for all. Nguyen poignantly
attested his actions to a shortsightedness stemming from his disappointing loss
at the 2007 WSOP main event. Placing too much importance on this year's event
and too much pressure on himself, Nguyen got zoned out and forgot that he
was being watched. When things didn't go his way, he let frustration and booze
get the best of him.
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