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It’s the most oft-repeated quote in World Series history: “You call this one, it’s all over, baby.” Scotty Nguyen, completing his long odyssey, goes from floating off Vietnam and being stranded in the ocean to striking it rich by winning the most American of institutions, the World Series of Poker. 1998 was undoubtedly Scotty’s year.
It didn’t start out that way. Doyle Brunson won just his second bracelet in nineteen years, Erik Seidel, Farzad Bonyadi, David Chiu, Chau Giang and TJ Cloutier were also amongst the winners, and a young Canadian named Daniel Negreanu broke into the winner’s circle with his victory in the $2,000 Pot Limit Hold’em Event.
The main event saw 350 entrants competing once again for a $1,00,000 first prize, but this time, when the final table came around, there were only five players remaining. Scotty eliminated two players –“Gentle” Ben Roberts and Jan Lundberg in the final hand of the penultimate day of play.
While Scotty and TJ would start the day as co-favorites, it was amateur Kevin McBride who would face Nguyen in the final. McBride had read Cloutier’s book on tournament strategy, then proceeded to misapply much of what he read. He called for more than he raised and even managed to take out Cloutier by calling when conventional wisdom said he should have folded.
The final was a classic. After a memorable hand where McBride ran to the bathroom while Scotty made his decision on the river, the two got mixed up in what would ultimately become one of the best-remembered hands of all-time. It started when McBride, holding Qh-10h, raised to T50,000. Nguyen called with Jd-9c, and hit pay dirt when the flop came9h-9d-8c.
Scotty checked then called when McBride made a pot-sized bet. The turn, 8h, gave Nguyen the full house, but again he checked, reading his man perfectly. Kevin bet another T100,000 and again Scotty called. When the river brought 8s, putting a full house on the table, Nguyen instantly moved all-in.
It was a brilliant play because it reeked of a game of chicken. He knew McBride would think they were chopping and playing the board. Finally, with the chop McBride’s best possible result, Scotty uttered his now-famous words;”You call this one, it’s all over baby.” The goad was enough to make McBride call. Scotty was the champion.
Gary Wise
gary@wisehandpoker.com
