Up until recently, the poker media have portrayed veteran pro Thuan “Scotty” Nguyen as a pleasant, fun-loving character. Famous for his boisterous laugh, gold medallions and referring to everyone he meets as “Baby”, Nguyen often came across as one of the most enjoyable players to watch. Even when playing against him, opponents often found themselves caught up in his ability to turn the tense atmosphere of a major tournament into a home-game-style party.

That image has suffered since the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event. With the final two tables in play, Nguyen was the chip leader. By all accounts, he should have made the final table and stood a very good chance of joining Moss, Brunson, Ungar and Chan as the only multiple Main Event champions. Instead, he attempted to force his will on European pro Philip Hilm, who refused to be intimidated by the former champion. Nguyen’s ego and recklessness cost him his final table berth and earned him an eleventh-place finish.

At this year’s World Series of Poker, Nguyen won the prestigious $50,000 buy-in HORSE event. Most poker experts consider this to be the toughest tournament in the history of the Series: the field is almost exclusively made up of experienced pros, the buy-in keeps out all but the most elite players and the mixture of games requires the highest skill levels of the participants. Nguyen’s victory under such circumstances, especially after his flameout in last year’s Main Event, should have cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players in the history of the game.

Instead of displaying the class and dignity befitting his stature as the “Prince of Poker”, Nguyen chose to behave so disgracefully that his fellow pros have questioned both his state of mind and his sobriety. Some examples of his outlandish behavior:

• During a seven-card stud hand, Nguyen showed his hole cards to the crowd.
• In another hand, he left the table to high-five audience members before the action had finished.
• He hectored young pro Michael DeMichele on his behavior while acting worse by the moment.
• His repeated use of foul language at the table while calling for more cocktails did not draw a penalty from tournament officials, unlike in previous years with players such as Mike Matusow and Sean Sheikhan.

Many players have speculated that Nguyen’s behavior at the HORSE tournament reflects a “hangover” from last year’s Main Event failure. Nguyen also issued an online apology to his fans, though that statement did not mention Lindgren, DeMichele or World Series staff.

Nguyen’s talent for the game is undeniable. He will go down in history as the first man to win both the World Championship and the David “Chip” Reese Memorial Trophy. The question remains: will the Prince of Poker become an admired leader like Henry at Agincourt, or will he still be the loutish Prince Hal throwing back beers with Falstaff?