Danny Nguyen was born on January 8 in Vietnam. He moved from his birthplace in Vietnam to the United States in 1981 seeking a better life and all of the goods America can offer a foreigner. He then settled in San Jose, California and he has been living there ever since.
There was a short period of unemployment for Danny Nguyen but it was over soon, when he was alerted about an opening at the Bay 101 card room, so he applied and got accepted. He then began working as a poker dealer in the Garden City Casino. He spent many years watching the best players make their turns, show their moves. So he learned from the winners how to be a winner. It was in the 1990’s when he decided to step into the poker scene and prove that he truly understood the game by doing well at the cash games.
In 1998 he first participated in a tournament and cashed twice the buy-in amount. From then on, he knew that tournaments are a place where he can really show his skills and turn them into big money prizes. After all, his devotion to the game deserved a reward. His fast learning and desire to become the player he dreamed to be, soon lead to a result. With time, he mastered his skills and used each and every game as a lesson. All of that taught him how to read his opponents, how to use his cards and how to be a winner. But it wasn’t until 2005 that everybody noticed just how well he plays.
He first participated in the 2004 Speedway of Poker VI in the Limit Hold’em and earned $780, by finishing 7th.
Later, in March 2005, in the Shooting Star Tournament – World Poker Tour Season 3 he finished 1st, earning $1,000,000. At the final table that included Gus Hansen, Danny Nguyen proved himself as the reckless player at the table. He was aware how dangerous it is to play this way, but having the support of his friends and the years of poker knowledge, he had the guts to continue. And that earned him the big score!
As of 2008, Danny Nguyen’s total live tournament winnings exceed $1,100,000.