"Say it ain't so, Scotty"

"If there's such a thing as a role model, it has to come from the people the kids are in day-to-day contact with – their family, their teachers, their counselors, their friends. Because I can play basketball doesn't mean anything else. It doesn't mean I'm a good person or a bad person. It doesn't mean I'm bright. It doesn't mean I'm dumb. It doesn't mean anything. It just means that I could play basketball pretty good."



- Bill Russell



It is always tough to watch someone in the public spotlight squander a reputation they have taken years to build in a matter of moments, but watching Scotty Nguyen implode on the ESPN broadcast of the World Series of Poker $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. world championship was especially painful. This must be how a Wall Street CEO feels when he watches thousands of shares of his blue-chip stock tank in the blink of an eye and lose millions. Scotty made the switch from hero to anti-hero quicker than it took Dr. Jekyll to turn into Mr. Hyde, and it will be a long time before Scotty can be called the Prince of Poker again – if ever.



The poker world collectively wrote Scotty off the next day faster than the court of public opinion wrote off "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Barry Bonds, and Pete Rose combined. But before the whole world rushes in and writes off one of poker's most colorful characters forever, let's take a second to put things in perspective. Yes, his behavior at the final table was rude, classless, mean, and more than a little drunk, but it's not like the man killed someone. People should be held accountable for their behavior, and actions do speak louder than words, but why in the world are we looking at poker players as role models in the first place? As the Bill Russell quote above suggests, role models should not come from the world of sports, let alone from the world of gambling. The number of poker players I would consider true role models can be counted on one hand, and that's not saying that there aren't nice people in the world of poker, but role models should be found in people's daily lives.



So is it our place to judge someone's personal behavior in a world that is historically rough around the edges? Erick Lindgren himself said that, "Poker is a real-life game, and people gotta realize that. Before the cameras were on that's kind of how things were some times, you know. We get a little rowdy, and people will be people. Poker is a game where people do drink sometimes, and it can get out of hand." This quote came from a video on Card Player TV where Lindgren was asked about the H.O.R.S.E. final table. Observing Lindgren's conversations with other players during the World Poker Tour Legends of Poker event this past week you could tell he was annoyed with Scotty's behavior at the final table. But Lindgren did an especially great job of deflecting Nguyen's behavior and taking the high road with dignity. The whole situation could have taken a turn for the worse without Lindgren's presence. And although Michael DeMichele was a little out of line with his celebrations early at the finl table, he did back off and attempted to make amends with Scotty when Scotty got way out of line near the end of the final table.



I'm not condoning Nguyen's behavior at all. He should publicly apologize at the next live tournament appearance he makes (he has already done so on CardPlayer.com), and he should make a huge effort to atone for his actions. How someone recovers from a huge mistake in their life speaks louder in the end than the initial mistake, and we should at least give Scotty the chance to make things right before passing final judgment.



What makes his Jekyll and Hyde metamorphosis all the more confusing is that even during the final table, while Scotty was ruining his reputation at the poker table each time he yelled at a cocktail waitress or cursed at the table, he was still interacting with the fans and fulfilling every request they made for pictures and autographs away from the table. I watched him numerous times throughout the night while I was around him on breaks as he conducted himself with class and generosity around the fans. Watching the ESPN broadcast I saw a different person at that poker table, and the transformation took place in a matter of footsteps. Scotty forgot that being an ambassador for the game does not only include interacting with fans on a personal level, it also includes carrying yourself with class and dignity when you're at any poker table, let alone at the biggest one of your career that is going to be watched by a national television audience.



As deplorable as Scotty's actions were, the World Series of Poker's failure to give him a penalty for his behavior was just astounding. The WSOP rule book clearly states in Section IV – Player Conduct and Tournament Integrity under rule 35 that:



Any player who directs any profane and/or abusive language at another player, dealer or tournament staff member or who makes any profane and/or abusive comments about another player, dealer or tournament staff member will be penalized in accordance with Rules No. 31 and/or 51. In particular, the use of the so-called "f-bomb" and "c-bomb" as well as derivatives of those and similarly offensive terms, will subject the offending player to penalties if they are directed at or refer to another player, dealer, staff member, patron or official of Harrah's or the WSOP. In Harrah's sole and absolute discretion, it may impose at any time a zero-tolerance policy for profane language whether directed at another person or not.


NOTE: Rule 31 and 51 are included at the bottom of this column.



It doesn't take a tournament director to determine that Nguyen was in violation of this rule. Why not give him a penalty so he would maybe come to his senses and stop acting the way he did? The WSOP was also soft on Phil Hellmuth during the summer, when he was way out of line during the main event. Are the top players above the law? Scotty's actions made the WSOP look bad as well when they failed to discipline him.



Another problem with Scotty's actions at the final table was that they were largely cut off from the media present to report on the final table. The media outlets that were not the official partner outlets of the WSOP were forced to report on the event in a separate room, which had no audio feed from the final table. The fact that Scotty's behavior was not reported on goes to show how much can be missed if audio access to a final table is not provided to media trying to cover events. This needs to change in subsequent years.



When Scotty just missed making the main event final table last year, many people in the Amazon room, including players, fans, and media were genuinely upset. It felt like the room had just been punched in the collective gut and had wind knocked out of them when he busted. If that same scenario were to happen again tomorrow I feel that a lot of people would be genuinely happy. Because after the H.O.R.S.E. final table this year a lot of people felt like they had been punched in the gut again, but this time for an entirely different reason. The whole situation is a sad thing for poker, and it has left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.



It is now up to Scotty to express regret for his behavior, do everything he can to set things right, and try to re-build his reputation.

The full rules referenced above from the WSOP Rule Book:

31. Harrah's may disqualify any person for any prize based upon fraud, dishonesty, violation of promotional rules or other misconduct while on the property or otherwise occurring in relation to the World Series of Poker or as otherwise reasonable or necessary for Harrah's to comply with applicable statutes and regulations, in its sole and absolute discretion. Harrah's also reserves the right to exclude any individual(s) acting in a disruptive or inappropriate manner.



51. In its sole and absolute discretion, Harrah's may impose penalties that include verbal warnings and missed-hand penalties. A missed-hand penalty will be assessed as follows: The offender will miss one hand for each player at the table, including the offender, when the penalty is given, multiplied by the number of rounds specified in the penalty. Tournament staff can assess one-, two-, three- or four-round penalties or disqualification. Players who receive a missed-hand penalty must remain outside the designated tournament areas for the length of their penalty. The player must notify the tournament staff prior to returning to their seat. Repeat infractions are subject to escalating penalties up to disqualification.