If you haven’t played poker with Phong 'Turbo' Nguyen, you’ve missed a good time — though your bankroll might be better off for it.
Nguyen’s love for poker rivals his zest for life. Whether he's at the table, talking business, or on the golf course, Turbo carries a positive energy and wicked charm that’s infectious and a joy to be around.
This past summer, Nguyen captured the biggest score of his poker career at the 10K Wynn High Roller Senior event for $186,000. PokerOrg caught up with him soon after he returned from a long vacation after the grind of the WSOP.
'This is my time to tell my story'
Thanks for taking the time for the interview, Turbo.
It's the first time I've been interviewed by a white guy who is not a cop. So far, so good (laughs).
Now I’m compelled to ask... When was the last time a police officer interviewed you?
In my past life, before everyone knew me as Turbo. It was a different life.
Let’s talk about your life now and poker.
I don't want to talk technical f**king poker, typical hand breakdown shit. This is my f**king time to talk. This is my time to tell my story. I'm all about positivity, longevity, and learning.
Before you took down the Wynn High Roller Senior, I had no idea you had $2,500,000 in career earnings.
Man. All of that earning in Hendon Mob is a grind. That score in the Senior Event was the biggest in my whole career. I have a lot of cashes. I put in the grind. I put in the grind because I needed to play poker to stay out of trouble. Poker literally saved my life.
What were you doing before you found poker?
I guess without going into details, I've done things I'm not proud of. But that made me who I am today, right?
Let’s start from the beginning, then.
I came to America when I was five years old by boat with my uncle. I'm 50 now. Whatever it took me to get here, I'm proud of it. I wouldn't change a damn thing because if I change one thing, all this changes. You have to take the good with the bad — or the bad with the good.
You grew up in California. What can you share about that part of your life?
Growing up as a young kid, my whole family was degenerate gamblers. My dad is a degenerate gambler; my grandfather is a degenerate gambler. All they do is gamble, chase women, and get drunk. That's all they knew. They're ignorant. So, when I became older, that's all I knew. And I became a degenerate gambler.
'That was my rock bottom'
How did you get past it to achieve the life you have now?
I had to learn the hard way. People think gambling is very glamorous and all that. But if you are degenerate and play every dollar you have, it's a disease. It's bad.
Did that lead to your run-in with the law?
Yes. That life had a lot to blame for me going the wrong way of the law.
What were some of the hardest lessons you learned through all of that turmoil?
The hardest lesson was when I was looking at doing 15 years, right? My baby mama left me, my kid was with her, and then eventually everybody was gone. That was my rock bottom. Let me summarize it without too much detail. For 13 years, I was on the run. And this is where the story gets good, because it’s a story of redemption.
The date I got caught and I'm in handcuffs was July 7, 2007. What does that mean to you?
Enlighten me.
Okay. It was 7/7/2007. What's 777 as a gambler? I'm in f**king handcuffs. I'm looking at 15 years in prison. I put my head down, and my whole life was destroyed. I'm f**ked. I knew I had to face the music. And you know what? After I went through all that, I took accountability for my life, my actions. That 777 was my jackpot.
That day turned your life around.
It did. I got out. I learned how to play poker. I had to earn respect back when I got out. I was swimming upstream, you know, but that gave me purpose.
How did you meet your wife? You and your family share some very positive and entertaining posts on IG.
One day, my future wife, Lynda, walked into the casino. My first instinct was that I needed to protect her. She doesn’t belong in this world of casinos. This casino world is infested with f**king guys like me, you know? Somehow, I took the chance of asking to talk to her. I don't know how I did it.
'You have to change your bad habits'
What did you ask her first?
One of the first things I asked was, ‘What's the chance of you dating a poker player?’ She told me I was drawing dead. So, it gave me something to strive for, to change my life for. It gave me a purpose.
That’s wonderful. Were you playing poker tournaments at the time?
Yes. I became a tournament grinder. I grinded my ass off playing $40, $60, $100 buy-ins and satellites because I couldn't afford a straight-up buy-in.
Did you start to study?
Not really. I learned from experience. On the poker table, I know how to read people. I know how to play people. I don’t have a deep explanation for you, but I will win pots. I will win tournaments. But I won't be able to tell you about the exact technical process like other players, right? I just know how to get it done.
What’s the best advice for some of the young guns you see across from you in MTTs?
I've fallen on my ass learning that if you cannot control your own emotions, you cannot control yourself, and you can never win in this game. Poker is a game of patience. This is a game just like life. You have to make rational decisions. You have to stay calm, cool, and collected. All the best players know how to do this.
People tend to forget the bad beats they give other people. They always remember the bad beats they get. Either you brush yourself off and play the next hand to the best of your ability, or you mope and cry about it.
Do you have any other tips for young players?
You have to change your bad habits. I had to fix my leaks. I was a degenerate gambler. When I first got into the tournament, I would get my payout and go straight to the baccarat table. So yeah, I learned the hard way.
Bankroll management is essential. Stay away from the pits. Stay in the game. Don't play too big. This is clichéd stuff, but it's all true. The guys who can execute that life and poker approach the most are the guys who win. The guys who lack discipline are the ones looking for a backer.
Tell me a little about your business. I’ve seen some of the cool apparel on your IG.
I am invested in a company called TKGLifestyle. One of my favorite brands under that umbrella is our golf apparel brand, Malbon. I enjoy working with everyone involved as we grow the company.
You can follow Turbo on X and Instagram.
Additional images courtesy of WPT.
