She wasn’t planning to be here at WSOP Paradise, having traveled to Las Vegas during the winter in recent years. But thanks to her brother and sister-in-law – who chose to share in the perks of her rewards credits here in the Bahamas – Nan Min is on the verge of what she says would be a gigantic cash for her in the Super Main Event.
At 60 years old, Min’s story is a unique one. She sold her home in New York this past May for a life on the road, traveling for poker and staying with friends and family while chasing her dream.
That dream recently led her to a career-best score of $13,000 and a pair of trophies at Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida. She’s now ridden that wave across the Atlantic, where she entered a $2,750 satellite into WSOP Paradise’s marquee $25,000 buy-in event, won a seat, and then played her way into Day 2.
A nomad in Paradise
With her regular tournament buy-ins in the $400 to $1,100 range, playing a $25K is a completely new experience, where she says she felt in awe of what was in front of her as soon as she sat down.
“I don't belong. Oh my God, Espen Jorstad was right in front of me," she tells us. "Kiat (Waikiat Lee), who is a big Triton guy. Then Michael Soyza came. We’re talking about people that, if I know their names, they’re big. The situation was pros and millionaires, and me.”
Min knew the field in the Super Main would be tougher than what she was used to, but she was still surprised by how many elite-level players surrounded her, even if they were all very welcoming.
“I looked at the table and rolled my eyes, and they said, ‘We are nice.’ I said, ‘Yeah, you are nice, but I was promised barbecue dads.’ We start playing, and it's obvious I'm the super-rec.”
Learning from the best
While somewhat starstruck from playing with some of the best in the world, this wasn’t the first time she’s sat with a poker hero of hers, which helped with her comfort level here.
This summer, Min’s travels took her to London for the PokerStars Women’s Summer Festival, where she played against and outlasted two-time WSOP Ladies Champion Shiina Okamoto, finishing runner-up in the £1,100 High Roller event, while Okamoto finished third.
Discussing hands and situations against Okamoto with her colleagues and coaches afterward, her confidence was boosted by learning that the spots she was concerned with were played correctly.
“I discussed the hands, and I discovered I was always right," she says. "Which means that she's human. She bleeds. I also played against her in Barcelona, but in Barcelona, she was on my left. I had the upper hand this time, because it felt humanly possible that I could do it, too.
"There's nothing stopping you from doing exactly what she's doing since you know what's happening. That's what we do. We study, and we try to improve our skills. Yes, I was completely star-struck, but I realized that's what I'm aiming to become. And she's just studied. She's a machine, and she's lovely.
A great representative for women in poker
A passionate advocate for women in poker and a former VP and board member of Pocket Queens, a poker study group for women, Min was in male-dominated fields in previous careers as a research scientist and in finance but was comfortable because she excelled there.
She acknowledges that poker can be a challenge for women, too, because of its high percentage of male competitors, which she’s found even tougher here at WSOP Paradise.
“Whenever women support each other, it's a little more comfortable," she says. "But here, because there are no women in high rollers, it's very lonely. I just came from (Florida), where I have friends, and poker for me is still social and recreational. But, you know, I'll make this my home [player] pool in the future. I just happened to be here a little bit earlier than I expected.”
Her desire to see the number of women growing and thriving in poker, combined with her strong political views, is why her recent poker trip to Florida was a rare one.
“I'm blue. I bleed blue, and I only travel and play poker in states in which women have more rights than guns, which means I haven't come to Florida for three years. But I have a very good friend who has an apartment on the water, and, you know, since I'm not contributing to the economy, okay, let me crash.”
On to the biggest day of her poker career
But now, thanks to that trip, which saw her earn five other cashes along with her win, she’s carrying heat and 37 big blinds into Day 2 of the Super Main Event. And she says it will take a lot to end her time in the biggest poker spot of her life on Monday.
“Oh, I’m gonna give it my all," she promises. "They need to really try to kill me. But it’s not only skills and manifesting and wanting. Things have to go your way. Crazy things happen in poker, but I have years of preparation, and I am on a hot run. It's gonna be gigantic if it happens.
"You hear about all the pros putting in eight bullets, nine bullets, ten bullets... Do you know how many bullets I put in? One-tenth of a bullet, because I sattied in. And I take pride in this. I'm already winning. There's no downside.”
Regardless of what happens, Min says she’s looking forward to some downtime to focus on fitness, reading, and more poker study in Brazil, where she grew up before moving to New York.
Her next major series will be the Irish Open in the spring, where she’ll be looking to add to her trophy collection, which she says may come in handy when she finally decides to return to a proper home.
“I have to eventually, because I need to house my books. I will have some anchor someday. I can use the trophies as bookends.”
Day 2B of the Super Main Event plays out on Monday, starting at 12pm ET.
