Jeff Haney on how one participant at the World Series of Poker avoided a repeat performance and got off the bubble

Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2006 | 7:40 a.m.

Oh no, not again, Hoa Manh Nguyen was thinking.

In last year's World Series of Poker championship event, Nguyen came about as close to the prize money as you can get without cashing.

He finished in 563rd place in a field of 5,619 players, but went home to Sunnyvale, Calif., with nothing to show for it. Only 560 players were paid.

Now, in a horrifying reprise of last year's performance, Nguyen found himself on "the bubble" - just short of the money - once more.

It was Friday afternoon at the Rio, and they were narrowing the field in this year's no-limit Texas hold 'em world championship event. Of 8,773 players, 873 would finish in the money, earning at least some return on the $10,000 they invested to enter the tournament.

Nguyen was still alive in the event, not desperate to make a move, but holding a smallish stack of chips.

Before the action came around to him, an opponent in early position raised the pot a moderate amount, making it $5,000 in tournament money to play.

"It gets to me, I look down and see two queens," in his hand, Nguyen said. "I said, 'Oh my God. I've been playing for three days. I haven't been dealt pocket aces once. I had pocket kings exactly one time. And now queens. I have to play.' "

He moved all-in for the rest of his chips, about $21,000. The original raiser - who obviously came to Las Vegas to gamble - decided to call with a king-six in his hand.

When a king hit the board on fourth street - the fourth of five community cards dealt in hold 'em - Nguyen was eliminated.

On the bubble.

Again.

"I felt awful," Nguyen said.

This time, however, Nguyen left Las Vegas with something to show for his effort: a seat in next year's World Series championship event worth $10,000.

After his devastating knockout, Nguyen went on to defeat 10 opponents - the final players out of the money - in the inaugural Bubble Playoff, a special one-table tournament designed to ease the pain of coming up just short of a payday in the World Series main event.

Because "bubble players" win as much as the first person to bust out - precisely nada - getting eliminated on the bubble is the cruelest way to leave a tournament, especially a major event such as the World Series. Just ask Nguyen.

"It was like all my work over the three days was just gone," he said. "I didn't know what to do. Two years in a row, right on the bubble, I couldn't believe it."

Nguyen was also dreading having to report the bad news to a couple of friends back home who had bought a piece of his tournament action. His friends chipped in $5,000 of his buy in for half of any winnings, Nguyen said.

"Then I heard about this (Bubble Playoff), and I said, 'OK, it's a free roll. Why not?' " Nguyen said.

In the Bubble Playoff on Saturday in the Rio's main poker tournament area, Nguyen outdistanced his opponents, building a big chip lead and finally finishing off runner-up Vincent Lin of Las Vegas. Besides the seat in the 2007 main event, Nguyen also won a year's supply of beer from tournament sponsor Milwaukee's Best Light.

Perhaps he'll find the answer as to why that guy called with king-six at the bottom of one of those cans.

"King-six off suit," Nguyen said. "And he still had to call $16,000. When I saw (the hand), I felt good but I was still a little worried. The flop came an ace and two small cards, so I was in good shape. But I saw the king right away as it fell. I thought, this cannot be happening again."

His victory in the Bubble Playoff - which tournament officials expect to make an annual event - provided solace.

"Winning felt great," Nguyen said. "It made me forget about last year."