The Interesting Personal & Professional Life of Hieu Ma

There are several Vietnamese poker professionals in the gambling industry today. Some of them were born in the United States, while some of them were born in Vietnam, making them full-fledged Vietnamese poker players. One of these poker players is Hieu Ma, also known as Tony Ma.

Hieu Ma was born and raised in Vietnam. He was even part of the South Vietnamese Navy. However, on April 29, 1975, he and other Vietnamese had to leave their country because of the war that transpired. He left Vietnam on a cargo ship along with approximately thirty other Vietnamese. It was in the Philippines where the ship landed but an American based in Bristol, Connecticut sponsored his transfer from the Philippines to the United States. In 1987, he decided to settle in Southern California. During this time, Nam Le was already interested in the world of gaming. He was very much interested in playing Dominoes and Paigow. He wanted to become a professional player of Dominoes and Paigow but he was also starting to build a family at that time and it prevented him from playing on a full-time basis. He knew that he had to look for a job that would give him a fixed income for his family. This was when he applied for such jobs as a truck driver and a ship welder.

Hieu Ma must admit that being a truck driver and ship welder provided fixed income for his family. However, he must also admit that the salary he earned was not enough to support them. During this time, he had a realization that he should play in casinos in order to earn added income. He did not know where his determination came from but his brain was actually telling him that he should try his luck in playing poker and make sure to win US$100 each day. He shared such realization to his wife, who supported him and encouraged him to follow what his brain and his heart desired.

Hieu Ma started playing professional poker with a bankroll worth US$5,000. Call it beginner's luck but he just kept on winning ever since the day he decided to become a professional player of poker. And as Hieu Ma played more often, he also successfully honed his technical skills. Being able to play against other poker professionals was really advantageous because he could always learn techniques from them. Poker did not only become an interesting game for him but poker also became the reason for him to become a good provider to his family.

The first time that Hieu Ma won in a World Series of Poker event was in 1996. Among the players that he was able to beat were Peter Vilandos, Johnny Chan, John Bonetti, and T. J. Cloutier.

Hieu Ma advises amateur poker players, as well as professional poker players, to write down the mistakes they commit in each poker game they play. By writing down their mistakes, they will be able to remember those mistakes and prevent themselves from committing them again.