Q & A: Jerry Yang’s Journey to the Top of the Stack

In 2007, Xao “Jerry” Yang became the first Hmong-American to win the World Series of Poker, when he walked away with $8,250,000 in total winnings. After publishing his book All In: From Refugee Camp to Poker Champ, Yang went in depth with the Hmong Pages about his history, his heritage and the strange road to success.

Hmong Pages: First off, your Hmong name is Xao. When and why did you decide to go with Jerry?

Xao “Jerry” Yang: I still use my Hmong name; my parents use it, most people who know me use it. Growing up, people just couldn’t pronounce it – including the teacher. It was kind of embarrassing, actually. When I was in high school, I decided, ‘You know maybe I’ll try out an American name.’ I’m a big fan of the Tom & Jerry show, and Jerry’s this little mouse who kind of represents me. When I was younger I was very mischievous, always hungry, looking for food, so I decided to take it on. All because of that show [laughs].

HP: In your book, you talk about escaping Laos, as a child. What was that like?

Yang: As a youngster in the hills of Laos, I grew up poor. My father was a farmer, but even so, we were always hungry, like many families in Laos. The book talks about my actual trip, from my village, forging the Mekong River into Thailand, four and a half years in the refugee camp. When I came to America -- I mean, it’s the land of milk and honey -- who wouldn’t think that, you know? When we got here, they placed us in one of the worst projects in Nashville, Tennessee, and -- wow. I was stunned.

HP: Before poker, you were a psychiatric social worker?

Yang: Clinical psychologist and social worker. I worked at a clinic that served foster families, in Southern California. Most of the people who work there are social workers, and I was the director of that group.

HP: So you weren’t making a lot of money.

Yang: Of course not! [Laughs] I think social work is a profession that makes some of the lowest wages in this country. So like any typical middle class family, we lived with what we had and went on.

HP: What made you decide to try poker?

Yang: I saw poker for the very first time in 2005, November. I was sitting on the couch with my wife, and I saw the final table of that year’s World Series of Poker. Instantly I knew that was the sport for me. I remember pointing to the TV and saying to my wife, “Honey, I can do that.” She turned toward me, and gave me this very disgusted look, like “Do not go there.” When you have six kids, like me, and a mortgage and car payments, I don’t blame her for not wanting me to get into poker. But a couple of weeks later I bought a book called SuperSystem by Doyle Brunson -- he’s considered the Godfather of poker. My wife saw me reading it, and she threw a fit. But I said, I’ll just take just 5% of my paycheck every month, and if I lose it, I’ll wait until the next month to play again. To my surprise, I started winning. I won a seat [to the World Series of Poker], in 2007, for $10,000; [I] beat 187 players in one day. I got up to $10,000 and they said, ‘Sir, you have two choices. You can go home with the $10,000 and forget about World Series of Poker, or you can use the money to buy a seat, and come July, you can play.’ It was a tough decision. Very, very tough.

HP: They put the money on the table, don’t they? In cash?

Yang: Yes, I could see it, and I’m thinking ‘That’s money in my pocket already!’ I was wandering the casino trying to decide what to do. I didn’t want to call my wife, because I knew what she would say, but then I went back and authorized them to go ahead and buy the seat. When I went home and told her, she was very supportive. Long story, short, I went to the World Series and I won the whole thing.

HP: What was it that you saw, that first time, that made you know that you could play poker?

Yang: Having a background in clinical psychology, having interviewed so many clients, I can tell if people are lying or telling me the truth. From watching the body’s gestures, and how they sit, the tone of their voice, whether or not they’re scratching their face or putting their hands on their mouth, or pursing their lips, or whatever – these are all “human tells.” I guess that’s my advantage.

HP: What do veteran poker players say when they hear that you taught yourself poker in two years and then just went and won the World Series?

Yang: Oh, they are very, very surprised. People want to know the secret. I coach about 64 people around the world -- some are handicapped people, so I do it for free, [and] other people I charge to teach them, but that’s not really what I want to do. I want to do more to do charity work. My window as a poker celebrity is very narrow, so I want to use that to benefit the community.

HP: Where did you get the desire to be charitable? Was it from you parents?

Yang: That’s a good question, I think it’s a combination of a few things. I know a lot of rich people who don’t really do anything for the community. People with millions of dollars. Then I know people who make a decent living, but not a lot of money, and they do so much more for the community. It comes from heart. It has nothing to do if you’re rich or poor, but wanting to do more. Having an experience like mine – going through a refugee camp in the war – that too, molds you to be a giving person.

My parents were like that, too. I consider my father my hero. During the trip that we took from my village, when we were walking or getting into a boat, his group – my family – would be the last group to cross. He wanted to make sure that everyone else got to the other side first, before we got into that boat. I admire my father as a human being, and as a leader. I’m honored to be called his son.

HP: What did he think when you got into poker?

Yang: You know, he didn’t know at first. Growing up, he was against any kind of betting -- we couldn’t even play chess or checkers or rummy [laughs]. When I qualified, when I made the money, I called him and he didn’t even talk to me, he handed the phone to my brother. Then, during the next round, my brother got online and showed him the results, and at that time he believed me and talked to me. I mean, I know that he is my biggest fan. He was there at the final table [when I won].

HP: What was it like to win? Did you expect it?

Yang: At first, no. It’s a crap shoot. You never expect to win; there were 6,358 players that year -- we played for nine days. When we came down to 36 players, I started taking notes on some of my opponents, and I knew that I had a good shot.

On that final hand, I had doubled up, and at that point [there was] $25 million on the table, and I saw pocket eights. I knew, that year, that every time I got pocket eights, I won. So when I saw pocket eights, I thought, “This is it. I want to end this right now.” We had played for like eighteen hours already, I was very tired. He pushed all his money in, and I thought for a minute, and when the cards turned, I made my straight.

HP: And you donated 10% of your winnings, to...

Yang: To Feed the Children, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Lorna Linda University, and to some Hmong organizations like a battered women’s shelter, and one that sponsors back packs and school supplies for Hmong kids in Fresno. Because, you know, some kids can’t even afford those things. It’s so sad. I’d like to do even more in the future. So far, I’ve donated over a million dollars, and raised another $800,000 on my own, as I travel across America. I’ll ask casinos to host charity tournaments; I make sure the money all goes to charity, and the casinos will match the amount raised. I will tell the casino that we can donate 50% of these proceeds to a local charity of their choice, if I can make sure the other 50% goes to Hmong organizations.

HP: How does the Hmong community in Fresno compare to other communities, in terms of wealth distribution?

Yang: Sadly, our Hmong people can be everyone for himself. It’s what I call wealth acquisition. Because they were so poor before, Hmong businessmen who are wealthy now may be hesitant to give something away. I think we need to get past that. I don’t blame them. But I’m not saying part with everything you have: maybe 5%, 10% back to the community. If we all could just give 1%, we could make the community just a little bit brighter.

HP: What advice would you give to young Hmong who might want to play poker?

Yang: For me, the most important thing is education. Education is the foundation of everything, whether you want to be a doctor or a lawyer, or a poker player. Education is what builds wisdom, patience, discipline, knowledge. I don’t even play poker full-time—I started a sushi restaurant, so that’s my bread-and-butter right now. I still believe in hard work. There’s no free lunch in America, you have to work for what you have. Don’t quit, and don’t give up.

By Maggie Ryan Sandford