The Most Famous Asian Poker Players in the World

Poker is, arguably, the only game of chance that is played at some of the most famous and prestigious tournaments in the world. It is also a game of chance as much as it is a game of skill, thus there are many professional players who made it their career to play its different variants.

Professional poker players can come from many different countries and continents. Some begin their careers as online players at outlets like IgnitionCasino.eu, while many others are taking a more “traditional” path, working their way up to the top in land-based competitions. And among them, there are many great Asian players on the track of champions. These players are known to the world as they participate in poker tournaments online for real money, then they win championships and become big opponents that many poker players strive to beat or break. In this article, let’s learn about the most famous Asian poker players in the world today.

The biggest poker tournaments in Asia

In the world of poker, there are quite a few major events – but it’s the Western ones that usually steal the show. Everyone, even those who don’t play poker, have certainly heard of world-class poker tournaments like the World Series of Poker (WSOP) or the World Poker Tour (WPT). These events are often broadcast on TV worldwide, and attract hosts of famous players from all over the globe.

Fewer people, at least in the West, know about events like the Asian Poker Tour (APT), founded in the Philippines in 2008 or the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) that has been a major event of the poker calendar in countries like South Korea, China, Macau, and New Zealand. These are just some of the biggest events with international sponsors, played for real-money stakes.

There are, also, Match Poker events across Asia – for thos unfamiliar with the term, Match Poker is the “sport” variant of Texas Hold’em, played by teams, for chips, in a competitive format. 50 nations, including Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Mongolia – or better said, their local poker federations – are part of the International Federation of Match Poker, which held its Asian Nations Cup in Taipei, in 2019.

Elton Tsang

Elton Tsang is a native of Hong Kong with Canadian citizenship, he was born and raised in the Americas, so it is not surprising that he was soon influenced by the casino industry, not only that, his hometown of Hong The merits of Elton Tsang is the cradle of Asian gambling, which explains why he has such a sharp mind and a good gambling mindset, especially in the field of poker. After returning to Hong Kong to live and work, Elton Tsang quickly entered the casino world, seeing poker as a stable and long-term earning career. Therefore, thanks to playing time and accumulating experience, Elton Tsang quickly became a professional poker player in Hong Kong. Elton Tsang is the first Asian to win the most prestigious award in poker, the Monte Carlo One Drop Extravaganza. Since then, his fame has quickly spread and become a major player in the international poker world.

Paul Phua

Paul Phua is different from other poker players, because his starting point is in the casino business in Macau. In the Macau casino world, there is no one who does not know Paul Phua, initially, he was only in the casino business, i.e. operating the casino from afar, not directly participating in the games, until In 2012, Paul Phua officially entered the path of becoming a professional poker player. The most prominent of his poker career, Paul Phua won the title of champion in the Aspers 100K High Roller race, his name quickly became known as a professional and skilled Asian poker player. . However, Pau Phua has also been entangled in many scandals about illegal gambling, but in terms of talent, he is still recognized by the poker world.

Richard Yong

Along with Paul Phua, Richard Yong is also a name that anyone in the Malaysian casino world knows, he is considered the talent of Asia in the art of poker. Throughout his career, Richard Yong has won tens of millions of dollars thanks to winning trophies at major tournaments such as Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Montenegro and Hold’em Six-Max. However, the career of the Malaysian poker player has also encountered many scandals about fraud and fraud, most recently the scandal with Paul Phua. However, no matter what, he is still a monster in the casino world of not only Malaysia but also all of Asia.

The number of Asian talents in the field of poker is really large, they all have their own personalities and playing strategies, and they all leave a strong mark in the hearts of fans thanks to their talent and professionalism. If you are also someone who is determined to pursue professional poker, you definitely have to learn from these people.

Playing poker professionally

Becoming a professional poker player is not an easy task, no matter if you do it online or in real life. Poker players need a specific skill set covering everything from quickly evaluating the odds to reading the opponents’ body language or betting habits. While there are many poker pros out there – there are thousands of players, but only a tiny fraction of them is playing poker full-time, with the majority considers poker little more than a hobby.

Making a living off poker is not an easy task, considering that – even if it does have a strong skill-based component – it is still a game of chance. It takes a lot of practice, a lot of experience and, let’s face it, a hefty amount of luck for a player to be able to make enough off poker tournaments. But there are many who have made it, becoming not only professional players but the faces of various poker brands around the world.