Quick Facts
Biography
Elton Tsang Ka-wai (born 1980) is a Chinese Canadian poker player currently residing in Hong Kong.
Tsang is a very controversial persona known for being a close friend to Richard Yong and Paul Phua who were arrested in the USA for illegal sport betting and later have been freed on bail. According to several reports, it emerged that the $2.5 million bail was paid by Phil Ivey, alongside other high-roller poker pro Andrew Robl. During this time Another poker star, Tom Dwan also helped one of Phua’s friends with a place to stay during the trial, because it has been reported he relies on Phua’s funding. Phua and Yong were also both accused of being behind the ‘disappearing’ of Tom Dwan, because he allegedly owed them a lot of money. Yong and Phua have long been linked to the infamous China's brutal mafia 14K triad’s syndicate, which enforces the unpaid debts that the high-stakes gambling world inevitably accrues.
Poker
Tsang's first live tournament cash was in 2006 where he finished 4th in the $2,500 No Limit Hold'em event at the PanAsia Poker Tour.
In April 2010, Tsang was the champion of the Asian Poker King Tournament winning his first tournament and earning HK$553,600 (USD $71,307) in the process.
In October 2016, Tsang was invited by Guy Laliberté, the founder of Cirque du Soleil, to participate in the $1,000,000 Monte-Carlo One Drop Extravaganza, an exclusive poker tournament. He defeated 25 other players to win the tournament and received a $12,248,912 payout for first, the third largest single payout in poker history. Tsang was coached by professional poker player, Mustapha Kanit.
In the same year, an anonymous story emerged alleging that while playing in a private game hosted at Casino Barcelona, Leon Tsoukernik had lost over $3,000,000 dollars to Tsang. Tsoukernik paid $1,200,000, but refused to pay the the remaining $2,000,000. When Tsang requested that the debt be paid in full Tsoukernik refused claiming the game was "strange", elaborating that "...some people take advantage of knowing me and target me when I play poker cash games. I have thus experienced a variety of practices in the game, which corrupt the sport of the game. For example, poker collusion, marked cards, and hired professionals. I have many stories to tell, but I prefer to fight it my own way with the support of the courts of justice and other poker entrepreneurs instead of fighting rumours and lies over the internet." Tsang further claimed that Tsoukernik had sent "people" warning him that Tsoukernik was "not a boy scout". Tsang confirmed this allegation in 2017 which Tsoukernik vehemently denies.
As of 2017 Tsang's live tournament winnings exceed $12,700,000.
Tournament results
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | €1,000,000 No Limit Hold'em Monte-Carlo One Drop Extravaganza | $12,248,912 |