Tsang's poker earnings are believed to exceed $30 million. One of his best-known achievements is that he was the pioneer behind the first-ever live poker tournament held in Macau. poker tournament in Macau.
In addition, he secured one of the largest cash prizes in poker history, a hefty payout of €11,111,111 for winning first place in the 2016 Big One for One Drop. poker tournaments Originally from Hong Kong, Elton Tsang embarked on his poker career by playing $2/$4 limit Hold’em on Party Poker back in 2001. After completing his studies in Canada and returning to Hong Kong, he realized that Macau lacked a poker community.
Elton Tsang – Early Life
Recognizing that gambling was permitted in Macau, he envisioned a growing interest in poker and thus set out to create Macau's first live poker tournament. types of poker games Under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license,
Elton later found out that he is related to the owner of the Grand Waldo Casino in Macau. He arranged a meeting and was appointed as the organizer for a new tournament, collaborating with Matt Savage and secured PokerStars as a sponsor.
Elton Tsang Poker Event in Macau
Despite playing a crucial part in the tournament, Tsang was unfortunately unable to progress and was sidelined. His contract was only for one year, resulting in his exclusion from subsequent events.
Tsang invested HK$1 million (equivalent to approximately USD $130,000) into this venture, reflecting his belief in the potential success of poker in Macau.
With Macau now known for hosting some of the highest-stakes cash games globally, Tsang's foresight has proven correct. poker hand Elton Tsang and the Big One for One Drop
One of Elton Tsang's standout successes was his triumph in the Big One for One Drop Extravaganza in 2016. This prestigious tournament in Monte Carlo saw him triumph over Russian player Anatoliy Gurtovoy in a heads-up battle.
He emerged with an incredible prize of €11,111,111, which considerably boosted his net worth at the time. Tsang attributes much of this victory to the mentorship he received from the Italian professional Mustapha Kanit.
Interestingly, despite his substantial earnings from poker, Elton does not label himself strictly as a professional poker player.
He prefers to view himself as an entrepreneur with diverse investments in technology companies, travel agencies, and online ventures. While poker is his passion, he maintains that his primary source of wealth stems from his business investments.
That being said, many of his investments are closely tied to the poker world. In 2010, he opened a private poker club in the heart of Hong Kong, which was shortly shut down by the police amid accusations of operating an illegal gambling venue.
This payout was the third largest in poker history Tsang has also provided significant financial support to fellow high-stakes players and casino whales, once claiming that approximately $12 million were owed to him by various acquaintances in unpaid debts.
Investments and Business Ventures
The largest game he participated in had a buy-in of $150,000, accumulating a prize pool of around $17.5 million, with the majority of the winnings benefiting Asian players.
Despite facing narrow misses in prior tournaments, when it truly counts, Asia excels!
In August 2016, during a private €1,000/€2,000 game featuring top names like Daniel Cates, Fedor Holz, and Tony G, Tsang won about €3.4 million from Leon Tsoukernik, the owner of King's Casino.
Though Tsoukernik offered to settle with €1.3 million, he later claimed the remaining €2 million was dubious due to allegations of collusion and marked cards.
Event 9 of @tritonpoker Not long before this incident, Matt Kirk filed a lawsuit against Tsoukernik concerning an unpaid gambling debt of $2 million, but that legal pursuit was possible only because the debt occurred in Nevada.
— PokerListings (@PokerListings) March 14, 2024
Since the game involving Tsang took place in Barcelona, enforcing the collection of gambling debts remains legally moot. Up until now, Tsang has struggled to recover the owed amount.
1 – Elton Tsang, 🇭🇰 – $4,210,000
2 – Biao Ding,… pic.twitter.com/iSmX9jSFoK
Dispute with King’s Casino Owner
It’s quite a remarkable coincidence that this situation arose shortly after the case involving Matt Kirk.
Players in the poker community have playfully dubbed Elton Tsang the 'human action button' due to his fearless approach, demonstrating bold strategies like straddling, lightly 5-betting, and joining high-stakes events. poker cheat sheet In 2019, Tsang was involved in the largest cash game pot recorded at that point, competing against pro Jason Koon. Tsang executed a 3-bet on the flop with a weak pair and continued betting on a flush draw turn before ultimately surrendering on the river.
Jason won the impressive €2,090,000 pot after making a straight bet while Tsang checked.
Elton has continued his successful streak in more recent times.
In March 2024, Tsang achieved his first Triton trophy in Jeju, triumphing in the $150,000 NLH 8-Handed event for a hefty prize of $4.21 million. A heartfelt photo emerged online capturing Tsang celebrating with his daughter via FaceTime.
Elton Tsang Poker in Modern Times
Just two days later, he secured third place in the $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em event, earning himself an additional $2.1 million, finishing behind Roman Hrabec and Jean-Noel Thorel. poker probability As 2025 began, Tsang already claimed a runner-up position in the KR₩ 70 million ($5,000) Short-Deck Super High Roller at the Korea Poker Cup, winning $353,000.
Not only is Elton Tsang a remarkable poker player, but he is also a wealthy individual deeply involved in various philanthropic endeavors.
He supports an orphanage and the Lord Grace Home for the Aged.
Tsang credits Alice Chiu, founder of the Sheen Hok Charitable Foundation, as his inspiration, saying, 'My dedication to charitable work stems from Alice Chiu… Her efforts to assist those in need deeply moved me. I recently visited children with amblyopia in Handan, China. This experience taught me gratitude for my blessings and inspired me to do my utmost to help others.'
In conclusion, estimates place Elton Tsang's net worth between $30 million and $50 million, although pinpointing the exact figure is challenging.
As of May 2025, The Hendon Mob ranks Tsang with $24.69 million in tournament earnings, making him the second-highest on Hong Kong's all-time list and placing him 39th worldwide.
$6 million in a week; not bad!
However, it's important to note that the database only tracks tournament winnings, and actual earnings can be lower after accounting for buy-ins.
Philanthropic Endeavours
Considering Tsang's other business investments, it's plausible that even the figure of $50 million may be an understatement.
Tsang has donated to Mother's Choice , the Po Leung Kuk With over 10 million registered users globally, 888poker stands out as the fastest-growing online poker platform, welcoming a new player every 12 seconds. Since its inception in 1997, 888 has been a leader in online gaming and has championed safe and responsible practices. We proudly offer a vast array of games, high-stakes tournaments, and thrilling live events to poker enthusiasts worldwide.
Elton Tsang and the Big One for One Drop
Elton Tsang Net Worth
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