Natalie Teh has established herself as one of Malaysia’s most successful professional poker players. Holding 25th place on Malaysia’s all-time money list, Teh has gained recognition not only for her impressive tournament finishes but also for her bold decision to leave the corporate world behind to pursue her passion for poker. Known by her nickname ‘Siew Po,’ she has competed on some of the biggest poker stages worldwide and continues to build her legacy in the game.
Natalie Teh’s Early Life and Introduction to Poker
Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Natalie Teh was introduced to poker during her college years, playing small 5/10-cent cash games with friends. What started as a casual pastime soon became a serious pursuit.
Before embarking on her professional poker career, Teh was part of the pioneering team that built ‘Iflix,’ a streaming platform similar to Netflix, focusing on local content for Malaysian and Indonesian audiences. She worked as a senior product owner, helping shape the company’s direction.
However, Teh eventually decided to leave her corporate job in late 2018 to fully dedicate herself to poker. In an interview, she expressed her desire for a life beyond the conventional corporate path, stating that she did not want to work forever and was drawn to the global travel opportunities that poker offers.
Natalie Teh’s Poker Milestones and Earnings
Teh’s first recorded live cash came in 2011 when she finished 8th in a No-Limit Hold’em (NLH) tournament at the APPT Macau, earning $1,336. However, she began taking poker seriously in mid-2018 after leaving Iflix.
She kicked off 2018 with a 4th-place finish at the Aussie Millions Poker Championship in the A$1,130 NLH Accumulator event, collecting $35,994. That same year, she secured three money finishes at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), including a 120th-place finish in the prestigious $10,000 WSOP Main Event, earning $57,000. She concluded the year with a 26th-place finish at the EPT Prague Main Event, adding $31,935 to her bankroll.
In February 2019, Teh placed 3rd at the APT Taiwan DeepStack Hyper Turbo for $2,002 and later finished 4th in the series’ Single Day High Roller, winning $8,636. The following month, she nearly won her first World Poker Tour (WPT) title, finishing 6th in the WPT Vietnam Super High Roller for $13,188.
During the summer of 2019, she made a deep run in the 50th Annual WSOP $1,000 Little One for One Drop event, finishing 11th and taking home $47,812. Later that year, she placed 7th in the EPT Barcelona €2.2K NLH DeepStack event, earning $23,644.
Teh’s biggest career score came in January 2020 when she finished as the runner-up in the Red Dragon Manila High Roller, winning $83,910. After the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted live poker, she returned to the felt in 2022, finishing 5th in the Poker Dream Malaysia Super High Roller for $64,479. She also secured a runner-up finish in the 2022 WPT Prime Taiwan Mini High Roller, winning $26,131.
In 2023, she added another deep run to her resume, cashing for $30,090 in the Asian Poker Tour Phu Quoc Super High Roller 8-Max event. The following year, in the summer of 2024, she notched three money finishes at the WSOP, including a payout of over $40,000 in the $10,000 WSOP Main Event. Her final cash of the year came in November 2024, finishing 98th in the Poker Dream 13 NLH Main Event for $2,170. As of now, Natalie Teh earned a total of $736k from live poker earnings from 89 live cashes.
Natalie Teh’s Personal and Professional Life: Where Is She Now?
Today, Natalie Teh continues to travel and compete in major poker tournaments worldwide. Even before her corporate career at Iflix, she held the title of Asia’s best female foosball player, demonstrating her competitive spirit across different games. In addition to this, Teh still holds some shares of Iflix, which might be bigger now seeing the current popularity of the streaming platform.
She is married to Malaysian poker superstar Christopher Michael Soyza, who currently ranks 2nd on Malaysia’s all-time money list. The couple travels together, participating in various high-stakes tournaments.
Teh maintains a private Instagram account, but her presence in the poker world remains strong as she continues to add to her impressive career earnings and achievements. With her determination and skill, she is set to remain a prominent figure in the poker community for years to come.
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