Elton Tsang is not just a successful entrepreneur; he’s one of the wealthiest and most accomplished Asian poker players in the world. With nearly $25 million in live tournament earnings and eight-figure profits from high-stakes private cash games, Tsang has built a fortune through both business acumen and elite poker skills. Known for his calm demeanor at the tables and his role in shaping the Macau poker scene, Tsang’s legacy stretches beyond his impressive wins.
Elton Tsang’s Early Life and Introduction to Poker
Born in Hong Kong and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Elton Tsang discovered poker during his university years while pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of British Columbia. He began playing online in 2001 on PartyPoker and quickly developed a deep passion for the game. By the early 2000s, Tsang had become a regular on the online poker circuit, eventually participating in high-stakes tournaments and exclusive cash games.
His influence wasn’t limited to the felt—Tsang played a pivotal role in popularizing poker in Macau, sparking a regional boom that helped turn the city into a major hub for high-stakes action.
Elton Tsang’s Poker Career and Winnings
Tsang’s first recorded live tournament cash came in 2006 when he finished 4th in the PanAsia Poker Tour’s $2,500 NLH event for $7,650. He followed this with a $32,000 cash in the 2008 PCA Main Event. In 2010, he claimed his first major title, winning the Asian Poker King Tournament Main Event for $71,307. A year later, he finished runner-up at the 2011 APT Manila Main Event for $95,230.
His first six-figure score came in 2013 with a 5th-place finish in the WSOP Asia Pacific (APAC) High Roller Rebuy, earning $162,212. But Tsang truly made headlines in 2016 when he won the prestigious Monte Carlo One Drop Extravaganza NLH Big One for One Drop, taking home a career-best $12,248,912.
After a brief hiatus, Tsang returned to the spotlight in 2022 at Triton Poker Cyprus, where he made four final tables and earned over $1.5 million. In 2023, he secured another massive payday of $1,780,000 with a third-place finish at the Triton Poker London Invitational.
In 2024, Tsang won his first Triton title by taking down the $150,000 NLH 8-Handed event in Jeju for $4,210,000, followed by a third-place finish in the Triton Jeju Main Event for an additional $2,105,000.
As of April 2025, Elton Tsang has accumulated close to $25 million in tournament earnings from just 39 live cashes, placing him second on Hong Kong’s all-time money list.
Elton Tsang’s Net Worth In 2025
While official figures are not publicly disclosed, Elton Tsang’s net worth is estimated to be well into the eight figures. In addition to his tournament success, Tsang is a regular in Macau’s ultra-high-stakes private cash games—where pots often exceed those seen in Triton events or Hustler Casino Live streams. These games have significantly contributed to his wealth, making him one of the richest poker players in Asia.
Fostering Macau’s Poker Scene
Beyond his prowess at the tables, Tsang is credited with igniting the poker boom in Macau. After returning to Hong Kong post-graduation, he noticed that poker was surprisingly underrepresented in nearby Macau, despite its status as Asia’s gambling capital.
Tsang approached a relative who owned the Grand Waldo Casino with an idea: to host a major poker tournament. He partnered with PokerStars as sponsors and brought in Matt Savage as the tournament director. This collaboration led to the launch of the first-ever Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) in 2007, starting with events in the Philippines, Korea, and eventually Macau.
The APPT Macau marked the first official poker tournament held in the region and played a key role in establishing the city as the “Las Vegas of Asia.”
Elton Tsang’s Feud with King’s Resort Founder
After his monumental win in the 2016 One Drop event, Tsang found himself in a public feud with Leon Tsoukernik, founder and former owner of King’s Resort. Tsang alleged that Tsoukernik had lost over €3 million to him in a private cash game and failed to pay the full amount, settling only €1.2 million and leaving an outstanding debt of €3.6 million.
Though the matter did not escalate publicly through the courts, it’s believed that the dispute may have been resolved privately.
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