Lu started his poker journey online, using his online bankroll to fund live tournaments. This decision paid off, as he quickly found greater success in live events. Now, with over $1.3 million in live poker earnings, he has established himself as one of Australia’s rising poker stars.

Anton Lu Poker Journey

Before transitioning to live poker, Anton Lu was an online grinder. His first recorded live cash came in 2023 when he cashed in the Poker Dream 2023 Malaysia Main Event, earning $3,730. He then traveled to Taipei City for the 2023 USOP Poker2u Taiwan Series, cashing in seven events, including two final table finishes.

His final table results included a runner-up finish in the NT$67K High Roller, where he won an impressive $26,716, and a 6th place finish in the NT$100K Super High Roller, adding $8,761 to his bankroll.

Lu didn’t have to wait long to capture his first major poker trophy. In March 2023, he won the APT Phu Quoc Event #27: Turbo-8 Max, banking $8,024. The following month, he finished runner-up in the WPC III Hanoi Super High Roller, earning a massive $57,184.

During the summer of 2023, Lu traveled to Las Vegas for the 54th Annual WSOP, cashing in six events and pocketing over $40,000. He later secured his maiden Poker Dream trophy, winning the Poker Dream 6 Malaysia Single Day High Roller for $51,554.

He ended his breakout year in style, winning WPT Australia A$1,100 Event #14 for $29,400. He followed this victory with another title at the Poker Palace Spring Championships A$3,000 NLH The Masters 6-Max, earning $32,152.

Anton Lu’s 2024 Poker Highlights

Lu began 2024 by competing in USOP Taiwan 2024, finishing runner-up in the NT$35K Mini High Roller for $7,975. That same month, he finished 4th in the Poker Dream 8 Malaysia High Roller, collecting $34,248.

In March, he added another trophy to his collection by winning the 2024 Vietnam Poker League Super High Roller, securing a $57,523 payday. He followed up with another victory at USOP Da Nang, earning $32,232 for winning the High Roller Warm-Up Event.

April saw another triumph, as Lu won the VIPT Hanoi Super Star Challenge, adding another $50,000 to his earnings. During the summer, he participated in both live and online 2024 WSOP events, securing multiple cash finishes.

2024 became a milestone year for the young gun when he achieved a career-best score of $143,401 by finishing 3rd in the Poker Dream 12 Jeju Super High Roller. That same month, he won two back-to-back inaugural Taiwan Millions Tournament trophies—taking down the Single Day High Roller for $14,743 and the Super High Roller for another $57,768.

His last recorded cash finish of 2024 came in December, when he placed 5th in the USOP Grand Finale High Roller Megastack, earning $11,626.

Anton Lu’s Stats

In just two years of playing live poker tournaments, Anton Lu has accumulated over $1.3 million in earnings from 117 cashes. Impressively, from January 2023 to December 2024, he cashed in tournaments every single month, showcasing his exceptional skill, tournament endurance, and hunger for poker trophies and bracelets. He currently ranks 47th on Australia’s all-time money list.

For his remarkable cashes, deep runs, and victories, Lu earned 2,273 GPI points, finishing 9th in Australia’s 2024 GPI rankings—an impressive feat, given that Australia’s top 10 is dominated by far more experienced players. Considering his recent performances coupled with performances in 2023 and 2024, he is definitely a player to watch out for in 2025. 

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The post Meet Anton Zhen Zhao Lu, Australia’s Rising Star first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

With seventeen WSOP bracelets and a former Main Event title, Hellmuth is widely regarded as one of the greatest tournament players of all time. His achievements have earned him immense respect in the poker community. Shortly after the release of the 2025 WSOP schedule, Hellmuth posted a video on X stating, “I’m not playing the WSOP Main Event. It has become an endurance contest.” The statement quickly ignited debate within the poker world, with some players agreeing with Hellmuth while the majority defending the WSOP’s longstanding structure.

Why is Phil Hellmuth Boycotting the 2025 WSOP Main Event?

The WSOP Main Event is one of the most prestigious poker tournaments in the world. The $10,000 buy-in Championship Event attracts over 10,000 players each year, all vying to etch their names into poker history. However, Hellmuth argues that the event has now become an unfair challenge for older players.

“I am not playing the WSOP Main Event. It has become an endurance contest,” the 60-year-old poker legend emphasized that 80% of players want changes to the Main Event structure. He pointed out that playing 12-hour days—or longer—for six to seven consecutive days is brutal and disproportionately affects older players. 

Poker Community Reacts

Many in the poker community did not agree with Hellmuth’s stance on making the 2025 WSOP Main Event faster. Poker pro Scott Seiver commented, “Obviously, an event showcasing the best should favor younger players. As we get older, we get worse—that’s life, and we all have to accept that.”

GGPoker ambassador and seven-time bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu also weighed in on the debate, stating that there are only two possible solutions: shortening the tournament to three weeks or speeding up the structure. However, Negreanu argued that neither option is ideal.

“The WSOP Main Event is special because of its long-standing consistency as a $10k buy-in, freezeout, and two-hour levels. All three of these elements have been in place for over 50 years now,” said Negreanu.

The $10,000 buy-in Championship Main Event has been a staple of the WSOP since its early years. The first $10,000 Championship took place in 1972—just two years after the series debuted—and has maintained the same structure ever since. 

The oldest WSOP Main Event champion, Johnny Moss, also known as The Grand Old Man of Poker, won his third WSOP Main Event title in 1974 at the age of 66. Although he competed against a smaller field, his victory remains remarkable. Besides Moss, Ireland’s Noel Furlong was 61 years old when he outlasted 393 players to win the 1999 WSOP Main Event.

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The post Phil Hellmuth To Skip 2025 WSOP Main Event, Here’s Why first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

The WPT Prime Cambodia Championship ran from February 14 to 18 and a record-breaking field of 1,484 entries across three flights, surpassing the previous record of 1,050 and generating a prize pool of USD 1,429,080, which was finally shared by the top 186 players. In the end, Canadian Alexander Puchalski emerged as  the champion after a gruelling heads-up with Khorshad Sagor to take home $233,680 and a seat worth $10,400 to the WPT World Championship in December.

2025 WPT Prime Cambodia Final Day Recap  

The final day of the tournament saw 13 players return to battle it out for the title. Vyacheslan Shin started the day as the shortest stack. Although Shin managed a double up, he soon exited in 13th place for $14,600. He was followed by Wonho Lee and Peter Kiem, both falling to Patrik Demus and earning $18,200. The final table was reached after the elimination of Nariman Yaghmai who exited in 10th place for $22,900.

The final table saw Portuguese player Manuel Carvalho start as a chip leader with a stack of 9,750,000. With each player assured at least $22,900, Chinese player Xiao Liu, who began with a stack of just 1,000,000, became the first casualty at the final table. He was followed by Tom Maguire (8th for $29,200), who ran into Yita Choong’s aces. Early chip leader Manuel Carvalho fell in 7th place for$37,500 after losing key hands.

By the time the field whittled down to six players, Puchalski had taken the lead but he lost a big pot to Jobin’s kings. Yuan Yu (6th for $48,800) busted next. He was followed by Yita Choong whose run ended in fifth place for$63,000. Sagor then eliminated Yannick Jobin in fourth ($82,700), and Patrik Demus in third ($111,200), setting up a heads-up with Puchalski.

The final duel was intense and lasted nearly four hours, with both players trading the chip lead. Sagor survived multiple times but ultimately fell when Puchalski’s Ac 2c won it against his Qh 8c on an ace-high board. Puchalski eventually secured him the title after nearly 12 hours of play.

Team India Performance

A total of 186 players were paid out in the WPT Prime Cambodia, including several Indians. Leading the Indian cashes in the tournament was Rajesh Goyal who secured a 34th place for $5,700. He was followed by Amit Kaushik (38th for $5,700), Arun Sriram (39th for $5,700), Abhishek Paul (50th for $4,200), Rahul Melwani (70th for $3,200), Ankit Jain (88th for $2,600), and Vishal Ojha who fell in 92nd place for $2,400.

Other Indians to cash in this tournament were Sumit Sapra (112th for $2,200), Abhijith Cheruku (119th for $2,200), Ankit Wadhawan (120th for $2,200), Harsh Bubna (121st for $2,100), Anil Adiani (138th for $2,100), WSOP bracelet winner Abhinav Iyer (139th for $2,000), Pradeep Nudurumati (143rd for $2,000), Apoorva Goel (150th for $2,000), Asish Ghosh (152nd for $2,000), Sreekanth Narayanan (171st for $2,000) & Sanampuri Somasekhar (173rd place for $2,000).

2025 WPT Prime Cambodia  Final Table Payouts

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Source: WPT & SoMuchPoker

Image Credit: WPT

The post Canada’s Alexander Puchalski Wins WPT Prime Cambodia; Indians Post Strong Performances first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

The 2025 WSOP begins on May 27 and will conclude on July 16, offering 100 exciting events with varied buy-ins to cater to all types of players. Ty Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of WSOP, emphasized to continue breaking last year’s records. “In 2025, the WSOP schedule is better again, with something for everyone who loves the game,” Stewart said. 

This will be the first series of WSOP under the new ownership of GGPoker’s parent company–NSUS Group Inc. In mid-2024, NSUS Group paid a massive $500 million to Caesars Entertainment to acquire the prestigious series. Although ownership changed, the main staff remained the same as the prestigious Horseshoe Las Vegas venue. 

The 56th Annual WSOP begins on May 27 with Event #1: $1,000 buy-in Mystery Millions, which guarantees a $1,000,000 top Bounty, and a $1 Million  for the eventual winner. The event boasts five starting flights, with late registration open until Level 12. Eventually, the festival concludes with a $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super Turbo on July16, 2025.

WSOP 2025 Main Event (July 2–July 16,2025)

As always, the series will be highlighted by the Main Event. The $10,000 buy-in event runs from July 2 to July 16, 2025. There will be four Day 1 flights (July 2–5), which will be followed by multiple Day 2s leading to the final table and the eventual crowning of the champion.

The 2024 WSOP main event was the largest one in the history with a record turnout of 10,112 entries resulting in $94,041,600 prize pool. The largest share of the prize pool went to the 38-year-old Jonathan Tamayo claiming a staggering $10 million and his first bracelet as the champion.

New, Better, and Exciting 2025 WSOP

Just like in 2024, this year the series is adding new formats and events to its list as Stewart said: “The WSOP schedule is better again, with something for everyone who loves the game.” The 2025 WSOP introduces new events and exciting formats, including the “Battle of the Ages” ($1,000 buy-in, June 22). This specific event split players into 50+ on Day 1A and 21-49 on Day 1B age groups. Players withstanding both starting flights will battle against each other on Day 2. 

WSOP raised its stakes during the 2024 WSOP Paradise, introducing a $25k Super Main Event with a $50 million GTD. This time, they are doing the same thing, but for Mixed-game enthusiasts, the series is introducing a new $25k PLO/NLH mixed high rollers, adding to the excitement of poker enthusiasts. 

Additionally, the T.O.R.S.E. format makes its debut, replacing limit hold’em with triple draw deuce-to-seven lowball in the mixed-game rotation with a $3,000 buy-in. Traditional H.O.R.S.E. events remain on the schedule with buy-ins of $1.5k, $10k, and $25k. 

In 2024, WSOP added NLH/PLO Double Bomb Pot to its events list and it was very successful, this time the Double Bomb Pot makes its return with a $1,500 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha Double Board Bomb Pot Eight Max.  Here is a list of several exciting new events players can look forward to at the upcoming World Series of Poker 2025:

Tournaments for Every Bankroll

The 2024 WSOP Paradise faced criticism for its high buy-in-only tournaments, thus excluding ordinary players from dreaming of participation in the series. While WSOP always features low buy-in events, of the 100 events this time, 49 have buy-ins of $1,500 or less, while 30 tournaments cost more than $10k. 

There are 13 high rollers with buy-ins of $25,000 or more, including three six-figure buy-in events: the $250,000 no-limit hold’em on June 15, the $100,000 pot-limit Omaha on June 11, and the $100,000 no-limit hold’em on July 1. The crown jewel of all this high-roller action is the $250k High Roller. 

PokerGO will once again be the exclusive live broadcast provider for the 2025 WSOP, with a complete streaming schedule to be released soon.

A Large Indian Contingent Expected

Last year, we saw a large number of Indian players competing for WSOP glory. For the first-time in history, India racked up a record 219 cashes, which included two victories. Team India’s performance was highlighted by the super high roller victory achieved by Snathosh Suvarnna, who created history by becoming the first Indian to win a $250k High Roller for a career-best $5.4 million and his career-second gold bracelet. Poker veteran Aditya Agarwal won Event #82: $1,000 No Limit Hold’em for a sum of $189,661 and his maiden bracelet. This year, we expect a bigger Indian contingent continuing their record-breaking run from from 2024 into WSOP 2025.

Here is the Full Schedule for WSOP 2025. 

Source – WSOP

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The post 100 Events, New Twists: WSOP Unveils The Much-Awaited Schedule For 2025 first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

PokerGo Cup Event #5: $10,100 NLH Quick Recap 

The $10,100 buy-in Event No. 5 of the series saw a turnout of 100 players, generating a total prize pool of $1 million. The massive prize pool was later split among the top 15 finishers. Several PGT regulars, including James Collopy, Jeremy Becker, Jeremy Ausmus, Victoria Livschitz, and Brock Wilson, made it into the money but were unable to reach the final table.

As the action intensified and the final table was set, it was Michael Moncek, aka Texas Moncek, leading the way as the final table chip leader, closely followed by Shannon Shorr and Sergio Aido. Eventually, the three-handed action saw Moncek finishing 3rd, collecting a payday of $115,000.

Meanwhile, Aido had to battle against Shannon Shorr’s massive three-to-one chip advantage. Shorr tried to put pressure on Aido through aggression, which ultimately led to his downfall. One big pot allowed Aido to reverse the roles and seal the victory.

On the final hand, Shorr, with his straight and flush draw, went all-in on the turn, and Aido made the call with his ace-eight top-two pair. Shorr missed the river and settled for a runner-up finish, collecting an impressive $165,000. The winner, Spanish pro Sergio Aido, took home $255,000 for his remarkable victory.

PokerGo Cup Event #5: $10,100 NLH Final Table Payouts 

Eric Blair Ships PokerGo Cup Event #4: $10,100 NLH 

Eric Blair shipped his maiden PGT title in his first PokerGo Series, earning a career-best $254,800 and the PokerGo Cup. Blair, who has been playing poker since 2009, recently participated in his first PokerGo event in the 2025 PokerGo Cup Event #5 and defeated a field of 98 entrants.

The 98 entries created a prize pool of $980,000, missing the $1 million mark by just two entries. The event was fast and intense, and in the end, only 14 players went home with a piece of the prize pool. Justin Saliba rounded out the podium, collecting a six-figure sum of $117,600, while Event #2 champion Joey Weissman finished 2nd, earning $161,700. Despite the runner-up finish, Weissman now leads the 2025 PokerGo Cup Leaderboard with 581 points.

PokerGo Cup Event #4: $10,100 NLH Final Table Payouts 

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Govorov’s journey in the tournament was nothing short of remarkable. He started the final table with the third shortest stack and was on the verge of elimination as he was left with just three big blinds at one point. However, he made a stunning comeback and went on to win the record-breaking main event title after beating WSOP bracelet winner Samuel Mullur in the heads-up battle. 

This marked Govorov’s first APT title and overall fifth live victory, earning him a career-best $192,498 payday and his maiden Asian Poker Tour trophy. With this victory, his lifetime tournament earnings exceeded $588,000.

2025 APT Manila Classic Main Event Quick Recap

The PHP 60K (~$1,031) buy-in Main Event ran from February 10th to 16th at the Metro Card Club, attracting a record 1,202 entries across four starting flights. The massive field shattered the PHP 60 million guarantee, generating a total prize pool of PHP 61,181,680 (~$1,072,622). 

A total of 175 players shared the prize pool and among them were several Indian pros including Ish Agarwal (167th – $1,635), Raju Jaruplavath (145th – $1,635), Rahul Darak (137th – $1,843), Jayaram Bharath (103rd – $2,069), and Somasekhar Sanampuri (98th – $2,069). 

Besides them, two players made it into the Day 4 of the tournament but unfortunately failed to reach the final table— Rishi Mehra (33rd – $3,878), and Siddharth Karia (27th – $5,304). 

2025 APT Manila Classic Main Event Final Table Quick Recap 

The final table began with Russia’s Dmitri Belikov leading the final nine with a stack of 8,890,000 chips, followed by Japan’s Hiroya Iwamoto. However, both players quickly lost their lead as Iwamoto became the first casualty, busting in 9th place for $14,242. Adalsteinn Karlsson followed soon after, finishing 8th for $18,346.

Despite starting with a middling stack, Jie Zhang couldn’t withstand the aggression of Or Nezer, exiting in 7th place for $25,754. Meanwhile, Mullur showcased his high-stakes experience, eliminating the final table chip leader, Dmitrii Belikov in 6th place for $33,788.

Mullur held over half the chips in play at this point, while Govorov fell to the short stack after an intense battle with Dylan Foster. However, Govorov doubled up to stay alive, while Alexander Ugay busted in 5th place for $45,155 after running ace-jack into Nezer’s pocket kings.

As play continued four-handed, Foster found himself all-in against Mullur, but the Australian flopped a Broadway straight with ace-king, cracking Mullur’s set of jacks. With the blinds rising, Govorov fell to just 3 BBs, but he managed to double up through Nezer, keeping his tournament life alive.

A few hands later, Nezer attempted a bluff against Mullur, but the Austrian hero-called with one pair, eliminating Nezer in 4th place for $58,935. With three players left, Govorov shifted gears, steadily chipping up to overtake Mullur as the chip leader.

Despite his efforts to climb back, Foster’s run ended in 3rd place for $79,592 after his king-ten lost to Govorov’s ten-seven, which improved to a straight on the turn. 

Heads-Up Battle

The heads-up duel started with Govorov having a 2-to-1 chip advantage against Mullur. Everyone thought of a big and long battle between the two, but the heads-up ended in just four hands.  On the final hand of the tournament, Muller shoved his stack with ace-four unfortunately to face the ace-king of Govorov.

The board ran out 8c-Qs-8d-9h-Kd and Ivan Govorov sealed the victory. Samuel Mullur, fresh off from his final table finish in the 2025 WSOP Paradise $100k Triton Main Event, collected  $113,154 for his runner-up finish. 

2025 APT Manila Classic Main Event Final Table Payouts 

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Source: Asian Poker Tour

Image Credit: Asian Poker Tour

The post From 3 Big Blinds to Champion: Ivan Govorov Wins APT Manila Classic 2025 Main Event first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

We saw many Indian pros competing for the coveted APT trophies, and an impressive six of them etched their names into APT history. Kunal Patni, Natural8 India Ambassador and Director, led Team India’s tally with two titles at the recently concluded festival.

Patni secured two Asian Poker Tour titles in the series, bringing his total APT title count to six. This ace poker pro from Mumbai collected close to $70,000 on the back of two title victories and two cash finishes in the series. With his latest performances in the series, Patni surpassed $1.2 million in live poker tournament earnings.

Kunal Patni’s Power-Packed Performance At APT Manila Classic 

Patni has been on an absolute heater for the past 7–8 months, consistently winning and cashing across Asian tournaments. His first APT title of the recently-concluded series came on Day 3, when he outlasted a 377-entry field to win Event #9: PHP 20K Mystery Bounty Hunter – sponsored by Natural8. For the victory, Patni collected $14,069 and claimed his fifth APT trophy.

A few days later, Patni followed up that victory by shipping Event #75: PHP 150K NLH Single-Day High Roller. He triumphed over a field of 85 entries, securing his second title of the series and his sixth career APT title. For the victory, Patni earned a whopping $52,271.

Indian Winners at the 2025 APT Manila Classic 

Team India made a strong impact in the series, scoring more than two dozen of final table finishes and six title victories. Kicking off things for Team India was Raju Jaruplavath, who won the very first event of the ongoing APT series – Event #1: PHP 12K Philippines National Cup. Following him were Kunal Patni, Birangat Singh Gambhir, and $ 52,271 Jayant Deshmukh, who emerged victorious in the Natural8 India APT Manila Classic – India Exclusive Tournament. It was an online tournament which saw 283 entries, with the final 9 set to fly to Manila to play the final table in Manila. However, one of them could not fly to Manila to play the coveted tournament. 

Deshmukh collected $2,448, his first APT title, and a seat in the Main Event. On the festival’s final day, Avinash Tauro won India’s sixth trophy in Event #99: PHP 9K Hyper Turbo. He overcame a field of 39 entries (35 unique) to notch up his first live title and PHP 1,08,155. Here is a quick look at the Indian players who won trophies at the recently-concluded APT Manila Classic. 

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Source: Asian Poker Tour

The post APT Manila Classic: Kunal Patni Tops the List of Indian Winners with Two Titles first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

In this report, you will discover Ben Heath’s early life, introduction to poker, poker career, earnings, net worth, and personal life. 

Ben Heath: Early Life and Poker Introduction

Born in 1992, Benjamin Frank Heath grew up in Brighton, England. His journey into poker began while studying mathematics at Warwick University, where he was introduced to the game. He started playing casual home games with friends, which eventually led him to explore the world of online poker.

Determined to improve his skills, Heath took poker seriously and sought mentorship from Charlie Carrel, widely recognized as one of the best non-GTO players. Under Carrel’s guidance, Heath significantly improved his gameplay both online and in live tournaments, establishing himself as one of England’s rising poker stars.

Ben Heath’s Poker Career and Milestones

As soon as Heath turned 21, he began competing in live poker tournaments, earning his first recorded cash of $65 in the 2013 Genting Newcastle Recurring Tournament £50 NLH. The following year, he made his first major final table at the 2014 EPT London £770 NLH UKIPT Main Event, finishing in 9th place for $15,915. In 2015, Heath won his first EPT trophy by taking down the €1,100 NLH event at EPT Malta, securing a $63,544 payday.

That same year, the British poker pro finished in 6th place in the 46th WSOP $3,000 NLH 6-Handed event, earning an impressive $77,591. His first six-figure score came in 2016 when he finished 8th in the PCA $25K NLH High Roller, taking home $140,940. He wrapped up the year with another big cash, finishing 3rd in the WPT £5K NLH Devilfish Cup UK for $127,947.

Heath began 2017 in style by winning the PCA $15,300 NLH 8-Max event, collecting $141,440. Later that month, he finished 2nd in the 2017 Aussie Millions Poker Championship, earning a massive $755,229. He ended the year on another high note, pocketing $230,844 for a 4th place finish in the PokerStars Championship €10,300 NLH High Roller.

After a brief break in 2018, Heath reached a major milestone in 2019 when he won his first WSOP gold bracelet in the 50th WSOP $50K NLH High Roller, securing a seven-figure payout of $1,484,085. In August 2019, he rounded out the podium in his first Triton Poker Series in London, finishing 3rd in the £100K Main Event and pocketing $1,642,935.

Heath started 2020 with another million-dollar score, finishing 4th in the partypoker MILLIONS $250K Sochi Super High Roller. As the pandemic halted live poker, he took a brief hiatus but returned in 2021, coming close to winning his second bracelet. In the 2021 WSOP $250K Super High Roller, he finished in 2nd place, earning a massive $2,018,148. His biggest score of 2022 came at EPT Barcelona, where he finished 4th in the €100K Super High Roller for $721,109.

In 2023, Ben Heath secured multiple six-figure and seven-figure cashes in high-stakes poker tournaments. His biggest score came in December when he finished 5th in the $1,400 WPT World Championship in Las Vegas, earning $1,583,100. Earlier in October, he placed 5th in the $106,000 NLH 8-Handed event at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Monte Carlo, adding $858,000 to his bankroll.

Heath played in a handful of events in 2024 but ended up making it his best year yet with a career-best payout. At the 2024 WSOP Paradise, he finished 2nd in the $500K NLH Triton Million at the WSOP Paradise, earning a staggering $8,160,000. His deep run was particularly remarkable, as he was the short stack with less than five big blinds during the final table. However, he managed to double up multiple times, battling his way to a heads-up duel for his second bracelet.

Ben Heath’s Net Worth in 2025

The British poker pro has accumulated lifetime poker earnings of over $31 million from just 139 cashes. This places him 2nd on England’s all-time money list and 25th on the global all-time money list. Beyond playing poker, Heath is an ambassador for Phenom Poker, a decentralized online poker site, and serves as a coach at GTO Lab. While there are no official reports on his net worth, it is estimated to be in the millions.

Ben Heath’s Personal Life

Ben Heath resides in Brighton, UK, and frequently travels worldwide to participate in high-stakes poker tournaments. Regarding his personal life, Heath is married to his longtime girlfriend, Spanish actress Elisabeth Larena. The couple tied the knot in 2022 in Venice, Italy.

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The post Ben Heath Net Worth 2025: Career Earnings, WSOP Wins & More first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

In this report on Women in Poker, we will delve into the career, poker highlights, personal life, and net worth of Nadya Magnus.

Nadya Magnus’ Early Life and Introduction to Poker

Born in 1976, Nadya Magnus grew up in the Soviet Union before becoming a resident of Boca Raton, Florida. There is not much information on how Magnus started her poker career, but according to Hendon Mob, her first recorded live cash came in 2008. 

Since then, she has been a regular in the poker world, constantly playing tournaments, cash games, and online poker.

Nadya Magnus Poker Career Highlights and Earnings 

In 2008, Magnus scored her first live cash of $736, by finishing 11th in the WSOPC Hammond Ladies Event. A year later, Magnus went on to win the same event for her career first circuit ring for a $8,877 payout. 

In 2010, she ran deep in the WSOPC Hammond $1,600 Main Event, collecting $18,598. Magnus continued participating in tournaments from 2011 – 2015 but her next big score came in December 2016 when she finished 8th in the WPT 5 Diamond World Poker Classic $5,200 NLH for $16,078. Magnus followed that up with a final table finish in the 2017 PokerStars Championship Bahamas $5k NLH PokerStars Championship Main Event, pocketing $56,260. 

She then won her career second circuit ring by winning the WSOPC Potawatomi $2,200 NLH High Roller Entry for $71,398. Magnus wrapped up the year with a money finish in the 2017 WPT 5 Diamond World Poker Classic, earning $27,567. 

Nadiya Magnus’ career milestone came in 2020 when she scored her first six-figure sum of $172,642 for finishing 4th in the 2020 WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open $3,500 Championship Main Event, it is still her career best score. In 2021, she again came close to her second six-figure but had to settle with $93,566 for finishing 2nd in the 2021 WPT LHPO $2,200 NLH Event. 

Magnus’s next big score came in 2023 when she finished in 18th place in the PCA $25,500 NLH Championship for $142,100. In August 2023, she finished 7th in the SHRPO $5,300 Championship adding a whopping $148,885 to her earnings. 

In 2024, Magnus began the year with a podium finish in the MoneyMaker Poker Tour Palm Beach $1,500 Main Event for $43,003. That year she also ran deep in the 2024 WSOP Ladies Championship Event but was eliminated in 19th to collect $5,939.As always, she scored another money finish in the 2024 WPT World Championship $1,400 NLH Championship for $59,000. 

Magnus’s most recent cash in 2025 includes an 8th place finish in the WSOP Circuit Pompano Park, $400 PLO Big O for $1,248. As of February 2025, Nadya Magnus has accumulated earnings of $2,234,616 from 177 cashes to rank 23rd on Women’s all-time Money List.

Nadya Magnus Net Worth and Accolades

There aren’t any official reports on Nadya Magnus’s net worth but it should be in millions. There is also very little information on her other works.

Besides playing poker, Magnus is known for her generosity and helping out other women in poker. She has given away several major poker tournament tickets to the women in the poker community. In the 2024 WSOP, she gave away two $10k Main Event tickets to two women. 

For her contribution to helping women in poker, Global Poker Index awarded her with the Charitable Initiative Award in the 5th Annual Global Poker Awards 2024. In addition to this award, Magnus won the 2021 GPI Female Player of the Year Award. As a former PokerStars Big Game loose cannon, Magnus also guided two new loose cannons in the latest 2024 The Big Game. On several occasions in the past, she has also been seen promoting women and PLON (Poker League of Nations, a prominent women’s poker organization) events. 

Nadya Magnus Personal Life

Magnus keeps her personal life private and doesn’t talk about it that much, but she is revealed to be a mother in the Big Game season 1. As per her Twitter profile, she currently resides in Boca Raton, Florida.

Keep following PokerProNews for more such inspiring stories of women in poker!

The post Nadya Magnus: Poker Pro, Advocate, and Inspiration for Women first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

Leung has over a decade of experience in the poker industry. He  has played an important role in the growth of Poker in Asia since the mid-2000s. This industry leader article will focus on Fred Leung – from his early days to becoming the CEO and contributing to the growth of poker in Asia.

About Fred Leung And His Journey

Fred Leung is a seasoned entrepreneur with extensive experience in gaming, poker, and NFTs. Currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the Asian Poker Tour since July 2022, he has been instrumental in shaping the organization’s direction and contributing to the growth of poker in Asia. 

Beyond this role, he worked as a consultant for the International Blockchain Monetary Reserve, where he provided expertise in financial and blockchain-related projects. Fred also co-founded Gold Standard Pho, a venture in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he served as COO for nearly three years.

As we mentioned earlier, Leung has over 10 years of experience in the poker industry, which began in 2008 when he joined PokerStars as the Senior Marketing & Business Development Manager for Live Events Asia which highlights his deep industry knowledge. He was the man behind the success of the Macau Poker Cup and APPT Manila was his final event with PokerStars. 

During his tenure, he is also reported to have worked closely with Rex Cheong – the CEO of Poker Dream (another popular live poker series in Asia, the 16th edition of which kicks off today in Jeju and runs all the way until 24th February. This series is highlighted by the USD 1,500,000 GTD Main Event. 

Fred Leung’s Poker Career

Leung is also a poker player, which is why he probably grabbed the opportunity to work at PokerStars. He went on to Macau participating in the first Macau Poker Cup in 2008, and found out that PokerStars is looking for a Marketing manager and quickly grabbed the opportunity. 

Fred Leung’s Role in the Growth of APT and Poker in Asia

Leung was announced as the chief executive officer of APT in 2022, with the brand’s aim to take APT to new heights. During his decade-long tenure at PokerStars as the Senior Marketing & Business Development Manager for Live Events Asia, Fred played an integral role in developing some of the biggest and most prestigious poker events in the region. He was a driving force behind the Macau Poker Cup, APPT, the iconic Red Dragon event, and the Asia Championship of Poker (ACOP), helping to establish these tournaments as premier fixtures in the poker world. 

After his role as the CEO, the Asian Poker Tour Taipei 2023 officially became the largest series in APT’s history in Taiwan, setting multiple records and awarding millions in prize money. The APT Taipei 2023 boasts an impressive 41 trophy event which saw 1,989 unique players from 42 countries and paid out a massive TWD 225,123,032 (~ $7,357,920) in prize money. It had the largest APT Women’s Event ever with 143 entrants, showcasing its popularity among women. 

In 2024, the previous record was shattered, as APT Taipei 2024 set a new milestone in the tour’s history, with an 11-day festival that attracted 2,776 unique players from 48 countries and regions. The series saw a remarkable 16,787 total entries across 98 trophy events, with competitors battling for a record-breaking prize pool of TWD 388.25 million (~USD 12.18 million). 

2024 Best Year for the Asian Poker Tour

In 2024, APT generated an impressive $43,347,576 in total prize pools, marking a 20.6% year-on-year increase from $35,947,668 in 2023. The tour achieved a significant growth with only five festivals compared to seven in 2023. Notably, total event entries surged to 53,257 across 513 events, reflecting a strong 15.9% year-on-year increase. 

It’s no lie, that after the signing of Fred Leung, the Asian Poker Tour reached new heights. 

The Asian Poker Tour Over The Years

The Asian Poker Tour (APT) was founded in 2006 by Capital Events Pte, a Singapore-based company. In 2008, it was acquired by AsianLogic, while Capital Events Pte continued to operate the tour. This acquisition brought the Korean Professional Poker Tour into the fold as a shareholder, allowing AsianLogic to manage both online and land-based tournaments while taking control of APT’s branding and digital assets.

In June 2022, APT Events Private Limited took ownership of the tour, signaling an expansion beyond Asia, and also saw a change in leadership, a decision which changed APT forever. Despite the transition, longtime APT veteran Lloyd Fontillas remained in a key leadership role as General Manager & Executive Tournament Director. Under its new leadership, APT continues to grow, cementing its reputation as one of the premier poker tours in the Asia-Pacific region.

In an Interview with last year, Fred Leung emphasized the brand’s commitment to growth and record-breaking achievements. Leung stated that they will look to beat every record, be it player participation or prize money. The 2024 APT season saw over 53,000 entrants from just five stops and paid out over $43 million in total prize pool. The Asian Poker Tour is currently hosting APT Manila Classic, the main event of which has already shattered records, drawing 1,202 entries to surpass the previous tour record for largest Philippines tournament set during the recent APT Manila 2024. We wish Leung all the best and continued success for APT. 

Keep following PokerProNews for more such inspiring stories of people in the poker industry.

The post Fred Leung: The Visionary CEO Driving APT’s Success first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.