Anton Zhen Zhao Ku, also known as Anton Lu, began playing live poker in 2023. In just two years, he has achieved remarkable success—an aspiration for many young poker players.
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.
Keep following PokerProNews for more such inspiring stories of rising stars in poker.
