Meet Ming Ken Thoo, a Malaysian poker sensation taking the Asian poker felts by storm. Ming scored his first live cash back in 2016 and since then there has been no looking back. With more than $413k in live earnings, 3 major titles and over 50 final table finishes, Ming has built a stellar poker resume over the past eight years.
2024 has truly been his breakout year, cementing him as one of Asia’s finest poker players. The year saw him claim two major victories and score more than a dozen of final table finishes – all at poker dream events except one final table score. He began the year with a career-best score of $72,850 for a third-place finish in the Poker Dream 8 Main Event, and followed that up with a runner-up finish in the Monster Stack event at Poker Dream 9 for $62,027.
These two significant scores, combined by his victories at Poker Dream 10 and Poker Dream 11, positioned him as the front-runner for the coveted 2024 Dream Player of the Year title. His closest competitor, Jun Hong You, did better at Poker Dream 11, but Ming widened the gap at Poker Dream 12 by cashing almost every guaranteed event. Ming then managed to maintain his points at Poker Dream 13, ultimately finishing ahead of his fellow countryman Jun Hong and triple crown winner Nishant Sharma from India to claim the 2024 Dream Player of the Year title, along with a grand prize of $15,000 in tournament credits.
In an exclusive chat with PokerProNews, Ming opened up about his incredible journey, his dominance in Poker Dream events, the flourishing Asian poker scene, his future plans, and more. Here are the excerpts of the conservation:
PokerProNews: First of all, congratulations on being crowned the Dream Player of the Year! Can you share your thoughts on winning this prestigious title and the journey it took to achieve this honor?
Ming Ken: Hi PokerProNews, thanks for covering me. Winning the DPOY means a lot to me as a poker player. The feeling of winning such a trophy shows how much I love the game and truly brings an indescribable joy because the perseverance required to grind and play at the top level is no easy feat. If you ask me at the start of the year if I’m chasing this award, I would say ‘NO’ because of the amount of hours to keep playing and getting as many points to continuously be at the top is difficult even for any poker player.
PokerProNews: What do you think steered you ahead of strong competitors like Jun Hong You and Nishant Sharma in the Player of the Year race?
Ming Ken: Both of them are great players, especially Nishant who already showed his prowess by winning the Poker Dream Main Event 3 times in a year. Jun Hong definitely gave me a lot of pressure, even till the very end of the last Poker Dream series. The gap was getting closer between him and me but I was not giving up. I just kept playing and maintaining my lead. Props to him for showing a spirit of sportsmanship.
PokerProNews: The Black Dragon trophy symbolizes your incredible achievement. How did it feel to lift the trophy, and what emotions were running through your mind as you delivered your victory speech in front of the crowd?
Ming Ken: It’s an amazing feeling. As a poker player, who had not made his mark on the pro scene, this achievement is proof that with hard work and dedication to the game, anything is possible. Proud to win it as a Malaysian as most of the stops this year were in Genting, Malaysia on my home soil. It’s like any sport and to be able to represent my own country and inspire upcoming new players to compete at a high level is a great feeling. I am pleased to say that I have achieved what I consider ‘a dream come true’.
PokerProNews: Your performance throughout 2024 has been phenomenal. With two titles and more than two dozen final table finishes, what do you attribute your consistency and success across the Poker Dream events to?
Ming Ken: Yeah, it helps when you have such a strong start to the year. The confidence needed to keep playing well and being consistent is the key to winning it. For me, mental strength is very important. You have to keep telling yourself to push for it and not give up. Even until the very end, I was tired and on the verge of giving up, but I kept playing and playing. Scoring points was crucial and I was so close to securing the win. It really helps when friends tell you not to slack – haha. I can say it was all worth it.
PokerProNews: Your poker journey has been truly inspiring. Tell us a little about you. How did you get into poker, and what have been some of the most defining moments or challenges in your career so far?
Ming Ken: I’ve always had a passion for poker ever since Chris Moneymaker did it. In 2016, I started off my poker career by joining tournaments in Macau, Manila, Korea. I wasn’t doing that good.
I never really had a good score, and when Covid hit in 2020, I decided to call it quits on full time poker. I kind of semi- retired and just played recreationally. I took a break from 2022 till the end of 2023 and went into crypto. I guess that wasn’t bad either -haha.
Then came the year 2024. Not expecting much, I scored my best live cash in the PD 8 Main Event for a 3rd place finish, followed by a 2nd place Monster Stack Event in PD9 for a good amount.
Those 2 scores propelled me to push forward for the year and 2 titles along the way propelled me to the pole position for the player of the year. The challenge only came after PD 10 Vietnam, when Jun Hong, my rival, did well at PD 11 Genting, during that event. I wasn’t performing at my best during that event. PD 12 at Jeju was the defining moment. I itmed every guaranteed event and widened the gap of points between me and him. PD13 was more of a try to maintain points by playing smaller events and not losing focus.
PokerProNews:The Asian poker scene is evolving rapidly. How do you view the growth of poker in Asia, and how important are events like Poker Dream in shaping the region’s poker landscape?
Ming Ken: The Asian poker scene is booming now, creating opportunities for younger and newer players to strive to be a poker player. Poker in Southeast Asia has never been this level of hype. Now there are so many series to choose from. Players can choose from low buy-in to higher buy-in ones like APTand Taiwan Millions.
Poker Dream, I would say, is in the middle. Not too expensive nor too cheap – just that sweet spot. For 2025, more Malaysians will turn up and more will be interested in playing. The location is good, nestled in the mountains, which is a relief given Malaysia’s typically hot weather year-round. Hosting Poker Dream at a theme park resort is an added bonus, and I’m sure more foreigners will appreciate the ambiance and vibes. Plus, the food is amazing! You can find all kinds of delicious cuisine.
PokerProNews: You’ve been a model of consistency at Poker Dream events in 2024. With cashes and final tables at every series, how do you stay motivated and maintain such high standards across different formats and locations?
Ming Ken: For me, it’s about doing your homework before every series. Studying ranges, getting into the mindset of how pros think helps too. I mean, there are a lot of resources online now but most importantly the willingness to take a step when nothing seems to work. Getting back to basics and not overthinking helps. If you minimize mistakes, the poker gods will reward you some way or the other.
PokerProNews: Your best score to date is $72,850 for a third-place finish in the Poker Dream 8 Main Event this year. Where does that result rank among your career achievements, and are there any memorable moments from that event you’d like to share?
Ming Ken: It’s an achievement to go far in the Main Event, but to not close it out means I have more work to do. That score was a stepping stone in my career. It was my best score and paved the way for me to chase the player of the year award. Without that finish, I wouldn’t have grind so much this year.
PokerProNews: What are your plans for 2025? Are there any specific tournaments, goals, or milestones you’re looking forward to in the near future?
Ming Ken: Not really, I’m just taking it easy as the holidays are starting, but I’ll try for the back-to-back DPOY. For 2025, I plan to take my game to the next level. I want to test my skills in more high roller tournaments—it’s something I aspire to achieve as a poker player. Of course, winning a main event would be the ultimate goal.
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