There are many players in the poker world who don’t necessarily treat the game as a way to earn money. Another of their priorities is relaxing in interesting company. One of such businessman, who demonstrates phenomenal results in high-stakes games in cash and MTT, is Paul Phua.
We tell you who Paul is, what successes he has achieved in poker and what he does. And at the end of the article, we give recommendations on how to become a poker pro.
Biography of Paul Phua
Paul Phua has become famous in the gambling community, not because of poker. Paul is one of the largest bookmakers in the world, and he has accepted not only legal bets. But, unlike many of his colleagues, Paul managed to avoid punishment for illegal activities. In 2014, the businessman was even arrested in Las Vegas. The FBI accused Phua of illegally accepting sports bets for hundreds of millions of dollars, and also of being associated with a Chinese mafia syndicate. Phil Ivey helped post Paul's bail, and Britney Spears' lawyer, the Minister of Home Affairs of Malaysia, and high-ranking officials from Interpol stood up for the businessman in court.
Paul got into poker relatively recently – in 2010, and before that, he was into another gambling game popular in Asian countries – baccarat. But poker became Phua’s new passion, and he began playing at the highest stakes in Macau. Soon, no one was surprised that he was constantly appearing at tables with Phil Ivey, Tony G, and other famous high rollers. Later, Phua founded one of the most prestigious series in modern offline poker – Triton.
Today, Paul Phua actively plays the most expensive tournaments and cash tables. At the same time, he achieves impressive results, often retiring to a hotel room with a seven-figure sum. At the end of 2022, he won his first World Series bracelet in Rozvadov in a $25,000 tournament.
Interesting Facts about Paul Phua
Surely, a stunning book could be compiled from the vivid facts from Phua’s biography. It's a pity that not everything is known about his life!
Here are a few examples:
- Paul Phua took illegal bets right in his room at the Caesars Palace Hotel, which is located in the center of the gambling capital of Las Vegas.
- Paul Phua is rumored to be closely connected to the notorious Hong Kong mafia group, the 14K.
- Paul Phua was one of the organizers of junket tours in Macau casinos. When he stopped doing it in 2014, the region's economy had taken a nosedive.
- In December 1997, he was suspected of attempting to fix matches in the English football championship. This could not be proven.
- When Paul found himself behind bars, his friends from the poker community came to his rescue. Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan and others raised more than $2.5 million to pay his bail.
- In 2019, Paul Phua suffered one of the biggest bad beats in poker history. In a high-stakes cash game, he flopped a full house and lost twice to an opponent's straight flush (they agreed to roll the board twice, and both times the board came up with a straight flush).
Paul Phua has a net worth that is much larger than most poker players. It’s extremely difficult to find exact numbers, but some estimates put Paul Phua’s net worth at least at $400 million, but possibly above a billion dollars.
Paul Phua's Biggest Drifts
Phua plays tournaments with any buy-in, even sky-high ones, so it’s no surprise that his top prize money is also huge. By the end of 2022, he is ranked 25th in the world’s most successful tournament players.
Paul Phua's three biggest scores:
- $3,113,429 – Second place in the 2019 Triton Poker London Super High Roller.
- $2,178,871 – Another second place, again at the 2019 Triton Poker Montenegro Series in a short deck event .
- $2,080,000 – and again the prize for runner-up at the Cyprus Super High Roller Series in 2022.
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How Can You Learn to Make Money with Poker?
As a rule, professional poker players do not turn over tens and hundreds of millions of dollars annually. But, it is quite possible to start earning decent money playing. If you constantly work and improve your skills, the results will definitely come.
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