Joseph Cheong

Joseph Cheong is a Korean-American poker player best known for his third place finish at the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event worth $4.1 million.

He would eventually win a WSOP bracelet in 2019, and has so far cashed for over $16 million during his career.

Background

Cheong moved to America from Seoul, South Korea when he was just seven years old. Cheong got his degree in psychology at the University of California, San Diego and then another degree in double concentration, mathematics and economics. However, he quickly began playing poker professionally.

Cheong at the WSOP

The 2010 World Series of Poker was Cheong's first and so far the most successful festival. After picking up two cashes, Cheong made it to the November Nine in the 2010 WSOP Main Event. He finished the tournament in third place just behind John Racener and the eventual champion Jonathan Duhamel. Cheong collected $4.1 million in prize money.

Two years later Cheong came very close to winning his first World Series bracelet when he finished runner-up in the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em - Mixed Max event for almost $300,000. He lost that heads-up battle to the Frenchman Aubin Cazals.

Cheong ended up winning his first bracelet in 2019 when he took down Event #34: $1,000 Double Stack for $687,782. The year before, he won his first career Circuit ring in $2,200 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller at WSOP Circuit Planet Hollywood.

Joseph Cheong's Top 5 WSOP Results

Other Achievements

While his greatest poker accomplishments have been at the WSOP, Cheong has found plenty of success at other festivals.

In April 2013, he took down the Asian Poker Tour HK$ 1,000,000 Manila Millions for $1.3 million, his second-largest score to date.

The following year, Cheong finished fifth a the APPT Asia Championship of Poker HK$ 500,000 Super High Roller for $528,663.

Cheong has also grabbed some big cashes on the European Poker Tour, including a sixth-place finish in the 2016 EPT Barcelona €10,000 High Roller for $263,092 and a second-place finish in the 2010 EPT London €10,000 High Roller Turbo for $253,951.

As far as the World Poker Tour goes, Cheong finished third in the 2019 WPT Montreal Main Event for $179,077 and, in 2022, finished runner-up in the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open $25,500 High Roller for $540,000.

Joseph Cheong's Top 5 Career Cashes