Anton Lu aka Anton Zhen Zhao Lu - SOMUCHPOKER
Anton Zhen Zhao Lu a.k.a Anton Lu is a poker sensation from Australia who has racked up multiple titles at various tournaments all over the region. In only his second year of live felt action, Lu has built a solid career earnings of $949,387. For his rookie season alone, he had amassed over half a million in prize money. Lu is currently ranked number 7 in the GPI National Rankings and is steadily climbing in the Australia All Time Money List where he is in 77th place. Not bad for his sophomore year.
Anton Lu Enters The Live Arena
Lu’s transition from online play to the live poker scene was fast and furious. Lu hit the ground running. Though his first recorded live tournament was at the Poker Dream Malaysia 2023, Kuala Lumpur already making significant runs there, it was his trip to the inaugural USOP Poker2U Taiwan Series, Taipei City in February 2023, where he tasted the excitement of the multi-table format with a second-place finish at High Roller Event banking his first 5-figure prize of $ 26,716. From then on, there was no looking back for Lu. Without skipping a month, the Australian would burn the felt like the cartoon Tasmanian devil.
In March 2023, Anton Lu shipped the Turbo-8 Max Event at the Asian Poker Tour Phu Quoc for his first career title. Lu fought off challenges from a 35-strong field, defeating Thailand’s Krishna Wadeesirisak in heads-up play. The Australian made a hat trick of sorts with podium places in the same tournament, finishing runner-up in another Turbo event, and placing third in the High Speed High Roller for a combined score of over $23,000. Lu then made another trifecta, this time, of consecutive second place finishes in the next two months. These where at the Super High Roller Event of the WPC III Hanoi, banking $ 57,184; the Hold’em 8 Max Event of the Asian Poker Tour Taipei with a $ 34,658 payoff and finally at the Billionaire Club High Stake Challenge of the World Poker Tour Prime Vietnam where Lu earned a career best cash to date, of $ 68,629.
Lu continued his red-hot 2023 with a first trip to the 54th World Series of Poker Las Vegas making a total of 6 cashes with his best hand at the NLH-6 Handed Bracelet Event earning a total of $ 42,552. Returning to Asia, Lu won another title at the Single High Roller Event of the Poker Dream 6 Malaysia for a cash of $ 51,554. The months of September through October, however, would be the year’s highlight for the Australian.
Best Results
Starting with another runner-up finish at the High Roller Warm Up Event of the U Series of Poker – USOP Ha Noi binking $ 23,696, Lu claimed back-to-back titles at the World Poker Tour Australia, Gold Coast and Poker Palace Spring Championships, Sydney winning the WPT World Championship Road to Vegas and The Masters 6 Max Events respectively to accrue a total of more than $60,000. Lu’s earnings for his debut year amounted to $ 539,510.
Enough momentum was carried onto 2024 for Lu to continue his winning ways. In Mid-March, just a day after Lu took down the Vietnam Poker League (VPL) Super High Roller event in Hanoi, the Australian shipped the High Roller Warm Up Event of the U Series of Poker Da Nang Part 1. It was a first victory after an already impressive track record of 11 USOP final tables of which four were runner-up finishes. Lu dominated the final table and pocketed $ 32,232. He made 4 other cashes and capped the tournament with a final table at the Billionaire Club Challenge for an additional $ 23,114 cash.
Lu returned to the Vietnam Poker League Summer Series Hanoi for another runner-up finish at the Superstack Challenge Event with a high $ 55,855 payoff. In June, the Aussie pro made significant runs at the 2024 Sydney Champs, Sydney and the 55th World Series of Poker 2024, Las Vegas.
With just over half the year done, Lu is already approaching his total 2023 earnings with over $400,000 banked for 2024.
*Profile by Mike Alcazaren
