33-year-old Tae Hoon Han is originally from South Korea. His family moved to Auckland, New Zealand when he was 9. Han practically grew up in the Southwest Pacific Island and started his poker journey here cutting his teeth by playing online on PokerStars. Han debuted on the live tournament scene in 2012 at the Australia New Zealand Poker Tour Auckland. He participated in one more New Zealand tournament, joining the 2014 Asia Pacific Poker Tour Auckland before deciding to go back to South Korea in 2015 to test his poker skills. It proved to be a good call by Tae Hoon Han.

Tae Hoon Han – Asia Run

In July 2017, Han picked up his first trophy in style. He ruled the Main Event of the PokerStars Festival Korea, Incheon and cashed first 5-figure payoff at $ 73,954. Less than a year later, Tae Han faced the same opponent, Japanese pro Yuki Ko, in heads-up play but this time wound up second at the 2018 Asia Pacific Poker Tour Korea Incheon National Event.

The rest of 2018 was also bountiful for Han. He secured his second title, bagging the Turbo Event of the 2018 Macau Millions while making the final table of the NLH Event to bank a little over $20,000 in prize money. Tae Hoon Han also went deep at the Asian Poker Tour Seoul High Rollers Event and the Jeju Red Dragon 2018 Main Event where he placed 3rd and collected a career best live cash of $ 92,391.

In 2019, Tae Hoon Han continued his hot hands in the APPT circuit with another table finish at the Main Event of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour Jeju then took a trophy for the first time in the Philippines, shipping the SuperDeep Freezeout Event of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour Manila for a combined cash of more than $40,000. After the win though, the Korean would compete exclusively in his home country until the third quarter of 2022 including another trophy win in February, snatching the Main Event of the East Asia Poker Championship Seoul in an all-Korean affair before collecting a second career best live cash of $ 91,317 after he finished runner-up at the Main Event of the Ace Poker League City Series, Seoul.

Tae Hoon Han competed only twice outside South Korea with appearances at the European Poker Tour Barcelona in August and World Poker Tour Prime Taiwan in November with moderate success. After his Taipei stint, Han went back to exclusive play in South Korea. Tae Hoon Han’s notable achievements in 2023 were at the World Focused Poker (WFP) Syndrome 4, placing 3rd at the High Roller Event and runner-up at the Closer Event for a total cash of nearly $60,000.

The Korean who still lists Auckland as his place of residence continues the strategy of competing mainly in South Korea. Tae Hoon Han’s most recent success came in May 2024 at the Asian Poker Tour Jeju Event #59, placing 3rd and banking $ 45,238. To date, Han is 27th in the South Korea All Time Money List surpassing the 500K Milestone with total live earnings of $779,048.

*Profile by Mike Alcazaren