Daesun Yu (frequently appearing in tournament results as Daesun Samuel Yu) is an American professional poker player who has become a major fixture on the Asian tournament circuit. While he established his early career in the Northeastern United States, he has spent the 2024–2025 season emerging as a high-volume “traveling pro,” recording significant scores across South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Career Earnings & Biggest Results

With total live earnings surpassing $123,410, Daesun Yu crossed the $100,000 milestone in early 2025. He is currently ranked 530th on the New Jersey All Time Money List (The Hendon Mob).

His most prestigious results include:

DeepStack Showdown (2019): Secured his career-best live cash of $36,442 at the Venetian in Las Vegas.
APT Incheon (Aug 2025): Finished 4th in the Sunday Superstack for $5,892 (KRW 8,180,000).
APT Hanoi Billions (2023): Recorded a deep run in the Main Event, finishing 128th for $3,737.
USOP Taiwan (2024): Finished 51st in the Main Event for $3,410.
APT Jeju (Oct 2025): Recorded multiple cashes, including a 61st-place finish in the Mini Main Event for $1,297.

Biography & Poker Background

Originally from the United States and residing in Cliffside Park, New Jersey, Yu initially built his resume at major East Coast venues like Borgata in Atlantic City. His career took a distinctive turn toward the Asian market in late 2023, where he began competing in nearly every major regional series, including the Asian Poker Tour (APT), WPT Prime, and the U Series of Poker (USOP). He currently holds a Global Poker Index (GPI) rank of 19,982nd.

Play Style & Strategy

Yu is recognized for his exceptional adaptability across diverse international fields. His results suggest a strategy focused on:

Deepstack and Turbo Versatility: Successfully transitioning between the patient requirements of Main Events and the aggressive “push-fold” dynamics of Sunday Superstacks and Hyper Turbos.
Regional Exploitation: Leveraging his experience from the technical US East Coast circuit to exploit different player pool tendencies in the rapidly growing Asian market.
Volume-Based Success: Maintaining a high ITM (In The Money) frequency by traveling extensively to hubs like Jeju, Taipei, and Da Nang.

The Best of Daesun Yu: Exclusive Poker Image Gallery