Zoe has covered major poker series across Asia, including APT and the Players Series. With solid experience as a live reporter, she now joins SoMuchPoker to deliver in-depth coverage and share her insights from the tables.

Updated: 2026.03.12

Qing Liu is a professional poker player from the United States, based in Pasadena, California, who has become one of the most prolific winners in the Las Vegas tournament scene. Originally moving to Las Vegas to dedicate himself fully to the game, Liu’s career reached legendary status during a historic run in 2021 where he nearly won two World Poker Tour titles in just 48 hours. Known for his incredible stamina and high-volume play, he has transformed from a consistent local grinder into a world-class competitor who is a threat in any field he enters.

Career Earnings & Biggest Results

According to The Hendon Mob, Qing Liu has won over $4.4 million in live tournament earnings. His most famous victory came in March 2021 when he won the WPT Venetian Main Event. He outlasted 937 entries and defeated 2015 WSOP Main Event champion Joe McKeehen heads-up to take home a career-best $752,880.

Liu is a multi-time champion with a trophy cabinet that includes both a WPT title and a WSOP Circuit ring. Remarkably, the day after winning his WPT Venetian title, he played the final table of the WPT Gardens Poker Championship, finishing 6th for $111,795. More recently, in late 2025, he nearly secured another major title by finishing 4th in the WPT Prime Championship at Wynn Las Vegas for $430,000. He also won a WSOP Circuit Ring in early 2026 by taking down the Monster Stack event at Planet Hollywood for $50,000. His consistency is unmatched, with over 15 first-place finishes in various Las Vegas series over the last few years.

Qing Liu poker — Qing Liu (photo credit: PokerNews photographer Luther Redd)

Biography & Poker Background

Qing Liu resides in Pasadena, California, but he is a familiar face in nearly every card room in Las Vegas. He took his game to the professional level around 2020 after deciding to move to the poker capital to focus on playing every single day. Before his breakout on the World Poker Tour, he spent years grinding daily tournaments at the Venetian and Wynn, building a reputation for being one of the hardest workers in the industry. Liu often says that his success comes from his dedication to the “daily grind,” treated his poker career as a full-time commitment that requires him to be at the tables almost every day of the year.

Play Style & Strategy

Liu is known for a fearless and high-pressure style of play. Because he plays so many tournaments, he has developed an incredible sense of timing and knows exactly when to ramp up the aggression. He is particularly dangerous in heads-up play, where he famously won 18 out of 23 hands against Joe McKeehen to secure his WPT title. Liu relies heavily on his experience and observation skills, often making adjustments based on how his opponents handle the long hours of a tournament. He is a very disciplined player who rarely gets rattled by bad beats, often moving directly from one tournament to the next with a clear and focused mind.

Want to follow Qing Liu as he continues his 2026 run in the WSOP and WPT events? You can track his latest stats and tournament cashes here: