Originally from the Lake District, UK, I’ve spent the last few years living and breathing the Southeast Asian poker circuit. Since 2025, I’ve been a fixture on the floor at the APT, PokerStars, and WSOP events, serving as a lead reporter and media specialist for Somuchpoker. My work is about more than just recording action; I manage the social media and digital content that brings action rail to the fans. By combining a business education and creative background, I aim to look past the technical hand histories to capture the actual human grit and drama that happens during a deep run.

Updated: 2026.03.23

Richard Yong is a Malaysian businessman, entrepreneur, and poker visionary who has fundamentally reshaped the high-stakes landscape. As a co-founder of the Triton Poker Series and a dominant force in the world’s most exclusive cash games, Yong has transitioned from a successful tech executive to a global poker icon, renowned for his mastery of Short Deck and his pivotal role in bringing super-high-roller poker to the masses.

Career Earnings & Biggest Results

With total live tournament earnings surpassing $18,616,000 (according to The Hendon Mob), Yong is one of the top 5 earners in Malaysian history. His career-best live score of $2,130,848 came from a 3rd-place finish in the 2018 Triton Poker Series Jeju Main Event. He is a multi-time Triton champion, recently securing a victory in the 2025 Triton Jeju $50,000 Short Deck event for $705,000. Other landmark victories include the 2015 Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge for $1,477,560 and an 8th-place finish in the 2012 World Series of Poker (WSOP) $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop for $1,237,333. His immense success in invitationals and legendary Macau cash games contributes to an estimated poker net worth of over $50 million.

Richard Yong - The Man Who Revolutionized High-Stakes Poker

Biography & Poker Background

Born on December 25, 1957, in Malaysia, Seng Chen “Richard” Yong built a vast business empire in the IT, data mining, and security systems industries before entering the poker spotlight. His journey into high-stakes poker began in the early 2000s in Macau, where he was introduced to the game alongside his longtime business partner Paul Phua. Together, they founded the Triton Poker Series in 2016, a luxury tournament brand designed to cater to elite businessmen and the world’s best professionals while raising millions for charity. Yong is also the father of high-stakes pro Wai Kin Yong, making them one of the most successful father-son duos in the game. Despite his status as a “recreational” player, his decades of high-level business strategy have made him a formidable peer to the game’s top theorists.

Play Style & Strategy

Yong is renowned for a “patient, calculated, and high-pressure” play style that mirrors his executive mindset. Unlike many “GTO-only” players, Yong’s strategy blends fundamental mathematical soundness with deep exploitative reads honed in the world’s largest private games. He is a Short Deck specialist, utilizing a aggressive pre-flop range and a keen understanding of equity shifts unique to the 36-card deck. At the table, he maintains a calm, disciplined presence, rarely showing emotion even when competing for multi-million dollar pots. His strategy involves a “blueprint” approach—identifying patterns in his opponents’ behavior and timing his aggression to maximize value when he detects an edge. This deliberate and intention-driven style has made him one of the hardest players to read in both WSOP and Triton Poker Series high-roller fields.

Want to follow Richard Yong as he continues to shape the future of the Triton Poker Series and the high-stakes circuit? You can do so here: