Danny Wong

World's best at Chinese Poker

Danny Wong was born in Hong Kong but moved with his family to Los Angeles, California when he was three years old. By age five he had learned to play Chinese poker, and became so good that he earned the nickname “Chinese Poker Wizard.” Eventually, this led to an affinity for other poker games, and at 18, he was playing online poker regularly.

Wong continued to play poker throughout college and after graduating was prepared to enter the job market as a stockbroker. While completing post-graduate tests, he began to weigh his options as to whether or not he should take on a stressful full-time job or apply his knowledge to a game he enjoyed. In 2006, he drove to Las Vegas and made his first appearance at the World Series of Poker. Not only did he find the cash games to be lucrative, but he cashed in two tournaments. Soon after he placed second in the Bellagio Cup main event and walked away with $561,115. He quickly made the decision to put his career on hold and make a living playing poker.

It was a decision he wouldn’t regret. Later that year he won the $2,500 Bellagio Five Diamond no-limit hold’em tournament. In 2007 he reached his first World Poker Tour final table, placing sixth at the Reno World Poker Challenge. He followed that up with another final table finish, taking third at the WPT Bellagio Cup main event.

It’s this kind of performance that has catapulted Wong into the poker industry spotlight.