Elton Tsang

Elton Tsang Ka-wai (born November 3, 1980) is a Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur, investor, and high-stakes poker player based in Hong Kong. Tsang has built a career that spans investing, poker, philanthropy, and technology.

In poker, Tsang is credited with organizing the first live tournament in Macau — a venture that helped establish the region as a global destination for the game — and later won the 2016 €1,000,000 Monte-Carlo One Drop Extravaganza for €11,111,111, one of the largest single prizes in the history of the sport. Primarily a cash game player, he spent years competing in the private high-stakes games that defined Macau's poker scene before transitioning to the international tournament circuit, where he has accumulated over $16.9 million in cashes on the Triton Super High Roller Series alone.

Early life and education Tsang was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, to a family with roots in Hong Kong. He attended the University of British Columbia, where he first encountered poker in 2001 through low-stakes online games. What began as a university pastime developed into a lifelong discipline.

Rise through the Macau cash games Rather than follow the tournament circuit, Tsang remained in Macau and committed to cash games — starting at the lowest available stakes of HK$25/$50 (approximately US$3/$6) and building his way up over several years. He has spoken about a formative rivalry with American player John Hoang, known as "Vietnamese John," who repeatedly pushed him back to lower stakes before Tsang eventually prevailed — a period he describes as a turning point in his development.

Triton Super High Roller Series Since 2018, Tsang has been one of the most prominent competitors on the Triton Super High Roller Series.

After 71 entries and 11 final table appearances, he secured his first Triton title in March 2024 — the $150,000 NLH 8-Handed event in Jeju, South Korea, for $4,210,000. His second title followed in September 2025, winning the $100,000 Short Deck event for $1,697,000.

At Triton Jeju S5 in March 2026, Tsang delivered consecutive third-place finishes in the $100,000 Main Event ($1,787,000, won by Ben Tollerene) and the $150,000 10th Anniversary Special ($1,482,000, won by Paul Phua), earning over $3.2 million across two days.

Televised cash games Tsang has appeared in 84 streamed cash game episodes totaling over 180 hours, and has been involved in some of the largest pots in televised poker history, including a €2 million pot against Jason Koon at the 2018 Triton Series in Montenegro.

Leon Tsoukernik gambling debt dispute In 2017, Tsang became involved in one of the poker world's most widely discussed disputes when he publicly accused Leon Tsoukernik, the Czech billionaire owner of King's Casino, of refusing to honour approximately €3,365,000 in debts from a private cash game at Casino Barcelona. According to Tsang, Tsoukernik paid only €1,200,000 of his total losses and then characterized the game as "strange," alleging collusion and foul play.

As the game had taken place in Europe, where gambling debts carry no legal standing, Tsang was left with no path to recovery.

Several of the game's most respected figures came to Tsang's defence. Daniel Negreanu publicly stated: "Elton is an honorable guy and is not lying." Tony G reportedly stepped in as a mediator between the two parties, and players including Winfred Yu and Philipp Gruissem also voiced their support.

Personal life Tsang is based in Hong Kong and maintains ties to Vancouver, Canada. He is a father and has spoken about the role of family in shaping his values and perspective. Outside of poker, Tsang identifies primarily as an entrepreneur and investor, with a focus on investing, technology, and philanthropy.