From an uncertain college graduate to the highest-earning player in Asian Poker Tour history

With total APT earnings of USD 2,419,566 across both the Old and New Eras, no player has won more money on the Asian Poker Tour than Joseph “subiime” Cheong.

It is a record befitting one of poker's most accomplished tournament professionals. Yet for many around the world, Cheong's name is still most closely associated with a single defining moment, the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event, where his third-place finish earned him USD 4,130,049 and instantly established him among poker's elite.

What many may not realise is that while his biggest breakthrough came on poker's grandest stage in Las Vegas, his most enduring record belongs to the APT. It is a distinction that even Cheong himself admits often flies under the radar.

"I don't think most people even know that I'm the winningest player," he laughed.

It is perhaps fitting for a player whose journey has followed an unconventional path.

Joseph Cheong, American pro and WSOP bracelet winner

A Career Born Out of Circumstance

Like many poker stories, Cheong's professional career began almost by accident. Graduating from university in the midst of the 2008 global financial crisis, he found himself unable to secure a job despite completing his studies. While most of his friends were already playing online poker, he had never taken much interest in the game until they convinced him to make a small deposit on Full Tilt Poker.

What started as a way to pass the time quickly became something much bigger.

"I had nothing to do, and they just got me to deposit some money on Full Tilt Poker. That's how I started," Cheong recalled. "What got me hooked was I like strategy games and making money on top of that."

Success came almost immediately.

"I just started doing well right off the bat and made a lot more money than I would have any job that I could have gotten. So I just kept playing."

What began as an unexpected hobby soon became a full-time profession, and sixteen years later, Cheong remains one of the most respected tournament players in the game.

Cheong at the Tour’s most recent festival, APT Taipei 2026

The Summer That Changed Everything

By the summer of 2010, Cheong had already built a healthy bankroll through online poker, but he was still relatively early in his live tournament career.

Heading into only his second World Series of Poker, he sold pieces of his action to friends before taking his shot at poker's most prestigious title.

It proved to be the tournament that changed his life forever.

Cheong battled through one of the largest fields in WSOP Main Event history before eventually finishing third, collecting more than USD 4.13 million in prize money. Beyond the life-changing payday, the result gave him something even more valuable, clarity.

"I didn't really have a direction in life at that point, and that kind of cemented what I would be doing for a job, for a living."

Although he jokes that he "would prefer first place", there was little disappointment in what the tournament ultimately meant for his future.

Cheong at the World Series of Poker 2010 Main Event

The Record Nobody Saw Coming

While Cheong's WSOP performance introduced him to the global poker audience, his relationship with the Asian Poker Tour developed in a far more unexpected fashion. During the early years of the APT, he only made occasional trips to Asia. The tour was considerably smaller then, with buy-ins and fields that were a fraction of what they are today.

That changed in spectacular fashion in 2013.

Travelling to Manila for what he described as "a random super high roller", Cheong entered the HK$1,000,000 No Limit Hold'em event at the APT Manila - Manila Millions festival.

He won it.

The victory earned USD 1,343,370, which remains the largest cash of his APT career and still stands as one of the biggest single tournament scores in tour history.

The amusing part, according to Cheong, was that he barely realised the significance of what he had accomplished.

"I didn't even know it was part of the APT, but it was, which is the only reason that I'm the all-time money leader."

That single triumph accounts for more than half of his total APT earnings and remains the foundation of a record that has stood for well over a decade.

Combined with USD 1,076,196 earned since the launch of the New Era in 2023, Cheong's career APT winnings now stand at USD 2,419,566, the highest total by any player in Tour’s history.

Returning to a Different Tour

Following his Manila triumph, Cheong largely stepped away from the Asian circuit for several years.

When he eventually returned, it was to an APT that had evolved dramatically. "I came to Korea just to hang out, and just coincidentally, the APT knew where I was staying and they had a series at Incheon. I think that was my first series in the new era."

Living part-time in South Korea has made competing on the APT far easier, but geography is only one reason he has become a regular once again.

The Tour itself has undergone a remarkable transformation.

"The buy-ins got a lot bigger, the daily high rollers, the APT's growing, the Asian market's growing. The fields are getting bigger."

Cheong believes Asia has become one of poker's most exciting frontiers, with new players entering the game in large numbers and creating an atmosphere reminiscent of poker's global boom years.

"It seems like mainly from the aftermath of Covid, it kind of blew up in Asia. So there's a lot of people that are learning... it's like 15 years ago all over again. People are excited to play."

Among all the events now on the calendar, one stands above the rest.

"I'd agree that the APT Championship Main Event is currently the Main Event of Asia," he said. "I don't see anything taking it over."

Cheong getting his feet wet at the APT Championship 2025 in Taipei, Taiwan

Still Finding New Ways to Win

Despite already owning one of the most accomplished tournament résumés in poker, Cheong has continued adding new chapters to his APT story.

In 2024, he captured the Zodiac Classic title at APT Manila.

Less than a year later, he repeated the feat at APT Jeju 2025, becoming the only player in APT history to win the Zodiac Classic twice.

The achievement perfectly reflects what has allowed Cheong to remain competitive for more than sixteen years.

Rather than relying solely on theory or software, he points to experience gained through thousands of hours at the table.

"I play a lot of live poker... mainly a lot of it is just knowing the players you're playing against."

Cheong holds the record for being the only player with two Zodiac Classic titles

A Legacy Still Growing

As the Asian Poker Tour celebrates its twenty-year anniversary, Cheong has witnessed firsthand just how far the circuit has come. For someone who laid claim to one of the tour's most enduring records, seeing that growth has been particularly rewarding.

"Congrats to the APT for their twenty-year anniversary and hopefully the series can keep growing, expanding to other countries and just get bigger and bigger."

Joseph Cheong may have stumbled into poker, yet twists of fate have helped shape one of the most remarkable careers in modern tournament poker. More than fifteen years after introducing himself on poker's biggest stage, Cheong remains exactly where he has always been, competing at the highest level, adding new achievements, and continuing to set the benchmark for success on the Asian Poker Tour.

As the Asian Poker Tour celebrates its milestone 20-year anniversary, it's time to take a look back at the stories that have shaped those two decades. From the people that have helped to shape the APT experience, to the players on the felt that have defined the very competition the tour stands for.

Throughout the year, the APT will unveil a series of iconic stories offering personal perspectives of how the tour has impacted lives, careers, and journeys.