With over $31 million in live tournament earnings as of March 2025, Paul Phua ranks 26th on the All-Time poker money list and holds the top position in Malaysia.
Paul is a prolific poker player and will go down in history as the businessman who founded the Triton Poker series. The Triton Poker series is known for hosting some of the most prestigious and expensive poker events worldwide.
Paul Phua net worth is estimated between $400 million and $1 billion, making him one of the wealthiest figures in the poker world. Does this fact also make him one of the best poker players of all time? Let’s find out.
Paul Phua - Early Life
Paul was born in Miri, Malaysia, in April 1964. At 15, he moved to Singapore for education and worked a side job as a construction worker to help pay for tuition.
Paul developed an early interest in sports, especially the English Premier League. He eventually became involved in sports betting. Wanting a better path than construction, he relocated to Macau.
Paul Phua - VIP Junket Operator
Phua began working as a Junket operator in Macau. A junket is someone who provides intermediary services between a VIP and a casino. Junkets direct high rollers to specific casinos and provide services such as credit lines, transportation and luxury perks.
In return, the casino pays a commission to the junket. Paul was involved in bringing VIP clients to the Wynn Macau casino, significantly boosting its early success. Macau was a global centre for junket operations during that time, with billions of dollars flowing through VIP gambling rooms.
The number of junkets has reduced significantly due to the Chinese government's tightening of regulations. However, there is a dark side associated with junket operations, including money laundering and illegal debt collection.
Paul Phua Net Worth - Triton Poker
In 2015, Paul Phua and Richard Yong founded the Triton Poker Series. Their goal was to create a series of exclusive high-stakes poker tournaments that catered to both affluent recreational players and seasoned pros.
The inaugural event took place in 2016. It was a $200,000 buy-in event hosted at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Manila, Philippines. The event attracted prominent figures in the poker community, such as Daniel Colman and Fedor Holz. Fedor emerged victorious, claiming the first-place prize of just over $3 million.
Phua and Yong also aimed to utilise the Triton Poker series for charitable endeavours. In 2019, they ran the Triton Million: A Helping Hand for Charity. The event featured a record-breaking £1,050,000 buy-in and donated a portion of the proceeds to various charities.
Paul Phua Net Worth - The Poker Player
Paul only turned his hand to poker after years of watching wealthy gamblers learn how to bluff in poker at the tables in Macau – he was in his 40s at the time.
Due to his massive business successes and strong connections in the poker community, it was easy for Paul to integrate immediately into some of the biggest games.
With Phil Ivey's elimination, Paul Phua is left to himself to take down the #TritonMillion. He currently has 2,705,000 (90BBs)#wsopPARADISE pic.twitter.com/UpoQqZjdC3
— WSOP - World Series of Poker (@WSOP) December 8, 2024
Macau was also experiencing a surge in popularity during 2010. Many big names in poker were moving from Las Vegas to play in the more lucrative Macau cash games.
By playing against seasoned professionals such as Tom Dwan and Phil Ivey, Paul Phua became a strong poker player, learning how to play poker astutely.
Paul Phua - Tournament Poker – Notable Cashes
Paul Phua began to enjoy big success playing live tournament events, including receiving several payouts of over $1 million.
Here are some of his notable victories -
|
Year |
Event |
Position |
Prize |
|
2012 |
Aspers 100k High Roller – London |
1st |
$1.62 million |
|
2016 |
NLHE – The Monte Carlo One Drop Extravaganza |
1st |
$825,000 |
|
2019 |
NLHE – Short Deck Triton Super High Rollers Series (Event 5) |
2nd |
$2 million |
|
2019 |
NLHE – Triton Montenegro Main Event (Main Event) |
2nd |
$2.18 million |
|
2019 |
NLHE – Triton London Main Event |
2nd |
$3.14 million |
|
2019 |
NLHE – Short Deck Main Event – Triton Super High Rollers Series |
4th |
$1.18 million |
|
2020 |
NLHE – Short Deck – partypoker LIVE – Millions Sochi Super High Rollers Series |
1st |
$1.5 million |
Ironically, due to Phil Phua’s eye-watering net worth – his massive poker earnings barely move the needle on his overall wealth (Phil Phua net worth).
Paul Phua - 2014 Legal Challenges
In 2014, Paul faced legal challenges over allegations of running illegal sports betting operations. He was arrested in Macau in June 2014, along with over 20 others. Although Phua was released shortly afterwards, he was arrested again the following month, this time by the FBI in Las Vegas.
He was then accused of operating an illegal sports betting business within the luxury villas at Ceasars Palace, supposedly accepting substantial wagers on FIFA World Cup games. Phua pleaded not guilty and argued that the FBI’s tactics had violated his constitutional rights.
In 2015, a U.S. District Judge ruled that the FBI's deceptive methods made the evidence inadmissible. The court dismissed the case against Phua and acquitted him of all charges.
2016 Paul Phua Poker Site
In 2016, Paul launched Paul Phua Poker, a poker training site. The site includes instructional videos and GTO poker strategy articles. It also features contributions from prominent poker professionals such as Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, and Dan Colman.
Many poker players may also be familiar with the associated YouTube channel, which hosts a series entitled 'I Am High Stakes Poker'. Through interviews, top players share their experiences and strategies, offering viewers a glimpse into the mindset required for high-stakes games.
Largest Televised Cash Game Pot vs Tom Dwan
In September 2018, Paul Phua and Tom Dwan played the largest televised cash game pot at that time.
Dominik Nitsche opened from the cutoff and was 3bet by Tom Dwan in the big blind. Tom is then 4bet by Phua in the UTG straddle (poker term for a blind preflop bet) with AA.
It’s difficult to credit the straddle position with having a legitimate hand since the UTG straddle has already made a sizeable preflop investment without seeing any hole cards.
After tanking for over 3 minutes, Dwan 5bet shipped AQo and was immediately snap-called by Phua, whose Aces held, scooping him a massive $2.35 million pot.
Although Tom still smiled after the hand, he promptly left the table, claiming he was off to play some short-deck poker.
Paul Phua Net Worth - Other Pursuits
Paul Phua has a son, Darren Wai Kit Phua, who also plays poker. Darren was arrested along with his father in 2014. Darren later pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanour charge.
In 2011, Phua was appointed as the Republic of San Marion's non-resident ambassador to Montenegro. Although he was acquitted of all charges, his ambassadorship was revoked following the legal challenges of 2014.
In 2004, Phua co-founded IBCBet, an online sportsbook that reportedly handled substantial betting volumes. The platform was later rebranded as Maxbet.
Phua maintains an active presence on social media, sharing gratitude and well-wishes with his family and friends.
As we enter the Year of the Snake, remember that every hand you play, in life and at the tables, holds meaning. May wisdom guide your choices, resilience bring success, and good fortune follow you. Wishing you happiness, prosperity, and many reasons to celebrate. pic.twitter.com/jIvr6BOzEt
— Paul Phua Poker (@paulphuapoker) January 29, 2025
Paul Phua - Legend of the Game
Clearly, Paul Phua has had a massive impact on the poker community, both as a businessman and a player.
From his early days as a VIP junket to the founder of Triton Poker and, eventually, as a prolific tournament crusher, Paul Phua has left an indelible mark on the poker landscape.
