First time in a National Team - Asia Nation Cup 2026 Taipei

Most of you are not going to believe this. In my high school years, I was in the state champion team for chess and 3rd in table tennis. But never in my wildest dreams would I thought I could one day be in on a national team for any sport. 

While in most parts of the world, poker is recognized as a sport and as a respectable career path, unfortunately where I am from it is not seen in that light. I have made it a life mission to spread the positives of the game and industry, to build a community of respectful players, to bring the world of poker to my country, and my country to the world of poker. This week our team won the Asia Nation Cup 2026 and in my opinion was a milestone in the history of Malaysian poker. 

I am not going to go into too much detail about how we won, but it was dramatic to say the least. Joint 1st after day 1 and 2nd after day 2 of the round robin, we entered the final four and behind a talented Taiwanese team by 13 points after round 1. We pulled back to be within a point after round 2 and ended up 12 points clear by the last round. I am not only proud of how our team played and contributed, but even more so of how they conducted themselves, admirably represented our country with poise and class. Unfortunately in the heat of battle, some players from other teams resorted to angle shooting and some even using vulgarities on the table, as if no one else understood Cantonese. 

However most other teams were professional, friendly and respectful, especially our fellow finalist countries Taiwan, Philippines and Thailand. Although we were divided by our flags, we were united by our love of poker. No one enjoys defeat, but how you react to one is the difference between champ and chump. I have only love and respect for them. It was fun reconnecting with old friends/adversaries and making new ones. 

I hope we brought pride, joy and inspiration to others, and paved the way for future national teams, showing them an example of how not just to win on the tables, but to win hearts. 

PS: Special thanks to people and organizations that made this happen. IMSA, WPF, APSA and MPF. 

SuperCup 7 Incheon experience

The SuperCup series is one of my favorite because it is the only series that has a stop in the beautiful city of Busan, and the only series that has a field of 85% South Korean players. Korean players are at a disadvantage when it comes to poker because of the years of upbringing that is embedded in their culture that is so hard to change. That gives players of a different culture a significant edge against them, let me explain.

5b all in QQ pre got called by TT

Koreans are a very united people. Back when I was growing up, I went to a school that had quite a few Koreans. Whenever one Korean student gets into a fight, anyone else who is a Korean will jump to his aid, doesn't matter if they know him or not, who is wrong or right, as long as he is one of us, we will fight for him. This happens very often on the poker table too. I often get ganged-up on 7 to 1 because I am perceived as a threat. They would call super wide, over call or try to bluff me off, to teach me a lesson for overbet value their compatriot the hand before. That of course increases the variance, but if you can run well and hold your own post flop, it’s a lot of free chips that you would never get in another field. 

Beautiful autumn colors

A big part of Korean culture is respecting elders. I think that is very admirable, but when it is a forced social norm, young people might feel oppressed and elders take advantage of the youth because they were once bullied when they were young. I have seen players opting not to check raise a flop for value because that would be seen as rude. So when oblivious little me set my traps, check raise, overbet for value, thin value 3rd pair, stare at them looking for tells, it may be perceived as being disrespectful. That may be triggering for some, and they would try to teach me a lesson, and ego plays often lead to massive mistakes. 

Korean people value strength and pride, which is a great culture. Head up, chest wide, believe in yourself, never let people see your weaknesses.... But when translated to poker, it can cause many problems. For example, tanking is seen as weakness, so in order not to look weak, Korean players love to snap action at every street. Because of this, they are making lots of mistakes or giving away too many tells, unwittingly capping their ranges. 

Not going to share all my secrets here but if any Korean players want to get coached, I am sure I can help you immensely, especially if you play often in Korean-majority games. Alas, having an edge doesn't necessarily translate to success unless paired with some run good. Thankfully I finally have my best SuperCup result so far. 3rd in the mini main and 50th in the main, still didn't run good when it mattered but I am pretty happy with my result. 

Mushrooms on the field after a drizzle

Korea is a very beautiful country, my favorite city being Busan. However Incheon, Seoul, Jeju are stunning in their own right. Over the years I have also met and made some very nice Korean friends. Years ago when playing cash games in Manila, a Korean uncle would always, always transfer tables to play against me. He had a short temper and huge ego, and was determined to "punish" me whenever he can, beating me in a pot meant more to him than just the money. But after many times playing against me, I earned his respect and later, his friendship. The difference was, I respected him from day 1, but he didn't know it. 

Look forward to the next one, until then, peace

APT Jeju - 2nd time this year

I have always had mixed feelings about Jeju. On one hand it is a very beautiful island with lots to do and explore, but the Shinwa World location is boring. Initially this trip was planned as a cash game grind, but due to the employee strike at Dream Tower, and my recent MTT success, I ended up playing 3 APT events. It's my 3rd trip to Jeju this year, but the difference is, this time I stayed in central Jeju.

It takes me a 40+ minute bus ride from where I am to the tourney location, but it is such a relaxing ride, I found it helpful for my game to be able to pray, meditate, prepare on the way there, reflect, decompress, review on the way back. Staying in town has it's perks. First of all there's a lot more to do, see and eat. There are also more accommodation options to choose from. There are plenty of service businesses around, which came in handy when I needed a dentist urgently. Albeit I got scammed, it was still convenient. On my off days I could go out for a stroll, a beautiful nature reserve is a 45-minute walk away, and there's a nice market nearby too. 

The Jeju field is quite polarized. You have your crushers - some of the best players in Asia on the tables, Euro GTO machines, but you also have really weak rich players too. My 4b was called once by KTo, another time by Q4s. I have certainly witnessed some brow-raising lines and showdowns. Unfortunately I didn't cash the Mystery bounty nor the Main event, but I shallow cashed the Mini Main despite having KK < AK < AK, AA < A9 all in preflop. 

My bus route

It's always fun to play at APT. Many people don't realize how OP it is to be able to check the live seating info. You're able to study your opponents and adjust to them accordingly without needing any hand history. On the table you can also sense who has looked into your profile and how they might perceive you to be, and use that against them. It was extra useful to me to be able to check how many are in the field before taking a long bus ride to the tourney venue. 

Not bad for $40+

This trip was a pretty relaxed one for me. I took time to recover from my dental issues, spent time with people who are important to me, studied, played online, catching up with old friends, worked on federation and national team stuff... I know I said I quit MTTs, but there isn't an ideal cash game situation right now, so I have 3 full series back to back starting in a few days. Hope I can run good, but most of all, have a great time and be proud of myself at the end. 

I got scammed in South Korea

I cracked my tooth, again, this time in Jeju, South Korea. My options were to fly home to get it fixed, endure the pain for about 5 weeks before I get home as scheduled, or find a local dentist. After consulting AI, and going through Google, I found a highly recommended dentist that was a few hundred meters away from me. On their website and online reviews, many claim that they are fair and professional, had affordable prices and good service. 

When I got to the clinic, I was asked to fill out a form with my personal details, which is pretty standard. Then I was asked to sign an acknowledgement form. The form states that I will be charged 150k KRW (approx. USD 111) for my consultation, which will include x-rays but will not include the treatment. I was in pain and discomfort, I had no other choice, I signed it. On the form I also consented to the clinic taking CCTV video of my treatment for security purposes. 

Finally it was my turn, the dentist immediately suggested I do an implant and quoted me 2.6m KRW for it (approx. USD 1935) but when I rejected, he then went for the 2nd option, a crown for 1.3m KRW (approx. USD 970) In the chaos and rush, and the pain and discomfort, I wasn't converting the KRW correctly so I wasn't aware it was that expensive. Another dentist came and started working on me, but quickly realized that a crown is not a viable option. So in the end we settled for a normal extraction of my 1st molar. The dentist then told me it was going to be 500k KRW (approx. USD 370). Again I was confused about the exchange rate, and desperate for a solution I agreed. My tooth cracked further during extraction, but he still managed to complete it in less than 5 minutes. 

After getting back to my hotel, I started searching online and asking local friends and I found out that a normal extraction costs 10-30k KRW (with health insurance) and 50-100k (without). 1st molars are definitely simple extractions. So that means they charged me 5-10x the normal price on top of a ridiculous 150k "consultation". I realized then that it would have been cheaper for me to fly home and back to Jeju, get my treatment and still have money left over. If you note the implant and crown quotations, they were all way too high as well. 

Long story short, I asked for a refund, they refused, insisted that the extraction was complex because of x, y, z, which doesn't make sense as the price was quoted to me BEFORE he started, hence he couldn't have known if x, y, z would happen. But thankfully I have great friends in Korea that sent someone to the clinic to handle it. At the end I got a partial refund. The money is not the point, I just cannot stand injustice and to see it unpunished. The clinic is called Jeju Anafn Dental Clinic and Dr. Seo was the dentist's name. 

The real reason I've suffered dental issues for the past 25 years is because when I was young, one dentist decided his ego was worth more than my pain and suffering. In order to save face and avoid admitting he couldn't perform a procedure, instead of advising me to go to another dentist, he caused a cascading effect deteriorating my dental health, causing me to lose 4-5 teeth from cracks and avoidable situations. 

Since a long time ago I’ve learned that admitting my flaws or mistakes is not a sign of weakness but strength. It takes more courage to say “I’m sorry”, “I was wrong” or “I’m not good enough”. There’s nothing wrong to be proud of ourselves, but if you’re making a decision to protect your ego, it means something else just lost its protection. So next time if you see the gaps in my teeth, take it as a reminder that how people perceive you is less important than you think it is. Be kind, be honest, be genuine, let go of your ego, because saving your face now may have worser consequences later. 

Royal Poker Tour - Again

This was my 5th trip to Hanoi this year. I know I said I want to give MTTs a rest but because I won some Vietnam Dong in my last trip, I took it as an omen to return and play. My friend had helped me transfer 50m into my balance at Royal, and my plan was not to go above that amount. 

I fired a bullet each in the Kick off and Mini main without making the money, it cost me 17.6m in total. So of the 50m I had 32.4m left. There were two events left that I wanted to play in. The Championship (22m) and the Main (27.5m) Unless I cash in the Championship with one bullet, otherwise that would be the end of my series. I skipped flight A to give myself more rest, flights B&C because I was conducting a federation event, planning to fire in 1D. However it rained quite heavily on the morning of 1D, and at the same time I was invited by a friend to attend an up class event at a one-star Michelin restaurant. So Main event it is then.

From a starting stack of 50k I bled down to 17k and grinded my way up to 11m+ at one point. Close to the end of day 2 I made some good plays, one I deviated from a standard calling range because I saw a clear tell on a top player's arm that helped me remove most of his top ranges. But I also made a couple of bad mistakes including the last hand of the day. My stamina is better than before, but still not optimal, especially after 12-13 hours of intense play. But somehow, thank God I made the final table.

This was my 4th career main event final table, and although not the highest paying FT I ever played in, but was one of the highest. But I entered it playing with no fear, adjusted to the passiveness of the table, tried to dominate the table but at times failed. I came to the FT with one goal, make myself proud, and I certainly did. A key hand was losing JJ to QT all in pre. Even though it wasn't a huge pot, it would be a turning point as the floodgates would open with 7 left and I would be a massive chip leader at that point. The guy went on to finish 3rd. Then with a huge ICM spot, I had AK vs a Korean ego player with JJ but we couldn't win that flip. JJ probably shouldn't have been in there, or at least not an all in, but the player just wasn't ICM aware enough. Winning that hand would have meant another player out with me holding 40% of the remaining chips. Alas it wasn't to be, and he ended up winning the event. 

Eating clean in Hanoi

I finished 6th for a decent bounce towards the right direction for a change, and a boost of confidence. I can't helping thinking another 2-3 pay jumps would make such a difference. But I have no complaints, learned a lot in the process and still a decent payout despite my many mistakes. Happy to have made a decent ROI for my most loyal backers. Off to the next adventure, hope the run good never ends. 

Quick stop at the HSOP

Wasn't planning on playing any MTT, and after grinding cash for almost a month straight in Singapore, the first event (mini main) felt weird, as if I have lost some of my love of the format. But since I was in town for some meetings, I felt I mustn't miss the main event.

First bullet I played well and was cruising until the last 3 levels I just bled out and crashed out 15 spots away from the money. Rebuying was not on the cards, but when my other plans fell through I decided to try again. This time I had a similar ride but manage to squeeze into the money with a short stack. Entering day2 with only 180k (roughly 15bb) I managed to run it up to 3.3 million albeit a rollercoaster ride in between. Although in the end I finished 17th out of 1278 runners, it felt bitter sweet. Proud that I grinded it out, but wondering why do I keep falling short when it mattered. 

Nonetheless it was a short and sweet stay in Hanoi, compared to my usual 3-week-long migrations, so this post would be short as well. 2 other friends made it deep with me in the main and 4 others won trophies in the series so I am super happy for them as well. After this experience, I might be back again real soon, and maybe come out of my MTT "retirement".  

Thailand Poker Summit - in conjunction with Asia Poker Sports Association (APSA)

About 100 years ago, Thailand wrote in their laws, poker = gambling. Yes it specified the word poker. Today, we just had the inaugural poker summit in Thailand, in a sports ministry building, attended by local ministers and delegates from 11 countries, covered by numerous media outlets. In a world that is ever changing, why do we still stubbornly follow some archaic rules? Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it's bad. 

20 years ago, poker was legalized in the Philippines. Since then, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam has some form of legalized poker. In Japan, poker is even taught and played by children. Last year, Mongolian courts finally recognized poker as a sport. When will other Asian countries follow suit? 

I lived my life with an adventurous heart. I used to have a goal of learning one new thing a day. I love to visit places I have never been before, learn new languages, instruments, try new types of food. What gets my blood boiling are people who reject things without even trying. They have set their prejudices on certain things and they end up missing out on so much in life! My partner had a bad experience as a kid with spoiled coconut milk, so she avoided all foods that contained it. But now she gets to enjoy so many types of dishes because she was willing to give it another chance. 

99% of people who oppose poker, or brand poker as gambling have never played the game before. Just because it involves chips and cards, it must be a gambling game right? In November 2025, The International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) officially recognized poker as a sport. Hundreds of books have been written about poker strategy. People pay top dollar to be coached by top pros. There are poker schools that train players, from as young as 6 years old (in Japan).

I find myself having to juggle getting support from my fellow compatriots and creating activities, events to generate awareness for non players. I don't know why I took on such a big task, but someone has to do it. The progress is low, the road is long, the obstacles are many, but together with my friends from Asia and APSA, I hope it will amplify our voice and impact. 

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