Joseph Cheong

Joseph Cheong was born on June 3, 1986, in Seoul, South Korea, and moved to the United States at the age of 6 (or 7, according to some sources). He grew up in California and earned degrees in psychology, mathematics, and economics from the University of California, San Diego. Before turning professional, Cheong played online poker under the screen name "subiime," amassing over $3.7 million in online winnings. He is also nicknamed "The 6bettor from Heaven" for his signature ultra-aggressive style, often using small raise sizes that lead to five or six bets preflop.

Cheong first gained international recognition at the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event. He survived a massive field to become a member of the November Nine, the final table that was televised months later. Entering the final table with a middle stack, Cheong methodically built his chips and eventually held the chip lead three-handed. In a pivotal hand, he six-bet all-in with A♠ 7♥ against Jonathan Duhamel's Q♣ Q♦, losing what was then the largest pot in WSOP history. Cheong finished in third place, earning $4,130,049. He also picked up two other cashes during that same WSOP festival.

Cheong came close to winning his first bracelet on multiple occasions. In 2012, he finished runner-up in the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Mixed Max event, losing heads-up to Aubin Cazals for $296,956. In 2014, he was second in a $1,500 2-7 Draw Lowball event for $55,309. He also finished fourth in the 2012 WSOP Europe Main Event. Cheong finally captured his first WSOP bracelet in 2019, outlasting a field of 6,214 players in Event #34: $1,000 Double Stack No-Limit Hold'em, earning $687,782. Additionally, he owns three WSOP Circuit rings, with his first coming in a $2,200 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller at WSOP Circuit Planet Hollywood in 2018.

Beyond the WSOP, Cheong has scored victories and deep runs in prestigious tournaments worldwide. In April 2013, he won the Asian Poker Tour Manila Millions (HK$ 1,000,000 buy-in) for $1,343,370, his second-largest live cash. Later that year, he finished second in the WSOP Asia Pacific A$40,000 High Roller, earning $534,776. In 2014, he placed fifth in the APPT Asia Championship of Poker HK$ 500,000 Super High Roller for $528,663. On the European Poker Tour, Cheong notched a sixth-place finish in the 2016 EPT Barcelona €10,000 High Roller for $263,092 and a second-place finish in the 2010 EPT London €10,000 High Roller Turbo for $253,951. On the World Poker Tour, he finished third in the 2019 WPT Montreal Main Event for $179,077 and runner-up in the 2022 WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open $25,500 High Roller for $540,000.

As of 2025, Joseph Cheong has 43 WSOP cashes, total WSOP earnings of nearly $8.9 million, and overall live tournament winnings exceeding $19.6 million. He ranks 63rd on the All Time Money List. His aggressive, loose-aggressive style is particularly effective in deep-stack situations, leveraging position and chip pressure to create complex post-flop scenarios. Cheong continues to be a formidable presence at high-stakes tournaments worldwide.

Joseph Cheong currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. He maintains a strong presence in the high-stakes poker community and continues to be active in both live and online tournaments. His aggressive playing style and ability to apply pressure in deep-stack situations have made him a respected figure among peers.

Cheong has three WSOP Circuit rings, each won in different years. His first came in 2018 at WSOP Circuit Planet Hollywood in the $2,200 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller, earning $79,821. He later won a second ring at WSOP Circuit San Diego in a $1,675 No-Limit Hold'em event for $44,113, and a third at WSOP Circuit Cherokee in a $1,675 event for $86,916. Additionally, his fourth-place finish in the 2012 WSOP Europe Main Event earned him €196,797 (approximately $255,000 at the time).

Among other notable high-stakes results, Cheong finished runner-up in the $100,000 Super High Roller at the 2013 WSOP, collecting $614,250. This cash represents one of his largest outside the Main Event. He also has a sixth-place finish in the 2016 EPT Barcelona €10,000 High Roller for $263,092 and a second-place in the 2010 EPT London €10,000 High Roller Turbo for $253,951, both previously noted.