Wai Kiat Lee

Wai Kiat Lee's live tournament career began in December 2013, with his early cashes coming exclusively from events in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In July 2015, he won the £330 Deepstack Main Event for £50,000, and in 2016 he took down the £550 GUKPT Walsall Main Event, earning £34,850. These victories provided the foundation for his transition to higher-stakes tournaments.

Following a period of relative obscurity, Lee re-emerged on the live poker scene after the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, he finished third in the Partypoker MILLIONS Sochi Super High Roller, earning $374,520. This result signaled his ambition to compete in elite fields. His first major Triton Poker Series appearance came in April 2022 in Cyprus, where he finished second in a $75,000 No-Limit Short Deck event for $840,000. He followed that with a sixth-place finish ($105,000) and a victory in a $50,000 buy-in event ($513,000), establishing himself as a force in super high roller circles.

In 2023, Lee continued his ascent. He placed second in a $30,000 Triton Vietnam event for $851,932, third in a $100,000 event for $710,000, and earned his first seven-figure score of $1,030,000 for sixth place in the $200,000 Luxon Invitational in Cyprus. These results positioned him as one of the most consistent performers in the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series.

The year 2025 proved to be a historic breakout season for Lee, with tournament winnings exceeding $8,902,000. He secured a trio of seven-figure scores:

• March 2025: Fifth place in a $150,000 Triton Jeju event for $1,372,000.
• May 2025: Third place in the $100,000 Triton Montenegro Main Event for $1,807,000.
• September 2025: Runner-up in a $200,000 Triton Short Deck event in Jeju, earning a new career-high of $2,465,000.

In addition, Lee won two Triton events in 2025: a $30,000 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo in Montenegro for $586,000 and a $25,000 Short Deck event in Jeju for $264,000. He also finished runner-up in the APT Championship Taipei Mini High Roller for $184,673 and placed 3rd in the Wynn Summer Classic $1,500 Mystery Bounty for $289,214. His deep runs extended to the WSOP Paradise $100,000 Triton Main Event (20th, $256,000) and the EPT Barcelona €20,000 High Roller (7th, €60,500).

Lee's momentum carried into 2026. At the Triton Poker Series Montenegro, he cashed in multiple events: 7th in the $150k NLH 10th Anniversary Special ($541,000), 9th in the $100k NLH Main Event ($356,000), 7th in the $200k NLH Triton Invitational ($1,085,000), 13th in the $50k NLH 8-Handed ($112,000), 17th in the $40k NLH Mystery Bounty ($35,500), and 20th in the $30k NLH 8-Handed ($50,000). He also finished 8th in a $10,000 PGT Last Chance event for $50,400 in January 2026.

Wai Kiat Lee is known for a highly aggressive and technical tournament strategy, excelling in both No-Limit Hold'em and Short Deck formats. He thrives in high-roller and turbo structures, where tactical precision and stack management are critical. His ability to adapt to dynamic field sizes and pressure situations has made him a consistent deep-run threat. During his runner-up finish at the 2025 APT Championship Taipei Mini High Roller, he demonstrated elite stack navigation through a field of 184 entries. His style combines disciplined high-stakes fundamentals with the aggression needed to compete in the world's most elite 'nosebleed' stakes.

As of early 2026, Wai Kiat Lee's lifetime live tournament earnings stand at $26,622,776, according to PokerNews. He ranks 100th on the worldwide All Time Money List and 2nd on the Malaysia All Time Money List, trailing only Paul Phua. His Global Poker Index (GPI) ranking peaked at 33rd in the world during 2025 and stood at 45th as of early 2026. He has amassed 29 career WSOP cashes and 11 career final tables. Known for his consistent deep runs in elite high-roller fields, Lee has become a mainstay of the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series and a proud representative of Malaysia on the global poker stage.

Lee resides in Sungai Buloh, Malaysia, and has gradually transitioned from a regional competitor to a global high-stakes professional. While he is a regular on the Asian Poker Tour (APT) and events in Taiwan and South Korea, his consistent presence in Triton Poker Series events has elevated his profile. His SPI (Skill, Popularity, Impact) ranking in 2026 stands at 23rd in the Asia-Pacific region with a score of 8,840, reflecting his strong performance and recognition.

In addition to his Triton success, Lee has recorded significant results across multiple tours. In 2025, he cashed in the WSOP Paradise $25,000 Super Main Event (107th, $80,000) and the WSOP $25,000 High Roller (16th, $73,639). He also placed 61st in the WSOP $5,000 8-Handed for $10,880 and 64th in the $5,000 6-Handed for $12,368. At the APT, he finished 237th in the NT$55,000 Main Event for NT$100,500. Earlier in his career, he made deep runs in the Poker Dream Main Events in Malaysia and South Korea, including 94th in the RM1,446 Main Event and 62nd in a ₫21.6 million event. These results highlight his versatility across buy-in levels and formats.

Lee's 2025 campaign was marked by consistency across multiple high-profile series. In May, he not only finished third in the Triton Montenegro Main Event but also won the $30,000 Turbo event, demonstrating his ability to close out victories. At the APT Championship Taipei in November, he finished runner-up in the Mini High Roller Championship, earning $184,673. In June, he placed third in the Wynn Summer Classic $1,500 Mystery Bounty for $289,214. He also cashed in the WSOP Paradise $100,000 Triton Main Event (20th, $256,000) and the EPT Barcelona €20,000 High Roller (7th, €60,500). His year-end earnings of over $8.9 million accounted for more than a third of his career total, cementing his status as one of the top performers of 2025.