Yan Shing Tsang

Yan Shing Tsang, widely known as Anson Tsang and online as "Tara@0z", is a Hong Kong semi-professional poker player active in both live and online events. He first discovered poker after seeing an advertisement for a free online poker game on Facebook, and by 2020 he had been playing for 12 years. His career has since grown to include major tournament victories and more than $3.9 million in live earnings, ranking him seventh among Hong Kong players on the all-time money list as of October 2024.

Tsang's largest single payout came at the 2013 Asia Millions Main Event, where he finished seventh for $921,004. In 2017, he took second place in an Asia Championship of Poker event for $201,181, adding to significant cash game profits he had built by that time. That year he began traveling the world more intensively to play in poker competitions, cashing at the Aussie Millions, EPT Monte Carlo, and the WSOP, including a 10th-place result in the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Championship in 2018 for $67,210. Later in 2018, he finished runner-up in the EPT Barcelona €10,300 Pot Limit Omaha event for €151,700 (about $176,680), cementing a strong year across multiple continents.

At the 2018 World Series of Poker Europe in Rozvadov, Czech Republic, Tsang made history as the first player from Hong Kong to win a WSOP bracelet. He conquered a field of 187 entries in Event #7, the €2,200 Pot Limit Omaha 8-handed tournament, defeating Russia's Ilya Bulychev heads-up to take the €91,730 (approximately $105,400) first prize. Tsang was in impressive form throughout, closing Day 1 as chip leader, finishing Day 2 with the second-largest stack, and dominating the final three-handed play. He recorded four cashes in that series, also placing 19th in the Monster Stack (€3,669), 67th in a €550 PLO event (€859), and 296th in the Colossus (€2,087). During 2018, he held the No. 2 spot on the GPI Hong Kong ranking, behind Daniel Tang, and was 44th globally.

Tsang won his second bracelet at the 2020 WSOP Online on the GGPoker Network. The $500 Deepstack No-Limit Hold'em event (Event #68) for the Asia region paid him $150,460, as well as a WSOP Europe package and a $7,500 Natural8 sponsorship. The year 2019 had been bittersweet, as he came close to winning a second bracelet twice in Las Vegas. Tsang then captured his third bracelet at the 2022 WSOP Europe, winning the €2,000 Pot Limit Omaha event (Bracelet Event #4) for $94,525. By October 2024, his WSOP totals included three bracelets, 14 final tables (including unofficial ones), and 111 money finishes, with his best Main Event result a 404th-place run in 2024. He has also recorded five World Poker Tour money finishes during his career.

Tsang plays a disciplined, well-rounded game, comfortable in both No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha. He has stated, "I like PLO and 2-7 Triple Draw. I definitely prefer to play tournaments and enjoy that excitement." He also spoke warmly of the five-card PLO games offered live in Barcelona, saying "It was a fun game as you can hit a lot of boards hard with five cards in your hand!" Since 2017, he has competed in high-stakes mixed-game tournaments in Las Vegas, often facing some of poker's biggest names. The Natural8-sponsored player also expressed ambition to win a mixed-game bracelet in Las Vegas and to compete for WSOP Player of the Year. His online alias "Tara@0z" is well known on the GGPoker Network, where his second bracelet victory was secured.

Tsang is married and has a daughter. Beyond his tournament results, he has been a prominent figure in the growth of poker in Hong Kong. His 2018 victory was celebrated as a breakthrough for Hong Kong players, and he has continued to represent the region on the international stage. By late 2020, his documented live tournament earnings stood at approximately $2.99 million, and they have since grown past $3.9 million. With three WSOP bracelets and a consistent record across Europe, Asia, and North America, Tsang is widely regarded as one of Hong Kong's most accomplished and respected poker professionals.