Yixian Chen

Yixian Chen, also known by his English name Eason, hails from Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China. Before his poker career, he worked as a fashion designer and later ran his own business. He first encountered poker on PokerStars in 2018 and played online for about two years before transitioning to live tournaments. The short travel distance from Ningbo to Jeju (approximately one hour) allowed him to balance his business commitments with poker.

Chen’s breakthrough came at the start of 2026 at the KPC x LPT Jeju Festival, a landmark collaboration between the Korea Poker Championship (KPC) and the Longbai Poker Tour (LPT). He won the Jeju Opening event, which attracted 429 entries (222 unique players) and generated a prize pool of KRW 333.59 million — nearly double the guarantee. Chen outlasted the field after an eight-hour Day 2 to claim the top prize of KRW 64,000,000 (approximately $44,265). This victory, combined with consistent cashes, propelled him to the #1 ranking on the Somuchpoker Player of the Year (POY) index for 2026.

Chen’s total live earnings stand at $46,995, while Somuchpoker reports his Asia-Pacific net worth at $61,975 from 11 events with 9 in-the-money finishes (81.8% ITM rate). His biggest cash remains the Jeju Opening win ($44,265). Other notable results include:

• APT Jeju Classic 2026 – Zodiac Classic (Sponsored by online poker): 38th place for $4,825 (KRW 6,950,000)
• APT Jeju Classic 2026 – APT Main Event: 165th place for $2,900 (KRW 4,180,000)

Chen has also cashed in events across the Red Dragon Poker Tour, Poker Dream, Super Cup, and Asian Poker Tour, demonstrating his versatility on the Asian circuit.

Chen describes his overall style as loose-aggressive (LAG), but he adjusts based on stack size. When short-stacked, he plays aggressively to accumulate chips and accepts higher variance. Once his stack is healthy, he shifts to a tight and stable approach. This adaptive mindset was evident during the Jeju Opening, where he fell to 11–12 big blinds in Flight A but remained calm, doubled up, and finished as chip leader. He emphasizes the importance of mindset and variance acceptance in tournament poker.

Chen continues to reside in Ningbo and runs his own fashion design business. He rarely plays online poker now due to his business commitments, but the proximity of Jeju (a one-hour flight) allows him to participate in live events regularly.