Joseph Cheong
Joseph Cheong is an American professional poker player, World Series of Poker bracelet winner and finalist in the 2010 WSOP Main Event. Born in South Korea and raised in the United States, he became internationally known after finishing third in poker’s largest annual championship for 4.130.049 $.
Known online as subiime, Cheong has sustained a professional career across live tournaments, online play and international high rollers. His results extend far beyond the Main Event run that first brought him widespread attention.
He won his first WSOP bracelet in 2019 in the 1.000 $ Double Stack No-Limit Hold’em event. His later record includes major Asian Poker Tour victories and continued appearances on the American and Asian circuits.
Early Life and Date of Birth
Sanghyon Joseph Cheong was born on June 3, 1986, in Seoul, South Korea. He moved to the United States with his family at the age of six.
He attended the University of California, San Diego, and earned qualifications in psychology, mathematics and economics. Those studies preceded the tournament schedule that would become his profession.
Cheong’s background connects two countries that later became important to his poker career. He represents the United States in tournament records, while South Korea has remained a significant setting for his later international appearances.
Online Poker and the Name subiime
Cheong developed his early poker experience online under the screen name subiime. Internet play provided a route into regular competition before he became a familiar figure on televised live tables.
In a later interview with the Asian Poker Tour, he described being encouraged by friends to deposit on Full Tilt Poker after university. Early success made the game a viable career option during a period when he was uncertain about his professional direction.
The screen name remained part of his public identity as his live results grew. Online winnings and live tournament cashes, however, are separate records and should not be treated as interchangeable measures of his career.
The 2010 WSOP Main Event
The 2010 WSOP Main Event attracted 7.319 entries. Cheong progressed through the summer stages to become a member of the November Nine, the final table that returned later in the year to determine the champion.
He was a prominent force during the deep stages, including holding the chip lead with 27 players remaining. At the final table, his active approach helped him accumulate chips and reach three-handed play.
Cheong ultimately finished third for 4.130.049 $. Jonathan Duhamel won the championship and John Racener finished second. The payout remains Cheong’s largest individual live tournament cash.
The Famous Six-Bet Against Jonathan Duhamel
One of the defining confrontations of the 2010 final table came during three-handed play. Cheong moved all-in with ace-seven after a sequence of preflop raises, and Duhamel called with pocket queens.
Duhamel’s queens held, leaving Cheong with a severely reduced stack. Cheong was subsequently eliminated in third place, ending his pursuit of the Main Event title.
The hand became a lasting part of televised poker history because of the stakes, the stack sizes and the aggressive decision involved. It is an important episode in Cheong’s career, but his later achievements demonstrate why his record should be considered beyond that single confrontation.
WSOP Near Misses Before the Bracelet
Cheong continued to reach significant WSOP final tables after the Main Event. In 2012, he finished second in the 5.000 $ No-Limit Hold’em Mixed Max event for 296.956 $.
He also finished fourth in the 2012 WSOP Europe Main Event and later placed second in the 2014 1.500 $ No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball event for 55.309 $.
Those results brought him close to a bracelet in different formats. They also established that his Main Event performance was followed by further deep runs rather than a disappearance from major competition.
The First Bracelet in 2019
Cheong won the 2019 WSOP 1.000 $ Double Stack No-Limit Hold’em event, overcoming 6.214 entries. He defeated David Ivers heads-up and received 687.782 $, as listed in the official results and winner’s report.
The event required an additional fifth day to finish. Cheong returned with the chip lead and completed the victory, finally securing a bracelet nine years after his Main Event final table.
The championship added a major title to a record that already included numerous substantial payouts. It remains his only WSOP bracelet in the official career profile checked for this article.
| Year | WSOP event | Place | Prize |
| 2019 | 1.000 $ Double Stack No-Limit Hold’em | 1st | 687.782 $ |
Three WSOP Circuit Rings
Cheong’s official WSOP profile also lists three Circuit rings. His first came at Harrah’s Rincon in San Diego in 2010, before the Main Event run that made him internationally known.
The Circuit results provide another part of his competitive record alongside the bracelet and major WSOP final tables. These achievements were earned in a separate series of events and should be distinguished from bracelet titles.
Winning the 2013 Manila Millions
Cheong won the 2013 Manila Millions on the Asian Poker Tour. The 1.000.000 HK$ buy-in event attracted 18 entries and paid him 10.428.000 HK$, recorded as 1.343.370 $ by The Hendon Mob.
Richard Yong finished second, with Peter Chan and Paul Phua also reaching the money. The victory became Cheong’s largest APT cash and one of the central milestones of his international career.
The result followed his runner-up finish in the 2013 WSOP Asia-Pacific 50.000 A$ High Roller, where he earned 511.000 A$. Together, the two events made that period particularly productive outside the United States.
Further High-Roller Results
In May 2013, Cheong finished second to David Sands in the WPT World Championship 100.000 $ Super High Roller at Bellagio. The runner-up payout was 614.250 $.
He also won Bellagio high rollers in 2014, including one for 295.500 $ and another for 236.400 $. These results extended the high-stakes record he had established in Manila and Melbourne.
The combination of small-field high rollers and large-field WSOP events illustrates the breadth of his tournament experience. His public record covers different playing structures and levels of financial commitment.
A Continuing Connection to the Asian Poker Tour
Cheong’s connection to the APT remained significant well after the Manila Millions. He won the Zodiac Classic at APT Manila in 2024 and repeated the achievement at APT Jeju in 2025.
The tour identifies him as the first player to win that event twice. Its twentieth-anniversary profile also recognises his position at the top of its historical earnings record when combining its earlier and newer eras.
These later victories gave his Asian record a second chapter beyond the 2013 high roller. His continuing participation has coincided with substantial growth in the region’s tournament scene.
Major Tournament Results
The selection below highlights Cheong’s defining WSOP result, his bracelet victory and important high-roller finishes. Original currencies are retained where appropriate.
| Year | Tournament | Place | Prize |
| 2010 | WSOP: 10.000 $ Main Event | 3rd | 4.130.049 $ |
| 2013 | APT Manila Millions | 1st | 10.428.000 HK$ / 1.343.370 $ |
| 2019 | WSOP: 1.000 $ Double Stack No-Limit Hold’em | 1st | 687.782 $ |
| 2013 | WPT World Championship: 100.000 $ Super High Roller | 2nd | 614.250 $ |
| 2013 | WSOP Asia-Pacific: 50.000 A$ High Roller | 2nd | 511.000 A$ |
| 2012 | WSOP: 5.000 $ No-Limit Hold’em Mixed Max | 2nd | 296.956 $ |
| 2014 | Bellagio: 25.000 $ No-Limit Hold’em High Roller | 1st | 295.500 $ |
| 2014 | Bellagio: 25.000 $ No-Limit Hold’em High Roller | 1st | 236.400 $ |
| 2014 | WSOP: 1.500 $ No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball | 2nd | 55.309 $ |
Continued Competition in 2026
Cheong continued to appear in major tournaments during 2026, including events in South Korea. His record includes ninth place in the APT Jeju 5.000.000 KRW High Roller for 18.180.000 KRW.
He also finished 36th in the APPT Korea Main Event in September for 4.890.000 KRW. These results provide recent evidence of continued participation on the Asian circuit.
The later activity is consistent with a career built through regular competition rather than one brief period of success. Specific recent finishes should nevertheless be treated as a snapshot, since further results can change the published record.
Tournament Earnings and Personal Wealth
The Hendon Mob lists Cheong with 21.405.150 $ in live tournament earnings in the database snapshot checked on October 14, 2026. His best live cash remains the 4.130.049 $ Main Event payout.
The total records gross tournament prizes. It does not deduct buy-ins, travel expenses or shares held by backers, and it does not include a complete account of online or private cash-game results.
Tournament winnings therefore do not establish his net profit or personal net worth. His recorded cashes are most useful as evidence of the scale and duration of his public competitive career.
Playing Style and Career Significance
Cheong became known for an aggressive approach during the 2010 Main Event, using repeated raises and pressure in prominent televised situations. His later record includes large-field titles and high-roller results that place that early reputation within a much longer career.
In interviews, he has also emphasised the value of live experience and knowing the players at the table. That perspective adds context to a professional record extending across several regions and formats.
His career joins a memorable November Nine appearance, a WSOP bracelet, Circuit rings and major Asian titles. The Main Event introduced him to the global audience; the achievements that followed established his longevity as a tournament professional.
Career figures checked on October, 2026. Recorded live tournament earnings are gross cashes and exclude private cash-game results. Image positions refer to three separately supplied AI-generated illustrations created in October 2026.