Richard Yong: A Player and a Builder of High Stakes Poker
Richard Yong is a Malaysian businessman and poker player born in 1957. A co-founder of Triton Poker alongside Paul Phua, he has influenced high stakes tournament poker both as a competitor and as an organiser. His results include the Aussie Millions 100.000 AUD Challenge and three Triton titles.
The Hendon Mob snapshot checked for this profile records 18.691.842 $ in live tournament earnings and a best cash of 2.130.848 $. It places him fourth on Malaysia’s all-time money list and 88th worldwide, with Kuala Lumpur listed as his residence.
Born in 1957 in Malaysia
Seng Chen “Richard” Yong was born on December 25, 1957. His professional background includes business interests in information technology and related industries. He entered the international poker spotlight as an established businessman rather than through the usual young online professional route.
His association with the high stakes poker community developed through Asian cash games and international events. That background later informed the environment he helped create through Triton.
The Macau High Stakes Community
Yong became a familiar participant in the expensive cash games associated with Macau. Those games brought businesspeople and professional players into regular competition and helped build relationships that extended to the international tournament circuit.
Private cash-game outcomes are not fully documented. They should therefore be kept separate from the recorded tournament figures used in this profile. His public results describe only one part of his poker activity.
2012: The Big One for One Drop
Yong finished eighth in the inaugural 1.000.000 $ Big One for One Drop at the 2012 WSOP, collecting 1.237.333 $. The tournament brought an extraordinary buy-in and a charitable component to a major public poker stage.
The final-table appearance introduced him to a wider audience. It also showed his willingness to compete in events whose entry costs were far beyond a conventional festival main event.
Further Results in London and Cannes
In September 2012, Yong finished second to Paul Phua in the Aspers 100.000 £ High Roller in London for 570.000 £. Shortly afterwards, he placed third in the 50.000 € Majestic Roller at WSOP Europe in Cannes for 400.000 €.
The sequence established a pattern of significant results across several international stops. These were separate tournaments, and the Cannes Majestic Roller should not be confused with a WSOP bracelet championship.
2014: A Monte Carlo Final Table
Yong finished fourth in the 2014 EPT Monte Carlo 100.000 € Super High Roller for 637.600 €. Daniel Colman, Daniel Cates and Igor Kurganov occupied the top three places.
The result added another major European high roller cash to his record. It preceded the outright victory in Australia that would become one of his most recognised competitive achievements.
2015: Aussie Millions Champion
Yong won the 2015 Aussie Millions 100.000 AUD Challenge for 1.870.000 AUD. He defeated Ole Schemion heads-up in a 70-entry event, with Scott Seiver third and Justin Bonomo fourth.
The victory was his first major tournament title. It supplied a clear competitive landmark independent of his business role and later work developing a tournament series.
Helping Create Triton Poker
Yong and Paul Phua co-founded Triton Poker, building an international high stakes series that brought professional players and businesspeople together. The tour developed into a major destination for expensive tournaments, including no-limit hold’em and short deck.
His contribution extends beyond buying into events. As a founding figure, he helped create the platform on which many of the modern game’s largest tournament results have been recorded.
2017: Close to a Home-Series Title
Yong finished second in the 2017 Triton Montenegro Main Event for 11.252.000 HKD, losing heads-up to Manig Loeser. The result remains one of his largest recorded tournament prizes.
The finish placed the series co-founder close to winning one of its most important events. His first Triton title would follow at the same destination the next year.
2018: A First Triton Trophy
In May 2018, Yong won the Triton Montenegro 250.000 HKD Six-Max event for 3.046.000 HKD. He defeated Steve O’Dwyer heads-up in a 35-entry tournament, with Isaac Haxton third.
The victory gave him a title in the series he had helped establish. His son Wai Kin Yong, also an accomplished tournament player, was present to support him.
Jeju and His Largest Recorded Cash
Yong finished third in the 2018 Triton Jeju 2.000.000 HKD Main Event for 16.720.000 HKD. The Hendon Mob records that prize as 2.130.848 $, his largest live cash.
He also placed third in a 1.000.000 HKD short-deck event at the same festival for 9.120.000 HKD. The two results made Jeju an especially productive stop in his tournament career.
Second and Third Triton Titles
Yong won his second Triton title in a 25.000 $ short-deck event in North Cyprus in May 2023. The result extended his championship record into a format that had become an important part of the series.
In September 2025, he added a third title by winning the 50.000 $ Short Deck event in Jeju for 705.000 $. Triton’s official report celebrated the victory of a founding player who remained an enthusiastic competitor.
Selected Tournament Milestones
| Year | Event and result | Recorded prize |
| 2012 | WSOP Big One for One Drop — 8th | 1.237.333 $ |
| 2012 | Aspers High Roller London — 2nd | 570.000 £ |
| 2012 | WSOPE festival Majestic Roller — 3rd | 400.000 € |
| 2014 | EPT Monte Carlo Super High Roller — 4th | 637.600 € |
| 2015 | Aussie Millions 100.000 AUD Challenge — 1st | 1.870.000 AUD |
| 2017 | Triton Montenegro Main Event — 2nd | 11.252.000 HKD |
| 2018 | Triton Montenegro Six-Max — 1st | 3.046.000 HKD |
| 2018 | Triton Jeju Main Event — 3rd | 16.720.000 HKD |
| 2025 | Triton Jeju 50.000 $ Short Deck — 1st | 705.000 $ |
Family, Competition and the Meaning of Earnings
Richard Yong and his son Wai Kin Yong have separate tournament careers. Results credited to Wai Kin, including his 2019 Triton London Main Event victory, should not be attributed to Richard.
Recorded live earnings are gross tournament payouts, not profit or a reliable measure of personal wealth. They do not deduct entry costs or describe private cash games. Yong’s wider influence is better assessed through both his verified results and his role in creating Triton.
Career Figures at a Glance
| Category | Details |
| Name | Seng Chen “Richard” Yong |
| Year of birth | 1957 |
| Nationality | Malaysian |
| Listed residence | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Recorded live tournament earnings | 18.691.842 $ |
| Best recorded live cash | 2.130.848 $ |
| Overall all-time money list | 88th |
| Malaysian all-time money list | 4th |
| Triton titles | 3 |
| Major title | 2015 Aussie Millions 100.000 AUD Challenge |
| Industry role | Co-founder of Triton Poker |
| Family connection | Father of poker player Wai Kin Yong |
Career figures checked on October 25, 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.