Joseph Cheong

Mr. Jung was born in Seoul, South Korea, and immigrated to the United States at the age of six. While studying at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), he was introduced to poker and earned degrees in psychology, mathematics, and economics. This academic background laid the foundation for his later analytical approach to poker. Known online as "subiime," he amassed a considerable bankroll through online tournaments before transitioning to live poker in 2009. Mr. Jung currently resides in Las Vegas and is a regular in the US high-stakes poker scene and in the burgeoning Asian Poker Tour (APT).

Zheng is renowned for his highly aggressive and mathematically-driven playing style. He applies game theory and psychology to exert constant pressure on his opponents, often employing strategies that conservative players would avoid. While he can also utilize Game Theory Optimal (GTO) strategies, he excels at unexpectedly exploiting his opponents' weaknesses and tendencies—a skill that has allowed him to maintain a top-level position for over 15 years. His enduring success is attributed to his ability to transition from the "old-school" aggressive era to the modern algorithmic chess environment.

With over $20.2 million in live tournament winnings, Cheong ranks 33rd on Hendon Mob's all-time U.S. poker money list. He burst onto the scene in 2010 with a stunning third-place finish in the WSOP Main Event, earning a career-high $4,130,049. His impressively aggressive play captivated poker fans worldwide. After years of near misses, Cheong finally won his first WSOP bracelet in 2019, taking home $687,782 in the $1,000 buy-in Double Stack event. Entering the 2020s, he continued to shine on the global poker circuit, most recently winning the APT Jeju Zodiac Classic in September 2025 for a whopping 244,598,800 KRW (approximately $174,300), and achieving considerable success in the PokerGO Circuit (PGT) and WSOP Classic. Image source: APT