Chen Weiliang 🇲🇾

Wai Leong Chan, born in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia in April 1986, is one of Asia's elite professional poker players who has fueled the high-stakes poker boom in Macau and Southeast Asia. He gained international attention in 2016 and 2017, quickly rising from regional Asian circuits to some of the world's most expensive tournaments. Unlike some of his peers who focus on business acumen, Chan is considered a "pure" professional; his constantly improving skills allow him to consistently compete with the world's top players. A regular at the King Rozvadov Resort and a fixture at major tournaments in Jeju Island and Cyprus, he demonstrates the global influence of modern Malaysian professional poker players. He is projected to remain among the top 100 all-time money earners on the Global Poker Index (GPI) as of early 2026.

Chen is known for his "calm, balanced, and technically sophisticated" playing style. He is widely considered one of the world's top experts in Short Deck Ante-Only poker, where he distinguishes himself through his profound understanding of modified equity and high-volatility range construction. In No-Limit Texas Hold'em, his strategy is known for its "low noise," striving to minimize leaks through body language while maintaining a mathematically rigorous Game Theory of Optimality (GTO) foundation. He excels particularly in high buy-in invitationals, adjusting to the specific tendencies of elite "crushers" and wealthy players to achieve significant ROI advantages. Whether conquering the Triton Poker Series Main Event or making breakthroughs in the later stages of the WSOP, Chen's strategy revolves around maintaining extreme patience and precise execution in the later stages of the game.

According to Hendon Mob, Chan's total live tournament winnings have exceeded $16,557,000, currently ranking sixth on Malaysia's all-time money list. His career-best live tournament winnings are $3,252,348, earned by finishing second in the 2018 Triton Poker Series Jeju Main Event. Chan has consistently performed well in high-stakes events, notably finishing second in the 2024 Triton Monte Carlo Main Event for $2,970,000. Other notable achievements include a ninth-place finish in the 2019 Triton Millions Charity Event for $1,460,938 and a victory in the 2019 partypoker Millions World Bahamas Super High Roller final for $380,000. His dominance in top-tier high-stakes tournaments has led to an estimated poker net worth exceeding $15 million. Image source: Joe Giron