Joseph Cheong Making Yet Another Deep Run In World Series Of Poker Main EventPoker Pro Has Cashed Three Times In Three Years, Including A Final Table |
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Poker pro Joseph Cheong has played the World Series of Poker Main Event just four times, but in that span has finished 3rd, 114th and is still alive on Friday night with less than 400 left in the 2012 rendition. He had one of the bigger stacks in the room during the last level of play for the night.
Cheong has cashed for millions, but yet is a humble player, well aware of the improbability of his streak. He said, simply, that he just runs well in the Main Event. “That’s all it really takes,” he explained.
He did admit that he’s really good at changing gears and playing the short stack. “These long levels really let me wait for hands,” he said. “I don’t really take marginal spots as much in this tournament.”
“It seems so easy to me,” Cheong said with a smile. “My friends can’t even cash in five years.”
Cheong has to play a lot tighter these days because no one ever believes he’s holding strong hands. “It makes for a much more boring experience for me overall,” he conceded.
Due to Internet poker’s shut down in the U.S., Cheong has a residence in Vancouver, Canada so he can continue to grind online. He plays mostly tournaments, but he said he plays some pot-limit Omaha cash games when he’s drunk at night.
When asked how he fairs in those cash game sessions, Cheong said “not too good, but I think everyone else online is happy about it. The cash game scene online is not too good anymore, but I give a lot of action.”
Cheong said that the $4.1 million score in the 2010 Main Event allows him to go through his drunken downswings “without going broke.” He added that having a large bankroll hasn’t affected his tournament game. He has improved, but essentially is still the same grinder.
The California native took a horrific beat late in the tournament in 2010, where his aces were cracked by the 7
5 after a 6
6
5 flop. Cheong recovered nicely. Despite the devastating loss, he said that you should always want those types of spots.
“I would love to see those situations every hand,” he said, “but you have to hold every single time, which is tough to do.”
Regardless of what happens in the Main Event, Cheong has had successful summer. He finished second in a $5,000 buy-in tournament in early June for $296,956.
Follow Brian Pempus on Twitter — @brianpempus
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