American Idol’s William Hung Details Failed Poker Career

William Hung made headlines in 2004 for his heartfelt, yet awful, singing efforts meant to impress the judges on American Idol. The Los Angeles resident brought plenty of positivity, but his rendition of Ricky Martin’s ‘She Bangs’ didn’t fare well on the show’s third season. Hung certainly didn’t become a pop star and Simon Cowell said the performance was “one of the worst auditions we’ve had this year.”

However, Hung’s audition went viral and brought a bit of fame that followed with numerous media appearances, motivational speaking gigs, and even an album. As it turns out, he even tried poker, although that led to him developing a gambling problem.

“Unfortunately, I developed a gambling addiction,” he told People magazine. “I knew I was good at poker, but then I got greedy. I got into sports betting. The whole gamut. I know better [now]. I wasn’t supposed to do those things, but I did it anyway. And I paid for it. I got divorced, and I learned I had to be smart about which risks I chose to take.”

Poker Pro Dreams Turn Out Badly

After his initial brush with fame, Hung went on to earn a degree and MBA in mathematics. Although he was spotted at Los Angeles and Las Vegas cardroom dozens of times over the last two decades, he had been working a normal job in statistical analysis with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

But life at the poker table proved to be too enticing for Hung, who decided to make the leap.

“I quit my job three years ago and became a professional poker player,” he told People. “I’d been doing it on the side for a while, and I decided maybe I was good enough to go for it. I was earning way more doing that than I was at my regular job. It was going well for a while.”

At the poker table, Hung has $108,295 in live tournament winnings. The best of that came in 2015 in a $235 World Series of Poker Daily DeepStacks event, when Hung finished third for $17,856. He also won the Ante Up 4 Autism benefit tournament in 2022, besting the charity’s host Chip Jett heads-up for the trophy.

Originally from Hong Kong, Hung went through something many devoted gamblers have experienced at times. The betting away from the poker table apparently proved to be his downfall. He wrote a detailed post on LinkedIn last year about his struggles with gambling and vowed to leave all forms of wagering behind.

Hung has since returned to his old job, gotten remarried, and now hopes to start a family with his new wife. He’s glad to have a simpler life again.

“There’s nothing wrong with having a steady job after fame,” he says. “I think it’s the right thing to do, to provide for my family now.”

*Photos – William Hung’s Facebook

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