Xiaosheng Zheng Triumphs at WPT Cambodia Championship for $244,500
Chinese poker pro Xiaosheng Zheng secured his largest career score and first World Poker Tour title at the WPT Cambodia Championship, earning $244,500 after outlasting a competitive 425-entry field at the NagaWorld Integrated Resort in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Zheng, who now boasts over $2.2 million in career earnings tracked by The Hendon Mob, closed out the final hand with pocket aces against Irish player Michael O’Neill.
The $3,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em championship attracted players from across Asia and beyond, further cementing WPT Cambodia’s status as one of the premier international stops on the global poker calendar.
A Dramatic Finale
The heads-up battle between Zheng and O’Neill was an extended affair. O’Neill built a commanding chip lead at several points during the match, but Zheng displayed remarkable resilience, repeatedly fighting back to even the stacks. On the decisive final hand — the 106th of heads-up play — O’Neill pushed all-in holding A-J only to run directly into Zheng’s pocket aces. The board ran out without interference, and Zheng was crowned champion.
The players had previously struck a deal to continue playing for the WPT trophy and a $10,400 seat to the 2026 WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas — a testament to the competitive spirit at the table despite the financial pressure.
Notable Performances
One of the tournament’s most remarkable stories came from Pang Kok Yong, who although finishing sixth in the Championship for $63,000, had just taken third place in the $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia Championship — a 1,095-player event — just days earlier for $76,000. His back-to-back deep runs were considered among the most impressive of the entire WPT Cambodia festival.
The WPT Prime Cambodia Championship was separately won by Andrei Kalgin, who claimed $154,170 in the companion event.
The Rise of Asian Poker
Zheng’s victory is another indicator of Asia’s growing dominance in international tournament poker. Events like WPT Cambodia, held at the world-class NagaWorld facility, have become essential stops for the world’s top players and underscore the global expansion of No-Limit Texas Hold’em as a competitive sport.
