Varun Goenka

Team Philippines Has a Point to Prove at the 2023 Asian Nations Cup

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Team Philippines, being lead by Philipson Chua, made their last live Match Poker appearance at the previous Asian Nations Cup held in Taoyuan city in Taiwan. They narrowly missed out on qualification to the Nations Cup Finals last year, falling just a few points behind Israel who secured their spot as the final Asian team to qualify.

 

However, this revamped national team will be looking to secure their qualification to the World Championships in Zurich and put on a strong performance in Hong Kong. Later this year we will also see the launch of the National Match Poker League in the Philippines, which will no doubt lead to the emergence of very exciting talent that can eventually go on to represent the nation.

 

Here is the squad traveling to Hong Kong:

Name: Philipson Chua

Age: Is just a number

Profession: Financial Consultant

Short Bio:

  • A financial consultant by profession, but poker runs in his blood. He has been playing since 2007 when he won the first APPT online qualifier out of 5,000 players. Has won multiple poker tourneys here in Philippines and abroad.
  • Jointly organized the Poker Players Association of the Philippines and became its first President in 2011. Lucky enough to Survive 15 years of playing and enjoying each moment of it.

 

Name: Aleyza Angeles

Age: 21

Profession: Freelance Model

Short Bio:

• A poker enthusiast who tends to be very highly competitive. After winning 3rd place in the qualifier, wants to prove to herself that she can achieve more while enjoying the challenge.

 

Name: Aloysius Pacia

Age: 60

Profession: Retired Entreprenour

Short Bio:

• Started playing 52 years ago with my father who is my poker idol. Has participated and placed in multiple poker tourneys live and online since 2007.

 

Name: Anselmo Ferdinand Adriano

Age: 57

Profession: Lawyer

Short Bio:

• Ansel started playing poker in 2005, joining small live tournaments purely out of curiosity, fun and meeting new people. Since then, he has played in some major tourneys both locally and abroad, and participated in live and online events.

 

Name: Delfino Ty

Age: 66

Profession: PC Network Integrator

Short Bio:

  • Del fell in love with the game after observing the WSOP 2005 in Las Vegas. Played nightly poker tournaments with Philippine poker pioneers Philip (Team Captain) and Marco (Marketing Head). He has since traveled extensively around the region as a recreational player with multiple final table appearances and victories.

Member Team Philippines:
Asian Nations Pair Challenge 2018, Bangkok, Thailand and the Asian Nations Cup 2019, Taoyuan, Taiwan.

 

Name: Myra Adriano

Age: 54

Profession: Manager for Site Acquisition – Telecommunications

Short Bio:

• Myra started playing poker in 2005, both live and online. She has participated in various poker circuits and has also won some multi table tournaments. She loves the challenge of playing against the best in the game and outwitting the poker pros. She looks forward to winning her next major tourney. She is is happily married with 3 children.

 

Name: Vicente Peña

Age: 57

Profession: Entreprenour

Short Bio:

• Started playing poker since 2007 and have joined various live/online local & international tournaments. Recent accomplishments include finishing 1st in a 2022 APPT event and cashing in a major 2023 local tournament.

 

Name: Randy Cirineo

Age: 54

Profession: Civil Engineer

Short Bio:

  • Randy started playing Poker since 2014 and since then he has been fascinated with the math involved, especially with the odds & probabilities. He is known as “Patch Adams” because of his personalized jacket.
  • He has always been a tournament player and had his own share of winnings In the local community. In his bucket list is to play in an international event & represent his country, Now, he can check that off.
Varun Goenka

Will the Indians Successfully Defend Their Title of Asian Champions?

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Team India are the defending Asian Champions after their nail-biting victory at the 2019 Asian Nations Cup in Taoyuan, Taiwan. Their squad for the upcoming event contains 2 players from the title winning 2019 squad, namely Aditya Agarwal and Gaurav Gala. They are focused on defending their trophy and going back home with the title of ‘Champions of Asia’ once again. With more teams competing and overall level of skill increasing, defending their title will be a hugely impressive achievement if they manage to do it!

 

Here is the Indian squad for the upcoming 2023 Asian Nations Cup:

Name: Jagdeep Singh (Captain)

Bio: Arguably India’s best performing Match Poker athlete, Jagdeep has been competing at the highest level since the inception of the Match Indian Poker League in 2017 where he first tasted success with the Mumbai All Stars. He has since created his own team, the Haryana Hawks, and lead them to victory in season 2 and 4 of the national league. This will be his 5th appearance for the national team.

 

Name: Harman Baweja

Bio: A Bollywood producer and movie star, Harman’s talents go well beyond acting as he’s proven time and again. Against the odds his ‘celebrity’ Mumbai All Stars team emerged victorious in the inaugural season of the MatchIPL, leading to him captaining the national team at the 2017 Nations Cup in Oxford where India finished 5th overall. Since then his team has finished runners-up twice in the national league, and this will be his second opportunity to play for his nation.

 

Name: Abhishek Jalan

Bio: Abhishek was a member of Harman’s Mumbai All Stars in MatchIPL’s first season and after tasting success he too created his own team, the UP Indians, who he lead to a podium finish in seasons 2 and 4 of the league. Jalan was also part of the Indian team in Oxford and is very excited to have the opportunity to play for the national team once again.

 

Name: Aditya Agarwal

Bio: Aditya was an integral member of the title winning Indian squad in Taiwan and after having tasted success there is desperate to help defend the Championship, and add another gold medal to his collection. He was awarded ‘Player of the Tournament’ after his solid performance in the inaugural season of the Match Indian Poker League which not only helped his team finish in second place but also allowed him to become a part of the national team.

 

Name: Shuchi Chamaria

Bio: Shuchi has been a regular part of the national league, playing an integral role in the Pune Kings victory in season 3 under the leadership of Gaurav Gala. She then went on to represent Team India at the Nations Cup in Dublin which she thoroughly enjoyed, and is honoured to be playing for her country once again.

 

Name: Loveleen Singh

Bio: Loveleen proved himself playing for the Delhi Aces in the MatchIPL and was selected to represent the Indian team at the Nations Cup Finals last May. Another strong performance by him lead to his selection for the upcoming Asian Championships, which will be the second time he is playing for Team India. After a disappointing finish on his debut, he is keen to help the team achieve a much improved finish this time around.

 

Name: Abhishek Goindi

Bio: Abhishek was a member of the national team at India’s first ever performance in a Match Poker event – the Asian Nations Cup in Sanya, China in 2013! Since then he has gone on to really improve his skills and also teaches poker through his Poker Bootcamp. He has fond memories of his previous participation and representing India, is extremely excited to see the evolution of the sport over the past 10 years and having the opportunity to put on the blue jersey once again.

 

Name: Gaurav Gala

Bio: Gala lead the national team to victory in 2019 and wants to do all he can to ensure Team India continue to be Champions of Asia. He has been successful at the national and international level, helping bring the best of the team and will surely play an integral role in Hong Kong too.

Varun Goenka

The Japanese are Going for Gold in Hong Kong!

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The Japanese national team has competed at every global Asian Match Poker event to date, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves as well! They haven’t had the best finishes but have always come together as a team to challenge for the championship. A mix of some familiar faces and a few new ones, Team Japan is ready for Hong Kong and aiming to put on their best performance yet!

 

Here is the Japanese squad for the 2023 Asian Nations Cup:

Name: Yasuhiro Sasaki

Bio: First time representing his nation, he is excited to play Match Poker and roll it out across Japan following this event. CEO of the All Japan Poker Championship (AJPC).

 

Name: Hiroshi Miyoshi

Bio: He made his debut for Japan at the 2018 Asian Nations Pairs Challenge in Bangkok and is proud to have the opportunity to do so once again.

 

Name: Miyaka Miyoshi

Bio: Miyaka was a member of the Japanese team both at the 2018 Asian Nations Pairs Challenge as well as the 2019 Asian Nations Cup in Taiwan. This will be her 3rd time playing for her nation.

 

Name: Ryousei Suzuki

Bio: He will be making his Match Poker debut and is proud to be representing Japan at a global sporting event.

 

Name: Tsuyoshi Yanagida

Bio: Another debutant who will be donning the Japanese national jersey for the first time. He’s very excited to test his skills in the Match Poker format and is looking forward to the competition.

 

Name: Takuo Serita

Bio: The most experienced Japanese Match Poker player, having participated in IFMP events since 2011 in the London Eye! He runs the Japan Poker Association and has always represented his nation with pride.

Varun Goenka

The Mongolians are Eager to Impress in Hong Kong!

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Having made their live Match Poker debut at the 2021 Nations Cup Finals in Macedonia, the Mongolians were disappointed with their 12th place finish. However, they are looking forward to their next opportunity and learning from their mistakes. They selected their national team based on qualifiers run on Match Poker Online, only selecting the best performing individuals to play for the country.
Here is their full squad for the 2023 Asian Nations Cup in Hong Kong:
Name: Gan-Erdene Enkhbaatar
Age: 36
Profession: Main profession is an architect and civil engineer. Professional development is in urban design, civil and public buildings.
Bio: Poker player, live streamer on Facebook and YouTube during poker tournaments also coaching (hand review and ghosting). Teacher of an online poker course that has 1580 students in primary class. Interested in playing MTT poker tournaments and has been for over 8 years. Hobbies are fishing, traveling, painting, bicycling, reading books and social media.
Name: Bat-Erdene Erdenebayar
Age: 33
Profession: TV Director
Bio: Began playing poker in 2010 and has been participating in sports competitions for 5 years. He likes to play with human psychology and read cards, playing to improve his skills now.
Name: Otgonbat Narantuya
Age: 36
Profession: Work safety engineer
Bio: He likes to travel, likes to take risks and challenge himself. Poker is considered an intellectual sport and he likes to play poker in his spare time.

Name: Chinges Ayushsuren
Age: 25
Profession: Lawyer
Bio: He is self-employed and enjoys playing poker tournaments in his spare time. He sees the transfer of skills between practising law and playing poker.

Name: Buyanjargal Bold
Age: 40
Profession: Germanistik
Bio: He started playing poker in 2005. From 2006 to 2010, he worked as a dealer in a casino. He resumed playing poker in 2013 and won the 2014 Asia-Pacific Red Dragon main event in Macau, beating 995 players. For him, poker is an intellectual sport that requires psychological combat, endurance and self-control. Having competed in many competitions and experienced joys and sorrows, he loves this sport and will play it till his death!

Name: Enkhmaa Myangat
Age: 30
Profession: Journalist
Bio: Poker has been one part of her life for a few years and she has huge goals and dreams. So the upcoming championship would be a big chance to improve herself and her poker career while representing her country.
Name: Altansukh Ganbat
Age: 33
Profession: IT engineer
Bio: He works in the border guard. He became the team leader in the first Match Poker national league tournament held in Mongolia, and his team won first place. He believes that poker is an art of knowing yourself and feeling for others.

Name: Nyamdari Khatanbold
Age: 34
Profession: Manager of a construction company
Bio: He has played online poker since 2015 and some a few followers from his country. He has also given some training and coaching for people who are interested and keen to learn. He aims to contribute to the development of poker in Mongolia through his coaching, live streams and private advice based on experience.

Name: Enkh-Amgalan Gonchigsuren
Age: 38
Profession: Business Administration
Team Leader and Manager
Name: Unurbayar Lkhagvasuren
Age: 41
Profession: Teacher
Bio: The Mongolian Free Poker Sports Association was established to develop the sport of poker in Mongolia, and he is the president of this association.
Varun Goenka

Chinese Taipei finished runners-up on home soil last time around, can they better it in Hong Kong?

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Check out the full squad for Chinese Taipei as they prepare for their toughest Asian battle yet. National Federation leader David Tai has been doing incredible things for the growth and acceptance of poker as a mind sport & game of skill in his nation. 2022 saw the first season of the National Match Poker League as well as the University Match Poker League, with both being received very well and promising bigger 2nd seasons this year!

 

This is how the national team looks for the 2023 Asian Nations Cup in Hong Kong:

 

Team Leader – PO CHUN ROSS WEN (文柏鈞)

Bio – Ross is the chairman for Taiwan Formosa Poker Sports Association and the tournament director for CTP Poker Club, and Vice Manager of the National Match Poker Team. He was first introduced to Match Poker at the Nations Cup in Dublin in 2019.

 

Coach – CJ CHEN (陳紀任)

Bio – CJ is honoured to coach the national Match Poker team this year. As a dedicated poker player, he is eager to share his knowledge and help the team achieve their goals. He believe in the power of high-level competition to sharpen critical thinking and decision-making skills, while remaining humble and open to learning from others.

 

Coach – EN CHING WU (吳恩慶)

Bio – Jack Wu moved to Macau in 2012 to play cash games and won his first live title in 2016. After three days, he won the main event and went on to become the 2016 Asia player of the year leading to being sponsored by Pokerstars in 2017. He opened his first live course in 2017, and along with some coaches established Taiwan Rounders in 2018 (the biggest coaching site in Taiwan). The site: https://reurl.cc/GzL6Z. Jack has also acted as a national team coach in 2019.

 

Team Member – HSU FENG MING (許峰銘)

Bio – His first poker approach was in 2019 in a friend’s home game, since then he’s been loving it and started to play Live MTTs in 2022 at CTP Poker Club Kaoshiung. He also joined Taoyuan poker academic in 2022 and continues to learn advanced poker strategy until today.

 

Team Member – CHOU SUN CHEN (周孫楨)

Bio – Chou Sun Chen prefers to be called by his English name, Steven. He grew up in New Taipei City and is proud to represent his nation.

 

Team Member – LIU SHU TING (劉書婷)

Bio – Shu Ting Liu also goes by Ban Ban, has been a member of the national Match Poker team in 2021 and continues her journey this year with all other members, wishing everyone the best year ahead in 2023.

 

Team Member – HUANG WUN TING (黃文廷)

Bio – Tim Huang is a 21 year old college student from Taiwan. He hopes to play well against good players from around the world.

 

Team Member – CHEN-YI, LIU (劉甄詒)

Bio – Known as Serina Liu, she holds an electronic engineering masters degree from National Taiwan University (NTU) and is currently working as an engineer in the largest IC design company – Mediatek. Serina has about 4 years of MTT experience, during the span she’s captured 8 trophies from various global poker events and made over 8 million in earnings. She’s also a poker lecturer in NTU and an ambassador of CTP poker club.

 

Team Member – WANG,CHING-CHIA (王淨加)

Bio – Coming from the south side of Taiwan – Tainan, he has been playing poker for almost one year now and was introduced to it by a friend. He has been loving this strategy game since his first poker tournament in Taipei’s CTP Poker Club, and is very excited to get selected to be a member of the national team.

 

Team Member – JUSTIN CHU (朱啟仁)

Bio – Justin is a poker enthusiast who likes to travel around the world and play poker MTTs.