Wai Kin Yong

Louis Cha Leung-yung GBM OBE (Chinese: 查良鏞; 6 February 1924 – 30 October 2018), better known by his pen name Jin Yong (Chinese: 金庸), pronounced 'Gum Yoong' in Cantonese, was a Chinese wuxia ('martial arts and chivalry') novelist and essayist who co-founded the Hong Kong daily newspaper Ming Pao in 1959 and served as its first editor-in-chief. Date Event/Tournament Place Winnings: Mar 11, '20: $50,000 No-Limit Hold'em Short Deck 2020 MILLIONS Super High Roller Sochi: 1: $800,000: Aug 13, '19: €100,000 No. In 2004, Wai Kin was selected as one of the 20 architects featured in the URA publication “20 under 45”. In 2006, TIMUR DESIGNS won a design award in the Sports and Leisure category for the development of beach amenities on Palawan Beach in Sentosa. Wai Kin Yong is Chief Financial Officer at Econframe Bhd. See Wai Kin Yong's compensation, career history, education, & memberships.

More developments from the major raid at semi-private villas at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas where an alleged illicit Asian sportsbetting ring, operating in secret from the villas after being booted from a similar arrangement in Macau, faces charges in connection with the operation of an illegal gambling enterprise.

One of the eight people charged by federal authorities following the July 9th raid, Wai Kin Yong, has already filed for a dismissal of all charges via his attorney, Michael N. Pancer. Yong, 22, is the son of Seng Chen “Richard” Yong, a multi-millionaire junketeer who is one of the primary names in the case, behind only Paul Phua (the alleged leader of the illicit sportsbetting operation), and Phua’s son Darren.

As with the Phuas and like his father, Richard, Wai Kin Yong has participated in the ultra high-stakes cash games held at Macau casinos over the past few years, games which have attracted the world’s richest and most famous poker players but whose future is now in doubt. In the filing on behalf of Wai Kin Yong, attorney Pancer alleges a general mistaken identity and lack of proof that the younger Yong was involved in any of the illicit activities bookmaking activities believed to be going on in the private villas, which were rented by Richard Yong and Paul Phua, well-known “whales” (high-rolling gamblers) on the international casino scene.

The filing by Pancer on behalf of Wai Kin Yong details not only why the defense counsel believes the charges should be dropped, but may serve as an outline for how other defendants in the case may similarly combat the charges.

The primary defense assertion put forth in the dismissal motion is that the younger Yong wasn’t actually involved in any of the illegal bookmaking activity — if indeed any was going on. While Wai Kin’s name was attached to one of the laptops being used in the villas, and which was actively being used to examine bookmaking data on major Asian sportsbetting data at the moment of the raid, the defense asserts that the laptop was actually Richard Yong’s, not Wai Kin’s, and that Wai Kin’s name appeared in the laptop’s admin and setup areas because Wai Kin had purchased the laptop for his father as a birthday present and helped set it up.

Here are the relevant passages from the latest filings. First, two paragraphs from the actual criminal complaint that detail Wai Kin’s alleged activities:

WEI SENG PHUA, DARREN PHUA, and WAI KIN YONG were watching the Netherlands vs. Argentina World Cup soccer game with other individuals when the search warrant was executed at Villa 8882. WEI SENG PHUA, DARREN PHUA, and WAI KIN YONG were sitting at active laptop computers with a “SBOBET” website displaying live odds for the soccer game and instant messaging windows. The odds were seen changing on the monitors. DARREN PHUA also had an “IBC” illegal sports bet website active on his laptop.

WAI KIN YONG’s laptop showed that he logged into “SBOBET” website with a usemame “hkl66888” and “HKS 12,852,706.32” (approximately $1.6 million USD) was available in the account balance. Further analysis of WAI KIN YONG’s laptop revealed that he used “WaiKin” as a login name for this laptop.

First, the defense filing alleges that despite the content shown on the screens, the activity described includes no actual criminal activity. As Pancer and fellow defense attorney David T. Brown wrote:

In short, these paragraphs do not allege illegal activity or criminal conduct by Wai Kin Yong. The Government seized a laptop which it alleges was on the SBOBET website and displaying live odds. This does not demonstrate illegal betting. There is not any allegation that the Government recovered evidence showing that Wai Kin Yong bet or assisted anyone else to bet. If every inference is indulged for the Government, the evidence would only show that someone was logged into an account on that computer using the “WaiKin” user name. That is not proof that Wai Kin Yong owned the account, was the current user, was aware of the use, or had actually engaged in conduct constituting the offense. …

But the most interesting part of the filing is the assertion that one of the laptops seized, the one using “WaiKin” as a login, isn’t actually Wai Kin’s. Here’s that excerpt:

These allegations regarding who owned the computer, and who had logged into the SORBET website, are false. Defendant Wai Kin Yong’s computer is a 17-inch Razer Blade laptop computer that was located in another room of the suite. The computer that is referenced in the Complaint was a 14-inch Razer Blade computer that was his father’s (Seng Chen Yong’s) computer. Defendant Wai Kin Yong purchased his computer as a gift for his father in 2013 in Malaysia, and the login name for the computer was “WaiKin” only because Wai Kin Yong initially set the computer up for him. The November 29, 2013 Facebook posting attached as Exhibit “A” evidences that Wai Kin bought this computer for his father. Wai Kin Yong used his father’s computer only on a few occasions since its purchase (primarily to access social media websites), and had not used it that day. In addition, the SORBET account that the father’s computer had opened was the betting account of Seng Chen Yong, and Wai Kin Yong had not used that account. …

Indeed, the filing includes as an appendix the referenced Facebook posting, which shows Wai Kin posing with the 17-inch Razer Blade Pro last November. Assuming the post’s and photo’s veracity, the info does raise ownership questions about the seized laptop. Also, as part of the same filing, Wai Kin’s attorney has filed a motion asking for the defense’s right to examine Wai Kin’s own 14-inch Razer Blade laptop which was also seized in the raid.

Regarding the original complaint, Wai Kin, like the others, faces a maximum of seven years imprisonment on the two gambling-business counts, although actual time served in such cases has tended to be much less. Wai Kin and Richard Yong are among several defendants in the case who continue to be held without bail as presumed flight risks, though that matter is also under continuing protest by the Yongs’ defense attorneys.

In Wai Kin’s case, defense counsel has proposed that he be released on $500,000 bond, surrender all passports and travel documents, and along with his father, Richard, be allowed to stay at the Las Vegas home of poker pro Gabe Patkorski until the case is resolved. The filing also notes that Macau games participant Phil Ivey, who helped finance the bail for Paul and Darren Phua, would do similar on behalf of the Yongs.

From the filing:

The following resources are available to secure bond for Wai Kin Yong:

(1) Las Vegas resident Gabe Patgorski will allow Wai Kin Yong and his father, Defendant [Richard] Seng Chen Yong, to stay at his home in Las Vegas for the duration of the case;

(2) $1 million from Las Vegas resident and professional poker player Phil Ivey;

(3) Approximately $6 million held in Seng Chen Yong’s two savings accounts. This money was lawfully earned by Seng Chen Yong through his licensed gaming junket business. Seng Chen Yong’s will transfer these assets, as necessary, to the United States as security for this bond.

(4) $2 million that Seng Chen Yong brought with him to Las Vegas for gambling and which is currently held in the Caesars Palace safe.

(5) $3 million in an account for Seng Chen Yong at Caesars Palace.

(6) The income earned by Seng Chen Yong through his successful gaming junket business (income-verification and licensing documents for Seng Chen Yong’s gaming junket business have been compiled and are available for review upon request).

FlushDraw will continue to monitor developments in the case.

COMMENTS

Leave a Comment

LATEST NEWS

filter by

Dan Katz

Is the Coronavirus a Threat to the 2020 WSOP?

This has been one hell of a week. The coronavirus (COVID-19) is picking up steam globally. World financial markets have...

Dan Katz

Side Bets Available at PokerStars Poker Tables

Poker is gambling. We like to say that it is a game of skill – and it is – but it is also gambling. And that’s...

Dan Katz

World Series of Poker Expands Online Bracelet Schedule to 14 Events

On Thursday, the World Series of Poker released the schedule for this summer’s online bracelet events, to be hosted...

Dan Katz

Phil Galfond Down €750,000 to VeniVidi1993 in Galfond Challenge

Look, I don’t typically make a habit of feeling bad when people of means lose money, but oh man, I am starting to get...

Wai Kin Yong Poker Player

Dan Katz

PokerStars, partypoker Launching Dueling Bounty Tourney Series on Super Bowl Sunday

The year 2020 is already one-twelfth gone. It seems like just yesterday that Larry David was arguing that it was too...

Haley Hintze

Coronavirus Outbreak Forces Postponement of Triton Jeju Series

The Triton Super High Roller Series scheduled for mid-Februry in Jeju, South Korea has become the first poker event...

TOP POKER SITES

• PokerStars
• $600

• 888 Poker
• $400

Cached

• William Hill
• £1,200

• Betsafe Poker
• $1,000

• Bet-at-Home
• €1,500

• Guts Poker
• $/€/£300

view all

POKER IN YOUR COUNTRY

• US POKER SITES
• CANADIAN POKER SITES
• UK POKER SITES
• EUROPEAN POKER SITES
• SOUTH AFRICAN POKER SITES

DEVICE COMPATIBILITY

Mobile Poker Sites

Linux Poker

Android Poker Sites

Mac Poker

GUIDES

Deposit Methods

Poker Networks

SPORTS BETTING GUIDE

Table Of Contents

Phil Ivey may have been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons lately but it’s his poker prowess that everyone’s talking about again.

Only yesterday, Ivey finished seventh in the partypoker LIVE MILLIONS Super High Roller Series Sochi $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em event for $72,500. Today, he fell at the final hurdle of the $50,000 Short Deck and walked away with $525,000. The old Ivey we love seems to be back.

Event #5: $50,000 Short Deck Results

Exactly 50 entries were processed in this event, the 50th entrant being Wai Kin Yong. Yong was the last man standing when the curtain came down on the second and final day’s play. But how did that happen?

Yong was fast out of the blocks and had grabbed the chip lead by the horns by the time only two tables remained. Jason Koon and Michael Soyza were just two of Yong’s victims as the tournament progressed towards the bubble.

Bubble Bursts; Yong Secures Chip Lead

Ivan Leow was the unfortunate soul who burst the bubble, doing so after a clash with Yong. Leow called off his last 710,000 chips with ace-king after Yong open-shoved to put him to the test for his stack; Yong had done this with pocket nines. Yong flopped a set and improved to a boat on the river to send the remaining eight players into the money.

Paul Phua was the first player heading to the cashier’s desk after his ace-ten lost to Mikhail Rudoy’s king-jack with a jack on the river.

Big Double For Ivey

Wai Kin Yong Wife

Ivey then doubled through Sam Greenwood who was the chip leader. Greenwood’s stack was decimated during Day 1 proceedings but he rallied back to claim the overnight lead. His king-jack proved no match for Ivey’s ace-jack in this all-in preflop encounter.

It wasn’t simple for Ivey, however, because Greenwood flopped a Broadway straight. Ivey hit running tens to improve to a hand-winning full house.

Seth Davies didn’t have to contend with a big stacked Ivey for long because he busted in seventh-place at the hands of Rudoy.

Rudoy himself was the next to bust, doing so in a clash with Ivey.

Ivey limped in late position with ace-king, Yong called in the cutoff with nine-six and Rudoy jammed on the button for 3,400,000 with a pair of red jacks. Ivey called, Yong ducked out of the way, and the dealer put the five community cards in play. The first of those cards was the king of spades, which was enough to win Ivey the hand and soar into a commanding chip lead.

Man of the moment Aaron Van Blarcum was the next to fall. Yong doubled through Van Blarcum which resulted in the latter jamming all-in blind for a couple of hands. The first ended in a chopped pot, the second saw his king-nine lose to the ace-queen of Greenwood.

Fourth-place went to Cary Katz whose nine-eight couldn’t crack the queens of Greenwood, before greenwood busted in the most spectacular of hands.

Sick Hand Goes Ivey’s Way to Bust Greenwood

Ivey limped in with red aces, Greenwood checked with king-eight of clubs and the flop fell ace-high with two clubs. Ivey bet 200,000 and Greenwood called. The turn was another ace, gifting Ivey quad aces. He unsurprisingly checked and Greenwood checked behind.

Wai Kin Yong, Econframe Bhd: Profile And Biography ...

Ivey bet 400,000 on the flush-completing jack of clubs on the river, Greenwood raised to 1,950,000, Ivey shoved and Greenwood called the rest of his stack off, approximately the size of his raise. Greenwood unclipped his microphone, said his goodbyes all while Ivey stacked up 11,640,000 chips.

Yong had a lot of work to do because he trailed Ivey by almost 4-to-1 in chips. He managed to close the gap by doubling up after hitting a gutshot on the river when Ivey held two pair.

Ivey showed relentless aggression but couldn’t shake off Yong. Yong and Ivey both know poker tournaments can and do turn on their heads in a single hand. That happened here.

Yong open-shoved for his 4,800,000 stack with jack-ten and Ivey had the easiest call of his life with pocket aces. The flop came down with two tens and Ivey couldn’t find one of the two remaining aces in the deck.

The final hand soon followed.

Yong completed the 300,000 button ante with jack-ten of clubs before calling Ivey’s raise to 900,000 with queen-jack. A queen-nine-jack flop saw Yong set Ivey all-in and Ivey looked him up.

A king on the turn gave Yong a straight and a massive advantage. Ivey needed a queen or jack or he’d bust. The six of hearts was neither, busting Ivey in second-place and leaving Yong to win the $800,000 top prize.

Wai Kin Yong Watch

Ivey is already back in action, grinding it out in the $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em event. Can he go all the way this time? Stay tuned to PokerNews to find out.

• Related Room

  partypoker