Vlogger and PokerStars Platinum Pass Winner Alice Zheng Chasing World Poker Tour Glory in Choctaw

By Sean Chaffin

Dallas isn’t the most convenient place to be a poker pro, despite the most popular game being “Texas” hold’em. It’s not like Las Vegas or Los Angeles or even Atlantic City. Rounders can’t just jump in the car for a 10-minute drive to their local casino. It takes some effort and definitely some commitment.

Alice Zheng and four friends are giving poker a shot, a big one, as they document their play through their poker vlog as they battle it out at casinos in Oklahoma and around the country. That includes taking to the felt at WPT Choctaw. Their YouTube channel, Haslet House Poker, is receiving thousands of video views and finding some success as the group tracks their cash game and tournament play.

The team take a humorous approach to their poker journeys, and also give viewers some feedback on how they played certain hands and advice to think about in their own games.

“It’s not just about poker,” Zheng said. “It’s more about our lives. It’s been going well. We all went to Vegas this summer to play in the World Series of Poker and cash games.”

Zheng likes the idea that they’ll be able to look back on this fun time in their lives when they get older. Originally from China, she left her job as a computer programmer in March to focus on poker full-time. That decision didn’t come easy, but she’s had some nice cash game and tournament results. The 26-year-old now has more than $17,000 in live tournament winnings, and that doesn’t reflect what could ultimately be viewed as her biggest score to date.

The team’s trip to Las Vegas didn’t prove to be a huge success for Zheng, but it was certainly lucrative in one aspect. Zheng played in the $250 Ladies International Poker Series (LIPS) National Championship at the Orleans Casino and finished ninth for $2,008. While that was a nice score, a flip was held for players who made the final table. The winner received a $30,000 Platinum Pass to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Zheng was the lucky winner, and you can look for her in the Bahamas in January.

“I was so lucky,” Zheng told WPT.com, with a big smile across her face.

Here at WPT Choctaw, Zheng is currently sitting among the bigger stacks in the room as the field heads into the money. She’s had experience at Choctaw Casino & Resort. Zheng won the WSOP Circuit $230 Ladies event in November for $7,223.

So far, the choice to leave her programming job has paid off. Zheng notes: “I’m making more now than I was before.”

That August total could really hit an uptick if she keeps her deep run alive here at WPT Choctaw.

Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas, and host of the True Gambling Stories podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @PokerTraditions.

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