Bin Wen's $5 Million Win: From Restaurant Owner to Poker Champion

Bin Wen, a 40-year-old poker player, recently made headlines by winning $5 million in a tournament at Borgata. Born and raised in China, Wen's family moved to the USA when he was 18. Until recently, his primary occupation was managing a small Chinese restaurant on Long Island, where he also worked as an occasional waiter and kitchen helper.

Wen has been playing poker for nearly 15 years, focusing on cash games until 2017. His first televised final table was in January 2020, where he finished 5th in a WPT Borgata tournament, earning $187,900. This year, Wen won a tournament at Borgata with a $5,300 buy-in, securing $1 million. He defeated Alex Foxen in a heads-up match at Horseshoe Casino and faced him again in a high roller tournament at The Lodge with a $25,000 buy-in.

Wen started the final table of the WPT Showdown Championship with a significant chip lead but lost. He faced his idol Daniel Negreanu in a heads-up match at the WSOP and placed 14th in the Lucky 7's tournament, earning $33,680. Wen won the WPT EveryOne for One Drop tournament at Wynn Casino, securing his third consecutive final table win.