Kitty Kuo is a good comply with on social media. Her humorous musings about the whole lot from her love life to the on a regular basis mundane, in addition to large wins, have lengthy been a favourite within the poker world.
However Kitty, whose given identify is Hui Chen, says she doesn’t deliberately work so as to add comedy to her posts. She’s an open e-book, for certain, however merely makes use of social media as a solution to have a historic report of the occasions in her life. No subject is off limits, even when it considerations her buddies, household, and relationships, together with the daddy of her baby, YouTube poker star Frankie C.
“I needed to report what occurred to me day-after-day,” she stated. “So, if someday I lose my reminiscence, I can learn my tweets. I might see, ‘Oh, I used to be blissful in 2018. I used to be doing this and that in 2020.’ I’m not attempting to make folks snigger. I don’t make up tales or lie. I simply write the whole lot. However my buddies informed me, ‘Kitty, we love your tweets, however we don’t wish to be within the story.’ Generally I share an excessive amount of.”
The brand new mom could also be a Kitty, however she can be an actual poker tiger and a severe individual past life on social media.
“Folks at all times suppose I’m a humorous individual, however truly I’m fairly severe. I don’t wish to go to golf equipment, I don’t drink, I don’t do one-night stands. I’ve a grasp’s diploma in electrical engineering. My entire life was work, learning, and being a very good daughter in my household.”
Whereas her background may not have steered a profession in poker was within the playing cards for Kuo, her work ethic positively helped on the tables. Kuo has collected $3.5 million in dwell event winnings over time with a number of large finishes on main poker phases world wide.
The Taiwan native sits simply outdoors the highest 10 on the ladies’s all-time cash listing and has three World Poker Tour final-table appearances, a World Collection of Poker Circuit championship ring, and a number of other six-figure cashes in a profession stretching again to 2007.
Kuo not too long ago spoke with Card Participant about turning into a mother, her poker routine, and extra.
Adjusting To Life As A Poker Mother
Life as a brand new mom has been fairly a change for the jet-setting poker professional, however Kuo and her companion Frank Cucchiara are proud to be dad and mom who make their distinctive way of life work. Cucchiara is a well-liked poker vlogger that additionally not too long ago turned a Card Participant ambassador.
The poker-playing couple dwell in Las Vegas, but in addition journey to Asia recurrently to hit the tables and go to her household. Including a child has introduced some adjustments to the routine nonetheless.
“Earlier than the newborn, poker was simpler to suit into my life,” she admitted. “As a result of if I noticed any poker (tournaments) in Paris or in Asia, I might simply fly there immediately. I at all times strive to return to Asia annually. However I want to consider my child. I can’t simply go wherever as I might earlier than.”
As an alternative, Kuo picks tournaments that work higher for her new household, with lots of these within the U.S. She nonetheless cashed loads of occasions during the last yr taking part in a way more restricted schedule. That included a pleasant begin to 2025 with an eighth-place end within the $3,500 Borgata Poker Open Championship in January for $51,919. In November, she additionally went deep within the PokerStars North American Poker Tour $5,300 fundamental occasion in Las Vegas for $14,900.
Extra youngsters are in her future, Kuo says, however she could go for a surrogate the following time round.
“Everybody informed me that after you’ve got a child, you’ve got much less focus,” she stated. “It took me some time to get well, to remain targeted and research with my coach and observe GTO. It was a giant comeback. So, I would like to only get another person to hold the newborn.”
Extra Selective, And Looking Massive Scores
Kuo notched the largest money of her profession in August 2023, ending fourth within the $5,300 Exhausting Rock Poker Open Championship for $480,763. Different profession highlights embody ending sixth in a WPT Venetian occasion in 2021 for $192,855. The identical yr she got here out on high in an Asian Poker Tour occasion in Taiwan for $26,011.
In 2019, Kuo took runner-up in a $5,200 occasion on the WPT 5 Diamond World Poker Basic for $117,031 at Bellagio. That was preceded by one other runner-up within the WPT Bobby Baldwin Basic in 2018 for $248,380. Additionally in 2018, Kuo scored a fourth-place end in a $25,000 Aussie Thousands and thousands excessive curler for $198,731.
Irrespective of the stage, Kuo has stayed constant and retains racking up money. Her enjoyable character has additionally made her a preferred participant in live-streamed money video games like Stay on the Bike, Poker Evening in America, WPT Money Recreation, Poker At The Lodge, and others.
However life as a brand new mother has meant dialing a few of her play again and focusing extra on Las Vegas occasions.
“I play poker tournaments now that solely have an excellent assure,” she defined. “I’m not taking part in tournaments day-after-day. Earlier than I performed 250 days a yr. Now I solely play if they’ve a $4 million or $5 million assure. PokerGO has a PGT event virtually day-after-day now proper subsequent to my constructing, however I can’t go play as a result of I wish to ensure I spend sure time with my child. However I do play money video games day-after-day for 4 hours at Wynn and in addition some dwell streams.”
Profitable A Date At The Poker Desk
Poker truly introduced Cucchiara and Kuo collectively. In December 2022, Kuo performed within the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas. Whereas she didn’t money, she did discover love. After simply flying again from Asia, she was requested to play on a dwell stream that had one seat out there. Nonetheless affected by jet lag, she wasn’t too and thought of declining the invite, Kuo finally got here round and confirmed up.
“I wasn’t even speculated to be there, however that’s how I met Frankie,” she stated. “I lived in Asia on the time and flew in for the event and money recreation they usually didn’t invite me till the final minute.”
“Good to fulfill you, you’re cute,” Kuo stated in the identical breath, shortly breaking the ice.
A protracted-distance relationship started. Cucchiara, initially from Dallas, would take turns flying backwards and forwards from Texas earlier than finally settling in Vegas. Cucchiara’s movies on their assembly, titled ‘If I Lose This Hand, I Owe My Opponent A Date’ have greater than 5.5 million mixed views. The comply with up video, ‘If I Lose This Hand, I Owe My Opponent A Child’ is his hottest longform video, with 3.5 million views.
They plan to formally tie the knot sooner or later, with Kuo providing a blunt response for these nosey Twitter/X followers inquiring about her marital standing.
“You look puffy after you’ve got a child, so I want to verify I look horny earlier than we get married.”
Blackjack To Poker
Life on the poker desk required an fascinating route for Kuo. Within the 2000s, she was working as an engineer at Samsung in South Korea. Again then, blackjack was her vice, and he or she would spend her weekends on the on line casino. Searching for a solution to make her cash last more, she got here throughout one other recreation that mixed her love of socializing on the desk together with her have to gamble.
“I noticed lots of people having a beer, having conversations, and everybody having enjoyable,” she recalled. “I stated, ‘What are you guys doing?’ They informed me that is Texas maintain’em. I requested how a lot the buy-in was and it was like $400. So, I used my ATM card and sat all the way down to discover ways to play. After that evening, I by no means went again to the blackjack desk.”
In 2009, she jumped headfirst into the event scene by flying to Macau for a PokerStars dwell event collection. There she grabbed her first profession win for $71,899 together with two runner-up finishes to earn the Participant of the Collection title.
She’s most pleased with her fourth-place end on the Exhausting Rock two years in the past which was value practically half one million. The occasion featured 1,070 entries with Farid Jattin, Shannon Shorr, and Omer Rotman among the many last 4 gamers.
“We did a four-way chop,” she stated. “It was nice to go so deep in such a giant event, even when we didn’t find yourself taking part in it out for the win.”
As a youngster, she loved taking part in mahjong with buddies for cash. The tile-based recreation was developed within the nineteenth century in China and has among the similar elements of poker – talent, technique, and luck.
She additionally loved different card video games, understanding, and stood out in class academically, ending second in her class. However there was at all times a draw in direction of playing.
Kuo’s mom often despatched her jewellery as a present. After some downswings, that bling could be bought to fund extra time on the tables. When making the journey again residence, her mom may ask why she wasn’t sporting one of many items she despatched.
Not desirous to disappoint her, Kuo would merely reply, “Oh, I left it in Vegas,” which was technically true.
“Once I was younger, I did no matter my dad and mom needed,” stated Kuo. “However I lastly went to the on line casino and realized learn how to play poker, and it’s the primary time I noticed that this was the factor I actually needed to do with my life. I do know that is the one factor I actually like. I needed to see if I might survive as a poker participant. And if not, I might at all times return to an engineering job. I’m good. I at all times knew I might return to a standard life. However I wanted to take that shot.”
Teaching Kitty
Coaching is a giant a part of Kuo’s routine when she is in poker mode, and he or she’s by no means been afraid to ask for assist. Together with utilizing solvers to review recreation principle optimum technique, she additionally employs a couple of coaches to enhance her recreation. Excessive-stakes crusher Steffen Sontheimer serves as her money recreation coach, whereas two-time WSOP bracelet winner and WPT champion Nick Petrangelo helps with tournaments.
Different buddies within the recreation will provide recommendation, together with WSOP bracelet winners Toby Lewis and Ankush Mandavia. Kuo even sought out some teaching from four-time WPT champion Darren Elias after ending runner-up to him within the WPT Bobby Baldwin Basic.
“I favored his model,” she stated. “I assumed, if this man can win 4 WPTs, then he should be good in opposition to respectable (sized) fields, as a result of the WPT isn’t a GTO (event). It’s a whole lot of starting gamers and gamers out for enjoyable. All my coaches are actually good at GTO, however I additionally actually needed to discover ways to play in opposition to the fish. I labored with Darren for 2 years.”
That is my morning view !My son performs at his playground And I research with my tournaments spot Everybody in household has their life purpose ~ pic.twitter.com/Ijwfcunxz5
— kitty kuo (@kittykuopoker) March 29, 2025
Now that her child is cellular, Kuo is decided to play extra in 2025 and plans to up her event schedule with a couple of targets in thoughts. She needs to journey to play in a location she’s by no means been earlier than. Moreover, she needs to go again to Asia extra usually to play occasions whereas seeing household.
Whereas she brings loads of talent to the desk, Kuo additionally has somewhat little bit of superstition in her recreation. She has a fossil as a card protector and wears a cat ring on the desk, each of which she considers to be good luck charms. (Mockingly, Kitty doesn’t personal a cat. Frankie is allergic.)
Discover Kuo on Twitter/X @kittykuopoker.
I can’t say my life is completely again to regular however I’m 85% there Examine with poker coach within the morning Play GTO wizard within the afternoon Money recreation at WynnPoker</a> each evening <br>1 day dwell stream <br>I’m prepared combating upcoming <a href=”https://twitter.com/WSOP?ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>WSOP & @AsianPokerTour two my favourite collection pic.twitter.com/qV6x8eFWC4
— kitty kuo (@kittykuopoker) March 24, 2025
Earlier than having a child & after having a child What change? Earlier than having a child, I can exit have funAfter having a child, at all times taking part in ( working ) Life change! 18 years extra then I’ll have freedom once more pic.twitter.com/dIBK7jzdVu
— kitty kuo (@kittykuopoker) March 5, 2025
Within the relationship, don’t be egocentric!assist ur companion dwell service develop up large. finally they are going to be success with or with out ur assist! Ensure be the individual to see they r rising Nobody can cease “ arduous work & good ppls “ in actuality world pic.twitter.com/pKpUZdIMO1
— kitty kuo (@kittykuopoker) February 24, 2025
*Photographs by Card Participant, World Poker Tour, and Kitty Kuo
