New Zealand poker players: the all-time live money list
New Zealand is a small poker country with a long reach. Five New Zealanders are on our records with seven-figure live tournament earnings, and the gap between the top of the list and the rest of it tells you most of what you need to know about how the country's results are distributed: one player accounts for more than twice the career total of anyone below her.
| # | Player | Hometown | Cashes | Live earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sosia Jiang | Auckland, New Zealand | — | $6,131,533 |
| 2 | Lee Nelson | New Zealand | — | $2,552,385 |
| 3 | Tong Li | New Zealand | — | $1,937,162 |
| 4 | Thomas Ward | Wellington, New Zealand | — | $1,924,831 |
| 5 | Hamish Crawshaw | Manawatu, New Zealand | — | $1,656,569 |
The list as we hold it
Sosia Jiang, of Auckland, leads with 6,131,533 US dollars in recorded live earnings. Lee Nelson follows on 2,552,385, then Tong Li on 1,937,162, Thomas Ward of Wellington on 1,924,831 and Hamish Crawshaw of Manawatu on 1,656,569.
Five players is not the whole New Zealand money list — it is the part of it we have written up, taken from the New Zealand all-time money list and the individual profiles behind it. Figures were read on 25 September 2026. Live tournament earnings data courtesy of The Hendon Mob.
Why the figures are given exactly
Career earnings totals get rounded, mis-copied and quoted years out of date all over the web, which is why we publish the exact figure and the date we read it. If a number here does not match one you have seen elsewhere, the date is usually the reason: these totals move every time a player cashes.
Reading the list honestly
An all-time money list is a record of gross tournament prize money, not profit. It says nothing about buy-ins paid, staking deals, or the share of a result that stayed with the player. A player with 2 million in recorded cashes and twenty years of entries may have had a leaner career than one with half that over three seasons. Treat the list as a leaderboard of results, not of skill or of wealth.
Where New Zealanders play
The live scene at home is built around three casinos — SkyCity Auckland, Christchurch Casino and Grand Casino Dunedin — and our New Zealand venue page covers what each actually deals. Most of the money on this list, though, was won abroad: Australia, Las Vegas and the Asian high-roller circuit are where New Zealand results are made.
Frequently asked questions
Who is New Zealand's highest-earning poker player?
On our records, Sosia Jiang of Auckland, with 6,131,533 US dollars in live tournament earnings as read on 25 September 2026 — more than twice the next player on the list.
How many New Zealand players do you list?
Five, each with over 1.6 million US dollars in recorded live earnings. That is the portion of the national money list we have written up, not the full list.
Do these totals include online winnings?
No. These are live tournament cashes only. Online results, cash-game play and any staking arrangements are not part of the figures.
How current are the numbers?
They were read on 25 September 2026 and are republished with that date. Money-list totals change whenever a player cashes, so always check the date attached to any figure you see quoted.