Zhen Cai Playing with the Support of 2018 Main Event Runner-Up Tony Miles
Born December 1, 1983, 35-year-old Zhen Cai is a professional poker player from Lake Worth, Florida. Primarily a pot-limit Omaha cash game player, Cai is following in the footsteps of his good friend Tony Miles, who last year made a deep run in the 2018 WSOP Main Event ultimately finishing in second place.
“Good advice and just reassurance that everything is going to be fine,” Cai said of having his friend of eight years on the rail. “He’s someone else I can talk strategy with, not just basic strategy or poker strategy, but everything he had to go through last year.”
Miles has been on the rail for days sweating the action and plans to be there every step of the way.
“He’s a really good guy. One of my first coaches and mentors in poker,” said Miles. “It feels nice to be on the other side and share some wisdom, strength and hope. Just be there supporting him the way he was for me last year.”
In addition to Miles, Cai is supported by his wife, Jessica, who flew in late on Day 7, as well as his parents, sister, and other friends. And while he can’t be on the gaming floor, he’s also got the support of his 4-year-old son Chance, with whom he squared off against in a Father’s Day heads-up match.
Prior to his deep run in the Main Event, Cai had $101,151 in career WSOP cashes. In 2011, he won a $565 No-Limit Hold’em Event at the WSOP Circuit Harrah’s New Orleans for $33,753 and a ring. Other career highlights include winning the 2018 Lucky Hearts Open $2,200 PLO for $46,900 and finishing 28th in the 2015 WPT Borgata Winter Open for $12,980.
“Players are definitely getting way tougher right now,” said Cai, who attended the University of Florida where he studied advertising and psychology. “There’s a lot of things you have to think about at this stage. For the most part I’m just trying to play my best.”
How He Got Here
| Day | End-of-Day Chip Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1c | 39,500 | 2,881/3,664 |
| 2c | 152,400 | 867/1,793 |
| 3 | 1,058,000 | 54/1,286 |
| 4 | 3,200,000 | 16/354 |
| 5 | 6,945,000 | 25/106 |
| 6 | 18,275,000 | 12/35 |
Key Hands
Cai was responsible for the elimination of perhaps the most famous player in the 2019 WSOP Main Event – former NFL star Richard Seymour. It happened on Day 5 when, in Level 25 (30,000/60,000/60,000), Seymour jammed the button for 725,000 and Cai called from the small blind.
Anuj Agarwal was in the big and tanked for two minutes before three-betting all in for approximately 2 million, which Cai snap-called. Seymour had shoved with king-four offsuit, Agarwal came over the top with ace-three suited, and Cai had them both beat with two red ladies.
Seymour actually took the lead on a king-high flop, but a queen on the turn locked it up for Cai, who more than doubled to 6.2 million.
Arguably the biggest hand for Zhen came on Day 6 in Level 29 (80,000/160,000/160,000) when Andy Hwang opened for 320,000 from the hijack and Cai shoved the button for 4.075 million. Thomas Parkes called from the big blind, Hwang got out of the way, and Cai found himself way behind with ace-five offsuit against pocket tens. Fortunately for Zhen, he received a reprieve when the flop delivered him two pair.
From that point on Cai steadily built his stack as the final table gets ever closer.
What to Watch For
Don’t let his lack of tournament results fool you as Zhen is a force to be reckoned with at the poker table, especially given his PLO cash game experience. That’s a game full of variance and big swings. Anyone who can deal with those likely has a great deal of patience, resolve, and a proclivity to persevere.
Zhen has shown a willingness to go full steam ahead in likely coinflip situations – such as when he called Preben Stokkan’s three-bet shove with pocket tens, which held against Big Slick – and also knows how to shift gears and trap when necessary, like he did when he dispatched Duey Duong in 19th place.
As for the type of player Zhen is, perhaps Miles has the best read.
“He’s a very good live player,” he said. “He's a sound theoretical player. He’s going to be able to exploit players based on live reads, betting patterns, things that are not going to come naturally to everyone.”