For many, he will be remembered for an ill-advised turn in front of the television cameras. But for William Hung, known for his audition for (then) one of the States of America’s most popular television programs, the limelight was fleeting. In an attempt to regain that adulation, Hung dived into the professional poker circuit. Now, in an interview with People magazine, Hung is stating that he has a “gambling addiction” that changed his life.
Lost Marriage, Lost Money
In the interview with People, Hung admitted that he was drawn to the game of poker because of some short-term success he had in the game. Although he had earned a college degree and was working with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, Hung thought that he could earn more as a professional poker player. In the short term, Hung was able to do this, which helped to drive his decision.
What caught up with Hung? He admits in the People article written by Gillian Telling that he fell victim to something that happens to many a poker player. Because he was doing so well on the poker tables, Hung thought that he could beat another world in the gaming arena, sports betting. That did not end well once his second wife found out about the activity, leading to their divorce and, eventually, his departure from all forms of gaming.
A look at Hung’s Hendon Mob resume indicates that he did not do badly in tournament arenas, but he must have been doing extremely well in the cash games to have made him think that he could pull off being a poker professional. Since 2014, Hung has cashed in forty poker tournaments, with a top effort at a Rio Daily Deepstack event in 2015 (for just over $17K) and a notable finish of 85th place at the 2021 World Poker Tour Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open in Hollywood, FL. In the last three years, however, Hung only amassed slightly more than $30,000 of his career earnings of $108,295.
It’s a Long Way to the Top…
Hung has been a part of pop culture for over two decades now, surprisingly. And it all started with a one-off on what was one of the biggest programs in the U. S. at the time.
Emigrating from Hong Kong as a ten-year-old, Hung embraced singing as he grew up in California. In 2003, the then-21-year-old Hung auditioned for the third season of American Idol, the singing program that catapulted Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood to music superstardom, by singing Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs.” Singing would be a stretch, however, as Hung’s interpretation was roundly derided by the judges of the show (singer Paula Abdul and music producers Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell), and his “dancing” was nearly as bad.
But the U. S. audience fell in love with Hung and his cheerful disposition, even in the face of being rejected from the show. Hung would go on to have massive success as a guest on many talk shows, even to the point of singing, and actually had a top-selling album, Inspiration, which went to #1 on the Billboard Magazine Independent charts in 2004. Hung would do two more albums and an EP following that, but the “hot streak” was on the way out.
After the hubbub over his “singing” career, Hung decided to go back to college and get his degree and, subsequently, his job with the LASD. While a steady job, he apparently needed to recapture the excitement in his life, hence his move into the world of poker. Now, however, Hung states that he is comfortable in his sedentary life as a member of the LASD – and he has stepped away from the poker tables.