Leon Tsoukernik

Leon Tsoukernik is a Czech businessman, art collector, and high-stakes recreational poker player best known as the founder and former owner of King's Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic. Born in Moscow, he built one of Europe's most recognizable poker destinations after opening King's Casino in 2003. He sold his controlling stake in the business in June 2024 to focus on family, art, and other projects.

Before entering the casino industry, Tsoukernik made his career as an international antiques dealer. He began working in the antiques business in Toronto before moving to Prague in the early 1990s, eventually specializing in rare Biedermeier furniture. Despite reportedly completing only six years of formal schooling, he built a successful international business and helped establish the New York antiques gallery ILIAD Antik.

Beyond poker, Tsoukernik is a passionate art collector whose private collection includes works by renowned artists such as Renoir, Matisse, and Damien Hirst. Selected pieces from his collection were featured in a public exhibition in Prague in 2024. He is also credited with speaking eight languages and holding a black belt in judo. His philanthropic activities include funding accommodation and meals for hundreds of Ukrainian refugees in 2022.

At the poker table, Tsoukernik is known as an enthusiastic high-stakes recreational player who enjoys challenging some of the world's strongest professionals. He has appeared on prominent televised and livestreamed poker shows, including Triton Poker and King's Casino cash-game broadcasts. Rather than treating poker as his primary profession, he approaches the game as entertainment and competition, combining his entrepreneurial background with a passion for high-stakes action.