12th Annual CPG Championship Opening Day Festivities: Team 3K Wins, Pham Tien Dung Among Survivors

The 12th Annual CPG Championship kicked off day 1 of its ten-day festival at the Howard Johnson Resort Sanya in Hainan Island, China with a total of eight events keeping everyone busy. The most popular were the two key events, the “Poker Mate” Team Event, which saw 28 teams register (168 players), and the “XiaoHuTuXia” 12th Anniversary Special Day Day 1A attracting 268 entries. This strong start is certainly a good sign for what’s yet to come.

12th CPG Championship – PLAYER GUIDE

First to be tabled was the Team Event where Daniel Cates aka Jungleman was slated to compete as part of the AAPoker team. However, due to flight changes, the American star is now expected to arrive within the next day or two. Among the attendees were well known Chinese players Jinlong Hu, Xiaosheng Zheng, and Lirui “Ivan” Zhang. In the end, it was Team 3K (pictured below) going the distance, to each win a gold medal and a special CPG trophy.

Over at the 12th Anniversary Special Day, the 268-entry field whittled down to just 48 players led by China’s Chen Hao (pictured below) who bagged up 107 bb. The survivors powered through 14 rounds of 40 minute blinds. They now await the completion of Day 1B before returning for Day 2.

Advancing to the next round alongside the leader are international players Ronald Haverkamp, Jun Li, and Vietnamese high roller Pham Tien Dung (pictured below), with Dung securing the sixth-largest stack. This marks the first CPG visit for all three players.

Among those that missed the mark but will be returning for another shot is Life Of Poker owner Joris Michl who is also on his first CPG visit. Upon speaking with Michl, one of the challenges he encountered was understanding bet sizes, given that the main language is Mandarin. As a tip for international players, it would be wise to familiarize with basic Mandarin numbers to ease communication at the tables.

The evening prior to the opening day festivities, CPG held an awards ceremony recognizing floor managers and dealers for their years of dedication. 20 individuals were awarded plaques and special pins for their 5 years of service and 6 individuals were awarded plaques and special golden pins for their 10 years of service.

For the ongoing 12th CPG Championship, the brand is fully prepared with a large team of 56 floor managers and 219 dealers throughout the festival. During the Team Event, the ratio was set at one floor manager for every four tables.

CPG Championship Finals

The 12th CPG Championship runs from August 21 to 30, 2024 at the Howard Johnson Resort Sanya in Hainan Island, China. The flagship tournament CPG Championship Final aka Main Event kicks off on August 24 with three starting flights leading up to Day 2 on August 27. This is followed by Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5 where a champion will be crowned.

Players begin with a 30,000 stack, blinds increase every 60 minutes for all Day 1 heats then 90 minutes for the duration of the tournament.

For players new to the CPG, the Main Event utilizes a repechage format allowing players to buy in only once per day which means, same-day re-entry is not allowed. To enter, buy in is CNY 10,500 (~USD 1,450).

*Important reminder: Due to government regulations, players must notify CPG of attendance at least 12 hours prior. 

Day 1A: August 24, 2024
Day 1B: August 25, 2024
Day 1C: August 26, 2024
Day 2: August 27, 2024
Day 3: August 28, 2024
Day 4: August 29, 2024
Day 5: August 30, 2024

Players that attend Main Event Day 1A are eligible for a basic room type voucher at select hotels. Players that attend Main Event Day 1B and Day 1C will receive a gift coupon such as seasonal fruit or Hainan coconut tea, etc. All players that advance to the next stages will receive a basic room type voucher.

Links:

Guide To The 12th Annual CPG Championship Underway At Sanya, Hainan Island, China