Jangkyu Lee, Dao Minh Phu, Tarun Goyal Among Asia Top Stacks At Record Breaking 2024 WSOP Main Event

It was a close one but in the end, the 2024 World Series Of Poker – WSOP Main Event pulled ahead with 10,112 players, setting a new record once again. By the end of Day 2, only 3,262 players remained with a long list of Asians in the running for the historic title. Among the top stacks are South Korea’s Jangkyu Lee, India’s Tarun Goyal and Vietnam’s Dao Minh Phu. In numbers, China and Japan outweighed with around fifty flag bearers advancing. We’ve got a rundown of the surviving Asian players and what to expect in Day 3.

2024 WSOP Main Event Update

The 2024 WSOP Main Event set its sights on breaking last year’s five digit turnout and it did just that with 10,112 players by the end of registration. With each one coughing up the $10,000 buy in, this sent the prize pool soaring to $94,041,600. In a Twitter X post by the brand, the eventual champion is slated to earn a mighty $10,000,000 payout along with the championship bracelet and of course legendary status of having won the world’s most coveted title. Additionally, everyone at the final table will receive seven figures.

When the 3,262 players return for Day 3 on July 9, 2024, they will  all be hunting down a spot in the money round which starts at 1,517 remaining. Last year witnessed very exciting and chaotic pre-bubble rounds with multiple tables going all in. This year should be no different with many short stacks in the lineup.

Asian Players Headed for Day 3

Out of the 3,262 that survived Day 2, among the top stacks is South Korea’s Jangkyu Lee, currently ranked 6th in chips. Although not much is known of Lee, he has already cashed twice at the series. Other South Koreans advancing are bracelet holder Sung Joo Hyun, bracelet holder Jinho Hong, Seungmook Jung, Steve Yea, Calvin Lee, Wooseok Kim, Wooram Cho, Dae Woong Song, Minseok Kim, Dohang Na, Sangwon Ko, Byeung Eun Shin, Jinwoo Kim, Jun Park, Moonho Seo, Hojung Hwang, and Jimyeong Kim. 

The second highest Asian player at the end of Day 2 is India’s Tarun Goyal. He bagged the 21st largest stack at Day 2D. Goyal has had numerous career cashes at the WSOP with his biggest payday earned in the virtual arena. In 2021, with countries on lockdown, Goyal nearly won a WSOP Online bracelet, finishing 5th at the Colossus Event for $129K. Other players from India that survived is double bracelet winner Santhosh Suvarna, Zarvan Tumboli, Kavin Shah, Deepankur Gupta, Arun Sriram, Siddarth Singhvi, Sreekantin Krishnamoorthy, Kunal Punjwani, and Akshay Bhradawaj.

Vietnam’s most recognizable player, Dao Minh Phu maintained his strong run with a large stack as well. Dao is a multi-decorated champion with numerous high roller victories which includes a Triton title. Dao is on his first WSOP appearance and is already looking in fine shape for a deep run. Other Vietnam contenders is bracelet holder Thai Ha, Quang Pham, and Teddy Pham. 

Japanese players came out in force at the WSOP and showed it at the Main Event with over 50 players advancing to Day 3. Bracelet winners Shiina Okamoto and Naoya Kihara made the cut; others were Tomoki Terashima, Shigeji Kusakabe, Ryoh Hasegawa, Kosei Ichinose, Hiroyuki Noda, Mayuko Morita, Atsushi Takeuchi, Kosaku Akashi, Sho Katsura, Tomoki Matsuda, Yoshihiro Inoue, Tomonari Miyazaki, Hiroki Nawa, Masafumi Fukata, Shunsuke Mitsugi, Masaki Nakano, Takehiko Nakajima, Haruhiko Shinohara, Shunsuke Tokoo, Takumi Matsumoto, Mamoru Tatematsu, Yutaka Yoshida, Akinobu Maeda, Kiyoshi Eda, Tomomitsu Ono, Naohito Tamaya, Tasuku Maruo, Rikiya Jinbo, Takashi Sugo, Yudai Futai, Hiroki Shibata, Atsushi Yorimoto, Yoshikazu Fujita, Rikuto Sashida, Seiji Sasaki, Akira Hashimoto, Tomoya Ando, Konosuke Sakurada, Taichi Yoneya, Rei Yamaguchi, Yurina Omuro, Hayato Kitajima, Kyosuke Nagami, Minoru Munezuka, Ichiro Izutsu, Riku Mieda, Tamao Kobayashi, Rentaro Okada, and Kenji Hamamoto.

China also came in droves, even seeing one of their own snatch a gold. Those that advanced to Day 3 were bracelet holder Yang Zhang, bracelet holder Guo Liang Wei, bracelet holder Yue Du, Quan Zhou, Yunsheng Sun, Chongxian Yang, Biao Ding, Ivan Lirui Zhang, Jianfeng Sun, Peng Shan, Pei Li, Xiaotong Yu, Youzhou Yin, Ping Lin, Li Zhang, Quan Jiayu, Chunhui Ji, Chuanshu Chen, Jie Wu, Yukai Sun, Xu Wei, Guangming Wang, Jingwei Guo, Fan Zhang, Hongru Zhang, Jinghan Yan, Dian Shi, Yuan Yu, Junqian Lyu, Chao Li, Lian Siqi, Yingui Li, Yake Wu, Haoshan Huang, Jun Miao, Dianlei Zhang, Qiaonan Liu, Zheyu Weng, Hui Wang, Yuying Chou, Sen Mu, Dongui Chi, Zinan Xu, Xuangui Wu, and Mo Zhou. 

Other Asian Players Headed To Day 3

Taiwan: double bracelet winner Pete Chen, bracelet winner Carlos Chang, Tai Wei Tou, Nevan Chang, Justin Chu, Eric Ting Yi Tsai, Kitty Kuo, Kai Hung Hu, Patrick Liang, JJ Liu, Tung Tsai, Kuan Yu Lin, Tsulin Tsao.

Hong Kong: triple bracelet winner Anson Tsang, double bracelet winner Wing Po Liu, bracelet winner Danny Tang, Jeffrey Lo, Wai Kiat Lee, Hon Cheong Lee, Dennis Ng, Bosco Li, Keshu Peng, Ying Chan, Timothy Chung, Stanley Tang, Jacky Wong.

Singapore: Eugene Tung, Yuze Ding, Tong Tan, Sean Tan, Feng Zhao

Malaysia: Michael Soyza, Puan Tong, Gan Siong

Philippines: Nicandro Filart, Moses Saquing, Kitson Kho

Thailand: Pakinai Lisawad

Bangladesh: Yordan Dichev

Macau: Carmen Ling