KPC Main Event (1,300,000 KRW)

Wei Hong raised to 1,200 from the cutoff and Mikhail Katkov defended his big blind.

Katkov check-called on the J♠ T♥ 9♣ flop after Hong continued with a 1,100 bet. The turn brougt a 2♦, and Katkov check-called again, this time for 2,300.

When the K♠ rolled off on the river, Katkov kept his strategy and check-called to Hong's third barrel of 5,500.

Hong revealed K♦ Q♣ for a straight, while Katkov also tabled a straight with Q♥ 9♠, making it a chop pot.

Fanhao Meng opened the cutoff to 1,200, only to face a jam for 3,100 from Sen Feng on the button. Meng called to put his tablemate at risk.

Sen Feng: A♣ 9♦

Fanhao Meng: A♦ T♠

Meng took the command with a stronger kicker ten and held control on the monochrome K♠ A♠ 5♠ flop, while Feng picked up a flush draw.

The dealer sent an 8♦ on the turn, but Feng still had many outs to collect one knockout.

Much to Meng's dismay, the deck sealed his fate with the 9♣ river, giving Feng a pair of nines and sending Meng out of the field.

Weihong Shi raised to 1,000 from early position and Tom Verbruggen called in the cutoff, only to face a shove from Dongxu Dai for 6,100 in the small blind. Shi stepped aside and Verbruggen dropped in the call.

Dongxu Dai: A♠ 9♥

Tom Verbruggen: 8♦ 8♣

Verbruggen picked up the lead with pocket eights, but Dai took it over soon after the dealer revealed the Q♣ A♥ 3♥ flop, giving Dai a top pair.

The 6♥ came on the turn, leaving Verbruggen drawing thin. The board-pairing Q♠ river came to officially ship a tournament-extending double-up for Dai.

Weihong Shi opened to 1,000 from middle position, and Tom Verbruggen called on the button, as did Dongxu Dai from the small blind.

On the K♣ K♦ 9♠ flop, Dai checked to Shi, who continued for 1,000. Only Verbruggen called.

When the 5♣ hit on the turn, Dai sent another barrel of 3,5000, prompting a fold from Verbruggen.

In the next hand, there were around 5,000 chips in the pot, and the board came K♥ 5♦ A♦ 2♠ when Xu Dong Jin checked over from the big blind. Lei Li bet 2,500 in the cutoff, which Jin put in a raise to 9,500. Li came along.

The 2♦ rolled off on the river, Jin sent another barrel of 13,500, prompting a snap-fold from Li.

Shuang Qiu raised the cutoff to 1,000, only to be jammed by Zongmin Li for 4,500 from the small blind. Qiu called to put his tablemate at risk.

Shuang Qiu: Q♣ 9♣

Zongmin Li: A♠ 4♦

Qiu's queen-high ran straight into Li 's ace-high and picked up a flush draw on the 3♣ J♣ K♦ flop.

The dealer revealed a 2♠ on the turn, and Li still needed to fade many outs for his survival.

Fortunately for Li, the river sent an A♥, improving him to top pair of aces and shipping a double-up his way.

Yu Ho Wong from the hijack, Xixiang Luo in the cutoff, Arkadii Okulov on the button, and Andrey Hawil from the small blind called. Guanlan Tu then raised to 3,300 in the big blind. Only Wong came along for the ride.

Tu continued for 4,000 on the 4♠ 5♥ 7♥ flop and Wong stuck around. When a board-pairing 4♦ hit on the turn, Tu shoved for 7,600. Wong snap-called.

Guanlan Tu: A♦ K♣

Yu Ho Wong: A♠ Q♠

Wong's kicker queen ran straight into Tu's kicker king. The river bricked out an A♥, locking up a much-needed doubel-up for Tu.

Guanlan Tu opened to 800 from under the gun and Aindrey Hawil defended his big blind.

Hawil checked on the 3♦ 7♣ 3♠ flop to Tu, who continued for 800. Hawil called to see the 2♣ turn, where it went check-check.

When the T♥ rolled off on the river, Hawil checked and Tu fired out 2,500. Hawil then cranked it up to 13,800, sending Tu into the tank. After mulling it over, Tu eventually dropped in the call.

Hawil tabled Q♣ 3♣ for a flopped set of threes, and Tu mucked his hand.

Jie Lin on the button and Evgenii Volkov from the small blind called. Sishu Peng then checked from the big blind.

Volkov led out for 600 on the T♠ 2♥ T♥ flop, which only Lin dropped in the call.

The turn brought another T♦, and Volkov bet 600. Lin cranked it up to 2,600. Volkov stuck around.

When an A♦ filled out the board, it went check-check.

Volko quickly revealed a full house with 3♣ 3♥, beating Lin's jack-high with J♥ 5♥.

Mengqi Chen opened the hijack to 700 and Kok Heo Chai called from the small blind, as did Pin Yuan Chen from the big blind.

On the 2♥ 4♥ 7♣ flop, it checked to Mengqi Chen, who continued for 600. Only Yuan Chen dropped in the call.

Both players then checked through the 4♦ 9♣ runout. Yuan Chen tabled his pair with 6♠ 6♥ to drag in the pot as Mengqi Chen folded.

In the next hand, Yuan Qin raised the hijack to 700, and Mikhail Katkov three-bet the small blind to 2,800. Qin called.

Katkov then continued for 3,000 on the 3♣ 6♥ 6♣ flop and Qin stuck around to see another 6♦ turn, where Katkov sent his another barrel of 4,000. It successfully pushed Qin out of the pot.

Wang opened the cutoff to 600 and Xinyu Shen called from the small blind.

Both players knuckled it back on the 6♠ T♣ 3♣ flop to see a 2♣ fall on the turn, where Shen led out for 800. Wang snap-folded.

In the next hand, Lingjian Yu opened the cutoff to 700 and Jishui Hao defended his big blind.

Hao check-called on the T♣ 4♦ Q♣ flop after Yu made a continuation-bet of 700.

Action went check-check when the dealer sent a 9♣ on the turn. The 6♦ then filled out the board, and it was another check round.

Hao revealed T♠ 7♦ for a flopped pair of tens and took down the pot as Yu laid it down.

Xixiang Luo opened to 500 from under the gun and received calls from the blinds: Tsuyoshi Ikeda and Yu Ho Wong.

The trio checked throughout the 3♣ 9♦ Q♣ K♣ 6♥ board and took it to a free showdown.

Without seeing his tablemates' cards, Ikeda immediately folded. Wong revealed a rivered pair of sixes with A♦ 6♠, and Luo tossed his cards into the muck.

Xixiang Luo, one of Asia’s most accomplished poker pros with total live earnings surpassing the five-million mark, has made his presence felt in the KPC Main Event Day 1B. A familiar face on the international circuit, Luo’s entry has certainly added more heat and prestige to today’s field.

With around 1,000 chips in the middle a 4♠ K♣ T♥ flop came, and Tsuyoshi Ikeda check-called after Weihong Shi led out for 500.

The duet then tapped the table throughout the runout of 8♦ K♠ and took it to a free showdown.

Shi tabled Q♣ T♦ for a flopped pair of tens, and it was good for the pot as Ikeda folded.

Rui Guo opened the hijack to 400 and Artem Utevskii called from the cutoff, as did Xu Dong Jin from the big blind.

Jin checked over the K♣ J♦ A♠ flop to Guo, who continued for 500. Utevskii and Jin stuck around.

Action checked to Utevskii, who bet 1,500 on the Q♦ turn, which only Guo came along.

Both players tapped the table on the 6♦ river and took it to a free showdown.

Guo tabled A♥ 5♦ flrop a flropped top pair of aces, but it wasn't enough against Utevskii's rivered two pair with Q♠ 6♠.

Day 1B of the KPC Main Event is underway, and cards are in the air.

Welcome back to LES A Casino (formerly Landing Casino), where chips fly and blinds climb once again for Day 1B of the KRW 1,300,000 Korea Poker Cup Main Event.

After the intensity and excitement of yesterday’s Day 1A, the atmosphere inside the poker room is already electric, buzzing with anticipation as new hopefuls take their seats.

Cards are officially in the air for Day 1B at 12:00 local time. It promises to be another grueling session in this five-day marathon event.

All eyes are on who will rise above the rest and follow in the footsteps of Day 1A chip leader Jinze Zhang (540,000), who topped a 282-entry field to close the flight with the lead. Joining yesterday’s survivor lineup is Dicky Tsang (147,000), who boasts over one million in total live earnings and is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with.

Nov 4 - 12:00 Main Event Day 1B

Nov 4 - 20:00 Main Event Day 1C

Nov 5 - 12:00 Main Event Day 1D

Nov 5 - 20:00 Main Event Day 1E

Nov 6 - 12:00 Main Event Day 2

Nov 7 - 12:00 Main Event Final Day

Following the same structure, players begin with a 30,000 starting stack and will navigate through 40-minute levels. A 15-minute break is scheduled every three levels.

Blinds kick off at 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante. Late registration will remain open until the end of Level 9, giving players plenty of time to join the Main Event action.

The first major milestone for players is to reach the top 15% of the field to lock up a spot in the money. From there, the remaining money finishers will continue to battle down to the final 12%, earning themselves a coveted seat into Day 2.

Be sure to stay with Somuchpoker as we bring you all the updates as Day 1B unfolds today.