South Korea, Jeju Shinhwa WorldEVENT #37

2025.02.23 - 2025.02.24Add to Calendar

Poker Dream

Blind level

Level 11: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

Entries

30/59

Watch PokerDream JEJU - #37 $20,000 NLH Superstar Challenge Day 1 live on YouTube

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 6:32:44 PM

Day 1 Of The $20,000 Superstar Challenge Concludes With Daniel Dvoress Topping The Remaining 30 Players

Level 11: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

Daniel Dvoress - $20,000 Superstar Challenge Chipleader

The Poker Dream 16 $20,000 Superstar Challenge Day 1 came to a close with 30 out of 59 players remaining after 11 levels of 40min each. The total entries will certainly increase with late registration still open throughout the first 40 minutes of play tomorrow until 13:40, giving the late entries still 20BB to work with in the hunt for a slice of the already over $1,100,000 prize pool.

Canadian 2-time WSOP bracelet winner Daniel Dvoress bagged the biggest stack with 2,550,000, after a massive all-in against Rainer Kempe just a few hands before the end of the day. Dvoress opened 2.5BB with A♠ Q♣ from UTG+1, big blind Rainer Kempe made it 10,7BB with K♣ K♠ and Dvoress called to hit the nuts on J♦ K♦ T♥ where Kempe led 7,5BB and snapped Dvoress' 58BB jam and couldn't improve on 6♣ and 2♥ .

2nd in chips is young Malaysian poker phenom Sean Ooi with 2,280,000 who continuously picked up small to mid-sized pots, growing his stack from start to finish.

Mao Renji from China, also a bracelet winner and runner-up of the Super High Roller last night, had a steady day as well, closing the gap to the chip leader last minute in a three-way pot, knocking out Rainer Kempe and winning a small side pot against Dvoress that left him with 1,880,000.

Poker Legends like Stephen Chidwick and Isaac Haxton - who are 3rd and 9th on the all time money list with live earnings of more than $50M each - are also still in the running, most likely getting company from some more all time greats during the last level of late registration tomorrow.

The Final Day will start at 13:00 on February 24 with 40 minutes of late registration and finishes when a new champion is crowned. Live updates will be there from beginning to the end!

Player	Chips	Table	Seat
CL Calvin LeeUnited States of America	465,000(23 BB)	1	1
TR Tony Ren LinUnited States of America	385,000(19 BB)	1	2
MR Mao RenjiChina	1,880,000(94 BB)	1	4
SC Stanley ChoiHong Kong	810,000(41 BB)	1	5
DF Dietrich FastGermany	350,000(18 BB)	1	6
OB Oliver BithellUnited Kingdom	415,000(21 BB)	1	8
LW Lee Wai KiatMalaysia	195,000(10 BB)	2	1
XS Xue SongChina	450,000(23 BB)	2	2
KI Kosei IchinoseJapan	175,000(9 BB)	2	3
DD Daniel DvoressCanada	2,550,000(128 BB)	2	4
SO Sean OoiMalaysia	2,280,000(114 BB)	2	6
ZH Zhao HongjunChina	1,620,000(81 BB)	2	7
JS Johan Schultz-PedersenDenmark	1,035,000(52 BB)	3	1
HH Henrik HecklenDenmark	1,095,000(55 BB)	3	2
IH Isaac HaxtonUnited States of America	590,000(30 BB)	3	3
QX Qiang XuChina	1,040,000(52 BB)	3	5
YK Yu Ka Wing WinfredHong Kong	240,000(12 BB)	3	6
PP Paulius PlausinaitisLithuania	1,480,000(74 BB)	3	8
RH Roman HrabecCzech Republic	625,000(31 BB)	4	1
XS Xiaochun ShiChina	1,720,000(86 BB)	4	2
YW Yeu Wei HsiangMalaysia	1,590,000(80 BB)	4	3
XH Xu HangChina	530,000(27 BB)	4	5
JC Joseph CheongUnited States of America	1,510,000(76 BB)	4	6
LX Luo XixiangChina	1,785,000(89 BB)	4	8
BD Biao DingChina	680,000(34 BB)	5	3
CP Christopher Park (2)United States of America	600,000(30 BB)	5	4
WY Wang Yang (4)China	1,700,000(85 BB)	5	5
SC Stephen ChidwickUnited Kingdom	735,000(37 BB)	5	6
MC Miao ChenxiangChina	400,000(20 BB)	5	8

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 3:42:50 PM

Roman Hrabec With A Last Minute Scoop

Level 11: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

Roman Hrabec

Folded to him, Sean Ooi limps his small blind and Roman Hrabec opts to check for the flop J♥ 6♦ 3♣ . Ooi checks, Hrabec bets 20,000 and the turn 4♣ has Ooi check-call again, this time for 100,000. The river 7♥ gets rejected by both players, having Roman Hrabec table the winner J♦ 3♦ against Sean Ooi's K♠ 6♣ .

Player	Chips
SO Sean OoiMalaysia	2,160,000(108 BB)
RH Roman HrabecCzech Republic	635,000(32 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 3:35:22 PM

Sean Ooi Hot On The Heels Of The Leader

Level 11: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

Lee Wai Kiat opens 45,000 from the hijack and takes big blind Sean Ooi to the flop A♣ Q♥ K♦ . A 30,000 continuation gets called for the turn T♣ to be checked around to the river 8♥ where Lee Wai Kiat mounts another effort to take the pot with a 120,000 bet, but surrenders when Sean Ooi puts him all-in.

Player	Chips
SO Sean OoiMalaysia	2,300,000(115 BB)
LW Lee Wai KiatMalaysia	275,000(14 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 3:30:34 PM

Rainer Kempe Eliminated Just Before The End Of The Day

Level 11: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

Rainer Kempe

Daniel Dvoress kicks off the action with a 45,000 raise from under the gun, Mao Renji ups it to 125,000 from the cutoff and Rainer Kempe flicks his remaining two blinds into the middle before Dvoress calls. The flop 9♦ 5♥ K♣ has Dvoress fold to Mao's 125,000 c-bet with K♦ Q♥ , Kempe flips over A♥ 5♦ , but cant improve on 4♣ and T♥ exiting the tournament with just a few minutes left until the end of Day 1.

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 3:25:05 PM

Daniel Dvoress Jumps Into The Lead

Level 11: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

Daniel Dvoress

Under the gun +1 Daniel Dvoress opens 50,000, Rainer Kempe three-bets to 215,000 from the big blind and Dvoress pays up. The flop J♦ K♦ T♥ Sees the chips flying, started by Kempe with a 150,000 c-bet that gets jammed on for 1,165,000 from Chidwick's nut straight A♠ Q♣ and Kempe snaps With top set K♣ K♠ . Two blanks in the form of 6♣ and 2♥ have Daniel Dvoress scoop a chip leading pot and leave Kempe with two big blinds.

Player	Chips
DD Daniel DvoressCanada	2,790,000(140 BB)
RK Rainer KempeGermany	40,000(2 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 3:18:16 PM

Shi Xiao Chun Closing In On The Leader

Level 11: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

Xiaochun Shi

Another raise to 40,000 from under the gun has Shi Xiao Chun take button Stephen Chidwick to the flop 7♠ 8♦ 7♦ . A 60,000 c-bet gets called for the turn 4♦ where a second barrel of 90,000 gets called again to make the board complete with the Q♦ . Two checks have Shi table the winner Q♥ 8♥ and Chidwick mucks.

Player	Chips
XS Xiaochun ShiChina	1,780,000(89 BB)
SC Stephen ChidwickUnited Kingdom	490,000(25 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 3:15:31 PM

Stanley Choi Doubles Up

Level 11: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

Stanley Choi

Xue Song opens 40,000 from under the gun, Stanley Choi wagers his last 175,000 from the button who is at risk when Xue Song fills up.

Player	Hand	Chips
XS Xue SongChina	A♠4♠ UTG	560,000(28 BB)
SC Stanley ChoiHong Kong	K♦Q♠ D	400,000(20 BB)

Board:6♥Q♣Q♦8♥9♥

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 3:14:49 PM

Sean Ooi Surpasses 2M

Level 11: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

Sean Ooi

With a 40,000 open from the cutoff, Sean Ooi takes button Roman Hrabec to the flop K♠ 3♠ 6♥ that gets checked to the turn 6♦ . A delayed c-bet of 65,000 keeps Hrabec around for the board to complete K♦ where another 180,000 from Ooi with 9♠ 9♥ gets called and Hrabec mucks.

Player	Chips
SO Sean OoiMalaysia	2,120,000(106 BB)
RH Roman HrabecCzech Republic	660,000(33 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 3:14:02 PM

Chen Dong Sent To The Rail

Level 11: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

Chen Dong

After just losing a massive pot with top pair against kings, Chen Dong jams his remaining 325,000 from the highjack holding J♥ 9♥ and big blind Stephen Chidwick calls with 6♠ 6♣ . The dealer keeps Chidwick sweating until the end, hitting the felt 3♠ 7♥ A♥ 7♦ 2♠ and eliminating bracelet winner Chen Dong in the process.

Player	Chips
SC Stephen ChidwickUnited Kingdom	875,000(44 BB)
CD Chen DongChina	busted

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 2:55:05 PM

Huge Double Up For Zhao Hongjun

Level 11: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

Zhao Hongjun

Getting to the action on 9♥ 6♥ 7♠ 5♥ with 215,000 in the middle, Chen Dong and Zhao Hongjun are both all-in with the latter being at risk for 625,000.

Player	Hand	Chips
CD Chen DongChina	9♦T♦ CO	325,000(16 BB)
ZH Zhao HongjunChina	K♦K♠ BB	1,465,000(73 BB)

The river A♥ keeps Zhao Hongjun in the lead, scooping a massive pot.

Level 11: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 30/58

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 2:50:51 PM

Xu Qiang Back Up

Level 10: 10,000 / 15,000 ante: 15,000

Qiang Xu

Under the gun Xu Qiang opens 35,000, cutoff Winfred Yu - Poker Dream co-founder with over $9M in live earnings to his name - three-bets 100,000 and Xu fills up to see the flop 9♥ 6♥ 5♥ . Yu's 85,000 c-bet gets check raised to 175,000 with Yu calling, before folding to Xu's 220,000 all-in on the turn 8♥ .

Player	Chips
QX Qiang XuChina	810,000(54 BB)
YK Yu Ka Wing WinfredHong Kong	290,000(19 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 2:50:13 PM

Christopher Park Is Put All-in With The Nuts

Level 10: 10,000 / 15,000 ante: 15,000

Christopher Park

Chris Park kicks off the action with a min-raise to 30,000, taking Martin Nielsen to the flop 8♣ 7♥ A♠ that gets checked to the turn 6♠ . Another check from Park has Nielsen slide 75,000 over the line before Park check-raises to 160,000 and another call completes the board 5♣ . Park leads for 40,000, making it look like a blocker, Martin Nielsen falls for it, puts his opponent all-in for 265,000 with J♠ 8♠ which gets snapped by Park's nuts T♠ 9♣ .

Player	Chips
CP Christopher Park (2)United States of America	950,000(63 BB)
MN Martin NielsenDenmark	285,000(19 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 2:48:35 PM

Shi Xiao Chun Doubles Big With Better Kicker

Level 10: 10,000 / 15,000 ante: 15,000

Xiaochun Shi

Chen Dong gets us going with a 35,000 raise from the cutoff, Shi Xiao Chun pumps it to 90,000 from the button and Chen fills up to see the flop T♥ 9♦ 6♠ that gets checked to the turn K♦ . Shi leads with a delayed c-bet of 100,000 that gets check-called to the river 5♣ where Shi declares all-in for 270,000 with A♦ K♥ that sends Chen into the tank, who emerges with a call, losing a time bank and the pot with K♠ Q♠ .

Player	Chips
XS Xiaochun ShiChina	960,000(64 BB)
CD Chen DongChina	955,000(64 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 2:48:00 PM

Paulius Plausinaitis Cold Four-bets Pre

Level 10: 10,000 / 15,000 ante: 15,000

Another 30,000 open from under the gun has hijack Lee Wai Kiat three-bet to 65,000, but it is Paulius Plausinaitis who picks up the pot with a cold four-bet to 125,000 out of the big blind.

Player	Chips
PP Paulius PlausinaitisLithuania	1,580,000(105 BB)
LW Lee Wai KiatMalaysia	310,000(21 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 2:47:07 PM

Sean Ooi Breaks 1M

Level 10: 10,000 / 15,000 ante: 15,000

Sean Ooi

Opening 30,000 from under the gun, Sean Ooi takes big blind Richard Yong - co-founder of Triton Poker and $17M in live earnings to his name - to the flop 4♠ 5♣ 3♠ . Ooi c-bets 50,000, Yong check-calls and the turn 8♥ has Ooi fork out another 100,000 that gets called. The river 5♥ is checked around, having Sean Ooi come out on top with 7♣ 7♠ against Richard Yong's 2♥ 2♠ .

Player	Chips
SO Sean OoiMalaysia	1,105,000(74 BB)
RY Richard YongMalaysia	315,000(21 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 2:44:29 PM

Massive Double Up For Paulius Plausinaitis

Level 10: 10,000 / 15,000 ante: 15,000

Paulius Plausinaitis

After the cutoff opened 30,000 Jamil Wakil jams 642,000 from the small blind with Q♦ T♦ and big blind Paulius Plausinaitis wakes up with A♣ K♠ , calls and the cutoff gets out of the way.

Player	Hand	Chips
PP Paulius PlausinaitisLithuania	A♣K♠	1,275,000(85 BB)
JW Jamil WakilCanada	Q♦T♦	32,000(2 BB)

Board:8♣4♥7♠3♣2♠

Level 10: 10,000 / 15,000 ante: 15,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 40/55

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 2:06:52 PM

Chip Counts And Table Positions Going Into Level 10

Level 9: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

Player	Chips	Table	Seat
YW Yeu Wei HsiangMalaysia	1,000,000(83 BB)	1	1
BD Biao DingChina	500,000(42 BB)	1	2
LX Luo XixiangChina	1,825,000(152 BB)	1	4
OB Oliver BithellUnited Kingdom	550,000(46 BB)	1	5
MC Miao ChenxiangChina	445,000(37 BB)	1	6
CB Christopher BrewerUnited States of America	950,000(79 BB)	2	1
DF Dietrich FastGermany	435,000(36 BB)	2	2
IH Isaac HaxtonUnited States of America	385,000(32 BB)	2	4
YS Yong Seng ChenMalaysia	605,000(50 BB)	2	6
SO Sean OoiMalaysia	945,000(79 BB)	2	7
RH Roman HrabecCzech Republic	575,000(48 BB)	2	8
CP Christopher Park (2)United States of America	751,000(63 BB)	3	3
LT Ling Tien LoonMalaysia	725,000(60 BB)	3	4
MN Martin NielsenDenmark	700,000(58 BB)	3	5
ZH Zhao HongjunChina	805,000(67 BB)	3	6
SC Stephen ChidwickUnited Kingdom	480,000(40 BB)	3	7
PP Paulius PlausinaitisLithuania	630,000(53 BB)	4	1
RK Rainer KempeGermany	801,000(67 BB)	4	2
LW Lee Wai KiatMalaysia	235,000(20 BB)	4	4
DD Daniel DvoressCanada	770,000(64 BB)	4	5
JW Jamil WakilCanada	657,000(55 BB)	4	8
CL Calvin LeeUnited States of America	185,000(15 BB)	5	1
XS Xue SongChina	702,000(59 BB)	5	2
MR Mao RenjiChina	765,000(64 BB)	5	3
SC Stanley ChoiHong Kong	175,000(15 BB)	5	5
HH Henrik HecklenDenmark	1,005,000(84 BB)	5	6
KI Kosei IchinoseJapan	303,000(25 BB)	5	7
TR Tony Ren LinUnited States of America	805,000(67 BB)	6	1
WY Wang Yang (4)China	544,000(45 BB)	6	2
JC Joseph CheongUnited States of America	1,180,000(98 BB)	6	3
QX Qiang XuChina	298,000(25 BB)	6	4
XH Xu HangChina	681,000(57 BB)	6	8
MP Matthew Paul BelcherUnited Kingdom	1,027,000(86 BB)	7	1
CD Chen DongChina	1,491,000(124 BB)	7	2
LA Lu Anton Zhen ZhaoAustralia	159,000(13 BB)	7	4
YL Yu LeiChina	731,000(61 BB)	7	6
YK Yu Ka Wing WinfredHong Kong	461,000(38 BB)	7	7
JS Johan Schultz-PedersenDenmark	1,240,000(103 BB)	7	8

Player	Chips
LX Luo XixiangChina	1,825,000(152 BB)
CD Chen DongChina	1,491,000(124 BB)
JS Johan Schultz-PedersenDenmark	1,240,000(103 BB)
JC Joseph CheongUnited States of America	1,180,000(98 BB)
MP Matthew Paul BelcherUnited Kingdom	1,027,000(86 BB)
HH Henrik HecklenDenmark	1,005,000(84 BB)
YW Yeu Wei HsiangMalaysia	1,000,000(83 BB)
CB Christopher BrewerUnited States of America	950,000(79 BB)
SO Sean OoiMalaysia	945,000(79 BB)
TR Tony Ren LinUnited States of America	805,000(67 BB)
ZH Zhao HongjunChina	805,000(67 BB)
RK Rainer KempeGermany	801,000(67 BB)
DD Daniel DvoressCanada	770,000(64 BB)
MR Mao RenjiChina	765,000(64 BB)
CP Christopher Park (2)United States of America	751,000(63 BB)
YL Yu LeiChina	731,000(61 BB)
LT Ling Tien LoonMalaysia	725,000(60 BB)
XS Xue SongChina	702,000(59 BB)
MN Martin NielsenDenmark	700,000(58 BB)
XH Xu HangChina	681,000(57 BB)
JW Jamil WakilCanada	657,000(55 BB)
PP Paulius PlausinaitisLithuania	630,000(53 BB)
YS Yong Seng ChenMalaysia	605,000(50 BB)
RH Roman HrabecCzech Republic	575,000(48 BB)
OB Oliver BithellUnited Kingdom	550,000(46 BB)
WY Wang Yang (4)China	544,000(45 BB)
BD Biao DingChina	500,000(42 BB)
SC Stephen ChidwickUnited Kingdom	480,000(40 BB)
YK Yu Ka Wing WinfredHong Kong	461,000(38 BB)
MC Miao ChenxiangChina	445,000(37 BB)
DF Dietrich FastGermany	435,000(36 BB)
IH Isaac HaxtonUnited States of America	385,000(32 BB)
KI Kosei IchinoseJapan	303,000(25 BB)
QX Qiang XuChina	298,000(25 BB)
LW Lee Wai KiatMalaysia	235,000(20 BB)
CL Calvin LeeUnited States of America	185,000(15 BB)
SC Stanley ChoiHong Kong	175,000(15 BB)
LA Lu Anton Zhen ZhaoAustralia	159,000(13 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 2:02:28 PM

Another Suck-out Right After For Xue Song

Level 9: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

Xue Song

Xue Song has A♦ Q♠ in the hijack, Kosei Ichinose picks up A♣ K♣ in the big blind there is some reraising going on and both players are all-in, with Xue Song wagering his last 342,000. Everything is looking peachy for Ichinose when the dealer flips over 3♦ 4♥ 2♠ 8♠ before going pear shaped on the river Q♦ , granting Xue Song a massive double up.

Player	Chips
XS Xue SongChina	702,000(59 BB)
KI Kosei IchinoseJapan	303,000(25 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 1:50:05 PM

Stephen Chidwick Sucks Out

Level 9: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

Stephen Chidwick

After Martin Nielsen opened 27,000 from the button and Stephen Chidwick defended his big blind the chips go flying on 9♥ 4♣ 5♦ with Chidwick at risk for 203,000.

Player	Hand	Chips
MN Martin NielsenDenmark	A♥9♦ D	564,000(47 BB)
SC Stephen ChidwickUnited Kingdom	6♣9♣ BB	468,000(39 BB)

The turn 2♥ gives Chidwick four more outs, hitting one of them on the river 3♠ to deal a huge blow to Nielsen.

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 1:45:52 PM

Xue Song Doubles Up With Big Slick

Level 9: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

Kosei Ichinose opens 25,000 from the hijack, Xue Song goes all-in for 156,000 from the button and Ichinose quickly calls.

Player	Hand	Chips
KI Kosei IchinoseJapan		303,000(25 BB)
XS Xue SongChina		560,000(47 BB)

Board:K♣5♦3♣5♠Q♥

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 1:43:51 PM

Mao Renji Enters The Chat

Level 9: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

Mao Renji

Calvin Lee, who won a single day high roller here in Jeju last November, gets the ball rolling with a raise to 27,000 from the button, Main Event runner-up Mao Renji three bets his big blind to 85,000 and Lee calls for the flop 6♠ 4♣ 5♦ . Mao c-bets 95,000, Lee calls and the turn 9♦ has Mao finish the job with a jam that goes unanswered.

Player	Chips
MR Mao RenjiChina	765,000(64 BB)
CL Calvin LeeUnited States of America	243,000(20 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 1:35:02 PM

Paulius Plausinaitis Chips Up

Level 9: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

Paulius Plausinaitis

Looking at the flop 4♥ T♠ A♠ , 170,000 in the pot and a 35,000 lead from Lee Wai Kiat, Lithuanian high roller Paulius Plausinaitis check-raises to 80,000 and Lee calls. The turn 2♣ gets checked around to the river 9♥ where Plausinaitis jams before scooping the pot.

Player	Chips
PP Paulius PlausinaitisLithuania	524,000(44 BB)
LW Lee Wai KiatMalaysia	361,000(30 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 1:29:22 PM

Tan Xuan Eliminated

Level 9: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

Arriving at another turn 8♠ 8♥ 5♠ 5♣ and 182,000 to play for Ding Biao checks, Tan Xuan lays out 80,000, Ding puts him all-in and Tan calls for his last 150,000. When Ding flips over 8♣ 6♥ , Tan already throws it in the muck, saving the dealer some work and we have China's #3 in earnings knock out #4.

Player	Chips
BD Biao DingChina	725,000(60 BB)
TX Tan XuanChina	busted

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 1:19:55 PM

Miao Chenxiang Hits The Rail

Level 9: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

Miao Chenxiang

Another under the gun raise to 24,000 gets called by Stephen Chidwick in the cutoff, Miao Chenxiang wagers his last 49,000 from the button and small blind Chris Park ups the fee to 75,000 with A♦ A♠ . Only Chidwick fills up to see the flop 9♦ A♣ 3♣ where Park continues for 26,000, gets called and the turn falls 4♥ . Another 20,000 barrel gets called again before the board completes K♦ . Park sets a trap by switching to a check, Chidwick puts him all-in for 133,000, thinking his A♥ Q♥ is good, but has to surrender the pot to the top set. Miao's 2♠ 2♣ didn't survive either.

Player	Chips
CP Christopher Park (2)United States of America	645,000(54 BB)
SC Stephen ChidwickUnited Kingdom	335,000(28 BB)
MC Miao ChenxiangChina	busted

Level 9: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 42/52

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 1:09:43 PM

Massive Double Up for Martin Nielsen

Level 8: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

Martin Nielsen

Under the gun Miao Chenxiang kicks off the action with a raise to 25,000, the cutoff calls, Martin Nielsen pumps it to 100,000 from the button, Miao four-bet jams 521,000 holding A♠ J♥ , the cutoff folds and Nielsen snaps with A♣ A♥ , putting last night's $15,000 Superstar Challenge 6th place finisher in a great spot to double up.

Player	Chips
MN Martin NielsenDenmark	952,000(95 BB)
MC Miao ChenxiangChina	70,000(7 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 1:04:46 PM

Jamil Wakil Takes It Down Pre

Level 8: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

Jamil Wakil

With a 23,000 open from the button and a call from the small blind, big blind Jamil Wakil pulls the trigger for a 374,000 all-in that ends the hand.

Player	Chips
JW Jamil WakilCanada	435,000(44 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 1:04:07 PM

Chen Dong Keeps Chipping Up

Level 8: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

Chen Dong

Under the gun Johan Schultz-Pedersen gets us going with a 23,000 open, taking button Chen Dong to the flop K♥ 8♥ 2♠ where an 18,000 c-bet gets called for the turn 6♠ to hit the felt. Switching to a check, Pedersen folds when faced with Chen's 95,000 bet.

Player	Chips
CD Chen DongChina	1,520,000(152 BB)
JS Johan Schultz-PedersenDenmark	1,200,000(120 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 1:03:01 PM

Luo Xixiang's Double Barrel Successful

Level 8: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

Luo Xixiang

Picking up the action on the flop 3♠ 8♦ 5♥ and 205,000 in the pot, small blind Luo Xixiang leads 100,000 and gets called by Tan Xuan, who won the Poker Dream 12 Super High Roller here in Jeju for $700k in September. The turn T♥ has Luo fork out a massive over-bet of 505,000 that's enough to scoop the pot early.

Player	Chips
LX Luo XixiangChina	1,657,000(166 BB)
TX Tan XuanMalaysia	240,000(24 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 12:46:47 PM

Daniel Dvoress Stays Active

Level 8: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

Raising to 22,000 from the cutoff, Daniel Dvoress takes two players to the flop K♠ 3♥ 2♥ and continues for 20,000. Jamil Kamil calls from the button and the big blind folds for the turn 7♠ to be revealed. Two checks take us to the river 8♣ where Dvoress lays out 125,000 that gets the job done.

Player	Chips
DD Daniel DvoressCanada	755,000(76 BB)
JW Jamil WakilCanada	485,000(49 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 12:43:47 PM

Stephen Chidwick Puts Down The Hammer Pre

Level 8: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

Stephen Chidwick

Under the gun Zhao Hongjun opens 22,000, hijack Stephen Chidwick ups it to 65,000, with Zhao four-betting to 172,000 before Chidwick's 513,000 jam ends the hand.

Player	Chips
ZH Zhao HongjunChina	730,000(73 BB)
SC Stephen ChidwickUnited Kingdom	710,000(71 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 12:41:06 PM

Daniel Dvoress Chips Up

Level 8: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

Daniel Dvoress

Rainer Kempe gets us going with a 23,000 open from the cutoff and Daniel Dvoress defends big to see the flop 9♦ 8♣ 9♠ where Kempe c-bets 15,000 and fills up Dvoress' 44,000 raise. The turn A♥ has Dvoress lead 75,000 that ends this clash of players who have more than $60M in live earnings among them.

Player	Chips
RK Rainer KempeGermany	888,000(89 BB)
DD Daniel DvoressCanada	747,000(75 BB)

Level 8: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 43/50

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 12:31:48 PM

Three Bracelets In One Heads Up

Level 7: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Christopher Brewer

Picking up the action on 4♠ 4♣ J♣ 3♣ with 272,000 up for grabs, Chen Dong leads 85,000 from +1 and gets called by Chris Brewer in the hijack. The river K♦ has Chen bet small for 80,000 with K♠ K♣ , hoping to get raised, but Brewer just calls and mucks.

Player	Chips
CD Chen DongChina	1,483,000(185 BB)
CB Christopher BrewerUnited States of America	710,000(89 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 12:26:04 PM

Kosei Ichinose Wins With Ace-high

Level 7: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Kosei Ichinose

Henrik Hecklen kicks us off with a raise to 18,000 from the hijack, cutoff Kosei Ichinose wants 42,000 and Hecklen obliges. The flop K♥ 4♣ 3♥ has Hecklen check-call a 28,000 c-bet to the turn J♠ where he check-calls another 120,000. The river J♦ gets rejected by both, with Kosei Ichinose's A♣ T♦ coming out on top of Hecklen's A♥ 2♥ , winning a hefty pot with ace-high.

Player	Chips
KI Kosei IchinoseJapan	933,000(117 BB)
HH Henrik HecklenDenmark	574,000(72 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 12:18:18 PM

Henrik Hecklen Wins Flip

Level 7: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Henrik Hecklen

With Henrik Hecklen and Aram Oganyan all-in pre, it is Denmark's highest paid poker player who is at risk.

Player	Hand	Chips
HH Henrik HecklenDenmark	8♦8♣ CO	764,000(96 BB)
AO Aram OganyanUnited States of America	A♣Q♥ SB	280,000(35 BB)

Board:5♦7♣4♠5♠K♦

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 12:17:05 PM

Ding Biao Versus Yeu Wei Hsiang

Level 7: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Biao Ding

Yeu Wei Hsiang opens 17,000 from under the gun and Ding Biao pays up to see the flop 5♣ J♥ A♠ . Yeu's 14,000 c-bet gets called to the turn Q♥ where he elects to check. Ding's 60,000 bet gets called and the river T♣ gets checked to him again. Separating another 100,000 from his stack, Ding sends Yeu in the tank, the latter folds, sending a time bank the dealer's way. Both players were very active at last night's $15,000 Superstar Challenge, finishing 3rd and 4th.

Player	Chips
YW Yeu Wei HsiangMalaysia	858,000(107 BB)
BD Biao DingChina	640,000(80 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 12:06:32 PM

Rainer Kempe Breaks 1M

Level 7: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Rainer Kempe

With a complete board 9♦ 5♦ T♠ 2♠ 5♣ and 259,000 to play for, Rainer Kempe forks out 220,000, sending Yan Jingyao deep in the tank before surrendering the pot, losing two time banks in the process.

Player	Chips
RK Rainer KempeGermany	1,028,000(129 BB)
YJ Yan JingyaoChina	134,000(17 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 12:05:46 PM

Johan Schultz-Pedersen Back Up The Ladder

Level 7: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Johan Schultz-Pedersen

Johan Schultz-Pedersen raises to 17,000 from under the gun, Stanley Choi shows strength with a 42,000 three-bet from +1 and Pedersen calls for the flop A♠ 8♣ 6♣ to hit the felt. Choi continues for 25,000 and another call reveals the turn 4♣ . Leading 25,000 once more, Choi is faced with a check-raise to 60,000 and quickly calls for the board to complete 4♠ . Pederson switches gears, leading with a jam thats good enough to pick up the pot.

Player	Chips
JS Johan Schultz-PedersenDenmark	836,000(105 BB)
SC Stanley ChoiHong Kong	231,000(29 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 11:55:11 AM

Tobias Schwecht Chips Up

Level 7: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Tobias Schwecht

Picking up the action on 6♥ K♣ 7♠ 7♦ and 112,000 up for grabs we see Jamil Wakil in the small blind and Tobias Schwecht on the button check to the river A♣ . Schwecht - fresh from his APT Manila Super High Roller victory just two weeks ago - lays out 48,000 with A♦ 8♠ and watches Wakil call and muck.

Player	Chips
TS Tobias SchwechtGermany	701,000(88 BB)
JW Jamil WakilCanada	290,000(36 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 11:48:18 AM

Stanley Choi Recovers Some

Level 7: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Stanley Choi

Johan Schultz opens 18,000 from the cutoff and takes two players to the flop 8♦ J♦ 5♠ that gets checked to Stanley Choi on the button, who makes it 22,000. The small blind folds and Schultz pays up to see the 6♦ turn where another 45,000 gets the job done for Choi.

Player	Chips
JS Johan Schultz-PedersenDenmark	642,000(80 BB)
SC Stanley ChoiHong Kong	326,000(41 BB)

Level 7: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 33/37

Player	Chips	Table	Seat
YW Yeu Wei HsiangMalaysia	887,000(148 BB)	1	1
LX Luo XixiangChina	1,380,000(230 BB)	1	4
OB Oliver BithellUnited Kingdom	87,000(15 BB)	1	5
SO Stephen O'dwyerUnited States of America	493,000(82 BB)	1	6
IH Isaac HaxtonUnited States of America	390,000(65 BB)	1	7
YL Yu LeiChina	740,000(123 BB)	1	8
CB Christopher BrewerUnited States of America	1,084,000(181 BB)	2	1
DF Dietrich FastGermany	436,000(73 BB)	2	2
DD Daniel DvoressCanada	560,000(93 BB)	2	4
ZQ Zhou QuanChina	256,000(43 BB)	2	5
TR Tony Ren LinUnited States of America	593,000(99 BB)	2	6
CD Chen DongChina	1,094,000(182 BB)	2	8
MC Miao ChenxiangChina	357,000(60 BB)	3	1
RK Rainer KempeGermany	628,000(105 BB)	3	2
CP Christopher Park (2)United States of America	485,000(81 BB)	3	3
JC Joseph CheongUnited States of America	477,000(80 BB)	3	5
ZH Zhao HongjunChina	526,000(88 BB)	3	6
SC Stephen ChidwickUnited Kingdom	694,000(116 BB)	3	7
MP Matthew Paul BelcherUnited Kingdom	566,000(94 BB)	3	8
PP Paulius PlausinaitisLithuania	227,500(38 BB)	4	1
JJ John JuandaIndonesia	133,500(22 BB)	4	2
LW Lee Wai KiatMalaysia	678,500(113 BB)	4	4
QX Qiang XuChina	744,500(124 BB)	4	5
TS Tobias SchwechtGermany	412,000(69 BB)	4	6
JW Jamil WakilCanada	771,000(129 BB)	4	8
CL Calvin LeeUnited States of America	410,500(68 BB)	5	1
XS Xue SongChina	375,000(63 BB)	5	2
JS Johan Schultz-PedersenDenmark	682,000(114 BB)	5	4
SC Stanley ChoiHong Kong	252,000(42 BB)	5	5
HH Henrik HecklenDenmark	430,000(72 BB)	5	6
KI Kosei IchinoseJapan	562,000(94 BB)	5	7
AO Aram OganyanUnited States of America	642,000(107 BB)	5	8

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 11:07:08 AM

Roman Hrabec Knocked Out

Level 6: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

Roman Hrabec

Looking at the board 6♠ 4♣ 2♦ J♦ with 227,000 already in the middle and Chris Brewer's 190,000 lead in front, Roman Hrabec decides to jam 373,000 with his draws holding 5♦ 7♦ . Brewer goes in the tank, costing him a time bank, but fills up with A♦ 9♦ , being in good shape. The river is a blank T♠ and Hrabec gathers his things. With his recent $2,5M Triton Monte Carlo cashes he can afford another bullet.

Player	Chips
CB Christopher BrewerUnited States of America	1,185,000(198 BB)
RH Roman HrabecCzech Republic	busted

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 11:04:54 AM

Lee Wai Kiat Cracks John Juanda's Rockets

Level 6: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

Lee Wai Kiat

With the board already showing J♣ 8♥ 6♠ 3♦ and a pot of 40,000, last night's $15,000 Superstar Challange champion John Juanda leads 32,000 and gets check-called by Lee Wai Kiat - fresh of his two 6th places at the Triton Super High Rollers for $1M. The board completes T♥ , Juanda lays out 125,000 with A♠ A♣ , but has to surrender the pot to Lee's last minute two pair J♦ T♦ .

Player	Chips
LW Lee Wai KiatMalaysia	487,500(81 BB)
JJ John JuandaIndonesia	121,500(20 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 10:51:41 AM

Isaac Haxton Bounces Back

Level 6: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

Isaac Haxton

Catching the action on a heads-up turn 5♠ 9♠ K♠ Q♣ with 49,000 up for grabs, button Oliver Bithell separates 50,000 from his stack and gets called by Isaac Haxton for the board to complete Q♥ . Both players check and poker legend Isaac Haxton tables the winner Q♦ 8♠ .

Player	Chips
IH Isaac HaxtonUnited States of America	426,000(71 BB)
OB Oliver BithellUnited Kingdom	88,000(15 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 10:44:14 AM

Aram Oganyan Recovers With A Flush

Level 6: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

Aram Oganyan

Picking up the action on a three-way Q♥ A♥ 7♥ flop with 162,000 in the middle the action gets checked to cutoff Xue Song who makes it 65,000, Stanley Choi folds and Aram Oganyan calls for the turn Q♦ . Checked to Song again, he puts his opponent all-in for 188,500 with a flush 6♥ 5♥ , but receives bad news when Oganyan snaps with a higher flush T♥ 8♥ . The river 8♦ changes nothing and Aram Oganyan scoops a huge pot.

Player	Chips
AO Aram OganyanUnited States of America	669,000(112 BB)
SC Stanley ChoiHong Kong	423,000(71 BB)
XS Xue SongChina	357,000(60 BB)

Level 6: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 32/34

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 10:33:08 AM

Alessio Isaia Out

Level 5: 2,500 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

Alessio Isaia

Rainer Kempe - 4th on Germany's all time money list - gets us going with an 11,500 open from the cutoff, Alessio Isaia - 8th on Italy's all time money list - three-bets to 33,000 from the button, Kempe increases further to 64,000 before Isaia pulls the trigger for 276,000 jam. Kempe snaps and the dealer has another player at risk.

Player	Hand	Chips
RK Rainer KempeGermany	K♣K♥	886,000(177 BB)
AI Alessio IsaiaItaly	A♥T♥	busted

Board:Q♥K♠5♥8♦3♣

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 10:26:11 AM

Matt Belcher Continues To Chip Up

Level 5: 2,500 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

On a J♣ A♠ A♦ flop with 115,500 in the pot, Matt Belcher leads 38,000 from the button which gets Stephen Chidwick and Rainer Kempe to fold.

Player	Chips
MP Matthew Paul BelcherUnited Kingdom	599,000(120 BB)
RK Rainer KempeGermany	597,500(120 BB)
SC Stephen ChidwickUnited Kingdom	446,000(89 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 10:25:07 AM

Miao Chenxiang Doubles Up Again

Level 5: 2,500 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

Miao Chenxiang

After missing an open ender earlier that left him with 60,000, Miao Chenxiang is all-in again, this time for 145,500 against Alessio Isaia for a flip.

Player	Hand	Chips
AI Alessio IsaiaItaly	8♣8♠	286,000(57 BB)
MC Miao ChenxiangChina	A♦Q♠	298,500(60 BB)

Board:6♠J♠Q♥5♣7♣

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 10:16:45 AM

Massive Double Up For Luo Xixiang

Level 5: 2,500 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

Luo Xixiang

With an early position raise to 11,000, Yan Jingyao fills up his small blind before two time bracelet winner Luo Xixiang pumps it to 69,500 from big. The initial raiser folds, Yan goes in the tank worth a time bank, but declares all-in for 518,000. Luo snaps for a total of 453,500, putting him at risk, but dominating his opponent.

Player	Hand	Chips
YJ Yan JingyaoChina	A♦Q♠	65,000(13 BB)
LX Luo XixiangChina	A♠K♣	1,067,000(213 BB)

Board:2♠6♥2♦J♥A♣

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 10:10:45 AM

Matt Belcher Chips Up Again

Level 5: 2,500 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

Matthew Paul Belcher

Picking up the action on the three-way flop 8♣ K♣ 7♣ and 43,500 up for grabs we see a check-around to the turn T♥ before poker legend Stephen Chidwick leads for 11,000 from UTG and finds two customers for the river 8♥ . Chidwick lays out another 16,000, Matt Belcher raises to 70,000 from the hijack, Isaia Alessio gets out of the way and Chidwick calls, who mucks after seeing Belcher flip over a boat with 7♠ 7♦ .

Player	Chips
MP Matthew Paul BelcherUnited Kingdom	513,000(103 BB)
AI Alessio IsaiaItaly	404,000(81 BB)
SC Stephen ChidwickUnited Kingdom	306,000(61 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 9:57:05 AM

Jamil Wakil Against Two

Level 5: 2,500 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

Jamil Wakil

Xu Qiang - another bracelet winner from China - kicks us off with a 10,000 raise from the cutoff and takes Jamil Wakil and John Juanda to the flop 5♥ 9♣ 7♦ . Checked to Wakil on the button, 20,000 enter the middle, Juanda folds before Xu Qiang raises to 65,000. Back to Wakil 150,000 three-bet goes out that sends Xu in the tank, but calls with the aid of a time bank. The turn T♦ has Wakil fork out another 180,000 that gets the job done.

Player	Chips
JW Jamil WakilCanada	771,000(154 BB)
JJ John JuandaIndonesia	503,000(101 BB)
QX Qiang XuChina	325,000(65 BB)

Level 5: 2,500 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 30/30

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 9:45:37 AM

Chen Dong Scoops Big Pot

Level 4: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

Chen Dong

Picking up the action on the flop 2♣ A♦ 4♣ and 30,000 in the middle, Chen Dong bets a big 25,000 and gets check-called by Zhou. The turn 7♦ has both players repeat their actions for 65,000 to complete the board 6♦ where Chen lays out another 112,500. Zhou goes in the tank, consumes a time bank before making the call, but bracelet winner Chen Dong flips over the winner A♠ 4♠ to scoop the pot.

Player	Chips
CD Chen DongChina	616,000(154 BB)
ZQ Zhou QuanChina	382,000(96 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 9:36:28 AM

Miao Chenxiang Doubles Up, But Is Still Short

Level 4: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

Miao Chenxiang

Two time bracelet winner Daniel Dvoress raises 10,000 from the hijack, Miao Chenxiang jams for his last 61,000 and Dvoress calls, putting his opponent at risk.

Player	Hand	Chips
DD Daniel DvoressCanada	J♥J♦	393,000(98 BB)
MC Miao ChenxiangChina	A♦Q♦	138,000(35 BB)

Board:A♥5♠6♥3♥6♣

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 9:33:23 AM

Steve O'Dwyer Wins Blind Battle

Level 4: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

Stephen O'dwyer

Oliver Bithell open-limps from the small blind, Steve O'Dwyer ups it to 17,000, Bithell pumps it further to 45,000 and O'Dwyer calls to see the flop K♦ 6♥ 7♣ . Bithell continues for 25,000, O'Dwyer pays up and the turn 4♠ gets checked to complete the board K♥ . After using a time bank, Bithell decides to fork out another 35,000 with 9♥ 7♥ , but Steve O'Dwyer calls with A♦ 7♦ to win with a better kicker.

Player	Chips
SO Stephen O'dwyerUnited States of America	445,000(111 BB)
OB Oliver BithellUnited Kingdom	376,500(94 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 9:29:05 AM

Aram Oganyan Out Of The Danger Zone

Level 4: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

Aram Oganyan

Yu Lei, who finished 8th in the $15,000 Superstar Challenge last night, opens 8,000 from the cutoff, Aram Oganyan three-bets 32,500 from the big blind and Yu calls for the flop to hit 8♠ T♦ J♦ . Oganyan jams for 142,500 and Yu calls, putting the former at risk.

Player	Hand	Chips
YL Yu LeiChina	9♥T♥ CO	310,000(78 BB)
AO Aram OganyanUnited States of America	Q♥J♠ BB	356,000(89 BB)

With one of Yu's outs in his opponents hand, the turn K♦ and river K♥ leave Oganyan in front, granting him the double but still below the starting stack.

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 9:22:01 AM

Rainer Kempe With Big Double Up

Level 4: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

Rainer Kempe

The action folds to Miao Chenxiang in the small blind, making it 15,000 and Rainer Kempe defends to see the flop J♣ 5♥ 8♣ . Miao continues for 12,000, Kempe raises to 36,000, answered by a 110,000 three-bet from Miao that has Kempe jam for a total of 390,500. Miao calls and the dealer has a player at risk.

Player	Hand	Chips
MC Miao ChenxiangChina	T♠9♠ SB	65,000(16 BB)
RK Rainer KempeGermany	J♠5♠ BB	715,000(179 BB)

Digging for eight outs, the turn T♣ increases the chance of striking by two more outs for Miao, but the river A♦ has Kempe sigh in relief, putting him well above the starting stack.

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 9:11:30 AM

Chris Brewer Continues Ascend

Level 4: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

Christopher Brewer

Picking up the action on the flop 7♦ 6♦ A♦ with 94,000 in the middle, two time bracelet winner Chris Brewer leads 25,000 from the button and gets called by big blind Henrik Hecklen for the turn Q♣ where another 60,000 bet lets Brewer scoop the pot.

Player	Chips
CB Christopher BrewerUnited States of America	730,000(183 BB)
HH Henrik HecklenDenmark	231,000(58 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 9:06:56 AM

Matt Belcher Doubles Up

Level 4: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

Under the gun opens 8,000, Matt Belcher ups it to 32,000 from the button, Miao Chenxiang - Jeju Poker Festival Main Event Champ in November - cold calls from the small blind and the initial raiser gets out of the way. The flop T♥ T♦ T♣ has Belcher continue for 26,000, gets called for the turn Q♠ and both players check. The river 5♥ gets checked to Belcher again, who jams 116,000 with Q♥ Q♣ and Miao calls with 6♦ 6♠ , granting Belcher a much needed double up.

Player	Chips
MC Miao ChenxiangChina	517,000(129 BB)
MP Matthew Paul BelcherUnited Kingdom	364,000(91 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 9:01:45 AM

Tony Lin Wins Another

Level 4: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

Tony Ren Lin

Christopher Brewer opens 8,000 from under the gun +2, button Stanley Choi and big blind Tony Lin fill up the lay eyes on the flop J♦ 5♣ 9♥ . When checked to him, Choi forks out 7,000 and both opponents comply to see the turn T♥ that gets checked around to the river 5♠ . Lin takes over the reins with a 35,000 open that gets the job done.

Player	Chips
CB Christopher BrewerUnited States of America	672,000(168 BB)
TR Tony Ren LinUnited States of America	662,000(166 BB)
SC Stanley ChoiHong Kong	390,000(98 BB)

Level 4: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 25/25

Player	Chips	Table	Seat
CB Christopher BrewerUnited States of America	687,000(229 BB)	2	1
DF Dietrich FastGermany	703,000(234 BB)	2	2
HH Henrik HecklenDenmark	288,000(96 BB)	2	3
SC Stanley ChoiHong Kong	405,000(135 BB)	2	4
ZQ Zhou QuanChina	607,000(202 BB)	2	5
TR Tony Ren LinUnited States of America	630,000(210 BB)	2	6
LW Lee Wai KiatMalaysia	4,760,000(1587 BB)	2	7
MC Miao ChenxiangChina	642,000(214 BB)	3	1
RK Rainer KempeGermany	411,000(137 BB)	3	2
YL Yu LeiChina	529,000(176 BB)	3	3
XS Xue SongChina	504,000(168 BB)	3	4
DD Daniel DvoressCanada	420,000(140 BB)	3	5
ZH Zhao HongjunChina	500,000(167 BB)	3	6
SC Stephen ChidwickUnited Kingdom	404,000(135 BB)	3	7
MP Matthew Paul BelcherUnited Kingdom	184,000(61 BB)	3	8

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 8:40:51 AM

Jamil Wakil Versus Two

Level 3: 1,500 / 3,000 ante: 3,000

Jamil Wakil

Jamil Wakil gets the ball rolling with a raise to 7,000 from the hijack and takes Aram Oganyan and Oliver Bithell from cutoff and big blind to the flop J♦ 9♠ J♠ . Checked to Oganyan, 8,500 slide over the line, Bithell folds and Wakil takes down the pot with a check-raise to 33,000.

Player	Chips
JW Jamil WakilCanada	466,000(155 BB)
OB Oliver BithellUnited Kingdom	421,000(140 BB)
AO Aram OganyanUnited States of America	415,000(138 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 8:34:48 AM

Matt Belcher Can't Catch A Break

Level 3: 1,500 / 3,000 ante: 3,000

Matthew Paul Belcher

Opening 6,000 from +1, Matt Belcher faces a 20,000 three-bet from Rainer Kempe from the cutoff. Belcher calls for the flop K♦ 2♥ J♣ to hit the felt, but lets it go after Kempe continued for 16,000.

Player	Chips
RK Rainer KempeGermany	411,000(137 BB)
MP Matthew Paul BelcherUnited Kingdom	184,000(61 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 8:31:55 AM

Tony Lin Triple Barrels Again

Level 3: 1,500 / 3,000 ante: 3,000

Another open of 7,000 from under the gun Tony Lin takes both blinds to the flop T♠ 3♦ 5♠ . Checked to the aggressor, 15,000 go over the line and only Ike Haxton pays up from the small blind for the turn to hit 8♣ where Haxton check-calls another 30,000 from Lin. The river 5♥ has Lin fire a third barrel of 125,000 that goes unanswered.

Player	Chips
TR Tony Ren LinUnited States of America	678,000(226 BB)
IH Isaac HaxtonUnited States of America	379,000(126 BB)

Level 3: 1,500 / 3,000 ante: 3,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 7/7

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 8:24:27 AM

Tony Lin Triple Barrels

Level 2: 1,000 / 2,500 ante: 2,500

Tony Ren Lin

Tony Lin kicks off the action with a raise to 7,000 from the button with K♣ 7♦ and big blind Steve O'Dwyer defends to see the flop 9♥ 7♠ 7♣ . Lin fires three barrels of 16,000, 25,000 and 80,000, the board completes A♦ J♦ and O'Dwyer check calls all-of them, before looking at Lin's trips and mucks his hand.

Player	Chips
TR Tony Ren LinUnited States of America	596,000(238 BB)
SO Stephen O'dwyerUnited States of America	405,000(162 BB)

Level 2: 1,000 / 2,500 ante: 2,500

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 7/7

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 6:59:43 AM

Zhou Quan Chips Up

Level 1: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

Zhou Quan

Picking up the action on 8♦ 6♥ 3♣ with 50,000 to play for, cutoff Matthew Belcher leads 18,000 and Chinese pro Zhou Quan check-calls from the hijack to see the turn Q♠ . Belcher slides 40,000 over the line and calls Zhou's 115,000 raise to have a quick look at the river 5♦ , before folding after Zhou declared all-in.

Player	Chips
ZQ Zhou QuanChina	628,000(314 BB)
MP Matthew Paul BelcherUnited Kingdom	174,000(87 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 6:45:38 AM

The USA - UK Heads-Up Continues

Level 1: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

Matthew Paul Belcher

Matthew Belcher opens 5,000 from the cutoff, small blind Christopher Brewer pays up and the flop falls 5♣ 9♣ 8♦ , checked to the turn J♦ . A delayed c-bet of 10,000 finds a customer for the river 9♥ where Belcher lays out another 27,000 with K♠ J♠ top pair. Brewer calls with 9♦ Q♦ trips and scoops the third pot against Belcher in just a few minutes.

Player	Chips
CB Christopher BrewerUnited States of America	689,000(345 BB)
MP Matthew Paul BelcherUnited Kingdom	340,000(170 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 6:40:23 AM

Christopher Brewer Chips Up Some More

Level 1: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

Matthew Belcher, who finished 7th in the $15,000 Superstar Challenge last night kicks us off with a raise to 5,000 from the button and takes big blind Christopher Brewer to another flop 4♥ K♠ 5♠ , slides out a 4,000 c-bet, Brewer calls and we see the turn 2♠ that gets checked to complete the board 7♥ . Another check by Brewer has Belcher fork out 24,000, Brewer increases to 95,000 with a flush 9♠ 4♠ and Belcher calls to muck.

Player	Chips
CB Christopher BrewerUnited States of America	643,000(322 BB)
DB David BrewerUnited States of America	382,000(191 BB)
MP Matthew Paul BelcherUnited Kingdom	184,000(92 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 6:33:52 AM

Christopher Brewer Comes Out Swinging

Level 1: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

David Brewer

Hijack David Brewer opens 5,000 and takes big blind Matthew Belcher to the flop 8♠ 9♦ 7♠ where a 7,000 c-bet gets check-called by Belcher for the turn 8♣ where another 21,000 barrel gets filled before the river 5♠ shuts down the action with Brewer flipping over his flopped straight T♥ J♦ against Belcher's A♣ 9♠ top pair.

Player	Chips
CB Christopher BrewerUnited States of America	538,000(269 BB)
MP Matthew Paul BelcherUnited Kingdom	486,000(243 BB)

SMPSMP

2/23/2025, 6:21:07 AM

The Poker Dream 16 $20,000 Superstar Challenge Begins

Level 1: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

Shuffle up an deal!

Level 1: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 7/7

TriciaTricia

2/22/2025, 8:05:11 PM

$20,000 Superstar Challenge Starts At 3pm Local

With poker legends like John Juanda and Steve O'Dwyer gathered at the Poker Dream 16 at Jeju Shinhwa World in South Korea we can expect a star studded KR₩ 30M ($20,000) Superstar Challenge, the biggest buy-in of the festival.

Last night's $15,000 Superstar Challenge attracted a total of 65 players for a prize pool just short of $1M, so with the most prestige to earn today, we can be sure to top that.

Late registration will be open until the end of the first level on Day 2 tomorrow where the 500,000 starting stack will still get you 20BB to work with.

Live updates will cover the entire action until the end starting at 3pm.