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Viet Nam, Pullman Danang Beach ResortEVENT Superstar Challenge
Chips in play: 23,600,000
Josh McCully
Red hot Josh McCully clinches first USOP title at the Superstar Challenge
Just one day after finishing runner up at the USOP Danang 2024 High Roller Championship, Australia’s found redemption at the Superstar Challenge, where he came from less than 1 bb to champion.
“Ya I went from like 200K in chips to 9K, I thought I was out. Ivan Lee all in pocket Six versus pocket Eights, I had one big blind. From one big blind I went to bag the chip lead with a quarter of the chips in play with 18 players left. What a spin up.“
Indeed what a comeback. Due to the three hour heads up marathon at the High Roller Championship, McCully signed up to this event very late. Tired and near empty in chips, a flurry of double ups gave him renewed life. He then delivered the bubble and bagged up an enormous chip lead.
At Day 2, McCully kept the pace, widening his lead until the final table where multiple players vied for the top spot. At three-handed, McCully dropped to the shortest but a failed bluff by Nguyen Truong Giang sent him back up then faced Dao Minh Phu for the title.
“He’s a very aggressive player so heads up was shorter than yesterday. I was behind quite a bit but two big hands - my full house and pocket King - changed it and I took it from there. Ya, it definitely feels good to win it.”
This was McCully’s career first USOP title. He earned VN₫ 3,222,800,000 (~USD 130K) which he adds to his 2nd place payout at the HR Championship for VN₫ 2,160,200,000 (~USD 87K). He is currently the festival’s richest earner of around USD 200K in winnnings.
Date: March 24 to 25, 2024 Buy in: VN₫ 120,000,000 (~USD 4,938) Guarantee: VN₫ 3,000,000,000 (~USD 121,000) Entries: 118 (72 unique) Prize pool: VN₫ 12,819,500,000 (~USD 517,000) ITM: 18 players
Follow the final table livestream!
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 130,009 | -7,054,991 | |
| 86,688 | -1,063,312 | |
| 60,583 | -2,159,417 | |
| 43,531 | -2,921,469 | |
| 32,188 | -3,947,812 | |
| 24,515 | -1,485,485 | |
| 19,246 | -1,640,754 | |
| 15,588 | -1,269,412 | |
| 13,042 | -1,666,958 |
Payouts
| Place | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 |
Chips in play: 23,600,000
Final 9 Players
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 7,185,000(120 BB) | -215,000 | |
| 3,980,000(66 BB) | 380,000 | |
| 2,965,000(49 BB) | 1,065,000 | |
| 2,220,000(37 BB) | 920,000 | |
| 1,680,000(28 BB) | 180,000 | |
| 1,660,000(28 BB) | -240,000 | |
| 1,510,000(25 BB) | 1,510,000 | |
| 1,285,000(21 BB) | -15,000 | |
| 1,150,000(19 BB) | 150,000 |
Adam Kharman falls in 10th place - VN₫ 323,300,000 (~USD 13,000)
Down below 4 bb, Adam Kharman calls a raised preflop, then shoves on the flop Q♥ T♥ 3♦ . Kharman shows 6♥ 7♥ , Jang Dong Min looking to eliminate with A♥ 2♥ . The turn {5} and river 9♠ is no help to Kharman to miss the final table by one spot.
Jang Dong Min 3,000,000 (50 bb) Adam Kharman - eliminated in 10th place
Blinds battle: Matthew Bevin dominates for a double up
Action folds to the small blind Dao Minh Phu who shoves, big blind Matthew Bevin calls it and is covered. Phu has A♣ 8♠ , Bevin is ahead A♦ Q♠ , the board fans Q♥ 5♥ 2♣ T♣ K♣ .
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 1,510,000(25 BB) | 365,000 | |
| 1,000,000(17 BB) | -700,000 |
Nam Hyung Kim eliminated in 11th place - VN₫ 279,400,000 (~USD 11,270)
The desperate Nam Hyung Kim shoves his las 8 bb on the button holding K♥ 4♣ but doesn’t get past small blind Nguyen Trung Quan’s K♦ J♥ with the board running 8♦ 7♦ 5♠ 2♠ J♦ .
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 1,300,000(22 BB) | 730,000 |
Jin Hoon Lee eliminated in 12th place - VN₫ 279,400,000 (~USD 11,270)
From cutoff, Jin Hoon Lee opens 120,000, big blind Christian Harder three-bets 450,000, Lee four-bets all in for 1,160,000, Harder calls.
Lee A♠ T♥ Harder Q♣ Q♥
Lee pairs up on the flop T♦ 6♦ 4♥ but the turn 2♦ and river 8♣ offer no further help to fall in 12th place.
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 3,600,000(60 BB) | 2,300,000 |
Czying Rui eliminated in 13th place - VN₫ 249,100,000 (~USD 10,000)
End of the line for Czying Rui who three-bets his last 7 bb with A♥ 5♠ , Dao Minh Phu has 6♣ 6♥ which goes on to command the board 6♦ 8♥ 8♣ 9♣ 7♠ .
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 1,700,000(28 BB) | 490,000 |
Shung Er Sua eliminated in 14th place - VN₫ 249,100,000 (~USD 10,000)
From small blind, Shung Er Sua three-bets all in 720,000, initial raiser Josh McCully calls and opens K♠ K♦ . Shung has outs with A♦ Q♠ and gets a bit of help on the flop Q♣ 9♣ 3♠ but the turn 2♥ and river 4♥ dont add strength to fall in 14th place.
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 7,400,000(123 BB) | 600,000 |
Dao Minh Phu doubles through Teoh Kok Wei
Facing a raise of 120,000, button player Dao Minh Phu three-bets all in for 530,000, initial raiser Teoh Kok Wei calls. Phu A♥ Q♥ , Teoh A♦ 8♦ , board comes 6♥ 2♥ K♠ 7♣ J♠ for a double up to Phu.
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 1,900,000(32 BB) | -100,000 | |
| 1,210,000(20 BB) | 610,000 |
Jang Dong Min bets to win it
Utg+2 Shung Er Sua opens 105,000, cutoff Jang Dong Min calls, both player check it to the river 6♦ 8♥ 9♥ 3♥ Q♦ . Sua checks again, Jang bets 155,000, Sua folds.
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 1,900,000(48 BB) | -325,000 | |
| 820,000(21 BB) | 520,000 |
Matthew Bevin doubles up
Utg+1 Czying Rui opens 110,000, acting next is Matthew Bevin with a three-bet to 485,000, Rui answers with a four-bet all in, Bevin calls and is covered.
Rui A♥ T♥ Bevin A♦ K♥
The board lands K♣ Q♣ 6♠ 6♦ 7♣ , Bevin doubles up.
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 1,145,000(29 BB) | 485,000 | |
| 850,000(21 BB) | -385,000 |
Victor Chong chunked then out in 15th place - VN₫ 229,200,000 (~USD 9,245)
From utg+1, Victor Chong sends out 515,000 leaving just one 5K chip behind. Cutoff Teoh Kok Wei calls then both players proceed to check down the board J♠ 3♣ T♥ 8♣ 7♥ . Teoh claims the pot with A♦ Q♠ dominating Chong’s K♣ Q♣ .
Chong manages to triple up to 15,000 but on the next shove, Dao Minh Phu gives him the boot with K♠ T♠ dominating J♠ T♣ on board 9♣ 6♠ 4♦ Q♥ 5♦ .
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 2,000,000(50 BB) | 440,000 | |
| 600,000(15 BB) | -200,000 | |
| 5,000(0 BB) | -310,000 |
Lights on, Pham Tien Dung’s exits in 17th place - VN₫ 217,900,000 (~USD 8,790)
A♠ soon as lights were switched back on, Pham Tien Dung went bust. He three-bet shoved with A♣ 2♣ and initial raiser Hoang Hai Nam called with A♠ 8♥ . Board ran wild with spades 2♠ J♠ 9♠ 3♠ A♦ .
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 1,500,000(38 BB) | 580,000 |
Lights out
A roar is heard as the lights suddenly go out….
Josh McCully rails Guy Taylor in 18th place - VN₫ 217,900,000 (~USD 8,790)
And just like that, it is down to 17 players. The first casualty of the day was Guy Taylor who raised preflop then jammed the flop J♦ 8♣ 9♥ and was called both times by the leader Josh McCully. Taylor turned over A♠ Q♠ , McCully K♦ J♥ top pair, the turn 8♦ and river K♥ ensured Taylor’s elimination.
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 6,800,000(170 BB) | 5,600,000 |
Cards in the air!
Cards in the air for the final day of the Superstar Challenge! 18 players back on the hunt with minimum pay at VN₫ 217,900,000 (~USD 8,790) while up top is a hefty VN₫ 3,222,800,000 (~USD 130K).