Superstar Challenge

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!

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.

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.

Hon Cheong Lee raises 40,000, big blind Josh McCully three-bets 120,000, Lee four-bets all in (300,000), McCully calls. Lee with 8♣ 8♠ , McCully A♦ J♦ , flop quickly grants the higher pair which holds to the end A♠ 4♠ 7♥ Q♥ 9♣ .

Facing an open from cutoff, button Josh McCully three-bets 80,000, small blind Florent Remi fout-bets all in, initial raiser folds, McCuly calls and is ahead T♣ T♦ to Remi’s 8♥ 8♠ . No help comes for Remi on board J♦ 2♦ 7♥ 9♣ 4♥ . Remi is eliminated.

Utg+2 opens 31,000, two players call, small blind Josh McCully jams 453,000, no takers.

Again a preflop shove by Josh McCully with A♥ Q♥ up against Ivan Lee’s K♣ J♦ . The board ran 3♣ 8♥ T♥ 5♥ 2♥ for McCully to claim his fourth double up.

Several hands later, McCully raises 25,000 from utg+1 and finds two callers to the flop 4♠ 2♦ 9♥ . McCully c-bets 33,000, button folds, big blind Jin Hoon Le calls then both check the turn T♦ . On the river 8♣ , McCully shoves, Lee tanks using up one time back then folds.

Josh McCully was down to just 9,000 but three double ups later, he now sits with 12 bb. His latest win was three-betting A♠ 8♠ against Anton Lu’s K♣ 8♣ on a board A♣ 9♠ 4♦ 5♣ 2♦ .

From the button, Dao Minh Phu three-bets Josh McCully then triples barrels 125,000, 250,000, and 1,000,000 a board 7♠ 3♣ J♣ 4♣ Q♦ , McCully check-calls throughout, Dao mucks.

Blinds up, 22 players remaining. Only four busts to reach ITM. From there, players race for a spot at the final table and be that much closer to winning the enormous VN₫ 3,222,800,000 (~USD 130k).

Top 5 in chips:

Utg+1 Josh McCully raises to 65,000, utg+2 Dao Minh Phu and big blind Guy Taylor call then all three check to the turn board Q♦ 7♦ 6♦ T♠ . McCully bets 70,000, Dao calls, Taylor folds. It is back to checking on the river 4♥ . McCully shows K♦ 9♥ , Dao wins it with A♠ T♥ pair.

Utg+1 Pham Tien Dung calls Josh McCully’s 140,000 three-bet from the small blind. When the board completes K♥ K♦ 7♥ 3♣ Q♦ , Pham calls McCully ‘s every street bet - 90,000, 245,000, 500,000 - then mucks to McCully’s J♠ Q♥ full house.