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Viet Nam, Pullman Danang Beach ResortEVENT 
Day 2
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 |
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 |
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 |
Day 1
Mike Takayama pushes for the pot
Three players in on a raised pot, the flop runs K♥ 5♦ 7♠ . Blinds check to utg+2 Nguyen Trung Quan who c-bets 25,000, smal blind Mike Takayama check-raises 76,000, big blind folds, back to Nguyen who three-bets 200,000, Takayama shoves and wins the pot as Nguyen folds.
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 1,100,000(73 BB) | 250,000 | |
| 570,000(38 BB) | -555,000 |
Bubble bursts!
Josh McCully invincible at Superstar Challenge Day 1, bags an enormous stack
Date: March 24, 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
Down to just 12 bb, Lin Jian Wei risked it all on Josh McCully’s shove and was ahead at the with A♣ K♣ against Q♠ 5♥ , but with the board dropping two fives, 5♦ 5♠ 4♣ J♣ 9♠ , that just about sealed the day with Lin falling on the bubble.
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 6,465,000(162 BB) | 6,465,000 | |
| 2,225,000(56 BB) | 75,000 | |
| 2,150,000(54 BB) | -50,000 | |
| 2,120,000(53 BB) | -80,000 | |
| 1,560,000(39 BB) | 10,000 | |
| 1,235,000(31 BB) | 1,235,000 | |
| 1,160,000(29 BB) | -690,000 | |
| 1,125,000(28 BB) | 75,000 | |
| 920,000(23 BB) | -980,000 | |
| 835,000(21 BB) | 835,000 | |
| 720,000(18 BB) | 480,000 | |
| 530,000(13 BB) | 530,000 | |
| 520,000(13 BB) | -230,000 | |
| 465,000(12 BB) | 465,000 | |
| 410,000(10 BB) | -590,000 | |
| 315,000(8 BB) | -135,000 | |
| 245,000(6 BB) | -155,000 | |
| 215,000(5 BB) | 215,000 |
Payouts
| Place | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 | |
| 11 | |
| 12 | |
| 13 | |
| 14 | |
| 15 | |
| 16 | |
| 17 | |
| 18 |
Mike Takayama eliminated by Nguyen Trung Quan
Mike Takayama all in for his remaining 9 bb with A♣ 9♥ then falls to Nguyen Trung Quan’s T♦ T♠ on board 5♣ 3♣ 3♦ K♠ 9♦ .
20 players remaining.
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 1,050,000(26 BB) | 150,000 | |
busted | -650,000 |
Vietnamese sharks face-off
Utg+1 Nguyen Trung Quan min-raises, cutoff Dao Minh Phu calls, both see a flop K♦ T♦ 8♥ and both check. The turn 3♠ sees Nguyen bet 50,000, Dao calls. On the A♦ turn, Nguyen checks, Dao jumps out with a 150,000 bet, Nguyen opts to fold.
Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| 1,700,000(57 BB) | 400,000 | |
| 900,000(30 BB) | 900,000 |