Main Event (35,000,000 VND)

Zhang Yankai had 10,000,000

THE STRAIGHT HOOK

Zhi Buihui raised to 1,000,000 on the button with K♦ 8♦ and Zhang Yankai three-bet re-raised to 2,400,000 on the big blind with Q♦ 9♠. Flop arrived K♥ T♠ 3♦. Zhang made a bet of 1,300,000 and Zhi raised his top pair to 4,000,000. Zhang folded, and was left with 6,200,000 chips.

THE BODY SHOT

Action folded to the blinds and small blind Zhang raised to 1,200,000 with A♣ 7♦. Big blind Zhou Ledong re-raised all-in, holding A♥ T♣. Zhang folded and was left with a stack of 5,000,000.

THE UPPERCUT

On the next hand, Zhang raised 1,000,000 on the button with 5♥ 4♣. Big blind Zhi Buihui called to see a A♥ 2♥ 9♣ flop. Both checked to see an 8♠ turn. Zhi check-called the 900,000 bet of Zhang to see a river 6♥. Both checked and Zhi booked the win with a pair of eights. Zhang was left with 3,100,000.

FINAL FOUR CHIP COUNTS

Zhang Yankai raised 800,000 on the hi-jack with J♥ J♣ and Zhou Ledong re-raised to 2,000,000 on the button with K♥ K♦. Zhang called and both went to see a flop of A♦ 2♦ 5♣. Both checked for a free A♠ on the turn. Both checked again to see the 8♦ on the river. This time, Zhou fired 1,000,000 after Zhang checked. Zhang folded.

Zhang Yankai raised to 800,000 from the cut-off with J♥ 3♥ and Zhou Ledong defended the big blind with K♥ J♦. The flop was dealt K♠ 5♠ 4♣. Zhou checked to allow Zhang to bet 500,000 before raising it to 1,200,000. Zhang folded.

Action folded to the blinds. Small blind Choi Hun Tae just called and Big Bling Zhang Yankai checked to see a friendly flop of T♣ 8♠ 2♥. Both check to see a 7♥. Both check again to see a 8♦ river. Choi led out with a min-bet of 400,000 and Zhang called to win the pot with his pair seven making a better two pair.

Choi Hun Tae raised to 550,000 from UTG+1 and called the 1,500,000 re-raise of Zhang Yankai in the hi-jack. Choi held 9♦ 8♦ and Zhang held A♦ Q♠.

The flop arrived A♠ J♥ T♣. Both checked to see a 8♥ turn. Choi fired 550,000 and Zhang called to see a 2♥ river. Choi fired 3,000,000 and made the winning hand of Zhang fold.

A few hands after - all folded to Choi for a walk. It seems everyone wants to avoid the big stack.

In the next hand, Joris Michl raised from early position to 500,000 with Q♣ J♣. Small blind Choi Hun Tae challenged with T♣ 8♣. The flop came 7♠ 5♣ 3♥ and both checked to see a 4♦ turn. Choi bet 375,000 and made Michl fold.

Choi Hun Tae of South Korea doesn't have a complete resumé in Hendon Mob. However, the few listings that are there have show some cashes in the recent APT Phu Quoc. Choi has over US$ recorded total live earnings.

JP Rounce-Sue of Australia already made a final table appearance this series in the Superstar Challenge, but he was the first casualty then. Hopefully, Rounce-Sue goes deeper this time and even maybe bag the championship as well.

Joris Michl of the Netherlands has some cashes in this series and also a title in the 8-handed Hyper Turbo. Michl was recently crowned as Korea Poker Cup Main Event champion last month and will look to win another Main Event championship here in the USOP Hai Phong Grand Finale.

Zhang Yankai of China has already made a final table appearance this series in the Big Hunter event and had two final table appearances in last September's USOP Hai Phong. Now may be the time for this final table apperance to result in a championship.

This is the third final table appearance of China's Zhou Le Dong this series. Zhou's best finish was a runner-up at the Sunday Superstack. Maybe this time, Zhou will be the champion.

Ian Modder of Canada has nearly USD 500,000 in total live earnings, but his recent recorded live earnings haven't been that significant. In fact, if those Hendon Mob records are right, this will be Modder's first final table appearance in a very long time. Another fact is that Modder hasn't won a championship since March 2019 when he won the Opening Highroller at the Japan High Roller Festival.

Vietnam's Nguyen Tien Son doesn't have anything recorded in the Hendon Mob database since 2022. But there's more to poker than what is recorded.

Zhi Buhui last 5 recorded cashes show two championships, including a USOP Danang win last March in a NLH Hyper Turbo event.

Jun Li of the United Kingdom has over 50 cashes and multiple final table appearances since March this year. Li also has three championships since that time - a Zodiac Event in APT Taipei, a 10/10/10 Event in USOP Danang and a Super Stack classic in RDPT Jeju.

Final Table Live Stream Link:

Main Event Final Table Live Stream

Yuan Sun raised all-in for 3,450,000 and Zhang Yankai called. Sun showed K♠ 9♠ and Zhang showed J♠ J♦. Board ran 8♣ 8♥ 5♣ Q♠ A♥ to ship the chips Zhang's way, and eliminating Sun in 11th place.

Joris Michl raised to 400,000 from the cut-off. Big blind Zhang Yankai three-bet re-raised to 1,500,000. Michl surrendered.

Action folded to the blinds when chip-leader Zhang Yankai raised to 700,000 to pressure the big blind Jun Li. Li answered with a three-bet re-raise to 1,700,000. Zhang folded.

Zhang Yankai raised to 300,000 from the hi-jack and Nguyen Nam Duong defended the big blind. the flop arrived 9♦ 3♦ 2♥. Duong check-called the 300,000 bet of Zhang to see a J♠ turn. Next time around, Duong check-folded, unwilling to call the 1,250,000 bet of Zhang.

Zhang Yankai raised to 300,000 from the cut-off and called the three-bet re-raise of 800.000 by small blind Zhou Ledong. Both were shown a flp of Q♣ 4♥ 9♣.

Zhou led with a 700,000 bet and Zhang called to see a 3♣ turn. Zhou check-called the 1,000,000 bet of Zhang to see an A♥ on the river.

Both players checked. Zhou turned over K♥ Q♥ for a pair of queens. Zhang mucked.

Action on the table folded to the last three players. On the button, Wonho Lee jammed all-in for 2,575,000. Small blind Zhang Yankai announced "call." Ryan Hong, on the big blind, went over-the-top all-in for 4,625,000 and again Zhang announced "call" for a three-way showdown.

Wonho Lee showed K♠ 7♦. Zhang Yankai showed A♦ K♦. Ryan Hong showed the leading hand of J♣ J♦.

The flop came K♥ 9♠ 4♦, giving Zhang the lead. The turn A♠ improved his lead and let Lee drawing dead. Zhang just had to avoid a jack, and the poker gods were kind enough to Zhang to throw a brick Q♠.

The monster pot was shipped Zhang's way while Wonho Lee was booked for an 18th place finish and Ryan Hong given 17th place by virtue of who had more chips at the time of the double bust.

Nguyen Nam Duong raised to 300,000 on the cut-off. Zhang Yankai shoved all-in on the big blind. Duong threw in the towel.

Zhang Yankai raised to 300,000 from UTG+1 and called the all-in three-bet re-raise of Soo Jo Kim. Zhang showed K♠ Q♣ against Kim's dominant A♠ A♥.

The flop came K♦ J♥ 4♥ to give Zhang a pair, but still behind Kim's aces. The turn gave a 2♠ to bring up the odds for Kim's double up, but the poker gods threw in some drama by giving Zhang a K♥ to make trips, busting out Kim at the 19th spot.

MAIN EVENT FINAL DAY UPDATED CHIPCOUNTS

Soo Jo Kim raised to 250,000 from under the gun. Cut-off Zhang Yankai three-bet re-raised to 620,000. Adam Martinsson four-bet shoved all-in from the small blind for 2,160,000. Kim shove all-in and Zhang stood down.

Kim showed A♣ K♥ while against the similar (no cards are ever identical) A♦ K♣ of Martinsson.

Board ran 2♣ 9♣ 6♠ 4♦ Q♠ for a split pot.

Jun Li raised to 240,000 on the button, but gave up the pot to small blind Soo Jo Kim when he couldn't match Kim's all-in shove.

Li Jiaming raised to 240,000 from under the gun but didn't continue when Nguyen Tien Son three-bet re-raised to 510,000 on the button, awarding the pot to Son.

Zhang Yankai raised to 240,000 on the button. Adam Martinsson shoved an all-in re-raise and Zhang gave up and gave the pot away.

Jun Li raised to 200,000 from the hi-jack and was called by small blind Ryan Hong and big blind Zhang Yankai. The flop cam 4♥ T♣ J♠ and all checked to open a 8♦ on the turn.

Hong bet out 325,000 with Li and Zhang completing to open a K♠ on the river. All three-checked to show cards. Li's A♠ K♥ won over Hong's Q♠ J♠ and whatever Zhang mucked.

Zhang Yankai raised to 200,000 from middle position when big blind Chenghong Lu shoved all-in for 1,680,000. Yankai made the quick call and showed Q♠ Q♥ versus the J♣ J♦ of Lu.

The board ran 2♥ 5♦ 4♦ 8♠ 8♦, giving the pot to Zhang and sending Lu out at the 23rd spot.

After some raise-re-raise muscling, Nguyen Duy Thuc shoved all-in for 3,100,000 and Zhang Yankai called to put 2,680,000 of his chips along with his tournament life at risk.

Thuc showed 9♣ 9♦ while Zhang showed K♣ K♠. The board ran 3♠ Q♦ 8♥ J♠ 2♦ and gave Zhang the biggest pot of the Main Event so far, crippling Thuc to a critical stack.

Zhang Yakai raised to 80,000 from the lo-jack then called the all-in re-raise of 900,000 by Huang Ming on the cutoff. Zhang showed Q♣ QD versus the A♣ Q♠ of Ming. The board ran J♣ 4♦ 8♥ 5♣ 3♥ giving Zhang the pot and sending Ming to the exit.

Big blind Edgaras Kausinis and lo-jack Zhang Yankai were looking at 130,000 chips in the pot with a board that showed 9♠ 7♥ 5♥ 5♠ Q♥. Kausinis led with 15,000 and Yankai shoved all-in. Kausinis took a moment before calling. Yankai showed A♥ J♣ for an ace-high hand while Kausinis showed Q♣ 2♣ for a pair of queens to win the pot and double-up.

Zhang Yankai (LJ) raises to 25,000 pre-flop, and Gonzales Rudolf Martin (SB) responds with a three-bet all-in for 60,000. The players reveal their hands: Zhang holds A♠ 2♦ , while Gonzales has A♣ K♣ . The board runs A♥ T♥ 7♣ 3♣ Q♠ , giving Gonzales Rudolf Martin the win with a Pair of Ace and a King kicker. Zhang Yankai remains the chip leader after this hand.

The blinds are up 4000/8000 and we got 68 players left at the tables. With Level 17 starting here are the top chip counts :