SUPERSTAR CHALLENGE (80,000,000 VND)

After two days of thrilling action, the Superstar Challenge built a prize pool of VND 3,967,200,000 (~USD 150,615), easily surpassing its initial guarantee of VND 2 Billion with 57 entries. Held inside the luxurious Grand Vista Hotel, the tournament attracted some of the region’s best players, all battling for the prestigious title.

In the end, it was Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen who rose above the field to capture the title of Superstar. Tran took home not only a beautiful trophy but also a generous first-place prize of VND 1,254,200,000 (~USD 47,615). This victory marks Tran’s first ever tournament trophy and his biggest cash in his career so far.

What makes this win even more remarkable is that Tran only started playing poker tournaments six months ago. In just half a year, he has already claimed a major title and made a name for himself in the poker scene. His performance throughout the final table was impressive, from clever folds and timely calls to multiple double-ups that kept him alive and eventually put him in control.

The highlight for champion Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen came when he made a brilliant fold on the river against Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen, laying down a flush to Dinh’s full house. Shortly after, Tran was rewarded with a double up with aces, a pivotal moment that led him toward the title.

For Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen, winning the Superstar Challenge was a dream come true. "I still can't believe it. I'm so happy," he said, barely containing his excitement. Remarkably, Tran has only been playing poker for six months, mostly in Saigon, making this his first major tournament victory.

Reflecting on the event, Tran praised Grand Loyal Poker. "The staff were very professional, and the venue was great," he said. Asked about his memorable fold against Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen, a hand that could have cost him the tournament, Tran laughed and admitted, "Sorry, I don't remember. I still can't process my win."

Even after the thrill of winning, Tran hasn’t forgotten those in need. "I plan to give some money to the people affected by the typhoon and the floods in Vietnam," he shared, showing his care and generosity for his fellow countrymen.

The final table began with Vietnam’s Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen as the chip leader, carrying the momentum from a strong Day 1 performance. But the battle quickly turned into a rollercoaster. After losing a big pot early to Zhentao Long, Dinh’s stack began to fall off, and he was never able to fully regain control. Though he remained composed and picked his spots carefully, the cards simply didn’t fall in his favor when it mattered most. Dinh fought valiantly to stay in contention, but his run ultimately ended in 7th place, falling short of reclaiming the top spot he had started with.

One player who stood out at the final table was USOP Main Event Champion Choi Hun Tae, who survived seven all-in situations but ultimately fell short against champion Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen. In their key hand, Choi was initially ahead after the flop, but Tran caught a crucial card on the turn to take the lead, and the river did not help Choi.

The heads-up battle was intense but didn’t last long. Nguyen Trung Kien made a bold all-in move over Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen’s raise, and Tran carefully considered his options before calling. Despite Trung holding strong cards, he couldn’t improve on the board, and Tran’s hand held firm. With that decisive showdown, Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen claimed the Superstar Challenge title.

Nguyen Trung Kien’s impressive run in the Superstar Challenge came to an end as he claimed 2nd place.

In the decisive hand, Trung limped in and then 3-bet shoved for 5,500,000, over Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen’s raise to 700,000. Tran tanked thoughtfully before finally calling, setting up a classic showdown.

Nguyen Trung Kien: K♥ T♣

Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen: A♥ J♥

Board: 3♥ 5♦ Q♥ A♣ 3♠

Despite holding strong high cards, Trung couldn’t improve on the flop, turn, or river. Tran’s ace-high held firm, ending Trung’s deep run.

Nguyen Trung Kien fell to 3,600,000 after a tough hand against Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen. Tran opened to 400,000 holding A♥ J♥, and Trung defended with 5♣ 6♦ . Tran fired 400,000 on the flop J♦ 7♦ 6♠ and 500,000 on the turn 8♣ , both streets check-called by Trung.

Trung had an open-ended straight draw, but the river 3♥ didn’t help. Tran fired 1,200,000 on the river, and this time Trung wisely laid it down, taking a big hit to his stack.

It didn’t take long for Tran to assert dominance in heads-up play. After winning several pots, he has pulled ahead of Nguyen Trung Kien and is now in control of the match.

The final table is down to the last two local players! Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen and Nguyen Trung Kien are now battling it out for the Superstar Challenge title.

After holding a big stack for much of the final table, Zhentao Long became the next player to fall when he ran into the pocket kings of Nguyen Trung Kien. Zhentao 3-bet shoved for 2,500,000 from the big blind and was quickly called by the initial raiser, Trung, who had just scored a double up.

Zhentao Long: A♦ 8♠

Nguyen Trung Kien: K♠ K♣

Board: Q♥ 2♥ 7♦ J♣ 6♣

Zhentao needed an ace to survive, but the board offered no help. His deep run came to an end in 3rd place.

Nguyen Trung Kien moved all in for 1,500,000 and was quickly called by chip leader Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen.

Nguyen Trung Kien: Q♥ T♣

Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen: K♥ J♥

Trung missed the flop A♠ J♠ 3♦ but picked up a gutshot draw and hit it on the turn K♠ . However, Tran also made two pair, setting up a tense river. The river 8♦ card blanked, and Trung narrowly dodged Tran’s outs to secure a crucial double up.

After seven successful double-ups, Choi Hun Tae’s luck finally ran out on his eighth all-in, falling to Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen.

Choi opened to 260,000, and Tran 3-bet to 900,000. After a long tank, Choi shoved for 2,300,000 and was quickly called.

Choi Hun Tae: A♥ Q♠

Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen: A♣ K♦

Choi was dominated pre-flop, but the flop Q♥ 3♠ 5♣ brought him a queen to take the lead. It looked like another escape for Choi, who had been nearly unbeatable in all-in spots. But the turn K♣ delivered one of Tran’s three outs, putting him back ahead. The river J♠ blanked, sealing Choi’s fate.

Choi’s remarkable comeback streak ended here, as he exited the Superstar Challenge after an unforgettable run.

After eliminating Dai Linghui, Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen continued his momentum and rose to the top of the leaderboard.

From UTG, Choi Hun Tae raised to 200,000, and Tran called from the button. On the flop 8♥ 4♦ 2♣ , Choi fired 225,000, but Tran raised to 550,000. Choi called and both players checked the turn J♥ .

On the river 6♥ , Choi led out again for 400,000, and Tran made the call.

Choi Hun Tae: 7♣ 6♦

Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen: A♥ J♦

Tran’s top pair held strong, boosting his stack to 4,200,000 and putting him in command of the final table.

On the very next hand, Dai Linghui became the next casualty at the final table.

Dai open-jammed for 660,000, and Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen made the call.

Dai Linghui: T♠ 7♦

Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen: K♠ 4♦

Board: 5♦ Q♥ K♣ A♦ 2♥

Dai could not connect with the board, while Tran’s pair of kings held strong. Dai’s run came to an end in 5th place at the Superstar Challenge.

Not long after his double up, Henri Hinds ran out of luck and was eliminated in 6th place by Zhentao Long.

Henri open-shoved for 1,100,000 and was quickly called by Zhentao.

Zhentao Long: 6♠ 6♥

Henri Hinds: A♣ 4♣

Board: 5♦ K♠ 5♣ 2♦ 5♥

Henri couldn’t improve, as Zhentao’s pocket sixes held firm. Last night, Henri had eliminated Nguyen Quang Minh in a set-over-set hand and burst the bubble by knocking out Jeremy Chan but this time, his run came to an end in 6th place.

After losing a big hand to Choi Hun Tae, Henri Hinds bounced back with a much-needed double up against Nguyen Trung Kien.

Henri open-shoved for 680,000, and Nguyen snap-called from the big blind.

Henri Hinds: 9♦ 8♦

Nguyen Trung Kien: A♥ K♣

Henri was behind pre-flop but found life on the flop J♦ 4♠ 4♦ with a flush draw, completing it on the turn 5♦ to lock up the hand and secure the double up.

The stream revealed that Choi Hun Tae has the highest showdown percentage at 63%. No surprise, as he seems to double up every time he’s all in.

In another big hand, Choi limped from the small blind, and Henri Hinds shoved. After using two time banks, Choi made the call for 1,300,000.

Choi Hun Tae: A♦ J♣

Henri Hinds: A♣ 5♠

Board: 7♥ K♣ T♥ 9♥ 8♣

Choi’s stronger ace-high held, once again doubling him up and cementing his reputation as the comeback king of the final table.

From the cutoff, Zhentao Long with T♥ T♣ opened to 160,000 and was called by Choi Hun Tae with A♣ 2♦ in the big blind. On the flop A♠ K♣ J♥ , Zhentao fired 80,000, and Choi check-called with top pair.

Zhentao completed his gutshot straight on the turn Q♠ , and both players checked. On the river 4♠ , Zhentao bet 125,000, and after a long tank, Choi made the call. Zhentao stayed on top, while Choi took a small hit to his stack.

The tournament lost one of its early frontrunners as Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen was sent home by Choi Hun Tae.

Dinh 3-bet shoved from the big blind for 780,000, and Choi quickly called.

Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen: K♣ 9♥

Choi Hun Tae: A♣ J♠

The flop A♥ 9♠ 4♠ gave Choi top pair, but the turn K♠ brought hope for Dinh with two pair. That hope was dashed on the river 4♣ , as Choi hit a higher two pair, eliminating Dinh from the final table.

Right after Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen’s triple up, he raised from the hijack to 120,000. Henri Hinds defended his big blind and called Dinh’s 150,000 c-bet on the flop Q♦ 6♣ 2♠ . On the turn 5♣ , Henri checked and then faced an all-in from Dinh. Using his last time bank, Henri made the call with top pair.

Henri Hinds: Q♠ T♣

Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen: K♦ T♠

Dinh’s semi-bluff needed a King on the river 4♥ but it didn’t come. Henri doubled up, keeping his stack alive at the final table.

Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen staged an incredible comeback, tripling his stack in a three-way all-in.

Dinh shoved for 570,000 from UTG. Dai Linghui called on his left, and Zhentao Long in the big blind also called. The flop, turn, and river went checked by Dai and Zhentao, and all hands were revealed:

Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen: K♠ Q♥

Dai Linghui: 7♥ 7♦

Zhentao Long: A♣ Q♠

Board: T♦ T♣ K♣ 6♦ K♦

Though Dinh started behind, the board turned his hand into a one-card full house.

Henri Hinds was sent to the bottom of the leaderboard by Choi Hun Tae.

Action folded to the small blind where Choi limped, and Henri checked. After the flop Q♠ 9♥ 5♥ , Henri led with a 60,000 bet on a blank, only to have Choi call. He fired another 120,000 on the turn Q♥ , and Choi again called. Henri checked the river 6♠ , but Choi revealed 9♦ 7♠ for a pair of nines, and Henri was forced to muck his hand K♥ 2♦ , moving him to the bottom.

Action folded to the small blind, where Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen shoved in an attempt to steal the big blind and ante. Dai Linghui didn’t back down, calling with 945,000.

Dai Linghui: 8♠ 8♣

Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen: A♣ 6♥

Board: 9♥ 9♦ 3♦ 9♠ 3♥

Dai’s pocket eights held up, keeping his dream alive at the final table.

Zhentao Long continued to dominate, winning several pots and taking down a key hand after a pre-flop 3-bet. He’s now sitting comfortably with 3,900,000 in chips.

In poker, VPIP stands for Voluntarily Put In Pot. It’s a statistic that indicates the percentage of hands in which a player chooses to contribute money to the pot before the flop. This metric is commonly used in poker tracking software to determine whether an opponent plays tight or loose.

Choi Hun Tae continued his unstoppable run at the final table. Dai Linghui opened, and Choi shoved for 320,000. Dai called, and the hands were revealed:

Choi Hun Tae: K♣ Q♠

Dai Linghui: A♥ 4♦

Board: K♠ 7♥ 7♣ 5♦ T♦

Choi hit top pair and survived another pre-flop all-in, doubling up yet again and keeping his run alive.

Right after the first break, Choi Hun Tae struck again, doubling up against Henri Hinds.

Choi Hun Tae: A♦ J♣

Henri Hinds: A♥ 9♥

Board: J♠ 7♣ 8♦ 5♠ 2♥

Choi’s top pair held, and he successfully doubled up, keeping his momentum alive at the final table.

Riding the momentum from his masterful fold, Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen scored a huge double up in a cooler against fellow pro Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen.

On the very next hand, Tran picked up Aces and raised to 60,000. Dinh, in the big blind, woke up with Ace-King and 3-bet to 380,000. Tran instantly moved all in for 1,000,000, and Dinh snap-called.

Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen: A♦ A♠

Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen: A♦ K♦

Board: Q♣ J♠ 2♠ 9♥ 8♠

Tran’s patience and skill were rewarded by the poker gods as he doubled up and kept his stack growing after a brilliant fold.

Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen showed exceptional skill and patience in a high-pressure hand.

Dai Linghui opened with K♠ J♠ , and Tran defended from the small blind with Q♦ T♦ . The flop J♦ 6♦ 4♥ gave Tran a flush draw, and he calmly called Dai’s 100,000 c-bet with top pair. Both players checked the turn K♦ .

The river K♥ completed Tran’s flush, but Dai hit a full house and raised to 750,000. Tran took his time and made the brilliant fold.

Wang Chen was the next to leave the final table in a brutal cooler.

He 3-bet to 150,000 with K♠ K♣ after Zhentao Long opened, only to face a 4-bet to 435,000. Wang shoved his remaining 950,000 chips, but Zhentao snap-called.

Wang Chen: K♠ K♣

Zhentao Long: A♠ A♦

Board: T♥ 3♦ 3♠ A♣ 9♥

Wang needed a King to survive, but it never came. Zhentao seal the deal when the turn A♣ came. Wang impressive run in the Superstar Challenge ended in heartbreak.

Choi Hun Tae shoved his remaining 70,000 chips from UTG, only to be met by a 3-bet from Henri Hinds in UTG+1 to 140,000. No one else called.

Choi Hun Tae: A♠ 7♦

Henri Hinds: T♦ T♥

The flop A♣ A♦ 8♣ came in perfect for Choi, giving him trips. The turn 3♠ and river K♠ did not help Henri. With that, Choi doubled up and made it clear he wasn’t leaving the final table anytime soon.

After grinding his way back with a few small pots, Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen finally found the perfect spot to strike and it came against the very player who doubled through him earlier.

Choi Hun Tae opened to 85,000, and Tran Vinh Hoan Nguyen called. From the big blind, Dinh woke up with pocket kings and fired a 3-bet to 430,000. Action folded back to Choi, who shoved all in, and Dinh snap-called for his 1,080,000 stack.

Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen: K♦ K♣

Choi Hun Tae: A♥ Q♥

Board: J♣ 6♥ 5♦ 3♥ 8♦

No ace appeared on the board, and Dinh’s kings held strong, securing a revenge double-up and sending him back to the top of the counts.

Choi, meanwhile, was left hanging on with just 70,000 in chips.

The action continue at the final table, and this time it’s Choi Hun Tae who battles his way back into contention.

After Wang Chen opened from the hijack and Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen called on the cutoff, Choi woke up in the big blind with A♣ K♦ and shoved for 540,000. Wang quickly got out of the way, while Dinh made the call.

Choi Hun Tae: A♣ K♦

Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen: K♠ T♦

The flop T♠ T♥ J♠ spelled danger for Choi as Dinh hit trip tens, but the turn Q♠ came to Choi’s rescue, completing the nut straight. The river 4♣ blanked, securing Choi a vital double-up.

Just hour ago, Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen was the overwhelming chip leader, but after a string of tough beats, he now finds himself at the bottom of the pack.

Back-to-back action at the final table, right after Zhentao’s big double, Wang Chen followed suit.

Wang opened preflop and then 4-bet shoved for 405,000 when Dai Linghui 3-bet to 150,000 from the small blind. Dai made the call, only to see he was dominated.

Wang Chen: A♣ K♥

Dai Linghui: A♦ J♥

Board: 5♠ T♥ 9♠ 6♥ 8♦

No surprises on the runout as Wang’s Ace-King held strong, giving him a crucial double-up and moving him off the bottom of the ladder, just ahead of Choi Hun Tae.

It didn’t take long for fireworks to erupt at the final table. Action folded to the button where Zhentao Long opened to 50,000, and chip leader Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen defended his big blind.

Zhentao flopped A♥ Q♦ 9♦ two pair and continued for 45,000, which Dinh check-called. The turn 8♥ gave Dinh a smaller two pair, sparking a huge confrontation. Zhentao fired 160,000, Dinh raised to 500,000, and Zhentao moved all in for 1,100,000. Dinh made the call, only to see the bad news.

Zhentao Long: A♣ 9♠

Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen: Q♣ 8♣

The river 6♥ bricked out, securing Zhentao a massive double-up and became the new chip leader.

Just the second hand of the final table and we already have our first casualty. Short-stacked Nguyen Trung Quan moved all in for 120,000, and Choi Hun Tae made the call.

Nguyen Trung Quan: A♦ 6♠

Choi Hun Tae: Q♣ T♣

The flop 9♠ 2♠ 9♣ kept Trung safe, but tension rose on the turn 7♣ as Choi picked up a flush draw. The river 5♣ delivered the club Choi needed, sealing Trung’s fate.

The stage is set for an epic finale as the Superstar Challenge reaches its final table, featuring an elite lineup of players from all around the world.

A total prize pool of VND 3,967,200,000 (~US$150,615) was generated, nearly doubling the original guarantee of VND 2,000,000,000 (~US$75,930). After nearly 12 hours of intense play, the final nine emerged, with Jeremy Chan falling as the unfortunate bubble after Henri Hinds’s dominating preflop hand turned into top two pair on the flop to seal the knockout.

Leading the charge into the final table is Nguyen Dinh Hai Linh, who bagged a commanding 2,135,000 chips (107 BB). Dinh impressed throughout the day, eliminating the lone female competitor Nguyen Thi Xoa, and later sending Chuan Feng to the rail with a dramatic river card.

Among the finalists is USOP Main Event Champion Choi Hun Tae, who is eyeing his second prestigious trophy. Once a regular player, Choi has risen to the top ranks after his Main Event victory, now battling among some of the most skilled and seasoned players in the region.

Play resumes today with the final nine chasing the Superstar Challenge trophy and the champion’s prize of VND 1,254,200,000 (~US$47,615).

Stay tuned for live action and highlights as we crown the next Superstar Champion!

Event starts 12:30 local time..