Viet Nam, InterContinental Halong Bay ResortEVENT #1

2026.05.19 - 2026.05.21Add to Calendar

U Series Of Poker

Blind level

Level 37: 250,000 / 500,000 ante: 500,000

Entries

1/1,149

Total Chips

34,470,000

Average

34,470,000

Livestream: Madness Kickoff

Click here to watch the Final Table LIVE!

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 3:27:49 AM

Van Lam Nguyen Crowned Madness Kickoff Champion

Level 37: 250,000 / 500,000 ante: 500,000

Van Lam Nguyen, Madness Kickoff Champion

The USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026 jumpstarted its series in grand fashion at the world-class InterContinental Ha Long Bay on May 19, 2026. Running until June 1, one of the early event highlights was the multi-day Madness Kickoff, which set the temperature for things to come throughout the rest of the festival.

The inaugural event attracted a total of 1,149 entries, who ponied up the VND 11 million (~USD 420) buyin to generate a total prize pool of VND 10,865,096,000 (~USD 412,060) that crushed its original VND 10 billion guarantee. From there, 145 survivors advanced to the Day 2 final with each guaranteed a minimum payout and a championship to fight for.

Emerging as the champion after nearly 15 hours of competitive poker action was Vietnam's Van Lam Nguyen, who raised the Madness Kickoff trophy and banked the top prize and a career best cash worth VND 1.8 billion (~USD 68,265). This was also Nguyen's first ever championship title, making the victory a milestone in his poker career.

Nguyen defeated countryman Tien Dat Nguyen in a quick heads-up match to secure the title. For the runner-up Nguyen, it was also his best career score, pocketing VND 1.2 billion (~USD 45,505).

Hai Ha Tran, Start Of Day Chip Leader

THE ROAD TO DAY 2

The first Day 1A flight of the Madness Kickoff saw a total of 162 entries to start the multi-day tournament. Only 21 players qualified to make it to the Day 2 final with Vietnam's Hai Ha Tran setting the bar as the chip leader and also earning a bonus award of VND 30 million for topping the flight, tripling his buy-in.

Day 1B played later that afternoon adding another 174 entries with 22 advancing to the Day 2 final. Myanmar's Khant Naing bagged the chip leader crown at the end of the flight and earned a VND 25 million bonus for the effort.

Flights Day 1C, 1D and 1E played the following day, but did not offer any bonuses for the chip leaders. Nevertheless, these were the flights that brought in the numbers. Day 1C saw 347 entries with 44 making it through to Day 2 led by Vietnam's Duy Anh Pham as the chip leader.

Day 1D saw another 327 entries take to the felt with Vietnam's Minh Huan Nguyen leading the 41 survivors into Day 2. The final Day 1E flight added another 139 entries with 18 players booking a Day 2 seat led by Vietnam's Xuan Hung Le as the chip leader.

The starting flights were attended by some notable poker pros and celebrities. Taking to the felt were to the likes of Swiss pro Dinesh Alt, Colombia's Andres Vasquez, the newly introduced Poker Queens of Win Win Poker and many more. Sadly, they missed their chance to bag for Day 2.

DAY 2 ACTION

The 145 Day 2 qualifiers began play at 12:00 noon local time. Day 1A chip leader Hai Ha Tran started the day atop the chip leader board with a massive 812,000 chips. Tran would make good use of that stack to bring him all the way to the final table.

Following in his heels was Day 1D chip leader Minh Huan Nguyen with 712,000. Nguyen would also make a deep run, but just fall a few spots away from the final table.

Coming in with the third largest stack was Day 1A runner up Andy Kok of Indonesia with 680,000.

These were the top ten stacks entering the Day 2 final:

Hai Ha Tran - 812,000

Minh Huan Nguyen - 712,000

Andy Kok - 680,000

Khant Naing - 644,000

Duy Anh Pham - 639,000

Quang Minh Nguyen - 615,000

Neng Zhao - 577,000

Thai Quai Nguyen - 559,000

Hoai Nam La - 548,000

Xuan Hung Le - 522,000

USOP Ambassador Kyle Bao Diep

Outside of the top ten, some of the notable players in the field included the likes of Sweden's Johnni Nielsen, a former Madness Kickoff champion during USOP Hai Phong 2024 looking to repeat. Nielsen came in with an above average stack of 317,000 but landed an unfortunate early exit in 130th place.

Two-time WPT Main Event champion Marvin Rettenmaier of Germany came into Day 2 with 354,000, but ended his run in 71st place.

UK-based Vietnamese pro Thi Minh Hong Pham, who recently won the Main Event of the UK Poker Championships by GG Poker, had 188,000 chips and played amazingly well, including a brilliantly bold call for her tournament life. Pham was the last woman standing, managing a run until 50th place. Another talented female pro was China's Qian Wang, who made it to 55th, unfortunately busting just moments after a double up.

One of the day's highlights was a rare straight flush versus quads hand between Chinese players Yuequan Jia and Yiming Ji.

Australia's Neng Zhao, who had a top ten stack entering Day 2, got involved in one of the biggest pots earlier in the day against Vietnam's Van Quong Luong. However, Zhao was at the bitter end of that exchange, dropping him out in 86th place.

Duy Anh Pham of Vietnam came in with a top five stack, but only managed to reach 62nd place. Andy Kok also had a painful exit in 65th place despite starting the day in 3rd place.

Vietnamese pro and USOP Ambassador Kyle Bao Diep had a near perfect fairy tale story. Down to his last 24,000, Diep was able to spin his stack around and eventually make it as deep as 12th place, just shy of the final table.

Eventually, it took over ten hours before the final table eventually was set.

The Final Table

THE FINAL TABLE ACTION

The elimination of Yihan Zhou in 10th place set the final table. Entering the final 9 as the chip leader was China's Haibiao Ye with a commanding 6,850,000 stack. His nearest rival was Vietnam's Dang Quyen Anh and Tien Dat Nguyen with identical 4,575,000 stacks.

Ye took control early to extend his lead, knocking out Van Quang Luong in 9th place. Ye became a little too overconfident with his big stack and relinquished his chip lead and a huge percentage of his stack to Vietnam's Van Tai Tran in a mistimed bluff.

The second final table casualty was Xiaotong Yu of China, whose short stack crumbled at the hands of Tran for an 8th place finish. Yu was supposed to exit much earlier in the event, but found an amazing lucky streak that defied the odds. Despite the early final table exit, Yu's payout pushed his total live earnings past the USD 600,000 mark.

Tran then completed the elimination of Haibiao Ye in 7th place. Ye found trips on the board, but Tran had the chips to pay for his flush draw on the river and spiked it, sending Ye out in disappointing fashion. While it was painful for Ye, this run made a milestone as his best career cash.

Haibiao Ye

THE VAN LAM NGUYEN SHOW

Falling in 6th place was South Korea's Jungi Seo, who had a roller-coaster of a final table. Eventually, his run ended at the hands of eventual champion Van Lam Nguyen when his queens ran into kings.

From here on, it was an all-Vietnamese final table.

Fifth place landed on start-of-day chip leader Hai Ha Tran, who seemed on track to add this championship alongside his APPT Main Event championship trophy. Tran also fell at the hands of Nguyen.

Nguyen continued his rampage to dispose of Dang Quyen Anh in fourth place, then ending Van Tai Tran in third place and capturing the title after a quick heads up skirmish with Tien Dat Nguyen.

These were the final table payouts:

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
1	VL Van Lam NguyenViet Nam	1,800,000,000	$68,255
2	TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	1,200,000,000	$45,505
3	VT Van Tai TranViet Nam	800,000,000	$30,335
4	DQ Dang Quyen AnhViet Nam	586,000,000	$22,220
5	HH Hai Ha TranViet Nam	478,190,000	$18,135
6	JS Jungi SeoSouth Korea	386,100,000	$14,640
7	HY Haibiao YeChina	305,600,000	$11,590
8	XY Xiaotong YuChina	236,700,000	$8,975
9	VQ Van Quang LuongViet Nam	180,000,000	$6,825

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 8:40:38 PM

Van Lam Nguyen Wins Madness Kickoff For for VND 1,800,000,000 (~USD 68,255)

Level 37: 250,000 / 500,000 ante: 500,000

Van Lam Nguyen

Van Lam Nguyen lifted the trophy for the USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026 Madness Kickoff here at the IternContinental Ha Long Bay Convention Center at nearly 3:00 AM local time after a very grueling Day 2 final that played for over 15 hours.

This is the first career championship of Nguyen and also his best career cash ever.

A full recap of the entire multi-day tournament will follow soon.

Player	Chips	Progress
VL Van Lam NguyenViet Nam	35,000,000(70 BB)	15,000,000

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
1	VL Van Lam NguyenViet Nam	1,800,000,000	$68,255

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 8:25:38 PM

Tien Dat Nguyen Eliminated in 2nd Place for VND 1,200,000,000 (~USD 45,505)

Level 37: 250,000 / 500,000 ante: 500,000

Tien Dat Nguyen

It did not take long for the Madness Kickoff trophy to find its new home.

Holding the chip lead, Van Lam Nguyen moved all-in from the button, putting maximum pressure on Tien Dat Nguyen. Tien Dat looked down at his cards and made the call for his remaining lesser stack, putting his tournament life on the line.

Van Lam Nguyen: A♥ 5♦

Tien Dat Nguyen: K♣ 8♥

Van Lam held the preflop advantage, and the 4♦ 4♥ 2♣ flop kept him safely ahead. Tien Dat was left searching for a king or an eight to mount a comeback. The J♠ turn offered no help, and the 7♣ river officially locked up the final hand for Van Lam.

While Tien Dat fell just one spot short of taking home the trophy, the second-place finish marks a huge milestone for his poker resume. He secures a career-best score of VND 1.2 Billion (~USD 45,505), easily breaking his previous best live score of $3,400. This deep run also officially marks his first-ever cash on the USOP circuit.

Player	Chips
VL Van Lam NguyenViet Nam	35,000,000(70 BB)
TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	busted

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
2	TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	1,200,000,000	$45,505

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 8:15:41 PM

Vietnamese Pros Battle for the Title

Level 37: 250,000 / 500,000 ante: 500,000

The marathon opening event has officially reached its final stage. Out of 1,149 entries, the Madness Kickoff is down to its final two players, guaranteeing that the trophy stays on home soil as a pair of local Vietnamese pros battle it out for the title.

Van Lam Nguyen enters the final battle with the chip lead, holding a massive 20,000,000 stack. Standing in his way is Tien Dat Nguyen, who remains well within striking distance with 14,500,000 chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
VL Van Lam NguyenViet Nam	20,000,000(40 BB)	8,000,000
TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	15,000,000(30 BB)	15,000,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 8:10:22 PM

Van Tai Tran Eliminated in 3rd Place for VND 800,000,000 (~USD 30,335)

Level 37: 250,000 / 500,000 ante: 500,000

Van Tai Tran

Action came to chip leader Van Lam Nguyen on the small blind, who pressured the shortest stack of Van Tai Tran on the big blind with an all in shove.

Tran didn't even check his cards and called, peeling them open one by one.

Van Lam Nguyen: Q♦ 7♦

Vai Tan Tran: Q♥ 5♥

The flop arrived 8♦ T♠ 9♥ and gave both players a gut shot straight draw for a possible chop.

However, the 4♦ on the turn and the 7♥ on the river assured that there would be no chop. Nguyen paired the seven to put a stomp on Tran's elimination.

This 3rd place finish is one of Tran's biggest career cashes, just behind his Single Day High Roller championship during APT Phu Quoc 2023, where he banked a career best USD 38,500. He could've passed that with a runner-up finish.

Player	Chips
VL Van Lam NguyenViet Nam	20,000,000(40 BB)
VT Van Tai TranViet Nam	busted

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
3	VT Van Tai TranViet Nam	800,000,000	$30,335

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 8:00:25 PM

Dang Quyen Anh Eliminated in 4th Place for VND 586,000,000 (~USD 22,220)

Level 37: 250,000 / 500,000 ante: 500,000

Dang Quyen Anh

Dang Quyen Anh shoved his remaining 4,900,000 on the button with 7♠ 7♥. Van Lam Nguyen made the call with Q♥ 8♠ for a coin flip.

The flop landed K♦ 2♦ 8♣ and gave Nguyen the lead with a pair of eights.

Anh needed a two-outer, but the T♦ turn and the 6♥ river offered no help, ending his Madness Kickoff championship dream.

Anh's best career finish was a 9th place finish in the Madness Kickoff during USOP Hai Phong 2024. Today, he surpassed that with a 4th place finish.

Player	Chips	Progress
VL Van Lam NguyenViet Nam	16,000,000(32 BB)	4,000,000
DQ Dang Quyen AnhViet Nam	busted

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
4	DQ Dang Quyen AnhViet Nam	586,000,000	$22,220

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 7:49:13 PM

Hai Ha Tran Eliminated in 5th Place for VND 478,190,000 (~USD 18,135)

Level 37: 250,000 / 500,000 ante: 500,000

Hai Ha Tran

On the very first hand back from the break, Van Lam Nguyen opened the action with a raise to 1,000,000. Defending his territory, Hai Ha Tran made the call from the big blind to see a flop.

The dealer fanned a K♦ 7♥ 2♣ flop.

Tran decided to lead right out, shoving his remaining ,2,400,000 chips into the middle with bottom pair. Nguyen didn't hesitate and snap-called with top pair.

Hai Ha Tran: 5♥ 2♦

Van Lam Nguyen: K♣ 5♦

Tran was in deep trouble, left with just two outs to save his tournament life. The T♥ turn and 9♦ river offered zero assistance, bringing his deep run to an end.

With that massive knockout, Nguyen rakes in the pot to become the tournament's new chip leader.

Tran exits the field in 5th place. Fresh off a massive victory last year where he captured his first major trophy and a career-best $155,000 score at the APPT Cambodia Main Event, Tran fell just a few spots short of adding a second major trophy to his mantle.

Player	Chips	Progress
VL Van Lam NguyenViet Nam	12,000,000(24 BB)	4,300,000
HH Hai Ha TranViet Nam	busted

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
5	HH Hai Ha TranViet Nam	478,190,000	$18,135

Level 37: 250,000 / 500,000 ante: 500,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 5/1149

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 5/1149

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 7:18:35 PM

Ace on the Turn Changes Everything

Level 36: 200,000 / 400,000 ante: 400,000

Hai Ha Tran opened the action to 1,000,000 before small blind Tien Dat Nguyen responded with a three-bet shove for 3,700,000. Tran quickly snap-called.

Tien Dat Nguyen: A♥ 8♦

Hai Ha Tran: K♥ K♣

Tran was in excellent shape with pocket kings and stayed ahead on the Q♣ 5♠ 2♥ flop.

However, the A♠ landed on the turn, giving Nguyen one of his three outs and instantly swinging the momentum. Nguyen jumped out of his seat in celebration after hitting the ace.

The Q♦ river changed nothing, allowing Nguyen to secure a huge double-up while Tran was left frustrated after seeing his kings cracked.

Player	Chips	Progress
TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	8,200,000(21 BB)	6,400,000
HH Hai Ha TranViet Nam	1,600,000(4 BB)	-2,900,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 6:59:32 PM

Jungi Seo Eliminated in 6th Place for VND 386,100,000 (~USD 14,640)

Level 36: 200,000 / 400,000 ante: 400,000

Jungi Seo

A♠ a brand new blind level kicked off, the action instantly heated up. Van Lam Nguyen started things off by opening to 800,000 from under the gun. Sitting in the hijack, Jungi Seo looked down at a premium pocket pair and moved all-in for his last 1,700,000. When the action folded back around to Nguyen, he snap-called to put Seo at risk.

Jungi Seo: Q♠ Q♣

Van Lam Nguyen: K♠ K♥

It was a massive cooler for Seo, who found his pocket queens crushed by Nguyen's pocket kings and was left searching for one of the two remaining queens in the deck.

The T♣ 8♦ 5♥ flop kept the kings safely in the lead. The 9♠ on the turn picked up a few extra straight outs for Seo, but the 9♦ on the river missed everything.

Seo was eliminated in 6th place. With this deep run, Seo achieves a major career milestone by crossing the $100,000 mark in lifetime live earnings. Notably, this also marks his very first tournament cash outside of his home country of South Korea.

Player	Chips	Progress
VL Van Lam NguyenViet Nam	7,700,000(19 BB)	5,400,000
JS Jungi SeoSouth Korea	busted

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
6	JS Jungi SeoSouth Korea	386,100,000	$14,640

Level 36: 200,000 / 400,000 ante: 400,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 6/1149

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 6:51:02 PM

Haibian Ye Eliminated in 7th Place for VND 305,600,000 (~USD 11,590)

Level 35: 150,000 / 300,000 ante: 300,000

Haibiao Ye

Van Tai Tran opened for 600,000 from under the gun with K♥ 9♥.

Action folded all the way to Haibiao Ye on the big blind, who matched the raise holding A♠ 6♦.

The flop showed 5♦ 6♣ 2♥

Ye check-called the 550,000 bet of Tran to open a 6♥ on the turn.

Ye check-raised all in for 2,700,000 after Tran fired 1,300,000.

Tran had the chips to call and did it.

Ye had trips of sixes and had to avoid a heart on the river.

The poker gods, however, felt the need for excitement and threw in a Q♥ on the river, giving Tran the winning flush to eliminate Ye in brutal fashion.

Ye's 7th place finish is his best live cash to date.

Player	Chips	Progress
VT Van Tai TranViet Nam	13,000,000(43 BB)	4,000,000
HY Haibiao YeChina	busted

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
7	HY Haibiao YeChina	305,600,000	$11,590

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 6:35:09 PM

Tran Doubles With Big Slick

Level 35: 150,000 / 300,000 ante: 300,000

Folded to the hijack, Van Tai Tran opened to 700,000 before Hai Ha Tran fired back with a three-bet to 1,800,000 from the cutoff.

Action returned to Van, who responded with a four-bet shove. Hai quickly snap-called for his remaining 1,900,000.

Hai Ha Tran: A♦ K♦

Van Tai Tran: A♠ T♣

The Q♦ 9♦ 8♥ flop gave Van a few additional straight possibilities, but the 3♦ turn reduced those outs significantly as Hai improved to flush draw alongside his lead.

The 2♥ river completed the board safely for Hai, securing him a much-needed double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
VT Van Tai TranViet Nam	9,000,000(30 BB)	-2,200,000
HH Hai Ha TranViet Nam	4,500,000(15 BB)	1,700,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 6:27:12 PM

Seo's Hooks Double From Nguyen

Level 35: 150,000 / 300,000 ante: 300,000

After getting crippled in a trips aces versus trips aces against Quyen Anh Dang, Jungi Seo found J♠ J♦ in early position and shoved his last 1,000,000 chips in the middle.

Tien Dat Nguyen was on the big blind and made the call with 2♦ 2♣.

The board ran 4♠ 7♦ T♦ T♥ 4♦ to give Seo a much needed double up after an earlier beating.

Nguyen meanwhile gets severely dented to just 6 BBs.

Player	Chips	Progress
JS Jungi SeoSouth Korea	2,500,000(8 BB)	-800,000
TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	1,800,000(6 BB)	-2,500,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 6:13:24 PM

Xiaotong Yu Eliminated in 8th Place for VND 236,700,000 (~USD 8,975)

Level 35: 150,000 / 300,000 ante: 300,000

Xiaotong Yu

Under the gun, Van Tai Tran opened the action to 900,000. Sitting directly on his left, Xiaotong Yu responded by moving all-in for his remaining 1,700,000.

The rest of the table quickly folded, and action went back to Tran, who wasted little time before making the snap-call.

Xiaotong Yu: A♥ K♣

Van Tai Tran: J♠ J♣

It was a classic flip for Yu’s tournament life. He had a loud cheering section right behind his chair shouting for an ace or a king, but the 6♣ 5♣ 3♦ flop came down safe for Tran. The Q♠ on the turn brought a tiny bit of extra sweat, but the 7♥ river missed Yu completely.

Disappointed, Yu tossed his remaining time-bank cards into the middle of the table and stood up.

With this deep run, Yu officially crosses the $600,000 mark in career live earnings. Already a two-time USOP trophy winner, he falls just short of securing his third title, exiting the field in 8th place.

Meanwhile, Van Tai Tran rakes in another massive pot to extend his dominant chip lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
VT Van Tai TranViet Nam	11,200,000(37 BB)	7,300,000
XY Xiaotong YuChina	busted

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
8	XY Xiaotong YuChina	236,700,000	$8,975

Level 35: 150,000 / 300,000 ante: 300,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 8/1149

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 5:55:11 PM

Van Tai Tran Jumps To The Chip Lead

Level 34: 125,000 / 250,000 ante: 250,000

In a battle of the blinds, Van Tai Tran was on the big blind and jumped to the chip lead after Haibiao Ye, on the small blind, tried to bluff on every street and was called down Tran until the river.

Tran held K♥ 6♥ and flopped a full house when the flop landed 6♦ 6♣ K♦

Ye mucked when Tran called and lost a huge percentage of his stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
VT Van Tai TranViet Nam	9,200,000(37 BB)	5,300,000
HY Haibiao YeChina	2,600,000(10 BB)	-7,140,000

Level 34: 125,000 / 250,000 ante: 250,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 8/1149

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 5:26:50 PM

New Chip Leader!

Break

The livestream has resumed after some technical difficulties.

Meanwhile, below are the updated chip counts:

Player	Chips	Progress
DQ Dang Quyen AnhViet Nam	7,700,000	3,125,000
HY Haibiao YeChina	7,400,000	-3,800,000
TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	4,300,000	-100,000
VT Van Tai TranViet Nam	3,900,000	375,000
TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	3,800,000	-600,000
JS Jungi SeoSouth Korea	3,300,000	1,400,000
HH Hai Ha TranViet Nam	2,800,000	-750,000
XY Xiaotong YuChina	2,300,000	-1,175,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 5:24:00 PM

Break!

Break

The remaining 8 players will go on a quick 10-minute break. Haibiao Ye sits on the chip leader throne with over 11 million in chips.

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 8/1149

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 5:13:55 PM

Van Quang Long Eliminated in 9th Place for VND 180,000,000 (~USD 6,825)

Level 33: 100,000 / 200,000 ante: 200,000

Van Quang Luong

In a single-raised pot, two players went heads-up to a flop of 8♦ 6♠ 2♥ . Sitting in the small blind, Van Quang Luong moved all-in for his remaining 575,000 chips. Initial raiser and chip leader Haibiao Ye made the call to put Luong at risk.

Van Quang Luong: Q♦ T♦

Haibiao Ye: K♦ T♥

Ye’s king-high was ahead, leaving Luong looking for a queen or runner-runner help. The A♣ turn changed nothing, and the 6♦ on the river sealed the win for Ye, sending Luong to the rail as the first elimination of the final table.

Luong took home $6,825 for his 9th-place finish, adding to his career live earnings. Notably, Luong's career-best score came back at USOP Hanoi 2023, where he finished 4th in the Mini Main Event for $13,000. This deep run pushes his total live tournament earnings past the $46,000 mark.

Player	Chips	Progress
HY Haibiao YeChina	11,200,000(56 BB)	4,350,000
VQ Van Quang LuongViet Nam	busted

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
9	VQ Van Quang LuongViet Nam	180,000,000	$6,825

Level 33: 100,000 / 200,000 ante: 200,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 9/1149

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 3:40:27 PM

Madness Kickoff Final Table Set; Haibiao Ye Leads Final Nine

Level 32: 100,000 / 150,000 ante: 150,000

Madness Kickoff Final Table

After more than 10 hours of intense play on Day 2, the final table of the USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay Madness Kickoff is officially set. The massive starting field of 1,149 entries was whittled down to 145 survivors for the start of the day, and now only the final nine players remain in the hunt for the title.

Leading the charge into the final table is China's Haibiao Ye, who sits on a massive stack of 6,850,000. He is pursued by a pair of local players, Dang Quyen Anh and Tien Dat Dang, who are tied for second in chips with identical stacks of 4,575,000.

The final lineup features a strong hometown defense alongside international contenders, consisting of six players from Vietnam, two from China, and one from South Korea.

All remaining nine players have locked up a minimum payday of VND 180,000,000 (~$6,825). However, everyone has their eyes firmly fixed on the top prize of VND 1,800,000,000 (~$68,255), the coveted USOP trophy, and the glory of winning the series opener.

Play will resume with 30 minutes left in Level 28, with blinds at 100,000/150,000 and a 150,000 big blind ante.

Final Table Seat Draw

Player	Chips	Table	Seat
VL Van Lam NguyenViet Nam	2,300,000(15 BB)	1	1
JS Jungi SeoSouth Korea	1,900,000(13 BB)	1	2
HY Haibiao YeChina	6,850,000(46 BB)	1	3
VT Van Tai TranViet Nam	3,525,000(24 BB)	1	4
XY Xiaotong YuChina	3,475,000(23 BB)	1	5
VQ Van Quang LuongViet Nam	3,750,000(25 BB)	1	6
HH Hai Ha TranViet Nam	3,550,000(24 BB)	1	7
DQ Dang Quyen AnhViet Nam	4,575,000(31 BB)	1	8
TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	4,575,000(31 BB)	1	9

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 3:29:23 PM

Play Has Been Paused

Break

Following the elimination of Yinan Zhou, play has been paused to set up a redraw for the final table and the necessary preparations that go with it.

There will be a photo opportunity for the final nine players and a delayed livestream will be broadcasted on the USOP Official Facebook Page.

Live reporting will resume following the break and will be timed with the livestream.

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 3:18:11 PM

Eliminated in 10th Place for VND 131,600,000 (~USD 4,990)

Level 32: 100,000 / 150,000 ante: 150,000

Yinan Zhou

Yinan Zhou raised to 1,025,000 from under the gun, leaving 25,000 behind. Action folded around to Xiaotong Yu on the big blind, who declared "All in!" and shoved his entire 1,750,000 forward.

Zhou brought out a stack of time banks and waited for the action on the other table in case he might make a pay jump, but saw that nothing was going on and pushed in his last 25,000.

Yinan Zhou: A♦ T♣

Xiaotong Yu: Q♦ Q♠

The flop came 6♥ 8♠ T♦ giving Zhou a pair of tens. However, he was still behind and had five outs left in the deck.

The turn was an inconsequential 4♣. The river was a 5♣, failing to improve Zhou and eliminating him just one spot short of the final table.

Player	Chips	Progress
XY Xiaotong YuChina	3,450,000(23 BB)	1,830,000
YZ Yinan ZhouChina	busted	-2,000,000

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
10	YZ Yinan ZhouChina	131,600,000	$4,990

Level 32: 100,000 / 150,000 ante: 150,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 10/1149

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 10/1149

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 2:57:13 PM

Minh Huan Nguyen Eliminated in 11th Place for VND 131,600,000 (~USD 4,990)

Level 30: 50,000 / 100,000 ante: 100,000

Minh Huan Nguyen

After suffering a brutal string of back-to-back losses, a severely crippled Minh Huan Nguyen was forced all-in from the big blind.

Action started with Van Quang Luong opening to 240,000 from under the gun. Dang Quyen Anh called from the cutoff, and Jungi Seo defended from the small blind.

When the T♠ 9♦ 8♥ flop fell, Nguyen couldn't contain his excitement, he jumped out of his chair cheering and walked over to talk with another local player, earning a quick warning from the tournament director to sit back down.

With Nguyen's action, the other three players checked through the flop. The 3♦ peeled on the turn, and after a check from Seo, Anh fired out 400,000. Luong folded, but Seo made the call.

The river brought the 6♣ .

Seo checked one last time, and Anh fired another 500,000, which was enough to make Seo lay his hand down.

Nguyen looked incredibly confident, visibly excited to show his cards and secure a quadruple-up.

Minh Huan Nguyen: 7♠ 6♥

Dang Quyen Anh: Q♣ J♣

Nguyen proudly slammed down his seven-six for a flopped ten-high straight. However, the joy instantly faded from his face when Anh turned over queen-jack for a higher, king-high straight. It was a devastating way to go, sending Nguyen to the rail in 11th place just shy of the final table.

Player	Chips	Progress
DQ Dang Quyen AnhViet Nam	5,600,000(56 BB)	1,700,000
VQ Van Quang LuongViet Nam	3,350,000(34 BB)	75,000
JS Jungi SeoSouth Korea	1,960,000(20 BB)	-540,000
MH Minh Huan NguyenViet Nam	busted

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
11	MH Minh Huan NguyenViet Nam	131,600,000	$4,990

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 2:46:23 PM

Tran Gives Nguyen A Painful One-Two Shot

Level 30: 50,000 / 100,000 ante: 100,000

Van Tai Tran was under the gun and shoved his last 800,000 in the middle. Minh Huan Nguyen was on the small blind had an above average stack and a decent hand, so he made the call.

Van Tai Tran: A♠ K♣

Minh Huan Nguyen: A♣ 8♣

The flop showed K♠ 7♥ Q♣ to extend Tran's lead with a pair of kings. The J♥ on the turn showed a potential for a split pot, but the poker gods made sure Tran got the double when they threw down a Q♦ on the river.

On the following hand, action folded to Nguyen on the button who shoved his remaining 1,950,000 all in. Tran was on the big blind and was at risk, but made the call.

Van Tai Tran: T♠ T♣

Minh Huan Nguyen: 8♠ 8♥

Tran was ahead with a pair of tens.

The board ran J♠ 4♣ 3♠ 7♠ 9♠, giving both a flush. However, Tran had a higher flush, doing crippling damage to Nguyen.

In just two hands, fortunes changed for Nguyen from hero to almost zero, while Tran from almost out to table chip leader.

Player	Chips	Progress
VT Van Tai TranViet Nam	3,600,000(36 BB)	2,250,000
MH Minh Huan NguyenViet Nam	230,000(2 BB)	-3,620,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 2:12:23 PM

Xuan Hung Le Eliminated in 14th Place for VND 102,800,000 (~USD 3,900)

Level 30: 50,000 / 100,000 ante: 100,000

Xuan Hung Le

Back-to-back hands between Hai Ha Tran and Xuan Hung Le resulted in a big swing late in the day.

In the first hand, there was already 1,610,000 in the pot with the board showing T♠ 6♠ 5♥ 6♣. Le bet 430,000 and Tran made the check-call.

When the Q♥ landed on the river, Tran checked again before Le fired another 500,000. Tran called after some thought.

Le showed 4♥ 4♣, but Tran tabled A♠ Q♣ after rivering a pair of queens to win the pot.

On the very next hand, Tran opened from middle position and quickly called after Le moved all-in for his remaining 1,100,000.

Xuan Hung Le: J♣ J♠

Hai Ha Tran: A♦ Q♦

It was another flip situation, but Tran connected again on the Q♠ 5♠ 3♣ flop to take the lead.

The A♣ turn and 6♥ river changed nothing, ending Le’s run in 14th place.

The result marks the biggest live cash of Le’s career, bringing his recorded live earnings to over $3,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
HH Hai Ha TranViet Nam	5,400,000(54 BB)	2,715,000
XH Xuan Hung LeViet Nam	busted

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
14	XH Xuan Hung LeViet Nam	102,800,000	$3,900

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 2:08:34 PM

Azizjon Rakhimov Eliminated in 13th Place for VND 102,800,000 (~USD 3,900) & Kyle Bao Diep Eliminated in 12th Place for VND 131,600,000 (~USD 4,990)

Level 30: 50,000 / 100,000 ante: 100,000

Kyle Bao Diep

Azizjon Rakhimov was under the gun when he shoved his last 250,000 chips in the middle. Kyle Bao Diep was on the next seat and also moved all in for around 1,300,000.

Action then reached Vam Lam Nguyen on the big blind, who roughly had the same stack as Diep. He pondered on his decision and eventually push a chip in to call for a three-way showdown.

Azizjon Rakhimov: 9♥ 8♥

Kyle Bao Diep: 9♦ 9♠

Van Lam Nguyen: A♦ K♣

Diep looked in good shape pre-flop. The flop of J♣ 5♠ 3♠ maintained the lead for Diep, while things looked slim for Rakhimov.

The 7♦ on the turn had Rakhimov drawing to a gut shot straight, while Nguyen was still hunting for 6 outs.

The K♠ on the river brought the victory to Nguyen with a pair of kings to overtake Diep.

When the chips were counted, Diep was covered by just a few thousand, but enough to end his run.

Nguyen scored a remarkable double KO and boosted his chip stack. By virtue of stack size, Rakhimov took 13th place and Diep earned the 12th place payout.

Azizjon Rakhimov

Player	Chips	Progress
VL Van Lam NguyenViet Nam	2,900,000(29 BB)	1,175,000
AR Azizjon RakhimovUzbekistan	busted
KB Kyle Bao DiepViet Nam	busted

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
12	KB Kyle Bao DiepViet Nam	131,600,000	$4,990
13	AR Azizjon RakhimovUzbekistan	102,800,000	$3,900

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 1:59:02 PM

Thai Quang Nguyen Eliminated in 15th Place for VND 102,800,000 (~USD 3,900)

Level 30: 50,000 / 100,000 ante: 100,000

Quang Thai Nguyen

Action folded to Yinan Zhou on the button, who made a huge raise to 825,000.

Thai Quang Nguyen was on the small blind and liked his cards, but wasn't so sure about whether to risk his remaining 780,000 chips.

Nguyen squirmed in his seat and contemplated for a while, using up several time banks before finally deciding to risk his tournament life.

Hai Ha Tran folded on the big blind and left it up to Zhou and Nguyen to fight it out.

Thai Quang Nguyen: A♣ T♣

Yinan Zhou: A♦ K♣

When the cards went on their backs, Nguyen immediately showed disappointment and could only hope for the best.

The flop of 8♠ 9♠ 8♥ didn't offer much help, but it had potential.

The 7♠ gave Nguyen an open-ended straight draw and some hope.

However, the 4♠ on the river bricked for him, ending his championship dreams.

This cash pushes Nguyen's total live earnings to past the USD 90,000 mark.

Player	Chips	Progress
YZ Yinan ZhouChina	2,000,000(20 BB)	-220,000
TQ Thai Quang NguyenViet Nam	busted	-1,105,000

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
15	TQ Thai Quang NguyenViet Nam	102,800,000	$3,900

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 1:47:35 PM

Khant Naing Eliminated in 16th Place for VND 84,100,000 (~USD 3,190)

Level 30: 50,000 / 100,000 ante: 100,000

Khant Naing

Khant Naing of Myanmar was in early position when he decided to put his last 975,000 chips at risk, moving them all in.

Minh Huang Nguyen made the call, emphasizing "Only call!"

No one else jumped in and both players were left for the showdown.

Khant Naing: 2♠ 2♦

Minh Huang Nguyen: 9♣ 9♦

The board completed 4♦ 5♦ 8♥ 6♠ 7♠

When the river landed, the board was a straight and for quite a long moment Nguyen thought that both players would split the pot. It was Tien Dat Nguyen who pointed out his nine to show he made a better straight.

Naing already knew even before Nguyen did and was already up from his chair. Naing was the chip leader of flight Day 1B and his deep run in this event is just his second career cash.

Player	Chips	Progress
MH Minh Huan NguyenViet Nam	3,850,000(39 BB)	1,330,000
KN Khant NaingMyanmar	busted	-1,180,000

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
16	KN Khant NaingMyanmar	84,100,000	$3,190

Level 30: 50,000 / 100,000 ante: 100,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 16/1149

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 1:39:08 PM

Soonjo Kwon Eliminated in 17th Place for VND 84,100,000 (~USD 3,190)

Level 29: 40,000 / 80,000 ante: 80,000

Soonjo Kwon

Tien Dat Nguyen opened from early position to 175,000. On the button, Soonjo Kwon, who had shoved all-in on the very previous hand without getting any action, moved all-in yet again, this time for his last 1,100,000. Nguyen didn't wait and snap-called.

Soonjo Kwon: A♠ Q♦

Tien Dat Nguyen: A♣ K♦

Kwon was in bad shape, dominated and looking for just three queens in the deck to survive. The dealer ran out an 8♥ 7♥ 2♣ T♥ 9♥ board with no help at all, sending Kwon to the rail in 17th place. Meanwhile, Nguyen scoops up the massive pot to take over the tournament chip lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	4,400,000(55 BB)	750,000
SK Soonjo KwonSouth Korea	busted

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
17	SK Soonjo KwonSouth Korea	84,100,000	$3,190

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 1:35:24 PM

Quang Ming Nguyen Eliminated in 18th Place for VND 84,100,000 (~USD 3,190)

Level 29: 40,000 / 80,000 ante: 80,000

From middle position, Quang Minh Nguyen raised to 700,000, leaving himself with just a single 5,000 chip behind. Action folded to big blind Yinan Zhou, who spent a long time thinking before eventually making the call.

The flop came K♠ 7♥ 3♥ .

Zhou tossed in the extra 5,000, and Nguyen committed his final chip to put himself officially at risk.

Quang Minh Nguyen: A♣ T♣

Yinan Zhou: 5♠ 5♥

Zhou held the lead with pocket fives, though Nguyen still had plenty of overcard and flush outs available.

The 2♦ turn changed nothing, and the 9♥ river failed to improve Nguyen enough to survive, sending him to the rail in 18th place.

Player	Chips	Progress
YZ Yinan ZhouChina	2,220,000(28 BB)	475,000
QM Quang Minh Nguyen 2Viet Nam	busted

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
18	QM Quang Minh Nguyen 2Viet Nam	84,100,000	$3,190

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 1:31:16 PM

Diep Doubles During Blind Battle

Level 29: 40,000 / 80,000 ante: 80,000

Action folded around to Azizjon Rakhimov on the small blind. Rakhimov had a healthier stack than Kyle Bao Diep on the big blind and decided to pressure him by jamming all in.

Kyle Bao Diep didn't blink and made the call.

Azizjon Rakhimov: A♠ 8♥

Kyle Bao Diep: K♥ 5♥

Rakhimov was ahead with the ace. He maintained the lead on the flop of 4♥ 4♣ Q♠.

The turn on the 9♥ improved Diep's outs, but Rakhimov was still ahead and Diep needed a miracle on the river to survive.

"Five!" Diep called.

The dealer peeled open a 5♣ to give Diep a pair of fives, which was enough to double up and dent Rakhimov.

Player	Chips	Progress
KB Kyle Bao DiepViet Nam	1,430,000(18 BB)	1,100,000
AR Azizjon RakhimovUzbekistan	650,000(8 BB)	-820,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 1:28:25 PM

Nguyen Recovers

Level 29: 40,000 / 80,000 ante: 80,000

Minh Huan Nguyen opened for 175,000 from early position. Dang Quyen Anh was on the button and raised it up to 480,000.

Nguyen matched and the dealer showed both players a flop of 9♦ K♦ 6♦

Nguyen fired 400,000 across the betting line. Anh tanked and threw in the towel just before the clock ran out.

Player	Chips	Progress
DQ Dang Quyen AnhViet Nam	3,900,000(49 BB)
MH Minh Huan NguyenViet Nam	2,520,000(32 BB)	1,320,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 1:21:07 PM

Seo Takes One From the Chip Leader

Level 29: 40,000 / 80,000 ante: 80,000

Under the gun, Dang Quyen Anh opened to 160,000 before hijack Jungi Seo fired back with a three-bet to 405,000. Anh made the call to take the hand heads-up.

The flop came 9♠ 7♥ 4♣ and both players checked behind.

When the Q♣ landed on the turn, Anh took the lead with a 300,000 bet, but Seo quickly snap-called.

The 4♦ completed the board on the river and this time Anh slowed down with a check. Seo immediately reached for chips and confidently slid out a 500,000 bet, putting the pressure back on the chip leader.

After a brief pause, Anh decided against continuing and sent his hand into the muck, awarding another healthy pot to Seo.

Player	Chips	Progress
DQ Dang Quyen AnhViet Nam	3,900,000(49 BB)	-600,000
JS Jungi SeoSouth Korea	2,500,000(31 BB)	920,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 1:10:35 PM

Balls

Level 29: 40,000 / 80,000 ante: 80,000

Tien Dat Nguyen opened for 160,000 on the lowjack. Minh Huan Nguyen then three-bet raised to 300,000 on the small blind.

Tien Dat matched and both players were shown a flop of 2♦ Q♠ Q♣

Minh Huan led out for 160,000 and Tien Dat called to open a K♥ on the turn.

Once again, Minh Huan fired another barrel for 300,000 and Tien Dat made the call again.

The river delivered a J♥

Minh Huan made use of a time bank chip to assess the situation and then pushed 350,000 beyond the betting line.

Tien Dat went into the tank and tried to figure it out. He had four time bank chips remaining and used them all. With time running out, Tien Dat counted out the 350,000 and made the call.

Minh Huan peeled open A♦ 6♥ for ace-high. Tien Dat showed J♠ T♠ for a pair of jacks.

The table reacted with "whoas" and "oohs" while Tien Dat scooped the huge pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	3,650,000(46 BB)	1,370,000
MH Minh Huan NguyenViet Nam	1,200,000(15 BB)	-1,350,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 1:07:58 PM

Last Two Tables

Level 29: 40,000 / 80,000 ante: 80,000

With 18 players remaining, the field has been consolidated to the final two tables.

Here are the chip counts of the remaining contenders

Table 55

Player	Chips	Table	Seat
SK Soonjo KwonSouth Korea	850,000(11 BB)	55	1
VQ Van Quang LuongViet Nam	3,275,000(41 BB)	55	2
VT Van Tai TranViet Nam	1,350,000(17 BB)	55	3
DQ Dang Quyen AnhViet Nam	4,500,000(56 BB)	55	4
TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	2,280,000(29 BB)	55	5
KN Khant NaingMyanmar	1,180,000(15 BB)	55	6
XY Xiaotong YuChina	1,620,000(20 BB)	55	7
JS Jungi SeoSouth Korea	1,580,000(20 BB)	55	8
MH Minh Huan NguyenViet Nam	2,550,000(32 BB)	55	9

Table 54

Player	Chips	Table	Seat
XH Xuan Hung LeViet Nam	1,570,000(20 BB)	54	1
VL Van Lam NguyenViet Nam	1,725,000(22 BB)	54	2
AR Azizjon RakhimovUzbekistan	1,470,000(18 BB)	54	3
KB Kyle Bao DiepViet Nam	330,000(4 BB)	54	4
YZ Yinan ZhouChina	1,745,000(22 BB)	54	5
TQ Thai Quang NguyenViet Nam	1,105,000(14 BB)	54	6
HH Hai Ha TranViet Nam	2,685,000(34 BB)	54	7
QM Quang Minh Nguyen 2Viet Nam	1,065,000(13 BB)	54	8
HY Haibiao YeChina	3,085,000(39 BB)	54	9

Level 29: 40,000 / 80,000 ante: 80,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 18/1149

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 18/1149

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 12:42:42 PM

Kim Finds A Three-Outer To Survive And Double

Level 28: 30,000 / 60,000 ante: 60,000

Action fell to Soonjo Kwon on the button, who pushed his last 445,000 all in. Haibiao Ye made the call on the big blind.

Soonjo Kwon: K♦ 9♥

Haibiao Ye: K♣ Q♠

Ye had Kwon dominated. However, the flop came A♠ 4♠ 9♠ to give Kwon the lead with a pair.

Ye had a flush draw and Kwon wasn't out of the woods just yet. The 5♥ on the turn and the T♥ on the river secured the win for Kwon and a very important double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
HY Haibiao YeChina	2,800,000(47 BB)	1,500,000
SK Soonjo KwonSouth Korea	980,000(16 BB)	-150,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 12:35:05 PM

Anh Crosses 4 Million

Level 28: 30,000 / 60,000 ante: 60,000

Action folded to the button where Dang Quyen Anh opened to 120,000. The small blind got out of the way, but big blind Yuequan Jia responded with a three-bet shove for 1,030,000.

After the dealer completed the count, Anh made the call.

Yuequan Jia: 8♦ 8♥

Dang Quyen Anh: Q♣ Q♥

Jia found himself in rough shape, needing one of the two remaining eights to survive.

However, the board ran out J♠ 9♣ 9♥ 3♦ K♦ , offering no help as Anh’s queens comfortably held to score the knockout.

With the massive pot, Dang Quyen Anh becomes the first player to cross the 4-million chip mark and now sits atop the leaderboard.

Player	Chips	Progress
DQ Dang Quyen AnhViet Nam	4,340,000(72 BB)	1,840,000
YJ Yuequan JiaChina	busted	-1,340,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 12:25:05 PM

Triple Up for Naing

Level 28: 30,000 / 60,000 ante: 60,000

Another three-way all-in unfolded at Table 53 involving short stack Taeil Kim with 375,000, Naing Khant with 460,000, and Xuan Hung Le holding the covering stack.

Taeil Kim: A♥ T♥

Naing Khant: A♦ Q♦

Xuan Hung Le: A♣ T♣

Kim and Le were sharing the same ace-ten combination, while Khant was in excellent shape with ace-queen.

The Q♠ 8♠ 6♣ flop immediately strengthened Khant further after pairing his queen. The 8♦ turn officially secured the pot, locking up a triple-up for Khant while Kim was eliminated from the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
XH Xuan Hung LeViet Nam	2,300,000(38 BB)	-800,000
KN Khant NaingMyanmar	1,385,000(23 BB)	475,000
TK Taeil KimSouth Korea	busted	-1,150,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 12:11:59 PM

Cold As Ice

Level 28: 30,000 / 60,000 ante: 60,000

Van Tai Tran was on the big blind against Tien Dat Nguyen under the gun.

There was a flop of 4♣ J♠ J♦ and a pot of around 400,000.

Tran checked his option to Nguyen, who pushed in 110,000.

Tran then re-raised all in for his last 260,000 and was snapped by Nguyen.

Tran flipped over A♠ J♠

Nguyen cringed and turned over J♥ 8♥

Both players had trips, but Tran was ahead with the ace kicker.

The turn gave a K♦ and the river a T♣, awarding the cooler double up to Tran.

Player	Chips	Progress
TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	3,220,000(54 BB)	-380,000
VT Van Tai TranViet Nam	1,150,000(19 BB)	310,000

Level 28: 30,000 / 60,000 ante: 60,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 24/1149

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 12:06:35 PM

Diep’s Comeback Takes a Hit

Level 27: 25,000 / 50,000 ante: 50,000

Early position Ngoc Le Nguyen, left with 530,000, open-shoved all-in. Action folded to USOP Ambassador Kyle Bao Diep in the cutoff, who quickly reshoved for 735,000 to isolate.

Diep had already suffered a brutal beat on the very first hand of Day 2, but managed to grind his stack all the way back up from just 24,000 chips.

Ngoc Le Nguyen: 4♥ 4♠

Kyle Bao Diep: Q♦ Q♣

Diep was in great shape to score the knockout, but the flop came 4♣ 3♣ 9♠ , instantly flipping the situation after Nguyen spiked one of his two outs.

The 2♦ turn changed nothing, and while the Q♣ river improved Diep to a set, it was still second best against Nguyen’s flopped set of fours.

Nguyen secured the crucial double-up, while Diep was forced to endure another painful beat deep in the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
NL Ngoc Le NguyenViet Nam	1,185,000(24 BB)	975,000
KB Kyle Bao DiepViet Nam	205,000(4 BB)	-495,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 12:02:00 PM

Jia Ends Park's Run

Level 27: 25,000 / 50,000 ante: 50,000

The pot was 225,000 beside a flop that showed J♦ 5♥ K♠

Chul Ho Park had bet his last 185,000 and was matched by Yuequan Jia immediately.

Chul Ho Park: K♣ 6♠

Yuequa Jia: K♥ Q♠

Both hit their top pair, but Park had kicker problems.

The turn showed an A♦ and the river gave a T♥. Jia improved to a straight and Park ended his Madness Kickoff campaign.

Player	Chips	Progress
YJ Yuequan JiaChina	1,340,000(27 BB)	-170,000
CH Chul Ho ParkSouth Korea	busted	-1,390,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 11:55:43 AM

Latest Eliminations Confirmed

Level 27: 25,000 / 50,000 ante: 50,000

The Madness Kickoff field is now down to its final three tables, with players taking their new seats following the latest redraw.

Here are the latest eliminations from the tournament:

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
28	BL Bo LiChina	46,400,000	$1,760
29	TI Tse Ian LeeMalaysia	46,400,000	$1,760
30	TD Tien Dat DangViet Nam	46,400,000	$1,760
31	JL Jongkwan LeeSouth Korea	46,400,000	$1,760
32	VT Van Toan NguyenViet Nam	46,400,000	$1,760
33	TL Thanh Long BuiViet Nam	46,400,000	$1,760
34	YJ Yiming JiChina	46,400,000	$1,760
35	XT Xuan Trung TranViet Nam	46,400,000	$1,760
36	YZ Yuxiang ZhaoChina	46,400,000	$1,760
37	TX Tianlong XinChina	40,700,000	$1,545
38	ZY Zhifan YeChina	40,700,000	$1,545
39	NH Ngon Huy TranViet Nam	40,700,000	$1,545
40	QS Quang Son NguyenViet Nam	40,700,000	$1,545
41	AT Anh Tuan Pham 2	40,700,000	$1,545
42	TD Trung Duc PhamViet Nam	40,700,000	$1,545
43	HL Hao LingChina	40,700,000	$1,545
44	TV Thanh Vuong NguyenViet Nam	40,700,000	$1,545
45	TE Tom EadyUnited Kingdom	40,700,000	$1,545
46	LD Le Dinh TungViet Nam	36,800,000	$1,395
47	JH Junjie HeChina	36,800,000	$1,395
48	BT Bui The NguyenViet Nam	36,800,000	$1,395
49	SY Sangwook YimSouth Korea	36,800,000	$1,395
50	TM Thi Minh Hong PhamViet Nam	36,800,000	$1,395
51	VT Van Thanh Dat PhanViet Nam	36,800,000	$1,395
52	VN Van Nam NguyenViet Nam	36,800,000	$1,395
53	TH Tran Hai Dang LeViet Nam	36,800,000	$1,395
54	ZZ Zhiying ZhouChina	36,800,000	$1,395

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 11:53:58 AM

Quads End Li’s Run

Level 27: 25,000 / 50,000 ante: 50,000

Action folded to the small blind where Bo Li, left with 420,000, moved all-in in an attempt to steal the blinds. However, Minh Huan Nguyen instantly snap-called from the big blind.

Bo Li: A♠ 4♦

Minh Huan Nguyen: A♦ Q♦

Li was already in rough shape preflop and things got even worse when the dealer spread Q♣ Q♥ 8♦ , giving Nguyen trip queens and leaving Li drawing dead.

The Q♠ turn improved Nguyen to quads for good measure before the meaningless river completed the board.

With Li’s elimination, the tournament is now down to the final three tables and players are heading into the official redraw.

Player	Chips	Progress
MH Minh Huan NguyenViet Nam	1,620,000(32 BB)	1,070,000
BL Bo LiChina	busted	-610,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 11:37:08 AM

"I'm Still Here!"

Level 27: 25,000 / 50,000 ante: 50,000

Kyle Bao Diep

Kyle Bao Diep was on the big blind against Xuan Hung Le oni the lowjack.

Before both players was a board that showed 9♥ A♥ J♠ 5♠ and a pot of around 400,000.

Both players checked their option to open a 7♣ on the river.

Diep led out for 150,000.

Le folded immediately.

Earlier in the break, Diep was proud to say that he was down to 24,000 and managed to climb his way back up.

"I'm still here!," he beamed.

Player	Chips	Progress
XH Xuan Hung LeViet Nam	3,100,000(62 BB)	1,320,000
KB Kyle Bao DiepViet Nam	700,000(14 BB)	330,000

Level 27: 25,000 / 50,000 ante: 50,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 30/1149

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 11:31:24 AM

Yu Wins Brawl Of The Blinds

Level 26: 20,000 / 40,000 ante: 40,000

Action folded to the blinds where Xiaotong Yu sat on the small blind against Van Lam Nguyen on the big blind.

Yu matched the big blind and Nguyen checked to open a Q♣ 3♥ 4♠ flop.

Yu checked his option and Nguyen took a jab for a minimum bet of 40,000.

Yu matched and the dealer peeled a K♥ on the turn.

This time around, Yu led out for 100,000. Nguyen took his time, then folded while showing a 4♦.

Yu said, "If you show, I'll also show, then put the Kd" on the table.

Yu then commented, "You are the brother of my wife, I will not bluff you."

Nguyen was lost in translation, so Van Tai Tran had to translate on the seat over.

Yu then repeated, "You are my brother, I will not bluff you."

Nguyen acknowledged, "OK."

Player	Chips	Progress
XY Xiaotong YuChina	1,680,000(42 BB)	-500,000
VL Van Lam NguyenViet Nam	1,230,000(31 BB)	655,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 11:20:34 AM

Anh Slowplays Flopped Straight

Level 26: 20,000 / 40,000 ante: 40,000

Under the gun, Dang Quyen Anh opened to 80,000 before cutoff Yinan Zhou three-bet to 240,000. Anh took some time before eventually making the call.

Zhou continued the aggression with a 140,000 bet on the A♦ J♣ T♥ flop. Anh called once again before both players checked the 2♣ turn.

When the 7♦ completed the board, Anh suddenly led out for 300,000. Zhou used a time bank while thinking through the spot before eventually making the call.

Anh then tabled K♥ Q♥ for a flopped straight, while Zhou quietly mucked his hand, sending a healthy pot over to Anh.

Player	Chips	Progress
DQ Dang Quyen AnhViet Nam	2,500,000(63 BB)	950,000
YZ Yinan ZhouChina	750,000(19 BB)	-670,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 11:08:22 AM

Kwon Gets the Chips Back

Level 26: 20,000 / 40,000 ante: 40,000

After recently losing a flip, Soonjo Kwon found himself all-in once again after three-bet shoving for 525,000 over an open from Minh Huan Nguyen. The former chip leader quickly made the call.

Soonjo Kwon: A♠ K♥

Minh Huan Nguyen: Q♥ J♥

Kwon was ahead preflop and strengthened his position on the K♠ 7♣ 5♥ flop after pairing his king.

The 2♦ turn officially secured the pot for Kwon, making the river meaningless as he collected a much-needed double-up.

Meanwhile, Minh Huan Nguyen, who once held a massive chip lead over the field, has now dropped to around 14 big blinds.

Player	Chips	Progress
SK Soonjo KwonSouth Korea	1,130,000(28 BB)	70,000
MH Minh Huan NguyenViet Nam	550,000(14 BB)	-530,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 10:56:19 AM

Big Stacks Lead Final 36

Level 26: 20,000 / 40,000 ante: 40,000

The Madness Kickoff is now down to its final four tables, with just 36 players remaining in the hunt for the title.

While the field continues to shrink, several players have started separating themselves from the pack with massive stacks heading into the later stages of Day 2.

Here are the current chip leaders:

Player	Chips	Progress
TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	2,620,000(66 BB)	-185,000
XY Xiaotong YuChina	2,180,000(55 BB)	380,000
VQ Van Quang LuongViet Nam	1,910,000(48 BB)	225,000
AR Azizjon RakhimovUzbekistan	1,810,000(45 BB)	570,000
HH Hai Ha TranViet Nam	1,800,000(45 BB)	380,000
XH Xuan Hung LeViet Nam	1,780,000(45 BB)	410,000
DQ Dang Quyen AnhViet Nam	1,550,000(39 BB)	120,000
YJ Yuequan JiaChina	1,510,000(38 BB)	-15,000
YZ Yinan ZhouChina	1,420,000(36 BB)	340,000
CH Chul Ho ParkSouth Korea	1,390,000(35 BB)	755,000
DA Dakota AndersonUnited States of America	1,275,000(32 BB)	895,000
TQ Thai Quang NguyenViet Nam	1,100,000(28 BB)	-300,000
MH Minh Huan NguyenViet Nam	1,080,000(27 BB)	-645,000
SK Soonjo KwonSouth Korea	1,060,000(27 BB)	500,000

Level 26: 20,000 / 40,000 ante: 40,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 36/1149

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 10:45:17 AM

Four Kings Show Tran The Exit

Level 26: 20,000 / 40,000 ante: 40,000

Taeil Kim

Xuan Trung Tran pushed his last 225,000 chips in the middle and Taeil Kim also pushed in his 900,000 plus chips to successfully isolate.

Xuan Trung Tran: A♠ Q♥

Taeil Kim: K♥ K♠

Flop came K♦ 3♦ Q♣

Each player found a piece of the flop, but Kim was ahead with a set of kings. Tran needed a miracle, but the poker gods threw a K♣ on the turn to improve Kim to quad kings and ensure the elimination of Tran.

The 5♣ on the river was a formality.

Player	Chips	Progress
TK Taeil KimSouth Korea	1,150,000(29 BB)	912,000
XT Xuan Trung TranViet Nam	busted	-172,000

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 37/1149

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 10:36:45 AM

Anh's Sevens Enough To Bust Nguyen

Level 25: 15,000 / 30,000 ante: 30,000

Thai Quang Nguyen opened for 60,000 from under the gun. Dang Quyen Anh matched on the cutoff and Quang Son Nguyen defended the big blind with a call.

The three players were shown a flop of 9♥ 3♣ 2♣

Quang Son moved all in for his last 130,000. Thai Quang folded, but Anh pitched a chip to call.

Quang Son Nguyen: 5♥ 4♥

Dang Quyen Anh: 7♦ 7♠

Nguyen had an open-ended straight draw, but was behind the pair of sevens of Anh.

The turn gave a 5♠, pairing Nguyen and adding more outs, but he was still behind.

The river threw a Q♥, fading all of Nguyen's outs and eliminating him from the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
DQ Dang Quyen AnhViet Nam	1,430,000(48 BB)	1,036,000
QS Quang Son NguyenViet Nam	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 10:29:54 AM

Two-Outer Turns the Whole Table

Level 25: 15,000 / 30,000 ante: 30,000

A massive three-way preflop collision just shook Table 54, ending with a brutal river card that completely reshaped the top of the leaderboard.

Tien Dat Nguyen started the action with an early-position open to 65,000, and Hao Ling made the call from middle position. Sitting in the big blind, Yiming Ji saw the perfect opportunity to squeeze and announced a massive all-in shove for 1,165,000. Back on Nguyen, he burned through every single one of his remaining time-bank cards before deciding to call off his tournament life for 950,000. Ling didn't hesitate for a second, snap-calling all-in for 860,000 to reveal a premium monster.

Hao Ling: A♦ A♣

Tien Dat Nguyen: Q♠ Q♥

Yiming Ji: 9♥ 9♣

The 8♠ 4♦ 2♣ flop was completely clean for the pocket aces, and the 8♣ turn changed absolutely nothing. Ling was just one card away from a colossal stack. The Q♣ spiked hard on the river, hitting one of Nguyen's two remaining outs in the deck.

Nguyen immediately jumped out of his chair, shouting in pure joy as he pulled off the ultimate river heist. Ling was left stunned and eliminated, while Ji was crippled down to just 7 big blinds. With that massive scoop, Nguyen surges directly into the chip lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	2,805,000(94 BB)	2,471,000
YJ Yiming JiChina	215,000(7 BB)	-910,000
HL Hao LingChina	busted	-232,000

Level 25: 15,000 / 30,000 ante: 30,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 48/1149

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 9:58:30 AM

Set of Aces Sends Yim Out

Level 24: 10,000 / 25,000 ante: 25,000

Early position Yiming Ji opened to 50,000 and Sangwook Yim called from the hijack, along with the big blind to bring three players to the flop.

The board came A♦ 8♦ 4♣ and action checked through to the 2♠ turn. Ji then led out for 100,000. Yim responded by moving all-in for 225,000, forcing a fold from the big blind before Ji quickly snap-called.

Sangwook Yim: K♦ 5♦

Yiming Ji: A♣ A♥

Ji was miles ahead with top set, while Yim was left hoping for a diamond or some miracle runout.

The K♠ river changed nothing, sealing Yim’s elimination as Ji scooped the pot with pocket aces full control.

Player	Chips	Progress
YJ Yiming JiChina	1,125,000(45 BB)	430,000
SY Sangwook YimSouth Korea	busted	-852,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 9:41:22 AM

Cooler Alert...NO! Coolest Alert!

Level 24: 10,000 / 25,000 ante: 25,000

Yiming Ji and Yuequan Jia just made the best hand of the series so far.

The board showed 7♦ 3♦ 3♣ 5♥ 5♦

After a back and forth on the betting, Yiming Ji moved all in, covering the stack of Yuequan Jia.

Jia made the snap call and banged a stack on the table.

When the cards were revealed.

Yiming Ji: 5♣ 5♠

Ji had made quads! But wait...

Yuequan Jia: 6♦ 4♦

Jia made a straight flush!

It took a while to register even for the players what was going on and then it was just a WTF moment for Ji, who had his hands in his head going "WTF!"

The dealer didn't quickly muck the board like they usually do and allowed for everyone... and really EVERYONE... to take a photo of that magical, maybe one in a trillion moment.

When the chips were counted, Ji had to ship 625,000 to Jia.

"Is there a bad beat jack pot?"

Player	Chips	Progress
YJ Yuequan JiaChina	1,525,000(61 BB)	415,000
YJ Yiming JiChina	695,000(28 BB)	334,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 9:40:15 AM

Phan’s Hero Call Goes Wrong

Level 24: 10,000 / 25,000 ante: 25,000

With over 400,000 already in the middle and the board showing Q♦ 2♣ 5♦ 6♣ , big blind Van Quang Luong led out for 200,000 and was called by Van Thanh Dat Phan.

When the 3♣ hit the river, Luong fired one final bullet and moved all-in, putting maximum pressure on his opponent. Phan went deep into the tank, using two time banks before eventually making the call.

Van Thanh Dat Phan: J♣ J♥

Van Quang Luong: 2♠ 2♦

Phan was left devastated as Luong revealed bottom set for a massive rivered value line that cracked his pair of jacks. A bold hero call from Phan ended in heartbreak as Luong scooped the huge pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
VQ Van Quang LuongViet Nam	1,685,000(67 BB)	525,000
VT Van Thanh Dat PhanViet Nam	busted	-174,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 9:39:20 AM

Pham: Last Woman Standing

Level 24: 10,000 / 25,000 ante: 25,000

Thi Minh Hong Pham

The dealer announced "seat open" and Thi Minh Hong Pham was seen leaving her seat. She was officially the last woman left in the field.

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 9:32:47 AM

Drop And Give Me 50!

Level 24: 10,000 / 25,000 ante: 25,000

There are 50 players remaining in the Madness Kickoff.

Here are some of the recent dropouts

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
55	QW Qian WangChina	33,700,000	$1,280
56	TA Tuan Anh TranViet Nam	33,700,000	$1,280
57	DA Duy Anh NguyenViet Nam	33,700,000	$1,280
58	JL Junqiang LyuChina	33,700,000	$1,280
59	NN Nhat Nam HoangViet Nam	33,700,000	$1,280
55	QW Qian WangChina	33,700,000	$1,280
56	TA Tuan Anh TranViet Nam	33,700,000	$1,280
57	DA Duy Anh NguyenViet Nam	33,700,000	$1,280
58	JL Junqiang LyuChina	33,700,000	$1,280
59	NN Nhat Nam HoangViet Nam	33,700,000	$1,280
60	WJ Warren James RustadCanada	33,700,000	$1,280
61	TV The Vinh NguyenViet Nam	33,700,000	$1,280

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 9:26:05 AM

Yu Eliminates Wang To Jump To Chip Lead

Level 24: 10,000 / 25,000 ante: 25,000

Just a few moments ago, Xiaotong Yu and Qian Wang were having a laugh seated next to each other when Yu called out an ace on the flop for Wang to double up.

Just recently, there was a commotion at their table and while the action that transpired wasn't witnessed, what was seen was the chips of Wang being shipped to Yu.

Yu can say it again - "Lucky boy."

Yu has now jumped to the chip lead. Let's hope the luck holds up until the end.

Player	Chips	Progress
XY Xiaotong YuChina	1,800,000(72 BB)	790,000
QW Qian WangChina	busted

Level 24: 10,000 / 25,000 ante: 25,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 54/1149

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 9:20:20 AM

Wang's Big Slick Doubles From Kwon

Level 23: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

Qian Wang

Soonjo Kwon opened from early position to 40,000. Qian Wang was on her big blind when she shoved her last 345,000 all in.

Kwon made the instant call.

Qian Wang: A♠ K♣

Soonjo Kwon: T♠ T♥

The flop arrived A♦ 3♥ 2♥ to give Wang a pair of aces to overtake Kwon.

Kwon started counting off the chips to pay Wang when the 5♦ arrived on the turn and the 6♦ made it official on the river.

Wang sat beside Xiaotong Yu, who had the lucky runner-runner flush to crack the aces of Do Khac Thang in an earlier hand.

It was Yu who was cheering for the ace on the flop.

Yu commented, "Lucky boy. I'm the lucky boy," bringing a giggle and a smile to the lovely Wang as she stacked her chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
QW Qian WangChina	720,000(36 BB)	720,000
SK Soonjo KwonSouth Korea	560,000(28 BB)	244,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 9:20:10 AM

The Millionaire Club

Level 23: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

With 55 players remaining, the field is heating up as nine players have already crossed the million-chip mark. The top of the counts is currently dominated by local players, who are setting the pace heading into the business end of the day.

Minh Huan Nguyen continues to lead the way with a massive 1,725,000 stack, nearly three times the average. Right behind him is Day 2 chip leader Hai Ha Tran with 1,420,000, followed closely by Thai Quang Nguyen with 1,400,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
MH Minh Huan NguyenViet Nam	1,725,000(86 BB)	715,000
HH Hai Ha TranViet Nam	1,420,000(71 BB)	608,000
TQ Thai Quang NguyenViet Nam	1,400,000(70 BB)	841,000
XH Xuan Hung LeViet Nam	1,370,000(69 BB)	220,000
AR Azizjon RakhimovUzbekistan	1,240,000(62 BB)	282,000
YJ Yuequan JiaChina	1,110,000(56 BB)	796,000
YZ Yinan ZhouChina	1,080,000(54 BB)	360,000
XY Xiaotong YuChina	1,010,000(51 BB)	777,000
AT Anh Tuan Pham 2	1,000,000(50 BB)	806,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 8:45:00 AM

The Heat Is On!

Level 23: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

The Madness Kickoff - the highlight opening event of the USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026 - crushed the VND 10 billion guarantee with an astounding total of 1,149 entries across five day one starting flights. The total prize pool rocketed to VND 10,865,096,000 (~USD 412,060) and gave 146 players a share of the payouts plus bonus cash prizes for the chip leaders of Day 1A and Day 1B.

The Madness Kickoff champion is set to receive a whopping VND 1.8 billion (~USD 68,255).

This is just the start of the series and already the USOP is bringing the heat. There are more events to follow, such as the VND 15 billion guaranteed Mini Main Event, the VND 20 billion guaranteed Championship Event and the crown jewel VND 30 billion guaranteed Main Event.

Players can expect the heat to continue to rise as fame, fortune and poker history is set to be made in Vietnam.

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 8:44:43 AM

The Pay Jump

Level 23: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

There was around 50,000 chips in the middle being contested by Dakota Anderson on the big blind and Van Sang Nguyen who sat under the gun.

The flop showed Q♠ 7♠ 9♥

Anderson checked his option over to Nguyen, who had one solitary 5,000 chip left and a whole stack of time bank chips.

There were 65 players left at this time and the pay jump was at 63rd place. Nguyen lined up his time bank chips and waited.

Anderson said, "Don't worry. I understand."

Meanwhile, on another table, the aces of Xuan Hung Le sent Andy Kok to the rail in 65th place.

On another table, the A♠ A♦ of Do Khac Thang was cracked by the 6♣ 6♥ of Xiaotong Yu

The board of J♣ 2♣ T♠ 4♣ K♣ gave Yu a flush to send Do out in 64th place.

When the monitor showed 64, Nguyen then threw in his final 5,000 and Anderson made the call.

Nguyen showed Q♣ T♦ for a pair of queens but was behind Anderson's Q♥ 9♦ for two pair.

The runout of 2♣ 6♥ couldn't improve Nguyen and he happily accepted his fate and even happier he made THE pay jump.

When he left, Anderson took a look at his time bank chips and commented, "Who would think each one of these could be worth three million."

Player	Chips	Progress
XH Xuan Hung LeViet Nam	1,150,000(58 BB)	628,000
XY Xiaotong YuChina	1,050,000(53 BB)	817,000
DA Dakota AndersonUnited States of America	380,000(19 BB)	284,000
AK Andy KokIndonesia	busted
DK Do Khac ThangViet Nam	busted
VS Van Sang NguyenViet Nam	busted

Level 23: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 65/1149

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 8:32:29 AM

Break Time!

Level 23: 10,000 / 20,000 ante: 20,000

The remaining 65 players are now on another 10-minute scheduled break.

During the break, tournament staff will conduct the chip race for the 1,000 denomination chips, while every remaining player will also receive one additional time bank before play resumes.

-

Remaining Players: 65/1149

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 8:24:44 AM

Rollercoaster Hand at Table 41

Level 22: 10,000 / 15,000 ante: 15,000

A wild three-way all-in erupted over on Table 41, triggering a complete roller coaster of emotions for everyone involved.

Win Htut Tin started the action with a raise to 30,000, and Azizjon Rakhimov three-bet to 57,000 right next to him. When the action folded over to the small blind, Hoang Linh Nguyen announced all-in for 322,000. Tin shoved over the top for his remaining 150,000, and Rakhimov called it off to set up a massive three-way showdown.

Win Htut Tin: A♣ A♥

Hoang Linh Nguyen: J♠ J♦

Azizjon Rakhimov: T♠ T♦

Every single player held a pocket pair, with Tin in prime position to triple up with his aces.

The Q♦ 8♠ 2♦ flop kept the aces out front, but the J♥ spiked on the turn to give Nguyen a set of jacks and the lead. Just as Nguyen looked safe, the 9♣ peeled on the river to complete a gutshot straight for Rakhimov's pocket tens, allowing him to scoop a massive pot and send both opponents to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
AR Azizjon RakhimovUzbekistan	958,000(64 BB)	519,000
HL Hoang Linh NguyenViet Nam	busted	-332,000
WH Win Htut TinMyanmar	busted	-199,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 8:10:42 AM

Tens Crushed by Kings

Level 22: 10,000 / 15,000 ante: 15,000

Sangwook Yim and former chip leader Hoai Nam La just locked horns in a massive preflop confrontation, with La moving all-in for 353,000 and Yim making the call with the covering stack.

Hoai Nam La: T♥ T♦

Sangwook Yim: K♠ K♣

Yim was way ahead with his pocket kings, leaving La searching for just two remaining tens in the deck to survive. The dealer spread a clean A♠ 6♦ 4♣ 2♥ 5♣ board, bringing no help for La's pocket tens and securing the massive knockout for Yim.

Player	Chips	Progress
SY Sangwook YimSouth Korea	852,000(57 BB)	491,000
HN Hoai Nam LaViet Nam	busted	-548,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 7:59:28 AM

Eady Does It

Level 22: 10,000 / 15,000 ante: 15,000

Quang Trinh Do

Action fell to Tom Eady on the cutoff who jammed all in for his last 230,000. Quang Trinh Do made the call on the small blind, risking his final 90,000 or so chips.

When the cards went on their backs...

Quang Trinh Do: A♦ 8♣

Tom Eady: A♥ 7♥

Do was happy to be ahead and looked forward for a double up. However, the flop showed 7♠ 3♥ 3♣ to pair Eady's seven.

The turn threw in a K♠ and the river showed 9♣. Do couldn't find an eight and had to ship all his chips and leave his seat.

Just as Do stood up, Eady smiled and remarked, "Revenge."

Do smiled back and tapped the table "nice hand."

Player	Chips	Progress
TE Tom EadyUnited Kingdom	335,000(22 BB)	-4,000
QT Quang Trinh DoViet Nam	busted	-176,000

Level 22: 10,000 / 15,000 ante: 15,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 83/1149

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 7:52:30 AM

Notable Names Continue to Fall

Level 21: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

The action is moving fast on Day 2, and several familiar faces have already been forced to bid farewell to their tournament hopes. Among the latest wave of casualties are Quang Huy Nguyen, Neng Zhao, and Khayal Abbasov.

There are still 83 players left in the hunt. Here is a look at the recent eliminations:

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
84	XL Xialin LiChina	25,800,000	$980
85	QH Quang Huy NguyenViet Nam	25,800,000	$980
86	NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	25,800,000	$980
87	BC Bui Cong TuanViet Nam	25,800,000	$980
88	NT Nguyen Thi Anh TuyetViet Nam	25,800,000	$980
89	YN Yuxin NiuChina	25,800,000	$980
90	DT Duc Trung VuViet Nam	25,800,000	$980
91	XZ Xianming ZhaiChina	24,100,000	$915
92	PD Pham Duc TrongViet Nam	24,100,000	$915
93	QD Quang Duy LeViet Nam	24,100,000	$915
94	MH Minh Hoang NguyenViet Nam	24,100,000	$915
95	KA Khayal AbbasovAzerbaijan	24,100,000	$915
96	QT Quang Thang NguyenViet Nam	24,100,000	$915
97	DQ Dinh Quyet PhamViet Nam	24,100,000	$915
98	WK Wongyu KangSouth Korea	24,100,000	$915
99	CW Chengshan WuChina	24,100,000	$915
100	SK Siddharth KariaIndia	22,400,000	$850
101	TT Thanh Trung PhamViet Nam	22,400,000	$850
102	HV Huu Vinh NguyenViet Nam	22,400,000	$850
103	HM Hayato MinekawaJapan	22,400,000	$850
104	VD Van Dat NgoViet Nam	22,400,000	$850
105	AT Anh Tuan PhamViet Nam	22,400,000	$850

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 7:47:22 AM

Ready to Leave, Then Rivered an Ace

Level 21: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

Facing a preflop raise, Matthew Gray three-bet shoved for his last 115,000 from the small blind, and the initial raiser, Thanh Vuong Nguyen, called it off.

Matthew Gray: A♠ J♣

Thanh Vuong Nguyen: Q♥ 9♥

Gray actually stood up from his seat before the dealer even dealt the cards, feeling like he was about to bust, and his instincts were right at first. The 9♣ 6♣ 3♠ flop immediately paired Nguyen's nine to put him in the lead. The K♠ turn changed nothing, and Gray was already packing up to leave.

But the poker gods hit him with a miracle on the river as the A♣ spiked, giving Gray top pair to secure a much needed double-up and send him right back to his seat.

Player	Chips	Progress
MG Matthew GrayUnited Kingdom	589,000(49 BB)	416,000
TV Thanh Vuong NguyenViet Nam	254,000(21 BB)	5,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 7:38:14 AM

Zhou Pays Tung's Straight

Level 21: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

Yinan Zhou

A massive 200,000 pot was beside a board that showed 5♦ A♥ 8♣ K♦

Le Dinh Tung was on the hijack against Yinan Zhou on the button.

Both players checked the turn and was shown a 4♥ on the river.

Tung fired 150,000 and Zhou took some time to consider before finally making the call.

Tung tabled 3♦ 2♦ for a wheel straight and Zhou counted out the chips to pay.

Player	Chips	Progress
LD Le Dinh TungViet Nam	770,000(64 BB)	230,000
YZ Yinan ZhouChina	720,000(60 BB)	75,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 7:37:44 AM

Biggest Pot of the Day

Level 21: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

What was likely the biggest pot of the tournament so far just played out at Table 52.

Under the gun, Van Quang Luong opened the action before calling an 85,000 squeeze from small blind Neng Zhao.

The flop came J♥ 4♠ 3♠ , and Zhao continued for 60,000. Luong took a moment before raising to 150,000. Zhao quickly responded by jamming for 313,000 total, and Luong snap-called.

Neng Zhao: Q♥ Q♦

Van Quang Luong: J♣ J♠

Zhao started the hand ahead preflop with queens, but the flop completely flipped the script as Luong smashed top set.

The 2♠ turn left Zhao with just one out, and he was already standing up from his chair before the river even came. The K♠ completed the board, officially sending the massive pot to Luong and eliminating Zhao from the tournament.

With the huge knockout, Luong now moves into the chip lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
VQ Van Quang LuongViet Nam	1,160,000(97 BB)	815,000
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	busted	-622,000

Level 21: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 92/1149

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 7:11:12 AM

Li Shows Wu The Exit

Level 20: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

There was a pot of 120,000 in the middle with a flop that showed A♣ Q♥ K♦.

Involved in the hand was Chengshan Wu on the small blind and Xialin Li on the lowjack.

Wu shoved all in for his last 85,000 and was snap called by Li.

Chengshan Wu: K♥ 8♥

Xialin Li: A♠ T♠

Wu had paired his king, but was behind Li's paired ace.

The turn brought an A♥ that improved Li to trips, but gave Wu outs with a flush draw.

The river gave an 8♣, improving Wu to a two-pair, but still not enough to keep his seat and instead taking a place on the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
XL Xialin LiChina	480,000(48 BB)	13,000
CW Chengshan WuChina	busted	-198,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 7:02:34 AM

Hero Call Ends in a Chop

Level 20: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

Action folded all the way to the small blind, where current chip leader Minh Huan Nguyen, the only player in the room with over a million chips, opened to 20,000. Thi Anh Tuyet Nguyen defended her big blind to take the hand heads-up.

Minh Huan continued the pressure with a 20,000 bet on the 9♠ 7♥ 4♠ flop, then fired another 33,000 on the 8♦ turn. Thi Anh stayed patient and called both streets.

When the K♣ landed on the river, Minh Huan moved all-in, putting Thi Anh to the test for her remaining 75,000. After only about 15 seconds in the tank, she made the call for her tournament life.

Thi Anh Tuyet Nguyen: 7♣ 3♣

Minh Huan Nguyen: 7♦ 5♠

Both players turned over a pair of sevens, resulting in a chopped pot. While no chips changed hands, Thi Anh’s incredible middle-pair call for all her chips completely stunned the chip leader.

With that clutch play, Thi Anh joins Thi Minh Hong Pham as one of the few remaining female players in the field putting their skills on full display and refusing to back down.

Player	Chips	Progress
MH Minh Huan NguyenViet Nam	1,010,000(101 BB)	289,000
NT Nguyen Thi Anh TuyetViet Nam	153,000(15 BB)	-13,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 6:52:29 AM

Zhao’s “Heart” Never Arrives

Level 20: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

Cutoff Neng Zhao opened the action to 22,000 before Matthew Gray, seated directly to his left, reraised to 70,000 while leaving himself just 4,000 behind.

Back on Zhao, the Australian pro put maximum pressure on by making it 600,000, clearly flexing his massive stack. Gray paused for a few seconds before eventually committing his last chips into the middle.

Matthew Gray: A♣ J♠

Neng Zhao: A♥ 8♣

Gray had Zhao dominated and was in excellent shape to double up.

The flop came J♦ 5♥ 2♥ , giving Gray top pair while leaving Zhao nearly drawing dead. Zhao jokingly shouted “heart!” hoping for a miracle runner-runner flush, but the 6♦ turn officially secured the pot for Gray before the meaningless river completed the board.

Player	Chips	Progress
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	622,000(62 BB)	45,000
MG Matthew GrayUnited Kingdom	173,000(17 BB)	49,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 6:51:50 AM

What A Call!

Level 20: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

Thi Minh Hong Pham

The Vinh Nguyen opened for 22,000 from under the gun. Wongyu Kang matched on the lowjack and Thi Minh Hong Pham also called on her big blind.

The three players were shown a flop of A♠ 2♥ J♦.

Pham and Nguyen checked over to Kang who fired a bet of 25,000.

Pham called and Nguyen stepped away.

Both Pham and Kang checked the K♠ on the turn and was shown a Q♠ on the river.

Pham tapped her option over to Kang, who used as much of the shot clock before announcing "all in" for around 200,000, covering the stack of Pham.

Pham went into deep waters. If she got this wrong, it would mean the end of her tournament life.

Three spades meant a possible flush. There was only one card needed to a straight and a whole lot of other scary options.

The dealer picked out around five time banks and the entire table was silent, weighed down by the intensity of the moment.

Finally, Pham pushed in a stack to make the call and turned over A♣ 7♠ for a pair of aces.

Kang sheepishly showed 5♦ 5♣ for only a pair of fives.

The entire table went "WOW!"

Kang counted off the 122,000 chips owed to Pham and knocked the table, "nice call."

Respect.

Player	Chips	Progress
TM Thi Minh Hong PhamViet Nam	360,000(36 BB)	172,000
WK Wongyu KangSouth Korea	88,000(9 BB)	-169,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 6:40:09 AM

Over Kill!

Level 20: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

Action folded to the cutoff where Thanh Vuong Nguyen opened to 20,000. From the big blind, Thanh Long Bui responded with a three-bet shove, and Nguyen quickly called off his remaining 117,000.

Thanh Vuong Nguyen: K♥ Q♦

Thanh Long Bui: A♠ J♣

Nguyen started behind but still had plenty of live cards. The K♠ 6♥ 5♥ flop immediately pushed him into the lead with top pair, leaving Bui searching for just three outs.

The K♣ turn improved Nguyen to trip kings and officially secured the double-up before the Q♣ river upgraded him even further to a full house.

Player	Chips	Progress
TV Thanh Vuong NguyenViet Nam	249,000(25 BB)	-4,000
TL Thanh Long BuiViet Nam	176,000(18 BB)	74,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 6:37:22 AM

To The Payout Counter

Level 20: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

The field has thinned some more.

Some of those who have collected their payouts include MIngyang Zhang, Binbin Kang, Christian Mtichell, Huy Nam Bui, Trung Phong Nguyen and Leandro Dirlewanger.

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
106	LD Leandro DirlewangerSwitzerland	22,400,000	$850
107	TP Trung Phong NguyenViet Nam	22,400,000	$850
108	TD Tan Dat LuuViet Nam	22,400,000	$850
109	HN Huy Nam BuiViet Nam	21,200,000	$805
110	MT Minh Tuan TranViet Nam	21,200,000	$805
111	CM Christian MitchellAustralia	21,200,000	$805
112	BK Binbin KangChina	21,200,000	$805
113	MZ Mingyang ZhangChina	21,200,000	$805
114	TH Tuan Huy NguyenViet Nam	21,200,000	$805
115	NK Ngoc Khanh NguyenViet Nam	21,200,000	$805

Level 20: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 105/1149

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 6:21:50 AM

Break Time!

Break

The remaining 106 players are now on their first 10-minute scheduled break of the day.

Every player will also receive one additional time bank before action resumes.

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 106/1149

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 6:15:17 AM

Kok Puts Pham to the Test

Level 19: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

One of the current chip leaders, Andy Kok, opened the action to 16,000 and picked up one caller before big blind Anh Tuan Pham squeezed to 75,000.

Only Kok made the call to take the battle heads-up to a Q♥ Q♦ 9♣ flop.

Pham checked the paired board, but Kok immediately applied maximum pressure by announcing all-in for a massive 548,000. Facing the huge shove with around 201,000 left behind, Pham thought it through before eventually deciding to preserve his stack and fold.

Player	Chips	Progress
AK Andy KokIndonesia	726,000(91 BB)	46,000
AT Anh Tuan PhamViet Nam	201,000(25 BB)	-184,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 6:06:11 AM

Big Bluff or Big Hand?

Level 19: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

A monstrous pot had already brewed between the blinds, with a massive 438,000 sitting in the middle on a completed board of A♥ 6♦ 2♥ 8♥ 9♣ .

After some thought, Dang suddenly announced all-in for 181,000, putting maximum pressure on Ngo in a huge pot.

Ngo went deep into the tank, burning through three time banks while carefully weighing the decision. After several long moments, he eventually decided to fold, sending the massive pot over to Dang without a showdown.

Player	Chips	Progress
TD Tien Dat DangViet Nam	619,000(77 BB)	158,000
VD Van Dat NgoViet Nam	170,000(21 BB)	-158,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 6:02:28 AM

Tung Shows Tran The Exit

Level 19: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Minh Tuan Tran was on the small blind. Minh Hoang Nguyen sat on the big blind and Le Dinh Tung was on the button.

The three players built a pot of over 50,000 and were looking at a flop of Q♥ J♣ 8♥.

Tran and Nguyen tapped their option to Tung, who fired a bet 15,000.

Tran then re-raised all in and risked his last 74,000 chips. Nguyen gave it some thought, but decided to step away. Tung made the snap call.

Minh Tuan Tran: K♦ Q♣

Le Dinh Tung: T♦ 9♠

Tran had flopped top pair with a king kicker, but was only second best to the flopped straight of Tung.

Tran needed a miracle from the poker gods. The J♥ turn gave some hope for a full house draw, but the hope was short-lived when the poker gods bricked a 6♦ on the river to end Tran's Madness Kickoff campaign.

Player	Chips	Progress
LD Le Dinh TungViet Nam	540,000(68 BB)	287,000
MH Minh Hoang NguyenViet Nam	165,000(21 BB)	-157,000
MT Minh Tuan TranViet Nam	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 5:51:21 AM

Zhou Puts The Squeeze On Nguyen

Level 19: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

A very lucrative pot of over 140,000 was in the middle beside a board that showed 2♦ 9♣ 3♠ 6♠ 3♣

Competing for the pot was Quang Son Nguyen on the small blind and Yinan Zhou on the cutoff.

Nguyen was the first to act and pushed 55,000 over the betting line. Zhou considered his options, then made a raise to 165,000.

Nguyen went into the tank, threw in some time bank chips, wondered if aliens built those pyramids, then eventually pushed his cards towards the muck and tapped "nice bet" to Zhou.

Player	Chips	Progress
YZ Yinan ZhouChina	645,000(81 BB)	303,000
QS Quang Son NguyenViet Nam	475,000(59 BB)	89,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 5:47:33 AM

Park Scoops A Big Bluff Catcher

Level 19: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Chul Ho Park of South Korea was on the small blind against Ivan Lukianov on the button. Both players were staring at a completed board that showed 3♦ Q♠ 5♥ T♥ 6♣.

More importantly, there was a massive pot of around 170,000 in the middle.

Park had checked his option over to Lukianov, who pushed in a bet of 150,000.

Park took careful consideration and eventually made the call.

Lukianov showed A♣ J♠ for ace-high.

Park turned over A♠ Q♦ for a pair of queens, catching Lukianov's bluff and scooping the massive pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
CH Chul Ho ParkSouth Korea	635,000(79 BB)	239,000
IL Ivan LukianovRussia	175,000(22 BB)	-6,000

Level 19: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 119/1149

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 5:30:18 AM

Droppin' Like It's Hot

Level 18: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

There has been an echo of "Seat Open!" in the InterContinental Ha Long Bay Convention Center poker area, signaling a whole bunch of early eliminations.

From the 146 that started, there are 123 that remain. Some of those that have vacated their seats were the likes of Jinkwan Kim, Quyet Tien Pham, Quang Huy Vu, Khan Duy Ta, Duy Hung Nguyen, Chak Hei Chen, Yuanxi "Wesley" Chen, Dennis Semerenko, Daniel Stancer, Shankui Li and Thi My Phuong Nguyen.

Incldentally, Johnni Nielsen was also eliminated along with the opportunity to make history as a repeat Madness Kickoff champion. Nielsen busted in 130th place.

Place	Player	Prize (VND)	Prize (USD)
123	HD Hai Duong TranViet Nam	21,200,000	$805
124	HM Ha Minh NguyenViet Nam	21,200,000	$805
125	DS Daniel StancerUnited Kingdom	21,200,000	$805
126	TH Trung Ha NguyenViet Nam	21,200,000	$805
127	SL Shankui LiChina	20,000,000	$760
128	DH Duc Hai VuViet Nam	20,000,000	$760
129	DS Denis SemerenkoRussia	20,000,000	$760
130	JN Johnni NielsenSweden	20,000,000	$760
131	TM Thi My Phuong NguyenViet Nam	20,000,000	$760
132	MD Manh Duong TranViet Nam	20,000,000	$760
133	KH Khuu Hoang NamViet Nam	20,000,000	$760
134	WL Wencheng LinChina	20,000,000	$760
135	XT Xuan Toan TranViet Nam	20,000,000	$760
136	SW Supatchai WaikasigornThailand	20,000,000	$760
137	YL Yihao LiChina	20,000,000	$760
138	AT Anh Tai DoViet Nam	20,000,000	$760
139	YC Yuanxi ChenSingapore	20,000,000	$760
140	CH Chak Hei ChanHong Kong	20,000,000	$760
141	DH Duy Hung NguyenViet Nam	20,000,000	$760
142	KD Khanh Duy TaViet Nam	20,000,000	$760
143	QH Quang Huy VuViet Nam	20,000,000	$760
144	QT Quyet Tien PhamViet Nam	20,000,000	$760
145	JK Jinkwan KimSouth Korea	20,000,000	$760

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 5:26:29 AM

Tran Eliminated Early

Level 18: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

Action folded to Xuan on the button, who moved all-in for 77,000. Big blind Ngon Huy Tran quickly made the call to put him at risk.

Xuan Toan Tran: Q♥ J♣

Ngon Huy Tran: A♠ Q♦

Xuan was in rough shape from the start, needing help against Ngon’s dominating ace-queen. The A♦ 7♣ 7♠ flop left him nearly drawing dead after Ngon improved to two pair.

The Q♠ turn gave Xuan a pair, but it also officially sealed his elimination as the river failed to change anything.

Player	Chips	Progress
NH Ngon Huy TranViet Nam	408,000(68 BB)	77,000
XT Xuan Toan TranViet Nam	busted	-89,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 5:18:05 AM

Xin Keeps Applying Pressure

Level 18: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

Tianlong Xin, who has been one of the most aggressive players in the field since last night, opened the action to 20,000 before small blind Denis Semerenko fired back with a squeeze to 60,000.

But Xin wasn’t done yet.

After the action folded back to him, Xin responded with a small but confident four-bet to 100,000, putting the pressure right back on Semerenko. The Russian grinder used nearly the entire 30-second shot clock before eventually deciding to fold, allowing Xin to continue building momentum without seeing a flop.

Player	Chips	Progress
TX Tianlong XinChina	581,000(97 BB)	130,000
DS Denis SemerenkoRussia	162,000(27 BB)	-63,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 5:02:17 AM

Cards Are In The Air

Level 18: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

The 146 players have taken to their seats and the tournament director has announced shuffle up and deal!

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/21/2026, 5:01:48 AM

Who To Watch Out For

Level 18: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

Johnni Nielsen

Out of the 146 players still remaining in the field, all eyes will be on the start-of-day chip leaders to see if they can maintain their advantage entering the final day. Of course, this is poker and anything can happen. Loosely translated - it's up to the poker gods.

Some of those to watch out for in the field include Sweden's Johnni Nielsen. Neilsen enters Day 2 with an above average stack of 317,000. Neilsen is a former Madness Kickoff champion, having won it in USOP Hai Phong 2024. Nielsen has history on his side and may also make history in the future as a repeat champion.

Germany's Marvin Rettenmaier is a silent favorite. Rettenmaier has a wealth of poker experience that has resulted in over USD 7.4 total live earnings, which includes a WPT Main Event champion title. Rettenmaier has a stack of 354,000.

Thi Minh Hong Pham

UK-based Vietnamese Thi Minh Hong Pham is a dark horse. She recently won the Main Event in the UK Poker Championships by GG Poker earlier this year and has a renewed confidence and momentum on her side. While most of her USD 500,000 plus total live earnings have been earned in European soil, she has claimed some significant cashes in Asia, including a 5th place finish in the Madness Kickoff event during USOP Grand Finale Hai Phong 2024 and a 3rd place finish in a NLH-Turbo event during APT Taipei 2026. Pham enters Day 2 with a stack of 188,000.

Among the locals, Kyle Bao Diep is one of the more well-rounded poker players, having won championships in various poker formats. A true master of the game, Diep has nearly USD 600,000 in total live earnings. Diep has a stack of 199,000.

Other players to keep your eyes on include Australia's Neng Zhao (577,000), China's Qian Wang (309,000), China's Zhiying Zhou (169,000), Vietnam's Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet (166,000), Vietnam's Thi My Phuong Nguyen (140,000), China's Junjie He (138,000) and Singapore's Yuanxi "Wesley" Chen (50,000).

Level 18: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 145/1149

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/21/2026, 3:00:31 AM

VND 10 Billion Guarantee Smashed as 145 Survivors Return for the Madness Kickoff Title

The first multi-day event of USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026 has officially delivered big numbers. The Madness Kickoff, carrying a VND 10 Billion (~USD 380,000) guarantee, smashed through that figure after attracting 1,149 total entries, building a massive VND 10,865,096,000 (~USD 412,060) prize pool.

After five starting flights, only 145 players remain and will return today at the luxurious InterContinental Ha Long Bay Resort at 12:00 PM local time to battle for the trophy, the glory, and the top prize worth VND 1,800,000,000 (~USD 68,265).

Every returning player has already secured a minimum payout of VND 20,000,000 (~USD 760), nearly doubling the original buy-in.

Hai Ha Tran

Leading the field heading into Day 2 is Hai Ha Tran with 812,000 (135 big blinds), thanks to his dominant Day 1A performance. Close behind is Minh Huan Nguyen with 721,000 (120 big blinds), while Andy Kok rounds out the top three with 680,000 (113 big blinds).

Several notable names are still in contention, including defending USOP Vietnam Madness Kickoff champion Johnni Nielsen with 317,000 (53 big blinds), two-time WPT Main Event champion Marvin Rettenmaier with 354,000, former USOP Da Nang Main Event champion Tse Ian Lee with 233,000, and Thi Minh Hong Pham with 188,000, fresh off her UKPC Main Event victory. Also among the bigger stacks is Van Sang Nguyen with 468,000.

Day 2 resumes at blinds of 3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 big blind ante and 40-minute levels. Play will continue until a champion is crowned.

Visit Somuchpoker’s payouts tab for the latest results and complete payout information.

Scroll down to view the official Day 2 seat draw.

Stay tuned as Somuchpoker remains on the tournament floor to bring you all the latest updates and key hands from the action.

SMPSMP

5/21/2026, 2:50:43 AM

Seat Draw

Player	Chips	Table	Seat
AK Andy KokIndonesia	680,000	27	1
QC Quang Cong TranViet Nam	61,000	27	2
TH Trung Ha NguyenViet Nam	125,000	27	3
XY Xiaotong YuChina	233,000	27	4
DQ Dang Quyen AnhViet Nam	394,000	27	5
XZ Xianming ZhaiChina	173,000	27	6
YZ Yinan ZhouChina	342,000	27	7
YN Yuxin NiuChina	241,000	27	8
NK Ngoc Khanh NguyenViet Nam	85,000	27	9
YJ Yuequan JiaChina	314,000	28	1
HN Hoai Nam LaViet Nam	548,000	28	2
HV Huu Vinh NguyenViet Nam	233,000	28	3
CH Chak Hei ChanHong Kong	272,000	28	4
QZ Qinghong ZhangChina	161,000	28	5
AT Anh Tuan PhamViet Nam	385,000	28	6
VD Van Duc TranViet Nam	50,000	28	7
DA Duy Anh NguyenViet Nam	107,000	28	8
MT Minh Tuan TranViet Nam	140,000	28	9
VT Van Tai TranViet Nam	477,000	29	1
MH Minh Hoang NguyenViet Nam	322,000	29	2
JL Jongkwan LeeSouth Korea	91,000	29	4
QD Quang Duy LeViet Nam	37,000	29	5
VT Van Thanh Dat PhanViet Nam	174,000	29	6
WH Win Htut TinMyanmar	199,000	29	7
QH Quang Huy NguyenViet Nam	157,000	29	8
BC Bui Cong TuanViet Nam	274,000	29	9
BL Bo LiChina	246,000	30	1
HN Huy Nam BuiViet Nam	92,000	30	2
VQ Van Quang LuongViet Nam	345,000	30	3
MG Matthew GrayUnited Kingdom	124,000	30	4
YC Yuanxi ChenSingapore	50,000	30	5
TA Tuan Anh TranViet Nam	178,000	30	6
HL Hai Long HoangViet Nam	188,000	30	7
AT Anh Tu NguyenViet Nam	441,000	30	9
DT Duc Trung VuViet Nam	123,000	31	1
NL Ngoc Le NguyenViet Nam	363,000	31	3
BK Binbin KangChina	170,000	31	4
CM Christian MitchellAustralia	231,000	31	5
PQ Pham Quang DungViet Nam	355,000	31	6
TD Tan Dat LuuViet Nam	98,000	31	7
TV Thanh Vuong NguyenViet Nam	253,000	31	8
AT Anh Tai DoViet Nam	33,000	31	9
KH Khuu Hoang NamViet Nam	179,000	32	1
QM Quang Minh Nguyen 2Viet Nam	615,000	32	2
HY Haibiao YeChina	224,000	32	3
WJ Warren James RustadCanada	443,000	32	4
PD Pham Duc TrongViet Nam	154,000	32	5
TH Tran Hai Dang LeViet Nam	291,000	32	6
QT Quyet Tien PhamViet Nam	101,000	32	7
KK Kyaw Ko HtutMyanmar	61,000	32	8
MR Marvin RettenmaierGermany	354,000	32	9
HM Ha Minh NguyenViet Nam	186,000	39	1
HM Hayato MinekawaJapan	60,000	39	2
BT Bui The NguyenViet Nam	211,000	39	3
TP Trung Phong NguyenViet Nam	137,000	39	4
QW Qian WangChina	309,000	39	5
MT Manh Tu NguyenViet Nam	99,000	39	6
TD Tien Dat DangViet Nam	461,000	39	8
VD Van Dat NgoViet Nam	328,000	39	9
HH Hai Ha TranViet Nam	812,000	40	1
VS Van Sang NguyenViet Nam	468,000	40	2
DQ Dinh Quyet PhamViet Nam	200,000	40	3
SW Supatchai WaikasigornThailand	38,000	40	4
YZ Yuxiang ZhaoChina	270,000	40	5
JH Junjie HeChina	138,000	40	6
VL Van Lam NguyenViet Nam	95,000	40	7
TB Tobias BuiViet Nam	359,000	40	8
DS Daniel StancerUnited Kingdom	162,000	40	9
HL Hao LingChina	232,000	41	1
MY Mei Yee LoChina	94,000	41	2
AR Azizjon RakhimovUzbekistan	439,000	41	3
JP Jaerim ParkSouth Korea	74,000	41	5
TT Thanh Trung PhamViet Nam	155,000	41	6
JL Junqiang LyuChina	241,000	41	7
QT Quang Trinh DoViet Nam	176,000	41	8
HL Hoang Linh NguyenViet Nam	332,000	41	9
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	577,000	42	1
VT Van Toan NguyenViet Nam	173,000	42	2
SK Siddharth KariaIndia	48,000	42	3
TL Thanh Long BuiViet Nam	102,000	42	4
YJ Yiming JiChina	361,000	42	5
TK Taeil KimSouth Korea	238,000	42	6
TE Tom EadyUnited Kingdom	339,000	42	7
VN Van Nam NguyenViet Nam	136,000	42	8
JS Jungi SeoSouth Korea	228,000	42	9
TM Thi My Phuong NguyenViet Nam	140,000	43	1
QH Quang Huy VuViet Nam	77,000	43	2
XH Xuan Hung LeViet Nam	522,000	43	3
XT Xuan Toan TranViet Nam	89,000	43	4
VT Van Tam VuViet Nam	304,000	43	5
NH Ngon Huy TranViet Nam	331,000	43	6
XT Xuan Trung TranViet Nam	172,000	43	7
TQ Thai Quang NguyenViet Nam	559,000	43	8
AT Anh Tuan Pham 2	194,000	43	9
TH Tuan Huy NguyenViet Nam	122,000	44	1
DS Denis SemerenkoRussia	225,000	44	2
HD Hoang Dat VuViet Nam	99,000	44	3
TK Tung Khanh PhamViet Nam	35,000	44	4
JN Johnni NielsenSweden	317,000	44	5
TI Tse Ian LeeMalaysia	233,000	44	6
TX Tianlong XinChina	451,000	44	7
VT Van Trung NguyenViet Nam	170,000	44	8
AT Anh Tuan TrinhViet Nam	315,000	51	1
ZZ Zhiying ZhouChina	169,000	51	2
CW Chengshan WuChina	198,000	51	3
JK Jinkwan KimSouth Korea	115,000	51	4
KN Khant NaingMyanmar	644,000	51	5
WL Wencheng LinChina	64,000	51	6
DA Dakota AndersonUnited States of America	96,000	51	7
XL Xialin LiChina	467,000	51	8
ZY Zhifan YeChina	308,000	51	9
DH Duy Hung NguyenViet Nam	103,000	52	1
DA Duy Anh PhamViet Nam	639,000	52	2
QS Quang Son NguyenViet Nam	386,000	52	3
MD Manh Duong TranViet Nam	65,000	52	4
IT Ilia TimofeevRussia	220,000	52	5
AT Anh Tuan LuongViet Nam	322,000	52	6
LD Le Dinh TungViet Nam	253,000	52	7
SL Shankui LiChina	171,000	52	8
QT Quang Trung DoanViet Nam	130,000	52	9
IL Ivan LukianovRussia	181,000	53	1
CH Chul Ho ParkSouth Korea	396,000	53	2
KD Khanh Duy TaViet Nam	57,000	53	3
MZ Mingyang ZhangChina	160,000	53	4
TD Trung Duc PhamViet Nam	335,000	53	5
NN Nhat Nam HoangViet Nam	262,000	53	6
KA Khayal AbbasovAzerbaijan	102,000	53	7
KB Kyle Bao DiepViet Nam	199,000	53	9
TM Thi Minh Hong PhamViet Nam	188,000	54	1
TV The Vinh NguyenViet Nam	212,000	54	2
TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	334,000	54	3
SY Sangwook YimSouth Korea	361,000	54	4
WK Wongyu KangSouth Korea	257,000	54	5
TN Ta Nhat VuViet Nam	100,000	54	6
DH Duc Hai VuViet Nam	72,000	54	7
TG Tiannan GaoChina	141,000	54	8
MH Minh Huan NguyenViet Nam	721,000	55	1
LD Leandro DirlewangerSwitzerland	258,000	55	2
NT Nguyen Thi Anh TuyetViet Nam	166,000	55	3
YL Yihao LiChina	13,000	55	4
SK Soonjo KwonSouth Korea	316,000	55	5
HA Hoang Anh TranViet Nam	84,000	55	6
HD Hai Duong TranViet Nam	156,000	55	7
DK Do Khac ThangViet Nam	385,000	55	8
QT Quang Thang NguyenViet Nam	233,000	55	9

SMPSMP

5/21/2026, 2:48:32 AM

Chip Counts and Payouts

Chip Counts

Player	Chips
HH Hai Ha TranViet Nam	812,000
MH Minh Huan NguyenViet Nam	721,000
AK Andy KokIndonesia	680,000
KN Khant NaingMyanmar	644,000
DA Duy Anh PhamViet Nam	639,000
QM Quang Minh NguyenViet Nam	615,000
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	577,000
TQ Thai Quang NguyenViet Nam	559,000
HN Hoai Nam LaViet Nam	548,000
XH Xuan Hung LeViet Nam	522,000
VT Van Tai TranViet Nam	477,000
VS Van Sang NguyenViet Nam	468,000
XL Xialin LiChina	467,000
TD Tien Dat DangViet Nam	461,000
TX Tianlong XinChina	451,000
WJ Warren James RustadCanada	443,000
AT Anh Tu NguyenViet Nam	441,000
AR Azizjon RakhimovUzbekistan	439,000
CH Chul Ho ParkSouth Korea	396,000
DQ Dang Quyen AnhViet Nam	394,000
QS Quang Son NguyenViet Nam	386,000
DK Do Khac ThangViet Nam	385,000
AT Anh Tuan PhamViet Nam	385,000
NL Ngoc Le NguyenViet Nam	363,000
SY Sangwook YimSouth Korea	361,000
YJ Yiming JiChina	361,000
TB Tobias BuiViet Nam	359,000
PQ Pham Quang DungViet Nam	355,000
MR Marvin RettenmaierGermany	354,000
VQ Van Quang LuongViet Nam	345,000
YZ Yinan ZhouChina	342,000
TE Tom EadyUnited Kingdom	339,000
TD Trung Duc PhamViet Nam	335,000
TD Tien Dat NguyenViet Nam	334,000
HL Hoang Linh NguyenViet Nam	332,000
NH Ngon Huy TranViet Nam	331,000
VD Van Dat NgoViet Nam	328,000
AT Anh Tuan LuongViet Nam	322,000
MH Minh Hoang NguyenViet Nam	322,000
JN Johnni NielsenSweden	317,000
SK Soonjo KwonSouth Korea	316,000
AT Anh Tuan TrinhViet Nam	315,000
YJ Yuequan JiaChina	314,000
QW Qian WangChina	309,000
ZY Zhifan YeChina	308,000
VT Van Tam VuViet Nam	304,000
TH Tran Hai Dang LeViet Nam	291,000
BC Bui Cong TuanViet Nam	274,000
CH Chak Hei ChanHong Kong	272,000
YZ Yuxiang ZhaoChina	270,000
NN Nhat Nam HoangViet Nam	262,000
LD Leandro DirlewangerSwitzerland	258,000
WK Wongyu KangSouth Korea	257,000
LD Le Dinh TungViet Nam	253,000
TV Thanh Vuong NguyenViet Nam	253,000
BL Bo LiChina	246,000
JL Junqiang LyuChina	241,000
YN Yuxin NiuChina	241,000
TK Taeil KimSouth Korea	238,000
XY Xiaotong YuChina	233,000
HV Huu Vinh NguyenViet Nam	233,000
QT Quang Thang NguyenViet Nam	233,000
TI Tse Ian LeeMalaysia	233,000
HL Hao LingChina	232,000
CM Christian MitchellAustralia	231,000
JS Jungi SeoSouth Korea	228,000
DS Denis SemerenkoRussia	225,000
HY Haibiao YeChina	224,000
IT Ilia TimofeevRussia	220,000
TV The Vinh NguyenViet Nam	212,000
BT Bui The NguyenViet Nam	211,000
DQ Dinh Quyet PhamViet Nam	200,000
WH Win Htut TinMyanmar	199,000
KB Kyle Bao DiepViet Nam	199,000
CW Chengshan WuChina	198,000
AT Anh Tuan Pham 2	194,000
HL Hai Long HoangViet Nam	188,000
TM Thi Minh Hong PhamViet Nam	188,000
HM Ha Minh NguyenViet Nam	186,000
IL Ivan LukianovRussia	181,000
KH Khuu Hoang NamViet Nam	179,000
TA Tuan Anh TranViet Nam	178,000
QT Quang Trinh DoViet Nam	176,000
VT Van Thanh Dat PhanViet Nam	174,000
VT Van Toan NguyenViet Nam	173,000
XZ Xianming ZhaiChina	173,000
XT Xuan Trung TranViet Nam	172,000
SL Shankui LiChina	171,000
BK Binbin KangChina	170,000
VT Van Trung NguyenViet Nam	170,000
ZZ Zhiying ZhouChina	169,000
NT Nguyen Thi Anh TuyetViet Nam	166,000
DS Daniel StancerUnited Kingdom	162,000
QZ Qinghong ZhangChina	161,000
MZ Mingyang ZhangChina	160,000
QH Quang Huy NguyenViet Nam	157,000
HD Hai Duong TranViet Nam	156,000
TT Thanh Trung PhamViet Nam	155,000
PD Pham Duc TrongViet Nam	154,000
TG Tiannan GaoChina	141,000
TM Thi My Phuong NguyenViet Nam	140,000
MT Minh Tuan TranViet Nam	140,000
JH Junjie HeChina	138,000
TP Trung Phong NguyenViet Nam	137,000
VN Van Nam NguyenViet Nam	136,000
QT Quang Trung DoanViet Nam	130,000
TH Trung Ha NguyenViet Nam	125,000
MG Matthew GrayUnited Kingdom	124,000
DT Duc Trung VuViet Nam	123,000
TH Tuan Huy NguyenViet Nam	122,000
JK Jinkwan KimSouth Korea	115,000
DA Duy Anh NguyenViet Nam	107,000
DH Duy Hung NguyenViet Nam	103,000
TL Thanh Long BuiViet Nam	102,000
KA Khayal AbbasovAzerbaijan	102,000
QT Quyet Tien PhamViet Nam	101,000
TN Ta Nhat VuViet Nam	100,000
MT Manh Tu NguyenViet Nam	99,000
HD Hoang Dat VuViet Nam	99,000
TD Tan Dat LuuViet Nam	98,000
DA Dakota AndersonUnited States of America	96,000
VL Van Lam NguyenViet Nam	95,000
MY Mei Yee LoChina	94,000
HN Huy Nam BuiViet Nam	92,000
JL Jongkwan LeeSouth Korea	91,000
XT Xuan Toan TranViet Nam	89,000
NK Ngoc Khanh NguyenViet Nam	85,000
HA Hoang Anh TranViet Nam	84,000
QH Quang Huy VuViet Nam	77,000
JP Jaerim ParkSouth Korea	74,000
DH Duc Hai VuViet Nam	72,000
MD Manh Duong TranViet Nam	65,000
WL Wencheng LinChina	64,000
KK Kyaw Ko HtutMyanmar	61,000
QC Quang Cong TranViet Nam	61,000
HM Hayato MinekawaJapan	60,000
KD Khanh Duy TaViet Nam	57,000
VD Van Duc TranViet Nam	50,000
YC Yuanxi ChenSingapore	50,000
SK Siddharth KariaIndia	48,000
SW Supatchai WaikasigornThailand	38,000
QD Quang Duy LeViet Nam	37,000
TK Tung Khanh PhamViet Nam	35,000
AT Anh Tai DoViet Nam	33,000
YL Yihao LiChina	13,000

Payouts

Place	Payout (VND)	Payout (USD)
1	1,800,000,000	$68,255
2	1,200,000,000	$45,505
3	800,000,000	$30,335
4	586,000,000	$22,220
5	478,190,000	$18,135
6	386,100,000	$14,640
7	305,600,000	$11,590
8	236,700,000	$8,975
9	180,000,000	$6,825
10	131,600,000	$4,990
11	131,600,000	$4,990
12	131,600,000	$4,990
13	102,800,000	$3,900
14	102,800,000	$3,900
15	102,800,000	$3,900
16	84,100,000	$3,190
17	84,100,000	$3,190
18	84,100,000	$3,190
19	71,700,000	$2,720
20	71,700,000	$2,720
21	71,700,000	$2,720
22	60,900,000	$2,310
23	60,900,000	$2,310
24	60,900,000	$2,310
25	53,100,000	$2,015
26	53,100,000	$2,015
27	53,100,000	$2,015
28	46,400,000	$1,760
29	46,400,000	$1,760
30	46,400,000	$1,760
31	46,400,000	$1,760
32	46,400,000	$1,760
33	46,400,000	$1,760
34	46,400,000	$1,760
35	46,400,000	$1,760
36	46,400,000	$1,760
37	40,700,000	$1,545
38	40,700,000	$1,545
39	40,700,000	$1,545
40	40,700,000	$1,545
41	40,700,000	$1,545
42	40,700,000	$1,545
43	40,700,000	$1,545
44	40,700,000	$1,545
45	40,700,000	$1,545
46	36,800,000	$1,395
47	36,800,000	$1,395
48	36,800,000	$1,395
49	36,800,000	$1,395
50	36,800,000	$1,395
51	36,800,000	$1,395
52	36,800,000	$1,395
53	36,800,000	$1,395
54	36,800,000	$1,395
55	33,700,000	$1,280
56	33,700,000	$1,280
57	33,700,000	$1,280
58	33,700,000	$1,280
59	33,700,000	$1,280
60	33,700,000	$1,280
61	33,700,000	$1,280
62	33,700,000	$1,280
63	33,700,000	$1,280
64	30,600,000	$1,160
65	30,600,000	$1,160
66	30,600,000	$1,160
67	30,600,000	$1,160
68	30,600,000	$1,160
69	30,600,000	$1,160
70	30,600,000	$1,160
71	30,600,000	$1,160
72	30,600,000	$1,160
73	28,200,000	$1,070
74	28,200,000	$1,070
75	28,200,000	$1,070
76	28,200,000	$1,070
77	28,200,000	$1,070
78	28,200,000	$1,070
79	28,200,000	$1,070
80	28,200,000	$1,070
81	28,200,000	$1,070
82	25,800,000	$980
83	25,800,000	$980
84	25,800,000	$980
85	25,800,000	$980
86	25,800,000	$980
87	25,800,000	$980
88	25,800,000	$980
89	25,800,000	$980
90	25,800,000	$980
91	24,100,000	$915
92	24,100,000	$915
93	24,100,000	$915
94	24,100,000	$915
95	24,100,000	$915
96	24,100,000	$915
97	24,100,000	$915
98	24,100,000	$915
99	24,100,000	$915
100	22,400,000	$850
101	22,400,000	$850
102	22,400,000	$850
103	22,400,000	$850
104	22,400,000	$850
105	22,400,000	$850
106	22,400,000	$850
107	22,400,000	$850
108	22,400,000	$850
109	21,200,000	$805
110	21,200,000	$805
111	21,200,000	$805
112	21,200,000	$805
113	21,200,000	$805
114	21,200,000	$805
115	21,200,000	$805
116	21,200,000	$805
117	21,200,000	$805
118	21,200,000	$805
119	21,200,000	$805
120	21,200,000	$805
121	21,200,000	$805
122	21,200,000	$805
123	21,200,000	$805
124	21,200,000	$805
125	21,200,000	$805
126	21,200,000	$805
127	20,000,000	$760
128	20,000,000	$760
129	20,000,000	$760
130	20,000,000	$760
131	20,000,000	$760
132	20,000,000	$760
133	20,000,000	$760
134	20,000,000	$760
135	20,000,000	$760
136	20,000,000	$760
137	20,000,000	$760
138	20,000,000	$760
139	20,000,000	$760
140	20,000,000	$760
141	20,000,000	$760
142	20,000,000	$760
143	20,000,000	$760
144	20,000,000	$760
145	20,000,000	$760

Event starts 12:00 local time..