A♠ an added incentive for those who joined Flight A, the chip leader at the end of the day will be earning a VND 30 Million bonus. That amount secures a triple up from the VND 11 million buyin.
There are a total of 29 entries so far with 27 players on their seats. A quick scan around the room revealed that Thailand's Supatchai Waukasigorn has the chip lead with 60,500 chips.
Although this is not an official leaderboard, here are some other random sizable chip counts:
| Player | Chips |
|---|---|
SW Supatchai Waukasigorn ![Thailand [THA]](/assets/images/flags/4x3/th.svg "Thailand [THA]"){kind=small} Thailand | 60,500(605 BB) |
TP Trong Phuc Ha ![Viet Nam [VNM]](/assets/images/flags/4x3/vn.svg "Viet Nam [VNM]"){kind=small} Viet Nam | 44,800(448 BB) |
AP Anh Phuong Tran Viet Nam | 44,500(445 BB) |
IL Ivan Lukianov ![Russia [RUS]](/assets/images/flags/4x3/ru.svg "Russia [RUS]"){kind=small} Russia | 42,300(423 BB) |
XG Xuan Giang Nguyen Viet Nam | 37,200(372 BB) |
A total of 19 entries signed up early for the first of five Day 1 flights. Some of the more familiar names already riffling some chips are the likes of Thanh Long Bui of Vietnam, who is still seeking his first poker title. Bui was a runner-up in the Monster Stack event during VPG Ho Chih Minh, where he banked a career best USD 10,534.
Sweden's Johnni Nielsen is ready to make his mark in the USOP. With nearly USD 180,000 in total live earnings, Nielsen is a two-time USOP winner. In fact, Nielsen won the Madness Kickoff event during USOP Hai Phong 2024, scoring a career high USD 66,912.
Scotland's Kevin Hunter has been making the poker rounds around the region. Hunter recently booked a championship in the Mini High Roller during RPTC II Hanoi.
| Player | Chips |
|---|---|
TL Thanh Long Bui Viet Nam | 30,000(300 BB) |
JN Johnni Nielsen ![Sweden [SWE]](/assets/images/flags/4x3/se.svg "Sweden [SWE]"){kind=small} Sweden | 30,000(300 BB) |
KH Kevin Hunter ![United Kingdom [GBR]](/assets/images/flags/4x3/gb.svg "United Kingdom [GBR]"){kind=small} United Kingdom | 30,000(300 BB) |
Cards are in the air and the USOP Ha Long Bay 2026 is officially underway with Flight A of the Madness Kickoff getting the ball rolling.
Stay tuned for live updates.
The wait is almost over. Day 1A of the Madness Kick Off is about to begin, marking the highly anticipated return of the USOP to Vietnam. The tables are set inside the InterContinental Halong Bay Resort, where players will get to look out at the famous green islands and clear waters of Halong Bay while they play.
This opening event features a buy-in of VND 11,000,000 (~USD 420) and a massive VND 10,000,000,000 (~USD 380,000) guaranteed prize pool. Everyone will start the day with 30,000 chips, and the blinds go up every 30 minutes. Late registration stays open for the first 11 levels, giving players until about 4:00 PM to jump into the action.
The plan for today is to play down to the final 12.5% of the field, with everyone making it through securing a cash. On top of that, there is an extra VND 30,000,000 (~USD 1,140) bonus waiting for whoever bags the chip lead at the end of the flight.
For those who miss the morning start or need to fire another bullet, Day 1B kicks off later today at 4:00 PM.
Follow Somuchpoker for today's live updates and action straight from the tournament floor.
