Viet Nam, InterContinental Halong Bay ResortEVENT #19

2026.05.22 - 2026.05.24Add to Calendar

U Series Of Poker

Blind level

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

Entries

30/240

Total Chips

8,400,000

Average

280,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 2:27:08 PM

Chengshan WuTops Day 1A Survivors And Scores VND 60 Million Bonus

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

Chengshan Wu

The VND 15 billion (~USD 570,000) guaranteed Mini Main Event at the USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026 kicked off with Day 1A, featuring a VND 20 million (~USD 760) buy-in and drawing a strong field of 240 entries.

After 11 hours of action at the tables, only 30 players survived the opening flight, all securing their Day 2 seat and a guaranteed payout.

Leading the survivors is Chengsan Wu with 660,000 chips (66 big blinds) after a powerful late surge through the final levels of the night. Wu also earned the VND 60 million (~USD 2,275) chip leader bonus for finishing atop the counts.

Wu first built momentum after making a correct call against Rosalie Petit to move beyond the 300K mark. His stack later exploded past 600K after winning a crucial flip against Wanda Zhao, eliminating Zhao during the soft bubble stage.

Right behind Wu is Wang Chen with 620,000 chips (62 big blinds), while Van Son Nguyen completed the top three with 563,000 chips (56 big blinds).

Top 10 Chip Count

Player	Chips
CW Chengshan WuChina	660,000(66 BB)
WC Wang ChenChina	620,000(62 BB)
VS Van Son NguyenViet Nam	563,000(56 BB)
KA Khayal AbbasovAzerbaijan	544,000(54 BB)
MS Mangkone SanaphanithLao People's Democratic Republic	374,000(37 BB)
VT Van Thien HaViet Nam	373,000(37 BB)
KH Kevin HunterUnited Kingdom	368,000(37 BB)
QW Qian WangChina	354,000(35 BB)
YM Yanzhou MengChina	353,000(35 BB)
QT Quang Thang DoViet Nam	351,000(35 BB)

The Bubble

The tournament ended for the night when Van Hien Dao, the shortest stack in the room, busted on the bubble. He called off his remaining chips on the river against Van Son Nguyen, who turned over K♠ K♥ for a set of kings.

Dao mucked and walked away as the final player eliminated outside the money, securing a Day 2 spot for the remaining 30 players.

Trung Quan Nguyen

Highlight of the Day

While the final elimination was tense, the biggest highlight of the day happened on the very first hand of the bubble. Van Thien Ha opened the action, and Trung Quan Nguyen put out a three-bet.

Ha then pulled off an incredibly gutsy move, four-bet shoving to put Nguyen to the test. Nguyen ultimately folded, and Ha proudly flipped over Q♥ 3♥ , showing the table a wild bluff that left everyone in absolute shock.

The 30 survivors will return on Sunday at 12:00 PM local time to continue their hunt for the trophy, the glory, and the top prize.

Congratulations to all players who successfully advanced to Day 2!

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 1:57:19 PM

Play Has Concluded!

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

Following the bubble bursting on Van Hien Dao, the remaining 30 players bagged up their chips to bring to the Day 2 final.

The announcement of the chip leader who will win the VND 60 million bonus and the rest of the survivor chip counts will be revealed later.

Stay tuned here for a full recap.

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 1:45:13 PM

Van Hien Dao Is The Bubble Boy!

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

Van Son Nguyen limped from early position for 10,000 and action went to the Van Hien Dao who had the shortest stack in the field on his big blind.

Dao checked his option and the dealer fanned a flop of K♣ 7♠ 4♠ for both players.

Both players checked to see a 9♠ on the turn.

Dao check-called the 10,000 bet of Nguyen, leaving himself just 12,000 behind.

The river was a T♣. Dao checked again and Nguyen pushed in 15,000 - covering the remaining stack of Dao.

Dao didn't have any time bank tokens left. With everyone watching, the pressure of the clock, the voices in his head, the feeling in his gut.... three... two... one... CALL

Nguyen flipped over K♠ K♥ for a set of kings. Dao mucked his hand and sprung out of his chair like a bubble burst under his seat.

Oh wait... it did.

Player	Chips	Progress
VS Van Son NguyenViet Nam	563,000(56 BB)
VH Van Hien DaoViet Nam	busted	-72,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 1:43:54 PM

Q3 for the Win?

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

On the very first hand of the bubble, things exploded after a massive bluff.

From early position, Van Thien Ha opened to 20,000. Trung Quan Nguyen was in the cutoff and put out a three-bet to 60,000.

When the action got back to Ha, he didn't waste any time and shoved all-in for 308,000. Nguyen burned through two time-bank chips, thinking hard before finally folding.

Once Nguyen folded, Ha proudly showed his cards Q♥ 3♥ .

The whole table was completely shocked, staring in disbelief at the crazy bluff with so much on the line.

Player	Chips	Progress
VT Van Thien HaViet Nam	393,000(39 BB)	296,000
TQ Trung Quan NguyenViet Nam	311,000(31 BB)	208,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 1:35:26 PM

Bubble Time!

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

The clock has been paused and play will be hand-for-hand as the tournament has reached the bubble stage. One more unfortunate elimination remains until 30 players make it in the money and advance to the Day 2 final.

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 1:30:50 PM

The Soft Bubble

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

Monster-stacked Chengshan Wu opened for 22,000 from under the gun. Action fell to very short stacked Wanhao Zhao, who made use of his last few time banks to see if any action might favor him from surviving to the final 30.

After a few time banks, he shoved his last 34,000 in the middle. Wu made the easy call.

Wanhao Zhao: T♠ T♣

Chengshan Wu: A♣ Q♥

It was a classic coin flip.

The board favored Zhao up to the turn with J♠ 6♦ 8♥ 2♠... However, with all the drama deserving a soft bubble bust out, the poker gods honored Greenstein and threw an A♥ on the river, sending Zhao out two spots shy of the money.

Player	Chips	Progress
CW Chengshan WuChina	615,000(62 BB)	295,000
WZ Wanhao ZhaoAustralia	busted	-54,000

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

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 32/240

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 1:21:35 PM

Meanwhile...

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

Day 1B is underway on its 9th level with registration still open until 10:00PM local time. There are 133 entries so far with 100 still on their seats.

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 32/240

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 1:14:59 PM

Wang Rivers Miracle to Bust Phung

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

Just before the break, Qian Wang opened to 16,000 from under the gun before button Song Hoang Phung responded with a three-bet shove for 142,000.

Back on Wang, she carefully counted her stack before eventually making the call to put Phung at risk.

Song Hoang Phung: A♦ A♠

Qian Wang: J♠ J♦

Phung was in excellent shape with pocket aces and stayed ahead on the K♦ 6♣ 6♠ flop. The 8♠ turn changed nothing, but the devastating J♥ spiked on the river.

Wang hit her two-outer to river a full house, sending her into a wave of pure joy. Meanwhile, Phung suffered a brutal exit, falling just three spots short of the money.

The remaining 32 players are now on break, and once the field reaches 31 players, hand-for-hand play will begin.

Player	Chips	Progress
QW Qian WangChina	360,000(45 BB)	82,000
SH Song Hoang PhungViet Nam	busted	-157,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 1:00:41 PM

At Risk

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

With 33 players remaining and three eliminations to go, these are the shortest stacks that are at risk.

Player	Chips	Progress
VH Van Hung NguyenAustria	86,000(11 BB)
VH Van Hien DaoViet Nam	72,000(9 BB)	-78,500
WZ Wanhao ZhaoAustralia	54,000(7 BB)	-55,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 12:50:15 PM

Hunter Dodges Flush Draw

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

It was an all-in preflop showdown for Kevin Hunter, who put his tournament life on the line for 145,000, and Chi Thanh Duong, who had him covered.

Kevin Hunter: A♦ Q♦

Chi Thanh Duong: J♥ J♠

It was a classic coin flip, and Hunter found immediate relief on the Q♠ T♠ 4♠ flop, pairing his queen to take the lead. However, it was far from a safe sweat, as Duong picked up the flush draw to go with his pocket jacks.

The 4♣ turn changed nothing, and when the 6♣ bricked out on the river, Hunter safely faded the outs to secure a much-needed double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
KH Kevin HunterUnited Kingdom	356,000(45 BB)	96,000
CT Chi Thanh NguyenViet Nam	213,000(27 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 12:46:55 PM

Check It Down

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

A pot of 60,000 was built between Chao Hu on the big blind and Luke Martinelli on the cutoff.

Both players checked the turn on a board of 8♥ 2♣ 8♣ T♦ and then checked the 6♥ river.

Hu revealed K♠ 2♠ for a pair of deuces while Martinelli mucked his hand. At that moment, Martinelli was left with just 55,000 chips.

A few hands later, the dealer announced "seat open" and Martinelli was seen leaving his seat.

Player	Chips	Progress
CH Chao HuChina	182,000(23 BB)	79,500
LM Luke MartinelliAustralia	busted	-140,000

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

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 36/240

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 12:41:05 PM

6 To Go!

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

There are 36 players remaining with 6 more eliminations until the remaining players get in the money and advance to the Day 2 final for a chance to climb higher up the payout ladder.

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 12:38:02 PM

Chen Takes Over Chip Lead

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

Two of the tournament chip leaders collided in a hand that shifted the top of the leaderboard.

Early position Song Hoang Phung opened to 12,000 before button Wang Chen three-bet to 37,000. Phung made the call.

On the 6♥ 4♦ 2♠ flop, Chen continued for 30,000, but Phung responded with a check-raise to 80,000. Chen used a time bank before eventually making the call.

The 6♠ paired the board on the turn. Phung checked once again, and Chen kept the pressure on with a 65,000 bet.

This time, Phung didn’t take long before letting his hand go.

With the pot, Wang Chen moves into the chip lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
WC Wang ChenChina	512,000(85 BB)	391,000
SH Song Hoang PhungViet Nam	157,000(26 BB)	-142,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 12:32:58 PM

Hee Haw!

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

Action folded to Duc Hieu Pham on the cutoff and he jammed his last 52,000 chips in the middle. Hai Duong Tran was on the small blind, took his time to think and decided to call.

Duc Hieu Pham: 2♦ 4♥

Hai Duong Tran: K♣ Q♠

The table had mixed emotions, which included invisible face palms and some giggles from the fellow Vietnamese.

The board ran J♥ 9♦ Q♦ A♦ 5♥

Tran hit top pair on the flop and had Pham desperately calling for a ten on the river for a split pot, which just means that things aren't going too well if your hole cards don't matter.

At least, Tran was able to recover from his earlier hit against Martinelli.

Player	Chips	Progress
HD Hai Duong TranViet Nam	115,000(19 BB)	46,000
DH Duc Hieu PhamViet Nam	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 12:27:03 PM

Wang Flushes Alt Out

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

The lone female player left in the field, Qian Wang, opened the action to 12,000 from early position, and Dinesh Alt defended his big blind.

The dealer put out a K♦ 9♠ 7♦ flop, prompting a 9,000 continuation bet from Wang. Alt counter-attacked with a check-raise to 19,000, but Wang didn't back down, announcing she was all-in. Alt wasted no time and snapped it off.

Dinesh Alt: K♣ 4♠

Qian Wang: A♦ J♦

Alt was out ahead with his top pair, but he had to fade a massive sweat as Wang held the nut flush draw.

The Q♦ turn completed the flush immediately for Wang, locking up the pot and sending Alt hitting the rail just shy of the money.

Player	Chips	Progress
QW Qian WangChina	278,000(46 BB)	138,000
DA Dinesh AltSwitzerland	busted	-77,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 12:24:02 PM

Martinelli Doubles From Tran

Level 17: 3,000 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

Luke Martinelli's last 65,000 was in the middle and at risk against Hai Duong Tran.

The cards were...

Luke Martinelli: T♠ T♥

Hai Duong Tran: A♣ T♣

The board ran 3♥ 6♥ Q♣ 8♦ 7♠

Martinelli's tens avoided the aces Tran was looking for and found a healthy double up, while Tran was left with a damaged stack.

Player	Chips
LM Luke MartinelliAustralia	140,000(28 BB)
HD Hai Duong TranViet Nam	69,000(14 BB)

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

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 47/240

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 12:08:37 PM

Wu Makes the Right Call

Level 17: 3,000 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

Chengshan Wu opened the action with a raise to 10,000, only for Rosalie Petit to three-bet shoved for her remaining 130,000 from the direct next seat. Action folded back around to Wu, who tanked for a moment before making the call to put Petit at risk.

Rosalie Petit: A♣ J♣

Chengshan Wu: A♠ Q♥

Wu's call was spot-on, putting him in a dominant position preflop. The action exploded on the A♦ Q♠ J♦ flop, giving both players a two pair. Petit was still chasing a jack to survive, but the 9♣ turn and 8♦ river bricked out completely, cementing her elimination.

Player	Chips	Progress
CW Chengshan WuChina	320,000(64 BB)
RP Rosalie PetitFrance	busted	-98,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 11:57:02 AM

Who's Still In?

Level 17: 3,000 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

Khayal Abbasov

Here are some of the chip stacks of some random players.

Take note that Qian Wang and Rosalie Petit are the last women left in the field.

Player	Chips	Progress
KA Khayal AbbasovAzerbaijan	220,000(44 BB)	44,000
QW Qian WangChina	140,000(28 BB)	75,000
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	130,000(26 BB)
MZ Mingyang ZhangChina	105,000(21 BB)	-13,500
RP Rosalie PetitFrance	98,000(20 BB)	17,500
DA Dinesh AltSwitzerland	77,000(15 BB)	5,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 11:51:24 AM

Big Blind Special For Lukianov

Level 17: 3,000 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

Ivan Lukianov

A mouth-watering pot of 60,000 was in the middle with a board that showed Q♠ 3♥ 2♥ A♥ 5♣

Ivan Lukianov was on the big blind against Kevin Hunter who was a seat after under the gun.

Lukianov let the clock wind down before deciding to check. Hunter also decided to check behind.

Lukianov peeled open Q♣ 2♣ for two pair.

Huner showed an A♣, then mucked his losing hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
KH Kevin HunterUnited Kingdom	260,000(52 BB)	-49,000
IL Ivan LukianovRussia	135,000(27 BB)	58,500

Level 17: 3,000 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 57/240

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 11:40:01 AM

Kings Stay Kings

Level 16: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

It was an all-in preflop situation between Khayal Abbasov, who risked his last 83,000, and Tom Eady, who had him covered.

Khayal Abbasov: K♠ K♦

Tom Eady: A♠ T♠

Abbasov’s pocket kings were already in great shape, but he virtually locked up the hand after flopping top set on the K♥ 6♦ 4♠ flop.

Eady was left drawing dead to runner-runner combinations, and any remaining suspense evaporated when the 6♥ turned, improving Abbasov to an unbeatable full house.

Player	Chips	Progress
KA Khayal AbbasovAzerbaijan	176,000(44 BB)	141,000
TE Tom EadyUnited Kingdom	15,000(4 BB)	-20,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 11:29:50 AM

Full House Crushes Choi’s Draw

Level 16: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

With 58,000 left, USOP Vietnam Main Event defending champion Hun Tae Choi pushed it all-in from middle position. Directly on his left, Alex Anton Rodriguez made the call, turning it into a classic race.

Hun Tae Choi: Q♠ J♣

Alex Anton Rodriguez: 7♦ 7♣

The dealer fanned a rollercoaster 9♣ 8♦ 7♠ flop. While Rodriguez flopped bottom set, Choi was still very much alive with an open-ended straight draw. However, the T♦ turn instantly crushed Choi's hopes, improving Rodriguez to a full house and rendering the river meaningless.

With that, the defending champion was eliminated, bringing the field one step closer to the money.

Player	Chips	Progress
AA Alex Anton RodriguezSpain	201,000(50 BB)	50,000
HT Hun Tae ChoiSouth Korea	busted	-57,500

-

Remaining Players: 72/240

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 11:05:10 AM

Break Time!

Break

The remaining 72 players are now on a 10-minute break. During this break, a chip race for the 500-denomination chips will take place.

Play will resume afterward and continue until the field is down to the final 30 players.

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 72/240

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 11:01:25 AM

Ye Fires Final Bullet

Level 15: 1,500 / 3,000 ante: 3,000

With around 66,500 already in the middle and the board showing 6♥ 5♥ 4♥ T♦ , Zhifan Ye fired out a bet of 40,000. Marvin Rettenmaier took a moment to think it over before making the check-call.

The 7♦ peeled on the river, and after Rettenmaier checked again, Ye fired the final bullet and announced he was all-in. Rettenmaier spent about a minute in the tank before tossing his hand into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
ZY Zhifan YeChina	216,000(72 BB)	181,000
MR Marvin RettenmaierGermany	46,500(16 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 10:51:10 AM

Nguyen-er Winner

Level 15: 1,500 / 3,000 ante: 3,000

The main pot had 12,000 and the all in triangle was in front of Xiaosheng Zheng.

There was still a side pot of 24,000 beside a board that showed 8♦ 5♦ 4♦ A♠

That pot was being contested by Ngoc Dai Nguyen on the big blind and Chao Hu on the button.

Nguyen check-called the 17,000 bet of Hu and were shown a 7♠ on the river.

This time around, Nguyen led out for 21,500. Hu tanked and eventually let go of his hand to award the healthier side pot.

With that business done and won, it was time for Zheng's survival and the fight for the main pot.

Zheng showed A♦ 3♦ for a pair of aces, but it wasn't enough with Nguyen tabling 8♣ 6♦ for a straight.

Player	Chips
CH Chao HuChina	102,500(34 BB)
ND Ngoc Dai NguyenViet Nam	89,000(30 BB)
XZ Xiaosheng ZhengChina	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 10:46:53 AM

Straight Outta Nowhere

Level 15: 1,500 / 3,000 ante: 3,000

One of the current chip leaders, Song Hoang Phung, opened the action to 6,000, prompting a short-stacked Johnni Nielsen to shove his remaining 14,500 from the cutoff. Sitting in the big blind, Alex Anton Rodriguez four-bet to 53,000, which quickly forced Phung out of the way.

Johnni Nielsen: A♠ 7♦

Alex Anton Rodriguez: Q♣ Q♠

The 9♣ 3♥ 2♦ flop kept Rodriguez safely in the lead, but the 5♠ turn picked up a gutshot straight draw for Nielsen.

The 4♥ river completed the runner-runner straight, drawing a wave of stunned laughter from the table as Nielsen hit the perfect runout to survive.

Player	Chips	Progress
SH Song Hoang PhungViet Nam	299,000(100 BB)	-16,000
AA Alex Anton RodriguezSpain	151,000(50 BB)	-8,500
JN Johnni NielsenSweden	39,500(13 BB)	-3,500

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 10:45:27 AM

300K Club Forms Early

Level 15: 1,500 / 3,000 ante: 3,000

While the rest of the field battles it out, four front-runners have managed to distance themselves from the competition.

With the current tournament average hovering around the 100,000 mark, these players have built massive towers, each sitting on more than three times that amount:

Player	Chips	Progress
QT Quang Thang DoViet Nam	382,000(127 BB)	243,000
SH Song Hoang PhungViet Nam	315,000(105 BB)	95,000
KH Kevin HunterUnited Kingdom	309,000(103 BB)	274,000
KZ Ko Zaw KoMyanmar	303,000(101 BB)	200,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 10:36:03 AM

Ko With Another KO

Level 15: 1,500 / 3,000 ante: 3,000

Ba Quan Nguyen had risked his last 32,000 and was matched by the monster stack of Ko Zaw Ko

Ba Quan Nguyen: Q♦ T♦

Ko Zaw Ko: A♣ 9♠

In cinematic fashion...

The flop arrived J♦ A♠ 9♣ to give Ko a formidable two pair. However, ti gave Nguyen an open-ended straight draw.

The turn 8♥ did, in fact, give Nguyen the straight and the high hopes to double up.

But then, the poker gods enjoy twisting those emotions and threw in a A♥ on the river, giving Ko a full house and put a hold on Nguyen's Mini Main event hopes.

Ko Zaw Ko's monster stack may be wearing the chip leader crown.

Player	Chips	Progress
KZ Ko Zaw KoMyanmar	325,000(108 BB)	22,000
BQ Ba Quan NguyenViet Nam	busted

Level 15: 1,500 / 3,000 ante: 3,000

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 88/240

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 10:28:06 AM

Ji Got the Worst Receipt

Level 14: 1,000 / 2,500 ante: 2,500

Left with just 20,000, Mangkone Sanaphanith moved all-in from under the gun. It folded around to the small blind, where Quang Truong Le shoved over the top for 35,500. Yiming Ji was waiting in the big blind and called them both, setting up a potential double knockout.

Mangkone Sanaphanith: A♣ K♠

Quang Truong Le: J♣ J♥

Yiming Ji: 7♠ 7♦

Sanaphanith jumped out in front on the K♦ Q♣ 4♥ flop, pairing his king and leaving both Le and Ji hunting for just two outs each. The K♥ turn improved Sanaphanith to trips, and the 4♦ river sealed a clean triple-up for him.

Meanwhile, Le locked up the side pot to salvage some chips, leaving Ji as the main casualty of the hand.

Player	Chips
YJ Yiming JiChina	66,000(26 BB)
MS Mangkone SanaphanithLao People's Democratic Republic	62,500(25 BB)
QT Quang Truong LeViet Nam	31,000(12 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 10:25:49 AM

End Of The Road

Level 14: 1,000 / 2,500 ante: 2,500

With registration closed and no more re-entries allowed, it is the end of the road for some players on this flight. Of course, they can always register into Day 1B, which is on its third level and will be open until 10:00 PM local time.

Some of those who were eliminated include Win Htut Tin, Li Kai, Khant Naing, Dakota Anderson, Jimmy Liu, Shankui Li, Yi Wang, Jinkwan Kim, Chuan Feng and Cheng Chen.

Player	Chips	Progress
WH Win Htut TinMyanmar	busted
LK Li KaiChina	busted
KN Khant NaingMyanmar	busted	-35,000
DA Dakota AndersonUnited States of America	busted
JL Jimmy LiuViet Nam	busted	-35,000
SL Shankui LiChina	busted	-35,000
VT Van Thanh Dat PhanViet Nam	busted	-43,400
YW Yi WangChina	busted	-19,100
JK Jinkwan KimSouth Korea	busted	-18,100
CF Chuan FengChina	busted	-22,000
CC Cheng ChenChina	busted	-59,200

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 10:20:55 AM

No Miracle, Just Kings

Level 14: 1,000 / 2,500 ante: 2,500

From under the gun, Ivan Lukianov open-shoved for his last 36,500. He almost stole the blinds and antes, but Alan Pham, fresh off a career-best $368,417 score for winning the WPT Australia Championship last September, made the call from the big blind.

Ivan Lukianov: K♠ K♦

Alan Pham: Q♥ Q♣

Both players held premium pocket pairs, but Lukianov was well ahead, leaving Pham with just two outs.

The J♥ T♣ 9♠ flop gave Lukianov a serious sweat, though, as Pham picked up an open-ended straight draw.

The 9♣ turn changed nothing, and the 5♠ river bricked out completely, securing the double-up for Lukianov.

Player	Chips
AP Alan PhamAustralia	86,500(35 BB)
IL Ivan LukianovRussia	76,500(31 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 10:14:05 AM

Keep Calm... It's Han

Level 14: 1,000 / 2,500 ante: 2,500

Andrew Han of Australia opened for 5,000 from the lowjack. On the next seat, Dihn Soai Nguyen jammed his last 23,000 in the middle.

Action fell back to Han who made the call.

Dinh Soai Nguyen: 8♦ 2♦

Andrew Han: 7♦ 7♠

Most of the table reacted to Nguyen's choice of cards. Throughout this time, Han just remained calm, emotionless - almost numb.

The dealer fanned a flop of T♥ 8♥ 2♥ which gave Nguyen two pair and brought about some "whoas" and more table chatter.

Han, remained immovable and still emotionless.

A J♦ landed on the turn to give Han a gut shot straight draw to add to his two outer.

The poker gods threw a 9♦ on the river and while the table was reacting with a louder "whoa", Han just picked up the chips of Nguyen and just stacked them carefully without a flinch or a smile, like he knew this was how it was supposed to happen.

Player	Chips
AH Andrew HanAustralia	104,000(42 BB)
DS Dinh Soai NguyenViet Nam	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 10:11:24 AM

Alt Takes A Hit

Level 14: 1,000 / 2,500 ante: 2,500

The cards were on their backs, the board was complete and the dealer was assessing the amount for the payout.

Trung Quan Nguyen: A♣ 8♦

Dinesh Alt: K♠ Q♦

The board - 4♠ T♦ 6♥ 2♦ 5♠

Nguyen's ace-high was good enough for the double, while adding a significant dent to Alt's stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
TQ Trung Quan NguyenViet Nam	103,000(41 BB)	68,000
DA Dinesh AltSwitzerland	72,000(29 BB)	-11,000

Level 14: 1,000 / 2,500 ante: 2,500

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 104/240

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 10:00:18 AM

The Imaginary Straight

Level 13: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

With around 25,000 already in the middle and the board showing T♣ 9♠ 5♠ 8♣ , big blind Thanh Binh Nguyen led out with a bet of 12,000. Dinesh Alt didn't hesitate and shoved all-in over the top for 29,000. Nguyen snapped it off.

Dinesh Alt: A♠ T♥

Thanh Binh Nguyen: 8♠ 7♦

Upon seeing Nguyen’s cards, Alt stood up from his chair. The dealer peeled the 2♣ on the river, safe for Alt's top pair to lock up the double-up.

Alt sat back down to scoop the chips, admitting, "I almost walked away. I thought he had a straight."

Player	Chips	Progress
DA Dinesh AltSwitzerland	83,000(42 BB)	61,300
TB Thanh Binh NguyenViet Nam	61,000(31 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 9:56:25 AM

Better Lucky Than...

Level 13: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

Chuan Feng was on the big blind against Van Phuc Tran on the next seat over under the gun.

The two players had a yummy pot of 33,000 in front of them and a board that showed 2♠ K♠ 5♥ T♥

Feng checked his option over to Tran, who took a look at his cards and - in dramatic fashion - carefully stacked his chips and pushed them all in.

The dealer counted them off to 28,000.

Feng was in the middle of a massage and counted off his own chips to assess the damage. He then took a peek at his cards, grabbed the stack to call, made a hesitation move, but eventually made it cross the line.

Van Phuc Tran: A♥ Q♦

Chuan Feng: T♠ 6♠

Feng was surprised he was ahead with a pair of tens. In fact, the table was also a bit bewildered. But then, Tran had a nut flush draw and a few other outs like a straight draw and some non-spade over cards.

The poker gods took a vote and decided to throw a Q♠ on the river to give Tran a pair of queens to win it.

Feng just remained stoic and continued to enjoy his massage despite the severe damage to his stack.

Some players at the table conversed with Tran in Vietnamese - most probably about the hand - and although the translation was lost, the context had to do with "getting lucky" for sure.

Player	Chips	Progress
VP Van Phuc TranViet Nam	89,000(45 BB)	36,400
CF Chuan FengChina	22,000(11 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 9:53:11 AM

Deuces Fall Short

Level 13: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

It was an all-in preflop battle between Seungdo Kim, who risked his remaining 62,000 from the small blind, and Song Hoang Phung, who had him easily covered from the big blind.

Seungdo Kim: 2♣ 2♥

Song Hoang Phung: A♣ K♥

Phung took a commanding lead on the A♠ Q♦ 9♥ flop, pairing his ace and leaving Kim hunting for one of the two remaining deuces in the deck. The 7♦ turn and J♣ river brought no help for Kim, sending him to the rail.

With that pot, Phung catapulted himself into the current chip lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
SH Song Hoang PhungViet Nam	220,000(110 BB)	36,500
SK Seungdo KimSouth Korea	busted	-35,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 9:46:18 AM

He Ha

Level 13: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

Junjie He was under the gun against Van Thien Ha on the hijack.

Both players were competing for a delicious pot of around 30,000 chips that were scattered around a board that showed J♦ 3♦ T♣ K♦

He acted first and pushed 11,5000 across the betting line. Ha kept still until the clock almost ran out and he counted out 23,000 to raise with.

He immediately pushed his cards back to the dealer.

Player	Chips
VT Van Thien HaViet Nam	97,000(49 BB)
JH Junjie HeChina	58,000(29 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 9:45:00 AM

Nguyen Retires Rustad

Level 16: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

Warren Rustad

The cards were on their backs with the all-in button sitting beside the A♥ K♦ of Warren Rustad and the last of his 38,000 chips.

Thanh Long Nguyen was the lone challenger with A♦ T♣ in front ofhim.

Rustad looked in good shape to double up with a more dominant hand.

The 5♠ 7♠ 7♥ flop maintained that confidence.

However, it was shattered on the turn when the poker gods threw in a T♠ to give Nguyen a pair.

Rustad prayed for a miracle on the river, but a 3♣ offered no consolation, sending him in brutal fashion.

Player	Chips	Progress
TL Thanh Long NguyenViet Nam	134,000(34 BB)	26,000
WJ Warren James RustadCanada	busted	-82,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 9:42:02 AM

Wrong Seat, Bad Luck for Chan

Level 13: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

Facing a raise, Tiannan Gao three-bet shoved his remaining 14,500 into the middle. From the big blind, Chak Hei Chan four-bet to 30,000, which was more than enough to force the initial raiser out of the way.

Tiannan Gao: A♦ K♦

Chak Hei Chan: Q♣ Q♦

It was a classic flip for Gao's tournament life, and he found immediate help on the K♠ 9♣ 5♥ flop to take the lead with a pair of kings. The 7♠ turn and 8♣ river changed nothing, securing the double-up for Gao.

Just a few hands later, a bizarre moment unfolded when the floor approached Chan and asked him to move to seat 4 because he had accidentally been sitting in the wrong seat the entire time.

Chan took it in stride, finding it hilarious that he had just lost a chunk of his stack in a seat he wasn't even supposed to be playing in.

Player	Chips
CH Chak Hei ChanHong Kong	53,000(27 BB)
TG Tiannan GaoChina	34,500(17 BB)

Level 13: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 129/240

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 9:32:11 AM

Ko KOs Ozaki

Level 12: 1,000 / 1,500 ante: 1,500

Ko Zaw Ko of Myanmar opened for 4,500 from under the gun. A few seats over Miki Ozaki of Japan risked his last 6,500 and pushed it all in.

Everyone else stayed out of the way and Ko put in the small change needed to match.

Miki Ozaki: A♣ 9♠

Ko Zaw Ko: 9♦ 9♣

The board ran clean 5♥ T♥ 8♠ 6♦ 4♣

Ozaki didn't find any of his outs and Ko pushed his chips past the 100,000 mark.

Player	Chips	Progress
KZ Ko Zaw KoMyanmar	103,000(69 BB)
MO Miki OzakiJapan	busted	-35,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 9:21:38 AM

He Tops The Three Way

Level 12: 1,000 / 1,500 ante: 1,500

The pot in the middle was around 16,000

The board had completed 2♦ 9♥ J♥ T♥ 2♣

Three cards were on their backs.

Jiaqi He: J♦ 9♦

Ahn Tuan Dang: A♦ J♣

Sam Ameen: A♥ K♦

The dealer was counting the chips and split pots and doing all the amazing math that dealers are known to do. Truly, it's a respectable talent in this industry.

Anyway...

Jiaqi He was the one at risk, but scooped the Main Pot with two pair and got paid whatever change he had left on his small all in bet.

The little change that was left on the side pot went to Dang who made a pair of jacks. Ameen - who had missed his flush and straight draws - just had to see his stack get slowly chipped by the dealer who had to distribute the payouts.

Player	Chips
JH Jiaqi HeChina	35,000(23 BB)
AT Anh Tuan DangViet Nam	27,500(18 BB)
SA Sam AmeenUnited Kingdom	15,000(10 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 9:20:09 AM

240 Entries Locked In for Day 1A, 30 ITM

Level 12: 1,000 / 1,500 ante: 1,500

With registration officially closed for the first flight of the Mini Main Event, the final numbers are locked in. Day 1A pulled in a total of 240 entries, but the path ahead remains brutal, only the top 30 players will secure a spot in the money and punch their ticket to Day 2 on Sunday.

At the moment, 136 players are still seated, with a long road ahead before the money bubble is reached.

For those looking to catch up on the previous action, a full recap and the final payouts for the massive Madness Kickoff event are available over on the Somuchpoker website.

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 9:10:22 AM

Chips Leader At The Break

Level 12: 1,000 / 1,500 ante: 1,500

While the registration is officially closed, the field is now set and attention turns to the chip leader race.

Here are the current frontrunners in contention for the VND 60,000,000 (~USD 2,275) chip leader bonus.

Player	Chips	Progress
WD Wenqing DongChina	194,500(130 BB)	159,500
SH Song Hoang PhungViet Nam	183,500(122 BB)	127,300
AA Alex Anton RodriguezSpain	159,500(106 BB)	124,500
VH Van Hien DaoViet Nam	150,500(100 BB)
QT Quang Thang DoViet Nam	139,000(93 BB)
VH Van Hien NguyenViet Nam	122,000(81 BB)
WC Wang ChenChina	121,000(81 BB)
MZ Mingyang ZhangChina	118,500(79 BB)
DC Duc Cuong NguyenViet Nam	117,500(78 BB)	36,300
DS Dinh Soai NguyenViet Nam	109,500(73 BB)
WZ Wanhao ZhaoAustralia	109,000(73 BB)
TL Thanh Long NguyenViet Nam	108,000(72 BB)

Level 12: 1,000 / 1,500 ante: 1,500

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 147/240

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 139/232

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 8:52:00 AM

Wang Doubles ON The Break

Level 11: 600 / 1,200 ante: 1,200

Qian Wang limped from the lowjack for 1,200. Van Dong An Nguyen raised to 5,000 on the button. Fubin Wan made the call on the small blind.

Wang then jammed all in for 28,600. Nguyen threw in a few time bank tokens with the break already on its way. After a few time bank chips spent, he finally counted off the chips and made the call. Wan stepped out of the way.

When the cards went on their backs...

Qian Wang: A♣ Q♦

Van Dong An Nguyen: J♠ J♦

Wang's friends - Xiatong Yu and Zhiying Zhou - were waiting for their friend and railed her on.

Yu asked for an "ace on the flop" from the dealer. However, the flop came 2♠ K♠ K♣

Yu then cheered for "ace on the turn", but the dealer threw a Q♥ instead.

"Queen! That's ok!" - Yu exclaimed.

Nguyen was reduced to two outs on the river for the other jacks, but the 8♥ bricked, awarding Wang the double up almost midway through the 10-minute break time.

Player	Chips	Progress
QW Qian WangChina	65,000(54 BB)	11,200
VD Van Dong An NguyenViet Nam	33,500(28 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 8:44:24 AM

Tin Busted Before Break

Level 11: 600 / 1,200 ante: 1,200

Down to his last 11,700, Win Htut Tin moved all-in from early position. Right on his left, Jie Zheng isolated with a raise to 35,000, which successfully cleared out the rest of the field.

Win Htut Tin: 9♦ 8♦

Jie Zheng: A♣ K♥

The K♣ 9♣ 4♣ flop gave Tin a pair of nines, but Zheng paired his king and picked up the nut flush draw. The 6♦ turn changed nothing, but the Q♣ on the river sealed it, completing Zheng’s flush.

With registration officially closing right after the upcoming break, Tin had to hurry straight back to the cage to get his final bullets in.

Player	Chips	Progress
JZ Jie ZhengChina	65,000(54 BB)
WH Win Htut TinMyanmar	busted	-31,300

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 8:39:31 AM

Zheng Hits River Flush

Level 11: 600 / 1,200 ante: 1,200

It didn't take long for the sharks at Table 44 to clash.

From under the gun, Xiaosheng Zheng opened with a raise to 16,000, leaving himself just 400 behind. Ngoc Dai Nguyen called from the hijack, and the two went to a flop of A♠ 6♦ 3♠ .

Both players checked the flop, and the action repeated through the 7♣ turn and the Q♠ river.

Zheng then tabled 9♠ 8♠ for a rivered flush, while Nguyen shook his head in disbelief before sending his hand into the muck.

Zheng joked after the hand, saying "I had a monster draw on the turn.”

Player	Chips	Progress
XZ Xiaosheng ZhengChina	35,400(30 BB)	400
ND Ngoc Dai NguyenViet Nam	34,500(29 BB)	-500

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 8:31:37 AM

Rodriguez Could Be The Chip Leader

Level 11: 600 / 1,200 ante: 1,200

Alex Anton Rodriguez

A quick lap around the tables showed that Alex Anton Rodriguez of Spain has one of the healthier stacks around the room. It's not official, but he could be the chip leader.

These are NOT the top chip counts, but just some stacks of some of the more familiar USOP faces.

Player	Chips
AA Alex Anton RodriguezSpain	173,000(144 BB)
WJ Warren James RustadCanada	82,000(68 BB)
RP Rosalie PetitFrance	80,500(67 BB)
XY Xiaotong YuChina	63,000(53 BB)
IT Ilia TimofeevRussia	45,600(38 BB)
VT Van Thanh Dat PhanViet Nam	43,400(36 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 8:30:06 AM

Registration Closing Soon

Level 11: 600 / 1,200 ante: 1,200

This is the final level for players to jump into the Mini Main Event Day 1A action. Registration will officially close once this level wraps up and the field returns from a quick 10-minute break.

The flight has already reached 211 entries, with 137 players still in their seats and continuing the action as late registration comes to an end.

Level 11: 600 / 1,200 ante: 1,200

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 137/211

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 8:21:03 AM

Table 44 Turns High Roller Heavy

Level 10: 500 / 1,000 ante: 1,000

Table 44 has essentially transformed into a high roller table, packed with some of the biggest names in the region.

Among them is Trung Quan Nguyen, who recently made waves in the poker community after pulling off a massive bluff on his way to a runner-up finish in the APT High Roller. Joining him is Xiaosheng Zheng, fresh off his career-best score of $244,500 after winning the WPT Cambodia Championship in Phnom Penh.

Rounding out the heavy hitters at the table is Ngoc Dai Nguyen, a highly familiar face in the local scene who famously locked up the USOP Vietnam Main Event title back in 2023.

Player	Chips	Progress
ND Ngoc Dai NguyenViet Nam	35,000(35 BB)
XZ Xiaosheng ZhengChina	35,000(35 BB)
TQ Trung Quan NguyenViet Nam	35,000(35 BB)	11,800

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 8:13:18 AM

Hun Tae Choi Is In The Building

Level 10: 500 / 1,000 ante: 1,000

Hun Tae Choi

Former USOP Grand Finale Hai Phong Main Event champion Hun Tae Choi of South Korea has been seen at the tables.

Choi's championship photo is hanging in a huge banner at the venue, so it's hard to not recognize him. That victory is Choi's only championship and still his biggest career haul at over USD 362,000.

Player	Chips
HT Hun Tae ChoiSouth Korea	57,500(58 BB)

Level 10: 500 / 1,000 ante: 1,000

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 137/200

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 7:49:38 AM

High Roller Champion In The House

Level 9: 400 / 800 ante: 800

Trung Quan Nguyen

Vietnamese pro Trung Quan Nguyen was seen at the tables. The known high roller has over USD 1.2 million in total live earnings and is best known for his APT Super High Roller championship during APT Phu Quoc 2024 and his APT High Roller - 8 Max win during APT Taipei 2025. Nguyen almost had a chance to repeat during APT Taipei 2026, but only finished as a runner up.

Nguyen sits 12th in the Vietnam all-time money list.

Nguyen has yet to build a stack.

Player	Chips
TQ Trung Quan NguyenViet Nam	23,200(29 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 7:45:28 AM

Wang Bets Out Lei

Level 9: 400 / 800 ante: 800

Qian Wang

Qian Wang opened for 1,600 from under the gun. Two seats over, Ganlin Lei three-bet to 4,300.

Action came back to Wang who made the call.

Both players checked the flop of T♠ 8♥ 9♥ and were shown a 7♦ on the turn

Wang led out for 5,000 and Lei kept checking his cards that wouldn't change before finally giving them up.

Wang recently cashed in the Madness Kickoff, making it all the way to 55th place out of 1,149 entries and was the second-to-the-last woman standing in that event.

Player	Chips
GL Ganlin LeiChina	71,300(89 BB)
QW Qian WangChina	53,800(67 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 7:24:34 AM

Pham Catches Phan

Level 9: 400 / 800 ante: 800

Van Thanh Dat Phan

A lucrative pot of around 25,000 was being contested by Trung Hieu Pham on the lowjack and Van Thanh Dat Phan on the button.

The board showed 8♥ 9♣ A♥ 3♠ 2♣

Pham checked his option to Phan, who didn't hesitated to push 15,000 forward.

Pham quickly put in a chip to call.

Phan peeled open K♠ 7♠ for not much of anything, while Pham showed A♣ J♠ for a pair of aces to scoop the pot and catch the bluff.

Player	Chips
TH Trung Hieu PhamViet Nam	94,300(118 BB)
VT Van Thanh Dat PhanViet Nam	28,200(35 BB)

Level 9: 400 / 800 ante: 800

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 132/173

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 128/169

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 7:00:49 AM

Mo Money

Level 8: 300 / 600 ante: 600

Johnni Nielsen

Some players who have had early success in this series so far and are looking for more loot in this event include the likes of Vietnam's Minh Huan Nguyen, who recently won a Super Hyper Turbo event.

Sweden's Johnni Nielsen is having a good series with three cashes so far. Nielsen had a small cash in the Madness Kickoff, where he tried to go for a rare repeat as champion, then jumped in at the Superstack where he made a better run to finish in 13th place. Nielsen also made a podium finish as the runner-up in the Midday Event.

American Dakota Anderson made a decent run in the Madness Kickoff and came third behind Nielsen in the Midday Event and is looking for another positive result.

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 6:56:42 AM

Superstar Challenge Final Table Livestream

Level 8: 300 / 600 ante: 600

The Superstar Challenge Final Table has been underway and the delayed livestream can be viewed at the USOP Official Facebook Page.

-

Remaining Players: 122/155

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 6:24:50 AM

Zhou's Straight Gets Paid By Alt

Level 7: 300 / 500 ante: 500

Action folded over to the blinds where China's Zhiying Zhou sat on the small blind and Dinesh Alt of Swtizerland was on the big blind.

Zhou just limped and Alt made a friendly check behind.

The dealer fanned a flop of 4♠ 6♣ 5♥

Zhou checked her option to Alt, who pushed in a bet of 500. Zhou then check-raised to 1,600.

Alt made the quick call and the dealer showed a J♦ on the turn.

Zhou fired a bet of 2,100. Alt checked his cards and made the call.

The river brought a 2♥.

Zhou bet out 10,000. Alt used up a time bank, took another look at his cards and made the call.

Zhou opened 6♦ 3♦ for a straight. Alt mucked his hand.

A few moments later, there was a discrepancy on the seating of that table compared to the digital seat draw. Zhou was apparently misplaced, but the tournament director quickly sorted it out.

During the sorting, Alt responded, "She's in the wrong seat? Can I get back my 15,000?"

Incidentally, Zhou made a modest run in the Madness Kickoff then jumped in at the Thursday Deepstack and made the final table and a fourth place finish.

Player	Chips	Progress
ZZ Zhiying ZhouChina	55,000(110 BB)
DA Dinesh AltSwitzerland	21,700(43 BB)	21,700

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 6:13:00 AM

Notable Names

Level 7: 300 / 500 ante: 500

Rosalie Petit

Some notable names have popped up on the registration list for flight Day 1A of the Mini Main Event.

French lass Rosalie Marine Petit has made her presence fell. Peti, who has over USD 300,000 in total live earnings, is WSOP Circuit ring winner and an APT Women's Championship winner during the prestigious APT Championship Taipei 2026.

China's Jiaqi He has also found a seat. He has over USD 200,000 in total live earnings, earned from several titles and consistent final table appearances. His biggest cash was a Single Day High Roller championship during APT Manila 2024 for over USD 34,000.

Myanmar's Khant Naing is once again on a championship journey following his deep run in the recent Madness Kickoff . Naing also made headlines, topping the Day 1B of that tournament as the chip leader and earned a VND 25 million bonus on top of his 16th place finish.

China's Zhifan Ye, who sits at over USD 500,000 in total live earnings, is also playing with some chips. Interestingly, Ye only has one championship trophy on his mantle considering his earning success. Ye made most of his significant cashes making it to final tables on some of the more prestigious events in the bigger stages like in the World Poker Tour and WSOP International Circuit.

Player	Chips
RP Rosalie PetitFrance	35,000(70 BB)
JH Jiaqi HeChina	35,000(70 BB)
KN Khant NaingMyanmar	35,000(70 BB)
ZY Zhifan YeChina	35,000(70 BB)

Level 7: 300 / 500 ante: 500

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 82/102

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 6:08:15 AM

Full House Over Full House

Level 6: 200 / 400 ante: 400

With around 15,000 already in the middle, the board read J♠ 7♦ 7♠ 9♣ A♠ .

Dinesh Alt fired out an overbet of 16,000, only to see Duc Cuong Nguyen shove all-in over the top. Alt wasted no time and snapped it off.

Dinesh Alt: A♣ 7♣

Duc Cuong Nguyen: 9♠ 9♥

Nguyen turned over nines full, which had Alt's rivered sevens full completely crushed. The dealer counted out the stacks, and Nguyen had Alt slightly covered, sending him straight to the registration desk.

It was another brutal bad beat for Alt, marking yet another "that's poker" moment in his run.

Player	Chips
DC Duc Cuong NguyenViet Nam	81,200(203 BB)
DA Dinesh AltSwitzerland	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 6:01:28 AM

Big Squeeze Works for Duong

Level 6: 200 / 400 ante: 400

Jinkwan Kim started things off with a raise to 800 from early position, and Song Hoang Phung bumped it up to 2,200 from the very next seat. Nguyen Nam Duong was waiting in the small blind and put out a hefty squeeze to 7,700. Phung got out of the way, but Kim stuck around to see a flop.

The dealer laid out 9♣ 8♣ 6♦ , and Duong wasted no time, announcing all-in right into the middle. Kim went into the tank for a while, pondering his options before ultimately releasing his cards.

Player	Chips	Progress
SH Song Hoang PhungViet Nam	56,200(141 BB)
NN Nguyen Nam DuongViet Nam	55,900(140 BB)
JK Jinkwan KimSouth Korea	18,100(45 BB)	-21,100

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 5:50:34 AM

Im Takes Early Chip Lead

Level 6: 200 / 400 ante: 400

South Korea's Yonghwi Im has jumped out to a massive early lead, sitting on a stack of 108,500. That already puts him at more than three times the starting stack.

While it is still a very long way to go in this flight, there is plenty of extra incentive to keep the foot on the gas. The player who finishes this starting flight as the overall chip leader will lock up a sweet VND 60 Million (~$2,275) bonus.

Im has put himself in prime position to chase that extra cash early on, but he will have to hold off a hungry field to lock it down.

Player	Chips
YI Yonghwi ImSouth Korea	108,500(271 BB)

-

Remaining Players: 63/78

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 5:38:10 AM

Chen Flops Trips to Crack Aces

Level 5: 200 / 300 ante: 300

Preflop action escalated into a four-bet pot, building a 12,800 middle before a single community card hit the felt.

The dealer fanned a Q♣ Q♠ 9♥ flop. Li Kai checked over to Cheng Chen, who fired out a bet of 5,000. Kai made the call. Both players checked through the K♣ turn, bringing the 8♥ on the river.

Kai led out with a bet of 11,000. Chen responded by sliding out 20,000, effectively putting Kai all-in. Kai hesitated for a moment before committing his remaining 16,200.

Li Kai: A♦ A♣

Cheng Chen: Q♥ T♥

Kai was left stunned when Chen turned over queen-ten for trips on the flop, cracking the pocket aces and sending Kai heading toward the registration desk to re-enter.

Player	Chips
CC Cheng ChenChina	59,200(197 BB)
LK Li KaiChina	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 5:25:22 AM

Aggression Pays for Nguyen

Level 5: 200 / 300 ante: 300

Meng started things off with a raise to 700 from the cutoff, and Nguyen bumped it up to 2,300 from the big blind. Meng called to see a flop.

The dealer put out K♥ Q♥ 8♦ , and Nguyen led out for 2,000. Meng raised it to 7,000, but Nguyen didn't hesitate and moved all-in.

Meng took a few seconds to think it over before tossing his cards away, giving Nguyen the pot without a showdown.

Player	Chips	Progress
TT Tien Thanh NguyenViet Nam	42,000(140 BB)	7,000
YM Yanzhou MengChina	18,700(62 BB)	-16,300

-

Remaining Players: 58/70

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 5:01:36 AM

Break Time!

Break

Players are now on their first 10-minute break. Each player also receives one additional time bank during this break.

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 48/56

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 4:58:30 AM

Fresh Faces Enter the Series

Level 4: 200 / 300 ante: 300

Only Day 4 of the 14-day festival has been reached, but the tournament floor is getting more packed by the hour. Players are continuing to touch down in Ha Long Bay, heading straight to the registration desk to get their stacks.

Here are the latest players who have just landed in Ha Long Bay and joined the action:

Player	Chips
MO Miki OzakiJapan	35,000(117 BB)
RA Rodriguez Anton AlexSpain	35,000(117 BB)
HB Ha Bac NguyenViet Nam	35,000(117 BB)
DK Duc Kien TranViet Nam	35,000(117 BB)
DC Duc Chinh TranViet Nam	35,000(117 BB)
DH Dengdong HuangChina	35,000(117 BB)
YM Yanzhou MengChina	35,000(117 BB)
KG Kongming GuoChina	35,000(117 BB)
WU Wipat UdomkanjanananThailand	35,000(117 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 4:52:59 AM

Limp-Raise Battle Goes to Yingkun

Level 4: 200 / 300 ante: 300

Early position Khant Naing limped in, and another player also came along. From the cutoff, Fan Yingkun raised to 2,700. Small blind Eunsu Lee called, and action returned to Naing, who limp-raised to 6,300.

The initial limper folded, and Yingkun went into the tank, using two time banks before re-raising again to 37,700.

Lee eventually folded after some thought, and Naing quickly let his hand go as well, giving up the bluff attempt without seeing a flop.

Player	Chips	Progress
FY Fan YingkunChina	46,900(156 BB)
KN Khant NaingMyanmar	35,200(117 BB)
EL Eunsu LeeSouth Korea	21,400(71 BB)	-13,600

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 4:38:37 AM

Seungdo Rebuys After Elimination

Level 4: 200 / 300 ante: 300

With the pot around 8,600 and the board showing T♠ 7♥ 6♥ 2♠ , Jinkwan Kim checked from the hijack. Seungdo Kim, sitting on his left, bet 1,400.

Jinkwan then check-raised to 7,500, putting Seungdo all-in. Seungdo quickly called for his remaining 6,400.

Seungdo Kim: A♣ 2♣

Jinkwan Kim: K♣ 7♣

Seungdo was left with just bottom pair and needed help against Jinkwan’s pair of sevens.

The 8♥ river changed nothing, sending Seungdo to the rail.

After the hand, Seungdo immediately headed to the registration desk to re-enter the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
JK Jinkwan KimSouth Korea	39,200(131 BB)
SK Seungdo KimSouth Korea	35,000(117 BB)	6,400

Level 4: 200 / 300 ante: 300

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 37/42

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 4:24:50 AM

Five-Bet Pressure Gets It Done

Level 3: 100 / 200 ante: 200

Under the gun, Win Htut Tin opened to 500 and picked up two callers. From the cutoff, Van Phuc Tran squeezed the action with a three-bet to 2,000.

Back on Tin, he responded with a four-bet to 6,700, forcing the two callers out of the hand.

After a short tank, Tran turned up the pressure even more by announcing a five-bet shove for 44,400 total.

Tin spent about a minute thinking through the decision before eventually folding, giving Tran the pot without the hand ever reaching showdown.

Player	Chips	Progress
VP Van Phuc TranViet Nam	52,600(263 BB)
WH Win Htut TinMyanmar	31,300(157 BB)	-3,700

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 4:14:49 AM

International Players Arrive in Ha Long Bay

Level 3: 100 / 200 ante: 200

The field may currently be dominated by local Vietnamese players, but several international players have already landed in Ha Long Bay and headed straight to the tournament floor.

Here are some of the players who traveled from outside Vietnam to join the action:

Player	Chips
CM Christian MitchellAustralia	35,000(175 BB)
TE Tom EadyUnited Kingdom	35,000(175 BB)
KS Kimura ShumaJapan	35,000(175 BB)
EL Eunsu LeeSouth Korea	35,000(175 BB)
JG Javkhlan GanboldMongolia	35,000(175 BB)
SL Shankui LiChina	35,000(175 BB)
WH Win Htut TinMyanmar	35,000(175 BB)

-

Remaining Players: 31/31

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 3:53:05 AM

Nielsen Shuts Down the Bluff

Level 2: 100 / 100 ante: 100

Facing an early position raise, hijack Yi Wang three-bet to 1,400 before button Seundo Kim came along with a call. Small blind Johnni Nielsen then squeezed to 4,500.

The initial raiser got out of the way, while Wang and Kim both continued to the J♥ 7♠ 4♦ flop.

Nielsen fired a continuation bet of 3,600, but Wang responded with a raise to 10,500. Kim quickly folded, sending the action back to Nielsen.

Without wasting much time, Nielsen announced all-in, instantly putting Wang to the test. Wang snap-folded moments later, abandoning the bluff attempt as Nielsen dragged in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
JN Johnni NielsenSweden	43,000(430 BB)	8,000
SK Seungdo KimSouth Korea	28,600(286 BB)	-6,400
YW Yi WangChina	19,100(191 BB)	-15,900

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 3:39:15 AM

Recap: USOP Vietnam Momentum Continues to Build

Level 2: 100 / 100 ante: 100

The opening event, Madness Kickoff, pulled in a massive 1,149 entries as USOP made its return to Vietnam.

The action shifts directly into the Mini Main Event, which features an elevated VND 15 Billion (~$569,000) guarantee. Following close behind is the Championship Event, stepping things up later in the week with a hefty VND 20 Billion (~$759,000) guarantee.

Finally, everything builds toward the Main Event, the absolute crown jewel of the series sporting a massive VND 30 Billion (~$1.1 Million) guarantee.

Level 2: 100 / 100 ante: 100

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 12/12

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/22/2026, 3:15:32 AM

Early Birds Claim Their Seats

Level 1: 100 / 100

The Mini Main Event is officially underway, with 10 players already in their seats as the cards went in the air.

Here are the players who were already locked in before the tournament clock even started:

Player	Chips
WD Wenqing DongChina	35,000(350 BB)
MH Minh Huy NguyenViet Nam	35,000(350 BB)
SK Seungdo KimSouth Korea	35,000(350 BB)
TM Thai Minh Duc NguyenViet Nam	35,000(350 BB)
XM Ximing MiaoChina	35,000(350 BB)
WJ Warren James RustadCanada	35,000(350 BB)
JN Johnni NielsenSweden	35,000(350 BB)
CM Christian MitchellAustralia	35,000(350 BB)
JG Javkhlan GanboldMongolia	35,000(350 BB)
AD Anh Dung TrinhViet Nam	35,000(350 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 3:05:52 AM

Cards Are In The Air

Level 1: 100 / 100

The tournament director has just announced "Shuffle up and deal!"

Level 1: 100 / 100

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 4/4

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/22/2026, 2:45:00 AM

First Flight of Mini Main Event To Take Off

Level 1: 100 / 100

The USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026 is continuing its momentum on the 4th day of the series with another highlight multi-day tournament - the Mini Main Event. This featured tournament of the series comes with a VND 15 billion (~USD 570,000) guaranteed prize pool with a buyin of VND 20 million (~ USD 760).

There will be five Day 1 starting flights with this being the inaugural flight. Multiple re-entries will be allowed until registration closes before the start of Level 12, which will be at around 4:00PM local time.

Blind levels will be at 30 minutes per level and will play down to 12.5% of the total entries after registration with all the survivors guaranteed a minimum payout and a seat to the Day 2 final for a chance to climb higher up the payout ladder. The chip leader at the end of flight Day 1A will receive a bonus of VND 60 million (~USD 2,200).

For those who miss this flight, Day 1B will begin later this afternoon at 4:00PM local time.

The remaining three flights will be spread out tomorrow. CLICK HERE for the complete Mini Main Event schedules along with other events of the USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026.

The Mini Main Event will hope to surpass the bar set by the recent Madness Kickoff, which drew an astounding 1,149 entries to crush the original VND 10 billion guaranteed prize pool. Given the momentum of the festival so far, the odds look promising.

Event starts 10:00 local time..