Viet Nam, InterContinental Halong Bay ResortEVENT #38

2026.05.25 - 2026.05.27Add to Calendar

U Series Of Poker

Blind level

Level 20: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

Entries

33/262

Total Chips

10,480,000

Average

317,576

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 3:06:01 PM

Day 1C Field Cut to 33 Survivors; Chao Hu Bags the Chip Lead

Level 20: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

Chao Hu

Day 1C of the VND 20 Billion (~USD 760,000) guaranteed Championship Event at the USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026 has officially wrapped up after 11 grueling hours of play. The flight attracted 261 entries, but by the time the dust settled, only 33 players remained at the tables, each locking up a minimum-cash and securing their seats for Day 2.

Finishing the night at the top of the chip counts is Chao Hu, who bagged an impressive 878,000 chips (73 big blinds). With nearly USD 200,000 in live career earnings, Hu has already secured his first-ever live tournament cash on Vietnamese soil and is in a prime position to build on that success.

Thanh Binh Nguyen

Chasing closely behind him is Thanh Binh Nguyen with 807,000 chips (67 big blinds), while Yi Wang rounds out the top three with 648,000 chips after personally bursting the money bubble.

Top 10 Chip Count

Player	Chips	Progress
CH Chao HuChina	878,000(73 BB)
TB Thanh Binh NguyenViet Nam	807,000(67 BB)	-37,000
YW Yi WangChina	648,000(54 BB)
JK Jinhwan KimSouth Korea	612,000(51 BB)	-2,000
HA Hoang Anh TranViet Nam	512,000(43 BB)	-37,000
XK Xuan Khang DinhViet Nam	505,000(42 BB)	124,000
TH Trung Ha NguyenViet Nam	478,000(40 BB)	93,000
CL Chenliang LiChina	441,000(37 BB)	-82,000
DH Dengdong HuangChina	390,000(33 BB)	-78,000
SA Sam AmeenUnited Kingdom	371,000(31 BB)	167,000

Joven Huerto

Several notable players also successfully navigated the field and found a bag, including Trung Ha Nguyen (478,000), Thi Minh Hong Pham (310,000), Joven Huerto (232,000), and Neng Zhao (137,000).

The flight reached its conclusion when Tuan Anh Dao went all-in with ace-king and was called by Yi Wang with ace-queen. A queen came on the flop, and Dao was knocked out as the final player outside of the money.

All 33 survivors from today’s flight will return tomorrow at 12:00 PM local time for Day 2, where they will join forces with the other qualifiers to battle for the lion's share of the massive VND 20 Billion prize pool.

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 1:55:40 PM

Wang Hits the Flop to Bust Dao on the Stone-Bubble

Level 20: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

Just before hand-for-hand play could officially begin, Tuan Anh Dao open-shoved his last 46,000 chips into the middle. Sitting directly to his left, Yi Wang made the call, and the player in the big blind also came along to create a three-way pot.

The dealer spread a Q♥ 7♦ 5♦ flop. The big blind checked and quickly folded after Wang fired out a bet of 30,000, leaving Wang and Dao to battle it out head-to-head.

Tuan Anh Dao: A♠ K♠

Yi Wang: A♦ Q♦

Dao held the dominant hand preflop, but the flop completely flipped the script, heavily favoring Wang with top pair and the nut flush draw. The board change left Dao chasing just two remaining kings to survive.

The 3♠ on the turn brought no help, and the Q♣ on the river improved Wang to trips to seal the hand. Dao was eliminated as the official bubble boy for Day 1C of the Championship Event.

With Dao's elimination, the remaining 33 players have bagged up their chips and made the money. Stay tuned for a full recap, highlights of today's action, and the complete chip counts!

Player	Chips	Progress
YW Yi WangChina	648,000(54 BB)	74,000
TA Tuan Anh DaoViet Nam	busted	-75,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 1:45:01 PM

Hu Hits Three-Outer to Bust Chua

Level 20: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

From under the gun, Chao Hu opened the betting with a raise to 24,000. Action folded to Adrian Chua in middle position, who moved all-in for his last 69,000 chips. Hu made the call to put him at risk.

Chao Hu: Q♠ J♦

Adrian Chua: J♣ J♥

Chua was in a great position to secure a double-up with his pocket jacks. He stayed safely ahead on the 4♥ 4♣ 2♥ flop and maintained his lead on the 8♦ turn.

However, disaster struck on the river as the Q♣ spiked, giving Hu a pair of queens from his three-outer.

With that card, Chua was knocked out of the tournament, finishing as the "soft bubble" just spots away from the money.

Player	Chips	Progress
CH Chao HuChina	878,000(73 BB)	492,000
AC Adrian ChuaSingapore	busted	-83,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 1:30:22 PM

Chen’s Queens Hold Up for a Double

Level 20: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

From middle position, Shankui Li opened the betting with a raise. Wang Chen then raised to 75,000, leaving himself just 3,000 chips behind. Li took some time to think before making the call.

The flop came T♣ 9♣ 2♠ . Chen quickly put his last 3,000 chips into the middle, and Li called to put him at risk.

Wang Chen: Q♣ Q♠

Shankui Li: A♥ 8♥

Chen was ahead with his overpair of queens, but the 6♠ on the turn gave Li a few extra ways to win. However, the K♣ on the river missed all of Li's outs, allowing Chen's queens to hold up for a vital double-up.

Only two more eliminations are needed before the remaining players hit the money.

Player	Chips	Progress
SL Shankui LiChina	288,000(24 BB)	-17,000
WC Wang ChenChina	184,000(15 BB)	104,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 1:27:50 PM

DO Doubles From Wang

Level 20: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

Anh Tai Do

Action folded to the blinds when Anh Tai Do raised to 133,000 on the small blind, leaving behind a 1,000 chip.

Yinfeng Wang counted the chips and made the call on the big blind.

The dealer opened a flop of T♣ K♦ 6♠

Do checked and Wang fired 1,000 to ask for Do's last chip.

Do immediately answered, "Snap call!" and put his chip down.

Do opened T♥ T♦ for a set of tens.

Wang showed A♣ 5♣ and needed some runners

The 4♠ on the turn had Wang drawing dead and the 6♦ was a formality to secure the double up for Do.

Player	Chips	Progress
AT Anh Tai DoViet Nam	288,000(24 BB)	248,000
YW Yanfeng WangChina	254,000(21 BB)	-302,000

Level 20: 6,000 / 12,000 ante: 12,000

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 35/262

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 1:21:48 PM

Brutal Bust For Bautista

Level 19: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

Milbert Bautista

Milbert Bautista risked his last 121,000 all in and was matched by Sam Ameen.

When the cards went on their backs...

Milbert Bautista: K♠ K♣

Sam Ameen: Q♥ Q♣

Bausista's kings looked good to double. However...

The dealer fanned a flop of 3♥ 4♥ 9♥ to give Ameen a flush draw.

The turn threw an 8♥ to complete Ameen's flush and leave Bautista drawing dead.

The 2♦ on the turn was a formality to complete Bautista's elimination.

Ameen tapped the table GG and said "That was very unlucky."

True enough, Bautista admitted that was his second one-card flush bad beat.

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 1:05:59 PM

Three Outs To Go

Level 19: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

Three more eliminations are needed before the remaining 33 players are in the money and will advance to the day 2 final.

These are some of the shorter stacks in the field and are at risk.

Player	Chips	Progress
AC Adrian ChuaSingapore	83,000(8 BB)
WC Wang ChenChina	80,000(8 BB)	40,000
TA Tuan Anh DaoViet Nam	75,000(8 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 1:04:39 PM

Wang Flushes Out Nguyen's Kings

Level 19: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

Facing a small raise, Yi Wang raised to 60,000. From the small blind, Ha Minh Nguyen went all-in for 190,000. The original raiser quickly folded, but Wang used a time-bank chip to think before calling to put Nguyen at risk.

Ha Minh Nguyen: K♣ K♥

Yi Wang: A♥ K♦

Both players held very strong hands, but Nguyen was a big favorite, leaving Wang looking for just three aces. The J♥ 9♥ 6♥ flop kept Nguyen's pocket kings ahead, but it gave Wang a lot of extra ways to win with a flush draw.

The T♥ on the turn completed the flush for Wang, leaving Nguyen with only one card left in the deck to win. The 5♠ on the river missed, and Nguyen, who was once the chip leader, was knocked out just four spots away from the money.

With Nguyen gone, only 36 players are left. Hand-for-hand play will start when the field drops to 34 players to see who will make the money.

Player	Chips	Progress
YW Yi WangChina	574,000(57 BB)	531,000
HM Ha Minh NguyenViet Nam	busted	-216,000

Level 19: 5,000 / 10,000 ante: 10,000

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 40/262

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 12:51:32 PM

Aces Cracked in 600K Pot

Level 18: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

From middle position, Jinhwan Kim opened the action with a raise to 16,000, nearly stealing the blinds before Neng Zhao fought back from the big blind with a hefty three-bet to 68,000.

When the action returned to Kim, he announced he was all-in for 301,000. Zhao snap-called, putting Kim at risk in a monumental clash.

Jinhwan Kim: K♥ Q♣

Neng Zhao: A♣ A♦

A huge pot of over 600,000 chips was on the line. The T♠ 9♥ 3♣ flop gave Zhao the lead, but it gave Kim a straight draw.

The J♥ on the turn brought exactly what Kim needed, completing his straight and shocking the table. The turn card left Zhao's aces with no way to win, making the A♥ on the river pointless. Kim won the massive pot and got a huge double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
JK Jinhwan KimSouth Korea	614,000(77 BB)
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	148,000(19 BB)	-225,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 12:50:25 PM

Nguyen Gets Lucky Runners To Double Up

Level 18: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Quoc Bao Huy Nguyen

Trung Ha Nguyen opened for 16,000 from early position. Milbert Bautista made the call on the hijack.

Quoc Bao Huy Nguyen then jammed his entire stack of 98,000 all in from the button.

Nguyen gave it some consideration, even using a time bank token, but eventually let his hand go.

Bautista threw in a chip and made the instant call.

Quoc Bao Huy Nguyen: A♣ K♦

Milbert Bautista 8♠ 8♥

The flop came 3♣ 7♣ 8♦ giving Bautista a set of snowmen. Nguyen was ready to leave his seat, but the dealer threw a K♣ on the turn to give him a nut flush draw.

The 2♣ on the river completed the flush for Nguyen, while Bautista was disappointed to have gotten beat so brutally.

Player	Chips	Progress
QB Quoc Bao Huy NguyenViet Nam	235,000(29 BB)
MB Milbert BautistaPhilippines	145,000(18 BB)	-160,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 12:37:00 PM

Bautista Sends Vu To The Rail

Level 18: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Milbert Bautista

Van Lich Vu was in early position and shoved his last 26,000 in the middle. Action folded all the way to Milbert Bautista on the big blind, who made the call.

Van Lich Vu: K♣ Q♣

Milbert Bautista: A♠ 9♣

The board ran clean with 2♠ 3♦ 7♦ 8♠ 2♣

Bautista's ace-high was good enough to win the pot and show Vu the exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
MB Milbert BautistaPhilippines	305,000(38 BB)	-35,000
VL Van Lich VuViet Nam	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 12:36:04 PM

The Preflop Cooler That Never Was

Level 18: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Right on the very first hand back from the break, fireworks exploded over at Table 43.

Under the gun, Milbert Bautista started the action by opening to 18,000. Sitting in the hijack, Chenliang Li raised the stakes with a three-bet to 40,000. The action then landed on the button, where Byungho Lim looked down at a monster and four-bet shoved all-in for 195,000.

Back on Bautista, he burned through a time-bank chip, carefully thinking through the situation before deciding to lay his hand down. Li followed suit and folded as well, showing his hand J♥ J♦ to the table.

Out of respect for the big folds, Lim turned over his dominant cards K♣ K♥ to show he had the real deal.

Upon seeing the kings, Bautista revealed that he had made a massive laydown, stating that he folded pocket queens. It proved to be an excellent escape for both Bautista and Li, as they successfully avoided running directly into Lim's monster hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
CL Chenliang LiChina	523,000(65 BB)	-41,000
BL Byungho LimSouth Korea	273,000(34 BB)	113,000
MB Milbert BautistaPhilippines	270,000(34 BB)	-20,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 12:30:04 PM

Chip Leaders At The Break!

Level 18: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Top 12 Chip Count

Player	Chips	Progress
CL Chenliang LiChina	564,000(71 BB)	524,000
YW Yanfeng WangChina	556,000(70 BB)
HA Hoang Anh TranViet Nam	549,000(69 BB)
TB Thanh Binh NguyenViet Nam	500,000(63 BB)	294,000
DH Dengdong HuangChina	468,000(59 BB)	261,000
CH Chao HuChina	386,000(48 BB)	98,000
TH Trung Ha NguyenViet Nam	385,000(48 BB)	-25,000
XK Xuan Khang DinhViet Nam	381,000(48 BB)	12,000
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	373,000(47 BB)
SY Sangwook YimSouth Korea	367,000(46 BB)	107,000
XG Xuan Giang NguyenViet Nam	357,000(45 BB)	145,000
SL Shankui LiChina	305,000(38 BB)	93,000

Level 18: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 46/262

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 46/262

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 12:15:00 PM

LI Gets Lucky To Bust Dong

Level 17: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

Chenliang Li

A pot of around 70,000 was in the middle beside a flop that showed 4♦ 3♠ T♥

Wenqing Dong was in middle position against Chenliang Li on the cutoff.

Dong check-raised the 44,000 bet of Li with an all-in shove for 118,000.

Li looked at the chip stack damage it may cause and realized he had enough chips to call.

Li pushed in the stack and the cards went on their backs.

Wenqing Dong: 5♦ 5♠

Chenliang Li: A♣ K♦

Dong was ahead with a pair of fives and Li was drawing to over cards.

The turn gave a K♣ which gave Li the overtake and got Dong up from his seat.

The river T♦ completed the elimination of Dong, while chipping up Li to a very healthy stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
CL Chenliang LiChina	564,000(94 BB)
WD Wenqing DongChina	busted	-195,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 12:08:44 PM

Ye Triples Up

Level 17: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

A massive three-way all-in erupted at Table 41 with three players putting their tournament lives on the line.

The shortest stack of the bunch belonged to Hong Quang Nguyen, who moved all-in for 35,000. Zhifan Ye pushed over the top for 57,000, and Thanh Minh Nguyen, who had both players covered, made the call to put them both at risk.

Hong Quang Nguyen: Q♠ Q♦

Zhifan Ye: A♠ 7♠

Thanh Minh Nguyen: 6♣ 6♠

The dealer spread the A♦ 4♠ 2♠ flop, which heavily favored Ye. Not only did he flop top pair to take the lead, but he also picked up the nut flush draw, leaving Hong's pocket queens and Thanh's pocket sixes drawing to just two outs each.

The J♠ on the turn immediately completed the flush for Ye, locking up the healthy pot.

Hong was officially eliminated from the tournament, while Thanh was left severely short-stacked as Ye dragged in a huge triple-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
ZY Zhifan YeChina	162,000(27 BB)	69,000
TM Than Minh NguyenViet Nam	31,000(5 BB)
HQ Hong Quang NguyenViet Nam	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 11:57:49 AM

Nguyen Catches Wang's Bluff

Level 17: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

Leibing Wang was in early position against Xuan Giang Nguyen on the lowjack.

The two players had a very appetizing pot of around 120,000 in the middle beside a complete board that showed 6♠ Jk 4♠ 6♣ K♠

Wang was the first to act and fired a bet of 55,000. Nguyen didn't blink and pushed in the chips to call.

Wang flipped over A♠ Q♦ for ace-high, while Nguyen showed the 8♥ 8♣ to scoop the huge pot and lave Wang crippled.

Player	Chips	Progress
XG Xuan Giang NguyenViet Nam	345,000(58 BB)	133,000
LW Leibing WangChina	63,000(11 BB)	23,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 11:55:06 AM

No Ace for Dinh as Nguyen's Ladies Rule

Level 17: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

Action folded around to the button, where the current chip leader, Xuan Khang Dinh, opened the betting with a raise to 12,000. Sitting in the small blind, Xuan Giang Nguyen looked down at a premium pocket pair and moved all-in over the top for his last 100,000 chips.

After the big blind folded, the action fell back on Dinh, who hesitated for a brief moment before deciding to make the call.

Xuan Khang Dinh: A♦ 6♦

Xuan Giang Nguyen: Q♣ Q♠

Nguyen was in good shape to double up, but the T♦ 8♣ 7♥ flop added a backdoor straight draw to Dinh's overcard outs.

The J♠ on the turn narrowed Dinh's chances down to just three remaining aces in the deck.

The 4♦ river came as a complete blank, sealing the win for Nguyen and securing a full double-up through the chip leader.

Player	Chips	Progress
XK Xuan Khang DinhViet Nam	369,000(62 BB)	91,000
XG Xuan Giang NguyenViet Nam	212,000(35 BB)

Level 17: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 60/262

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 11:39:58 AM

Do Drops More Chips to Ameen

Level 16: 3,000 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

Quang Thang Do

Facing an initial raise, Sam Ameen put in a three-bet to 27,000. Sitting in the big blind was Quang Thang Do, who had recently lost a large chunk of his stack in a previous hand. Looking to win those chips back, Do moved all-in over the top.

The original raiser quickly folded, but Ameen snap-called for his remaining 93,000 chips.

Sam Ameen: A♥ K♠

Quang Thang Do: A♦ Q♦

Ameen was in good shape to double up, having Do's ace-queen heavily dominated with his own ace-king.

The board ran out cleanly as the dealer spread J♠ 2♠ 2♦ 9♥ 7♥ , allowing Ameen's superior kicker to hold up and leaving Do to suffer another tough blow to his chip stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
SA Sam AmeenUnited Kingdom	204,000(41 BB)
QT Quang Thang DoViet Nam	125,000(25 BB)	-51,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 11:38:00 AM

MIn Shows Li The Exit

Level 16: 3,000 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

JIn Hee Min

Sumin Jang opened for 10,000 from early position. Yong Li then shoved his last 45,000 all in on the hijack.

Jin Hee Min was on the button and also shoved her stack all in. Jang was covered by Min's raise and he decided to save his remaining chips for another time.

Yong Li: 7♦ 7♠

Jin Hee Min: A♣ K♣

It was a classic coin flip. The flop arrived J♠ Q♦ A♦ giving Min top pair to overtake the pair of sevens of Li.

The turn showed an 8♦, giving Li a flush draw to go with his two-outer.

The river landed a Q♥, failing to improve Li and showing him the exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
JH Jin Hee MinSouth Korea	274,000(55 BB)
SJ Sumin JangSouth Korea	48,000(10 BB)	26,300
YL Yong LiChina	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 11:36:11 AM

Nguyen Continues To Stack Up

Level 16: 3,000 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

Byungho Lim was under the gun. Trung Ha Nguyen was in middle position two seats over and Wenqing Dong was on the hijack.

The three players were looking at a pot of 60,000 beside a board of 7♣ 3♣ 9♦ 5♣ 8♥

Lim checked his option to Nguyen, who pushed in a bet of 30,000. Dong folded immediately and Lim returned his hands to the dealer as well, allowing Nguyen to pick up the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
TH Trung Ha NguyenViet Nam	410,000(82 BB)
WD Wenqing DongChina	195,000(39 BB)	-26,000
BL Byungho LimSouth Korea	160,000(32 BB)	-58,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 11:26:58 AM

Lo Goes High

Level 16: 3,000 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

Left with a short stack of just 67,000, Mei Yee Lo chose to move all-in. From the small blind, Andrew Han reshoved over the top to isolate, which successfully forced the big blind to fold.

Mei Yee Lo: 7♥ 7♠

Andrew Han: A♥ Q♦

The 9♦ 8♣ 6♥ flop was great for Lo, keeping her pocket pair ahead while giving her an open-ended straight draw.

The K♥ turn changed nothing, and the 7♣ river improved Lo to a set of sevens, locking up a secure double-up through Han.

Player	Chips	Progress
AH Andrew HanAustralia	163,000(33 BB)	123,000
MY Mei Yee LoChina	144,000(29 BB)	104,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 11:21:38 AM

Another Guarantee Crushed

Level 16: 3,000 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

The Highroller Singleday Big GTD (4B GTD) has closed registration with 120 entries officially recorded to generate a total prize pool of VND 5,760,000,000 (~USD 220,000).

There are still 63 players still with seats. The top payout for the champion will be VND 1,400,000,000 (~USD 53,000)

Level 16: 3,000 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 72/262

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 11:12:05 AM

Some More Recent Busts

Level 15: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

Tom Eady

The field has thinned down to 73 players. Some of those that were eliminated were Serghei Lisii, Quang Trinh Do, Jan Peter Eickholt, Hao Ling, Dinesh Alt, Trung Quan Nguyen, Zhentao Long, Tom Eady, Van Sang Nguyen and Xu Pan.

Player	Chips	Progress
SL Serghei LisiiMoldova	busted	-211,500
QT Quang Trinh DoViet Nam	busted
JP Jan Peter EickholtGermany	busted	-40,000
HL Hao LingChina	busted	-203,000
DA Dinesh AltSwitzerland	busted	-40,000
TQ Trung Quan NguyenViet Nam	busted	-40,000
ZL Zhentao LongChina	busted	-140,200
TE Tom EadyUnited Kingdom	busted	-40,000
VS Van Sang NguyenViet Nam	busted
XP Xu PanChina	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 11:05:14 AM

Ye Busts Ye In Short Stack Battle

Level 15: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

Van Dat Ngo opened for 8,000 from under the gun. Two seats over in middle position, Haibiao Ye re-raised for 40,000 and left a 1,000 chip behind.

On the lowjack, Zhifan Ye also committed his last 42,000.

Action came back to Ngo, who was left with a stack of 40,000 and had to make a decision for his tournament life. He threw in a time bank chip and weighed out his options. Finally, he chose to fold.

Haibiao Ye then threw in his last chip all in.

Haibiao Ye: 8♦ 8♥

Zhifan Ye: Q♦ Q♣

The flop arrived 6♣ 2♦ 9♣ and Haibiao was already up from his seat. The 3♥ turn and 2♣ river didn't improve Haibiao and he tapped the table and continued his exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
ZY Zhifan YeChina	93,000(23 BB)	39,200
HY Haibiao YeChina	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 10:53:34 AM

Le's Boat Gets Paid

Level 15: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

It was a battle of the blinds with Yi Wang on the small blind against Cong Luyen Le on the big blind.

A juicy pot of around 55,000 chips was spread out beside a complete board that showed 8♣ 5♠ K♠ 6♥ K♥

Wang was the first to act and tapped his option over to Le. Le counted off 30,000 and pushed it in the middle.

Wang tanked, making use of two time bank tokens and tried to stare down Le. He calculated his chips, wondered if unicorns existed at one point in Earth's billions of years history, then pushed the 30,000 forward to call.

Le turned over 8♣ 8♦ for a full house, while Le used his cards to tap "nice hand" before sending them back to the dealer.

Someone on the table asked what he had and he acknowledged that he had a king.

Player	Chips
CL Cong Luyen LeViet Nam	153,000(38 BB)
YW Yi WangChina	43,000(11 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 10:45:38 AM

Chip Leaders At The Break!

Level 15: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

Top 10 Chip Count

Player	Chips	Progress
MB Milbert BautistaPhilippines	290,000(73 BB)	11,000
CH Chao HuChina	288,000(72 BB)	248,000
SY Sangwook YimSouth Korea	260,000(65 BB)	92,000
TH Tuan Hoang NguyenViet Nam	254,000(64 BB)	44,500
JO Junseok OhSouth Korea	243,000(61 BB)
WD Wenqing DongChina	221,000(55 BB)	181,000
BL Byungho LimSouth Korea	218,000(55 BB)	112,200
HM Ha Minh NguyenViet Nam	216,000(54 BB)	-1,000
DH Dengdong HuangChina	207,000(52 BB)
TB Thanh Binh NguyenViet Nam	206,000(52 BB)

Level 15: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 88/262

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 10:40:32 AM

Meanwhile...

Break

Flight Day 1D has taken off in the other side of the room with 56 entries taking to the felt at the middle of Level 4.

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 90/262

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 10:30:04 AM

Dinh’s Eights Hold Up

Level 14: 1,500 / 3,000 ante: 3,000

Canh Tan Nguyen opened the betting with a raise, and Xuan Khang Dinh three-bet to 20,000 from his left. When the action got back to Nguyen, he went all-in, and Dinh quickly called.

Canh Tan Nguyen: A♠ J♦

Xuan Khang Dinh: 8♠ 8♥

It was a coin flip for Nguyen's tournament life. The K♦ T♦ 5♦ flop gave Nguyen a lot of extra outs to win with both straight and flush draws.

However, the 6♣ turn and 3♠ river completely missed Nguyen's hand, and he was eliminated as Dinh's pocket eights held to win the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
XK Xuan Khang DinhViet Nam	278,000(93 BB)	107,300
CT Canh Tan NguyenViet Nam	busted	-60,100

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 10:16:47 AM

Bautista Brings the Boom

Level 14: 1,500 / 3,000 ante: 3,000

Milbert Bautista

From middle position, Quang Thang Do opened the action with a raise, and the small blind made the call. Sitting in the big blind was Milbert Bautista, a player looking to secure a live tournament score outside of his home country of the Philippines. He stepped up the aggression with a three-bet to 23,000. The small blind folded, but Do made the call to take them to a T♦ 9♦ 2♣ flop.

Bautista led out with a continuation bet of 9,500, only to face a swift raise to 30,000 from Do. When the action fell back on Bautista, he moved all-in over the top for his remaining 113,500 chips. Do went deep into the tank before finally deciding to make the call, creating a massive pot.

Milbert Bautista: A♦ K♦

Quang Thang Do: K♠ Q♦

Both players were still drawing to improve their hands, but Bautista held the advantage with his ace-high and a flush draw, while Do was looking for a straight.

The 2♥ turn changed nothing, keeping Bautista in the lead. The 9♠ on the river was another safe card, allowing Bautista's ace-king high to hold up cleanly for a massive double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
MB Milbert BautistaPhilippines	279,000(93 BB)
QT Quang Thang DoViet Nam	176,000(59 BB)	-183,000

Level 14: 1,500 / 3,000 ante: 3,000

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 101/262

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 10:01:47 AM

No Coolers on the Felt, Just Heat in the Room

Level 13: 1,000 / 2,500 ante: 2,500

While a massive power outage hit the entire local area, the InterContinental Resort successfully kept the tournament running by switching over to its backup generator to keep the lights and power on.

However, the venue’s air conditioning system took a major hit from the power disruption and has been completely down for almost two hours now. With the ventilation out of commission, the room has grown increasingly warm, forcing everyone to do whatever they can to beat the rising heat.

Players are getting creative to stay comfortable: some are downing ice-cold drinks, others are cooling off with ice cream, and many can be seen using paper, tournament schedules, or whatever they can find as makeshift fans just to catch a breeze while playing through the sweat.

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 9:55:18 AM

Kim Wins the Flip to Knock Out Tran

Level 13: 1,000 / 2,500 ante: 2,500

From the hijack, Jinkwan Kim opened the action with a raise to 6,000. Sitting in the cutoff, The Anh Tran chose to put his remaining 42,500 chips into the middle with a three-bet shoved.

After spending a little time thinking over his options, Kim decided to make the call.

The Anh Tran: 6♥ 6♠

Jinkwan Kim: A♣ J♥

It was a classic preflop coin flip for Tran's tournament life. He managed to stay safely ahead on the K♣ 5♣ 5♦ flop, but the J♣ turn changed everything, giving Kim a higher pair and leaving Tran chasing just two remaining sixes to survive.

The Q♦ river came as a total blank, confirming Tran's elimination from the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
JK Jinkwan KimSouth Korea	122,000(49 BB)	122,000
TA The Anh TranViet Nam	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 9:38:00 AM

End Of The Road

Level 13: 1,000 / 2,500 ante: 2,500

Yuanxi Chen

With registration closed and no more re-entries allowed in this flight, the field is now thinning and has been reduced to 117 players remaining.

Some of those who have ended their Championship Event hopes in this event include Yingkun Fan, Alex Anton Rodriguez, Luong Ky Chac, Xuan Tuan Nguyen, Dakota Anderson, Cheng Zhang, Chengcheng Feng, Seongho Cho, Khayal Abbasov, Ceng Zeng, Ledong Zhou, Jinkwan Kim, Sofia Lovgren, Anna Ananova and Yuanxi Chen.

Player	Chips	Progress
YF Yingkun FanChina	busted	-40,000
AA Alex Anton RodriguezSpain	busted	-53,600
LK Luong Ky ChacViet Nam	busted
XT Xuan Tuan Nguyen	busted	-18,500
DA Dakota AndersonUnited States of America	busted	-40,000
CZ Cheng ZhangChina	busted
CF Chengcheng FengSingapore	busted	-40,000
SC Seongho ChoSouth Korea	busted	-82,600
KA Khayal AbbasovAzerbaijan	busted	-27,300
CZ Ceng ZengChina	busted
LZ Ledong ZhouChina	busted
JK Jinkwan KimSouth Korea	busted	-40,000
SL Sofia LovgrenSweden	busted	-40,000
AA Anna AnanovaRussia	busted	-40,000
YC Yuanxi ChenSingapore	busted

Level 13: 1,000 / 2,500 ante: 2,500

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 117/262

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 9:29:10 AM

Championship Day 1C Locks in 262 Entries; 33 ITM

Level 12: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

Registration for Day 1C is now officially closed, with a final count of 262 entries.

The tournament will keep playing tonight until only 33 players are left. These remaining players will all make the money, secure a cash prize, and move on to Day 2 tomorrow at 12:00 PM local time.

There is still a long way to go, as 140 players are currently still playing at the tables.

For anyone who got knocked out or missed this flight, there are still chances left. Day 1D has already started, and the very last chance to play will be the Day 1E Turbo flight tonight at 9:30 PM.

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 9:15:28 AM

Chip Leaders At The Break

Level 12: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

Top 10 Chip Count

Player	Chips	Progress
QT Quang Thang DoViet Nam	359,000(180 BB)	82,000
TS Takashi SakumaJapan	283,000(142 BB)	85,900
HM Ha Minh NguyenViet Nam	217,000(109 BB)	11,400
SL Shankui LiChina	212,000(106 BB)	-8,300
SL Serghei LisiiMoldova	211,500(106 BB)	-500
TH Tuan Hoang NguyenViet Nam	209,500(105 BB)
HL Hao LingChina	203,000(102 BB)	82,400
TM Thi Minh Hong PhamViet Nam	172,000(86 BB)	8,000
SY Sangwook YimSouth Korea	168,000(84 BB)
YH Yuxuan HouChina	155,000(78 BB)

Level 12: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 143/262

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 8:53:33 AM

Final Call for Day 1C Entries

Break

Players are now on a 10-minute break. During this time, tournament staff will do a chip race to remove the 100-denomination chips from the tables.

When play resumes, registration will officially be closed for the day.

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 141/255

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 8:50:45 AM

Lao Flops a Pair to Double

Level 11: 1,000 / 1,500 ante: 1,500

Action folded all the way to the small blind, where Jiageng Lao chose to move all-in over the top for 28,600 chips. Sitting in the big blind, Li Yong looked down at a playable hand and made the call to put Lao at risk.

Jiageng Lao: K♥ Q♣

Li Yong: A♠ 5♠

Lao was trailing preflop but held two live cards. He found immediate help on the Q♥ J♦ 8♦ flop, pairing his queen to jump into the lead. The 5♥ turn gave Yong a small pair but changed nothing else, and the 4♣ river came as a total blank. Lao's top pair held cleanly, securing him a much-needed double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
JL Jiageng LaoChina	58,700(39 BB)
LY Li YongChina	4,600(3 BB)	-60,600

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 8:46:27 AM

Lisii With A Healthy Stack

Level 11: 1,000 / 1,500 ante: 1,500

Serghei Lisii

According to Hendon Mon, Moldova's Serghei Lisii booked his first cash in Asian soil when he made ITM in the Mini Main Event of this series. Lisii has over USD 440,000 in total live earnings made all over Europe and America.

His biggest score to date was winning the Battle of Malta Main Event in 2019, where he banked career best USD 273,118. The last time he lifted a trophy was in 2022 and is really hoping he could raise one in this series.

Player	Chips	Progress
SL Serghei LisiiMoldova	212,000(141 BB)	10,500

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 8:41:02 AM

Nguyen Snaps with a Straight

Level 11: 1,000 / 1,500 ante: 1,500

With the pot already at a hefty 31,500 chips, the dealer had laid out a completed board of A♥ K♠ 6♥ T♠ T♥ . Sitting in the driver's seat, Daisuke Sasaki counted out a bet of 10,000.

Duy Anh Nguyen didn't need any time to think and immediately made a snap-call.

Sasaki turned over K♥ 5♦ for two pair, kings and tens. However, Nguyen tabled Q♥ J♠ , revealing a broadway straight that he had turned to easily scoop up the large pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
DS Daisuke SasakiJapan	125,500(84 BB)	3,800
DA Duy Anh NguyenViet Nam	64,000(43 BB)

Level 11: 1,000 / 1,500 ante: 1,500

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 141/235

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 8:20:00 AM

Pham Pressures Long

Level 10: 600 / 1,200 ante: 1,200

L To R: Zhentao Long, Neng Zhao and Thi Minh Hong Pham

Thi Minh Hong Pham opened to 2,500 from early position and was matched by Zhentao Long on the big blind.

The flop showed J♦ T♦ 6♣

Long check-called the 4,500 bet of Pham to open a 2♠ on the turn.

Long checked again, but this time didn't call when Pham barreled another 14,000. Long didn't continue.

Player	Chips	Progress
TM Thi Minh Hong PhamViet Nam	164,000(137 BB)	59,000
ZL Zhentao LongChina	140,200(117 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 8:19:00 AM

Li's Big Slick Busts Two

Level 10: 600 / 1,200 ante: 1,200

Bo Li

Bo Li was under the gun and shoved his last 13,700 all in. Bon Yap was on the cutoff and raised to 30,000 hoping to isolate.

Shankui Li was on the big blind and jammed all in for 111,900 - covering the stack of Yap.

Yap gave it some thought, then made the call and risked his tournament life.

Bo Li: A♣ 8♣

Bon Yap: J♣ J♠

Shankui Li: A♦ K♦

Yap was ahead with the pair of jacks and both Lis had each other's outs to lessen their odds.

However, the poker gods know ways around this and threw a flop of 9♠ K♣ K♥, giving Shankui Li trip kings to take the lead.

The 2♦ on the turn had Bo Li drawing dead. Yap still had hopes with a two-outer, but the 9♦ river bricked, improvied Shankui Li to a full house and eliminated both players in one swoop.

Player	Chips	Progress
SL Shankui LiChina	220,300(184 BB)	180,300
BY Bon YapPhilippines	busted
BL Bo LiChina	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 8:18:00 AM

Nguyen's River Bet Gets No Action

Level 10: 600 / 1,200 ante: 1,200

Trong Quyet Nguyen

A pot of around 30,000 was being contested by Seongho Cho on the big blind, Trong Quyet Nguyen two seats over and Van Dong An Nguyen on the button.

The board showed 9♠ 4♣ 7♦ 3♣ K♠

Cho checked his option over to Trong Quyet, who counted off 14,500 to push past the betting line. Van Dong folded on the button and Cho also let go of his hand, awarding the handsome pot to Trong Quyet.

Player	Chips	Progress
TQ Trong Quyet NguyenViet Nam	127,000(106 BB)
SC Seongho ChoSouth Korea	82,600(69 BB)
VD Van Dong An NguyenViet Nam	37,000(31 BB)	-3,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 8:17:53 AM

Sakuma’s Kings Crush Nguyen’s Jacks

Level 10: 600 / 1,200 ante: 1,200

Action folded to the hijack, where Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen opened with a standard raise. Sitting in the cutoff, Takashi Sakuma, who had just recently arrived at the Ha Long Bay, stepped up the aggression and three-bet to 6,000.

Back on Nguyen, he wasn't backing down and fired back with a four-bet to 18,000. Sakuma quickly announced that he was all-in, and Nguyen made the call to put himself at risk for 58,000 total.

Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen: J♦ J♥

Takashi Sakuma: K♠ K♦

Both players held premium pocket pairs, but Sakuma was way ahead in the classic preflop cooler.

The dealer spread an A♥ 7♠ 3♠ flop, which kept the pocket kings firmly in the lead. The 6♠ turn brought a third spade to the board, making things even worse for Nguyen by reducing his remaining outs to just a single jack.

The 5♠ river completed a one-card flush for Sakuma, sealing the victory and eliminating Nguyen from the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
TS Takashi SakumaJapan	197,100(164 BB)	72,700
DH Dinh Hai Linh NguyenViet Nam	busted	-40,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 8:04:16 AM

Jiang Triples Up

Level 10: 600 / 1,200 ante: 1,200

From the cutoff, Toan Chan Truong opened the action with a raise to 2,400. The player on the button made the call, and Sumin Jang came along from the small blind.

Sitting in the big blind, Yihan Jiang decided to push all-in for his remaining 15,100 chips. Both Truong and Jang made the call to build a large main pot, while the button player folded.

With Jiang at risk, Truong and Jang checked down the entire J♠ 3♠ 2♦ A♣ 3♣ board for a dry side pot.

At showdown, Jiang turned over K♥ J♥ for a pair of jacks. Neither Truong nor Jang could beat it, allowing Jiang to scoop up the entire middle and lock up a much-needed triple-up.

Player	Chips
YJ Yihao JiangChina	48,900(41 BB)
TC Toan Chan TruongViet Nam	31,100(26 BB)
SJ Sumin JangSouth Korea	21,700(18 BB)

Level 10: 600 / 1,200 ante: 1,200

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 146/215

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 7:48:36 AM

Tech Support Fails

Level 9: 500 / 1,000 ante: 1,000

A massive clash occurred at the tables involving Filipino poker veteran John Tech. With more than USD 2.2 million in career live earnings, Tech currently sits ranked 7th on the Philippines' all-time money list.

However, his deep run was cut short after he went all-in and was put at risk by Ha Minh Nguyen, who sits as one of the current tournament chip leaders.

John Tech: 9♠ 9♣

Ha Minh Nguyen: K♠ K♦

Tech found himself in a brutal position preflop, running his pocket nines directly into Nguyen's monster pocket kings. Left chasing just two remaining outs to survive, Tech watched as the dealer spread a dry Q♥ Q♦ J♦ 7♠ 6♥ board.

Failing to find a lucky nine, Tech's first bullet came to an end as Nguyen pulled in the chips to solidify his big stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
HM Ha Minh NguyenViet Nam	205,600(206 BB)	67,200
JT John TechPhilippines	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 7:42:48 AM

Two Outs In A Row

Level 9: 500 / 1,000 ante: 1,000

Quang Thang Do

Quang Thang Do opened for 2,000 from early position. Action fell to Daeyoung Park on the button, who jammed his last 18,100 all in.

The blinds got out of the way and Do made the call.

Daeyoung Park: 2♣ 2♦

Quang Thang Do: J♠ J♣

The board completed 8♥ 8♣ T♦ 6♦ 8♠

The set of eights on the board gave both a full house, but Do had the better pair, sending Park to the rail.

In the following hand, Aleksei Bessarab shoved his last 12,700 all in. Congtuan Chen called from the next seat. Action then fell to Li Yong on the small blind, who shoved all in for 37,000, covering the stack of Chen.

Chen took a moment to think, but decided not to risk it and allowed Bessarab and Yong to have the showdown.

Aleksei Bessarab: A♣ 4♣

Li Yong: 5♠ 5♦

The board fell Q♥ 6♥ 7♣ 2♥ J♣

Bessarab couldn't find an ace and vacated his seat.

Player	Chips	Progress
QT Quang Thang DoViet Nam	277,000(277 BB)
LY Li YongChina	65,200(65 BB)
CC Congtuan ChenChina	28,200(28 BB)
DP Daeyoung ParkSouth Korea	busted
AB Aleksei BessarabRussia	busted	-40,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 7:41:04 AM

Nguyen Flops the World

Level 9: 500 / 1,000 ante: 1,000

From early position, Van Hung Huynh opened the action with a raise to 2,100. Sitting in the big blind, Canh Tan Nguyen looked down at his cards and chose to defend.

The dealer spread a flop of K♦ 7♥ 4♦ . Keeping the pressure on, Huynh fired out a continuation bet of 5,000. Nguyen clicked it up with a check-raise to 11,000.

When the action got back to Huynh, he announced that he was all-in. Nguyen snap-called for his remaining 27,400 chips, putting his tournament life on the line.

Canh Tan Nguyen: K♣ 7♠

Van Hung Huynh: A♣ K♠

Huynh had Nguyen heavily dominated preflop, but the flop completely turned the tables, rewarding Nguyen's defense with two pair.

Left with just three remaining outs to a higher two pair, Huynh failed to improve on the 3♠ turn or the J♣ river, locking up a healthy double-up for Nguyen.

Player	Chips
CT Canh Tan NguyenViet Nam	60,100(60 BB)
VH Van Hung HuynhViet Nam	5,700(6 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 7:35:48 AM

Chip Leaders At The Break

Level 9: 500 / 1,000 ante: 1,000

Top 10 Chip Count

Player	Chips	Progress
SL Serghei LisiiMoldova	201,500(202 BB)	161,500
DT Dinh Tri TranViet Nam	141,000(141 BB)	50,600
HM Ha Minh NguyenViet Nam	138,400(138 BB)	85,400
TS Takashi SakumaJapan	124,400(124 BB)
VH Van Hien DangViet Nam	122,300(122 BB)
DS Daisuke SasakiJapan	121,700(122 BB)
HL Hao LingChina	120,600(121 BB)	23,500
QT Quang Thang DoViet Nam	109,200(109 BB)	69,200
BL Byungho LimSouth Korea	105,800(106 BB)
TM Thi Minh Hong PhamViet Nam	105,000(105 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 7:30:49 AM

Lovgren Takes A Seat

Level 9: 500 / 1,000 ante: 1,000

Sofia Lovgren

Sofia Lovgren of Sweden has just arrived in the USOP. Lovgren has over USD 780,000 in total live earnings and lifted the trophy in the Mystery Bounty Championship during APT Championship Taipei 2025.

In a conversation with Lovgren, she admitted she hasn't played poker since APT Taipei 2026 earlier this year. She confessed that she's busy with her other major achievements - her two kids who are two years old and one year old. Not only that, she's currently pregnant and expecting a third baby soon.

Her attendance in the USOP is her second time, having played in USOP Da Nang 2024 where she cashed in the Main Event. Of course, she's hoping for better results this series.

Good luck, Sofia!

Player	Chips
SL Sofia LovgrenSweden	40,000(40 BB)

Level 9: 500 / 1,000 ante: 1,000

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 147/192

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 140/181

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 7:10:07 AM

Top Pair Holds for Lu

Level 8: 400 / 800 ante: 800

Facing an initial raise, Van Dan Nguyen put in a three-bet to 4,500. Sitting directly to his left, Junchao Lu decided to push the action, moving all-in over the top for 17,800.

The original raiser quickly folded, sending the decision back to Nguyen, who burned through a time-bank chip before deciding to make the call.

Junchao Lu: K♠ Q♠

Van Dan Nguyen: A♥ 4♥

Lu was trailing preflop but held two very live cards. He found immediate help on the K♣ T♠ 4♦ flop, pairing his king to take the lead.

The T♦ turn changed nothing, and the 6♣ river was a complete blank for Nguyen, allowing Lu's top pair to hold for a timely double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
JL Junchao LuChina	38,500(48 BB)	-1,500
VD Van Dan NguyenViet Nam	23,500(29 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 6:59:46 AM

Darkness Fails to Stop Dinh

Level 8: 400 / 800 ante: 800

Facing an initial raise of 2,000, Khuu Hoang Nam made the call from the cutoff, and the button player came along as well.

Sitting in the small blind, Dieu Tu Dinh squeezed the action up to 12,000. The field quickly cleared out until it got back to Nam, who was the only player to make the call.

The dealer spread a flop of K♦ J♦ J♠ .

Dinh kept her foot on the gas and fired a continuation bet of 6,000.

Suddenly, the tournament room went completely dark as the power cut out. When the venue lights finally clicked back on a moment later, Nam decided his cards were no longer good and tossed his hand into the muck, leaving Dinh to scoop up the pot.

Player	Chips
DT Dieu Tu DinhViet Nam	69,100(86 BB)
KH Khuu Hoang NamViet Nam	28,000(35 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 6:52:40 AM

"That's A Sign"

Level 8: 400 / 800 ante: 800

Cornnie, the impressive dealer with night vision

Duc Trong Pham opened for 1,000 from early position. Action folded to Kevin Hunter on the big blind who three-bet raised to 4,000.

Pham then declared "All in" and shoved his stack forward.

And then, THE LIGHTS WENT OUT and the emergency lights kicked in barely giving some light.

Hunter tested the dealer, "Can you even count?"

The dealer was game enough and counted 26,100.

Then, the lights went back on. And true enough, she was accurate with her count.

Someone remarked, "Wow! Night vision."

"Impressive." Hunter remarked, then folded his hand adding "That's a sign."

Player	Chips	Progress
KH Kevin HunterUnited Kingdom	40,800(51 BB)	800
DT Duc Trong PhamViet Nam	33,100(41 BB)

Level 8: 400 / 800 ante: 800

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 128/156

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 6:37:34 AM

Flashed Five, Taken Alive

Level 7: 300 / 600 ante: 600

Facing an initial raise, Zhifan Ye on the button put in a three-bet to 3,500. Sitting in the big blind, Nang Quang Nguyen stepped up the action with a four-bet to 9,000, which successfully forced the original raiser to fold.

Back on Ye, he was not ready to back down. After burning through a time bank to weigh his options, he fired back with a five-bet to 14,500. Nguyen came along with a call to see the K♣ J♠ 9♠ flop.

Ye wasted no time and fired a continuation bet of 6,000. It was a small but effective sizing, as it proved to be more than enough to make Nguyen fold his cards.

Before scooping the chips into his stack, Ye flashed a big smile and turned over just one card 5♣ , revealing to the table that his high-level preflop play was a complete semi-bluff.

Player	Chips	Progress
ZY Zhifan YeChina	53,800(90 BB)
NQ Nang Quang NguyenViet Nam	44,200(74 BB)	4,200

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 6:25:23 AM

Ling's Rockets Hold to Eliminate Isip

Level 7: 300 / 600 ante: 600

With the pot hovering around 18,000 chips, the dealer spread a T♦ 6♥ 3♠ 9♠ board. John Nico Isip fired a bet of 11,000, only for Hao Ling to check-raise all-in over the top. Isip committed the remainder of his stack and made the call to create a massive pot.

John Nico Isip: K♠ T♠

Hao Ling: A♥ A♣

Ling was ahead with his pocket aces, while Isip was chasing a lot of outs with top pair and a live flush draw. The 9♣ river came as a blank, missing all of Isip's draws and sealing his elimination as Ling scooped up the chips.

Player	Chips
HL Hao LingChina	97,100(162 BB)
JN John Nico IsipPhilippines	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 6:25:10 AM

Recent Registrants

Level 7: 300 / 600 ante: 600

Joven Huerto

Some familiar names of this series have popped up on the registration list. We have the likes of Qing Liu, Hao Ling, Wang Chen, Jiaqi He, Yingkun Fan and Joven Huerto.

Joven Huerto of the Philippines just got in yesterday and already took a fourth place finish in the Mini High Roller last night.

Player	Chips
QL Qing LiuChina	40,000(67 BB)
WC Wang ChenChina	40,000(67 BB)
HL Hao LingChina	40,000(67 BB)
JH Jiaqi HeChina	40,000(67 BB)
YF Yingkun FanChina	40,000(67 BB)
JH Joven HuertoPhilippines	40,000(67 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 6:13:35 AM

Zhang Out Again

Level 7: 300 / 600 ante: 600

Xugang Zhang

A pot of around 16,000 was in the middle of the table beside a complete board that showed K♦ 5♥ A♠ Q♣ J♦

Xuan Tuan Nguyen was in early position against Xugang Zhang on the cutoff.

Nguyen had tapped his option over to Zhang, who moved all in for 16,400.

Nguyen took a look at the board, peeked at his cards, then sent them back to the dealer. Zhang scooped the pot and had a stack of around 35,000.

Tien Thanh Nguyen

On the next hand, Zhang was on the hijack and opened for 2,000. Tien Thanh Nguyen re-raised to 7,500 and Zhang four-bet to 16,100 for his newly stacked chips.

Nguyen five-bet all in for 44,400, covering the stack of Zhang.

Zhang made the snap call.

Xugang Zhang: A♦ 6♠

Tien Thanh Nguyen: A♣ K♠

The flop came 7♣ A♥ 2♣

Both players paired their ace, but Nguyen still had the top kicker with the king. Zhang needed to find a one of three sixes left in the deck.

The turn 7♠ gave both two pair with Zhang having a chance to chop with another seven. However, the river threw an 8♠, booking the win for Nguyen.

When the count was made, Nguyen had 44,400 chips, covering the 34,700 or so chips of Zhang to send him out for a second time.

Will he fire a third bullet before registration closes?

Player	Chips	Progress
TT Tien Thanh NguyenViet Nam	84,700(141 BB)
XT Xuan Tuan Nguyen	18,500(31 BB)	-21,500
XZ Xugang ZhangChina	busted

Level 7: 300 / 600 ante: 600

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 105/125

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 6:08:32 AM

Four Times the Starting Stack for Dinh

Level 6: 300 / 500 ante: 500

Xuan Khang Dinh has put on a show at the tables today. Starting out with just the initial 40,000 tournament starting stack, Dinh has successfully multiplied his chips more than four times over and currently sits with a massive pile of 170,700 chips.

However, there will be no chip leader bonus waiting for the top stack at the end of the night. The flight's chip leader bonuses have already been fully claimed during the previous starting flights, with Van Son Nguyen and Quyet Tien Pham taking home the extra cash in Day 1A and Day 1B respectively.

Despite no bonus on the line, Dinh remains fully focused on bagging the biggest stack possible for Day 2.

Player	Chips	Progress
XK Xuan Khang DinhViet Nam	170,700(341 BB)	130,700

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 6:00:32 AM

River Stunner Knocks Out Zhang

Level 6: 300 / 500 ante: 500

Under the gun, Ha Minh Nguyen opened the action with a raise to 1,000. On the button, Xugang Zhang looked down at a premium hand and chose to three-bet shoved all-in for his remaining 13,900 chips. Nguyen made the call, putting Zhang at risk.

Xugang Zhang: K♠ Q♠

Ha Minh Nguyen: Q♦ T♣

Zhang had Nguyen heavily dominated and was in excellent shape to double up, especially after the dealer spread a K♦ 9♥ 6♠ flop to give him top pair.

However, Nguyen still had a gutshot straight draw out there. The 4♦ turn changed nothing, but the J♥ on the river stunned the table. The jack completed Nguyen's inside straight, sending Zhang to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
HM Ha Minh NguyenViet Nam	53,000(106 BB)
XZ Xugang ZhangChina	busted	-40,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 5:50:13 AM

A Strong Showing from Vietnamese Poker Pros

Level 6: 300 / 500 ante: 500

The field is a diverse mix of mostly local contenders and international players who have traveled for the series. Among the crowd, several well-known local crushers have been spotted at the tables.

Representing the home front are prominent Vietnamese players such as Trung Quan Nguyen, Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen, Anh Tai Do, Nang Quang Nguyen, Van Dong An Nguyen, and Quang Thang Do, all looking to keep the trophies on home soil.

Player	Chips	Progress
TQ Trung Quan NguyenViet Nam	40,000(80 BB)	40,000
DH Dinh Hai Linh NguyenViet Nam	40,000(80 BB)
AT Anh Tai DoViet Nam	40,000(80 BB)
NQ Nang Quang NguyenViet Nam	40,000(80 BB)
VD Van Dong An NguyenViet Nam	40,000(80 BB)
QT Quang Thang DoViet Nam	40,000(80 BB)

Level 6: 300 / 500 ante: 500

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 81/94

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 5:39:59 AM

Anderson Out And In

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

Dakota Anderson

Didn't catch the action just the tall frame of Dakota Anderson getting up from his seat and stopping over at Tom Eady's seat to discuss his bust out.

There were words like "light call" "turn squeeze" "bad shove" thrown around.

Anderson made the final table of the Mini Main Event, cashed in the Madness Kickoff and also placed 3rd in the Midday Event.

Anderson eventually fired another bullet.

Player	Chips
DA Dakota AndersonUnited States of America	40,000(100 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 5:37:49 AM

Cowboys Hold for Rodriguez

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

With around 10,000 chips already built up in the middle, the board read 7♣ 4♥ 2♦ 3♥. Alex Anton Rodriguez fired a bet of 3,500 from late position. Khayal Abbasov check-raised to 8,500, putting the pressure back on Rodriguez, who made the call.

The A♦ landed on the river, causing both players to slow down. After a final check from Abbasov, Rodriguez checked behind.

Rodriguez turned over K♣ K♥ for a pair of kings. Abbasov quickly threw his cards into the muck, allowing Rodriguez to scoop the healthy pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
AA Alex Anton RodriguezSpain	53,600(134 BB)	13,600
KA Khayal AbbasovAzerbaijan	27,300(68 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 5:34:59 AM

Second Chances

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

Dinesh Alt

Some of these players had great action yesterday, but fell short of advancing to Day 2. Perhaps this flight may be better for them.

Player	Chips	Progress
DA Dinesh AltSwitzerland	40,000(100 BB)
RP Rosalie PetitFrance	40,000(100 BB)
AB Aleksei BessarabRussia	40,000(100 BB)
DA Dakota AndersonUnited States of America	40,000(100 BB)	20,100
SL Shankui LiChina	40,000(100 BB)
JP Jan Peter EickholtGermany	40,000(100 BB)
SL Serghei LisiiMoldova	40,000(100 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 5:29:56 AM

Awaiting Return

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

Ivan Lukianov

So far, these players are on the elimination list and haven't re-entered.

Registration remains open until 4:00 PM local time before the start of Level 12.

Player	Chips	Progress
IL Ivan LukianovRussia	busted	-40,000
JX Jinhui XiaoChina	busted	-40,000
YM Yanzhou MengChina	busted	-40,000
DH Dinh Hai Linh NguyenViet Nam	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/26/2026, 5:27:01 AM

Kings Good for Tran

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

The board was already complete showing 9♥ 6♠ 4♠ 5♠ 9♣ with more than 20,000 chips already sitting in the middle in a hand between Dakota Anderson and Dinh Tri Tran.

Anderson checked the river, and Tran fired out a bet of 8,000. Anderson thought it over before making the call.

Tran turned over K♣ K♠ for an overpair to the board. Unable to beat the pocket kings, Anderson threw his hand directly into the muck, awarding a healthy pot to Tran.

Player	Chips
DT Dinh Tri TranViet Nam	90,400(226 BB)
DA Dakota AndersonUnited States of America	19,900(50 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 5:25:49 AM

Out And In Again

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

Trung Quan Nguyen can't get anything going and his second bullet just misfired.

Nguyen went all in for his last 37,000 and was matched by Dinh Tri Tran.

Trung Quan Nguyen tabled A♣ Q♥ versus the A♥ K♣ of Tran.

The flop came J♥ K♠ 6♣

Tran flopped a pair of kings, extending his lead over Nguyen, who had four outs remaining to make a Broadway straight.

The 2♣ turn and 2♥ river didn't offer any help and Nguyen was busted for the second time today.

And yes, Nguyen's fired a third bullet to re-enter.

Player	Chips	Progress
DT Dihn Tri TranViet Nam	165,000(413 BB)
TQ Trung Quan NguyenViet Nam	40,000(100 BB)	-40,000

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 45/49

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 36/40

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 4:48:09 AM

Series Crushers At The Table

Level 4: 200 / 300 ante: 300

Andres Vasquez

Colombia's Andres Vasquez has taken a seat. Vasquez recently won the Mini High Roller for VND 585,700,000 (~USD 22,200) to boost his total live earnings to over USD 1,160,000.

China's Wenqing Do has also joined in. Wenqing Do placed 5th in an NLH Turbo event in this series to push his total live earnings towards USD 100,000.

Spain's Alex Anton Rodriguez has also joined with a fresh stack. Rodriguez cashed in the Mini Main Event of this series.

Player	Chips
AV Andres VasquezColombia	40,000(133 BB)
WD Wenqing DongChina	40,000(133 BB)
AA Alex Anton RodriguezSpain	40,000(133 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 4:39:36 AM

On And Off

Level 4: 200 / 300 ante: 300

The electricity has been an issue in this series with the lights going on and off at the luxurious InterContinental Ha Long Bay.

It's not the venue that's the problem, it's the entire city area that is affected.

It happened last night and it's blinked twice today. The generators of the hotel kick in immediately, so the lights turn on, but then there is the inconvenience of resetting the tournament clocks and the air conditioning.

Keep it clean. Protect your chips at all times. Touch gloves and come out fighting.

Level 4: 200 / 300 ante: 300

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 29/30

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 4:16:59 AM

Quick Out And In For Nguyen

Level 3: 100 / 200 ante: 200

Trung Quan Nguyen

One of Vietnam's most prolific poker pros Trung Quan Nguyen just jumped in Day 1C. Nguyen is a decorated poker champion, having won the APT Super High Roller and the APT High Roller events. Nguyen has over USD 1.2 million in total live earnings.

He busted out and fired another bullet to re-enter.

Player	Chips
TQ Trung Quan NguyenViet Nam	40,000(200 BB)

Level 3: 100 / 200 ante: 200

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 9/9

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 3:48:44 AM

Meanwhile...

Level 2: 100 / 100 ante: 100

The Satellite Championship Event (3 Seats Guaranteed) already has 42 entries at Level 5.

Other events on schedule for today include the VNB 4 Billion Guaranteed Highroller Singleday with a buyin of VND 55 million.

USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay Full Schedule.

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 3:33:26 AM

Who's In?

Level 2: 100 / 100 ante: 100

Anna Ananova

Day 1C is off to a a slow start with only 6 registrants and 4 players on the table. The other 2 have yet to make their way to the poker area and grab their chips.

Among the familiar faces on their seats are Russians Ivan Lukianov and Anna Ananova.

Lukianov has cashed in the Madness Kickoff this series.

Ananova is fresh from a third place finish in the Women's Event from last night.

Yixuan Xu hasn't made a cash this series, but he made a 3rd place finish in the Mini High Roller during the recent VPL III in Hanoi last month.

Player	Chips
IL Ivan LukianovRussia	40,000(400 BB)
HT Hoa Thinh NguyenViet Nam	40,000(400 BB)
XT Xuan Tuan Nguyen	40,000(400 BB)
CF Chengcheng FengSingapore	40,000(400 BB)
AA Anna AnanovaRussia	40,000(400 BB)
YX Yixuan XuChina	40,000(400 BB)

Level 2: 100 / 100 ante: 100

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 6/6

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 3:07:01 AM

Shuffle Up And Deal!

Level 1: 100 / 100

Four players have finally taken to the felt to get the cards in the air. There is still 4:20 left in Level 1.

Level 1: 100 / 100

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 2/2

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/26/2026, 3:05:30 AM

The Clock Is On

Level 1: 100 / 100

The clock of the Day 1C has begun, but cards have not flown since there are only 2 players registered so far. The event needs 4 to start according to the tournament director.

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 7:56:57 PM

Three More Flights To Earn Share of VND 25 Billion

The USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026 is carrying the momentum forward at the InterContinental Ha Long Bay with another multi-day featured event in the Championship Event, which comes with a VND 20 Billion (~USD 760,000) guaranteed prize pool.

The series runs from May 19 to June 1 and features a VND 120 billion guaranteed prize pool for the entire series. The Championship Event - one of the highlights of the festival - comes with a VND 25 million (~USD 950) buy-in with five starting Day 1 flights to enter.

So far, Day 1A and Day 1B have concluded. Day 1A saw a total of 264 entries take to their seats with only 33 keeping them moving forward to Day 2. Vietnam's Van Son Nguyen set the bar with the largest stack of 885,000 chips and earned a VND 75 million bonus as the flight chip leader.

Day 1B brought in 218 entries with 28 advancing to the Day 2 final. Vietnam's Pham Quyet Tien bagged the biggest stack of the flight at 679,000, earning the VND 60 million bonus.

Day 1C will have cards in the air at 10:00 AM local time today with registration closing at 4:00PM local time.

Day 1D will kick off at 4:00PM local time with registration closing at 10:00 PM local time.

The final Day 1E flight will begin at 9:30 PM local time with registration closing at 1:40AM local time the next morning.

The starting stack will be 40,000 chips with blind levels increasing every 30-minutes, except for Day 1E which will have 20-minute blind levels.

There are no bonuses for the chip leaders of the last remaining flights.

Stay tuned here for the live reports and recaps.

Complete Survivor Chip Counts

Event starts 10:00 local time..