Finished

InterContinental Halong Bay Resort

Viet Nam, Hạ Long

USOP Vietnam HaLong Bay 2026

2026.05.19 - 2026.06.01 Add to Calendar

U Series Of Poker

Info Chip Counts Gallery

Blind level

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

Entries

33/264

Total Chips

10,560,000

Average

320,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 3:00:01 PM

Van Son Nguyen Leads Day 1A and Claims VND 75 Million Chip Leader Bonus

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

Van Son Nguyen

The first flight of the VND 20 Billion (~USD 760,000) guaranteed Championship Event at the USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026 finished after 11 hours of play. The tournament had 264 entries for this flight, and only 33 players survived to make the money and move on to the next day.

Van Son Nguyen finished the night as the chip leader with 885,000 chips after winning a lot of pots late in the day. Nguyen is having a good series so far, after recently finishing in 35th place in the Mini Main Event. His play earned him a VND 75 Million (~USD 2,845) chip leader bonus.

Wanhao Zhao

Right behind him is Wanhao Zhao with 867,000 chips. Zhao had a big up-and-down day. He almost went out early on, but he stayed alive by hitting a flush on the river to beat Mei Yee Lo’s pocket aces.

After that hand, Zhao went on a long winning streak and knocked out many players. In one big hand, he held pocket aces to beat Tuan Anh Tran’s ace-king.

Van Thanh Nguyen finished third in chips. He was the leader at one point, but he lost a very large part of his stack near the bubble when he went all-in with a weak hand.

Top 10 Chip Count

Player	Chips	Progress
VS Van Son NguyenViet Nam	885,000(74 BB)
WZ Wanhao ZhaoAustralia	867,000(72 BB)
VT Van Thanh NguyenViet Nam	797,000(66 BB)
CX Chunnuan XuChina	681,000(57 BB)	216,000
XZ Xiaobin ZhengChina	639,000(53 BB)	314,000
JL Jongkwan LeeSouth Korea	581,000(48 BB)	160,000
YJ Yizhan JiangChina	454,000(38 BB)	43,000
KB Kyle Bao DiepViet Nam	435,000(36 BB)	4,000
CF Chuan FengChina	423,000(35 BB)
LP Liang PengChina	423,000(35 BB)

Chunnuan Xu

Notable Players Move to Day 2

Many well-known players made it through the day. Chunnuan Xu was the only woman to make it through Day 1A, bagging a strong stack of 681,000 chips. She was the chip leader at one point in the day and kept a big stack until the end. USOP Ambassador Kyle Bao Diep played well late in the night to finish with 435,000 chips, putting him in the top 10.

Xiaotong Yu, who was called the "lucky boy" in the Madness Kickoff event, celebrated his birthday by making the money and bagging up 290,000 chips. APT Championship Main Event Runner-Up John Niko Costiniano also moved on with 168,000 chips. Two bracelet winners, Jinlong Hu with 160,000 chips and Yinan Zhou with 116,000 chips, also made it through.

Bursting the Bubble

The day ended during hand-for-hand play when Liang Peng knocked out Fubin Wan. Peng won a coin-flip hand to eliminate Wan in 34th place, which was the exact spot before the money.

All 33 players will come back to play on Wednesday, May 27 at 12:00 PM local time for Day 2 of the Championship Event.

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 2:18:58 PM

Wan Falls on the Bubble After Peng Wins Crucial Flip

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

On the fourth hand of hand-for-hand play, the money bubble officially burst.

Action folded to the button, where Fubin Wan moved all-in for 143,000. In the big blind, Liang Peng quickly made the call to put Wan at risk.

Fubin Wan: 9♥ 9♣

Liang Peng: A♣ Q♠

It was a classic flip for Wan's tournament life. The dealer spread a flop of A♦ T♠ T♣ , pairing Peng’s ace and leaving Wan in immediate danger. Down to just two remaining outs, Wan found no salvation on the 2♣ turn or the K♠ river, making him the final player eliminated outside the money.

With Wan's departure in 34th place, Day 1A officially comes to a close.

Congratulations to the 33 players who survived the flight, locked up a min-cash, and secured their bags for Day 2!

Stay tuned for a full recap, highlights from today's action, and the official chip counts of the remaining field.

Player	Chips	Progress
LP Liang PengChina	423,000(35 BB)
FW Fubin WanChina	busted	-221,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 2:12:22 PM

Happy Birthday!

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

Xiaotong Yu

China's Xiaotong Yu celebrates his birthday today!

Happy Birthday from all of us at Somuchpoker!

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 2:03:48 PM

"Let's Share"

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

With Van Thanh Nguyen squandering his chip lead, the race for the VND 75 million bonus for the chip leader is now between Van Song Nguyen and Wanhao Zhao, who have similar-sized stacks.

In between hand-for-hand, Van Song said, "Don't pressure. Let's share."

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 1:55:31 PM

A New Leader Emerges

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

After a series of consecutive pot wins, Van Son Nguyen has climbed to the top of the leaderboard, claiming the chip lead with 901,000 chips.

However, the race for the chip leader bonus is far from over, as Nguyen is seated at the exact same table as former leader Wanhao Zhao. It is now a direct, two-way battle between the two big stacks.

Meanwhile, Van Thanh Nguyen has fallen out of contention for the top spot after taking a recent hit to his stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
VS Van Son NguyenViet Nam	901,000(75 BB)	371,000
WZ Wanhao ZhaoAustralia	850,000(71 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 1:51:01 PM

Goodbye VND 75 Million

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

Van Thanh Nguyen raised for 31,000 from early position. On the seat next to him, Dinh Hieu Nguyen re-raised to 167,000, still leaving around 65,000 behind.

Action came back to flight chip leader Van Thanh, who declared "all in" and shoved a stack forward.

Dinh Hieu made the call.

Dinh Hieh Nguyen: J♥ J♠

Van Thanh Nguyen: 8♣ 3♣

Flop came 7♣ T♠ A♠ with the jacks of Dinh Hieu looking good.

The A♥ on the turn had Van Thanh drawing dead and the 4♠ on the river was a formality that doubled up Dinh Hieu and taking a significant chunk from Van Thanh, who lost his chip leader throne and the chance to get the VND 75 million bonus as the chip leader.

Player	Chips	Progress
VT Van Thanh NguyenViet Nam	615,000(51 BB)	-237,000
DH Dinh Hieu NguyenViet Nam	486,000(41 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 1:44:21 PM

Who's At Risk?

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

With the bubble about to burst, the two shortest stacks at risk belong to:

Player	Chips	Progress
ZJ Zicong JiangChina	85,000(7 BB)	-62,000
JZ Jie ZhengChina	63,000(5 BB)	23,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 1:32:58 PM

Nguyen Busts Le At The Soft Bubble... Hand For Hand Play For The Bubble

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

Van Thanh Nguyen was using his monster stack during the bubble period and opened for 20,000 from the hijack.

Action folded to Duong Trung Nghia Le on his big blind, who pushed in his remaining 42,000.

Nguyen made the call and immediately peeled open T♦ 7♦

Before showing his cards, Le commented, "You called me with that?"

Nguyen replied, "Chip leader."

Le then sheepishly turned over 8♠ 7♥.

Board ran 6♠ 6♦ 2♣ K♣ 6♥

The ten of Nguyen was enough for a kicker to send Le out as the soft bubble just two spots away from the money.

Following his elimination, the tournament director has now announced hand-for-hand play as the bubble is about to burst with one more out to go.

Player	Chips	Progress
VT Van Thanh NguyenViet Nam	802,000(67 BB)	-48,000
DT Duong Trung Nghia LeViet Nam	busted

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

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 38/264

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 1:24:46 PM

Park Doubled From Ngo

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

Van Dat Ngo opened for 25,000 from early position. Action fell to Chul Ho Park on the small blind and shoved his last 105,000 and put his tournament life at risk. Ngo gave it some thought, then called.

Chul Ho Park: A♣ K♣

Vat Dat Ngo: 7♦ 7♣

Flop arrived 8♠ 3♣ 2♣ still giving Ngo the lead over Park's big slick.

The turn showed a 5♣, which gave Park outs with a flush draw and a gutshot straight.

For his tournament life, the poker gods threw a 4♦ and gave him a straight to double up and stay alive.

Ngo, disappointed, was severely dented.

Player	Chips	Progress
CH Chul Ho ParkSouth Korea	225,000(23 BB)	120,000
VD Van Dat NgoViet Nam	75,000(8 BB)	-261,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 1:23:17 PM

Ambassador Applying Pressure

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

Folded to the small blind, USOP Ambassador Kyle Bao Diep opened the action with a raise to 35,000. In the big blind, Chul Ho Park made the call to see the flop.

Diep fired a continuation bet of 13,000 on the Q♥ Q♠ 7♣ flop, and then barreled again for 22,000 when the 7♦ paired the turn. Park called both streets to keep the pot growing.

When the 5♠ arrived on the river, Diep emptied the chamber by announcing all-in. Faced with a bet for his tournament life, Park used up two of his time banks before eventually deciding to fold.

The fold preserved Park's remaining chips with just five eliminations left before the field hits the money.

Player	Chips	Progress
KB Kyle Bao DiepViet Nam	431,000(43 BB)	329,000
CH Chul Ho ParkSouth Korea	105,000(11 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 1:06:41 PM

Tens Hold for Zhao

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

With only 66,000 chips left in his stack, Trung Ha Nguyen moved all-in from early position and was quickly called by the massive chip leader, Wanhao Zhao.

Trung Ha Nguyen: 8♥ 6♥

Wanhao Zhao: T♣ T♠

Nguyen needed to connect with the board to survive, but the cards offered no help as the dealer spread the K♥ K♦ 2♠ 5♣ J♠ board. Nguyen was eliminated from the tournament.

With this knockout, Wanhao Zhao continues to grow his towering stack, climbing up to 888,000 chips. However, the race for the VND 75 Million chip leader bonus is turning into a close photo finish.

Zhao is now closely followed by Van Thanh Nguyen, who has built up a massive stack of 850,000 chips. With only six more eliminations left before the day concludes, it is a razor-thin battle at the top of the leaderboard to see who will walk away with the extra cash.

Player	Chips	Progress
WZ Wanhao ZhaoAustralia	888,000(89 BB)	335,000
VT Van Thanh NguyenViet Nam	850,000(85 BB)
TH Trung Ha NguyenViet Nam	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 1:00:46 PM

Nguyen's Rockets Remove Zeng

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

Tuan Hung Nguyen opened for 20,000 from under the gun. Action folded around to Ceng Zeng on the big blind, who jammed his final 36,000 in the middle. Nguyen made the snap call.

Ceng Zeng: 8♠ 7♦

Tuan Hung Nguyen: A♠ A♣

The dealer flopped 4♥ 3♥ 5♥

Nguyen was still ahead, but the flop gave Zeng a gut-shot straight draw. The turn threw in a 3♦ and the river gave a 2♠, improving Nguyen to a straight and sending Zeng out.

With the elimination of Zeng, there are five more eliminations needed before the remaining 33 survivors are in the money and book a seat to Day 2.

Player	Chips	Progress
TH Tuan Hung Nguyen	205,000(26 BB)
CZ Ceng ZengChina	busted	-276,000

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

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 43/264

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 12:42:37 PM

Big Slick Beats Big Chick

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

Facing a 20,000 raise from early position, cutoff Yuequan Jia moved all-in with a three-bet shove for 169,000. Sitting directly on his left, Victor Lam also shoved over the top, forcing the initial raiser to fold and creating a heads-up showdown.

Yuequan Jia: A♣ Q♥

Victor Lam: A♦ K♠

Jia found himself in bad shape, heavily dominated by Lam's superior ace-king. The board ran out J♥ 8♣ 7♥ K♦ J♠ , pairing Lam's king on the turn to seal the win and eliminate Jia from the field.

Player	Chips	Progress
VL Victor LamViet Nam	398,000(50 BB)	220,000
YJ Yuequan JiaChina	busted	-130,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 12:30:08 PM

Chip Leaders At The Break

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

Top 10 Chip Count

Player	Chips	Progress
VT Van Thanh NguyenViet Nam	684,000(86 BB)
WZ Wanhao ZhaoAustralia	553,000(69 BB)	3,000
VS Van Son NguyenViet Nam	530,000(66 BB)	243,000
CX Chunnuan XuChina	465,000(58 BB)	-56,000
JL Jongkwan LeeSouth Korea	421,000(53 BB)	182,000
YJ Yizhan JiangChina	411,000(51 BB)	6,000
JH Jinlong HuChina	385,000(48 BB)	53,000
BC Bui Cong TuanViet Nam	381,000(48 BB)	294,000
VD Van Dat NgoViet Nam	336,000(42 BB)	173,000
XZ Xiaobin ZhengChina	325,000(41 BB)

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

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 51/264

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 51/264

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 12:14:54 PM

Blind Battle Surrender

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

A healthy pot of 88,000 chips was already scattered in the middle on a board showing A♦ 3♦ 2♥ T♦ .

It was a battle of the blinds, and Ceng Zeng fired a bet of 62,000. Wanhao Zhao used up one of his time banks to think over the decision before ultimately making the check-call.

When the 6♠ hit the river, Zhao checked one final time. This time, Zeng decided to give up on the hand and checked behind.

Zhao turned over 3♥ 2♣ for a flopped two pair, prompting Zeng to muck his hand and giving Zhao the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
WZ Wanhao ZhaoAustralia	550,000(92 BB)	100,000
CZ Ceng ZengChina	276,000(46 BB)	19,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 12:13:00 PM

Kicker Problems For Constiniano

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

John Niko Costiniano

A pot of around 70,000 was in the middle with a complete board that showed 7♦ 4♣ 2♣ T♠ 2♠

Yizhan Jiang was on the small blind against John Niko Costiniano on the lowjack.

Jiang checked over to Constiniano, who counted off a bet of 55,000.

Jiang counted the chips and made the call.

Costiniano flipped over J♠ T♣ for a pair of tens with a jack kicker. However, it wasn't enough to beat the A♦ T♥ of Jiang, whose ace played a huge part in the big scoop.

Player	Chips	Progress
YJ Yizhan JiangChina	405,000(68 BB)	129,000
JN John Niko CostinianoPhilippines	181,000(30 BB)	-141,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 12:05:18 PM

Last Woman Standing, First in Chips

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

Chunnuan Xu

Chunnuan Xu, the final female player remaining in the field, has climbed her way to the top of the leaderboard to become the current chip leader.

Navigating through a field of 55 male players, Xu has established a dominant position at the tables. She sits comfortably with a massive stack of 521,000 chips, towering well over the tournament's current average stack of just 190,000.

With this massive lead, Xu is now in prime position to lock down the flight and walk away with the coveted VND 75 Million (~USD 2,845) chip leader bonus.

Player	Chips	Progress
CX Chunnuan XuChina	521,000(87 BB)	481,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 11:58:02 AM

That's POKER!

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

Van Thanh Nguyen

After a raise, three-bet and a four-bet... Shankui Li finally decided to shove most of his entire stack of 165,000 - leaving 2,000 behind.

Kyoungil Kim also moved all in for about the same amount. Van Thanh Nguyen had both players covered and decided to join the party with a call.

The floor director was quick to point out that it is not yet all in because Li still held on to some chips.

So... the flop came 4♦ A♦ J♥

Li was the first to act, so he pushed in his last 2,000. Nguyen, of course, stayed on. The floor director then asked for the cards to be opened.

Kyoungil Kim opened J♠ Js for a set of jacks and received some "woooahss" from the table and the onlookers.

Shankui Li flipped over A♣ A♥ and the "wooahs" went event louder.

Van Thanh Nguyen showed K♣ Q♠ and there was this confused silence that translated to, "You called with what?"

The turn threw in a 5♠

And just as the silence was dying down...Kim was up from his seat and Li was beaming with confidence, the poker gods threw a T♥ on the river to give Nguyen a straight, overtaking the set of both players and eliminating them in one swoop.

The onlookers went crazy with phones out to take pictures for their socials, so happy to witness such a moment. The only ones unhappy were Kim and Li, who couldn't believe such sickness was possible.

Well, gentlemen... THAT'S POKER!

Player	Chips
VT Van Thanh NguyenViet Nam	660,000(110 BB)
SL Shankui LiChina	busted
KK Kyoungil KimSouth Korea	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 11:57:13 AM

No Sweat for the Cowboys

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

Kyoungil Kim opened the action with a raise to 12,000, nearly stealing the blinds, but big blind Leandro Dirlewanger stepped in with a three-bet to 30,000.

Back on Kim, he fired back by moving all-in for 123,000. Dirlewanger, who had Kim covered by just 2,000 chips, made the call.

Kyoungil Kim: Q♣ Q♦

Leandro Dirlewanger: K♠ K♥

Both players held premium pocket pairs, but Dirlewanger was in a dominant position with his pocket kings. The board ran out clean as 7♠ 7♣ 4♠ 8♠ 8♥ , providing no help to Kim and sealing his elimination while Dirlewanger collected the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
LD Leandro DirlewangerSwitzerland	257,000(43 BB)	143,000
KK Kyoungil KimSouth Korea	busted	-99,800

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 11:50:21 AM

Meanwhile...

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

The Day 1B flight is now on its 6th level with a total of 101 entries registered and 80 players with chips and a seat.

The VND 2.4 Billion Guaranteed Super High Roller Day 1has brought in 40 entries with 21 seats still filled.

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

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 60/264

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 11:40:34 AM

Chan Checks Out

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

Chak Hei Chan risked his remaining 16,200 chips and was matched by Kiwanont Sukhum.

Chak Hei Chan: A♣ 5♣

Kiwanont Sukhum: 7♣ 7♥

The flop showed 9♠ 5♥ 3♥ which paired Chan, although it was still behind the sevens of Sukhum.

The turn cam 4♠ and Chan knew his hopes were dim and he was up from his seat.

When the K♦ landed on the river, Chan tapped the table "nice hand" and exited.

Player	Chips
KS Kiwanont SukhumThailand	126,000(25 BB)
CH Chak Hei ChanHong Kong	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 11:39:15 AM

Fours and Flushes

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

From the hijack, Hoang Nam Nguyen opened the action with a raise to 11,000, and the player on the button made the call. In the big blind, Zicong Jiang three-bet shoved all-in for 64,000. Nguyen then reshoved to isolate the short stack, which successfully forced the button to fold.

Zicong Jiang: A♥ J♦

Hoang Nam Nguyen: A♣ 4♣

Jiang dominated Nguyen, leaving his opponent with only three direct outs to a four. However, one of those outs appeared immediately on the T♣ 4♦ 3♥ flop to turn the tables in Nguyen's favor.

The 8♣ on the turn gave Nguyen a flush draw, and the 3♣ river completed the nut flush to seal the elimination for Jiang and secure a big pot for Nguyen.

Player	Chips	Progress
ZJ Zicong JiangChina	147,000(29 BB)	73,000
HN Hoang Nam NguyenViet Nam	106,000(21 BB)	-70,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 11:28:57 AM

Confusing Raise Ends the Hand

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

In a single-raised pot preflop, three players went to see a flop of A♥ Q♦ 3♣ .

The action checked through to the button, where Yuequan Jia fired a bet of 12,000. Big blind Leandro Dirlewanger made the call, but the initial raiser, Shankui Li, put out a raise to 42,000.

The action paused as a disagreement came up. Dirlewanger argued that the raise should only be 35,000 because Li had put out seven 5,000 chips, and then added another 5,000 chip followed by a 2,000 chips. The tournament floor was called to the table and ruled that the raise was officially 40,000.

Following the commotion, Jia folded his cards, and Dirlewanger quickly did the same, giving the pot to Li.

Player	Chips	Progress
SL Shankui LiChina	362,000(72 BB)	121,000
YJ Yuequan JiaChina	130,000(26 BB)	90,000
LD Leandro DirlewangerSwitzerland	114,000(23 BB)	74,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 11:28:39 AM

End Of The Road

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

With no more re-entries, some of those who will no longer return on this flight are the likes of:

Player	Chips	Progress
DA Dakota AndersonUnited States of America	busted	-40,000
WJ Warren James RustadCanada	busted	-52,200
JX Jia XiaoChina	busted
IL Ivan LukianovRussia	busted	-24,600
KH Kevin HunterUnited Kingdom	busted	-40,000
DH Dinh Hai Linh NguyenViet Nam	busted	-34,500
LK Luong Ky ChacViet Nam	busted	-40,000
QT Quang Trinh DoViet Nam	busted	-47,000
VQ Van Quoc VoViet Nam	busted	-40,000
TE Tom EadyUnited Kingdom	busted
ZZ Zhiying ZhouChina	busted	-40,000
DS Denis SemerenkoRussia	busted	-40,000
DA Dinesh AltSwitzerland	busted	-40,000
JH Jin Hee MinSouth Korea	busted	-40,000
CS Changliang SunChina	busted	-63,700
QW Qian WangChina	busted	-40,000
SA Sam AmeenUnited Kingdom	busted	-40,000
MF Miao FengChina	busted	-40,000
MY Mei Yee LoChina	busted	-25,000
KZ Kaiyun ZhuChina	busted	-86,800
RP Rosalie PetitFrance	busted	-44,000
WD Wenqing DongChina	busted	-161,000
SK Shuma KimuraJapan	busted	-188,000
JF Joshua FiguerresPhilippines	busted	-40,000
IY Ihor YerofieievUkraine	busted	-40,000

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

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 66/264

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 11:11:29 AM

Abbasov's Aces Socre Double

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

The cards were on their backs with Khayal Abbasov's 35,000 chips at risk against Thang Quai Nguyen.

Khayal Abbasov: A♦ A♥

Thang Quai Nguyen: A♣ T♥

Abbasov was ahead with a pair of aces, but anything can happen in poker.

The flop came T♣ 7♣ 5♣

Nguyen had hit top pair with the tens and had a nut flush draw.

The 4♥ turn didn't change anything, but the threat of elimination was still there for Abbasov.

Then, on the river, the poker gods threw in a 3♥, allowing Abbasov to breathe a sigh of relief with the critical double.

Player	Chips	Progress
TQ Thang Quai NguyenViet Nam	264,000(66 BB)
KA Khayal AbbasovAzerbaijan	84,000(21 BB)	44,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 11:10:33 AM

Zhao Takes Over the Lead

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

Under the gun, Wanhao Zhao opened to 8,000 and found one caller before button player Tuan Anh Tran three-bet to 34,000.

Action folded back to Zhao, who quickly announced all in. The initial caller got out of the way, while Tran made the call for around 150,000 total.

Wanhao Zhao: A♠ A♥

Tuan Anh Tran: A♦ K♦

Both players turned over premium hand, but Zhao’s pocket aces had Tran dominated and comfortably stayed ahead throughout the Q♣ 9♥ 7♣ Q♦ J♠ runout.

With the knockout, Zhao climbed into the current chip lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
WZ Wanhao ZhaoAustralia	450,000(113 BB)	196,000
TA Tuan Anh TranViet Nam	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 10:55:11 AM

Chip Leaders At The Break

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

Top 12 Chip Count

Player	Chips	Progress
JN John Niko CostinianoPhilippines	322,000(81 BB)	22,000
VS Van Son NguyenViet Nam	287,000(72 BB)	24,500
YJ Yizhan JiangChina	276,000(69 BB)	102,000
CZ Ceng ZengChina	257,000(64 BB)	30,500
WZ Wanhao ZhaoAustralia	254,000(64 BB)	2,000
SL Shankui LiChina	241,000(60 BB)	201,000
NN Nhat Nam HoangViet Nam	240,000(60 BB)	106,500
JL Jongkwan LeeSouth Korea	239,000(60 BB)	199,000
JH Jinlong HuChina	238,000(60 BB)	37,000
AD Anh Duc NguyenViet Nam	232,000(58 BB)
FW Fubin WanChina	221,000(55 BB)	181,000
TL Thanh Long NguyenViet Nam	220,000(55 BB)	-50,000

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

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 79/264

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 10:34:00 AM

Break Time!

Break

The players are now on a 10-minute break.

During the break, the tournament staff will also be conducting a chip race to remove the 500-denomination chips from play.

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 10:31:05 AM

Quads for Maximum Damage

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

Action folded around to the button, where Jan Peter Eickholt opened with a raise to 6,000. Sitting in the small blind, Duong Trung Nghia Le raised the price with a three-bet to 20,000.

Eickholt responded by moving all-in for 115,000. Le, who had 90,000 behind, made the call to put his tournament life on the line.

Duong Trung Nghia Le: 2♦ 2♣

Jan Peter Eickholt: 9♠ 9♣

Le was behind from the start, and the 9♥ 7♥ 6♦ flop left him nearly drawing dead as Eickholt flopped top set. The K♥ on the turn officially sealed the win for Eickholt, and the 9♦ on the river gave him quad nines.

Le was eliminated, while Eickholt took down a healthy pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
JP Jan Peter EickholtGermany	211,000(70 BB)
DT Duong Trung Nghia LeViet Nam	busted	-49,100

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 10:27:00 AM

Nguyen Triples And KOs

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

There were three cards on their backs.

Tuan Anh Nguyen: T♦ T♣

Bui Cong Tuan Bui: A♥ Q♥

Haibiao Ye: 9♥ 8♥

Tuan had everyone covered. Nguyen was at risk for 57,000 chips, while Ye was at risk for 70,200.

The board came J♥ K♠ J♦ 4♠ 3♠

Nguyen was being his loud and exciting self when the board completed. The dealer counted his chips and counted off from Nguyen and Tuan what was due to Nguyen. Meanwhile, Ye stood up, knowing his loss to Bu removed him completely. Bui took the remaining 12,500 chips of Ye.

Player	Chips	Progress
TA Tuan Anh NguyenViet Nam	174,000(58 BB)	160,300
BC Bui Cong TuanViet Nam	87,000(29 BB)	-57,000
HY Haibiao YeChina	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 10:25:31 AM

Ahmet Removes Rettenmaier

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

Meer Ahmet opened for 6,000 from under the gun and action ended up to Marvin Rettenmaier, who was getting a massage when he raised all in on his big blind for his last 35,000.

Ahmet examined his stack and decided it was worth the call.

Marvin Rettenmaier: Q♦ 9♦

Ahmet Meer: A♣ 7♣

The board ran clean with T♣ J♠ 3♣ 2♥ 6♥

Rettenmaier found an open-ended straight draw on the flop to improve his outs, but none of the materialized and he had to leave his seat and continue his back massage at a vacant table nearby.

Rettenmaier is the 2012 WPT World Championship USD 25,000 Championship winner, the 2012 WPT Merit Cyprus Classic Main Event winner, the 2011 France Poker Series Main Event champion and much more. His total live earnings have crossed the USD 7.5 million mark.

Player	Chips	Progress
MA Meer Ahmet	147,000(49 BB)
MR Marvin RettenmaierGermany	busted	-40,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 10:25:00 AM

Petit Pressured By Nguyen

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

A juicy pot of 50,000 was in the middle beside a board of T♣ J♠ 3♣ 2♥ 6♥.

Rosalie Petit of France was on the small blind against Thanh Long Nguyen on the cutoff.

Petit led the dance with a bet of 30,000. Nguyen answered back with a head spin raise to 100,00 covering the stack of Petit.

Petit took a peek at her cards, then decided to end the dance with a fold.

Player	Chips	Progress
TL Thanh Long NguyenViet Nam	270,000(90 BB)
RP Rosalie PetitFrance	44,000(15 BB)	-47,500

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 10:24:04 AM

Lo’s Aces Fall

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

Mei Yee Lo

With the board completely dealt as Q♣ J♦ 6♣ 2♣ 4♦ , the dealer was busy counting out the chips of Wanhao Zhao, who secured a massive double-up through Mei Yee Lo.

Wanhao Zhao: T♣ 8♣

Mei Yee Lo: A♥ A♦

Lo's pocket aces were brutally cracked by Zhao's turned flush. The loss caused the smile to fade from Lo's face as she was forced to pay out 123,000 chips to Zhao, leaving her critically short-stacked.

Player	Chips	Progress
WZ Wanhao ZhaoAustralia	252,000(84 BB)
MY Mei Yee LoChina	25,000(8 BB)	-15,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 10:15:39 AM

Field Drops to 98 Players, Peng Chen Wins Billionaire Club Challenge

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

The field has quickly narrowed down to 98 players, with action continuing until just 33 remain in contention for Day 2 qualification.

Meanwhile, in the Billionaire Club Challenge, Peng Chen captured the title, securing his revenge after finishing runner-up in the High Roller 6-Max. Chen went on to defeat fellow countryman Guoliang Wei in a long and hard-fought heads-up battle to claim the victory.

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

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 98/264

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 10:02:53 AM

No Miracle for Xiao

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

Left with just 35,000, Jia Xiao moved all in from under the gun. Tuan Phuong Luong made the call from middle position, with all other players folding.

Jia Xiao: 8♠ 8♦

Tuan Phuong Luong: K♥ K♦

Xiao was in rough shape with just two outs, but the J♠ 4♠ 2♠ flop gave him additional hope with a flush draw, adding some sweat for Luong.

However, the T♥ turn and A♦ river brought no help, and Xiao was eliminated from the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
TP Tuan Phuong LuongViet Nam	233,000(93 BB)
JX Jia XiaoChina	busted	-40,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 9:50:00 AM

Bessarab Bullies Duong

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

Dac Dung Duong was under the gun against Aleksei Bessarab on the lowjack.

Both players were fighting over a pot of 40,000 chips with a board that showed 5♦ 7♦ T♥ 4♠.

Duong acted first and bet 16,000. Bessarab then pushed in a stack of 130,000, covering the remaining chips of Duong.

Duong fired a time bank token, stared at the board, then stared at a smiling and giddy Bessarab. Duong fired another time bank token. Bessarab also slid one over to Duong, which broke Duong's serious poker face and smiled.

Duong eventually let go of the hand and showed a T♠, which would have given him top pair.

Someone on the table asked Bessarab, did you have an over pair?

Bessarab replied, "I have a lot of chips. That's what I have," and maintained his smile.

Player	Chips	Progress
AB Aleksei BessarabRussia	222,000(89 BB)	87,000
DD Dac Dung DuongViet Nam	107,000(43 BB)

-

Remaining Players: 80/264

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 9:46:03 AM

Koroki Crashes After Shove

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

Folded to the button, Qing Liu raised to 5,000 before big blind Takuya Koroki snap-shoved for 32,000.

Takuya Koroki: K♣ 7♣

Qing Liu: A♠ T♣

The flop came A♣ K♥ Q♥ , giving both players a piece, but leaving Liu ahead with top pair.

The 2♥ turn changed nothing, but the A♦ river improved Liu to top set, sending Koroki to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
QL Qing LiuChina	141,000(56 BB)	101,000
TK Takuya KorokiJapan	busted	-40,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 9:35:58 AM

How They Stack Up

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

Here are some of the key players and how they stack up.

Aditya Sushant of India, 7th placer of the Mini Main Event, whose nearly USD 20,000 haul has pushed his total live earnings across the USD 1 million milestone in total live earnings.

John Niko Constiniano of the Philippines, who is the runner-up of the APT Championship 2025 Main Event and also the recent runner up in the APT Taipei 2026 Super High Roller.

Rosalie Petit of France, the APT Championship 2025 Women's Event Championship winner.

Xiaotong Yu of China, just crossed the USD 600,000 mark in total live earnings after his final table stint at the Madness Kickoff.

Mei Yee Lo has cashed in both the Madness Kickoff and Mini Main Event, although certainly she would've preferred to run deeper in both as each event saw her make an early exit after making it in the money.

Player	Chips	Progress
JN John Niko CostinianoPhilippines	300,000(120 BB)	260,000
XY Xiaotong YuChina	128,000(51 BB)	88,000
RP Rosalie PetitFrance	91,500(37 BB)	51,500
MY Mei Yee LoChina	59,500(24 BB)
AS Aditya SushantIndia	46,500(19 BB)	6,500

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

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 115/264

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 9:28:32 AM

264 Entries Locked In for Day 1A, 33 ITM

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

Registration for Day 1A is officially closed, drawing a total of 264 entries. From here, only 33 players will make the money and secure their seats for Day 2.

Currently, 133 players remain in contention, all fighting for survival as the tournament moves toward its money bubble stage. The eventual chip leader will also take home a VND 75 million (~USD 2,845) chip leader bonus.

For those who missed the cutoff or are still looking to enter, Day 1B has just begun, with registration open until 10:00 PM.

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

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

Yinan Zhou Stacking Chips

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

Can't help but always notice Yinan Zhou. After all, he is the 2024 WSOP Paradise Main Event champion. So, he's on the felt and has amassed a very healthy stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
YZ Yinan ZhouChina	170,000(85 BB)	-28,500

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 9:15:33 AM

Chip Leaders At The Break

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

Top 15 Chip Count

Player	Chips	Progress
VS Van Son NguyenViet Nam	262,500(131 BB)	47,500
CZ Ceng ZengChina	226,500(113 BB)
YZ Yinan ZhouChina	198,500(99 BB)
YS Yuan SunChina	183,000(92 BB)
VL Victor LamViet Nam	178,000(89 BB)	138,000
HN Hoang Nam NguyenViet Nam	176,000(88 BB)
YJ Yizhan JiangChina	174,000(87 BB)
VD Van Dat NgoViet Nam	163,000(82 BB)
WD Wenqing DongChina	161,000(81 BB)	136,300
YM Yanzhou MengChina	147,500(74 BB)	107,500
W WillyIndonesia	146,500(73 BB)	66,500
BC Bui Cong TuanViet Nam	144,000(72 BB)
AB Aleksei BessarabRussia	135,000(68 BB)
NN Nhat Nam HoangViet Nam	133,500(67 BB)
JN Johnni NielsenSweden	130,000(65 BB)	90,000
YW Yi WangChina	128,000(64 BB)

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

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 147/263

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 8:55:27 AM

Break Time!

Break

The players are now on a 10-minute break. This is the absolute last chance for players to jump into the field, as late registration will officially close as soon as this break ends.

During the break, the tournament staff will also be conducting a chip race to remove the 100-denomination chips from play.

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 144/260

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 8:51:00 AM

Jiang Is Unfazed

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

Zicong Jiang

A pot of 23,500 was formed pre-flop between Zicong Jiang on the small blind and Manh Duong Tran on the button.

The dealer fanned a flop of 2♥ Q♥ 4♣

Jiang led out for 8,000. Tran stared down Jiang with intensity. If looks could kill, Jiang would've been butchered. Jiang kept calm, riffling his chips without missing a beat. After a time bank token was spent, Tran counted off the 8,000 to call.

The turn thew in a 7♠. Tran stared down Jiang once again, studying what he would do and perhaps trying to intimidate him. With calculated movement, Jiang counted out 16,000 and pushed it in the middle. Tran too a look at his cards, then surrendered his hand to the muck

Player	Chips	Progress
MD Mahn Duong TranViet Nam	86,000(57 BB)
ZJ Zicong JiangChina	74,000(49 BB)	34,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 8:50:24 AM

Jackpot!

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

Dang Tien Dat opened the action before Kyoungil Kim three-bet to 5,000. In the big blind, Hoa Thinh Nguyen four-bet shoved for 38,300.

Action folded back to Dat, who also shoved for around 40,000, and Kim made the call after some consideration.

Hoa Thinh Nguyen: 8♠ 8♣

Dang Tien Dat: J♥ T♥

Nguyen hit the jackpot on the 8♥ 6♣ 6♠ flop, improving to a full house immediately.

The 2♠ turn and 2♥ river secured the win for Nguyen, with no help arriving for Dat, who was eliminated shortly after.

Player	Chips	Progress
KK Kyoungil KimSouth Korea	99,800(67 BB)	59,800
HT Hoa Thinh NguyenViet Nam	84,100(56 BB)	44,100
DT Dang Tien DatViet Nam	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 8:42:56 AM

Sun Shines On Big Blind

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

Van Dan Nguyen opened for 3,000 from under the gun. Quang Trinh Do matched on the lowjack and Sakmua Takashi chipped in on the small blind.

Changliang Sun was on the big blind and jammed his last 34,400 all in.

Nguyen pondered deeply with his remaining stack, covered by Sun. Nguyen wondered how some mushrooms become magic and how some don't, then eventually pushed in his last 26,400 chips to call.

Do and Takashi dropped out of the way.

Van Dan Nguyen: K♠ 9♠

Changliang Sun: A♦ Q♣

The flop came 2♣ A♣ 9♣. Both hit a pair, but Sun was ahead with a pair of bullets.

The turn came 4♠, which didn't change anything and the river threw in a Q♦ for Sun to secure the double with a two pair.

Player	Chips	Progress
CS Changliang SunChina	63,700(42 BB)
TS Takashi SakumaJapan	58,000(39 BB)
QT Quang Trinh DoViet Nam	47,000(31 BB)	7,000
VD Van Dan NgyenViet Nam	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 8:41:54 AM

Yang’s Bluff Gets Snapped

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

Cheng Jyun Yang

From middle position, Kaiyun Zhu opened the action with a raise to 3,000. Cheng Jyun Yang, a fresh face at the USOP who traveled all the way from Taiwan, stepped up the aggression with a three-bet to 9,000. Zhu made the call, and the two players went heads-up to a flop of Q♥ J♣ 5♠ .

Zhu checked, and Yang fired a continuation bet of 3,500. Zhu check-called. The turn brought the 3♦ , and Yang fired a second barrel of 10,500. Zhu check-called once more to see the river.

When the 4♣ fell on the river, the dynamic shifted. Zhu checked one more time, prompting Yang to move all-in for 18,400. Zhu snap-called.

Cheng Jyun Yang: A♠ K♥

Kaiyun Zhu: K♣ Q♦

Yang turned over ace-high, revealing a missed straight draw that he had used to bluff. Zhu showed top pair with his queen, which was more than enough to catch Yang's bluff and secure a solid double-up.

Player	Chips
KZ Kaiyun ZhuChina	86,800(58 BB)
CJ Cheng Jyun YangTaiwan	6,800(5 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 8:31:01 AM

Last Chance Before Registration Closes

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

This marks the final level before late registration officially closes. Players have until the end of this level and the upcoming 10-minute break to join or re-enter the field.

The tournament has seen a strong turnout so far, with 245 entries and 151 players still fighting for their chips at the tables.

For players who bust out or prefer to start fresh with lower blind levels, Day 1B is scheduled to kick off shortly at 4:00 PM local time.

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

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 151/245

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 8:23:28 AM

Ho Risks All And Catches Bluff

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

Thanh Thang Ho was in the small blind up against Van Song Nguyen in the seat after under the gun (UTG+1).

Both players were competing for a pot of around 40,000 chips, which lay beside a complete board of 9♠ K♠ 7♥ A♣ 6♣

Ho checked his option in the small blind and Nguyen declared "All in" with his stack covering the remaining 37,400 of Ho.

Ho went into deep thought, considered the options, wondered if the Egyptian pyramids were really built by aliens, then eventually pushed in his chips to make the call.

Nguyen table 5♣ 2♣ for nothing much, while Ho proudly displayed his winning A♠ J♥ which hit top pair for the win.

Player	Chips	Progress
VS Van Son NguyenViet Nam	215,000(179 BB)	55,000
TT Thanh Thang HoViet Nam	115,400(96 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 8:15:54 AM

Rewind Wu’s Mini Main Victory

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

Relive the action from yesterday’s Mini Main Event and relive how Chengshan Wu captured the title along with a career-best payout of VND 3 billion.

The full recap article is now available on the Somuchpoker website.

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

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 145/231

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 7:50:56 AM

Wei and Chen Set for Heads-Up Battle

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

The Billionaire Club Challenge at the USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026 is officially down to its final two players! It is a thrilling heads-up battle between WSOP bracelet winner Guoliang Wei and Peng Chen.

Chen recently finished as the runner-up in the High Roller 6-Max Event and is now hungry to go one step further to secure the trophy. Meanwhile, Wei is looking to add another major title to his impressive resume.

Stay tune into the livestream now to see who will take home the title and the glory!

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 7:45:45 AM

Femme Fatales On The Felt

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

Miao Feng

More top women pros have entered the field.

Seen on the felt was China's Mei Yee Lo, Miao Feng and Zhiying Zhou.

Miao Feng was the last woman standing at the Mini Main Event and also made a 4th place finish in the NLH Turbo side event.

Zhou, meanwhile, cashed in the Madness Kickoff and also finished third in the Thursday Deepstack.

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

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 136/183

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 7:00:45 AM

Top Three Chip Stacks

Level 8: 400 / 800 ante: 800

Shuma Kimura

Here are the top three chip stacks around the room of 123 players.

Player	Chips	Progress
SK Shuma KimuraJapan	188,000(235 BB)	66,500
VS Van Son NguyenViet Nam	160,000(200 BB)	46,000
AB Aleksei BessarabRussia	135,000(169 BB)	8,300

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 6:51:19 AM

Big Slick Gets There

Level 8: 400 / 800 ante: 800

A series of heavy pre-flop actions led to Bo Li moving all-in for 25,500 chips. Avraham Lichtenshtein, who had Li covered, made the call to put him at risk.

Bo Li: A♦ K♠

Avraham Lichtenshtein: Q♠ Q♣

It was a classic pre-flop flip, and this time the cards favored the overcards. Li hit top pair on the K♣ T♣ 5♠ flop to take the lead. The T♥ turn and J♥ river changed nothing, sealing the win and securing a double-up for Li.

Player	Chips	Progress
BL Bo LiChina	60,900(76 BB)	20,900
AL Avraham LichtenshteinPoland	8,100(10 BB)	-31,900

Level 8: 400 / 800 ante: 800

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 125/155

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 6:41:07 AM

More Than 150 Entries and Rising

Level 7: 300 / 600 ante: 600

After a slow start this morning, the field has now climbed to more than 150 entries, with four levels still remaining before registration officially closes at approximately 4:00 PM local time.

Players will still have another chance to enter later today as an additional flight is scheduled to begin after registration closes for this current flight.

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 6:37:20 AM

One Check-Raise Wasn’t Enough

Level 7: 300 / 600 ante: 600

Folded to the hijack, Warren James Rustad raised the action to 1,200. Cutoff Yankai Zhang and the big blind both made the call to see a flop.

The dealer put out the 8♥ 7♦ 2♥ flop.

Action checked to Zhang, who fired 3,000. The big blind quickly folded, but Rustad responded with a check-raise to 10,000, which Zhang easily called.

When the Q♥ arrived on the turn, Rustad switched gears and led out with a bet of 8,000. The bet was enough to stop Zhang in his tracks, forcing a fold and allowing Rustad to scoop the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
YZ Yankai ZhangChina	71,500(119 BB)	31,500
WJ Warren James RustadCanada	52,200(87 BB)	12,200

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 6:23:59 AM

Half Pot, Full Respect

Level 7: 300 / 600 ante: 600

Hong Quan Nguyen opened the action, and hijack Duong Trung Nghia Le raised the price with a three-bet to 4,000. In the big blind, Clyde Morales, who has just arrived here at the USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026, made the call, and Nguyen called as well to see a flop.

When the dealer spread the 5♣ 4♦ 3♦ flop, the action checked over to Le.

He fired a half-pot bet of 7,500, which proved to be more than enough to force folds from both Morales and Nguyen, allowing Le to take down the pot without further resistance.

Player	Chips	Progress
DT Duong Trung Nghia LeViet Nam	49,100(82 BB)
CM Clyde MoralesPhilippines	38,800(65 BB)
HQ Hong Quan NguyenViet Nam	38,700(65 BB)	17,800

Level 7: 300 / 600 ante: 600

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 114/136

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 6:06:53 AM

First Round, Double Up

Level 6: 300 / 500 ante: 500

Fresh from eliminating a player in the previous hand, Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen opened to 1,100 from under the gun. Directly on his left, Xuan Khang Dinh made the call. Sitting in the big blind, Daeyoung Park, who had just bought into the tournament, decided to squeeze, raising the price to 7,500.

The action folded back to Nguyen, who made the call. Dinh then upped the stakes by announcing an all-in, covering both of his opponents. Park used up two of his time bank extensions before deciding to commit his fresh 39,500 stack, while Nguyen folded his cards to leave the other two in a heads-up showdown.

Daeyoung Park: A♠ Q♠

Xuan Khang Dinh: 7♦ 7♠

It was a flip, and Dinh's pocket sevens held safely through the 9♥ 8♦ 3♥ flop. However, the Q♦ spiked on the turn, giving Park top pair and leaving Dinh searching for one of the two remaining sevens in the deck. The 4♦ river card missed Dinh completely, securing an early double-up for Park.

Player	Chips	Progress
DP Daeyoung ParkSouth Korea	87,300(175 BB)
DH Dinh Hai Linh NguyenViet Nam	34,500(69 BB)	-7,500
XK Xuan Khang DinhViet Nam	31,100(62 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 5:54:00 AM

Nguyen Continues His Momentum

Level 6: 300 / 500 ante: 500

With just 10,100 chips left, Van Hung Huynh moved all-in. Looking to continue his incredible run of form, Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen, who just came off a deep 17th-place finish in the Mini Main Event and a 7th-place finish in the Superstar Challenge, reshoved all-in to isolate.

Van Hung Huynh: K♠ T♠

Dinh Hai Linh Nguyen: A♥ Q♥

Huynh was behind but still had live cards. He managed to hit middle pair on the A♠ K♦ 8♥ flop, but Nguyen stayed ahead by hitting top pair. The J♠ turn gave both players a gutshot straight draw, but the J♦ river missed Huynh completely to seal his elimination.

While Huynh did not immediately head to the registration desk to rebuy, he still has plenty of time left to jump back into the action.

Player	Chips
DH Dinh Hai Linh NguyenViet Nam	42,000(84 BB)
VH Van Hung HuynhViet Nam	busted

Level 6: 300 / 500 ante: 500

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 92/102

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 5:40:28 AM

Recent Big Winners Take A Seat

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

Denis Semerenko

Found in the field where some recent winners here at USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026.

Vietnam's Quang Trinh Do recently lifted a trophy in a Mini High Roller side event and scored a whopping VND 443,600,000 (~USD 16,800). Do also cashed in the Madness Kickoff.

Japan's Shuma Kimura also won a Mini High Roller side event and pocketed the top prize of VND 232,600,000 (~USD 8,800).

Denis Semerenko took down the Deepstack Big Buyin side event just last night and bagged the lion's share of VND 251,300,000 (~USD 9,500)

Ganlin Lei of China was a runner-up in the 8-Handed Hyper Turbo side event.

Korea's Cho Seonghoon made his mark in this series when he finished third in the Super Hyper Turbo.

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 5:36:01 AM

Ye Springs the Trap

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

A small pot of 4,600 had built up between Zhifan Ye and Hong Quan Nguyen.

With the complete board showing 9♣ 9♦ 8♦ T♣ 6♠ , Ye checked the action over to Nguyen, who fired a bet of 3,200. When the action returned to Ye, he came back with a massive check-raise to 16,000.

Nguyen used two time bank extensions to think it over before eventually making the call. He was immediately met with bad news as Ye tabled 9♠ 8♠ , revealing a full house that he had flopped to take down the pot.

Player	Chips
ZY Zhifan YeChina	65,100(163 BB)
HQ Hong Quan NguyenViet Nam	20,900(52 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 5:34:26 AM

Roses In Bloom

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

Two female players have joined the tournament. Taking their seats so far are Thi Xian Ha Tran of Vietnam and Qian Wang of China.

Tran has been playing a few levels while Wang has just taken her seat, fresh from a 10th place finish in the Weekend Superstack and a cash in the Mini Main Event.

Player	Chips
QW Qian WangChina	40,000(100 BB)
TX Thi XIan Ha TranViet Nam	13,700(34 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 5:31:57 AM

Lukianov's River Bet Finds No Call

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

A pot of over 14,000 was in the middle of the table beside a complete board that showed A♠ Q♠ J♥ 5♥ A♥

Competing for the pot was Tuan Anh Nguyen in the big blind and Ivan Lukianov under the gun. Nguyen was the first to act and checked his option to Lukianov.

Lukianov spent some time from the clock before pushing in a dramatic 5,000 bet.

Nguyen let the clock wind down, took a peek at his cards and bid them goodbye.

Player	Chips	Progress
IL Ivan LukianovRussia	24,600(62 BB)	-15,400
TA Tuan Anh NguyenViet Nam	13,700(34 BB)	-26,300

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/25/2026, 5:22:14 AM

Mitchell Tables the Straight

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

With the pot already at 18,700 and the board fully dealt as 5♣ 4♦ 3♠ 6♦ 6♥ , Wenqing Dong checked the action over to Christian Mitchell.

Mitchell fired a bet of 10,000. Dong hesitated for a moment, thinking through his options, before finally deciding to make the call.

Mitchell turned over 8♣ 7♣ for a straight to take down the pot, prompting Dong to muck his hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
CM Christian MitchellAustralia	63,600(159 BB)	23,600
WD Wenqing DongChina	24,700(62 BB)	-15,300

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 5:17:36 AM

Bessarab Sits On Chip Leader Throne

Break

A quick scan on standout chip stacks during the break revealed that Aleksei Bessarab of Russia has the biggest stack with 126,000 chips.

Here are the other big stacks, although this isn't an official leader board.

Player	Chips	Progress
AB Aleksei BessarabRussia	126,700	86,700
SK Shuma KimuraJapan	121,500
VS Van Son NguyenViet Nam	114,000	74,000
W WillyIndonesia	80,000
HF Haidi FengChina	72,800	32,800

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 67/75

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 61/68

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 4:46:00 AM

"Hope for the fold, then hope for the best."

Level 4: 200 / 300 ante: 300

Dengdong Huang, Van Quoc Vo, Dakota Anderson and Aleksei Bessarab were all in the same table.

On a dry flop, Bessarab made a continuation bet for 4,000 with Huang folded and showing big slick. Anderson also picked up his muck and showed big slick, while Bessarab - still with his hand - showed K♥ T♥.

Vo pointed out - "What are you guys doing?"

Anderson replied - "He five bet to 1,600 with blinds only at 300."

Bessarab explained, "I have chips, if someone pushes all in, then I fold. It will not damage my stack."

Anderson included, "I just called and hoped for the best because it felt like a strong pocket pair."

Someone interjected, "Well, isn't that poker? You call and hope for the best?"

Anderson smiled and replied, "Amen, brother." then added, "Well, first I hope they fold, then I hope for the best when they call. I'd rather make money with them folding."

Anderson is just fresh from a final table appearance in yesterday's Mini Main Event, where he finished in 5th place.

Level 4: 200 / 300 ante: 300

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 48/52

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 4:16:20 AM

More Crushers Coming In

Level 3: 100 / 200 ante: 200

John Tech

The field just got thicker with some well-known crushers joining the field.

Ireland's Brendan Mcmanus has taken to the field. Mcmanus is about to break the USD 100K threshold in total live earnings and will hope to get it done in this series.

Joshua Figuerres of the Philippines just flew in yesterday along with a whole group of Filipino pros and has wasted no time in making their presence on the felt. Figuerres has nearly USD 700,000 in total live earnings and ranks inside the top 20 of the Philippines' all-time money list. Figuerres lifted a USOP trophy during USOP Da Nang 2024, when he won a Bubble Rush side event. Of course, his most significant win is a Macau Poker Open Main Event championship for over USD 244,000.

Also in the Filipino contingent arriving last night was John Tech, who boasts over USD 2.26 million in total live earnings. Tech is a former APT Main Event champion, scoring the title during APT Cebu 2015. He was also recently crowned APT Superstar Challenge champ, winning the title during APT Taipei 2023. However, Tech's greatest achievement was a MBP Summer Showdown Main Event win in Macau back in 2017, where he cashed a career-high USD 594,612.

Level 3: 100 / 200 ante: 200

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 26/27

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 3:45:07 AM

But Wait, There's....

Level 2: 100 / 100 ante: 100

Tom Eady

Some more familiar faces of the USOP have shown up for the flight.

These include Australia's Christian Mitchell, who cashed within the top 50 of the Mini Main Event and also earned a final table finish in the Thursday Deepstack earlier in the series. Mitchell cashed twice during USOP Hai Phong 2024.

Jia Xiao of China had already cashed in the Mini Main Event and will be hunting another ITM finish. Xiao has just crossed the USD 20,000 mark in total live earnings.

Paul Elliot of Australia has had a decent series so far, placing within the top 40 during the Mini Main Event.

England's Tom Eady looks to make a career milestone in this series, crossing the USD 100,000 mark in total live earnings. Eady cashed in the Madness Kickoff and will look for just a few more thousand to cross the 100K mark.

Level 2: 100 / 100 ante: 100

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 22/23

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 3:13:29 AM

Worm Catchers

Level 1: 100 / 100

Haidi Feng

You know what they say about early birds...

Some of the familiar names so far include the likes of Haidi Feng of China, who just came from a deep run in the Mini Main Event, where he finished at a respectable 12th out of 1,061 entries.

Sweden's Johnni Nielsen has been an active participant in this series and has already cashed in the two earlier featured multi-day events - the Madness Kickoff and the Mini Main Event. The former Madness Kickoff champion has also booked cashes in other significant side events, including a runner-up finish in the Midday Event.

China's Wenqing Dong has nearly USD 80,000 in total live earnings and has also cashed in the recent Mini Main Event for his first recorded cash in Vietnam soil. Although his placing wasn't ideal, Dong is looking to bounce back in this event for a deeper and more successful run.

Level 1: 100 / 100

30 minutes

Remaining Players: 6/6

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 3:03:30 AM

Shuffle Up And Deal

Level 1: 100 / 100

And we're off! Cards are in the air and the journey to a Championship Event winner begins.

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/25/2026, 2:46:27 AM

Championship Event Launches Today

The USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026 is in the midway point of its series with a week of poker action already making history, and with another week to still add to that story. Running from May 19 to June 1 at the amazing InterContinental Ha Long Bay, the festival is offering yet another highlight feature with the multi-day VND 20 billion (~USD 760,000) guaranteed Championship Event.

The first of five starting Day 1 flights will have cards in the air at 10:AM local time. Players can jump in for a buy-in of VND 25 million (~USD 950) with multiple re-entries before registration closes at the start of level 12 at approximately 4:00 PM local time. Players will be given a starting stack of 40,000 with blind levels increasing every 30 minutes.

The first flight will play down until 12.5% of the entries remain, assuring them a minimum payout and a chance for a bigger piece of the payout pie when they return for the Day 2 final to be played on Wednesday, May 27. The end-of-day chip leader for this flight will also be awarded a bonus of VND 75 million, tripling their buy-in.

For those who miss this flight, Day 1B will have cards in the air later on today at 4:00 PM local time with registration closing at 10:00 PM local time. For that flight, the chip leader at the end of the day will receive a VND 60 million bonus, more than doubling their buyin.

Tomorrow's three other flights - Day 1C, 1D and 1E - will not be awarding a bonus, so the best time to jump in would be today.

Meanwhile, keep checking back here for all the live reports and updates.

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/24/2026, 8:52:00 PM

Jiang Shows Nguyen The Exit

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

Yizhan Jiang opened for 3,000 on the hijack. Hong Quan Nguyen then three-bet raised to 12,000 on the cutoff.

Action came back to Jiang, who glanced at Nguyen's small stack and applied pressure with a four-bet all-in shove, covering Nguyen's stack.

Nguyen went into deep thought and laid out a few time bank tokens and tried to stare down Jiang and get some read. After two time banks spent, Nguyen pushed his last 42,300 forward and made the call.

Hong Quan Nguyen: A♦ J♠

Yizhan Jiang: A♠ Q♣

Nguyen gave out a sigh when the cards went on their backs and he saw he was dominated.

The board ran T♥ 5♣ 9♣ T♦ 2♣

Jiang had the lead pre-flop and went on the book the elimination of Nguyen and earn a huge pot

Player	Chips	Progress
YJ Yizhan JiangChina	174,000(116 BB)
HQ Hong Quan NguyenViet Nam	busted	-38,700

Event starts 10:00 local time..