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

49/385

Total Chips

15,400,000

Average

314,286

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 6:31:46 PM

Minh Thang Tran Leads Day 1A and Claims VND 90 Million Chip Leader Bonus

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

Minh Thang Tran

Day 1A of the Main Event is officially over after a long 14 hours of poker. The first flight of this VND 30 Million (~USD 1,140) buy-in tournament brought in 385 entries, all playing for a share of the massive VND 30 Billion (~USD 1.14 Million) guaranteed prize pool.

By the time the chips were bagged, only 49 players were left standing, and all of them are now in the money.

Top 10 Chip Count

Player	Chips	Progress
MT Minh Thang TranViet Nam	1,164,000(97 BB)
AT Anh Tuan DangViet Nam	1,045,000(87 BB)
DD Dac Dung DuongViet Nam	690,000(58 BB)	-218,000
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	677,000(56 BB)	42,000
AV Andres VasquezColombia	641,000(53 BB)	-30,000
QT Quyet Tien PhamViet Nam	477,000(40 BB)	437,000
SL Serghei LisiiMoldova	467,000(39 BB)	105,000
QV Quang Vu DinhViet Nam	455,000(38 BB)	-32,000
SA Sam AmeenUnited Kingdom	450,000(38 BB)
KA Khayal AbbasovAzerbaijan	437,000(36 BB)

Sitting at the top of the leaderboard is Minh Thang Tran, who bagged a huge stack of 1,164,000 (97 big blinds). Tran got a massive boost when he won a 700,000-chip pot against Jieming Xu.

In that hand, Tran’s pocket jacks managed to beat Xu's pocket aces by hitting a miracle two-outer jack on the river. That lucky break helped Tran lock up the VND 90 Million (~USD 3,240) chip leader bonus for the night.

The only other player to pass the one-million mark was Anh Tuan Dang, who finished right behind with 1,045,000 (87 big blinds). Dang got his massive stack after winning a crucial 950,000-chip pot right on the bubble.

Dac Dung Duong takes third place on the leaderboard, bagging up a very healthy 690,000 (58 big blinds).

USOP Main Event Champions

Tse Ian Lee

USOP Main Event Champions

A few past champions also played today, including Juyeol Lee, Tse Ian Lee, and Ngoc Dai Nguyen. Even though none of them managed to survive the day, they still have plenty of opportunities to try again with five more starting flights coming up.

Bursting the Bubble

The night ended in a brutal way for Mingcong Chen. A preflop betting war saw Chen get all his chips in for 488,000 against Dang. Chen's timing was terrible, as he ran straight into Dang's pocket aces, sending him home as the final bubble boy of the day.

Day 1B is already running right now, and there are four more flights scheduled over the next two days.

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 5:18:06 PM

Chen Runs Into Pocket Aces To Become The Final Bubble Boy

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

It took just two hands for the bubble to officially burst.

A massive preflop confrontation erupted at table 55, with Mingcong Chen moving all-in for 488,000, only to get called by Anh Tuan Dang, who held a covering stack of 527,000.

Mingcong Chen: A♣ 2♥

Anh Tuan Dang: A♠ A♦

Chen's timing couldn't have been worse, as he ran directly into Dang's pocket monsters.

The 7♣ 6♠ 2♣ flop offered a glimmer of hope for Chen with bottom pair, but the Q♠ turn changed nothing, and the 5♥ river bricked out. Chen exited the tournament floor as the final bubble boy.

With Chen's elimination, the remaining 49 players have successfully secured a min-cash.

Stay tuned for a full recap and the official chip counts of the survivors.

Player	Chips	Progress
AT Anh Tuan DangViet Nam	1,045,000(87 BB)	645,000
MC Mingcong ChenChina	busted	-752,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 5:10:15 PM

Bubble Time!

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

With officially 50 players remaining in the field, hand-for-hand play is now underway.

The tournament is just one elimination away from the money, as the final 49 surviving players will lock up a spot and cash.

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 5:07:41 PM

Another Three-Outer Double

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

Just before hand-for-hand play commenced, Andrew Han three-bet shoved for 96,000. To his immediate left, Chak Hei Chan made the call, while the initial raiser quickly folded.

Andrew Han: A♣ T♠

Chak Hei Chan: A♠ Q♦

Han was heavily dominated by Chan's superior queen-kicker, leaving him in desperate search of one of the remaining tens in the deck.

He found one perfectly on the T♥ 9♥ 4♥ flop to take the lead. The 8♥ turn added a flush draw sweat, but the 7♠ river came safe, securing Han the crucial double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
CH Chak Hei ChanHong Kong	420,000(35 BB)
AH Andrew HanAustralia	246,000(21 BB)	151,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 4:59:51 PM

Three-Outer Strikes Again

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

Folded around to the button, Van Duc Tran moved all-in for 98,000, and small blind Ning Zhang made the call to put him at risk.

Van Duc Tran: A♥ 8♠

Ning Zhang: A♣ J♣

Tran was heavily dominated by Zhang's superior kicker, but the poker gods had other plans. Tran spiked one of his three remaining outs on the 9♦ 8♦ 6♣ flop to flip the script. The 5♠ turn brought some straight possibilities for a split pot, but the Q♠ river bricked out, securing the double-up for Tran.

Once again, another short stack hit a three-outer to stay alive in the game.

Player	Chips	Progress
VD Van Duc TranViet Nam	220,000(18 BB)
NZ Ning ZhangAustralia	199,000(17 BB)	-119,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 4:52:11 PM

Shorties Double From Behind

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

Just three eliminations are needed before bagging up for the night, but the short stacks are completely refusing to go home.

In a wild string of hands, every single player on life support has managed to hit a miracle double-up, even when getting the chips in way behind.

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 4:49:50 PM

Three-Outer Delivers For Zhang

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

Ning Zhang moved all-in for 144,000 and found a caller in Tuan Anh Nguyen, who had him at risk.

Ning Zhang: A♦ J♣

Tuan Anh Nguyen: A♥ Q♣

Zhang was heavily dominated preflop, leaving him searching for one of the three remaining jacks in the deck. He found exactly what he needed on the K♠ J♥ 6♦ flop to take the lead.

The A♠ on the turn gave both players a pair of aces, keeping Zhang ahead with two pair. The 7♥ river bricked out, securing a hard-fought double-up for Zhang.

Player	Chips	Progress
TA Tuan Anh Nguyen 3Viet Nam	551,000(46 BB)	151,000
NZ Ning ZhangAustralia	318,000(27 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 4:48:46 PM

Long Gone, But Not Gone

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

Sean Ooi (L) and Zhentao Long (R)

Neng Zhao was on the big blind against Zhentao Long on the lowjack.

Both players had a pot of around 65,000 in the middle with a board that showed T♦ J♦ 4♣ 6♣

Zhao led for 45,000 and Long made the call.

The dealer opened a T♣ on the river

Zhao took his time, then pushed in 95,000 past the betting line.

Long made use of a time bank token, wondered if giants roamed the Earth at one point in the billions of years history, then made the call.

Zhao peeled open A♣, then J♥ to show two pair jacks and tens with an ace kicker.

Long mucked and was left crippled with 74,000 remaining.

In the next hand, Sean Ooi opened for 25,000 and Long then raised behind for 73,000, leaving a 1,000 chip behind.

Action folded back to Ooi, who shoved all in. Long eventually threw in the last chip and the cards went on their backs.

Long opened A♦ A♥ against the A♠ J♦ of Ooi.

The flop came K♦ 8♥ J♥ to give Ooi a pair of jacks to widen his outs. The Q♣ on the turn added the possibility of a straight draw the could split the pot.

However, the poker gods killed the buildup and threw a 2♦ to give Long a double to recover.

Player	Chips	Progress
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	635,000(53 BB)	250,000
SO Sean OoiMalaysia	225,000(19 BB)
ZL Zhentao LongChina	176,000(15 BB)	-105,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 4:40:00 PM

Tony T Blasts Tran With Rockets

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

Van Quy Tran risked his last 89,000 all in and Toan "Tony T" Chang Truong made the call.

Van Quy Tran: A♥ T♣

Toan Chang Truong: A♦ A♠

Tran had a decent hand, but it would need a miracle to rise above the domination of Truong's pocket rockets.

The flop came 2♦ 4♥ 4♣ and Tran would need runners to split the pot. The turn showed a Q♣ and Tran was drawing dead. The 3♣ on the river was a formality.

Player	Chips	Progress
TC Toan Chan TruongViet Nam	270,000(23 BB)	116,000
VQ Van Quy TranViet Nam	busted	-215,000

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

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 53/385

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 4:32:03 PM

Long Flops the World

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

Zhentao Long was seen with all of his 128,000 chips in the middle, facing a covering stack from Leandro Dirlewanger.

Zhentao Long: A♥ K♠

Leandro Dirlewanger: J♣ J♥

It was a classic flip, but Long immediately flopped the absolute nuts on the A♠ A♣ K♥ board.

The massive full house left Dirlewanger nearly drawing dead. The 8♦ turn officially secured the double-up for Long, making the J♠ on the river, which gave Dirlewanger a lesser full house, too little, too late.

Player	Chips	Progress
ZL Zhentao LongChina	281,000(28 BB)	-22,000
LD Leandro DirlewangerSwitzerland	139,000(14 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 4:22:26 PM

Just The Beginning For Vasquez

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

From middle position, Andres Vasquez opened the action to 20,000, and small blind Duc Kien Tran pushed back with a three-bet to 75,000.

When the action returned to Vasquez, he announced all-in. Tran burned through two time-bank chips before deciding to call off his remaining 212,000.

Duc Kien Tran: T♥ T♦

Andres Vasquez: A♦ A♠

Tran physically sat up in his seat the moment he saw Vasquez turn over monster pocket aces. No miracle ten appeared on the J♦ 7♦ 5♠ 8♠ K♥ board, sealing Tran's elimination.

A♠ the chips were pushed, tablemate Khayal Abbasov remarked, "You're so lucky man. Hitting the right hand at the right moment."

A cool-headed Vasquez simply replied, "This is just the beginning."

Player	Chips	Progress
AV Andres VasquezColombia	671,000(67 BB)	389,000
DK Duc Kien TranViet Nam	busted	-305,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 4:09:29 PM

Rustad Shoves, Everyone Folds

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

From early position, Warren James Rustad opened the action to 20,000 and picked up two callers. Looking to take control, big blind Quy Quyen Nguyen pumped the price up with a three-bet to 67,000.

Back on Rustad, he stopped the aggression cold by announcing all-in. That massive shove was all it took to force everyone out of the hand, allowing Rustad to scoop a healthy pot without seeing a flop.

Player	Chips	Progress
WJ Warren James RustadCanada	385,000(39 BB)	138,000
QQ Quy Quyen NguyenViet Nam	104,000(10 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 3:57:19 PM

Hu Let The Dogs Out

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

Chao Hu

The flop showed 4♥ 2♣ 6♣ beside a pot of 45,000.

Neng Zhao was on the big blind and Chao Hu was under the gun.

Zhao pushed in a bet of 25,000 and Hu jammed all in. Even before he could let go of his stack, Zhao already threw in a chip to call.

Chao Hu: T♦ T♥

Nenh Zhao: T♣ 3♣

Hu had over pairs, but Zhao had a flush draw with two streets to go.

The 7♠ on the turn added a gut-shot straight to Zhao's outs. However, the 7♦ didn't get there for Zhao and he had to ship 142,000 to Hu, who got a much needed double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	385,000(39 BB)	-128,000
CH Chao HuChina	366,000(37 BB)	211,000

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

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 55/385

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 3:49:07 PM

Dominant King Knocks Yang

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

Facing a min-raise from the button, small blind Neng Zhao three-bet to 56,000. In the big blind, Kang Fai Yang four-bet shoved for his remaining 86,000. The button quickly folded, and Zhao snap-called to put Yang on the brink of elimination.

Kang Fai Yang: K♣ Q♥

Neng Zhao: A♥ K♠

Yang was heavily dominated preflop. While both players paired up on the K♥ 6♠ 4♣ 5♦ J♦ board, Zhao’s ace-kicker played, sending Yang to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	513,000(64 BB)	88,000
KF Kang Fai YangChina	busted	-103,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 3:37:13 PM

Dong’s Kings Ice Li

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

From the cutoff, Wenqing Dong moved all-in for 80,000, and Chenliang Li called from his immediate left to put him at risk.

Wenqing Dong: K♣ K♦

Chenliang Li: A♠ J♦

Dong was way ahead, leaving Li searching for just three aces in the deck. Li found no help on the Q♥ 9♦ 4♦ 5♠ K♥ board, which actually improved Dong to a top set on the river for a much-needed double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
WD Wenqing DongChina	246,000(31 BB)	-33,000
CL Chenliang LiChina	214,000(27 BB)	-183,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 3:32:27 PM

The Roses Have Wilted

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

Mei Yee Lo

A scan around the room show that the last female players in the field are not back in their seats. Busting out were Jin Hee Min, Mei Yee Lo and Zhiying Zhou.

Notable figures Jieming Xu and Trung Quang Nguyen are also no longer on their chairs.

Player	Chips	Progress
ZZ Zhiying ZhouChina	busted	-201,000
MY Mei Yee LoChina	busted	-134,000
TQ Trung Quan NguyenViet Nam	busted	-195,000
JX Jieming XuChina	busted	-101,000
JM Jinhee MinSouth Korea	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 3:20:00 PM

Chip Leaders At The Break!

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

The race for that juicy VND 90 Million (~USD 3,400) chip leader bonus is officially on. Whoever bags the biggest stack tonight walks away with the extra cash.

Right now, Dac Dung Duong is setting the pace and leading the pack.

Top 10 Chip Count

Player	Chips	Progress
DD Dac Dung DuongViet Nam	908,000(114 BB)	323,000
MT Minh Thang TranViet Nam	705,000(88 BB)	-22,000
QV Quang Vu DinhViet Nam	487,000(61 BB)	419,000
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	425,000(53 BB)	198,000
TA Tuan Anh Nguyen 3Viet Nam	400,000(50 BB)	-70,000
AT Anh Tuan DangViet Nam	400,000(50 BB)	264,000
CL Chenliang LiChina	397,000(50 BB)	59,000
SL Serghei LisiiMoldova	362,000(45 BB)	180,000
YZ Yankai ZhangChina	352,000(44 BB)	312,000
YL Yibin LuChina	348,000(44 BB)	-15,000

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

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 60/385

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 60/385

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 3:02:00 PM

Nguyen’s Bottom Set Holds

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

Thanh Tung Nguyen opened the action, and Toan Chan Truong called from his immediate left.

The flop came 7♦ 4♥ 3♦ , prompting a bet of 10,000 from Nguyen. Truong raised the price to 25,000, but Nguyen fired back with a re-raise to 65,000. Truong called to see the turn.

When the K♥ dropped on the turn, Nguyen pushed all-in for his remaining 75,000. Truong tanked for a few moments before making the call.

Thanh Tung Nguyen: 3♣ 3♠

Toan Chan Truong: T♣ T♥

Nguyen was firmly in the lead, having flopped bottom set. The A♦ river changed absolutely nothing, securing a full double-up for Nguyen through Truong.

Player	Chips	Progress
TT Thanh Tung NguyenViet Nam	319,000(53 BB)
TC Toan Chan TruongViet Nam	154,000(26 BB)	91,700

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 2:55:36 PM

Zhao Gets The Better Of Hu

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

Neng Zhao

A pot of around 60,000 was being contested by Neng Zhao on the big blind and Chao Hu two seats over.

The board showed 5♠ T♦ 8♣ Q♣

Zhao had checked his option over to Hu, who fired a bet of 37,000. Zhao then raised all in for 110,000 and Hu tanked before folding. Zhao's stack improved to around 225,000 with Hu sitting on 325,000.

A few moments after, Hu was on the big blind and Zhao was on the button.

There was 135,000 in the middle with a board that showed 6♥ 4♣ Q♥ A♦ Q♠

Hu checked his option to Zhao, who fired off a bet of 125,000.

Hu tanked for a bit before making the call.

Zhao tabled Q♦ J♥ for trip queens and Hu mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	425,000(71 BB)	-95,000
CH Chao HuChina	155,000(26 BB)	-134,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 2:45:49 PM

Inocentes... Not so Innocent

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

Dac Dung Duong

The board was complete, and it showed 9♥ 5♦ 3♥ 6♦ Q♠

There was a pot of around 65,000 in the middle.

Dac Dung Duong was on the small blind against Alvir Inocentes on the seat after under the gun.

Duong had the first option and he place a bet of 20,000. Inocentes used up a time bank to think over his strategy and eventually decided to move all in for 62,000.

Duong tanked and considered his options, the damage it would do to his stack and why rainbows are the colors they are. Duong took a peek at his cards and eventually made the call.

Inocentes tabled A♥ J♥ for ace-high and a missed flush draw, while Duong showed K♥ Q♦ for a pair of queens, which was enough to win the pot and show Inocentes the exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
DD Dac Dung DuongViet Nam	585,000(98 BB)	194,000
AI Alvir InocentesPhilippines	busted	-125,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 2:45:00 PM

Massive Sweat For Xu

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

Facing an initial raise, Jieming Xu, who had recently suffered a brutal beat when his pocket aces were cracked, moved all-in for 43,000. The original raiser, Serghei Lisii, made the call to put Xu at risk.

Jieming Xu: Q♠ Q♣

Serghei Lisii: 9♣ 8♣

Xu stayed ahead on the 7♥ 7♣ 6♥ flop, though Lisii picked up an open-ended straight draw. The 2♣ turn added a flush draw for Lisii, creating a massive sweat for Xu with one card to come.

Ultimately, Xu survived when the 3♦ bricked on the river, securing his double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
SL Serghei LisiiMoldova	182,000(30 BB)	-6,000
JX Jieming XuChina	101,000(17 BB)	45,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 2:35:18 PM

Aces Get Bluffed?

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

Chengxiang Wei opened the action to 12,000 and was called by Dac Dung Duong to his immediate left.

Wei checked on the J♣ 9♦ 5♣ flop, then called a bet of 15,000 from Duong. The action repeated on the T♠ turn, with Wei check-calling a much larger bet of 80,000.

When the 8♠ completed the board on the river, Wei checked one last time. Duong fired his final bullet, shoving all-in for 162,000.

Wei folded while flashing his A♣ A♥ to the table, asking Duong to show his hand in return, but Duong kept his cards face down and dragged the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
DD Dac Dung DuongViet Nam	391,000(65 BB)
CW Chengxiang WeiChina	220,000(37 BB)	-35,000

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

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 68/385

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 2:25:00 PM

Dinh’s Bluff Busted

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

From the hijack, Mingcong Chen opened the action to 10,000. To his immediate left, the unstoppable Xuan Khang Dinh three-bet to 30,000, and Chen made the call.

The flop fell 8♣ 7♦ 2♣ , and Dinh fired a bet of 50,000, which Chen check-called. The turn brought the J♥, and Dinh loaded up a massive second barrel of 125,000. Chen burned through two time bank chips before deciding to make the call.

When the 9♣ completed the board on the river, Chen checked one last time. This time, Dinh checked back.

Chen revealed 6♥ 6♣ for just a low pocket pair, but it was more than enough. Dinh mucked his hand, and Chen scooped a massive pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
MC Mingcong ChenChina	752,000(150 BB)	452,000
XK Xuan Khang DinhViet Nam	54,000(11 BB)	-122,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 2:16:46 PM

Nguyen Barrels Through Wei

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

Tuan Anh Nguyen

There was a pot worth 90,000 chips beside a board that showed 3♥ 2♣ 7♣ K♥

Chengxiang Wei was under the gun against Tuan Anh Nguyen on the cutoff.

Wei was first to act and checked his option over to Nguyen, who counted a stack of 40,000 and pushed it forward for a bet.

Wei used up a time bank token, gave some careful thought and matched the bet.

The dealer than threw a 8♦ on the river.

Once again, Wei checked.

Nguyen took his time to tank, then moved around some chips before finally gathering 135,000 to bet.

Wei once again went into the tank, threw in another time bank token, wondered who was the adventurer who discovered to open an oyster and eat what was inside, then folded his cards.

Player	Chips	Progress
TA Tuan Anh Nguyen 3Viet Nam	470,000(94 BB)	258,000
CW Chengxiang WeiChina	255,000(51 BB)	-34,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 2:10:46 PM

Xu’s Worst Nightmare

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

Facing a raise from the button, small blind Minh Thang Tran three-bet to 43,000. Jieming Xu, sitting in the big blind, responded with a massive four-bet to 180,000.

The button quickly folded, and Tran announced all-in for a huge 351,000. Xu answered with a snap-call and proudly turned over his cards.

Minh Thang Tran: J♠ J♦

Jieming Xu: A♦ A♠

Both players held premium pairs, but Xu was way ahead with his aces. He stayed safely in the lead through the 5♦ 5♥ 4♠ flop and the T♠ turn.

However, the devastating J♥ spiked on the river, giving Tran his two-outer to crack Xu's aces.

With that river card, Tran scooped the massive pot to become the tournament's overwhelming chip leader.

Player	Chips	Progress
MT Minh Thang TranViet Nam	727,000(145 BB)
JX Jieming XuChina	56,000(11 BB)	-261,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 2:00:43 PM

Nguyen's Rockets Double From Lo

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

Mei Yee Lo (L) and Thai Quang Nguyen (R)

Thai Quang Tran's last 43,000 chips were in the middle and at risk for his tournament life against Mei Yee Lo, who made the call.

Thai Qang Tran: A♠ A♣

Mei Yee Lo: 5♠ 5♥

The flop came Q♥ 7♠ 9♣ to keep Tran in the lead. The A♥ on the turn had Lo drawing dead.

The 5♣ on the river improved Lo, but it was of no consequence.

Player	Chips	Progress
MY Mei Yee LoChina	134,000(27 BB)	76,200
TQ Thai Quang NguyenViet Nam	98,000(20 BB)	-13,100

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 1:57:57 PM

Zhou Out-Muscles Nguyen

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

Folded to the cutoff, Zhiying Zhou opened the action to 10,000, and Hoang Nam Nguyen defended his big blind.

The flop fell J♣ 7♠ 5♠ . Zhou fired a continuation bet of 10,000, only for Nguyen to check-raise to 28,000. Zhou called to see the 4♥ turn.

This time, Nguyen checked, but he quickly folded after Zhou fired a hefty bet of 55,000.

Player	Chips
ZZ Zhiying ZhouChina	201,000(40 BB)
HN Hoang Nam Nguyen 4Viet Nam	160,000(32 BB)

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

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 78/385

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 1:45:27 PM

Open, Not Open

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

Duc Kien Tran

Hoai Nam La risked his last 67,000 chips all in and was matched by Duc Kien Tran.

Hoai Nam La: 9♦ 9♥

Duc Kien Tran: A♦ K♣

The flop of T♦ 7♥ 7♦ favored La.

However, the poker gods threw in a K♦ to give Tran the overtake with a pair of kings. Tran's hand held on the 2♥ river, allowing him to claim all of La's chips.

And while the seat was supposed to be open, La's food had just arrived a few moments before the hand, so he stayed there and enjoyed his meal despite being out of the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
DK Duc Kien TranViet Nam	305,000(76 BB)	336,400
HN Hoai Nam LaViet Nam	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 1:31:00 PM

Bessarab Gets Busted

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

From early position, Yibin Lu opened the action, and Aleksei Bessarab three-bet shoved for 48,000. Lu made the call to put Bessarab at risk.

Aleksei Bessarab: A♣ T♣

Yibin Lu: K♥ J♦

The flop fell Q♥ J♥ 8♣ , giving Lu middle pair and the lead. The 6♥ turn offered no help to Bessarab, and the Q♠ river sealed his elimination.

Player	Chips	Progress
YL Yibin LuChina	363,000(91 BB)	54,000
AB Aleksei BessarabRussia	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 1:27:29 PM

Figuerres Finds A Miracle To Survive And Double

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

Joshua Figuerres

Joshua Figuerres was all in for his last 44,000 and was matched by Van Quy Tran.

Joshua Figuerres: A♣ 9♣

Van Quy Tran: T♦ T♣

Flop arrived 9♥ K♠ 3♠ to give Figuerres a pair of nines and improve his outs.

The turn threw a 9♦, giving Figuerres trips. The 2♦ on the river sealed the deal for the double up and extending his run in the Day 1A flight.

Player	Chips	Progress
VQ Van Quy TranViet Nam	215,000(54 BB)	15,000
JF Joshua FiguerresPhilippines	100,000(25 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 1:22:10 PM

"I Wish!"

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

Dakota Anderson

During the break, we had the chance to ask Dakota Anderson if he was still on his Main Event Satellite bullet.

"I wish!"

"My kings got cracked by tens! But I would've loved that narrative."

Player	Chips	Progress
DA Dakota AndersonUnited States of America	355,000(89 BB)	270,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 1:21:00 PM

Rigged For Dinh

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

Xuan Khang Dinh once again moved all-in with an open shove for 83,000. Duy Thuc Nguyen then reshoved over the top to isolate, putting Dinh at risk.

Xuan Khang Dinh: K♥ T♦

Duy Thuc Nguyen: A♣ 6♦

The flop came Q♥ 3♠ 2♥ , keeping Nguyen in the lead, and the Q♦ turn changed nothing.

However, the T♥ arrived on the river, giving Dinh a winning pair of tens to secure yet another survival double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
XK Xuan Khang DinhViet Nam	176,000(44 BB)	25,500
DT Duy Thuc NguyenViet Nam	70,000(18 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 1:10:00 PM

Chip Leaders At The Break!

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

Top 10 Chip Count

Player	Chips	Progress
CH Chao HuChina	458,000(115 BB)	95,000
TA Tuan Anh Nguyen 2Viet Nam	349,000(87 BB)	88,000
CL Chenliang LiChina	338,000(85 BB)	9,000
TM Tuan Minh TranViet Nam	328,000(82 BB)
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	322,000(81 BB)	-13,000
JX Jieming XuChina	317,000(79 BB)	-3,000
TM Tokumoto MitsuhiroJapan	305,000(76 BB)	76,000
ZL Zhentao LongChina	303,000(76 BB)	60,000
NH Nguyen Hong QuanViet Nam	301,000(75 BB)	-31,000
MC Mingcong ChenChina	300,000(75 BB)

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

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 93/385

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 12:55:13 PM

Break Time!

Break

The 93 remaining players are now on their 10-minute break. During this break, a chip race of 500-denomination chips is taking place.

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 93/385

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 12:51:47 PM

From Dominated to Domination

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

From the cutoff, Kang Fai Yang moved all-in with an open shove for 48,500. Small blind Fan Yingkun then reshoved over the top, covering Yang.

Kang Fai Yang: A♠ 9♣

Fan Yingkun: A♣ J♥

Yingkun had Yang heavily dominated preflop. Both players found a piece of the J♦ 9♠ 2♣ flop, but Yang was left chasing just two remaining nines in the deck.

Yang found exactly what he needed on the 9♦ turn to flip the hand completely in his favor. The 2♦ river changed nothing, sealing the double-up for Yang and leaving Fan short-stacked.

Player	Chips
KF Kang Fai YangChina	103,000(34 BB)
FY Fan YingkunChina	25,000(8 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 12:43:11 PM

Lu Pushes Nguyen Out

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

A three-bet preflop battle built a pot of around 57,000. Trung Ha Nguyen led out for 12,000 on the T♥ 6♦ 6♣ flop.

From the button, Yibin Lu raised all-in, prompting Nguyen to quickly throw his hand into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
YL Yibin LuChina	309,000(103 BB)	67,000
TH Trung Ha NguyenViet Nam	71,500(24 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 12:27:21 PM

Two Hands, Two Miracle Three-Outers for Dinh

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

Xuan Khang Dinh

From early position, Fubin Wan opened the action to 6,000. Xuan Khang Dinh, who was once a massive chip leader but had fallen to a short stack, moved all-in with a three-bet for 71,500.

Dinh had just doubled up on a previous hand by hitting a three-outer on the flop, and now Wan snap-called to put him at risk once again.

Xuan Khang Dinh: K♥ 6♣

Fubin Wan: A♣ K♣

Once again, Dinh was in bad shape, looking for just three outs in the deck.

Incredibly, he found one for the second hand in a row on the 9♥ 6♥ 4♣ flop.

The table erupted in cheers and excitement over the back-to-back luck.

Wan was visibly disappointed by the bad beat, and the 5♦ turn and 3♣ river locked up another double-up for Dinh.

Player	Chips	Progress
XK Xuan Khang DinhViet Nam	150,500(50 BB)	-61,500
FW Fubin WanChina	60,000(20 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 12:17:00 PM

Nguyen Takes Out Nguyen

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

The cards were on their back when we got there with Van Duy Nguyen's and Van Trung Nguyen's stacks in the middle.

Van Duy Nguyen: A♥ Q♥

Van Trung Nguyen: A♥ K♣

The board ran 9♦ 5♠ 2♠ T♣ 5♣

Van Duy couldn't improve and Van Trung booked the win.

When the chips were counted, Van Duy had to ship 66,000 to Van Trung. Van Duy was covered with a count of 64,000 only.

Player	Chips	Progress
VT Van Trung NguyenViet Nam	128,500(43 BB)
VD Van Duy NguyenViet Nam	busted	-40,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 12:14:56 PM

Day 1A Down to 119

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

The field is dropping fast with only 119 players left at the tables. The pressure is growing, since only 49 of them will get paid and move on to Day 2.

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

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 119/385

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 12:14:00 PM

Current Chip Leaders

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

Top 18 Chip Count

Player	Chips	Progress
CH Chao HuChina	363,000(145 BB)	200,000
MB Milbert BautistaPhilippines	335,000(134 BB)	15,000
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	335,000(134 BB)	90,000
CL Chenliang LiChina	329,000(132 BB)	-22,000
JX Jieming XuChina	320,000(128 BB)	109,000
CW Chengxiang WeiChina	289,000(116 BB)
WD Wenqing DongChina	279,000(112 BB)	242,000
XH Xu HaiweiChina	267,000(107 BB)	227,000
CS Cong Song PhanViet Nam	263,000(105 BB)
TA Tuan Anh Nguyen 2Viet Nam	261,000(104 BB)	66,000
GF Guozeng FangChina	258,000(103 BB)
WJ Warren James RustadCanada	247,000(99 BB)	207,000
ZL Zhentao LongChina	243,000(97 BB)	5,000
YL Yibin LuChina	242,000(97 BB)	11,000
HA Hoang Anh DoViet Nam	232,000(93 BB)	55,100
TM Tokumoto MitsuhiroJapan	229,000(92 BB)	130,600
HY Haibiao YeChina	214,000(86 BB)
TA Tuan Anh Nguyen 3Viet Nam	212,000(85 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 12:08:00 PM

Ong's Short Stack Manages A Bust

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

Very short-stacked Kooksung Kim was on the button and shoved his last 27,500 in the middle. Andrew Ong was on the small blind and also jammed his last 35,000 in the middle.

Kooksung Kim: A♠ 6♥

Andrew Ong: K♠ Q♥

Kim was slightly ahead with an ace high.

The flop came 8♦ J♣ T♥ to give Ong an open-ended straight draw. The A♣ on the turn completed the straight, leaving Kim drawing dead despite spiking an ace. The Q♥ river was a formality. Kim was already up from his seat.

Meanwhile, Ong earned a critical double to earn some wiggle room.

Player	Chips	Progress
AO Andrew OngSingapore	80,500(32 BB)	40,500
KK Kooksung KimSouth Korea	busted	-93,500

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 12:06:00 PM

Rao Takes One-Two KO Punch

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

Jianhui Rao (L), The Dealer, Trung Quan Nguyen (R)

Jinqi Wang opened for 5,500 for early position. Jianhui Rao three-bet to 17,000 on the small blind. Trung Quan Nguyen then four-bet to 42,500 on the big blind.

Wang stepped down. Rao shoved all in for over 100,000 plus, easily covering the remaining chips of Nguyen.

Nguyen didn't want to be left with crumbs if he folded, so he bolded it - go big or go home. Nguyen called.

Trung Quan Nguyen: A♥ 8♥

Jianhui Rao: Q♣ Q♥

The flop came 6♠ 8♦ 5♥ which paired Nguyen's eight to add more outs. The turn came J♥ and also included a flush draw to improve Nguyen's outs.

The river K♥ gave Nguyen the nut flush, giggling with giddiness at the luck that befell him.

When the chips were officially counted, Rao shipped 93,000 to Nguyen and was crippled to around 35,000 chips.

The hand after, Rao moved all in for his remaining 35,000 and was matched by Anh Tuan Dang.

Rao had A♦ 9♦ and was up against the A♣ A♠ of Dang. To make a long story short, Rao shipped his chips to Dang.

Player	Chips	Progress
TQ Trung Quan NguyenViet Nam	195,000(78 BB)
AT Anh Tuan DangViet Nam	136,000(54 BB)	28,800
JR Jianhui RaoChina	busted	-141,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 12:00:00 PM

Tech Out 2

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

John Tech

Facing an initial open raise, Zhentao Long three-bet to 16,500 from the small blind. John Tech responded by moving all-in with a four-bet shove for 40,500.

The initial raiser quickly folded, leaving Long to burn a time bank chip before electing to make the call, putting Tech's tournament life at risk.

John Tech: 9♣ 9♦

Zhentao Long: K♥ Q♠

Tech remained safe on the dry 8♥ 5♦ 2♦ flop, but the tide turned on the Q♥ turn when Long paired his queen to take the lead. The 2♠ river brought no salvation, sealing Tech's elimination.

While Tech has been felted for a final time on Day 1A with no further rebuys permitted in this flight, his Main Event journey isn't necessarily over. He still has the opportunity to jump into Day 1B, which is currently unfolding and playing through Level 4.

Player	Chips	Progress
ZL Zhentao LongChina	238,000(95 BB)	30,000
JT John TechPhilippines	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 11:52:54 AM

Gone Too Soon

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

Ivan Lukianov

With registration closed, these players are no longer allowed to re-enter this flight. Perhaps, some of them will jump in Flight B, which is now ongoing at Level 4 with over 40 entries so far.

Meanwhile... a moment of silence for these fallen

Player	Chips	Progress
JP Jan Peter EickholtGermany	busted	-40,000
YM Yanzhou MengChina	busted
SL Seungmin LeeSouth Korea	busted	-40,000
CT Cong Tuan BuiViet Nam	busted	-40,000
JX Jia XiaoChina	busted	-9,000
BQ Bui Quang TungViet Nam	busted	-73,000
MC Mahn Cuong Le	busted	-40,000
CM Christian MitchellAustralia	busted	-11,400
KL Kai LiTaiwan	busted	-40,000
IL Ivan LukianovRussia	busted	-40,000
LT Long TranUnited States of America	busted	-40,000
PE Paul ElliottAustralia	busted	-40,000
JL Juyeol LeeSouth Korea	busted	-40,000
YS Yuan SunChina	busted	-9,000
VL Victor LamViet Nam	busted	-40,000
JN John Niko CostinianoPhilippines	busted	-40,000
JP Jose PadillaPhilippines	busted	-40,000
SK Shuma KimuraJapan	busted	-110,000
QT Quang Trinh DoViet Nam	busted	-40,000
SL Sofia LovgrenSweden	busted	-44,800
HF Haidi FengChina	busted	-40,000
GC Gongtuan ChenChina	busted	-108,000
VS Van Sang NguyenViet Nam	busted	-35,000
TI Tse Ian LeeMalaysia	busted	-40,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 11:51:16 AM

No Six for Wang

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

From middle position, Quang Huy Pham opened the action to 5,000. On the button, Yi Wang moved all-in for 29,500, prompting a snap-call from Pham.

Yi Wang: 6♦ 6♥

Quang Huy Pham: 9♦ 9♠

Wang found himself heavily dominated and stood up from his seat upon seeing the K♣ 7♣ 3♥ flop. The 7♥ turn changed nothing, and the safe A♥ river sealed Wang's fate, confirming his elimination.

Player	Chips
QH Quang Huy PhamViet Nam	114,000(46 BB)
YW Yi WangChina	busted

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

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 142/385

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 11:34:00 AM

Table Talk Heats Up After Xu Blasts the Flop

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

From the hijack, Van Quoc Vo opened the action to 4,000. Jieming Xu three-bet to 10,000 from the button, and after the big blind called, Vo came along as well to see a flop.

The dealer spread 9♠ 7♥ 5♦ .

Action checked through to Xu, who fired an overpot bomb of 35,000. The big blind folded instantly, but Vo burned a time bank chip, agonizing over the decision before ultimately letting his hand go.

Following the fold, a playful exchange of words broke out between the two.

"Let's gamble, if you go all-in I call," Xu teased.

Vo smiled and replied, "I almost did."

Player	Chips	Progress
JX Jieming XuChina	211,000(106 BB)	62,200
VQ Van Quoc VoViet Nam	210,000(105 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 11:32:00 AM

Lisii's Ladies Lynch Tran

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

Serghei Lisii

There was around 12,000 in the middle of the table beside a flop that showed 2♦ 4♦ 9♠.

Competing for the pot were Hoang Anh Tran on the big blind and Serghei Lisii under the gun.

Tran was the first to bet and shoved his last 22,000 all in. Lisii threw in a chip to call.

Hoang Anh Tran: 8♥ 4♥

Serghei Lisii: Q♦ Q♥

Tran hit midpair with a pair of fours, but was totally dominated by the pocket queens of Lisii. When tran flipped it over, his smile dropped.

The turn threw a 9♣ and the river gave a 8♣.

Tran made two pair on the river, but Lisii still had the upper hand. Tran just said, "Cooler," laughed and left.

Player	Chips	Progress
SL Serghei LisiiMoldova	188,000(94 BB)	-13,000
HA Hoang Anh TranViet Nam	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 11:29:40 AM

Nguyen Gets Some Breathing Room

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

Van Sang Nguyen

Van Sang Nguyen shoved on the button for 15,000. On the big blind, Tuan Anh Nguyen made the call.

Van Sang Nguyen: K♦ Q♥

Tuan Anh Nguyen: 9♠ 9♣

Flop came Q♦ 8♠ 7♥ to give Van Sang Nguyen the lead with a pair of queens. His hand held through the 3♣ turn and the J♥ river for a crucial double.

Player	Chips	Progress
TA Tuan Anh Nguyen 2Viet Nam	195,000(98 BB)	53,000
VS Van Sang NguyenViet Nam	35,000(18 BB)	-5,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 11:20:54 AM

Bautista Sets the Trap, Sun Gets Burned

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

Milbert Bautista

Middle position Yuan Sun opened with a large raise to 8,000, and big blind Milbert Bautista, who recently secured back-to-back double-ups, made the call.

The flop came J♣ J♥ 8♠ , prompting a continuation bet of 4,000 from Sun. Bautista dialed up the aggression with a check-raise to 10,500, which Sun called.

When the K♦ turned, Bautista checked, and Sun kept his foot on the gas with a bet of 17,000. Bautista just called.

The Q♣ landed on the river, and Bautista checked one last time. Sun fired a hefty bet of 60,000, only for Bautista to check-shove all-in for 127,000. Sun made the call.

Milbert Bautista: 8♦ 8♣

Yuan Sun: A♥ K♥

Bautista’s flopped full house successfully trapped Sun, securing a massive double-up and positioning him as one of the tournament chip leaders.

Player	Chips	Progress
MB Milbert BautistaPhilippines	320,000(160 BB)	225,000
YS Yuan SunChina	9,000(5 BB)	-111,500

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 11:10:00 AM

Day 1A Reg Closes at 385 Entries; 49 to Lock Up a Cash

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

Registration for the first flight of the Main Event has officially closed with a total of 385 entries. This strong opening turnout sets a tremendous pace for the remaining five starting flights.

Currently, 168 players remain on the floor. Survival is the only objective moving forward, as the field will play down until just 49 players are left. Those final 49 will officially lock up their place in the money and advance to Day 2.

The numbers signal a significant growth trend for the tour. At the last USOP Main Event in Vietnam, Day 1A gathered 345 entries. Crushing that figure with 385 entries today is a highly promising sign for the tournament, especially considering the previous event went on to set a massive record of 1,958 total entries.

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

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 170/385

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 10:44:22 AM

Break Time!

Break

Players are now on their 10-minute break. During this break, a chip race of 100-denomination chips is taking place.

After this break, registration will officially close for Main Event Day 1A.

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 166/375

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 10:42:00 AM

Hu Catches Chu

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

Chao Hu

A massive pot around 50,000 was in the middle of the poker table along with a board that showed 5♠ 3♣ 6♥ 7♣

Chao Hu was on the big blind against The Dan Chu on the seat after under the gun.

Hu was first to act and tapped his option over the The Dan Chu, who shoved his last 53,100 chips in the middle. After Hu asked for the count, he did a count of his own chips to assess the possible damage. Then he counted off the chips and made the call.

The Dan Chu tabled K♦ Q♥ for nothing but a king-high, while Hu showed J♦ J♣ for a pair of jacks.

Chu needed 6 outs on the river, but the A♥ wasn't one of them, eliminating him for the flight.

Player	Chips	Progress
CH Chao HuChina	163,000(109 BB)	123,000
TD The Dan ChuViet Nam	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 10:40:00 AM

Anderson Flops Big, Denies Nguyen's Queens

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

Action folded to the button, where Dakota Anderson opened the betting. Small blind Tuan Hoang Nguyen raised the stakes with a three-bet, only for Anderson to fire right back with a four-bet shove for 40,500. Nguyen called, putting Anderson at risk.

Dakota Anderson: A♥ 3♥

Tuan Hoang Nguyen: Q♣ Q♦

Anderson was behind preflop but found a massive piece of the A♠ T♥ 5♥ flop, instantly hitting top pair alongside a dominant flush draw.

The monster flop left Nguyen looking for a miracle one-outer. The 7♦ turn kept things safe, and the 2♣ river officially locked up the double-up for Anderson.

Player	Chips	Progress
DA Dakota AndersonUnited States of America	85,000(57 BB)	45,000
TH Tuan Hoang NguyenViet Nam	40,200(27 BB)	-44,500

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 10:33:00 AM

Wang's Rockets Cracked, Out Again

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

Qian Wang

The flop showed 5♠ 7♦ 2♥ with 10,000 chips beside it.

Qian Wang was on the small blind - and on her second bullet - when she fired 20,700 all in. Latvijas Romans was on the big blind and made the call. Changliang Sun was on the button and jammed all-in for 90,800.

Romans assessed his stack, counted the chips and made the call.

Qian Wang: A♦ A♥

Changlaing Sun: 9♣ 9♥

Lativjas Romans: K♠ 7♥

Romans had flopped the top pair of sevens, but was behind the nines of Sun for the wealthier side pot, and also behind Wang on the main pot.

The Q♣ turn did not change the situation, but the 9♠ on the river made all the difference.

Sun shone bright with a set of nines, eliminating Wang and crippling the stack of Romans for a monster double up haul.

Player	Chips	Progress
CS Changliang SunChina	196,000(131 BB)
LR Latvijas Romans	118,000(79 BB)	-93,000
QW Qian WangChina	busted	-40,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 10:30:31 AM

Gu Gets Out With Ladies

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

Xiaochun Gu was on the small blind against Yuan Sun plus one from under the gun.

Both players were staring at a board of T♠ 8♦ 8♥ 2♠ beside a handsome pot of around 45,000.

Gu had checked his option and allowed Sun to bet 25,000. Gu then check-raised all in for 31,000 with Sun not hesitating to add the change to complete the bet.

Xiaochun Gu: J♠ J♥

Yuan Sun: Q♦ Q♠

Gu was disappointed to see the ladies. A♠ far as he thought, he was the one trapping and ahead. Gu needed a miracle on the river, but the 6♠ was far from it, sending him to the rail.

Player	Chips
YS Yuan SunChina	120,500(80 BB)
GX Gu Xiao ChunChina	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 10:26:33 AM

Current Chip Leaders

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

Player	Chips	Progress
CL Chenliang LiChina	351,000(234 BB)	79,000
NH Nguyen Hong QuanViet Nam	332,000(221 BB)
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	245,000(163 BB)	70,700
YL Yibin LuChina	231,000(154 BB)
LR Latvijas Romans	211,000(141 BB)	-1,000
ZL Zhentao LongChina	208,000(139 BB)	168,000
SL Serghei LisiiMoldova	201,000(134 BB)	161,000
VQ Van Quy TranViet Nam	200,000(133 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 10:15:38 AM

Ctrl ALT Delete

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

Dinesh Alt

Dinesh Alt was on the small blind and was competing in a hand against Gogntuan Chen on the lowjack.

Both players were staring at a juicy pot of around 24,000 with a board that showed 8♣ 6♥ K♠ 4♠

Alt bet 16,000 and was matched by Chen.

A Q♥ showed on the river and Alt put a stack of big domination stacks forward for a bet of 26,000.

Chen didn't go anywhere and called immediately.

Alt flipped over A♥ A♣ for a pair of aces, while Chen showed 4♦ 4♥ for a set of fours.

Chen scooped the yummy pot and left Alt with crumbs worth 2,100.

In the next hand, Alt went all in for his last 2,100 on the button and was called by Tuan Hoang Nguyen on the small blind and Yuanxi Chen on the big blind.

Both Nguyen and Chen checked down the board of K♣ 5♥ 6♣ Q♥ 3♦

When the cars were revealed... Nguyen tabled T♣ 4♣, Chen showed T♦ 8♥ and Alt showed A♣ 7♦.

Alt's ace-high was enough to triple up and some. However, while he may have risen from the almost-dead, Alt would be seen moments later leaving his seat and hoping to catch the free hoodie that came with registration if you bought a seat within the first level.

Player	Chips	Progress
GC Gongtuan ChenChina	108,000(72 BB)	68,000
TH Tuan Hoang NguyenViet Nam	84,700(56 BB)
YC Yuanxi ChenSingapore	78,300(52 BB)
DA Dinesh AltSwitzerland	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 10:05:11 AM

Last Chance to Register for Day 1A

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

The final level of late registration for Day 1A of the Main Event has officially arrived. This is the last chance to enter the field before the registration window locks shut at the end of this level and a quick 10-minute break.

Simultaneously, the tournament floor has gotten busier with the launch of Day 1B. This starting flight introduces the newly adjusted 30-minute level structure, shifting away from the usual 40-minute clocks.

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

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 174/356

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 9:58:27 AM

Jacks Do the Job

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

Facing an open raise, Yanzhi Li pushed all-in with a three-bet shove for 9,700. Qingyang Zheng then moved all-in over the top, successfully forcing the initial raiser to fold and isolating the short stack.

Yanzhi Li: 3♣ 3♥

Qingyang Zheng: J♦ J♣

Zheng had Li heavily dominated, leaving the pocket threes searching for just two outs in the deck. The dealer ran out a dry A♣ 8♣ 6♥ 5♦ Q♠ board, offering no help to Li and confirming the elimination.

Player	Chips
QZ Qingyang ZhengChina	131,000(109 BB)
YL Yanzhi LiChina	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 9:52:24 AM

ANNOUNCEMENT! Blind Structure Adjustment

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

According to the USOP Team, the Tournament Organizer has decided to adjust the blind structure for Day 1B and Day 1D of the Main Event. This decision was made to optimize the overall playing experience and ensure players can maintain peak physical condition throughout the series' highlight tournament.

Under the new changes, the previous structure of 40 minutes per level has been reduced to 30 minutes per level. Late registration for these specific flights will now officially close at the start of Level 12, which will be at approximately 23:00.

The USOP Team notes that this adjustment is intended to create a more balanced tournament pace, helping players stay focused and perform at their absolute best.

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 9:47:54 AM

Three-Outer Sends Hu Packing

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

Facing a minimum open-raise, Xuan Khang Dinh made the call from middle position. Action folded to Hengje Hu on the button, who moved all-in for his remaining 28,000. The initial raiser folded, leaving Dinh as the only caller.

Hengje Hu: A♣ 8♣

Xuan Khang Dinh: T♦ 8♦

Hu had Dinh heavily dominated preflop, but that advantage vanished quickly. Dinh spiked his three-outer on the T♥ 9♣ 4♠ flop to take the lead with a pair of tens. The 4♦ turn changed nothing, and the 9♠ river failed to rescue Hu, sealing his elimination.

Player	Chips	Progress
XK Xuan Khang DinhViet Nam	212,000(177 BB)	19,000
HH Hengje HuChina	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 9:34:51 AM

Tech Out

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

John Tech

After suffering a massive hit to his stack, John Tech was left running on fumes. He opted to open-raise to 3,000 from cutoff, keeping 1,000 chips behind.

Khoi Nguyen raised the action to 6,000, but the real trouble arrived when small blind Suparerk Totsaponvisad put out a squeeze to 14,500. Tech tossed in his final chips to call, and Nguyen folded.

John Tech: Q♣ J♦

Suparerk Totsaponvisad: Q♠ Q♥

Upon seeing Totsaponvisad’s pocket queens, Tech immediately stood up from his chair. He watched from the sidelines as the dealer ran out a dry 5♠ 3♥ 2♦ T♥ 4♦ board, confirming his elimination from the field.

Player	Chips	Progress
KN Khoi NguyenViet Nam	68,500(57 BB)
ST Suparerk TotsaponvisadThailand	52,000(43 BB)
JT John TechPhilippines	busted	-87,400

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 9:28:06 AM

More Big Names

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

Sofia Lovgren

With entries about to break the 350 mark, some more big names have been spotted on the felt.

A standout on her seat is Sweden's Sofia Lovgren, who has total live earnings of nearly USD 800,000. Lovgren made waves late November last year when she topped the APT Mystery Bounty Championship during the APT Championship Taipei 2025 and also pulled two of the biggest bounty envelopes, hauling over USD 82,000 in bounties and banking the top prize of USD 74,870.

Lovgren's last stint at poker was in APT Taipei 2026 and has taken a hiatus, focusing on motherhood to two children aged two and one, with another bun in the oven due to come out this year.

Also in the field is China's Junjie He with early USD 880,000 in total live earnings. He is an APT Main Event champion, winning the title during APT Incheon 2025. He also has a USOP Main Event cash, placing 33rd during USOP Da Nang 2023.

Neng Zhao of Australia has over USD 865,000 in total live earnings. Zhao already has four cashes in this event, including two final tables in a Hyper Turbo and Super Hyper Turbo event. Zhou also made cashes in the Madness Kickoff and Championship Event.

Player	Chips	Progress
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	174,300(145 BB)	140,800
SL Sofia LovgrenSweden	44,800(37 BB)
JH Junjie HeChina	38,700(32 BB)

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

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 176/332

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 9:20:54 AM

Main Event Day 1A Blasts Past 300 Entries

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

The Main Event is off to a flying start. On just the very first flight, Day 1A has already blown past the 300-entry mark and is still climbing, with two full levels of late registration left on the clock.

With five more starting flights still to come, the field is showing incredible numbers and is well on pace to easily crush the tournament guarantee.

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 9:09:53 AM

Do’s Aces Hold Up

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

Under the gun, Hoang Anh Do opened the action to 2,000 and picked up two callers. On the button, Jia Xiao raised the stakes with a three-bet to 7,500.

Action folded back around to Do, who clicked it up with a four-bet to 22,000. That was enough to shake off the flat-callers, but Xiao stuck around to see a 9♦ 4♣ 2♠ flop.

Do continued the aggression with a bet of 15,000, and Xiao hesitated slightly before dropping in the chips to call.

When the 7♠ hit the turn, Do emptied the clip, shoving all-in for his remaining 48,200. Xiao burned through two time banks, agonizing over the decision before finally calling to put Do at risk.

Hoang Anh Do: A♦ A♠

Jia Xiao: Q♣ Q♠

Do was firmly in control with his pocket aces, leaving Xiao looking for a miracle two-outer. The 4♠ on the river was a total brick, securing the massive double-up for Do.

Player	Chips	Progress
HA Hoang Anh DoViet Nam	176,900(177 BB)	176,900
JX Jia XiaoChina	9,000(9 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 8:55:58 AM

Chip Leaders At The Break!

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

Top 10 Chip Count

Player	Chips	Progress
CL Chenliang LiChina	272,000(272 BB)	193,400
LR Latvijas Romans	212,000(212 BB)	100,600
XK Xuan Khang DinhViet Nam	193,000(193 BB)	-69,300
HL Hao LingChina	181,000(181 BB)	-18,200
HT Huu Tuan NguyenViet Nam	174,000(174 BB)	-1,008,000
HK Hung Kien VuViet Nam	163,000(163 BB)
LV Luong Viet BacViet Nam	151,000(151 BB)
YL Yunbeom LeeSouth Korea	146,000(146 BB)
JR Jianhui RaoChina	141,000(141 BB)
WC Wang ChenChina	141,000(141 BB)

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

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 176/287

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 167/275

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 8:23:20 AM

Nguyen's Hooks Snag Ma

Level 8: 400 / 800 ante: 800

Tuan Anh Nguyen

Haohui Ma opened for 2,500 from under the gun. Two seats over Dac Dung Duong made the call. When action fell to Tuan Anh Nguyen on the button, he raised it to 12,000.

Ma threw in a time bank token, gave it some serious thought then shoved all in for a total of 36,300. It was Duong's turn to tank and assess hi position and situation. After one time bank token and the clock running out, Duong decided to give up.

Nguyen looked at his stack, had the chips to make the call, counted it and pushed it forward.

Haohui Ma: 7♠ 7♦

Tuan Anh Nguyen: J♥ J♣

The board ran K♥ K♦ 5♠ 5♥ 3♦ in favor of Nguyen, eliminating Ma from the flight... for now.

Nguyen was in yesterday's final table of the Championship Event, where he placed 4th. Meanwhile, Ma has over USD 1.18 million in total live earnings. Ma is a former Mini Main Event champion and a High Roller Championship runner up, during USOP Grand Finale Hai Phong 2024.

Player	Chips
TA Tuan Anh Nguyen 2Viet Nam	142,000(178 BB)
HM Haohui MaChina	busted

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 8:15:42 AM

Former USOP Champions Seated

Level 8: 400 / 800 ante: 800

Two past USOP Main Event champions have already taken their seats in the field. USOP Hai Phong 2024 Main Event Champion Juyeol Lee and the USOP Da Nang 2024 Tse Ian Lee Main Event Champion are already in action.

Meanwhile, defending champion Hun Tae Choi has been spotted around the series venue but has not yet jumped into the field to defend his title.

Player	Chips	Progress
TI Tse Ian LeeMalaysia	40,000(50 BB)
JL Juyeol LeeSouth Korea	40,000(50 BB)	12,300

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 8:14:21 AM

Yim Traps Zhao

Level 8: 400 / 800 ante: 800

From the cutoff, Neng Zhao opened the action to 1,800 and called a three-bet of 4,400 from Songbook Yim in the small blind.

Both players checked through the A♦ 4♠ 2♦ flop. When the 6♥ turned, Yim led out with a bet of 5,000, and Zhao made the call.

The 3♦ completed the board on the river, prompting Yim to check. Zhao fired out a bet of 15,000, only for Yim to snap-call.

Zhao tabled 6♣ 3♣ for a runner-runner two pair, but Yim revealed A♥ A♣ for top set to scoop the pot.

Player	Chips
SY Sangwook YimSouth Korea	84,700(106 BB)
NZ Neng ZhaoAustralia	33,500(42 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 8:06:12 AM

Matsuhiro Barrels Through Rodriguez

Level 8: 400 / 800 ante: 800

Alex Anton Rodriguez and Tokumoto Matsuhiro

Dac Dung Duong opened for 1,600 on the lowjack. Alex Anton Rodriguez three-bet raised to 4,000. Tokumoto Matsuhiro four-bet raised to 12,000 on the small blind.

Duong dropped out, but Rodriguez raged on with a call.

The dealer fanned a flop of J♠ 4♣ 5♦.

Matushiro continued with a bet of 10,000, which Rodriguez snap called.

The turn showed a K♦. Both slowed the pace with a check.

The river threw a 6♦.

Matsuhiro counted 25,000 and pushed it forward.

Rodriguez curled his brow, took a stare Matsuhiro's way, assessed chip damage, looked at the board, wondered if a taco food truck could do as well as a Bahn Mi cart here in Ha Long Bay, then folded.

Matsuhiro floated the cards in front of Rodriguez to return to the dealer and stacked away the delicious pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
TM Tokumoto MitsuhiroJapan	98,400(123 BB)	58,400
AA Alex Anton RodriguezSpain	42,500(53 BB)	2,500

Level 8: 400 / 800 ante: 800

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 163/260

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 7:50:49 AM

Inocentes Hits Two-Outer to Over-Set Lei

Level 7: 300 / 600 ante: 600

Facing an open raise, Alvir Inocentes three-bet from the button. Big blind Ganlin Lei called, and the initial raiser folded.

Lei check-called a continuation bet from Inocentes on the Q♠ 9♦ 7♥ flop. When the 6♣ hit the turn, Inocentes fired another barrel, but this time Lei check-raised all-in. Inocentes called off his remaining 52,300.

Alvir Inocentes: K♣ K♥

Ganlin Lei: 9♥ 9♠

Inocentes was ahead preflop, but Lei had flopped a monster with middle set, leaving Inocentes searching for one of the two remaining kings in the deck. Right on cue, the K♠ spiked on the river, giving Inocentes a higher set to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

It was a severe case of dejavu for Lei, who recently had his pocket aces cracked deep in the Championship Event, while Inocentes raked in a massive double-up.

Player	Chips
AI Alvir InocentesPhilippines	125,000(208 BB)
GL Ganlin LeiChina	21,200(35 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 7:38:52 AM

One Drop Winner Guoliang Wei Eyes USOP Title

Level 7: 300 / 600 ante: 600

While the poker world sets its sights on the newly kicked-off WSOP 2026 in pursuit of gold bracelets, the USOP Vietnam Main Event field already features some serious poker royalty.

China’s Guoliang Wei is in the mix, bringing the prestige of a WSOP bracelet he claimed back in 2018. Wei famously conquered a massive field in the $1,111 Little One for One Drop event, walking away with a career-best $559,332 payday that still stands as his highest live tournament score.

Player	Chips
GW Guoliang WeiChina	40,000(67 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 7:37:36 AM

Kim's Nuts Get Paid

Level 7: 300 / 600 ante: 600

Kooksung Kim

A pot of around 30,000 was in the middle with a board that showed 9♥ 5♣ 2♥ A♦ 8♥

Competing in the hand were Van Dong An Nguyen on the small blind and Kooksung Kim on the button.

Nguyen had checked his option over to Kim, who pushed a bet of 25,000 over the betting line.

Nguyen assessed the damage, held on to a stack of 25,000 chips, stared at the board, threw in a time bank, wondered how brave the first person to milk a cow must be, then made the brave call.

Kim showed A♥ K♥ for the nut flush, while Nguyen tabled A♠ T♥ for a pair of aces that wasn't enough.

Player	Chips	Progress
KK Kooksung KimSouth Korea	93,500(156 BB)	53,500
VD Van Dong An NguyenViet Nam	14,300(24 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 7:30:02 AM

Bautista Goes Back-to-Back

Level 7: 300 / 600 ante: 600

Action folded to the small blind, where Thai Quang Nguyen just limped in. Fresh off his previous double-up, Milbert Bautista bumped it up to 2,600 from the big blind.

Nguyen then pulled out a massive limp-raise to 20,000. Bautista didn't back down, shoving all-in for 47,200, and Nguyen called to put him at risk.

Milbert Bautista: 7♦ 7♥

Thai Quang Nguyen: A♣ Q♠

Bautista stayed safe on the J♠ T♦ 5♦ flop, but the Q♦ turn paired up Nguyen to give him the lead.

However, the dealer peeled the 6♦ on the river, handing Bautista a runner-runner, one-card diamond flush to secure yet another double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
TQ Thai Quang NguyenViet Nam	111,100(185 BB)
MB Milbert BautistaPhilippines	95,000(158 BB)	48,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 7:24:27 AM

Sharing Is Caring

Level 7: 300 / 600 ante: 600

Bui The Nguyen and Thanh Long Nguyen

Not all poker action is intense.

Sometimes the fun ones are the easy ones with not so big pots but lots of laughter in between.

Thanh Long Nguyen opened for 1,200 from under the gun. Christian Mitchell called from the next seat. Tony T joined in on the small blind and Bui The Nguyen also matched on the big blind.

The four players had a decent family pot to play for when the dealer fanned a flop of J♣ 4♠ J♥

Everyone checked. Then, they all checked again the Q♠ on the turn, bringing some looks between the players on who may be slow-playing whom.

Then, the 3♦ came on the river.

Both blinds checked to Thanh, who pushed 3,500 in the middle. Mitchell stood down. Tony T made the call and Bui folded.

Thanh peeled open Q♥ T♠ and Tony T opened Q♣ T♣ for a split pot between the two with each earning 2,300 chips.

There was laughter that followed with a conversation that loosely translated to "all that drama for a chop chop."

Player	Chips	Progress
TL Thanh Long NguyenViet Nam	92,800(155 BB)	52,800
TC Toan Chan TruongViet Nam	62,300(104 BB)	22,300
BT Bui The NguyenViet Nam	48,200(80 BB)	8,200
CM Christian MitchellAustralia	11,400(19 BB)	11,400

Level 7: 300 / 600 ante: 600

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 167/224

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 7:14:30 AM

Bautista Forgives Queens, Gets Paid Anyway

Level 6: 300 / 500 ante: 500

Action folded to the button, where Milbert Bautista opened the action to 1,200. Bautista is looking for redemption today after suffering a brutal bad beat in Championship Event Day 1C, where his pocket kings were cracked by pocket queens.

From the small blind, Van Lich Vu three-bet to 3,500. When the action got back to Bautista, he burned through two time banks before moving all-in for 23,000. Vu called.

Milbert Bautista: Q♥ Q♦

Van Lich Vu: A♦ T♦

In a bit of a twist, Bautista was the one holding the pocket queens this time around. The board ran out a safe 6♠ 3♣ 2♦ K♣ 7♥ , giving him a clean double-up and some sweet revenge.

Player	Chips	Progress
MB Milbert BautistaPhilippines	47,000(94 BB)	7,000
VL Van Lich VuViet Nam	11,400(23 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 7:03:23 AM

Registration Hits 200 Entries Midway Through Day 1

Level 6: 300 / 500 ante: 500

Halfway through the registration period, the field has already blown past the 200-entry mark.

That number is going to keep climbing, too, with registration staying wide open until the start of Level 12 at approximately 5:50 PM local time.

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 6:55:53 AM

Anderson Satellites His Way

Level 6: 300 / 500 ante: 500

Dakota Anderson

The Main Event Satellite Just finished with 8 players booking a ticket worth VND 30 million from just a VND 4.3 million buy-in.

Dakota Anderson of the USA is one of the players who won a ticket. In a short conversation, he explained that he pondered whether he should just do a direct by or play the satellite.

"I wanted the sweater," he said when he weighed down his options.

Apparently, Main Event early bird registrants get a free USOP sweater.

Obviously, he chose the satellite and went straight into the field. The other players would make use of their ticket at another flight.

When asked why he opted to jump in now, he just said, "Keep the momentum going."

Anderson already made the final table in the Mini Main Event and will hope for a similar or better result. Of course, hopefully, a championship.

Player	Chips
DA Dakota AndersonUnited States of America	40,000(80 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 6:51:21 AM

No Blood Spilled

Level 6: 300 / 500 ante: 500

From middle position, Quang Vu Dinh opened the action to 1,100, only for big blind Gouqiang Fang to three-bet to 4,000. The action escalated quickly when Dinh fired back with a four-bet to 11,100. Fang wasted no time announcing all-in, and Dinh quickly called.

Quang Vu Dinh: A♦ Q♦

Gouqiang Fang: A♥ Q♣

Both players turned over the exact same hand, and the board ran out J♥ 7♠ 4♦ 9♥ 6♦ , resulting in a split pot.

Player	Chips
QV Quang Vu DinhViet Nam	68,000(136 BB)
GF Gouqiang FangChina	42,100(84 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 6:48:22 AM

Sibal Misses Everything; Lo’s Top Pair Holds

Level 6: 300 / 500 ante: 500

Mei Yee Lo

Jeoffrey Sibal pushed all-in for 17,100 into a 16,700 pot with the board reading T♥ 5♣ 3♥ 9♦ . Mei Yee Lo checked, then burned through two time banks before pulling the trigger on a call.

Jeoffrey Sibal: A♥ 4♥

Mei Yee Lo: K♦ T♦

Lo was sitting ahead with top pair, but Sibal was drawing to absolute everything with both straight and flush draws. The 6♣ river was a total brick, missing all of Sibal's outs and sending him straight to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
MY Mei Yee LoChina	57,800(116 BB)	17,800
JS Jeoffrey SibalPhilippines	busted	-40,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 6:38:04 AM

But Wait...

Level 6: 300 / 500 ante: 500

Yankai Zhang

More big names have signed up, bringing the total entries over the 200 mark.

China's Yankai Zhang was a 4th place finisher in the Main Event during USOP Grand Finale Hai Phong 2024. This series, he's already cashed in the Mini Main Event, the Weekend Superstack and the Championship Event. Zhang has over USD 850,000 in total live earnings.

John Niko Costiniano of the Philippines has also come in with a fresh stack. Costiniano was a runner-up in the Main Event Freezeout of the APT Championship Taipei 2025 and also a runner-up in the APT Super High Roller during APT Taipei 2026. Costiniano is hungry to lift a trophy.

Swiss pro Dinesh Alt has also taken a seat. Alt has over USD 2.3 million in total live earnings. However, this series hasn't a good result so far and perhaps this will be his time to shine.

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 6:37:49 AM

Current Chip Leaders

Level 6: 300 / 500 ante: 500

Top 10 Chip Count

Player	Chips	Progress
HT Huu Tuan NguyenViet Nam	1,182,000(2364 BB)
XK Xuan Khang DinhViet Nam	262,300(525 BB)	196,800
HL Hao LingChina	199,200(398 BB)	-35,800
JX Jieming XuChina	148,800(298 BB)	46,800
TK Tan Khoa NguyenViet Nam	125,600(251 BB)
VD Van Dan NguyenViet Nam	118,700(237 BB)	46,300
YJ Yizhan JiangChina	116,900(234 BB)	76,900
JL Jimmy LiuViet Nam	112,500(225 BB)	72,500
LR Latvijas Romans	111,400(223 BB)	71,400
AT Anh Tuan DangViet Nam	107,200(214 BB)

Level 6: 300 / 500 ante: 500

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 147/182

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 6:28:05 AM

Tran’s Aces Cracked in Three-Way Chaos

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

A three-way all-in developed at Table 29.

Short-stacked Hoang Anh Do was all-in for 7,100, while Quang Thang Do risked his remaining 30,400. Duc Kien Tran covered both opponents and held a monster hand.

Hoang Anh Do: K♦ Q♦

Quang Thang Do: A♥ J♠

Duc Kien Tran: A♣ A♠

Tran's pocket aces held the preflop advantage and stayed ahead on the K♥ J♥ 9♥ flop. However, the flop brought plenty of outs for his opponents. Hoang flopped top pair and a gutshot straight draw, while Quang picked up middle pair alongside the nut flush draw.

The J♦ turn gave Quang the lead with trips, and the 2♥ river improved him further to the nut flush. Quang secured a double-up, while Hoang was eliminated and Tran's aces were cracked, leaving him short-stacked.

Player	Chips	Progress
QT Quang Thang DoViet Nam	68,900(172 BB)	12,400
DK Duc Kien TranViet Nam	8,600(22 BB)
HA Hoang Anh DoViet Nam	busted

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 6:18:54 AM

Nguyen's Rockets Paid In Full

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

Wenqing Dong (L) and Van Dan Nguyen (R)

Van Dan Nguyen was on the small blind against Wenqing Dong on the button.

Both players were staring at a flop of Q♣ Q♠ 4♦ with a pot of around 30,000.

Nguyen checked his option to see Dong bet 5,500, which Nguyen min-raised to 11,000. Dong matched and the dealer peeled a T♥ on the turn.

Nguyen gave an exasperated "all in" and lazily pushed a stack in. Dong called instantly.

Van Dan Nguyen: A♦ A♥

Wenqing Dong: 5♥ 5♣

Nguyen was ahead with a pair of aces and Dong needed help. However, the 7♦ on the river didn't offer any, crippling Dong's stack while boosting Nguyen's.

Player	Chips	Progress
VD Van Dan NguyenViet Nam	72,400(181 BB)	61,400
WD Wenqing DongChina	37,000(93 BB)	-3,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 6:16:51 AM

Le Hits Two-Outer Only to Fall on River

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

Duong Trung Nghia Le was seen all-in for his remaining stack on a Q♠ 8♥ 2♠ 4♠ board against Chenliang Li.

Duong Trung Nghia Le: 4♣ 4♥

Chenliang Li: K♠ K♦

Le had pulled ahead on the turn after hitting his two-outer for a set of fours. However, the J♠ river delivered a runner-runner spade to give Li a king-high flush, handing him the winning hand and eliminating Le.

Following his exit, Le quickly headed to the registration desk to rebuy.

Player	Chips	Progress
CL Chenliang LiChina	78,600(197 BB)	38,600
DT Duong Trung Nghia LeViet Nam	40,000(100 BB)

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 6:10:06 AM

Huerto Straightens Out the Chip Leader

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

Joven Huerto

With the board fully dealt and showing K♣ 9♠ 3♦ J♣ Q♠ , Joven Huerto bet 5,000 into a 10,000 pot. Massive chip leader Hao Ling raised the action to 12,000, which Huerto snap-called.

Ling turned over J♦ 8♦ for a pair of jacks, while Huerto revealed Q♣ T♣ for a rivered straight to scoop the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
HL Hao LingChina	235,000(588 BB)	-15,000
JH Joven HuertoPhilippines	79,400(199 BB)	39,400

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 6:03:40 AM

Roses In Bloom

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

Mei Yee Lo

Some women have made the room brighter by their presence. Among the familiar ladies of the USOP this series are China's Mei Yee Lo and Qian Wang.

Mei Yee Lo was able to advance to Day 2 in the Madness Kickoff and the Mini Main Event of this series, but found early exits both times. Lo is looking for a deeper run this time around.

Qian Wang, meanwhile, also crossed into Day 2 of the Madness Kickoff and the Mini Main Event, but like Lo, didn't run deep enough. Her best finish this series was a 10th place in the Weekend Superstack.

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 6:03:29 AM

Ling Soars to 250k in Early Levels

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

Just four levels into play, the average stack sits just above 48,000. However, Hao Ling has already built a massive stack, sitting on 250,000 chips, more than six times the initial starting stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
HL Hao LingChina	250,000(625 BB)	210,000

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 5:51:59 AM

Looking For Retribution

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

Yizhan Jiang

There are some players seeking to continue their success their series and some who are looking to do better than their previous results.

China's Yizhan Jiang just finished in 3rd place at the recently concluded Championship Event. Jiang booked a cash of over USD 66,000. He was the chip leader entering the final table and came short to closing it out. While the 3rd place finish is commendable, he will certainly feel better if he gets to raise the trophy.

Alex Anton Rodriguez of Spain is seeking a good result. In a short conversation, he admitted that he hasn't been able to cross bubble time despite starting strong with a healthy stack. In his words, "Maybe I'll fire another bullet. If not, it's Vegas."

Quyet Tien Pham was one of the flight chip leaders of the Championship Main Event and scored a healthy bonus for that feat. However, his Day 2 run didn't go as well as he wanted, bowing out in 38th place.

Level 5: 200 / 400 ante: 400

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 113/137

Break

10 minutes

Remaining Players: 103/123

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 5:36:51 AM

Mitchell Gets Cooked by Queens

Level 4: 200 / 300 ante: 300

Two players saw a T♣ 8♣ 2♣ flop, and from the small blind, Bui Quang Tung bet 3,000 into a 6,600 pot. On the button, Christian Mitchell raised to 7,500.

Tung responded by moving all-in, and Mitchell hesitated before calling off his remaining stack of around 30,000.

Christian Mitchell: A♣ T♠

Bui Quang Tung: Q♥ Q♠

Mitchell called with top pair, top kicker, while Tung held the lead with an overpair. The 3♥ turn changed nothing, and the 7♥ river missed Mitchell's remaining outs, resulting in his elimination.

Player	Chips	Progress
BQ Bui Quang TungViet Nam	73,000(243 BB)
CM Christian MitchellAustralia	busted	-40,000

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 5:24:56 AM

Do’s Turn Shove Forces Nguyen to Fold

Level 4: 200 / 300 ante: 300

Preflop action built a pot of 7,100, and on the K♦ 4♣ 4♥ flop, under the gun Quang Thang Do bet 2,500. From the cutoff, Van Dan Nguyen raised to 7,000. Do fought back with a re-raise to 17,000, and Nguyen called after a brief hesitation.

The J♥ turn came, prompting Do to quickly announce all-in. Nguyen used all three of his time banks before deciding to fold. After the fold, Do kindly showed the K♣ ,to take down the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
QT Quang Thang DoViet Nam	56,500(188 BB)	1,700
VD Van Dan NguyenViet Nam	11,000(37 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 5:20:59 AM

Xu Bounces Back

Level 4: 200 / 300 ante: 300

Jieming Xu

Jieming Xu was seen saying "Bye bye! Cheers!" to Mahn Cuong Le, who stormed out of the table after surrendering all his chips to Xu.

A quick glance at the table saw that Xu had 6♥ 6♦ with the flop showing 6♠ 5♥ 5♣ and raised up to show the winning hand.

Xu's stack took a tumble and then finally bounced back in a huge way.

Le, meanwhile, went straight to the registration counter to fire a second bullet and seek retribution.

Player	Chips	Progress
JX Jieming XuChina	102,000(340 BB)	83,500
MC Mahn Cuong Le	40,000(133 BB)

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 5:08:10 AM

Random Stacks

Level 4: 200 / 300 ante: 300

A quick scan around the room to check on some random stacks. What happened to Jieming Xu? The early chip leader seems to have lost a whole bunch of chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
SK Shuma KimuraJapan	110,000(367 BB)	17,700
JT John TechPhilippines	87,400(291 BB)	47,400
JX Jieming XuChina	38,500(128 BB)	-86,900
JL Juyeol LeeSouth Korea	27,700(92 BB)	-12,300

Level 4: 200 / 300 ante: 300

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 71/77

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 4:48:09 AM

New Notables

Level 3: 100 / 200 ante: 200

John Tech

Some familiar faces of the USOP have been seen riffling some chips.

Vietnam's Quang Trinh Do has taken a seat. Do recently won a Mini High Roller event in this series, improving his total live earnings to over USD 400,000.

John Tech of the Philippines is also present. Tech has over USD 2.2 million in total live earnings earned from bagging titles in the APT and WPT festivals. Tech has yet to raise a USOP trophy. His best result in a USOP was a 10th place finish in the Main Event during USOP Taiwan 2024.

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 4:43:00 AM

Former Main Event Champion Present

Level 3: 100 / 200 ante: 200

Juyeol Lee

USOP Hai Phong 2024 Main Event champion Juyeol Lee of South Korea has made his presence felt. Lee has over USD 722,000 in total live earnings. His USOP Main Event win still ranks as his best career cash for USD 256,715.

Level 3: 100 / 200 ante: 200

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 43/40

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 4:15:02 AM

May The Fours Be With You

Level 2: 100 / 100 ante: 100

Xuan Khang Dinh

Daehyung Lee was under the gun and opened for 300. A few seats over Xuan Khang Dinh three-bet to 1,000 while on his phone. When action came back to Lee, he made it 6,000 to go on a four-bet. Dinh stayed on, while on his phone.

Both players were shown a flop of 4♣ 2♠ T♦

Lee led out for 6,000 and was called by Dinh, while on his phone.

The turn showed a 6♦ and Lee shoved all in for 25,600 covering the stack of Dinh by not much.

Dinh snapped, still holding his phone, and shoved his stack forward.

Daeyung Lee: J♦ J♠

Xuan Khang Dinh: 4♦ 4♥

Lee had a pair of jacks, but was behind Dinh's set of fours.

Lee needed a two-outer on the river, but the 8♣ bricked for him, crippling his stack to 1,100.

A few hands later, Lee's stack was seen to improve to 6,300, although he still is in the red zone.

Meanwhile, Dinh is on his second bullet of the day, having been a victim of Jieming Xu's double KO. His second chance is now off to a better start, and he's still on his phone.

Player	Chips	Progress
XK Xuan Khang DinhViet Nam	65,500(655 BB)	25,500
DL Daehyung LeeSouth Korea	6,300(63 BB)	-33,700

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 4:00:09 AM

Do In The Building

Level 2: 100 / 100 ante: 100

Quang Thang Do during Mini Main Event

Vietnamese pro Quang Thang Do is off to a decent start with an above average stack. Do was the runner-up in the recently concluded Mini Main Event, where he banked over USD 77,000. He also cashed in the Championship Event, although the result was not as favorable. Do's success in this series will push his total live earnings over the USD 200,000 mark.

Player	Chips	Progress
QT Quang Thang DoViet Nam	54,800(548 BB)	14,800

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 3:53:01 AM

Kimura Stacks Up

Level 2: 100 / 100 ante: 100

Shuma Kimura

Japan's Shuma Kimura is also building up, more than doubling the starting stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
SK Shuma KimuraJapan	92,300(923 BB)	52,300

Level 2: 100 / 100 ante: 100

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 36/39

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 3:30:49 AM

Xu Jumps To Chip Lead

Level 1: 100 / 100

Jieming Xu

China's Jieming Xu has just made a double KO and boosted his starting stack of 40,000 to triple the size in just the first level.

Xu has over USD 1.1 million in total live earnings and is best known for his victory in the Red Dragon Plus Championship during the recent RDPT Plus Jeju 2026 held last April, where he banked the top prize of USD 344,955 for a career best cash.

Earlier this May, Xu took part in the Poker Dream 22, also at Jeju, and cashed in 10 events. In those 10 events, he was the champion in five.

Player	Chips	Progress
JX Jieming XuChina	125,400(1254 BB)	85,400

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 3:15:54 AM

Early Birds

Level 1: 100 / 100

Haidi Feng

Some early crushers already at the felt include Joven Huerto of the Philippines. Huerto has over USD 300,000 in total live earnings and added to that with a final table finish in a recent Mini High Roller event in this series. Huerto also cashed in the Championship Event.

Haidi Feng of China has ran inside the top 20 in the Mini Main Event and the Championship Event of this series. Feng hopes to improve his latest finishes and make it into the final table. Certainly, he has the consistency for it.

Shuma Kimura of Japan already bagged a trophy in this series, taking down one of the daily Mini High Roller events.

Vietnam's Victor Lam has over USD 123,000 in total live earnings and ran deep in the recently concluded Championship Event. Lam scored his biggest career cash last April when he finished as a runner-up in the GLPC IV Main Event held in Hanoi. Lam banked USD 72,400 for that effort.

Level 1: 100 / 100

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 18/18

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

5/28/2026, 3:02:09 AM

Cards in the Air!

Level 1: 100 / 100

The wait is finally over and the cards are in the air!

The highly anticipated USOP Vietnam 2026 Main Event is officially underway. Players from all over have taken their seats, the chips are flying, and the hunt for the prestigious championship title has begun.

Best of luck to all the competitors running fields today, may the cards fall in your favor!

JJ DuqueJJ Duque

5/28/2026, 1:47:32 AM

Main Event Launches Two of Six Flights Today!

This is the moment we have all been waiting for. Live from the luxurious InterContinental Ha Long Bay in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam for the USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026 .

Iiiiiiiiiiitttt's Tiiiiiimmmmeeee!

Six flights of the Main Event are coming with a buyin of VND 30 million (~USD 1,100) to earn a share of an undisputed VND 30 billion (~USD 1,100,000).

Today,two Day 1 starting flights take centerstage.

Introducing first... Day 1A! Kicking off at 10:00 AM local time with late registration open until 3:50 PM local time. Players take a seat with a starting stack of 40,000 chips with 40-minute blind levels. The chip leader of this flight will also be awarded a bonus of VND 90 million (~USD 3,300).

Introducing next... Day 1B! Kicking off later at 5:00PM local time with late registration open until 12:50 AM local time of the early morning. This will have the same 40-minute blind level structure with the flight chip leader to be awarded a bonus of VND 70 Million (~USD 2,600)

Day 1C and Day 1D play out tomorrow, Friday, May 29, at 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM local time, respectively, mirroring today's schedule. The only difference is that the chip leader bonus will of VND 70 Million (~USD 2,600) will be made available only for flight Day 1D.

Day 1E and Day 1F will take the spotlight on Saturday, May 30, also at 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM local time, respectively. Day 1E will follow the same format as the earlier flights with 40-minute blind levels, while Day 1F will have a faster pace at 25-minute blind levels.

All flights will play down until the field thins down to the top 12.5%, who will be guaranteed a minimum payout and a reserved seat for Day 2 of the Main Event.

Day 2 will commence on Sunday, May 31, and will play down to a final table, which will return on the June 1 final day of the series and crown a champion.

USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay Complete Schedule

Choi Hun Tae, Main Event Champion USOP Grand Finale Hai Phong

Former USOP Main Event champion Choi Hun Tae of South Korea has made his presence felt in this series and will look to make a rare repeat of his feat during USOP Grand Finale Hai Phong 2024. China's Zhou Ledong, who was the Main Event runner-up during that series is also in attendance and will look to claim the championship that eluded him two years ago.

Of course, there are several crushers out there who have been having a successful series and will look to bring that momentum into the Main Event. We will find out who when cards are in the air within the hour.

Keep glued here for all the live reports and updates.

Event starts 10:00 local time..