WARM-UP ($565)

Vietnam’s Hoang Duy Nguyen closed out Day 1 of the Won Poker Cup III Warm-Up event as the runaway chip leader, bagging a commanding 796,000 chips. He leads the 22 players who have secured seats for the final day—12 qualifiers from Day 1A and 10 from Day 1B.

With 95 entries recorded for Day 1A and 82 more for Day 1B, the event attracted a total of 177 entries, surpassing its guarantee and pushing the prize pool to $85,845.

Nguyen’s dominance was built on a foundation of strategic aggression and well-timed shoves that kept opponents off balance. His disciplined yet daring play allowed him to steadily grow his stack and separate himself from the rest of the field.

Trailing him are Jin Lin (395,000), the Day 1B chip leader, and Mr. Zou (389,000). Both players hold less than half of Nguyen’s stack, putting him in a commanding position heading into the final stretch.

The Day 1A field, though compact, featured several notable names, making it a minefield for anyone hoping to advance. Among them was Anzhela Vasylenko, the defending WPC II Ladies Tournament Champion, who showcased fearless play and well-timed pressure against her tablemates. She capped off her run by eliminating Jian Lin in a late pot, possibly leaving him with the false hope of sneaking into the money.

Day 1B offered an even stiffer challenge. With rising blinds and mounting pressure, players were forced into action at a much faster pace. Unfortunately for J.C. Sayo, he became the Day 1B bubble boy after his shove with A♦ 7♥ couldn’t crack Tan Lining’s pocket tens, ending his run just short of the money.

Other players advancing to the final day include Quang Huy Nguyen (146,000) and Khayal Abbasov (197,000), both well-positioned to make deep runs as the tournament reaches its conclusion.

Martin Gonzales raised to 35,000 from middle position, prompting an all-in shove from Tomas Dedinas for 90,000. Gonzales went into the tank, eventually using a time bank before ultimately folding.

Tomas Dedinas raised from the lowjack, prompting an all-in shove from Tran Cong Huan. Dedinas made the call, looking for a chance to eliminate Huan.

Tran Cong Huan: Q♠ Q♥

Tomas Dedinas: A♠ K♠

Huan’s queens were ahead, but with two overcards, it was still a classic coin flip. The flop came K♥ T♦ 3♦, giving Dedinas top pair and dashing Huan’s hopes of survival.

The 8♣ turn and T♠ river brought no help for Huan, eliminating him just short of making it to the end of the day.

Tomas Dedinas raised in hijack and got called by Khin Naing in small blind. Quong Do Trinh, had other things in mind, and shoved all in for 26,500. Dedinas went all-in with his huge stack ushing Naing out of the picture.

Quong Do Trinh: A♣ 2♦

Tomas Dedinas: A♠ K♥

Dedinas had Trinh dominated with his big slick. The flop went 6♦ 3♠ 8♠ making Trinh fear the worst. Sure enough, the K♣ was dealt making Trinh draw dead. The board was completed with a 4♥ eliminating Trinh in the process.

Lanh Tian Dinh opened from the hijack for 3,500, only to be met with a massive all-in shove for 315,000 from Tomas Dedines. The pressure sent Dinh deep into the tank, burning through two time banks before ultimately folding to Dedinas’ aggression.

With action folded to the button, Michael Smith opened to 600, and both blinds — Jian Lin in the small and Tomas Dedines in the big — made the call.

The dealer fanned out 6♦ 7♥ T♥, and after the blinds checked, Smith continued the pressure with a bet of 2,000. Lin called, while Dedines opted to fold.

The T♦ on the turn prompted an all-in shove from Lin, which Smith couldn’t call. Lin happily revealed 4♥ 4♠ before scooping the pot.