WARM-UP ($565)

Hand 83: Neng Zhao raised to 225,000 and faced an all-in shove from Jinlin Shi. Zhao called, putting Shi at risk—and the championship—on the line.

Jinlin Shi: K♦ Q♣

Neng Zhao: A♥ K♣

The board ran out 4♥ 6♦ 7♥ 5♥ 9♥. Ahead pre-flop with ace-high, Zhao’s remarkable run continued as he caught a backdoor flush on the river, sealing his victory as the Won Poker Cup III Warm-Up Event Champion, with Jinlin Shi finishing as runner-up.

Hand 79: Limping in for a cheap flop, the dealer spread 9♠ T♣ 4♦. Jinlin Shi check-raised to 270,000 after Neng Zhao’s bet of 80,000. Refusing to back down, Zhao re-raised to 675,000, forcing Shi to fold.

Hand 80: With no pre-flop raises, the dynamic duo saw the 8♣ A♣ T♦ flop, both checking it down. Zhao led out on the J♦ turn with a 150,000 bet, called by Shi. On the 4♠ river, Zhao fired a 325,000 bet and Shi called once more. Zhao revealed J♣ 5♥, making Shi muck his hand.

Hand 81: Shi picked up a walk.

Hand 82: Shi raised and took down the pot.

Hand 61: Neng Zhao raised to 150,000 and Jinlin Shi called taking both players to a flop of A♣ 8♠ A♠. Zhao fired 100,000 and won the pot.

Hand 62: Shi raised to 125,000 and Zhao called to see 7♥ 6♠ 7♦. Both players checked. On the T♣ turn, Zhao fired 150,000 and took the pot down.

Hand 63: Pre-flop action was passive, and it stayed that way as both players saw a flop of 6♦ 8♠ K♥.

The 3♦ turn hit, and Shi checked, hoping the passive trend would continue. But Zhao had other plans—he fired out 125,000, forcing a fold from Shi.

Hand 64: Zhao got a walk.

Finally heads-up, Jinlin Shi and Neng Zhao reached a deal splitting the prize money—Shi taking $18,000 and Zhao $16,475.

Now, all that remains is the battle for the trophy and the ultimate bragging rights as the Won Poker Cup III Warm-Up Event Champion.

Hand 42: Tomas Dedinas limped from the small blind, and Neng Zhao checked his option.

The flop came 8♥ 4♥ 5♦. Zhao led out for 50,000, and Dedinas responded with a check-raise to 150,000. Zhao made the call.

The 3♦ turn landed, and Dedinas burned a time bank before checking. Sensing an opportunity, Zhao applied pressure with a bet of 175,000. Dedinas tanked again, used a second time bank—and ultimately let it go.

Hand 27: Hoang Duy Nguyen moved all-in over a raise from Neng Zhao, who made the call, looking to score an elimination.

Hoang Duy Nguyen: A♥ 8♠

Neng Zhao: T♥ T♣

Board: 7♥ 2♥ 9♥ 5♠ 2♣

Zhao’s pocket tens held firm through the runout, dodging an ace and sealing Nguyen’s fate. With no help from the board, Nguyen was eliminated from the tournament.

Hand 25: Neng Zhao raised to 110,000 on the button and got called by both blinds—Jinlin Shi in the small blind and Hoa Thinh Nguyen in the big.

The flop came 5♦ Q♥ A♦ and was checked to Zhao, who continued for 105,000. Shi made the call, while Nguyen quickly folded.

Both players checked the 2♣ turn. On the river, Shi seized the initiative with a bet of 240,000, forcing a fold from Zhao and scooping the pot.

Hand 24: Jinlin Shi raised to 180,000 from under the gun and was called by Neng Zhao in the big blind.

The flop came 8♥ T♠ A♥, and Zhao check-called Shi’s bet of 80,000. On the 4♠ turn, Zhao check-raised to 375,000 after Shi fired a bet of 115,000. Shi took some time, using his time bank to consider the move, but ultimately decided to fold.

Hand 15: Action came to a head as Neng Zhao and Phan Huu Minh Tri faced off in a high-stakes all-in showdown, with Tri at risk of elimination.

Phan Huu Minh Tri: A♥ J♠

Neng Zhao: A♣ K♣

Tri found himself dominated as the board ran out 7♦ 7♣ Q♠ 4♠ 7♥, with Zhao’s king-high holding strong. The triple sevens sealed the deal, ending Tri’s deep tournament run.

Tomas Dedinas raised from late position and got a call from Neng Zhao in the small blind. With a short stack and limited options, Tan Lining in the big blind seized the moment and shoved all-in. Dedinas quickly folded, but Zhao made the call, putting Lining at risk.

Tan Lining: 7♦ 3♣

Neng Zhao: Q♣ Q♠

The board ran out K♥ 4♥ 2♦ Q♦ 8♣. Zhao improved to a set of queens on the turn, sealing the hand and bringing Lining’s tournament run to an end.

We picked up the action with Sergey Kharitonov all-in and at risk against Neng Zhao.

Sergey Kharitonov: 9♦ 9♣

Neng Zhao: K♣ Q♦

Board: T♣ 4♦ Q♥ 9♥ J♠

Kharitonov experienced a rollercoaster of emotions—disheartened when Zhao paired his queen on the flop, elated after hitting a set on the turn, and devastated as Zhao completed a straight on the river. With that, Kharitonov's deep run in the tournament came to an end.

Neng Zhao shoved all-in from middle position and was called by Tan Lining in late position, putting Zhao at risk.

Neng Zhao: K♣ 9♣

Tan Lining: A♣ Q♣

The board ran 2♥ K♠ 8♣ 4♣ J♠, giving Zhao top pair on the flop. His pair of kings held through, earning him a crucial double-up.

Van Tien Dinh shoved all-in from under the gun and was put at risk when Neng Zhao called from the button. The players tabled their hands.

Van Tien Dinh: 9♠ 6♠

Neng Zhao: Q♠ T♠

Dinh hit a nine on the J♥ 9♦ 5♠ flop, taking the lead, but Zhao had open-ended straight draw outs. The 8♣ on the turn completed Zhao’s straight, eliminating Dinh. The board was completed with the A♥ river.

Neng Zhao raised to 15,000 and was called by Anzhela Vasylenko in the big blind.

Both players checked the 6♠ 6♥ 7♣ flop, leading them to the 4♦ turn. Vasylenko led out for 19,000, and Zhao called.

On the river, Vasylenko fired a 53,000 bet, which Zhao called. He tabled K♥ K♦ to take down the pot against Vasylenko’s Ace Five.

Yesterday delivered a thrilling day of poker, filled with notable names, intense showdowns, and multi-way all-ins that kept players and railbirds on the edge of their seats. Today, the action resumes as the remaining players return for the final day of the Won Poker Cup III Warm-Up Event.

Out of 177 total entries across both starting flights, only 22 players remain. Vietnam’s Hoang Duy Nguyen leads the pack with a towering 796,000-chip stack, making him the clear frontrunner. He'll be the one to catch, and it won’t be easy—especially for Jin Lin, the Day 1B chip leader, who returns with 395,000, just half of Nguyen’s total.

But this isn’t a one-man race. The field is full of experienced contenders—“eagles,” ready to strike—who could easily turn the tide. Among them are Anzhela Vasylenko (353,000), the WPC II Ladies Champion, Quang Huy Nguyen (146,000), and Khayal Abbasov (197,000), all hungry for a deep run despite being behind in chips.

With the guaranteed prize pool surpassed at $85,845, every returning player is already guaranteed a minimum payout of $996. But all eyes are on the $20,955 top prize—and the prestigious WPC trophy that comes with it.

Play resumes at 12:00 noon local time, with the field playing 8-handed until the final table, which will then shift to 9-handed format. Levels remain at 30 minutes each, and action will continue until a champion is crowned.

Stay tuned for live updates from the floor as we wrap up the electrifying finale of the Won Poker Cup III Warm-Up!