Hot start for Danny Tang in 2018
Now that the poker holiday hiatus has ended, it is back to the tables for many players as they begin their quest for titles in 2018. One player to surely keep a close watch on is Hong Kong pro Danny Tang who currently leads the GPI Asia ranking.
Two years ago, Tang finished 5th in the GPI POY 2016 then improved on it in 2017 with a 3rd place berth. Last year also saw him dedicate more time in Asia playing a large majority of the live events held in Macau. This fared well for him as he closed out the season with a personal record of 33 cashes.
To kick off his 2018 slate, Tang opened with a deep run at the recently concluded Asia Championship of Poker Platinum Series XX Main Event.
Tang hightailed it to the ACOP Main Event and takes 4th
PokerStars Live Macau’s first event of the year, – the ACOP Platinum Series XX -, turned up a very strong 312 entries for the Main Event. At HK$5,500 a pop, the HK$500K guarantee was easily obliterated for a total prize pool of HK$1,407,276 (~US$179,800). For such great value for your buck, expectedly many pros were in attendance including Tang who hightailed it on a chopper to avoid missing out on the action.
In a Facebook post by Fred Leung in PokerStars Live Macau, “I love seeing hard work pay off. Danny Tang couldn’t make the Main Event before late reg closed if he came by ferry so he took the helicopter instead. Now he’s in the final table.”
Now that’s determination. Tang finished 4th for a HK$105,000 payday. The event was won by Japanese player Eisuke Kobayashi.
Huge success in Prague
Tang’s early cash comes right after his stellar performance in mid-December at the PokerStars Championship Prague. He topped a field of 256 entries at the E10,300 No Limit Hold’em High Roller Event event and bagged his largest payout to date of E381,000 (~US$448,000). This brought him up four notches in the Hong Kong All Time Money List and he now sits in 8th rank. Prague has certainly been good to Tang who also claimed an event there back in December 2016. Tang bested 341 entrants at the Eureka Poker Tour 1,100 No Limit Hold’em event and pocketed nearly US$57K.
Leads the GPI Asia rankings
If there is one leaderboard that players depend upon for their world standing it is of course the Global Poker Index (GPI). Many players aim to reach that glorious #1 rank in their country, in POY, and ambitiously worldwide. Currently, Danny Tang is the front-runner in the GPI Asia leaderboard with his 2,447.66 points. In the GPI world rank, he is ranked 56th. Tang is followed closely by GPI POY 2017 winner Pete Yen Han Chen with 2400.45 points, and legendary pro John Juanda in 3rd position with 2362.15 points.
Article by Triccia David
