Poker Dream Taiwan – MAIN EVENT Day 1A – Live Updates

Cheng En Hsieh bags the chip lead at Main Event Day 1A

Just under seven hours of play, the Poker Dream Taiwan Main Event Day 1A concluded with ITM reached. Taiwan’s Cheng-En Hsieh bagged up the chip lead with 442,000, equivalent to 37 big blinds. Hsieh stormed to the top of the counts with a higher flush against Son Pham then went on the eliminate Ori Kossonogi and delivered the bubble by railing Wei Chun Cheng on a flip. The qualifiers now have a four night break before returning to the felt on Saturday, June 24 for Day 2.

End of Day 1A – 4 players

Read up on the Main Event Day 1A action via the live updates posted below. We will be back on Wednesda7, June 21, 2023 for Main Event Day 1B.

Main Event Day 1A

Date: June 20, 2023
Buy in: TWD 11,000 (~USD 360)
Entries: 78 entries
ITM: 4 players
Chips in play: 780,000

18:50: Cheng Wei Chun bubbles!
Level 19: 6000-12000 ante 12000

After losing a costly showdown, Cheng Wei Chun was down to around 3 bb and managed to double up but on his next shove, he bumped the rail on the bubble. His final hand was

outflipped by Hsieh Cheng En’s

on a board

{kc|}

.

18:45: Ew Wei Min doubles up
Level 19: 6000-12000 ante 12000

On a flop

and 56,000 in the pot, Ew Wei Min goes all in for 53,000 and Cheng Wei Chun tank-calls. Ew has

, Cheng with

, the turn comes

and river

for a double up to Ew.

Ew Wei Min – 162,000
Cheng Wei Chun – 32,000

18:40: Hsieh Cheng En rails Ori Kossonogi
Level 19: 6000-12000 ante 12000

All in preflop, Ori Kossonogi

behind Hsieh Cheng En

. The board runs

to send Kossonogi packing.

Hsieh Cheng En – 310,000
Ori Kossonogi – eliminated

Bubble time!

18:35: Blinds up, 6 remaining
Level 19: 6000-12000 ante 12000

Blinds up again, 6 players remaining. Day 1A plays down to ITM of 5% of the field which is 4 players.

18:30: Ew Wei Min wins the three-way, Chien Hao eliminated
Level 18: 5000-10000 ante 10000

Three way showdown, Ew Wei Min with

, Chien Hao with

, and covering them both is Lau Ming Yu with

. The board runs out

, Ew improves to a straight to eliminate Chien and double up through Lau.

Ew Wei Min – 108,000
Lau Wing Yu – 95,000
Chien Hao – eliminated

18:25: Son Pham loses the race, Yip Kwok Chun soars
Level 18: 5000-10000 ante 10000

Yip Kwok Chun shoves from mid position and big blind Son Pham calls for all of his chips. Yip has

, Pham

for a flip. The board runs

to end Pham’s run.

Yip Kwok Chun – 182,000
Son Pham – eliminated

18:20: Son Pham scores two double ups
Level 18: 5000-10000 ante 10000

Son Pham is battling his way back in the game with two called-shoves won to rise to 66,000. His first shove was with

over Ew Wei Min’s duty call

on the big blind. His second all in was

and Ew called again, this time with

. The board was

.

Son Pham – 66,000
Ew Wei Min – 18,000

18:15: Yip Kwok Chun doubles up through Chien Hao
Level 18: 5000-10000 ante 10000

Chien Hao shoves with

and is called by Yip Kwok Chun with

. With the board running

, Yip doubles up.

Yip Kwok Chun – 500,000
Chien Hao – 24,000

18:11: Blinds up, 8 players remaining
Level 18: 5000-10000 ante 10000

Blinds up again, 8 players remaining. Day 1A plays down to ITM of 5% of the field which is 4 players.

18:10: Hsieh Cheng En wins the pot
Level 17: 4000-8000 ante 8000

On a board

and 74,000 in the pot, Hsieh Cheng En bets 20,000, Cheng Wei Chun tank-folds.

18:05: Hsieh Cheng En zooms, Son Pham nosedives
Level 17: 4000-8000 ante 8000

On a flop

and a pot of 50,000 brewed, Hsieh Cheng En goes all in, Son Pham tank-calls with slightly more chips. When Hsieh opens

, Pham is disappointed as he flips open his

. The turn

and river

improve them both to a flush with Hsieh having the higher spread.

Hsieh Cheng En – 180,000
Son Pham – 7,000

17:55: Son Pham doubles up
Level 17: 4000-8000 ante 8000

Son Pham all in with

, Cheng Wei Chun hopes to eliminate with

. When the board runs

, Pham fist pumps for the double up.

Son Pham – 104,000
Cheng Wei Chun – 177,000

17:50: Blinds up, 8 players remaining
Level 17: 4000-8000 ante 8000

Blinds up again, 8 players remaining. Day 1A plays down to ITM of 5% of the field which is 4 players.

17:45: Hsieh Cheng En wins the flip
Level 16: 3000-6000 ante 6000

All in preflop, Hsieh Cheng En with kd}

, Lau Wing Yu

for a flip. With the river pairing up Hsieh

, he survives and doubles up.

Hsieh Cheng En – 86,000
Lau Wing Yu – 105,000

17:40: Chien Hao lands two double ups
Level 16: 3000-6000 ante 6000

Mid position Chien Hao with less than a big blind goes all in with

and is challenged by Yip Kwok Chun on the small blind with

. The board runs out

for a double up to Chien.

Shortly after, he goes all in again, and again he has

, Ori Kossonogi shoves with

, no other takers for a two-way showdown. The board runs out

for another double up to Chien.

Chien Hao – 63,000
Ori Kossonogi – 65,000
Yip Kwok Chun – 55,000

17:35: Diogo Pinieiro falls to Cheng Wei Chun
Level 16: 3000-6000 ante 6000

Mid position Cheng Wei Chun raises, button Hsieh Cheng En calls, small blind Diogo Pinieiro three-bet jams his last 37,000, Cheng and Hsieh call. At the flop

, Cheng bets 40,000, Hsieh folds. Pinieiro has

, Hsieh with

top pair. The turn

and river

sends Pinieiro packing.

Cheng Wei Chun – 220,000
Diogo Pinieiro – eliminated

17:30: Hsieh Cheng En outdraws Pinieiro
Level 16: 3000-6000 ante 6000

On a board

and 56,000 in the pot, Diogo Pinieiro goes all in, Hsieh Cheng En folds. The two meet up again, Hsieh is all in with

, Pinieiro with

. The board runs out

for a double up to Hsieh.

Hsieh Cheng En – 76,000
Diogo Pinieiro – 37,000

17:26: Blinds up, 9 remaining
Level 16: 3000-6000 ante 6000

Blinds up again, 9 players remaining. Day 1A plays down to ITM of 5% of the field which is 4 players.

17:25: Tan Ong Kwan eliminated by Lau Wing Yu
Level 15: 3000-5000 ante 5000

Tan Ong Kwan all in for his last 23,000 with

and is put at risk by big stacked Lau Wing Yu with

. The board runs out

for a straight to Lau.

Down to the final 9 players. ITM at 4 places.

17:20: Ori Kossonogi hardbets Pinieiro
Level 15: 3000-5000 ante 5000

Big pot already brewed and the turn comes

. Big blind Ori Kossonogi bets 20,000, button Diogo Pinieiro tank calls. On the river

, Kossonogi shoves his last 20,000, Pinieiro folds and hopes for Kossonogi to show but no such luck.

Ori Kossonogi – 108,000
Diogo Pinieiro – 41,000

17:15: Lau Wing Yu rails Elvis Lim
Level 15: 3000-5000 ante 5000

Short stacked Elvis Lim all in with

and falls to Lau Wing Yu with

on a board of

Lau Wing Yu – 105,000
Elvis Lim – eliminated

17:10: Lau Wing Yu jams for the pot
Level 15: 3000-5000 ante 5000

On a flop

, Cheng Wei Chun bets 9000, Lau Wing Yu shoves 39,000. Cheng tank-folds.

17:05: Blinds up, 11 players remaining
Level 15: 3000-5000 ante 5000

Blinds up again, 11 players remaining. Day 1A plays down to ITM of 5% of the field which is 4 players.

17:00: Four-way shove, Ew Wei Min ships, eliminates Lim
Level 14: 2000-4000 ante 4000

Kai Cheng Hsu }ac}

Hsieh Cheng En

Sangbeom Lim

Ew Wei Min

Board runs

for a four way pick up to Ew and Lim is eliminated.

Ew Wei Min – 130,000

16:55: Diogo Pinieiro rivers it
Level 14: 2000-4000 ante 4000

Diogo Pinieiro was getting ready to go when he saw the board complete

for a straight with his

to dust Ori Kossonogi’s

.

Diogo Pinieiro – 94,000
Ori Kossonogi – 60,000

16:50: Ew Wei Min doubles up
Level 14: 2000-4000 ante 4000

Action folds to the small blind Kai Cheng Hsu who pushes his stack with

, shorter stacked Ew Wei Min risks it with

. No hits on the board for Hsu for snowmen to hold.

Ew Wei Min – 40,000
Kai Cheng Hsu – 28,000

16:45: Son Pham doubles up through Chien Hao
Level 14: 2000-4000 ante 4000

All in preflop, at risk player Son Pham with

, Chien Hao with

, the board stays clean for a double up to Pham.

Son Pham – 92,000
Chien Hao – 25,000

16:40: Blinds up 13 players remaining
Level 14: 2000-4000 ante 4000

Blinds up again, 13 players remaining. Day 1A plays down to ITM of 5% of the field which is 4 players.

16:20: Blinds up, 14 players remaining
Level 13: 1500-3000 ante 3000

Blinds up again, 14 players remaining. Day 1A plays down to ITM of 5% of the field which is 4 players.

16:20: Hsieh Cheng En vs Diogo Pinieiro
Level 12: 1000-2500 ante 2500

On a board showing

and 50,000 in the pot, Hsieh Cheng En bets 20,000, Diogo Pinieiro tank-calls. Both players check the river

. Hsieh opens

, Pinieiro mucks.

Hsieh Cheng En – 136,000
Diogo Pinieiro – 75,000

16:15: Tan Ong Kwan doubles throug Gai Lax Lim
Level 12: 1000-2500 ante 2500

Action folds to the small blind Tan Ong Kwan who shoves with

, big blind Gai Lax Lim calls with

. The board runs

.

Tan Ong Kwan – 58,000
Gai Lax Lim – 10,000

16:10: Sangbeom Lim triples up
Level 12: 1000-2500 ante 2500

Three way action with Sangbeom Lim all in for 6700 and

to battle with, Kai Sheng Hsu is all in with

, and Hsieh Cheng En hoping to deliver a double bust with

. With the board running

, Lim spikes a higher pair on the river to triple up as Hsu takes the side pot.

Sangbeom Lim – 22,000
Kai Sheng Hsu – 7,700
Hsieh Cheng En – 90,000

16:05: Chien Hao scores a big pot against Lim
Level 12: 1000-2500 ante 2500

On a board showing

and a massive pot in the middle, Chien Hao bets 15,000, Sangebeom Lim tanks then finds the courage to call. Hao opens

, Lim mucks.

Chien Hao – 85,000
Sangbeom Lim – 6,700

16:00: Blinds up, 16 players remaining
Level 12: 1000-2500 ante 2500

Tim Yeh all in with

runs into Son Pham’s

, the board lands

. Yeh goes bust.

Son Pham – 105,000
Tim Yeh – eliminated

15:55: Ori Kossonogi rails Jonathan Wong, rises to 100K
Level 11: 1000-2000 ante 2000

Ori Kossonogi shoves his big stack on the button with

, big blind Jonathan Wong risks his short stack with

. The board brings no help to Wong as it runs out

.

Ori Kossonogi – 100,000
Jonathan Wong – eliminated

15:50: Hsieh Cheng En up and down
Level 11: 1000-2000 ante 2000

From utg, Sangbeom Lim opens for 4000, button Tan Ong Kwan calls, small blind Hsieh Cheng En three-bets to 13,000, Lim folds, Tan calls. Both check the flop

, Hsieh bets 11,000 on the turn

and wins the pot.

Immediately following the hand, Hsieh raises to 4000 on the button, big blind Sangbeom Lim calls, then both players check to the river

. Lim bets 3000, Hsieh calls, Lim wins the pot with

.

Hsieh Cheng En – 70,000

15:45: Blinds up, 18 players remaining
Level 11: 1000-2000 ante 2000

Blinds up again, 18 players remaining. Day 1A plays down to ITM of 5% of the field which is 4 players.

15:40: Random stacks
Level 10: 1000-1500 ante 1500

Nakayama Takumi – 48,000
Joel Hao – 132,000
Sangbeom Lim – 48,000
Hsieh Cheng En – 60,000
Chien Hao – 34,000
Diogo Pinieiro – 130,000
Son Pham – 73,000

15:20: Double KO! Diogo Pinieiro ships a three-way
Level 10: 1000-1500 ante 1500

Three way all in preflop with Tsai Yu You Ci

, Diogo Pinieiro

, and short stacked Kuo Chun Liang with

. With the board running

, Pinieiro ships it while sending two players packing.

Diogo Pinieiro – 130,000
Tsai Yu You Ci – eliminated
Kuo Chun Liang – eliminated

15:15: Blinds up, 19 players remaining
Level 10: 1000-1500 ante 1500

Blinds up, 19 players remaining. Day 1A plays down to ITM of 5% of the field which is 4 players.

15:14: Hsiea Chang Che falls to Pham
Level 9: 600-1200 ante 1200

More shoves preflop with Hsiea Chang Che sending it all in with

. Big stacked Son Pham calls with

. The board runs

. Pham ships it as Hsiea ships out.

Son Pham 73,000
Hsiea Chang Che – eliminated

15:10: Yip Kwok Chun doubles up
Level 9: 600-1200 ante 1200

Yip Kwok Chun all in with

, big stacked Tsai Yu You Ci calls with

. With the board running out

, it is a double up for the short stack.

Yip Kwok Chun – 34,000
Tsai Yu You Ci – 51,000

15:05: Wei Chun Cheng tanks to Kai Sheng Hsu
Level 9: 600-1200 ante 1200

On a board

and 14,000 in the pot, Kai Sheng Hsu shoves his 13,000 stack, Wei Chun hen tanks then folds.

Kai Sheng Hsu – 27,000
Wei Chun Cheng – 25,000

15:00: Jonathan Wong claims a pot
Level 9: 600-1200 ante 1200

On a flop

{7}, small blind Chien Hao check-calls Jonathan Wong’s 2,000 bet. On the turn

and river

, both check, Chien with

, Wong wins it with

.

Jonathan Wong – 28,000

14:55: Blinds up, 27 players remaining
Level 9: 600-1200 ante 1200

Blinds are up, 27 players remaining. Day 1A plays down to ITM of 5% of the field which is 4 players.

14:40: Gai Lax Lim rails one
Level 8: 500-1000 ante 1000

Another all in preflop with Deng Deng Kai at risk with ah}

against bigger stacked Gai Lax Lim with

. With the board running dry

, Lim ships it as Deng falls.

Gai Lax Lim – 28,000
Deng Deng Kai – eliminated

14:35: Players dropping fast, 30 remaining at new level
Level 8: 500-1000 ante 1000

Blinds are up. 11 players dropped out at the previous level leaving 30 in the field. Day 1A plays down to ITM of 5% of the field which is 4 players.

14:30: Short stacked Tung Wing Wong doubles up
Level 7: 400-800 ante 800

All in preflop, short stacked Tung Wing Wong with

and challenger Ho Chun Kit has

. The board runs out

for a pair spiked by Wong to double up.

Tung Wing Wong – 7,000
Ho Chun Kit – 6,000

14:25: Wang En doubles up
Level 7: 400-800 ante 800

Hand opens with utg+1 Tim Yeh raising to 1600, small blind Song Pham calls, big blind Wang En three-bet jams 6700, yeh folds, Pham calls.

Wang

Pham

Board runs out

for a double up to Wang.

Wang En – 10,000
Son Pham – 30,000

14:20: Joel Hao rails Edmond Chim
Level 7: 400-800 ante 800

Joel Hao all in with

and Edmond Chim calls for all his chips with

. With the board running

[10h}, Chim goes bust.

Joel Hao – 10,000
Edmond Chim – eliminated

14:15: Registration closes at 78 entries, play down to 4 ITM
Level 7: 400-800 ante 800

Day 1A registration closed with 78 entries. There are 41 players remaining and will race for one of the 4 spots into Day 2.

14:00: Break time, last chance to register
Level 6: 300-600 ante 600

Break time again, 15 minutes for latecomers to get in Day 1A. Currently 71 entries with Sangbeom Lim leading with 55,500. Buy in is TWD 11,000 (~USD 360), the lowest tier of the Main Event. Registration closes at 2:15pm.

13:45: Diogo Pinieiro scores a huge pot
Level 6: 300-600 ante 600

On a board showing

and a huge pot of 15,500, three players check. One player has

, Wei Min Ew with

, Diogo Pinieiro wins the pot with

top pair.

Diogo Pinieiro – 34,000

13:40: Blinds up, 64 entries
Level 6: 300-600 ante 600

Blinds up, 64 entries, this is the last level to enter. There will be a 15-min break after. Registration closes at the start of Level 7 at 2:15pm.

13:35: Sangbeom Lim rails one
Level 5: 300-500 ante 500

Hung Che Wang wakes up with

and shoves his remaining 4,500 stack, next to him, big stacked Sangbeom Lim looks down at

and snap calls. It is overkill with the board running out

.

Sangbeom Lim – 36,000
Hung Che Wang – eliminated

13:30: Aces give Cheng En Hsien a full boost
Level 5: 300-500 ante 500

Cheng En Hsien is all in on the turn

with

, Raymond Chan calls with

, the river

is no help to Chan to pay the double up.

Cheng En Hsien – 15,000
Raymond Chan – 9,000

13:25: Chip leaders update
Level 5: 300-500 ante 500

Wing Yu Lau – 44,000
Wei Min Ew – 44,000
Yuanxi Chen – 34,000
Sangbeom Lim – 31,000
Nien Heng Li – 30,000

13:20: Blinds up, 60 entries
Level 5: 300-500 ante 500

Blinds up again, 60 entries now. Registration closes at the start of Level 7 at 2:15pm. Buy in is TWD 11,000. This flight plays down to ITM of 5% of the field.

13:15: Raymond Chan pairs the ace to survive
Level 4: 200-400 ante 400

Raymond Chan is all in with

and is up agaiinst Li Wei Kuo with

. With the board running

, it is a double up for Chan.

Raymond Chan – 20,000
Ki Wei Kuo – 12,500

13:08: Kai Cheng Hsu doubles up with rockets
Level 4: 200-400 ante 400

On a turn board

and 6,800 in the pot, Kai Cheng Hsu shoves his 3,300 stack, Inkuei Tan calls. Hsu has

, Tan is drawing dead with

. The river is

.

Kai Cheng Hsu – 13,400
Inkuei Tan – 15,300

13:00: Blinds up, 53 entries
Level 4: 200-400 ante 400

Blinds are up and the field has grown to 53 entries. Registration closes at the start of Level 7 at 2:15pm. Buy in is TWD 11,000. This flight plays down to ITM of 5% of the field.

12:55: Nakayama Takumi drags in a big pot
Level 3: 200-300 ante 300

Three players beef up the pot 4,000 each, the flop lands

, Thi Xuan Ha Tran bets 5,100, one player folds, Nakayama Takumi shoves, Tran snap-calls.

Takumi –

Tran

The turn

and river

improves Takumi to a flush to ship a double up.

Nakayama Takumi – 33,000
Thi Xuan Ha Tran – 3,000

12:50: Hsiea Chang Che rails Deng Deng Kai
Level 3: 200-300 ante 300

Deng Deng Kai three-bet shoves his 6,300 stack and initial raiser Hsiea Chang Che snap-calls. Deng opens

and needs help against Hsiea’s

. No help comes on a board

.

Hsiea Chang Che – 14,500
Deng Deng Kai – eliminated

12:45: Ori Kossonogi check-raises with air
Level 3: 200-300 ante 300

On a flop of

and 2,000 in the pot, button Yu Tang Wang bets 500, cutoff Ori Kossonogi check-raises to 1,700. Wang calls. Both players check the turn

then on the river

Kossonogi leads out for 5,100 and gets called. He opens

, Wang mucks.

Ori Kossonogi – 18,000
Yu Tang Wang – 4,800

12:43: Ka Wing Leung shoves for the pot
Level 3: 200-300 ante 300

On a flop

and 2,300 in the pot, Ka Wing Leung shoves his 2,900 stack, Kao Leong Wong folds.

Ka Wing Leung – 5,200
Kao Leong Wong – 16,000

12:40: Blinds up, 45 entries
Level 3: 200-300 ante 300

Blinds are up again and so are the number of entries to 45. Registration closes at the start of Level 7 which is at 2:15pm. Buy in is TWD 11,000 (~USD 360).

12:35: Ewe Wei Min doubles up through Siow Han Yee
Level 2: 100-200 ante 200

On a flop

and 2,300 in the pot, lojack Siow Han Yee bets 1,300, re-entry player Inkuei Tan folds, button Ew Wei Min raises to 3,500. Siow calls and the turn comes

. Ew quickly moves all in for his remaining 5,000, Siow tank-calls and opens

, Ew is ahead with

. The river

is a double up for Ew as Siow plunges.

Ew Wei Min – 19,500
Siow Han Yee – 2,200

12:20: Blinds up, 28 entries, one casualty
Level 2: 100-200 ante 200

A quick first level has gone by. The field has grown to 28 entries. We also did see our first casualty with Inkuei Tan falling to Thi Xuan Ha Tran. She has now doubled her stack to around 20,000.

12:00: Cards in the air!
Level 1: 100-100 ante 100

Cards are now flying at Day 1A of the inaugural Poker Dream Main Event! 21 players quickly pulled up seats and are eligible for a spin on the lucky draw wheel. Th first 100 players of each Day 1 will receive Poker Dream merchandise.

After four days of pre-game action the inaugural Poker Dream Taiwan MAIN EVENT is here! The highlight tournament runs for six days from June 20-25, 2023 featuring a TWD 15,000,000 (~USD 488,470) guarantee. It takes place at the newly erected Asia Poker Arena in Taipei City.

For the first time, the Main Event will offer something unique as it caters to all types of bankrolls. Three varying buy ins will be offered – TWD 11,000 (~USD 360), TWD 22,000 (~USD 720), and TWD 33,000 (~USD 1,080) – and a total of ten flights are scheduled to give players plenty of chance to qualify for Day 2. Here are the Day 1A details.

Day 1A
Buy in: TWD 11,000 (~USD 360)
Play down to ITM which is 5% of the field
Registration closes at the start of Level 7, at 2:15pm
Blinds open: 100-100 ante 100
Level intervals: 20 minutes
Starting stack: 10,000

*Other flights with this buy in are Day 1B, Day 1C, Day 1H, starting times vary so make sure to check the schedule.

Day 1D and Day 1F
Buy in: TWD 22,000 (720)|
Level intervals: 30 minutes
Play down to ITM of which is 10% of the field

Day 1E and Day 1G
Buy in: TWD 33,000 (~USD 1,080)
Play down to ITM of which is 15% of the field

Players are encouraged to attempt for multiple stacks and though your lower stack will be removed from play, you will still collect TWD 120,000 for your second stack. For players that bag up a third stack, you will be paid a combined TWD 250,000 for the two stacks removed.

More incentives for players with the first 100 that sign up per day eligible for a lucky draw with coveted Poker Dream merchandise to aim for – power banks, polo shirts, caps, mini shot clocks, and t-shirts.

Good luck to all!

*All images provided by Poker Dream