2023 WSOP: Spotlight on Asian performance

For the past month, players from all over the world have been battling it out at the 54th Annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The beloved celebration kicked off on May 30 at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino and will run until July 18. To date, 60 out of 95 gold bracelets have been awarded with six claimed by the Asian contingent. Here is an update on the Asian performance at the series.

*All images by WSOP / PokerNews

ASIA

Bracelets by flag:China (4), Japan (1), Hong Kong (1)
Players ITM: 297
Total cashes: 540
Biggest earner (single event): Ka Kwan Lau – $2,294,756
Final table cashes: 27
Most final table cashes: Qiang Xu (2), Nozomu Shimizu (2)
Most cashes: Xuming Qi (7)

CHINA

China arrived at the WSOP with a substantial delegation. Their efforts have been prosperous as an impressive four bracelets have been claimed and 177 total cashes to date. Also topping one of the Asian stats was Xuming Qi for most number of cashes.

Bracelet winners:4

• Renji Mao – Event 26: $800 NNLH Deepstack – 4,747 entries – $402,588 payout
• Yuan Li – Event 37: $2,000 NLH – 1,962 entries – $524,777 payout
• Qiang Xu – Event 42: $800 8-Handed NLH Deepstack – 3,773 entries – $339,033 payout
• Yang Zhang – Event 44: $3,000 NLH – 1,735 entries – $717,879 payout

ITM players: 78
Total cashes:177
Most cashes: Xuming Qi – 7 cashes

• Deepest run 14th / 1,598 players – Event 59: $3,000 Freezeout No Limit Hold’em

Most final table cashes: Qiang Xu – 2 cashes

• Event 19: $2,500 Freezeout NLH – 9th place
• Event 42: $800 8-Handed NLH Deepstack – 1st place

Notable achievements:

• Qiwen Chen – 6th / 4,747 entries – Event 26: $800 NLH Deepstack
• Quan Zhou – 6th / 449 entries – Event 57: $25,000 High Roller PLO
• Kuenwai Lo – 7th / 263 entries – Event 58: $3,000 6-Handed Limit Hold’em

HONG KONG

A tight group of players from Hong Kong have been seen at the series and a couple have come close to victory’s door. Going the distance was Pot Limit Omaha specialist Spanish / Hong Kong player Ka Kwan Lau for his first ever WSOP bracelet. In addition to the bling, Lau scored a jaw-dropping career high USD 2,294,756 payout making him the richest single event winner from Asia.

Bracelet winners:1

• Ka Kwan Lau – Event 57: $25,000 High Roller PLO – 449 entries – $2,294,756 payout

ITM players: 10
Total cashes: 25
Most cashes: Hon Cheong Lee – 6 cashes
Notable achievements:

• Ka Chun Kan – 3rd / 6,076 entries – Event 11: $600 NLH Deepstack
• Danny Tang – 5th / 516 entries – Event 20: $1,500 Badugi

JAPAN

Japan has also brought a notable contingent to the WSOP with a whopping 115 players reaching ITM. Among them was WSOP bracelet holder Motoyoshi Okamura who has already cashed at five events. Also matching those stats was Yasuhio Waki. However, earning the spotlight was Ryutaro Suzuki for his victory at the $3K Nine Game Mix. Another player running well was Nozomu Shimizu with two 3rd place finishes.

Bracelet winners: 1

• Ryutaro Suzuki – Event 36: $3,000 Nine Game Mix – 361 entries – $963,870 payout

ITM players: 115
Total cashes: 169
Most cashes: Motoyoshi Okamura (5), Yasuhiro Waki (5)
Most final table cashes: Nozomu Shimizu

• Event 12: $5,000 Freezeout NLH 8-Handed – 3rd place
• Event 22: $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship – 3rd place

Notable achievements:

• Takashi Ogura – 4th / 556 entries – Event 24: $1,500 Razz
• Tamon Nakamura – 4th / 361 entries – Event 36: $3,000 Nine Game Mix
• Kosei Ichinose – 7th / 731 entries – Event 50: $10,000 PLO Championship
• Tomomitsu Ono – 4th / 353 entries – Event 52: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball

KOREA

Some of Korea’s top players are at the series such as Steve Yea, Soo Jo Kim, and WSOP bracelet holders Jinho Hong and Sung Joo Hyun. While no new gold has yet been captured, Hong has come close with a 4th place finish.

ITM players: 30
Total cashes: 56
Most cashes: Byung Eun Shin (4), Namyung Kim (4)
Notable achievements:

• Jinho Hong – 4th / 735 players – Event 12: $5,000 Freezeout NLH 8-Handed
• Sung Joo Hyun – 8th / 124 entries – Event 23: $50,000 High Roller NLH

INDIA

Within the past several years, players from India attending the WSOP has consistently increased. At the ongoing series, 20 players have cashed which includes bracelet winners Abhinav Iyer, Kartik Ved, and Aditya Sushant. One player in particular has outshined, Ankit Ahuja, running deep in five events and nearly capturing a gold at the $2500 Freezeout NLH.

ITM players: 20
Total cashes: 35
Most cashes: Ankit Ahuja – 5 cashes

• Deepest run 6th / 1,137 players – Event 19: $2,500 Freezeout NLH

Notable achievements:

• Ankit Ahuja – 6th / 1,137 players – Event 19: $2,500 Freezeout NLH
• Kunal Patni – 8th / 1,598 players – Event 59: $3,000 Freezeout NLH
• Kartik Ved – 10th / 1,735 entries – Event 44: $3,000 NLH

TAIWAN

The first big news on Taiwan at the series was the $1,000,000 Mystery Bounty reward pulled by Brazil / Taiwanese player Patrick Liang. Since then numerous Taiwanese top players have been seen with three of them cashing five times – James Chen, Justin Chu, Pete Chen. Running the deepest was Chen-An Lin who finished 3rd at Event 49: $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty NLH.

ITM players: 17
Total cashes: 47 cashes
Most cashes: James Chen (5), Justin Chu (5), Pete Chen (5)
Notable achievements:

• Ta-Wei Tou – 5th / 4,747 entries – Event 26: $800 NLH Deepstack
• Chen-An Lin – 3rd / 2,226 entries – Event 49: $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty NLH

PHILIPPINES

Filipino / American James Mendoza crossed over a million in live tournament earnings after finishing an impressive 3rd place at Event 59: $3,000 Freezeout NLH which earned him USD 303,384. Mendoza has been the latest sensation in Philippine poker with a six figure payout at the start of the year and another at the series.

ITM players: 10
Total cashes: 14
Most cashes: James Mendoza – 4 cashes
Notable achievements:

• James Mendoza – 3rd / 1,598 players – Event 59: $3,000 Freezeout NLH

THAILAND

Thailand super star player Punnat Punsri continues to hunt down the elusive WSOP gold. Last year he came close in a few events which included a 2nd place finish at Poker Hall of Fame Bounty Event. This year he has already cashed five times with a final table appearance at one of the events.

ITM players: 2
Total cashes: 4
Notable achievements:

• Punnat Punsri – 9th / 93 entries – Event 29: $100,000 High Roller NLH