Seo Moonho tops World Poker Championship Main Event Day 1B; Yohwan Lim among qualifiers; final two flights up next

SMP Editor
SMP EditorEditor-in-Chief

Another bustling day at the World Poker Championship Main Event with 168 entries hauled in for Day 1B. After the bubble burst, 22 bagged up led by Korea’s Seo Moonhowith 488,000 (61 BB) in chips. This was less than 1 BB from Day 1A chip leader Hai Nam Hoang aka Luckyman9999. Not much is known of Seo other than most of his time on the felt has been spent on home turf. This will be his first ever WPC Vietnam cash.

Seo Moon Hoo – Photo credit Grand Loyal Poker Club
Seo Moon Hoo – Photo credit Grand Loyal Poker Club

Closing the night as the second largest was Hong Kong’s Tam Hoi Wai with 458,000 (57 BB) in chips. Tam is in fine shape to take it very deep with a victory at the Megastack already under his belt and 9th place at the Superstack Turbo.

To round out the top three was world famous ex-Starcraft gamer / Korean poker pro Yohwan “BoxeR” Lim with a 416,000 (52 BB) stack. For most of the pandemic, Lim enjoyed the poker boom in Korea, cashing in numerous events including a victory at the WPC High Roller event in December. He also signed with Winjoy Poker League (WPL) as one of their brand ambassadors. Despite being decorated with 14 career wins, he is still seeking that elusive first ever Main Event title.

Yohwan Lim
Yohwan Lim

End of Day 1B – 22 players

Seo Moonho

Korea

488,000

Tam Hoi Wai

Hongkong

458,000

Yo Hwan Lim

Korea

416,000

The Best

Vietnam

374,000

Dinh Quang Huy

Vietnam

273,000

Nguyen Manh Hieu

Vietnam

265,000

Keun Soo Yoon

Korea

254,000

Sun Ho Yoo

Korea

250,000

Kim Yong Min

Korea

247,000

Nguyen Van Trung

Vietnam

221,000

Hung LV

Vietnam

212,000

Rahul Melwani

India

211,000

Hoa Vinh

Vietnam

205,000

Dao Ngoc Thang

Vietnam

198,000

Lee Sung Kun

Korea

195,000

Le Van Dien

Vietnam

168,000

DHN

Vietnam

144,000

Dong Van Tan

Vietnam

127,000

Nguyen Duy Anh

Vietnam

104,000

Kim Ho Jin

Korea

98,000

Tu Thanh Le

Vietnam

72,000

Andrey Glushnov

Russia

60,000

CLICK HERE for the Day 2 qualifier list

Main Event details

The WPC MAIN EVENT commenced on January 10 at host venue Grand Loyal Poker Club and will run through January 14. With the first two starting days completed, fence-sitters only have two chances left to earn their share of the pot. As it stands, the event has drawn a cumulative 307 entries, and if the trend continues, players can expect the ₫10 Billion (~$425,080) guarantee to be breached at Day 1C.

Seo Moonho tops World Poker Championship Main Event Day 1B; Yohwan Lim among qualifiers; final two flights up next

For entering players, keep in mind that the final two flights take place on Thursday, January 12. Day 1C starts at 11am and will see blinds increase every 40 minutes. The last flight, Day 1D, is a turbo with blinds up every 25 minutes starting at 3:30pm. Both heats will see registration close at the start of Level 7 and both will play down to ITM / 12.5% of the field.

As for the combined 39 Day 2 qualifiers, there is a one day break before returning to action on Friday, January 13.

Dates: January 10 to 14

Buy in: ₫25,000,000 (~$1,060)

Guarantee: ₫10,000,000,000 (~$425,080)

Cumulative entries: 307

Day 2 qualifiers: 39

Day 1A: 139 entries, 17 advanced (completed)

Day 1B: 168 entries, 22 advanced (completed)

Day 1C: Thursday, January 12

Day 1D (Turbo): Thursday, January 12

Entering players start with a deep 30,000 stack which is 150x the opening blinds of 100-200-200 BBA. This is an unlimited re-entry tournament. Players are allowed multiple stacks but only the best stack advances.

Day 2: Friday, January 13

Day 3 / Final Table: Saturday, January 14

  • 30-seconds action clock will be in play starting Day 2

  • Day 2 onwards will see blinds increase every 60 minutes

  • Day 2 will play down to the final 9 players

  • Redraw at final 24 players and final 9 players

For players still making their way to the festival, better hurry not to miss out. It is entering its final four days. If you need accommodations, rooms are available onsite at the Grand Vista Hanoi.

World Poker Championship – ePlayer Booklet

About the Editor

SMP Editor

The SMP Editor covers international poker and iGaming for SoMuchPoker, providing news, tournament coverage, and industry insights. With a focus on accuracy, clarity, and relevance, the editor helps readers stay informed about developments across the global poker community.