The action continued at full throttle on Monday at the CTP Asia Poker Arena as GOP Taipei 2026 delivered a packed schedule featuring the opening flight of the Main Event alongside the conclusion of several key tournaments.

By the end of the night, champions were crowned in the Titan Stack and GOP Super High Roller, while the Main Event officially got underway with a long, demanding Day 1a that stretched well into the early hours.

Main Event Day 1a: Chihwei Fan Bags Massive Lead

Flight A of the GOP Taipei 2026 Main Event proved to be a marathon, grinding past twelve hours of play before the bubble finally burst a few hands into Level 13. When it did, it was UK grinder Alfie Adam who delivered the knockout, sending short-stacked Hung Te Lee to the rail and locking up the money for the remaining field.

While Adam burst the bubble, the night firmly belonged to Chihwei Fan . The Taiwanese standout dominated the late stages and closed the day with a commanding 2,375,000, the largest stack by a wide margin.

As the bubble approached, Fan went on a tear, eliminating multiple players including Nishant Kumar with a dominated ace. Once hand-for-hand began, he applied constant pressure with repeated raises, turning the bubble round into his personal hunting ground.

Joining Fan above the two-million mark was fellow Taiwanese player Chun Yu Yeh, who bagged 2,060,000 after a strong finish that included eliminating Kevin Choi, with ace-king cracking pocket queens.

Rounding out the top three was Elmer Kalaquian of the Philippines, who secured 1,955,000 after capitalizing on several key pots late in the day, including extracting value with a made flush and a rivered pair.

From a field of 136 entries, just 19 players advanced. Each survivor is now guaranteed a share of the TWD 21,000,000 prize pool and will return for Day 2 on January 16 after the remaining flights conclude.

Titan Stack: David Erquiaga Claims the Title

The Titan Stack reached its conclusion with David Erquiaga emerging victorious after outlasting a 140-entry field. Erquiaga secured the title and a top prize of TWD 742,000, adding another major result to the Philippines’ strong showing at the series.

Japan’s Hayato Kitajima finished runner-up for TWD 458,400, while Yoshimoto Shinya rounded out the podium in third for TWD 314,600. Notables at the final table included Choi, who finished seventh, and Jaegeol Cho, who placed fifth.

GOP Super High Roller: Edgar Asehan Jr. Takes Gold

The GOP Super High Roller drew a compact but elite field of 20 entries, generating a prize pool of TWD 4,149,660. When the dust settled, it was Edgar Asehan who stood atop the leaderboard, capturing the title and TWD 1,815,460.

Fellow Filipino John Niko Costiniano finished second for TWD 1,089,300, with Jin Woo Jung and Marc Rivera completing the top four. The result marked another strong performance for the Philippines contingent during the early stages of the festival.

Gerrits Makes It Five in a Row

Martijn Gerrits continued his remarkable run at GOP Taipei 2026, collecting his fifth consecutive title after winning the Single Day High Roller – Mystery Bounty. With just two entries, Gerrits locked up the full TWD 155,520 prize pool, further extending his lead in the Player of the Series race.

Aphrodite’s Event: Rivera Back on Top

The day also saw another Aphrodite’s Event conclude, with Ma Arlene Rivera taking the title after defeating JC Ann Sotelo heads up. Rivera earned TWD 25,350, while Sotelo collected TWD 15,200 for second place.

Looking Ahead

Attention now turns to January 13, where Main Event Flights B and C take to the felt alongside the opening flights of the Titan Stack High Roller. With momentum building and more international players arriving daily, GOP Taipei 2026 shows no signs of slowing down.

For full photo galleries and daily highlights from the floor, check out the Gods of Poker Flickr, where all the latest images from CTP Asia Poker Arena are being uploaded throughout the festival.