The TMT 19 Main Event Day 1D showed no signs of slowing down as the fourth opening flight wrapped up at the Red Space venue, continuing what has already become a historic run. Another flood of entries poured in as players from across the region took their shot at the massive TWD 30,000,000 (~USD 1,000,000) guaranteed prize pool. With four starting flights now completed, the field has swelled to an astonishing 2,930 entries, putting the Taiwan Millions Tournament (TMT) 19 on a clear crash course with the record books.

Stealing the spotlight on Day 1D was Taiwan’s Wei Kai Lin, who delivered a commanding late-night surge to become the first player in the tournament to crack the million-chip barrier. Lin bagged a towering 1,091,000 stack, seizing not only the Day 1D chip lead but also the overall lead of the entire event so far, setting a new benchmark for the remaining flights to chase.

Lin is a highly accomplished poker professional from Taiwan who has become a prominent fixture in the Asian tournament circuit. He is currently ranked 60th on the Taiwan All-Time Money List and has demonstrated remarkable consistency across various prestigious series, including the World Poker Tour (WPT) , Asian Poker Tour (APT), and the Taiwan Millions Tournament (TMT).

Wei Kai Lin’s career is highlighted by multiple tournament victories, such as his win in the 2024 APT Taipei Poker Classic No Limit Hold’em event and a triumph in the 2023 WPT Prime Taiwan 8-Max Championship. Known for his ability to navigate massive fields, his strategic depth and frequent final table appearances have solidified his reputation as one of Taiwan’s most formidable and respected competitors.

Day 1D Top Ten Chip Counts

Pos.	Players	Country	Chip Counts
1	Wei Kai Lin	Taiwan	1,091,000
2	Chung Hsin Chen	Taiwan	750,000
3	Yung Chun Wang	Taiwan	704,000
4	Chien Yu Lin	Taiwan	613,000
5	Ashwin Sharma	India	595,000
6	Yuta Segawa	Japan	554,000
7	Chia Lin Huang	Taiwan	481,000
8	Ta Wei Wang	Taiwan	465,000
9	Chen Hong Chou	Taiwan	460,000
10	Kuan Lin Yu	Taiwan	455,000

Sitting second on the leaderboard is Taiwan’s Chung Hsin Chen, who carries a healthy stack of 750,000. Rounding out the top three is fellow Taiwanese Yung Chun Wang with 704,000 chips.

Day 1D Drama

At soft bubble time, Chao En Cheng put his tournament life on the line against Ta Wei Wang. Cheng’s ladies looked well-positioned for a crucial double-up against Wang’s jack-nine, but Goddess Fortuna had other plans. Wang smashed the flop with a nut straight, ending Cheng’s run in brutal fashion and pushing the field straight into stone bubble time.

Moments after play resumed, another brutal cooler claimed its victim. Taiwan’s Chih Wei Yang found himself at risk as his cowboys ran headfirst into Sebastian Wong’s ace-four. Once again, the deck made its decision early, with Wong spiking an ace on the flop. The board offered no mercy, cracking Yang’s kings and officially locking up a payout for the remaining players as the bubble finally burst.

Once the money bubble burst, cries of “Seat open!” echoed repeatedly around the venue as eliminations came in rapid succession. The field was quickly trimmed to 61 players, triggering yet another round of hand-for-hand play.

The last stage of the night moved at a rapid pace, with Taiwan’s Chang Chen Hsieh the first to fall. Holding the stronger kicker, Hsieh appeared safe against Kuan Lin Yu, but the deck had other ideas. A dramatic river ten swung the hand in Yu’s favor, delivering a crushing blow and sending Hsieh to the rail in heartbreaking fashion.

In the very next hand, Jung An Chiang saw his tournament life end in ruthless fashion as his ace-nine ran straight into Yung Chun Wang’s bullets. With no help arriving on a clean board, Chiang’s Main Event run came to an abrupt end, marking another swift exit in a relentless late-night surge.

With Chiang’s exit, TMT 19 Main Event Day 1D concluded on a perfect note; however, the fireworks are far from over. With four more opening flights still ahead, the intensity is only going to rise.

So far, 236 players have locked up their seats for Day 2, with many more expected to join as the Main Event moves toward its high-stakes climax in Taipei. Stay locked in with Somuchpoker for on-site coverage, chip count updates, and all the drama as the hunt for the TMT 19 Main Event title continues.