Super Cup Poker Underway; Nana Sanechika, Jihwan Kim Win Opening Games

Tricia DavidSenior Journalist & Live Event Specialist

Updated: 2026.10.16

Cards are flying once again in Seoul, South Korea with the Super Cup Seoul kicking off on November 11, 2024. As the first of its kind, the festival features four mind sports games - Chess, Janggi, Baduk, and Poker. Running for a full week at the Coex Convention and Exhibition Center, the inaugural event launched with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Super Cup ambassadors and famous figures in Korean sports and entertainment.

Inaugural Super Cup Seoul Launches

Super Cup Seoul ribbon cutting ceremony - Photo by Bluff & Catch

Thank you to Korean media outlet Bluff & Catch who is onsite to provide the information and the photos. After the ceremony, the pawns were immediately in flight and so were the cards.

Super Cup Chess - Photo by Bluff & Catch

Super Cup Poker - Photo by Bluff & Catch

In partnership with the Isabelle Group, the Super Cup Poker competition is expected to draw the largest crowd and to accommodate this, 64 poker tables have been set up at The Platz. Throughout the schedule, 18 events are featured with a Main Event Invitational that's backed by a KR₩ 1,000,000,000 prize pool equivalent to around US$ 716,000. In total, Super Cup Poker guarantees a confident KR₩ 2.7 Billion, nearly 2 Million in USD.

Super Cup Poker - Player Guide

Super Cup Poker Opening Day Highlights

Ji Hwan Kim wins Kickoff - Photo by Bluff & Catch

Three No Limit Hold'em events ignited the poker floor starting with the Kick Off event that generated a healthy 118 entries. With the prize pool set at KR₩ 17,600,000 (~US$ 12,600), it concluded on a three-way ICM deal. Ji Hwan Kim emerged victorious to capture the first ever SC Poker trophy and a payout of KR₩ 4,150,000 (~US$ 2,970).

Payouts

Place	Player	Payout in KR₩	~USD equivalent
1	Ji Hwan Kim	4,150,000*	3,147
2	Sung Jae Park	2,600,000*	1,972
3	Min Sung Jun	3,050,000*	2,313
4	Yo Tak Oh	1,600,000	1,213
5	Ki Moon Song	1,300,000	986
6	Ju Ho Maeng	1,000,000	758
7	Won Jin Lee	800,000	607
8	Yu Yeong Jin	600,000	455
9	Sumin Im	500,000	379
10	Ji Gyun Kang	400,000	303
11	Jae Young Song	400,000	303
12	Jisung Moon	300,000	228
13	Jun Young Lee	300,000	228
14	Sung Keun Geun	300,000	228
15	Seolhee Choi	300,000	228

*Three way ICM deal

Nana Sanechika Wins NLH Turbo

The evening's NLH Turbo had a much lighter turnout, attracting only 6 players. Famous Japanese player Nana Sanechika came out on top to claim the KR₩ 1,900,000 (~US$ 1,360) lone payout.

Also running was the two-day Deepstack Event with 61 runners seen throughout the day. The event bagged up at the final 9 players / ITM led by Jeongdeok Seo. One of the most recognized players is Soyoung Ham who has been seen in the Asian circuit for the past few years.

The finalists will return on November 12, 2024 for the title showdown. Each one is guaranteed KR₩ 1,400,000 with the coveted top prize set at KR₩ 12,500,000 (~US$ 8,900).

Super Cup Seoul - Photo by Bluff & Catch

The Super Cup Seoul mind sports festival runs from November 11 to 17, 2024. The Main Event opens on November 13 with four entry flights across three days. Other attractions are the High Roller, Isabelle Ladies Event, Super Bounty Hunter, and Super High Roller. Be sure to browse the Player Guide for all of the details.

Links

Super Cup Poker - Player Guide
Super Cup Seoul - News

About the Editor

Tricia DavidSenior Journalist & Live Event Specialist

Tricia David is Somuchpoker's Senior Journalist and Live Event Specialist, covering major poker festivals and tours across the Asia Pacific region. She has been reporting on the region's poker scene for more than a decade, starting with the Asian Poker Tour in 2010 and the Philippine Poker Tour in 2012, and has been a core contributor at Somuchpoker since 2014.