USOP Grand Finale: No Champion Crowned At Billionaire Club Challenge
Day 7 of the USOP Grand Finale marks the true halfway point of the series. Six days of poker action have gone by with six more to follow after today, closing on December 11, 2024.. Taking place at the Pullman Grand Hotel in Hai Phong, Vietnam, the latest event to wrap up was Billionaire Club Challenge, which wrapped up in controversy.
No Champion Declared At Billionaire Club Challenge
As the most expensive tournament in the USOP Grand Finale roster of VND 250,000,000 (~USD 9,800) buy in, an impressive 61 entries signed up for a seat in the big game. This drove the prize pool over three times the guarantee to a substantial VND 13,474,900,000 (~USD 530,000) with only the top 9 finalists earning a share.
As players pursued the the champion’s purse of VND 4,260,000,000 (~USD 167,000), the tournament took an unprecedented turn. Play was discontinued immediately following the third place elimination and concluded without crowning a champion. This was due to challenges raised on soft play between finalists Jinlong Hi and Yuhan Liu. After USOP reviewed the situation, the brand made the firm decision to enforce its fair play rules and deny the trophy and both players received a warning.
According to USOP Official Statement:
During the final table of this year’s event, concerns arose regarding the conduct of two players. Although our thorough review found no clear or solid evidence of foul play, the behavior observed during the livestream – including the two hands played and the excessive use of private conversations in their own language – has raised some valid questions about whether these actions align with the spirit of true sportsmanship.
As a result, we have decided not to award the tournament trophy for this event. While this decision does not imply wrongdoing, it reflects our commitment to upholding the values that define the Billionaire Club Challenge. Additionally, the two players involved have been issued formal warnings. Should any further incidents occur involving either player, whether on-stream or off-stream, much stricter measures will be applied, including possible disqualification or suspension from future events.
Billionaire Club Challenge Recap
The first day saw the 61-strong field play over 13 hours to make a final table of 9 that returned today to play down to a champion. China’s Jinlong Hu entered the final table with the largest stack of 5,045,000 chips. Hu’s nearest challenger with the second-ranked stack was Australia’s Allen Yu with a distant 3,415,000. Lithuania’s Gediminas Uselis held the third spot with 2,440,000.
With the bulk of total chips shared between the top 3 stacks, there were a lot of short stacks that needed to work their way up. The first victim was Australia’s Joshua McCully whose Ace-Ten favorite against Uselis’ Ace-Three were denied by the three on the river. Short-stacked Ivan Deyra fell next in 8th place with Uselis also delivering the final blow. Germany’s Niko Koop took 7th when his Ace-Seven failed to improve.
Unlike the ones that went before him, at the start of the final table, Adam Martinsson of Sweden was forced all-in by the big blind and had no choice but to accept the fate of whatever cards were dealt. Fortunately, the poker gods favored him that moment and his hole cards made two-pair on the flop and a full-house on the turn for a lifeline beyond the danger zone. Martinsson was even able to double and remain competitive until his magical run landed him in a 6th place finish.
Australia’s Allen Yu followed next when a heavy post-river betting brawl saw his turned flush get eliminated by the rivered full house of Yuhan Liu. Uselis became the first to earn a billionaire paycheck when he exited at 4th place. Uselis was ahead with Nine-Seven two-pair however Liu’s hand improved to a set of kings on the river to deny the double up.
David Erquiaga seemed poised to double up when his Ace-Queen sat all-in beside Yuhan Liu’s Ace-Jack but with two jacks on the flop it was the end for the Filipino pro in 3rd place.
USOP Grand Finale – Schedule
USOP Grand Finale- Photos
USOP Grand Finale – Billionaire Club Updates