USOP Taiwan Day 7 highlights: Main Event draws 203 entries; Ivan Lee banks SHR; Nam Ho Kim, Oruku Maon, Yu Ta Lee, Chien Hsiang Hung win sides

On Day 7 ofthe U Series of Poker (USOP) season opener in Taipei City, Taiwan, the Asia Poker Arena was bursting at the seams with multiple events on the floor. Under the spotlight was the first day of the Main Event which attracted a large crowd of 203 runners. 26 players advanced to the next round. Chip counts can be found below.

In other news, the biggest winner of the day was Hong Kong’s Ivan Hon Cheong Lee who took down the Super High Roller. Lee made his victory ascent from just 9 bb. Other winners were Nam Ho Kim, Oruku Maon, Yu Ta Lee, and Chien Hsiang Hung. Here are the highlights.

USOP Taiwan – Coverage
USOP Taiwan – Player Guide
USOP Taiwan – Festival Results
USOP Taiwan – Main Event info

Main Event – Day 1A

The first starting flight of the USOP Taiwan MAIN EVENTdrew a packed floor of 203 runners with 26 players advancing to the money round. Among the qualifiers were GPI Malaysia POY Webster Chin Wei Lim, Vietnam’s Mai Bien, Taiwanese players Lee Kun Han, Chi Jen Chen, and at the top of the heap was UK’s Jun Li the only player who bagged over a million in chips equivalent to 89 bb. Li has now set the bar for the next starting days to follow.

For those just tuning in, the Main Event comes with a NTD 15 Million guarantee which should be easily breached with only 500 entries needed to meet it over four starting days. SMP will keep track of the numbers as that may be reached at Day 1B or early in Day 1C. To enter, buy in is NTD 33,000 (~USD 1,056). Follow the link for all the info.

USOP Taiwan – Main Event info

Date: January 11 to 15, 2024
Buy in: NTD 33,000 (~USD 1,056)
Guarantee: NTD 15,000,000 (~USD 482,230)
Entries: 203
ITM: 26 advance

Chips in play: 8,120,000

Average stack: 312,307

HON CHEONG LEE:From 9 bb to Super High Roller Champion

Hong Kong’s Ivan Hon Cheong Lee has been battling it out at the high roller events since Day 1 of the series and ran deep in two events with a 2nd place finish at the High Roller Megastack. His third cash was golden. Lee closed out the Super High Roller event, banking NTD 3,125,200 (~USD 100,300), the single largest 1st place payout of the series to date.

Leading up to his first USOP win, grinding was the key for Lee. At the final table, he dropped down to just 9 bb with five players remaining then chipped up to 14 bb before doubling up on a full house over full house against Thailand’s Punnat Punsri. More grinding followed for Lee to slide into the top spot. The distance widened in an untimely push by small blind Meng Ling Lin with only to run into Lee’s pocket Jacks and fall in 5th place.

With his massive stack. Lee eliminated Matthew Belcher in 4th place, Punsri cleaned out Samuel Wilkinson in 3rd place to deny a UK victory. Heads up kicked off with Lee ahead 62 bb to Punsri’s 36 bb. It didn’t take long for the final hand to arrive. Lee straight, Punsri , board .

For Punsri, this was his 4th series cash and largest payout of NTD 1,940,000 (~USD 62,455).

Relive the final table action via the livestream on USOP YouTube

Date: January 10 to 11, 2024
Buy in: NTD 120,000 (~USD 3,840)
Guarantee: NTD 2,500,000 (~USD 80,372)
Entries: 101
Prize Pool: NTD 10,776,700 (~USD 346,456)
ITM: 16 places

NAM HO KIM holds his head high at Bounty Event

Big first win for South Korea’s Nam Ho Kim, outlasting the 108 entry field of the Bounty Event. Kim knocked out a whopping seven players on his road to triumph to lock up a combined NTD 314,600 (~USD 10,130) and his first live title.

The only other player to knock out more players than Kim was USOP decorated champion Edwin Dela Cruz with 8 knockouts before exiting in8th place for a total of NTD 81,700 (~USD 2,630).

Date: January 11, 2024
Buy in: NTD 15,000 (~USD 480)
Guarantee: NTD 800,000 (~USD 25,719)
Entries: 108
Prize Pool: NTD 881,500 (~USD 28,340)
Bounty Pool: NTD 532,800 (~USD 17,150)
ITM: 14 places

*Bounties partially included

ORUKU MAON continues strong run at Women’s Event

2023 was a coming out year for Japan’s Oruku Maon, racking up a substantial number of final table runs around Asia. In June, she won her first trophy at the HKPT Women of Hong Kong Event in South Korea. Kicking off the new year at USOP Taiwan, Maon matched it up with a second win at the Women’s Event. She bested a field of 41 entries for a cool NTD 80,600 (~USD 2,600).

Date: January 11, 2024
Buy in: NTD 6,000 (~USD 192)
Entries: 41
Prize Pool: NTD 206,900 (~USD 6,650)
ITM: 6 places

YU TA LEE wins maiden title at 5-Card PLO

Local player Yu Ta Lee now has a trophy to start a collection having won the 5-Card PLO on Day 7. Lee out-flipped the 58 entry field to rein in his first live title and the NTD 105,300 (~USD 3,390) top prize. Among the ITM finishers, it was another impressive run by Shao Me Yang in 3rd place who now has four final table cashes.

Date: January 11, 2024
Buy in: NTD 6,000 (~USD 192)
Entries: 58
Prize Pool: NTD 292,600 (~USD 9,407)
ITM: 8 places

CHIEN HSIANG HUNG wins first USOP title at 8-Max Hyper Turbo

The final event of the day was the 8-Max Hyper Turbo, another incredibly fast paced game. 94 joined the rush for a prize pool of NTD 401,200. To date, this was the largest entry field of the Hyper Turbo events. Taiwan’s Chien Hsiang Hung shipped it for his first ever USOP trophy and a payout of NTD 127,500 (~USD 4,100).

Date: January 11, 2024
Buy in: NTD 5,000 (~USD 160)
Entries: 94
Prize Pool: NTD 401,200 (~USD 12,900)
ITM: 12 places

USOP Taiwan 2024

In partnership with theChinese Texas Hold’em Poker Association (CTP),USOP Taiwan runs fromJanuary 5 to 15, 2024at the largest brick and mortar poker room in the region,Asia Poker Arena in Taipei City. With seven days in the books, 31 of the 45 trophies have already been claimed. Only 14 left! Time to win yours!

*Photos by CTP and USOP