USOP Vietnam Halong Bay 2026 Recap: Pham Makes History, Ooi Wins POS, VND 185 Billion Awarded

The U Series of Poker (USOP) returned to Vietnam for USOP Vietnam 2026 and drew large numbers of players at the InterContinental Halong Bay Resort . Over 14 days of play, the festival generated a total of VND 185,387,086,000 (~USD 7,029,940) in prize money, with 9,135 entries across all events.

The series ended with a historic finish in the Main Event, a close Player of the Series (POS) race that was decided on the final day, and a large international turnout that saw 80 trophies go to players from 13 different countries.

Pham Writes Her Name into USOP History

The biggest tournament of the series was the VND 30,000,000 (~USD 1,100) buy-in Main Event, which had a total prize pool of VND 39,019,520,000 (~USD 1,479,620).

Outlasting a field of 1,520 entries, Thi Minh Hong Pham became the first female player to win a USOP Main Event title. Pham defeated fellow Vietnamese player Minh Thang Tran in the final heads-up match to take home the trophy and the VND 6,200,000,000 (~USD 235,105) top prize.

With this victory, Pham also became the highest overall earner of the series, winning a total of VND 6,318,800,000 (~USD 239,610). Her other results included a 50th-place finish in the Madness Kickoff and a 48th-place finish in the Championship Event .

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Recap

Thi Minh Hong Pham Tops 1,520 Entries to Become USOP’s First Female Main Event Champion

Thi Minh Hong Pham made history at USOP Vietnam 2026, becoming the first female USOP Main Event champion after topping a 1,520-entry field.

06/02/2026

#58 MAIN EVENT (30,000,000 VND)

Total Prize USD

$1,479,620

Total Prize

₫39,019,520,000

Guaranteed

₫30,000,000,000

Entries

1,520

ITM

193

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	₫6,200,000,000 $235,105	TM Thi Minh Hong Pham Viet Nam	3,863.88
2	₫4,300,000,000 $163,055	MT Minh Thang Tran Viet Nam	2,732.18
3	₫2,850,000,000 $108,070	SL Serghei Lisii Moldova	2,230.81
4	₫2,100,000,000 $79,630	NZ Neng Zhao Australia	1,931.94
5	₫1,656,220,000 $62,805	YC Yaxin Cen China	1,727.98
6	₫1,331,800,000 $50,500	BY Bon Yap Philippines	1,577.42
7	₫1,068,500,000 $40,520	TA Tuan Anh Nguyen Viet Nam	1,460.41
8	₫825,100,000 $31,290	NS Nattichai Sutipanwihan Thailand	1,366.09
9	₫620,000,000 $23,510	CL Cong Luyen Le Viet Nam	1,287.96

Check the 193 Payouts & Results ...

Ooi Wins USOP Vietnam 2026 Player of the Series

Malaysia’s Sean Ooi won the title with 1,825 points after a strong performance in the high roller events. Ooi cashed seven times in the high-roller tournaments.

He took the lead on the last day of the series by defeating a field of 28 entries in the High Roller Single Day Special (20% ITM) to earn the trophy and VND 819,200,000 (~USD 31,065). In total, Ooi won VND 3,184,800,000 (~USD 120,770) during the two weeks.

Ooi passed China’s Peng Chen , who had been leading the leaderboard for most of the series. Chen finished in second place with 1,600 points and VND 3,410,800,000 (~USD 129,335) across five cashes.

His results included back-to-back runner-up finishes in the High Roller 6-Max and High Roller Megastack , alongside a win in the Billionaire Club Challenge .

Lee Secures Triple Trophy Haul

While a third-place finish on the POS leaderboard with 1,585 points was a strong result, South Korea’s Joonhyeok Lee made his biggest mark on the festival by becoming the only player to win three separate titles.

Lee’s run across the schedule saw him capture trophies in Event #36: Big Buy-In Hyper Turbo , Event #60: All 9 Special , and Event #72: Win the Button – Hyper Turbo NLH .

His triple-victory performance stood alone at the top of the multi-title list, ahead of other players like Kim Long Lam, who also put together a multi-win series by taking home two trophies in Event #21: Freezeout and Event #53: Midweek Deepstack .

Trophy Winners by Flag

A total of 80 trophies were awarded during the festival, showing a wide distribution of winners across the international field. Local players from Vietnam defended their home turf well, winning 32 titles to lead the overall country standings. China also had a strong performance with 17 trophy wins, followed by South Korea with 9 and Japan with 7.

Players Praise the “All-In Buffet Night”

Apart from the action at the tables, players gave very good feedback about the hospitality provided throughout the two weeks, especially regarding the USOP All-In Buffet Night.

To ensure everyone could enjoy the experience without missing any hands, the organizers set a dedicated two-hour dinner break across the tournament floor so players could rest, step away from the tables, and eat together.

The buffet featured a large selection of food, including fresh local seafood sourced directly from Halong Bay, such as lobster, alongside a wide variety of traditional Vietnamese dishes and local specialties. Complimentary drinks were also provided, giving players a comfortable space to relax and socialize before returning to the tournament rooms.

USOP Returns to Halong Bay in August

Players will not have to wait long for the tour to return, as the USOP has already confirmed its next trip back to the InterContinental Halong Bay Resort. The upcoming USOP Vietnam Series 2026 event is scheduled to run from August 27 until September 9, bringing another two weeks of tournament action back to the coast in just a couple of months.

For more updates and information, players can check the official USOP social media channels.

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• Email: [email protected]

All photos courtesy of USOP .