Yota Kitamura Denies Xiaosheng Zheng for His First Poker Dream Trophy at Mystery Bounty

Day 8 of Poker Dream 26 Malaysia in Genting Highlands was highlighted by four bounty-event champions, led by Japan’s Yota Kitamura, who claimed his first Poker Dream trophy in the MYR 400,000 guaranteed Mystery Bounty. The day also marked the start of two major tournaments, with the MYR 4 million guaranteed Main Event running its first three starting flights and the MYR 20,000 Super High Roller completing Day 1.

Kitamura defeated Xiaosheng Zheng heads-up to secure the Mystery Bounty title, while Kai Keng Phuah walked away with the event’s largest individual bounty. Elsewhere, Kelly Tasman added another trophy to her collection, Daniel Chin won Event #39 Mystery Bounty after finishing 15th in the flagship Mystery Bounty event, and Jun Peng took down the late-night Mystery Bounty Turbo.

In the Main Event, 298 entries were recorded across the opening three flights, with 40 players advancing to Day 2. Meanwhile, Yu Zhang finished Day 1 of the Super High Roller as the chip leader.

Yota Kitamura Wins MYR 400K Mystery Bounty

Japan’s Yota Kitamura arrived in Genting Highlands with friends and jumped straight into the MYR 400,000 guaranteed Mystery Bounty. The decision paid off as he outlasted a field of 346 entries before defeating China’s Xiaosheng Zheng heads-up to claim his first Poker Dream trophy.

Both players were making their Poker Dream debuts, but Kitamura was the one who left with the title. The tournament generated a MYR 753,560 (~USD 184,500) prize pool, nearly doubling its MYR 400,000 guarantee.

Kitamura collected MYR 117,000 (~USD 28,600) in total prize money and bounties, marking the biggest live tournament cash of his career. Zheng took home MYR 88,559 (~USD 21,680) for his runner-up finish.

Another major payday went to Kai Keng Phuah, who secured the tournament’s top bounty worth MYR 60,000 (~USD 15,000) despite being eliminated in 29th place. Including his tournament payout and bounty, Phuah earned MYR 65,900 (~USD 16,100), finishing as the event’s third-biggest earner.

Mystery Bounty Final Table Results

Full payouts are available on Somuchpoker.

Kelly Tasman Claims Ninth Poker Dream Trophy

Kelly Tasman added another title to her growing collection, winning the PLO Bounty Quattro - Turbo after outlasting a field of 56 entries.

The tournament generated a MYR 67,480 (~USD 16,500) prize pool, with Tasman collecting MYR 17,400 (~USD 4,250) for the victory. The result marked her ninth Poker Dream trophy.

PLO Bounty Quattro - Turbo Results

Daniel Chin Wins Mystery Bounty After Finishing 15th in Main Bounty Event

Daniel Chin made the most of a second opportunity after finishing 15th in the MYR 400,000 guaranteed Mystery Bounty. He entered Event #39 Mystery Bounty and went on to win the tournament, collecting both the top prize and the largest bounty for a combined MYR 56,500 (~USD 13,800).

The tournament attracted 115 entries and generated a MYR 184,805 (~USD 45,200) prize pool. Chin’s total earnings accounted for nearly one-third of the prize money.

Event #39 Mystery Bounty Final Table Results

Full payouts are available on Somuchpoker.

Jun Peng Wins Late-Night Mystery Bounty Turbo

China’s Jun Peng closed out the day’s bounty action by winning the late-night Mystery Bounty - Turbo.

The event attracted 196 entries and built a MYR 154,056 (~USD 37,700) prize pool. Peng defeated Australia’s Peter Joseph De Mello heads-up to secure the title and MYR 21,800 (~USD 5,300).

Mystery Bounty Turbo Final Table Results

Full payouts are available on Somuchpoker.

Main Event Opens With 298 Entries Across Three Flights

The MYR 4 million guaranteed Poker Dream 26 Malaysia Main Event got underway on Day 8, with the first three starting flights drawing a combined 298 entries. A total of 40 players secured their seats for Day 2, with another three flights scheduled for today.

Day 1A: Coco Zeng Leads After Nearly 15 Hours

Day 1A attracted the largest field of the opening flights, with 182 entries. After nearly 15 hours of play, only 28 players remained, all securing a place in Day 2 and a guaranteed payout.

China’s Coco Zeng emerged as the chip leader with 714,000, ahead of India’s Ankur Shukla on 643,000. Singapore’s Eugene Zhou rounded out the top three with 414,000.

Day 1A Top Ten Chip Counts

The bubble took some time to burst as several short stacks managed to double up. Eventually, Wern Loong Yam became the unfortunate bubble boy after being forced all-in from the big blind.

Yam was ahead when the chips went in and appeared set to survive, but Fhu Leong Yeo found a winning turn card to reverse the situation and eliminate him on the bubble.

Day 1B: Cheak Yen Leads All-Malaysian Top Three

Day 1B added another 70 entries, with seven players advancing to Day 2.

Malaysia’s Cheak Yen finished on top with 420,000, followed by compatriot Zi Jun Lew with 330,000. Dic Sern Chong completed the all-Malaysian top three with 211,000.

Main Event Day 1B Final Chip Counts

Fen Mai was the Day 1B bubble boy. After being blinded down, Mai moved all-in with ace-four and was called by Richard Wray, who also held ace-four. The hand appeared headed for a chopped pot until the board ran out in a way that gave Wray a flush, eliminating Mai just short of the money.

Day 1C: Manan Gera Leads Five Survivors

Day 1C attracted 46 entries, with only five players advancing. India’s Manan Gera bagged the chip lead with 348,000, narrowly ahead of compatriot Zarvan Tumboli with 345,000.

Thailand’s Shotiwan Wattanalarp finished third with 134,000, while Malaysia’s Wai Junn Leong and India’s Abbasali Saleem Hararwala completed the five-player field.

Main Event Day 1C Final Chip Counts

Three more starting flights are scheduled for today, giving players another opportunity to build a stack toward the MYR 4 million guaranteed prize pool. The festival’s Dream Bonus 3.0 also remains unclaimed, leaving another incentive for players to keep chasing a big result.

Yu Zhang Leads Super High Roller After Day 1

The MYR 20,000 (~USD 5,000) Super High Roller, the biggest buy-in tournament of Poker Dream 26 Malaysia, completed its opening day after 11 levels.

The event attracted 47 entries, with 25 players surviving to Day 2. China’s Yu Zhang finished as the chip leader with 2,700,000, followed by Wai Keong Yong with 2,355,000. They were the only two players to bag more than two million chips.

Super High Roller Day 1A Top 10 Chip Counts

Registration remains open for the first three levels of Day 2, giving players another chance to enter the tournament. The final day begins at 1:00 p.m., with a 500,000 starting stack.

With the Main Event building its field, the Super High Roller continuing, and more bounty tournaments on the schedule, Poker Dream 26 Malaysia heads into another day of action at Genting Highlands.

Stay tuned to Somuchpoker for the latest results and updates as Poker Dream 26 Malaysia continues at Genting Highlands.

All images courtesy of Poker Dream.