Zodiac Series Of Poker Rocks Taiwan With Big Fields As Main Event Approaches

Taiwan's Chien Fa Chou ended his five year winning drought after towering over the Zodiac Goat Mini Main Event opener to capture the first major title of the series and a payout of NTD 1,145,200 (~US$ 34,870). Chou also became the proud owner of the very first ZSOP Goat trophy, a one-of-a-kind prize specifically designed for this event.

The ZSOP hit the ground running with 662 entries pulled in across four flights. With each entry paying up the NTD 12,000 (~$365) buy in, the NTD 3M guarantee was instantly crushed as the prize pool soared to NTD 6,119,200 (~US$ 186,320). The top 27 players earned a cut with Chou claiming the largest share after outlasting final table heavyweights Rob Sherwood, Kyle Bao Diep, Martin Sedlak, and Chen Yen Lo at heads up.

Australian player Dylan Foster is having a spectacular run this year having come close to victory in Manila and now a title at the most expensive event on the ZSOP menu, the Zodiac Dragon Super High Roller. The event attracted a star studded field of 67 runners, each one forking out the NTD 80,000 (~US$ 2,435) buy in for a prize pool of NTD (~US$ 146,435). Among the finalists were Charlie Chiu, Hugues Girard, Konstantin Held, John Perry, and South Korean star Yohwan Lim who settled for second place.

For his victory, Foster claimed the one-of-a-kind Dragon trophy along with a payout of NTD 1,457,300 (~US$ 44,375). If Foster continues to run hot, he may well reach a million USD in live winnings before the middle of the year.

With just one bullet and one shot at the title, the Zodiac Horse NLH Freezeout at ZSOP saw an impressive turnout of 177 players, all battling for a piece of the NTD 2,317,900 (~US$ 70,575) prize pool. Emerging victorious was Taiwan’s Chienyu Lin, a relative newcomer to the live poker scene, who held her ground to seize the lion’s share of the prize money. Lin walked away NTD 474,200 (~US$ 14,440) richer and claimed the event’s exclusive, one-of-a-kind trophy.

Fresh off an 8th-place finish at the Zodiac Goat Mini Main Event, UK’s Rob Sherwood wasted no time jumping into the Zodiac Rat Megastack Turbo, joining a field of 207 players in yet another impressive turnout for the fast-growing ZSOP series. With buy-in at NTD 10,000 (~US$ 305) each, the event generated a prize pool of NTD 1,767,000 (~US$ 53,800), with 32 players securing a payout. Sherwood emerged victorious, capturing the ZSOP Rat Trophy and pocketing NTD 342,500 (~US$ 10,430) in winnings.

The Zodiac Tiger KO Bounty proved to be just as popular as the other marquee events at ZSOP, drawing an impressive 234-entry field, each putting up NTD 12,000 (~US$ 365) to compete. With NTD 3,000 per bounty up for grabs, the tournament turned into an all-out knockout frenzy from start to finish.

While several players racked up impressive eliminations throughout the day, it was Taiwan’s Shih Hao Su who stood tall in the end, defeating Che Chun Chu for the title and the one-of-a-kind Tiger Trophy. Su walked away with the biggest share of the NTD 1,749,400 (~US$ 53,200) prize pool, pocketing NTD 361,200 (~US$ 11,000) along with a collection of bounty rewards.

The ZSOP’s momentum continued to build as 279 players turned out for the single day Zodiac Dog Double Stack, further displaying the young brand's popularity. With a NTD 10,000 (~US$ 305) buy-in, the event generated a NTD 2,381,600 (~US$ 72,515) prize pool, split among the top 72 finishers. In the end, it was Australia’s Jennifer Cassell who emerged victorious, adding yet another title to her growing poker resume. Cassell outlasted the field and denied China’s Andy Chen at heads up. She secured the NTD 432,100 (~US$ 13,155) top prize payout and the one-of-a-kind ZSOP Dog Trophy.