Advancing to the ninth day of the ZSOP The Horse Awakens 2026 calendar, the festival has seen numerous poker pros outlast the field and claim glory in multiple main events and high roller tournaments at the iconic CTP Asia Poker Arena in Taipei, Taiwan, adding more excitement to the series and further surging contenders’ desire to chase their own moments of glory.

Current Zodiac Champion Lineup

The first to write his name in one of the highlighted events at the festival is Taiwan’s Te Chieh Li , who outlasted a 70-entry field in the Zodiac Rat NLH Freezeout and took down the golden rat trophy along with the NTD 367,300 (~$11,470) top prize, earning 681.19 SPI points. Lifting the golden tiger trophy is Hong Kong’s Wai To Cheung , who navigated through a 259-entry field in the Zodiac Tiger KO Bounty: $2,500 and etched his name into ZSOP history. His victory earned him NTD 274,500 (~$8,575) top prize and 1,032.20 SPI points.

On the same day as Cheung carved his name into the champion list, his countryman Chun Lung Wong also claimed victory. Wong survived a massive 775-entry field across four starting flights in the Zodiac National Cup, and captured the title along with the special-designed golden horse trophy. This prime event created a total prize pool of NTD 6,547,200, surpassing the NTD 4,000,000 guarantee. With his victory, Wong banked a massive NTD 1,060,000 (~$33,105) top prize and lifted the coveted golden horse trophy after defeating South Korea’s Jangwoo Lee in the final heads-up, earning 1,785.53 SPI points.

Riding the national momentum, another Hong Kong pro, Chun Kit Kwan , claimed the golden pig trophy in the Zodiac Pig Double Stack 6-Max. The event attracted 241 entries and generated a prize pool of NTD 3,123,400, surpassing the NTD 2,000,000 guarantee and paying 37 players. In the end, Kwan outmaneuvered the field and took home the NTD 499,400 (~$15,595) top prize, adding 1,148.36 SPI points to his record.

During the fifth day of the ZSOP The Horse Awakens 2026 schedule, two more zodiac bounty trophies, the golden dog and snake, found their winners. In the Zodiac Dog Big Bounty: $5,000, Taiwan’s Po Lun Chao secured first place for NTD 137,700 (~$4,300) after overcoming a 241-entry field, adding 1,003.48 SPI points. The Zodiac Snake High Roller Bounty: $25,000 title went to local pro Chih Wei Fan . With over $1.7 million in live earnings, the Taiwanese professional player defeated a 21-entry field to make NTD 600,000 (~$18,740) and 646.24 SPI points.

One of the highlighted events, the Zodiac Rooster Turbo NLH, features a fast-paced structure, giving players just 20 seconds for pre-flop action and 30 seconds post-flop, putting their decision-making skills under test. Taiwan’s I Che Shih outlasted a 167-entry field and defeated Wei Kai Lin in the final duel to claim the NTD 400,000 (~$12,495) top prize and the title, adding 955.93 SPI points. This win is the biggest result of his career, making the victory more memorable for him.

Just yesterday, March 19, Hong Kong’s Tsz Hin Chow capped off his night in style by outlasting a 715-entry field in the Zodiac Monkey King Mystery Bounty and lifting the iconic golden monkey trophy. The event generated a massive NTD 9,266,400 prize pool, easily surpassing the NTD 6,000,000 guarantee. After defeating Thailand’s Phongsatorn Panchakabut in the final heads-up, Chow secured the title and NTD 768,500 (~$24,040) in prize money.

The Remaining Zodiac Trophies and Crowning Dates

March 21 – Zodiac Dragon Super High Roller
March 23 – Zodiac Ox Last Chance – Win Big
March 23 – Zodiac Rabbit Mini Main
March 23 – Zodiac Horse Main Event

With cards still in the air and chips flying at the prestigious Asia Poker Arena, players continue grinding toward their ultimate goal, earning a place on the champion list of ZSOP 2026.