Poker Dream Taiwan highlights: pays out over USD 2.7M; record Main Event prize pool; Alex Lee largest earner; Clifford Lee draws TWD 700K bounty; Hong Kong surges

 

Spanning over ten action-packed days that ran from June 16 to 25, 2023, the first Poker Dream series in Taiwan concluded at the Asia Poker Arena in Taipei City. The festival paid out TWD 83,499,075 (~USD 2,723,220) across 26 events with the Main Event amassing a record prize pool for the brand of TWD 26,187,300 (~USD 854,060).

In other highlights, Shawn Wu captured his maiden victory at the Main Event, Singapore’s Alex Lee emerged the largest earner, Taiwan’s Clifford Lee drew the TWD 700K bounty, Filipino Justin Geronimo topped three Day 1 flights, and Hong Kong experienced a late surge to win five of the last nine events.

Here are the highlights including what’s up next for the brand.

Festival highlights (excluding satellites)

Prize pool: TWD 83,499,075 (~USD 2,723,220)
Entries: 4,223
Countries: 24
Poker Dream record prize pool: TWD 26,187,300 (~USD 854,060)
Single event largest earner: Wu Peng Sen – TWD 4,650,000 (~USD 151,600)
Largest festival earner: Alex Lee – TWD 4,755,000 (~USD 155,100)
Multi-winners: Eng Siang Ewe (2), Alex Lee (2)
Single largest bounty: Clifford Lee – TWD 700,000 (~USD 22,830)
Most Day 1 chip leader stats: Justin Geronimo (3)
Trophies by flag: Taiwan (8), Hong Kong (5), Malaysia (5), Korea (2), Philippines (2), Singapore (3), Japan (1)

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Record breaking Main Event and new format

Players at Poker Dream Taiwan were in for a treat with a new Main Event format introduced. It offered three different buy in tiers – low, medium, high – to give every type of player and wallet a chance at the brand’s ultimate title.

A whopping ten Day 1 flights ran, and when combined with the three offsite flights, it amassed a prize pool of TWD 26,187,300 (~USD 854,060), making it the richest Poker Dream event to date. Not only did it surpass the previous PD Main Event set in Vietnam of ~USD 803K it also topped the brand’s record prize pool of ~USD 826K at the 2022 PD Malaysia Super High Roller.

Taiwan’s Wu Peng Su captures maiden title at the Main Event

Poker dreams were fulfilled throughout the series but none as big as the dream materialized for Taiwan’s Wu Peng Su aka Shawn Wu who took down the Main Event. Wu topped a mighty field of 1,265 entries to seize his first ever career title and largest poker career payout of TWD 4,650,000 (~US$ 151,600). Wu was the biggest single event winner of the festival.

Singapore’s Alex Lee emerges as largest festival earner

Singaporean pro Alex Lee is on a heater this year locking up a couple of big titles, one in China and another in Vietnam. The winning momentum continued at Poker Dream Taiwan bagging two events – Single Day High Roller and two-day High Roller – to become one of only two players with two victories at the series.

On the final day, Lee nearly won a third trophy at the Mystery Bounty High Roller where he settled for second place. However, he did pick up four bounties amounting to TWD 815K to add to his TWD 800K event winnings. In total, Lee earned TWD 4,755,000 (~USD 155,075) making him the festival’s largest earner.

Multi-winners: Eng Siang Ewe and Alex Lee

As mentioned above, Singaporean pro Alex Lee won two events but first to reach that marker was Malaysia’s Eng Siang Ewe. Ewe opened the series with a first ever career victory at the Single Day High Roller. Four days later, he outdueled fellow countryman Hoong Kiat Tan in a grueling four hour heads up match to bag the 150K Short Deck Ante Only.

Clifford Lee draws single largest bounty of TWD 700K

The Mystery Bounty High Roller had everyone coveting the TWD 700,000 (~USD 22,830) bounty prize. It was eventually drawn by Taiwan’s Clifford Lee who also drew TWD 152,000 (~USD 5,000). Lee walked away with a huge TWD 852,000 in bounty earnings plus TWD 516,600 for 3rd place, for a combined TWD 1,368,600 (~USD 44,635).

Day 1 specialist Justin Geronimo

Philippine player Justin Geronimo was a force to reckon with at the festival as he topped three Day 1 events. He kicked off the series by bagging the chip lead at the Taiwan Open Day 1A and finished 23rd, followed it up with another chip lead at Crazy Weekend Flight A where he ran deep into 3rd place, then topped the counts at Day 1C of the Main Event to eventually finish in 20th place.

Taiwan wins eight trophies, Hong Kong lifts five on the home stretch

Taiwan flags were flying up on the pedestal with eight players capturing trophies. Among them was Wu Peng Su who won the Main Event.

Next down the rung was Hong Kong, storming in late in the festival to seize five of the final nine trophies on the mantle. On closing day, Wong Ka Fai came from behind at heads up of the High Roller event to deny Alex Lee a third title.

Reviewing the final action, Wong was sitting on a huge deficit when he outdrew Lee’s with on a board . Still behind, he doubled up again. All in on the turn with two pair against Lee’s . The river improved Wong to a full house. On the final hand, Wong’s dominated Lee’s .

Up next for Poker Dream

More Poker Dream events coming this year so make sure to secure them on your calendars. For the next festival, the brand returns to Malaysia for its second visit this year. It takes place from August 11 to 20 at Genting Highlands, the only casino in the country.

On September 29 to October 8, the brand returns to Hoi An, Vietnam for a ten-day series at the Hoiana Resort & Golf. Last year, this stop brought together some of the most decorated Asians of the high roller scene to play alongside the masses. It holds the record as the richest festival in Vietnam for a non-high roller series.

*All photos provided by Poker Dream