USOP Taiwan Day 3 highlights: Clement Haro, Ying Zhe Huang, Chia Yun Wu, Wei Jen Wang win trophies; SS challenge down to final 9

Asia-Pacific
Live Poker
01/07/2024

usoptaiwan 6

To date, the theme of the festival has been first time U Series of Poker (USOP) winners. That trend continued with Clement Haro, Ying Zhe Huang, Chia Yun Wu, Wei Jen Wang, and Tan Ong Kwan claiming trophies on Day 3 of festivities. In addition, the Superstar Challenge bagged up at the Final 9 led by UK’s Matthew Belcher. Here are the highlights.

CLEMENT HARO scores a mil at Mystery Bounty

clementharo 2

French Poker Team “Cimitarra” is off to a great start with their very own Clement Haro rising from 9 bb at the final table to champion at the Mystery Bounty.

“It feels good to win, especially when friends are around! It’s my first win in live. Effectively I started the FT with 9 bb. I can’t say that I owned my opponents post-flop or that I put a lot of pressure by 3-betting light, I just pushed my stack many times on the middle and got lucky.”

For Haro’s maiden live title, he pocketed NTD 768,600 plus 6 bounties amounting to NTD 337,000 (one bounty was the second largest worth NTD 250K), for a career high grand total payout of NTD 1,105,600 (~USD 35,700). He became the first player to win NTD seven figures!

Wai Huen Lee draws biggest bounty

leewaihuen 4

Hong Kong’s Wai Huen Lee was the most envied player after he drew the lone big bounty reward of NTD 450,000 (~USD 14,470). Lee earned NTD 25,900 for 27th place plus two bounty rewards to bring his grand total payout to NTD 555,900 (~USD 17,950) putting him top five in winnings.

Date: January 5 to 7, 2024
Buy in: NTD 16,500 (~USD 530)
Guarantee: NTD 3,000,000 (~USD 96,450)
Total entries: 388
Total prize pool: NTD 5,645,400 (~USD 181,510)
ITM: 49 players

*Payouts do not include bounties

Rank Player Flag
Payout in NTD
1 Clement Haro France 768,600
2 Tsu Lin Tsao Taiwan 538,000
3 John Perry Australia 345,000
4 Chien Yun Wang New Zealand 228,000
5 Justin Jerome Geronimo Philippines 176,000
6 Chang Huan Bin Malaysia 146,000
7 Kean Wei Tan Malaysia 122,000
8 Kuanyu Lin Taiwan 99,500
9 Gingyu Huang Taiwan 77,000
10 Zhe Ming Lee Taiwan 64,500
11 Zong Chi He Taiwan 64,500
12 Chih Wei Chen Taiwan 64,500
13 Po Yuan Huang Taiwan 54,300
14 Yong Jie Syu Taiwan 54,300
15 Shao Hong Yu Taiwan 54,300
16 Chang Hau Huang Taiwan 44,500
17 Jamel Sarray Italy 44,500
18 Kar Wee Chee Malaysia 44,500
19 Hsien Lee Chiu Taiwan 37,100
20 Ryuji Ito Japan 37,100
21 Justin Tsui Australia 37,100
22 Kai Yi Sun China 30,800
23 Jae Won Choi Hong Kong 30,800
24 Yiu Cheong Ho Hong Kong 30,800
25 Edwin Dela Cruz Philippines 25,900
26 Masato Nagamine Japan 25,900
27 Wai Huen Lee Hong Kong 25,900
28 Jian Yu Chen Taiwan 21,100
29 Kyle Bao Diep Vietnam 21,100
30 Nguyen Dieu Phuong Linh Vietnam 21,100
31 Yu Hsiu Juan Taiwan 21,100
32 Fan Yu Tseng Taiwan 21,100
33 Aladin Reskallah France 21,100
34 Chau Hau Tsai Taiwan 21,100
35 Chien Fa Chou Taiwan 21,100
36 Chieh Chi Liu Taiwan 21,100
37 Li Han Huang Taiwan 19,300
38 Yu Kai Wang Taiwan 19,300
39 Yu Hua Chang Taiwan 19,300
40 Tse An Lee Singapore 19,300
41 Lin Nien Heng Taiwan 19,300
42 Jasper Liu Taiwan 16,300
43 Patrick Liang Taiwan 19,300
44 Hong Yu Hsieh Taiwan 19,300
45 Jun Li United 19,300
46 Yi Hsiang Lu Taiwan 17,600
47 Le Ngoc Minh Vietnam 17,600
48 Chi Jen Chen Taiwan 17,600
49 Tao Chu Taiwan 17,600

Superstar Challenge – Final Table

The biggest names in the APAC circuit came out for the Superstar Challenge with 62 ponying up the NTD 160,000 (~USD 5,120) buy in.

punnat 3

Among the new high roller arrivals were Triton champions Punnat Punsri, Webster Chin Wei Lim, South Korea’s Yohwan “BoxeR” Lim, and France’s Anthony Cierco.

The Superstar Challenge was the most expensive event scheduled. The prize pool surged to NTD 9,021,000 (~USD 291,330) with the top 10 earning a cut.

usoptaiwansschallengeft

Day 1 bagged up at the final 9 players led by UK’s Matthew Belcher with 36 bb. Also in the lineup, sitting with the second largest stack was Vietnam’s Hoang Hai Nam. He will be looking to score his second Superstar Challenge title.

The remaining players are guaranteed to earn NTD 306,700 (~USD 9,900) each. Awaiting the eventual winner is a mighty NTD 3,067,000 (~USD 99,000) first prize. Action resumes on Monday, January 8 at 2:15pm. Follow the action via the livestream on U Series of Poker YouTube channel.

Date: January 7 to 8, 2024
Buy in: NTD 160,000 (~USD 5,120)
Guarantee: NTD 3,500,000 (~USD 113,030)
Entries: 62
Prize pool: NTD 9,021,000 (~USD 291,330)
ITM: 10 places

Chips in play: 12,400,000
Average stack: 1,377,778 (23 bb)
Final table opening blinds: 30,000-60,000 ante 60,000

Final Table by chip rank – 9 players

Seat Player Flag Stack BB
6 Matthew Belcher UK 2,185,000 36
2 Nam Hai Hoang Vietnam 2,055,000 34
5 Samuel Wilkinson UK 1,980,000 33
1 Chia Hsiang Ko Taiwan 1,480,000 25
3 Yan Wen Yee Malaysia 1,400,000 23
9 Chih Wei Fan Taiwan 1,310,000 22
4 Kean Wei Tan Malaysia 800,000 13
7 Anton Lu Australia 665,000 11
8 Punnat Punsri Thailand 535,000 9

YING ZHE HUANG wins first USOP title at Sunday Super Stack

yingzhehuang

Local player Ying Zhe Huang made his mark at the Sunday Super Stack, outlasting a roaring 187 entry field for a career high payout of NTD 501,000 (~USD 16,180). This amount lone was more than double his current live earnings!

Impressive run as well for 2nd placer, Junya Matsukawa, earning his first ever live tournament payout of NTD 341,800 (~USD 11,040).

Date: January 7, 2024
Buy in: NTD 12,000 (~USD 385)
Guarantee: NTD 1,000,000 (~USD 32,150)
Entries: 187
Prize pool: NTD 1,977,200 (~USD 63,570)
ITM: 24 places

Rank Player Flag
Payout in NTD
1 Ying Zhe Huang Taiwan 501,000
2 Junya Matsukawa Japan 341,800
3 Chun Yu Yang Taiwan 202,700
4 Zi Wei Tung Taiwan 123,300
5 Yu Fan Tsai Taiwan 95,000
6 Paul Yugendra Singapore 78,900
7 Yu Yong Lin Taiwan 67,200
8 Yuto Tamaki Japan 58,600
9 Sheng Hong Yu Taiwan 50,300
10 Ching Chia Lin Taiwan 43,300
11 Kennie Tay Singapore 43,300
12 Jun Li United 43,300
13 36,600
14 Liang Sheng Yeh Taiwan 36,600
15 John Tech Philippines 36,600
16 30,400
17 Ai Ming Johnson Singapore 30,400
18 Joe Chen Taiwan 30,400
19 John Jay Magadan Philippines 24,200
20 Thai Nguyen Vietnam 24,200
21 Le Vu Vietnam 24,200
22 Ming Jie Wu Taiwan 18,300
23 Jihua Zhang Taiwan 18,300
24 Cheli Lin Taiwan 18,300

First win in 2024 for CHIA YUN WU at Short Deck

chiayunwu

Considerably one of the most well known local players is Chia Yun Wu, winner of multiple Taiwan Millions Tournament (TMT) awards including Player of the Year numerous times. Wu added another feather to his cap after besting the 17 entry field of the Short Deck event for his first ever USOP title.

Date: January 7, 2024
Buy in: NTD 15,000 (~USD 480)
Entries: 17
Prize pool: NTD 222,700 (~USD 7,190)
ITM: 3 places

Rank Player Flag
Payout in NTD
1 Wu Chia Yun Taiwan 111,400
2 Chun Nam Fung Hong Kong 66,800
3 Shao Me Yang Taiwan 44,500

TAN ONG KWAN wins first USOP title at Turbo

tanongkwan

After five USOP final tables last year, Malaysia’s Tan Ong Kwan finally closed one out. Tan bested the 84 entry field of the Turbo event to claim his first ever live title and a payout of NTD 136,600 (~USD 4,400).

Date: January 7, 2024
Buy in: NTD 6,000 (~USD 190
Entries: 84
Prize pool: NTD 423,700 (~USD 13,683)
ITM: 11 places

Rank Player Flag
Payout in NTD
1 Tan Ong Kwan Malaysia 136,600
2 Kuo Chen Hung Taiwan 82,600
3 Yiu Cheong Ho Hong Kong 51,400
4 Tsu Lin Tsao Taiwan 34,700
5 Masato Nagamine Japan 26,500
6 Yi Min Chang Taiwan 21,200
7 Yunying Jheng Taiwan 17,600
8 Oroku Maon Japan 14,800
9 Takahito Oikawa Japan 13,700
10 Peter Lin Australia 12,700
11 Sebastian Tan Singapore 11,900

WEI JEN WANG wins first USOP title at Double Board – Single Winner

weijenwang

The night wrapped up with another speedy and fun event, the Double Board – Single Winner, which was first introduced at USOP Da Nang. The event drew 39 runners. Taiwan dominated, claiming all five payouts. At the top was Wei Jen Wang for his first ever USOP title.

Date: January 7, 2024
Buy in: NTD 5,000 (~USD 160)
Entries: 39
Prize pool: NTD 166,500 (~USD 5,375)
ITM: 5 places

Rank Player Flag
Payout in NTD
1 Wei Jen Wang Taiwan 68,300
2 Pi Ying Hsu Taiwan 41,600
3 Tim Yeh Yeh Szu Taiwan 25,000
4 Yang Jie Xu Taiwan 18,300
5 Yuan Hsu Lee Taiwan 13,300

USOP Taiwan 2024

Following a booming 2023, USOP opens the new year with a bigger and richer Taiwan festival. Compared to its launch last year, the schedule has increased from 23 trophy events to45 trophy events. With three days in the books, 13 have already been claimed. Time to win yours! Buy ins range from NTD 5,000 (~USD 160) up to NTD 160,000 (~USD 5,120).

usoptaiwantrophy 4 1

In partnership with theChinese Texas Hold’em Poker Association (CTP),the festival runs fromJanuary 5 to 15, 2024 at the largest brick and mortar poker room in the region, Asia Poker Arena in Taipei City.

Main Event coming up!

In just a few days, the festival’s crown jewel MAIN EVENT will take the spotlight featuring a NTD 15,000,000 (~US$ 478,270) guarantee. Four entry flights are scheduled startingJanuary 11. Event runs until January 15. Buy in set at NTD 33,000 (~USD 1,075).

Links:

USOP Taiwan – Coverage
USOP Taiwan – Player Guide

*All photos by USOP and CTP

Author:triccia