The inaugural Vietnam International Poker Tour (VIPT) has taken the capital city Hanoi by storm! Underway on April 19, 2024, the opening games generated massive crowds and is on track to becoming the largest ever domestic poker event in the country. Among the long list of notable players early at the scene were a mix of locals and international players: WSOP bracelet winner Mike Takayama, Triton winner Dao Minh Phu, Aladin Reskallah, Jasven Saigal, Kyle Bao Diep, Minh Anh Nguyen, and Anthony Cierco to name a few.
In collaboration with the Royal Poker Club Hanoi, the eleven day series is ongoing at the Bolton Poker Room and will run until April 29, 2024. Plenty of thrills still lie ahead with a total of 36 events rostered.
If you are just hearing of this event, the festival guarantees VN₫ 40 Billion (~USD 1.6 Million) with the Main Event set to pay out a minimum of VN₫ 10,000,000,000 (~USD 400,000). Scroll down for all the info, the early highlights, and the schedule.
Vietnam International Poker Tour – Early Highlights
The Vietnam International Poker Tour is proving to be the largest local event in Hanoi, Vietnam with the Kick Off Event drawing 1,283 entries. Adding an extra entry day was indeed necessary as players poured in for a chance at the pot.
With buy in at VN₫ 5.5 Million (~USD 225) each, the prize pool catapulted to a much larger VN₫ 6.22 Billion (~USD 244,400). 162 players advanced to the money round with the eventual champion guaranteed to claim the biggest chunk worth VN₫ 1,012,000,000 (~USD 39,700)! This is nearly VN₫ 400 Million (~USD 15,000) more than the second place payout.
Date: April 20, 2024
Buy in: VN₫ 33,000,000 (~USD 1,347)
Guarantee: VN₫ 1,200,000,000 (~USD 47,928)
Entries: 1,283
Prize pool: VN₫ 6,222,550,000 (~USD 244,400)
ITM: 162 players
Day 1 results
Day 1A: 331 entries / 42 ITM
Day 1B: 206 entries / 26 ITM
Day 1C: 472 entries / 59 ITM
Day 1D: 274 entries / 35 ITM
You can catch some of the action via the livestream on the Royal Poker Club Hanoi facebook page.
Kick Off Event – Final Table Livestream
High Roller Series
The first two days of the festival saw two of the eight High Roller Series events attract big crowds. The High Roller Warm Up had over 100 entries and the Single Day drew 70 entries. Among the attendees were well known top tier Asia circuit sluggers: Cao Ngoc Anh, Nguyen Quang Minh, Anton Lu, Julian Warhurst. Xiaosheng Zheng, Nguyen Quang Huy, and Pham Duy Anh. At the time of writing, the High Roller Championship was underway.
You can catch some of the action via the livestream on the Royal Poker Club Hanoi facebook page.
High Roller Warm Up – Final Table Livestream
VIPT Main Event
The date everyone needs to reserve is April 25, the day the spotlight shines on the VIPT Main Event. The flaghship tournament guarantees an ambitious VN₫ 10,000,000,000 (~USD 400,000). If there is only one VIPT event you can attend, make this be it. The first ever VIPT Main Event champion will be determined on the final day, April 29. To enter, the schedule offers four entry flights, each one with differing level intervals. We’ve noted them below.
2024 VIPT Main Event
Date: April 25 to April 29, 2024
Buy in: VN₫ 20,000,000 (~USD 880)
Guarantee: VN₫ 10,000,000,000 (~USD 400,000)
Day 1A: Thursday, April 25, 2024 – 45 minute blinds
Day 1B: Friday, April 26, 2024 – 40 minute blinds
Day 1C: Saturday, April 27, 2024 – 35 minute blinds
Day 1D Turbo: Saturday, April 27, 2024 – 25 minute blinds
Day 2: Sunday, April 28, 2024 – 45 minute blinds
Day 3 / Final Table: Monday, April 29, 2024 – 60 / 30 minute blinds
Tourist Information
As the newest homegrown event in Hanoi, the VIPT has already drawn the attention of locals from all over the country. In addition, international players from within and outside of the country have descended with more on the way.
For newcomers to the country, entering Vietnam is quite easy. There are 26 countries in the visa-free list which includes most Southeast Asian nations and Europe. Players from South Korea, Japan, Russia are also visa free. For those not in the list, all that’s needed is an eVisa. Make sure to apply online as it is required.
Getting in and around Hanoi
If you are flying into Vietnam capital city Hanoi, most likely you will be landing at the Noi Bai International Airport. The safest way to get from the airport to the heart of the city is via Grab Car. Make sure to use the online app as the rates are set and fair.
Internet may be spotty around town that a Vietnam sim card may be necessary. Get this at the airport as they are very hard to find in the city. Sim cards are very cheap, around $7-$10 for unlimited data depending on the plan you choose.
The country currency is the Vietnamese Dong and it is the only form of cash accepted. There are exchange counters at the airport. You can also exchange at the poker venue.
VIPT 2024 Hanoi – Schedule
Tricia David
Tricia David has long experience as a recreational poker player and has been covering poker events since 2010 for numerous outfits in Asia. She spent one year working part time with Poker Portal Asia then became editor and lead writer for all event coverage of the Philippine Poker Tour (PPT). Under the PPT, she overlooked content for their website, and produced live updates on all their events. In addition, she served as the live and online events website content writer for the Asian Poker Tour. Currently, she does live events reporting in Asia for online news site Somuchpoker and is also one of their news contributors.
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