On the third day of the Players Series at the CTP Asia Poker Arena, three thrilling events unfolded across the tables.
The spotlight first fell on the Warm Up Mystery Bounty, where Taiwan’s Daniel Yang emerged victorious, capturing the championship trophy. Meanwhile, the highly anticipated PS Main Event kicked off its first starting flight, with Po-Lin Liao finishing as the Day 1 chip leader, positioning himself strongly for the next stages of the tournament.
For high-stakes poker enthusiasts, the PS Super High Roller also delivered intense action, playing through the first ten levels. Among the remaining 30 contenders, Yu-Hung Huang stood out, ending the day as the chip leader heading into the final day of play.
Daniel Yang Wins Warm Up Mystery Bounty Title
“It’s a great honor to become the champion of the very first event of the Players Series. I’m grateful for every title I win. I know that no matter what you do, it takes a lot of effort to achieve it,” said Daniel Yang after his victory.
After ten hours of intense competition, Taiwan’s Daniel Yang triumphed in the Warm Up Mystery Bounty final, claiming the top prize of NTD 500,000 (~USD 15,375). This marks his second career title, with his first victory coming just a few months earlier — at the very same venue. Yang dominated the event from start to finish, entering the final table as the chip leader and maintaining his advantage after the elimination of Yu-Chen Huang, who finished in 10th place.
Though Yang faced several challenges along the way, he quickly regained control and stayed aggressive post-flop, dictating the pace of play. The three-handed battle lasted over an hour with the lead changing several times. The decisive moment came when Yang hit a straight on the river to beat Won Bae’s two pair, securing a commanding 3-to-1 chip lead. Just three hands later, he eliminated Chia Lin to clinch the championship and prepare himself for the upcoming PS Main Event.
In addition to the main prize, Yang also collected nine bounty envelopes, bringing his total winnings to NTD 697,000 (~USD 21,435).
He recalled:
“When it came down to three players, the chips went back and forth. During the hand against Won Bae, I decided to check on the turn — that allowed me to see the river. If I had raised, he might have gone all-in and I wouldn’t have seen the river. When the river came, I hit a straight and eliminated him. That was definitely the key moment.”
Having only started playing live tournaments earlier this year, Daniel Yang has already amassed over USD 200,000 in career winnings. With the continued rise of Taiwan’s poker scene, his future looks even brighter.
Reflecting on his Players Series experience, Yang said:
“This trophy looks great, and the buy-in is very reasonable — it makes it easier for more people to join and enjoy the game.”
Meanwhile, Edward Yam, who finished in 25th place, had a stroke of luck when he drew the largest bounty envelope midway through the event, earning an additional NTD 260,000 (~USD 7,995). This brought his total winnings to NTD 20,500 (~USD 615).
Warm Up Mystery Bounty Tournament Summary
Date: December 13–15, 2024
Buy-in: NTD 12,000 (~USD 380)
Guaranteed Prize Pool: NTD 4,000,000 (~USD 123,040)
Total Entries: 366
Main Prize Pool: NTD 2,667,000 (~USD 82,025)
Bounty Pool: NTD 1,333,000 (~USD 41,000)
ITM (Paid Places): 55 players
Flight Breakdown:
• Flight A: 74 entries – 11 players advanced
• Flight B: 70 entries – 11 players advanced
• Flight C: 148 entries – 22 players advanced
• Flight D: 74 entries – 11 players advanced
• Final Day: 55 players returned to play
Warm Up Mystery Bounty Payouts
Rank | Player | Country | Prize (NT$) | Prize (~US$) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Daniel Yang | Taiwan | 500,000 | 15,000 |
2 | Chiachi Lin | Taiwan | 350,800 | 10,525 |
3 | Bae Wonjoon | South Korea | 227,000 | 6,810 |
4 | Kristof Segers | Belgium | 155,200 | 4,655 |
5 | Gerald Foo | Singapore | 122,500 | 3,675 |
6 | Jacob Yin | Australia | 101,800 | 3,055 |
7 | Chien Te Lee | Taiwan | 83,000 | 2,490 |
8 | Yuting Chen | Taiwan | 66,800 | 2,005 |
9 | Kaian Chuang | Taiwan | 55,800 | 1,675 |
Po-Lin Liao Leads CTP Players Series Main Event Flight A
The CTP Players Series Main Event Flight A with a NTD 16,500 (~USD 525) buy-in has concluded. After twelve 50-minute levels of play, the event attracted a total of 125 entries, with 32 players advancing to Day 2, which will resume on Saturday, December 21.
Taiwan’s Po-Lin Liao emerged as the chip leader after a full day of solid play, bagging 361,500 chips. Liao maintained strong momentum throughout the day, making strategic moves—most notably during a hand on a 4♦ 4♠ J♣ 4♣ board, where he applied pressure on the turn to force two opponents to fold.
Following closely behind is Taiwan’s Lai Li-Yang, who accumulated 317,500 chips to also secure his spot in Day 2. Lai displayed consistent aggression from Level 3 onward and maintained his composure through to the final level of the day.
Other players advancing to Day 2 with healthy stacks include:
Chiu Chia-Sheng (189,000), Chen Tung (183,000), Daiki Sakamoto (174,500), He Geng-Chih (168,500), and Hsu Yu-Cheng (166,500).
CTP Players Series Main Event Summary
CTP Players Series Main Event Summary
Dates: December 15, 19–23, 2024
Buy-in: NTD 16,500 (~USD 525)
Guaranteed Prize Pool: NTD 15,000,000 (~USD 465,865)
Flight A: 125 entries – 32 advanced
Flight B: Thursday, December 19
Flight C: Thursday, December 19
Flight D: Friday, December 20
Flight E: Friday, December 20
Day 2: Saturday, December 21
Day 3: Sunday, December 22
Final Day: Monday, December 23
Red Dragon Poker APP Officially Launched
The long-established tournament brand Red Dragon Cup has now released its own app — “Red Dragon Poker.”
The Red Dragon Cup is a well-known Asian poker brand with a strong reputation across the region. Originating in Macau, it quickly became one of the most influential poker events in Asia. Red Dragon Poker tournaments regularly attract players from all over the world, offering massive fields and impressive prize pools.
For those interested, we highly recommend downloading the “Red Dragon Poker” app to join more exciting tournaments.