The excitement at the USOP Grand Finale Main Event continues to build as Day 1B concluded in spectacular fashion inside the grand ballroom of the Pullman Grand Hotel. The event drew a total of 473 entries and features a massive VND 40 billion (approximately USD 1.577 million) guaranteed prize pool.
With two more starting flights — Day 1C and Day 1D — still to come, the competition is far from over, and even more players are expected to join the action in the coming days.
Below are the key highlights from today’s thrilling events.
USOP Grand Finale Main Event
Choi Jae Hyun and Zhang Yankai Lead the Chip Counts
At the end of Day 1B, Choi Jae Hyun from Korea topped the leaderboard with 1,228,000 chips (equivalent to 102 big blinds), while Zhang Yankai from China followed closely behind with 1,214,000 chips (about 101 big blinds). A total of 59 players advanced to the next round.
Notable survivors include Henri Hinds, who recently captured the Main Event title at the Won Poker Cup II in Cambodia, and Martin Gonzales from the Philippines, the Mystery Bounty champion of the 2024 Manila Megastack.
There were also several memorable moments throughout the day. One highlight came when Hoang Khien hit a rare straight flush against Nguyen Trung Quan in an exciting showdown. Another dramatic hand occurred when Nguyen Van Tung spiked quad queens on the river to eliminate Yunsheng Sun, drawing loud reactions from the crowd.
Top 10 Chip Counts – Day 1B:
Rank | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
1 | Choi Hun Tae | 1,228,000 |
2 | Yankai Zhang | 1,214,000 |
3 | Pham Tien Dung | 1,151,000 |
4 | Zhao Jiaming | 847,000 |
5 | Nguyen Van Hien | 801,000 |
6 | Zhang Xun | 735,500 |
7 | Nguyen Hoang Nam | 735,000 |
8 | Arya Aayush | 600,000 |
9 | Ferdinand Lu | 577,000 |
10 | Milos Skrbic | 557,000 |
Edgaras Kausinis Wins Super High Roller Championship
Edgaras Kausinis pulled off a remarkable comeback in a heads-up battle against Azizjon Rakhimov, overcoming a 3-to-1 chip deficit to capture the Super High Roller title. As one of the most anticipated high-stakes events of the USOP Grand Finale, the tournament drew an impressive 160 entries. With a buy-in of VND 88,000,000 (~USD 3,465) per player, the prize pool soared to VND 12,032,000,000 (~USD 457,000) — far surpassing the original VND 2.48 billion (~USD 97,000) guarantee.
Kausinis’ turning point came when he doubled up with a flush against Rakhimov’s two pair. In the final hand, his pocket tens held strong against Rakhimov’s ace-high, sealing the victory, the championship title, and a top prize of VND 2,770,000,000 (~USD 110,000).
“That’s poker — you never know how it ends. You always need a little luck. He (Rakhimov) played very well, and you just have to be in a spot where you can get lucky,” said Kausinis after the win.
This marks Kausinis’ first title in Asia and his second career six-figure score.
Super High Roller Event Summary
Dates: December 5–6, 2024
Guaranteed Prize Pool: VND 2,400,000,000 (~USD 94,600)
Entries: 160
Total Prize Pool: VND 12,032,000,000 (~USD 457,000)
Payouts: Top 24 players
Rank | Player | Prize (VND) | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Edgaras Kausinis | 2,770,000,000 | 109,206 |
2 | Azizjon Rakhimov | 1,863,000,000 | 73,448 |
3 | Yee Lee | 1,373,000,000 | 54,130 |
4 | Xinyin Xu | 1,010,000,000 | 39,819 |
5 | Yuxiang Yu | 760,000,000 | 29,963 |
6 | Hari Varma | 575,000,000 | 22,669 |
7 | Ryan Hong | 445,000,000 | 17,544 |
8 | Kilian Kramer | 350,000,000 | 13,799 |
9 | Jianfeng Sun | 277,000,000 | 10,921 |
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.