At the USOP Grand Finale held at the Pullman Grand Hotel in Hai Phong, Vietnam, the excitement reached new heights on Day 2 as the series continued to build momentum.
As the festival’s first major highlight, the Madness Kickoff event stole the spotlight, completing the final two of its four scheduled flights. Once registration closed, the original VND 1 billion guarantee was shattered — a total of 1,582 entries were recorded, creating a massive VND 14,722,092,000 prize pool (approximately USD 580,000), exceeding the initial guarantee by nearly VND 5 billion!
This event set a new record for prize pool size and became one of the key highlights of the day, setting the tone for the rest of the USOP Grand Finale series.
Madness Kickoff Flight C & Flight D Recap
Flight C of the Madness Kickoff event kicked off earlier in the day and quickly drew a massive turnout. Within the first few levels of play, the tournament room was already packed with 200 players, and by the time registration closed, the field had surged to 606 entries (including 418 unique players).
This turnout not only surpassed the combined total of Day 1A and Day 1B, but also marked a major milestone in USOP history, setting a new record for the largest Day 1 flight participation in an opening event.
Yuan Xu Leads Overall Chip Counts
The combined entries from the first three starting flights had already guaranteed that the prize pool would surpass the initial guarantee, and the final Day 1D flight further boosted the total. Yuan Xu from China dominated Day 1C, finishing as the chip leader with 647,000 chips out of 76 surviving players, earning his seat into Day 2 at the top of the leaderboard.
Andres Vasquez Leads the Final Flight
The final opportunity to enter came in Day 1D, which drew 487 entries (including 329 unique players). Andres Vasquez from Colombia topped the counts, bagging 507,000 chips to become the Day 1D chip leader — marking his first-ever appearance at a USOP event. Duy Thuc Nguyen from Vietnam followed closely with 400,000 chips, while Van Du Long (Vietnam) ranked third with 397,000 chips.
With all starting flights completed, the Madness Kickoff Day 2 lineup was officially set. The event drew a total of 1,582 entries, of which 198 players advanced to Day 2. All survivors were guaranteed at least VND 18,500,000 (~USD 730) in prizes. As Day 2 begins, players will battle for the coveted USOP Trophy and the VND 215,000,000 (~USD 85,000) top prize.
Madness Kickoff Tournament Summary
- Date: November 29 – December 1, 2024
- Buy-in: VND 11,000,000 (~USD 435)
- Guaranteed Prize Pool: VND 10,000,000,000 (~USD 394,250)
- Entries: 1,582 (1,105 unique players)
- Total Prize Pool: VND 14,722,092,000 (~USD 580,000)
- ITM (Paid Players): 198
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.