U Series of Poker (USOP) Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026 has officially kicked off at the luxurious InterContinental Ha Long Bay Resort, attracting a strong mix of local Vietnamese players and international competitors as the USOP series makes its highly anticipated return to Vietnam.
Serving as the festival’s opening event, the USOP Vietnam Madness Kickoff generated solid momentum right from the start, drawing a combined 336 entries across its first two opening flights and setting the tone for a strong series ahead.
As the action gets underway, players from various countries continue arriving in Ha Long Bay, quickly building excitement around this major poker festival set in one of Vietnam’s most famous travel destinations.
Tran Dominates Day 1A with Massive Chip Lead
USOP Vietnam Madness Kickoff Day 1A attracted a total of 162 entries, with each player paying the VND 11 million (~USD $420) buy-in for a shot at the massive VND 10 billion (~USD $380,000) guaranteed prize pool.
After more than 10 hours and 18 levels of play, only 21 players successfully advanced to Day 2.
Leading the field was Hai Ha Tran, who finished with a dominant stack of 812,000 chips (135 big blinds), securing the overall Day 1A chip lead. Tran also earned the VND 30 million (~USD $1,140) Chip Leader Bonus, nearly tripling his buy-in before Day 2 even begins.
One of the key turning points in Tran’s run came after a crucial double knockout, where he eliminated both Yiming Ji and Marvin Rettenmaier in the same hand. He later surged to the top of the leaderboard during the soft bubble stage by cracking Nguyen Tuan Hung’s pocket queens with T♠7♠.
Andy Kok Close Behind
Indonesia’s Andy Kok finished second in chips after bagging an impressive 680,000 (113 big blinds).
Kok made a crucial late-stage elimination during the bubble by knocking out Duc Hoa Nguyen, officially bringing Day 1A to a close.
Do Khac Thang completed the Day 1A top three with 385,000 chips (64 big blinds).
Meanwhile, former USOP Hai Phong 2024 Madness Kickoff Champion Johnni Nielsen also advanced comfortably, finishing among the top five stacks with 317,000 chips (53 big blinds).
Naing Leads the Day 1B Night Flight
The Day 1B evening flight of the USOP Vietnam Madness Kickoff attracted an even bigger field, drawing 174 total entries with 22 players advancing to Day 2.
Myanmar’s Khant Naing topped the counts with 644,000 chips (107 big blinds), earning the VND 25 million (~USD $950) Chip Leader Bonus.
Close behind was Vietnam’s Quang Minh Nguyen with 615,000 chips (103 big blinds), while Anh Tuan Pham rounded out the top three with 385,000 chips (64 big blinds).
Three More Starting Flights Remain
For players who failed to bag on opening day, the Madness Kickoff still offers three final opportunities to qualify:
Day 1C
Starts at 10:00 AM
(Registration closes at 4:00 PM)
Day 1D
Starts at 4:00 PM
(Registration closes at 10:00 PM)
Day 1E Turbo
Starts at 9:30 PM
(Registration closes at 1:40 AM)
All survivors from the five starting flights will return on May 21 at 12:00 PM local time to battle for the title.
Viktor Jensen Captures High Roller Warm-Up Title
The High Roller Warm-Up attracted 42 entries and featured a tough final table packed with many of Vietnam’s regular high-stakes players. Nearly every pot was heavily contested throughout the night.
In the end, Viktor Jensen outlasted the field to claim:
- The championship title
- VND 548,000,000 (~USD $20,785) in prize money
Notably, this result also marked Jensen’s first-ever live tournament cash on Asian soil, making the long trip from Europe immediately worthwhile.
Daniel Stancer Wins Evening Turbo
Daniel Stancer continued his strong start to the series after successfully bagging in Madness Kickoff Day 1A before jumping straight into the Evening Turbo and capturing the title.
The Evening Turbo attracted 100 entries and generated a VND 100,000,000 prize pool.
Stancer secured:
- The Evening Turbo trophy
- The first-place prize money
He also returns for Madness Kickoff Day 2 with 162,000 chips, already locking up his first score of the USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026 series on opening day.
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.