2024 USOP Grand Finale Hai Phong: John Matsuda Wins Championship Event; India’s Harsh Bubna Takes Second (₹63.72 Lakhs) After Time-Driven ICM Chop

The final U Series of Poker stop of the year – the USOP Grand Finale Hai Phong – ended on December 11, and what a scene it was. Over 13 days, the Pullman Grand Hotel’s Grand Ballroom, in partnership with the Crown Poker Club, hosted a poker festival unlike anything Vietnam had ever seen before. Records were broken, winners were made, and 69 trophies found their rightful owners. While we await the final tournament results from the organizers, one thing is clear: this festival lived up to its billing as the largest poker festival in Vietnam’s history.

Indian players, already known for their fierce presence on South Asian poker tables, once again proved why they’re a major threat. At the USOP Grand Finale, they racked up over 55 known cashes, including at least 20 final table finishes, and even grabbed a title. Their performance, coming after a similar dominant showing at APT Phuc Quoc, left no doubt that they are a force to be reckoned with on Vietnamese soil.

And to truly grasp the extent of Team India’s dominance, consider this: that single victory only scratches the surface of their achievements. Across those 20 final table appearances, they narrowly missed the top spot twice, finishing as runner-up. But that’s not all. They also posted an impressive four third, fourth, and fifth-place finishes. This means that even when they didn’t clinch the title, they were consistently in the mix, battling for the top positions. They were a constant threat, proving time and again that they had the skill and determination to go deep and challenge for victory. So while that solitary win is certainly noteworthy, it doesn’t fully capture the extent of their spectacular run at the USOP Grand Finale.

Nishant Sharma‘s remarkable third-place finish in Event #51: VN₫ 77 Million High Roller Sunday Special Mega Boost stands as the highest single Indian score of the series (~₹66.24 Lakhs). However, another player was hot on his heels, threatening to surpass his record – Kolkata’s Harsh Bubna.

Bubna, the DPT May 2024 Mini Main Event champion, had already made a strong showing in Event #50: VN₫ 15 Million Megastack, where he narrowly missed a trophy, finishing in third place for VN₫ 436 Million (~₹14.55 Lakhs). Disappointing, perhaps, but not enough to dampen his spirit. Undeterred, he launched a powerful campaign in Event #55: VN₫ 25 Million Championship Event, which boasted a staggering VN₫ 20 Billion guarantee. With a guarantee-crushing field of 1,059 entries and a prize pool of VN₫ 22.377 Billion, expectations ran high, and Bubna rose to meet them.

As the final six players gathered around the table, Bubna held the second-largest stack, trailing only the Philippines’ John Matsuda. Had the cards played out with no interruptions, Bubna might well have walked away with a career-defining victory. But fate stepped in with a twist. Due to local restrictions, the organizers had mandated that all play must cease by 11:30 PM. Any event running past this deadline would result in players being paid out based on ICM (Independent Chip Model). No more cards, no more chances to improve their standing. Just like that, Bubna’s dream of an international title was snatched away.

Bubna ultimately accepted an ICM-based runner-up payout of VN₫ 1.909 Billion (~₹63.72 Lakhs). This not only represents his highest score ever, both online and live, but also the second-highest Indian score in the series. While he may not have won the trophy, his performance underscores his rising prominence in the international poker scene. With at least six cashes in the series, Bubna concluded his USOP Grand Finale journey with a staggering VN₫ 2.486 Billion (~₹82.98 Lakhs) in total winnings.

Meanwhile, after approximately 12 hours of intense play, the Philippines’ John Matsuda was declared the champion. He claimed the top prize of VN₫ 2.504 Billion and the coveted USOP trophy.

A jubilant Matsuda shared his excitement: “This is my first time playing poker outside of the Philippines, so it’s very special to win in another country. We tried Cambodia before and it didn’t go our way, but now I’m really happy.”

He entered the final table with a commanding stack and a simple strategy: leverage his advantage to pressure his opponents. “I had a lot of chips, so the strategy was to be aggressive and pick up more chips whenever I could.”

Matsuda’s strategy proved effective. On his path to victory, he eliminated formidable competitors like Michael Falcon, Jinlong Hu, and Li Shankui. “I was lucky, but I think I also played well. I had enough chips to stay calm and pick my spots.”

Matsuda Wins, Bubna Denied: USOP Grand Finale Championship Event Concludes in ICM Chop Under Time Pressure

The Main Event had concluded, but the excitement was far from over. Anticipation hung thick in the air as players geared up for the next major showdown: the VN₫ 20 Billion GTD USOP Grand Finale Championship Event. Starting on December 9, the event kicked off with a series of starting flights, culminating in a staggering 1,059 entries by the end of Day 1D. Only 133 players survived the initial onslaught, their dreams of victory still intact.

Among them were 13 Indian contenders who had navigated the early challenges. Leading the Indian charge into Day 2 was Shravan Chhabria, armed with a healthy stack of 624,000 chips. He was followed by a formidable lineup: Abhijith Cheruku (543,000), Harsh Bubna (360,000), PokerStars India ambassador Siddharth Karia (267,000), Amit Kaushik (285,000), WSOP bracelet winner, Young Gun Aayush Arya (228,000), Ankit Bhansali (203,000), Deepankur Gupta (192,000), Ashish Munot (157,000), Natural8 India Executive Director and Ambassador Kunal Patni (148,000), WSOP bracelet winner Aditya Sushant (75,000), Nageshwara Alaparthy (69,000), and Young Gun Ashwin Vijayvergiya (50,000).

While technical difficulties on the organizers’ end have delayed the final confirmation of the final payouts, one thing is clear: the event was a melting pot of talent and ambition. With a massive prize pool and a field teeming with skilled players, the atmosphere crackled with tension.

At the top of the Day 2 leaderboard sat China’s Chen Xiong and Chen Peng, sharing the lead with an identical stack of 1,643,000 chips – a remarkable tie at the front. Great Britain’s Jun Li trailed in third place with 980,000 chips, still very much in contention.

As the tournament marched on, bustouts thinned the field until only ten hopefuls remained. When Junseok Oh’s journey ended in 10th place with VN₫ 287 Million, the final nine took their seats, each one daring to dream that this would be their moment.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. John Matsuda – 12,400,000 (50 BB)
2. Harsh Bubna – 9,400,000 (38 BB)
3. Li Shankui – 4,500,000 (18 BB)
4. Jinlong Hu – 4,250,000 (17 BB)
5. Zhang Xun – 3,650,000 (15 BB)
6. Lee Kun Han – 2,275,000 (9 BB)
7. Luong Viet Bac – 2,150,000 (9 BB)
8. Michael Kim Falcon – 2,100,000 (8 BB)
9. Hung Wan – 1,500,000 (6 BB)

Final Table Recap

Michael Kim Falcon was the first to leave the final table, pushed out by a hand that would make any player wince. His pocket nines ran straight into the brick wall of John Matsuda’s pocket kings. There was no miracle on the board, and Falcon had to settle for ninth place.

Not long after, Harsh Bubna reminded everyone that he wasn’t going down quietly. He moved all-in against Jinlong Hu and came out ahead, pushing his stack up to 2.80 Million (11 BBs) and dropping Hu to a precarious 1.20 million (5 BBs). This moment of hope for Bubna, however, was short-lived for Hu. Matsuda—who seemed determined to gather every chip in sight—snatched up what remained of Hu’s stack, sending the Chinese pro packing in eighth place.

Matsuda wasn’t done. He stacked Li Shankui as well, removing yet another obstacle in seventh place. By now, his relentless drive was the only constant in a field that kept shrinking.

With six players left, things became more complicated. Lee Kun Han found a lifeline against Matsuda and doubled up, pushing himself to 3.45 Million (12 BBs). Next, Zhang Xun stepped in and took a piece out of Matsuda’s stack too. Although Matsuda’s count dipped to 16 Million (53 BBs), he still maintained a commanding edge over the others. The field was fighting back, but he stood far from defeated.

As the clock ticked down towards the 11:30 PM deadline, Harsh Bubna took another shot. He went all-in from the cutoff for his last 6.90 Million holding . Hung Wan defended from the big blind with , a hand that seemed strong enough to send Bubna packing. But the deck had its own ideas. The final board fell in such a way that both players ended up with a two-pair and an ace kicker, forcing them to split the pot. In a situation that should have ended one player’s run, they both lived to see another hand.

Yet, it wouldn’t go much further. With the organizers’ regulations looming, only two more hands were dealt. Matsuda and Bubna each received a walk on their big blinds, and just like that, time was up. The tournament would end with an ICM chop rather than decided on the felt. It was a strange and sudden close to an event that had been full of tense showdowns, near misses, and desperate moves.

No one got the last heroic showdown they’d hoped for, but the energy in the room—just before the chips were counted and the payouts decided—was still thick. Matsuda’s performance stood out, and Bubna’s defiance left no doubt that he belonged at that table.

Final Table Results (VND)

1. John Matsuda – VN₫ 2,503,820,000*
2. Harsh Bubna – VN₫ 1,908,930,000*
3. Hung Wan – VN₫ 1,757,880,000*
4. Luong Viet Bac – VN₫ 1,724,570,000*
5. Zhang Xun – VN₫ 1,715,420,000*
6. Lee Kun Han – VN₫ 1,232,380,000*
7. Li Shankui – VN₫ 610,000,000
8. Jinlong Hu – VN₫ 480,000,000
9. Michael Kim Falcon – VN₫ 370,000,000

*denotes ICM chop due to time limitations

Team India Scores at USOP Grand Finale Hai Phong

Content & Images Courtesy: USOP & So Much Poker