2024 USOP Grand Finale Hai Phong: Kunal Patni Leads the POS Race as Controversy Overshadows the Billionaire Club Challenge

The atmosphere inside the Grand Ballroom of the Pullman Grand Hotel in Hai Phong, Vietnam, is electric. The 2024 U Series of Poker (USOP) Grand Finale, in partnership with the Crown Poker Club, is in full swing, and the poker action is hotter than ever. But one player seems to be playing on a different level: India’s very own Kunal Patni (cover image)!

Team India has been a force to be reckoned with in the South Asian poker scene, and they were proving their mettle once again at this season-ending USOP event. With the series past the halfway point, the Indian contingent had already racked up a stunning 35 cashes, reached 11 final tables, and even snatched a title victory.

At the forefront of this Indian invasion is Kunal Patni, the Executive Director and brand ambassador for Natural8 India. Patni isn’t just playing well; he’s on an absolute tear! His recent record boasts an incredible ten final table appearances since September, including two spectacular title wins at the APT Phu Quoc.

It’s no surprise then that Patni is dominating the Player of the Series (POS) race at the USOP Grand Finale. With a commanding 1,125 points, he’s miles ahead of the competition.

Since the series began on November 29, Patni has been a cashing machine. He’s already made the money in five events, with four of those being deep runs to the final table. His most recent near-miss came in Event #36: VN₫ 22 Million Mini Highroller, where he battled his way to a fifth-place finish, taking home VN₫ 146.10 Million (~₹4.87 Lakhs).

Here’s a breakdown of Patni’s incredible run at the USOP Grand Finale:

• Event #1: VN₫ 11 Million Madness Kickoff: 42nd for VN₫ VN₫ 57 Million (₹1.90 Lakhs)
• Event #7: VN₫ 22 Million Mini High Roller: 3rd for VNVN₫ 130 Million (~₹4.34 Lakhs)
• Event #17: VN₫ 66 Million High Roller 6 Max: 4th for VN₫ 505 Million (~₹16.83 Lakhs)
• Event #27: VN₫ 10 Million Midweek Superstack: 2nd for VN₫ 666 Million (~₹22.22 Lakhs)* (Heads-Up Deal)
• Event #36: VN₫ 22 Million Mini Highroller: 5th for VN₫ 146.10 Million (~₹4.87 Lakhs)

These results have propelled Patni’s total series winnings to an astounding VN₫ 1.504 Billion (~₹50.17 Lakhs)!

While Kunal Patni is stealing the show, he’s not the only Indian player making waves at the USOP Grand Finale. It seems inevitable that Patni will add a second USOP trophy to his collection, but other talented Indian players are also making their presence known!

WSOP bracelet winner Aditya Sushant, for example, narrowly missed the final table in Event #16: VN₫ 20 Million Mini Main Event but bounced back with a strong performance in the VN₫ 22 Million Mini Highroller. Sushant finished 16th for VN₫ 45 Million (~₹1.50 Lakhs), bringing his total series winnings to VN₫ 286 Million (~₹9.54 Lakhs).

The VN₫ 22 Million Mini Highroller drew a packed field of 111 players (132 total entries), smashing its advertised VN₫ 500 Million guarantee by almost five times to generate a colossal VN₫ 2.482 Billion prize pool. China’s Youkan Li conquered the field, claiming the title and the VN₫ 675 Million first-place prize. His fellow countryman, Haoran Sun, finished second for VN₫ 415 Million.

Day 7 of the series saw even more action from the Indian contingent, with impressive results in Event #35: VN₫ 10 Million Bubble Rush Event. Raj Vardhan Bagaria made a grand entrance onto the USOP scene, kicking off his campaign with a fifth-place finish in the Bubble Rush for VN₫ 48.50 Million (~₹1.62 Lakhs).

Rising Star Ritwik Khanna also continued his strong run, notching his second ninth-place finish of the series in the Bubble Rush, adding VN₫ 25.50 Million (~₹85,000) to his winnings and pushing his total series earnings to VN₫ 195 Million (~₹6.50 Lakhs).

China’s Tao-Wei Chang went the distance in this event, outlasting the 82-player field (89 total entries) to claim the VN₫ 235 Million top prize. His compatriot, Xiaoli Yuan, finished second for VN₫ 144 Million.

Day 7: High-Stakes Action and Unexpected Controversy

Day 7 of the USOP Grand Finale in Hai Phong was a wild one, packed with massive fields, high-stakes action, and an unexpected dose of controversy.

The day began with the highly anticipated VN₫ 40 Billion GTD Event #33: VN₫ 35 Million Main Event. Day 1A saw a huge turnout, with 345 entries recorded. Only 43 players survived the gauntlet, with China’s Zhi Bhuhui bagging the chip lead with a commanding stack of 978,000 (98 BBs). Unfortunately, no Indian player made the cut for Day 2.

Meanwhile, Event #34: VN₫ 88 Million Super High Roller also kicked off. This high-roller affair attracted a field of 160 entries, with 24 players advancing to Day 2. South Korea’s Lee Juyeol bagged the overnight chip lead with a massive 3.10 Million in chips.

But the real drama unfolded on the final day of Event #28: VN₫ 250 Million Billionaire Club Challenge. This was the most expensive tournament of the series, and it attracted an impressive 61 entries, pushing the prize pool to an explosive VN₫ 13.475 Billion! Only the top nine players were to earn a share of this incredible prize pool.

As the final table was playing down to a champion (who was assured VN₫ 4.26 Billion), things took an unexpected turn. Play was abruptly stopped after the third-place elimination, and the tournament ended without a winner! Concerns arose about potential soft play between finalists Jinlong Hi and Yuhan Liu.

The USOP officials reviewed the situation, including the live-streamed footage of the final table, and decided not to award the trophy. While they found no concrete evidence of foul play, the behaviour of the two players, including excessive private conversations in their native language, raised questions about sportsmanship. Both players received formal warnings, and the USOP made it clear that any future incidents would result in stricter penalties.

This controversial ending to the Billionaire Club Challenge sent shockwaves through the USOP Grand Finale. It’s a reminder that poker is a game of integrity and sportsmanship, and the USOP is committed to upholding those values.

Content & Images Courtesy: USOP & So Much Poker

Keep following PokerGuru for all the latest updates from the 2024 USOP Grand Finale Hai Phong!