2024 USOP Grand Finale Hai Phong: Poker Dream GOAT Nishant Sharma`s Hot Streak Continues; Storms to 3rd in High Roller Sunday Special Mega Boost (₹66.24 Lakhs)

The 2024 U Series of Poker (USOP) Grand Finale Hai Phong is reaching its climax! This 13-day poker extravaganza, hosted in the Grand Ballroom of the Pullman Grand Hotel in partnership with the Crown Poker Club, has been breaking records left, right and centre. It’s certainly lived up to its billing as the biggest poker festival ever held in Vietnam!

As the series wraps up on Wednesday, 56 players have already claimed victory, and Team India has been a dominant force throughout. Indian players have always held their own in Asia, but their performance in Vietnam has been truly remarkable. The USOP has consistently been a favourite hunting ground for Indian pros, and this season-ending event has been no exception, with many arriving late to play the Main Event and the other major tournaments in the final days.

With a few events still on the schedule, India has already racked up an incredible 53 cashes, with 19 final table appearances and one title. Could we see even more Indian flags raised in victory before the curtain falls?

The Main Event was the crown jewel of the series, exceeding all expectations by generating a colossal VN₫ 59.827 Billion (~$2.35 Million) prize pool. It smashed its advertised VN₫ 40 Billion guarantee thanks to an unprecedented 1,958 entries across four starting flights. This incredible turnout not only blew past the guarantee by 1.5 times but also set a new series record, eclipsing the previous one by a staggering VN₫ 15 Billion (~$700,000).

South Korea’s Choi Hun Tae outlasted this record-setting field to capture the Main Event title and a phenomenal VN₫ 9.20 Billion (~$362,705) first-place prize. China’s Zhou Ledong put up a tough fight but ended his run as the runner-up, taking home VN₫ 6.175 Billion (~$243,446).

Team India had a strong showing in the Main Event, with eight players finding a spot in the money. Veteran pro Sumit Sapra went the furthest, finishing in 88th place for VN₫ 106.50 Million (~₹3.56 Lakhs).

Other notable Indian finishers included Abhijith Cheruku (133rd for VN₫ 81 Million ~₹2.71 Lakhs), Rising Star Ritwik Khanna (136th for VN₫ 81 Million ~₹2.71 Lakhs), Amit Kaushik (137th for VN₫ 81 Million ~₹2.71 Lakhs), WSOP bracelet winner Young Gun Aayush Arya (148th for VN₫ 76 Million ~₹2.54 Lakhs), Natural8 India Executive Director and Ambassador Kunal Patni (191st for VN₫ 68 Million ~₹2.27 Lakhs), Nageshwara Alaparthy (206th for VN₫ 65 Million ~₹2.17 Lakhs), and Deepankur Gupta (219th for VN₫ 62 Million ~₹2.07 Lakhs).

In other thrilling action, Malaysia’s Kin Hang Wai took down Event #51: VN₫ 77 Million High Roller Sunday Special Mega Boost, winning his second live title and a career-best VN₫ 3.77 Billion (~$148,780). Dutch player Tom Verbruggen finished as the runner-up, earning himself a personal best VN₫ 2.63 Billion (~$103,686).

But the highlight for India in this event was the incredible performance of Nishant Sharma. The legendary three-time Poker Dream Main Event champion, who had a historic win at Poker Dream 13 Malaysia last month, continued his hot streak with a third-place finish in the High Roller Sunday Special Mega Boost. This impressive result earned Sharma a whopping VN₫ 1.98 Billion (~₹66.24 Lakhs) – his fifth-largest live cash.

It’s interesting to note that four of Sharma`s top five all-time live scores have come this year, with the only exception being his 34th-place finish in the 2018 WSOP Main Event. This cash was Sharma’s first of the series and the biggest score by any Indian player at the USOP Grand Finale. With this, he overtook Kunal Patni as India’s top earner for the series – the same player he recently bumped from the #8 spot on India’s all-time money list after his incredible run at Poker Dream Malaysia.

Aditya Agarwal, a WSOP bracelet winner and one of the pioneers of Indian poker, finished 17th in High Roller Sunday Special Mega Boost for VN₫ 255 Million (~₹8.53 Lakhs), his first cash of the series. Ashish Munot added a fourth cash to his series tally with a 33rd place finish worth VN₫ 130 Million (~₹4.35 Lakhs), pushing his series winnings to VN₫ 477.50 Million (~₹15.97 Lakhs).

Meanwhile, Vietnam’s Dac Dung Duong triumphed in Event #50: VN₫ 15 Million Megastack, taking home VN₫ 896 Million (~$35,324) after a heads-up deal with runner-up Quang Tung Bui, who earned VN₫ 738 Million (~$29,095).

India’s Harsh Bubna, who started the final day second in chips, had a strong showing, finishing third for VN₫ 436 Million (~₹14.59 Lakhs). This was his fifth cash of the series, boosting his total winnings to VN₫ 577 Million (~₹19.30 Lakhs).

Singapore’s Teng Yang Hoo took down Event #57: VN₫ 22 Million Mini Highroller, adding VN₫ 515 Million (~$20,304) to his bankroll.

India’s Kartik Ved, a WSOP bracelet winner, battled hard for his first live title in Asia but finished as the runner-up, earning VN₫ 322.30 Million (~₹10.78 Lakhs). This was his fourth cash of the series, which bumped his total earnings to VN₫ 657.5 Million (~₹22 Lakhs).

Another Indian veteran, Shravan Chhabria, also made it to the Mini Highroller final table, finishing eighth for VN₫ 61.50 Million (~₹2.06 Lakhs) in his first cash of the series.

All eyes are now on the VN₫ 25 Million Championship Event, which boasts a staggering VN₫ 20 Billion guarantee. Day 1A attracted 252 entries, with China’s Chen Xiong (1,643,000) bagging the chip lead among the 32 survivors. India’s Amit Kaushik (285,000) and Nageshwara Alaparthy (47,000) also advanced to Day 2.

Day 1B brought in 170 entries, with China’s Chen Peng (1,319,000) leading the 21 survivors. India’s Harsh Bubna (360,000) and Young Gun Ashwin Vijayvergiya (50,000) also bagged up chips for Day 2. With the last two starting flights, Day 1C and Day 1D, playing out today, we can expect even more thrilling action from Team India.

Choi Hun Tae Triumphs in Record-Breaking USOP Grand Finale Main Event

The USOP Grand Finale Main Event in Hai Phong, Vietnam, concluded with a bang, shattering all expectations. A scorching field of 1,958 entries across four starting flights generated a colossal VN₫ 59.827 Billion prize pool($2.35 Million), easily surpassing the VN₫ 40 Billion guarantee. This incredible turnout not only blew past the guarantee by 1.5 times but also established a new record for the series, surpassing the previous record by an astounding VN₫ 15 Billion ($700,000).

South Korea’s Choi Hun Tae emerged triumphant from this record-setting field. He navigated his way through tough competition and ultimately found himself heads-up against China’s Zhou Ledong. In a sudden twist, Choi sealed his win in just one hand, grabbing the trophy and a colossal VN₫ 9.2 Billion ($362,705) first-place prize. Zhou, while he didn’t win, still earned a respectable VN₫ 6.175 Billion ( $243,446) for his second-place finish.

Choi started Day 2 as the overall chip leader and maintained a strong presence throughout the tournament. He faced some challenges along the way, but he was never on the ropes and eventually regained the chip lead at the final table. With a dominant four-to-one chip advantage going into heads-up play, Choi swiftly finished the tournament, clinching the title in a single, decisive hand. This win significantly boosted his lifetime live earnings to $383,192, according to his Hendon Mob profile.

After his victory, an elated Choi shared his thoughts on the tournament. “There were a lot of ups and downs on the final day,” he admitted. “My chips were going up and down, but when I reached the final table with the chip lead, I knew I could win it. I knew I was going to win it.”

When asked about his plans for the prize money, Choi replied, “I promised my wife a percentage of the payout for taking care of me throughout the tournament—cooking for me, getting me food and drinks—so she has to get paid first. Then, I’ll spend with my friends who supported me in this event.”

Reflecting on his overall USOP experience, Choi added, “It’s my first time in Hai Phong, but the environment and setting are very good. The atmosphere for poker is also very good.”

The Main Event attracted a diverse field, with 240 players returning on Sunday to compete for the VN₫ 9.2 Billion top prize. Among them was a strong contingent of Indian players, eight of whom had fought their way to Day 2. Veteran poker pro Sumit Sapra led the charge for Team India, achieving an 88th-place finish for VN₫ 106.50 Million (₹3.56 Lakhs). This was his second cash of the series.

Other notable Indian players included Abhijith Cheruku (133rd for VN₫ 81 Million ~₹2.71 Lakhs), Rising Star Ritwik Khanna (136th for VN₫ 81 Million ~₹2.71 Lakhs), Kurukshetra-based Amit Kaushik (137th for VN₫ 81 Million ~₹2.71 Lakhs), WSOP bracelet winner Young Gun Aayush Arya (148th for VN₫ 76 Million ~₹2.54 Lakhs), Natural8 India Executive Director and Ambassador Kunal Patni (191st for VN₫ 68 Million ~₹2.27 Lakhs), Nageshwara Alaparthy (206th for VN₫ 65 Million ~₹2.17 Lakhs), Deepankur Gupta (219th for VN₫ 62 Million ~₹2.07 Lakhs).

You can watch the final table replay below:

At the final table, the action was intense. Nguyen Tien Son was the first to be eliminated, finishing in ninth place and taking home VN₫ 920 Million (~$36,270). Soon after, Jun Li was sent to the rail in eighth place when Choi Hun Tae’s Big Slick cracked his pocket queens in a crucial coin flip. Li earned VN₫ 1.17 Billion (~$46,127) for his efforts.

Joris Michl of the Netherlands, who started the day as one of the chip leaders, had a series of unlucky hands and was eliminated in seventh place, taking home VN₫ 1.45 Billion (~$57,165). Jon Rounce-Sue from New Zealand followed in sixth place, collecting VN₫ 1.79 Billion (~$70,821). Next to go was Ian Modder from Canada, who earned VN₫ 2.3 Billion (~$90,676) for his strong showing.

As the field narrowed, Zhang Yankai suffered a dramatic downfall during four-handed play, losing three significant pots that cost him 70% of his stack. He was eventually eliminated by Choi Hun Tae in fourth place, earning VN₫ 3.10 Billion (~$122,215).

From here on, Choi Hun Tae seized control, delivering consecutive knockouts to pave his way to victory. He first eliminated Zhi Buhui in third place for VN₫ 4.175 Billion (~$164,595), and then, in a thrilling final hand, he defeated Zhou Ledong to claim the title.

The final hand was a heart-stopper. Zhou Ledong limped in with , and Choi Hun Tae checked his . The flop opened . Choi checked, Zhou bet 800,000, and Choi immediately moved all-in. Zhou called, drawing to both a flush and a gutshot straight, while Choi was ahead with king-high and a straight draw of his own.

The turn brought the , keeping Choi in the lead. The river delivered a dramatic , securing Choi’s victory and crowning him the USOP Main Event Champion!

Final Table Results (VND)

1. Choi Hun Tae – VN₫ 9,200,000,000
2. Zhou Ledong – VN₫ 6,175,000,000
3. Zhi Buihui – VN₫ 4,175,000,000
4. Zhang Yankai – VN₫ 3,100,000,000
5. Ian Modder – VN₫ 2,300,000,000
6. Jon Rounce-Sue – VN₫ 1,796,380,000
7. Joris Michl – VN₫ 1,450,000,000
8. Jun Li – VN₫ 1,170,000,000
9. Nguyen Tien Son – VN₫ 920,000,000

Team India Scores at USOP Grand Finale Hai Phong

USOP Grand Finale Hai Phong Winners

Content & Images Courtesy: USOP & So Much Poker

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