It feels like Main Event day here at the launch of WPT Prime with players packing the Crown Poker Club to take advantage of the WPT Opener final entry day. The World Poker Tour’s newest series kicked off on May 19 and will run through May 30. This is the first international event hosted by the brand in Hanoi, Vietnam and it is rockin’!
Registration for the opener has eclipsed 500 entries and the prize pool has surged way over the VN₫ 2.5 Billion guarantee. We will have all those figures for you in the recap article, for now, here are a few of the locals to watch out for.
Cao Ngoc Anh
One of the most decorated Vietnamese players is Cao Ngoc Anh who emerged into the live scene in 2017. Several months later, Cao placed 2nd at a local event then landed his first major title shortly after at the APT Ho Chi Minh Championships Event. The achievement earned him a handsome five figure score of US$ 56,740. Since then, Cao has added three side event wins to his portfolio which included a dominating victory at the 2020 WPT Philippines Super High Roller for a career-high US$ 60,657 payout. Just recently, Cao placed 3rd at the inaugural APT Phu Quoc Main Event for another US$ 24,722 in his pocket. Based on The Hendon Mob, Cao has accumulated over US$ 336K in live earnings.
Huynh Ngoc Cuong
Young gun Huynh Ngoc Cuong is one of the newest players who deserves the spotlight. During the pandemic, he crushed several live events in Vietnam, starting with the 2021 APL Vietnam Hanoi Kickoff. This earned him his first win and his first five figure score of US$ 17,857. A few days later, he shipped the festival’s Main Event to bank a career-high score of US$ 43,570. Nearly one year later, Huynh was back at it, adding yet another victory to his name. He shipped the Hanoi Spring Championship for US$ 22,347. To date, he has over US$ 95K in THM tracked live earnings.
On the virtual felt, Huynh has also seen success. In February 2022, he bagged the APL Online Series – Sanya Bay Shooting Star – on GGPoker for a cool US$ 22,770 payout.
Le Ngoc Khanh
Veteran player Le Ngoc Khanh came into radar in 2015 when he placed 5th at the APT Manila Main Event for a first ever live score of US$ 17,548. For the next two years, Khanh collected numerous final table payouts, and in 2018, he nearly won the PokerStars Live Manila Super Series Main Event, placing 2nd for US$ 22,360. Three months later, Khanh staged one of his best performances yet at the 2019 APT Ho Chi Minh series. He placed 2nd at the High Rollers and 3rd at the Championships for a combined US$ 74K payout. The year after, Khanh shined once again, winning two WPT Vietnam events amounting to US$ 63.7K. The first win was at the WPT Kickoff for a career-high US$ 53,251 then followed it up with a win at the WPT Main Event Turbo Edition for US$ 10,539.
Hue Dang
Hue Dang rocked the Phu Quoc shores last month when she crushed the APT Vietnam Main Event heads up stage to seize her first ever live title. In fact, Hue only had one prior cash before the victory. Her fearless style is one to keep a close eye on as it will surely put pressure on everyone at the table.
Other locals heating up the felt here at Day 1C are Van Sang Nguyen, Harry Duong, Ngo Minh Tien, Vu Duc Trung, and Macaron Tran.
Super Stars Challenge Invitational
Also taking space on the floor is the Super Stars Challenge Invitational with 14 players currently in action. Buy in to the event is an eye-popping VN₫ 210,000,000 (~US$ 9,100). It is the most expensive tournament ever staged in the country. One player has already re-entered. Registration closes at the start of Level 9, approximately 5:45pm. Here are the contenders:
*A few latecomers have joined the action, among them are WSOP bracelet champion Kartik Ved from India, Nguyen Quang Huy, and Hieu Ngo.
Stick with us as we bring you daily recaps and highlights of the ongoing WPT Prime Vietnam festival from start to finish.
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