It has been nearly six months since Ian Lee defeated Phan Quang Thái in the heads-up battle at USOP Đà Nẵng to secure his first title. As USOP Hải Phòng approaches, let’s take a look back at the six past champions of the U Series Of Poker.
Edwin de la Cruz (PHI) – Series 2023 USOP Poker2U Đài Loan
USOP had a modest start in February 2023 in Taipei. With a reasonable buy-in of around $600, the inaugural USOP event attracted over a thousand entries for the Main Event, a remarkable feat at the time.
While most participants at USOP Poker2U Taiwan were local players alongside those from Malaysia, it was a player from the Philippines who made history as the first-ever USOP champion.
Cruz, known by his online poker alias "Hit D’Heat" in the Philippines, clinched the first-ever USOP Main Event trophy by overcoming Song Liu from the host country. Cruz began his poker journey playing online with friends in play money games, gradually gaining experience and moving on to professional poker tournaments.
2023 was a stellar year for him, highlighted by his victory in Taiwan where he outlasted 1,043 opponents to win $98,340—his first five-figure prize. He continued his success with a win at the USOP Megastack event in Hanoi in April, and shortly after, he took home the championship title at Poker Dream Manila, earning $99,152.
At USOP Taiwan 2024, Cruz was unable to defend his Main Event title. Will he be ready to make a comeback and reclaim glory in Hải Phòng?
Nguyễn Ngọc Đại (VIE) – 2023 USOP Hanoi I
When USOP made its second stop at Crown Poker Club in April, Vietnamese players dominated the field. Out of 28 trophies, 22 were claimed by local players, including the Main Event, where Nguyễn Ngọc Địa triumphed over 851 competitors to secure the title.
A prominent figure in the Vietnamese poker community, Nguyễn Ngọc Địa’s victory at USOP Hanoi I earned him over $129,000, marking his biggest win to date. Despite a slow start to 2024, he later achieved victory at the SuperStack VPL Summer Series Hanoi in May. He is now preparing meticulously for his journey at USOP Hải Phòng.
Vishal Ojha (IND) – USOP Hà Nội II 2023
Since 2022, Indian players have been traveling extensively across poker festivals in the region. At the Main Event of USOP Hanoi II (held at Crown Poker Club) in September 2023, Vishal Ojha emerged as the sole and prestigious champion with 1,336 entries.
Ojha negotiated an ICM deal with Mai Biển, a local Vietnamese player, before advancing to the heads-up and securing the Main Event trophy and a prize of $239,000. This victory marked the best achievement of his poker career.
The Naing (SGP) - 2023 USOP Danang
An overwhelming victory is the perfect way to describe Naing's triumph at the USOP Đà Nẵng 2023 Main Event. The Singaporean player entered the final table with over 50% of the chips in play and swiftly concluded the heads-up match against Nguyễn Trung Hà, the local player, securing a prize of $205,676.
Although Naing was unable to defend his title at USOP Đà Nẵng 2024, he did achieve a "minor" victory in the Mini High Roller event, earning $22,125. He remains one of the most anticipated players at USOP and continues to seek ways to enhance his performance at the upcoming USOP Hải Phòng.
Chen Yu “Sam” Hung (TWN/USA) - 2024 USOP Taiwan
Sam Hung, with impressive experience from international events such as the WSOP and WSOP Circuit, has increasingly returned to his hometown in recent years to compete in poker and has quickly become one of the most influential figures there.
He achieved a significant victory at the USOP Taiwan Main Event earlier this year, emerging as the last player standing from a field of 1,100 entries. The intense heads-up battle between Sam Hung and Lee Gyeong Byeing lasted two hours, with the local player ultimately securing the win and a prize of $173,243. This remains Sam Hung’s only six-figure win in his poker career.
Ian Lee (MAS) - 2024 USOP Danang I
When entering the final table of the most recent USOP series, Ian Lee openly shared that he was the only one in his friend group who had not yet achieved an international poker title. This Malaysian entrepreneur had come close to winning a USOP High Roller trophy but was defeated by Hoàng Hải Nam, a professional poker player from Vietnam, at the Superstars Challenge.
At USOP Đà Nẵng, Ian Lee faced formidable opponents from the region and spent 6 hours to secure the prestigious Main Event trophy and a prize of $287,336. This was his first and only six-figure win.
As USOP Hải Phòng approaches, who will be the next to claim a USOP trophy? Could it be YOU? Come to the beautiful port city and join the USOP Hải Phòng festival starting from September 19th, with a total GTD prize pool of VND 60 billion.
