Juyeol Lee conquers USOP Main Event in Vietnam, Siddharth Karia Shines in High Roller

Juyeol Lee conquers USOP Main Event in Vietnam, Siddharth Karia Shines in High Roller

Hai Phong, the 2024 U Series of Poker (USOP), came off brilliantly at the Dream Dragon Resort, Vietnam. Attracting poker players from all around the world, the poker festival ran over 13 exciting days. With 65 champions announced, South Korea’s Juyeol Lee stole the show by winning the much sought-after VN₫ 30 Million Main Event; India’s Siddharth Karia created an amazing impression on the High Roller event. 

Main Event Triumph of Juyeol Lee

By defeating the VN₫ 30 Million Main Event, South Korean poker ace Juyeol Lee made USOP history. Drawing 1,507 participants above its VN₫ 15 Billion guarantee by more than 2.5 times, this high-stakes event produced a total prize pool of VN₫ 38.248 billion (~$1.55 million). Following a disappointing performance in the VN₫ 77 Million High Roller: Megastack earlier in the series, Lee triumphantly returned, capturing his first-ever USOP title together with the VN₫ 6.32 Billion ($257,590) first-place reward. 

The last heads-up opponent Juyeol Lee faced was Julian Warhurst of Australia, who came runner-up with VN₫ 4.45 billion ($181,370). Juyeol Lee’s series profits, with this triumph, exceeded VN₫ 7.36 billion (~$299,127), therefore surpassing the $500,000 mark in live tournament receipts. This success marks Lee’s poker career’s turning point and establishes him as a strong competitor on the international scene.

Juyeol Lee’s path to triumph

Juyeol Lee’s road to the Main Event championship was not a straight one. Following a three-day struggle of great intensity, Lee began in third chip position behind Xin Tang and Julian Warhurst on the final table. Lee, though, soon established his supremacy by amassing chips through aggressive play. Cao Tran Ngoc moved all-in with pocket queens but lost to Tony Miles’ full house, therefore marking the first elimination of the final table.

Juyeol Lee methodically outplayed his opponent as the eliminations carried on. Eliminating Leo Kamiya in sixth place, he tied for the major knockout and won a blind-versus-blind fight. Lee had a dominating chip lead when the field dropped to three players—Juyeol Lee, Julian Warhurst, and Tran Huy Phong.

Heads-Up Showdown: Juyeol Lee Against Julian Warhurst

Juyeol Lee and Julian Warhurst had a quick but fierce last heads-up fight. Lee played fearlessly, beginning with a 3:1 chip edge. Lee entered the last-hand all-in with pocket eights against Warhurst’s pocket tens. Juyeol Lee clinched the championship and the esteemed USOP Main Event title with a remarkable board run-out that brought him a full house on the river. 

Siddharth Karia Shines on High Roller Event

Strong performances by India’s Siddharth Karia made his mark at USOP Hai Phong. Karia, a PokerStars India ambassador, regularly performed at the tables, finishing eighth in the VN₫ 66 Million High Roller: The Finale, collecting VN₫ 277.70 Million (~₹9.44 Lakhs.). Karia was the highest Indian earner at the festival, having fourth cash of the series and overall profits of an amazing VN₫ 1.194 Billion (~₹40.59 Lakhs).

Karia gave quite a showing in the High Roller: The Finale tournament. After defeating the 179-entry field, Vietnam’s Anh Dung Trinh finally brought home the first-place prize of VN₫ 2.30 billion ($93,477), proving his supremacy on the Asian poker scene.

India’s Fantastic Run at USOP Hai Phong

With 37 cashes and 12 final table appearances, Indian athletes put up an amazing display at the 2024 USOP Hai Phong. Abhinav Iyer was among the best; he won two cashes and finished third in the VN₫ 120 million Superstar Challenge, therefore earning VN₫ 1.049 billion (~₹35.60 lakhs). Rising 49th for VN₫ 103 million (~₹3.50 lakhs), Anmol Mehta became the top Indian finisher in the main event.

Deepankur Gupta, who cashed in three events, and Ashwin Vijayvergiya, with six deep runs during the series, were other Indian players who made significant runs. 

Juyeol Lee’s ascent in poker

Another outstanding success in Juyeol Lee’s poker career is his triumph at the WSOP Main Event. Having already established a strong name in the Asian poker scene, this victory confirms his rank among the best players from South Korea. Given that Juyeol Lee had been shown extraordinary form throughout the season, almost missing a title in the VN₫ 77 Million High Roller: Megastack, his achievement in Vietnam was not surprising.

Key elements in Juyeol Lee’s triumph were his will to recover following second in the High Roller and his capacity to keep concentration in the Main Event. Along with financial benefits, his victory helps him to establish himself as among the top players in the Asian poker scene.

Results from Final Table (VN₫)

1.Juyeol Lee – VN₫ 6,320,000,000
2. Julian Warhurst, VN 4,450,000, 000
3. Tran Huy Phong: VN₫ 2,900,000,000
4. Xin Tang: VN2,150,000,000
5. Tony Miles VN₫ 1,600,000,000
6. Leo Kamiya: VN₫ 1,309,000,000
7. Jianfeng Sun, VN₫ 1,060,260,000
8. Tran Van Phuc—VN 840,000,000
9. Cao Tran Ngoc: VN₫ 632,000,000 

Final Thought: Juyeol Lee’s Legacy of Poker

The Main Event triumph of Juyeol Lee will surely be regarded as a pivotal point in the 2024 USOP Hai Phong series. He distinguishes himself from the competitors with his unwavering approach, great talents, and capacity to grab possibilities at pivotal times. As Juyeol Lee keeps climbing the poker scene, his name will undoubtedly be connected with success in the next few years.

The USOP Hai Phong was another effective stop in their poker trip for Siddharth Karia and the Indian contingent. India’s poker players are building a name for themselves as they keep succeeding on the Asian circuit; the future seems bright for the nation’s rising poker stars.