Kyung Min Lee Sets Bar Sky High at Day 1B
By Tricia David
Kyung Min Lee
Day 1B of the GOP Incheon Main Event came to a close with Kyung Min Lee emerging as the runaway chip leader after a late surge fueled by two huge knockouts, one of them coming at the bubble to put an exclamation mark on his day.
Lee finished the flight with a fortress of 1,729,000, good for 86 big blinds heading into Day 2. He has now set the benchmark very high for the remaining flights to chase.
The flight attracted 34 entries with only five players advancing into the ITM stage, each are now guaranteed a share of the KRW 700,000,000 guaranteed prize pool and are in contention for the coveted Black-and-Gold Gauntlet.
| Player | Chips |
| Kyung Min Lee | 1,729,000 |
| Kenji Hata | 1,006,000 |
| Wei Zhu | 701,000 |
| Tianhua Xie | 344,000 |
| Chang I Hsuan | 300,000 |
Check out the hand updates below for some of the day's action.
The survivors now enjoy a three-day break before returning on May 22 for Day 2, where the race toward the final table officially begins.
Level 10:
10K/20K (20K BBA)Ryo Kotake Coolered on the Bubble
By Tricia David
Ryo Kotake bubbles
Painful way to go for Ryo Kotake who was running hot at every showdown however when he faced the leader Kyung Min Lee it was a different story.
Lee opened 40,000 and Ryo Kotake called on the big blind. Lee c-bet 35,000 on a flop of J ♠️ 10 ♣️ 5 ♠️, and again Kotake called.
On the turn 5 ♠️, Kotake took control with a 75,000 bet, which didn't shake off Lee to complete the board with the A ♣️ river.
Wasting no time, Kotake announced all in, Lee called. Kotake turned over A ♦️ J ♦️ top two pair however it was not good enough against Lee's rivered straight with K ♥️ Q ♦️.
With that, the Day 1B bubble burst and the five survivors bagged up with Lee towering with 1,729,000 (86 big blinds).
| Player | Chips |
| Kyung Min Lee | 1,729,000 |
| Ryo Kotake | 0 |
Level 10:
10K/20K (20K BBA)Jin Bo Flips Into the Rail
By Tricia David
Jin Bo
Jin Bo was next to head to the rail with Kyung Min Lee collecting his chips. It happened shortly after Jin lost a pot against Kenji Hata.
Kyung Min Lee
Out of the hijack seat, Jin raised 40,000 then tanked when Lee jammed from the small blind. He eventually risked it all and was flipping with overcards.
Jin Bo: A ♦️ Q ♣️
Kyung Min Lee: 10 ♦️ 10 ♥️
Looking for the big cards, the flop ran empty 3 ♥️ 8 ♥️ 4 ♦️ until the turn K ♥️ however it was not the one he hoped for and neither was the river J ♦️ to bust two spots from ITM.
The field is down to 6 players. It is now bubble time.
| Player | Chips |
| Kyung Min Lee | 1,220,000 |
| Jin Bo | 0 |
Level 9:
8K/16K (16K BBA)Kenji Hata's Trips Earn From Jin Bo
By Tricia David
Out of the cutoff seat, Kenji Hata opened 32,000 and found one customer in Jin Bo on the button.
Hata continued at the flop 8 ♦️ 8 ♠️ 2 ♦️ with a bet of 25,000 and Jin called. The turn 6 ♣️ was checked by both then with the river K ♣️, Hata resumed with a bet of 80,000.
Jin tanked then slid out the one-chip call. Hata turned over J ♦️ 8 ♥️ trips for a good scoop.
| Player | Chips |
| Kenji Hata | 855,000 |
| Jin Bo | 407,000 |
Level 9:
8K/16K (16K BBA)Haibo Yang Eliminated by Wei Zhu
By Tricia David
Haibo Yang
Haibo Yang open shoved around 200,000 and Wei Zhu put him on the ropes. Yang was behind but was live with K ♠️ Q ♥️ against Zhu's A ♦️ 9 ♦️.
Still, no paint arrived on the board, instead an ace on the river to ensure Yang's bust three spots from the money.
The field is down to 7 players. ITM at 5 remaining.
| Player | Chips |
| Wei Zhu | 760,000 |
| Haibo Yang | 0 |
Level 9:
8K/16K (16K BBA)Jin Bo Makes Big Call for his Tournament Life
By Tricia David
Jin Bo
From middle position, Kyung Min Lee raised the minimum and got action from Jin Bo on the small blind.
Lee continued at the flop 8 ♠️ 7 ♦️ 4 ♥️ and Jin check-called after burning through one time chip.
Action flared up on the turn 2 ♠️ with Lee shoving his big stack. Jin tanked again then found the call for his tournament life.
Jin Bo: K ♣️ 7 ♠️
Kyung Min Lee: A ♥️ J ♣️
Jin was ahead with a pair but had to sweat the river which came 2 ♥️ for a double up.
| Player | Chips |
| Jin Bo | 468,000 |
| Kyung Min Lee | 820,000 |
Level 9:
8K/16K (16K BBA)Kenji Hata Adds Hsing Hsiung Tai to his KO Collection
By Tricia David
Hsing Hsiung Tai
After losing a chunk of his stack on a cooler, Hsing Hsiung Tai was dealt another strong hand and three-bet shoved. Initial raiser Kenji Hata called to put him at risk of elimination.
Hsing Hsiung Tai: A ♠️ Q ♥️
Kenji Hata: K ♠️ K ♦️
Looking bleak for Tai with only the ace to help him survive the hand. The flop of J ♦️ 6 ♠️ 2 ♠️ brought no help and neither did the turn 10 ♣️.
Tai called out for a king on the river while Hata called out for no king. Hata's wish was granted with the Q ♣️ arriving on the river.
The field is now down to 8 players.
| Player | Chips |
| Kenji Hata | 560,000 |
| Hsing Hsiung Tai | 0 |
Level 9:
8K/16K (16K BBA)Ryo Kotake Lands Another Double Up
By Tricia David
Ryo Kotake
Ryo Kotake opened 33,000 and down the round, Hsing Hsiung Tai didn't realize there was a raise before him and slid out one T-25K chip while saying raise. He was forced to min-raise to 49,000.
When action swung back to Kotake, he jammed and in a snap, Tai called with a covering stack.
Ryo Kotake: A ♥️ A ♣️
Hsing Hsiung Tai: A ♦️ K ♦️
Kotake turned over the nuts and with his streak of good fortune so far, he was in good shape to double up.
That was the case when the board bricked for Tai to lose more than half of his stack.
Hsing Hsiung Tai
| Player | Chips |
| Ryo Kotake | 618,000 |
| Hsing Hsiung Tai | 228,000 |
Level 8:
6K/12K (12K BBA)Tianhua Xie Gets No Value on the River
By Tricia David
From middle position, Wei Zhu opened 25,000 and big blind Tianhua Xie defended for a peek at the flop.
The dealer fanned 4 ♠️ 8 ♣️ 5 ♠️ and both players checked it to the turn where Xie took the reins for 16,000.
Cheap enough for Zhu who called buy the river Q ♣️. Xie returned to checking, Zhu checked back. Xie revealed Q ♥️ 8 ♥️ full house getting no value from Zhu's check.
| Player | Chips |
| Tianhua Xie | 502,000 |
| Wei Zhu | 635,000 |
Level 8:
6K/12K (12K BBA)Wei Zhu Pushes Out Kenji Hata
By Tricia David
Wei Zhu
Three players built a pot of 93,000 by the time the flop ran 2 ♦️ A ♥️ 7 ♣️. Preflop aggressor Wei Zhu continued for 26,000, Ryo Kotake folded, then Kenji Hata tossed in the call to see the turn land 10 ♠️.
No more thinking for Zhu who announced all in and after several seconds, Hata sent his cards to the dealer
| Player | Chips |
| Wei Zhu | 720,000 |
| Kenji Hata | 295,000 |
Level 8:
6K/12K (12K BBA)Kenji Hata Delivers Another KO
By Tricia David
Kenji Hata
Chia Yun Wu was the next player on Kenji Hata's chopping block. Wu was all in with K ♦️ 9 ♦️ and was behind but live against Hata's A ♣️ 4 ♥️.
The board did not grant his needs, instead running Q ♣️ 4 ♣️ 3 ♣️ 3 ♠️ Q ♥️ for a higher two pair to Hata.
The field is now down to 9 players.
| Player | Chips |
| Kenji Hata | 335,000 |
| Chia Yun Wu | 0 |
Level 8:
6K/12K (12K BBA)Tianhua Xie Doubles Up thru Jin Bo
By Tricia David
Tianhua Xie
Tianhua Xie was all in with A ♠️ Q ♥️ and was at risk of elimination against Jin Bo with A ♣️ 9 ♠️.
The board dropped blanks of 7 ♦️ 5 ♠️ 3 ♠️ J ♥️ 4 ♥️ for Xie to double through.
| Player | Chips |
| Tianhua Xie | 426,000 |
| Jin Bo | 258,000 |
Level 7:
5K/10K (10K BBA)Ryo Kotake Busts Rockets
By Tricia David
Ryo Kotake is on a roll with another pot shipped his way. Shortly after he doubled up with rockets, he looked down at kings and went head-to-head against Chien Te Lee who first doubled up him up on a lucky river catch.
Ryo Kotake: K ♣️ K ♠️
Chien Te Lee: A ♦️ A ♠️
Kotake was in very bad shape though he did have Lee covered. The flop Q ♦️ 3 ♠️ 6 ♦️ changed nothing until the turn K ♦️ gave Kotake one of the two outs he needed to overtake.
Lee got up in disgust and the insult was further drilled in with the river K ♥️ for quads to Kotake.
From 5 big blinds, after three pots going his way, Kotake is now sitting with a healthy 30 big blinds.
| Player | Chips |
| Ryo Kotake | 365,000 |
| Chien Te Lee | 0 |
Level 7:
5K/10K (10K BBA)Ryo Kotake Boosted by Rockets
By Tricia David
Following a raise by Hiroki Karatsu on the button, small blind Ryo Kotake three-bet 50,000, then Karatsu jammed. Kotake snap-called and was covered but had the nuts.
Ryo Kotake: A ♥️ A ♣️
Hiroki Karatsu: 7 ♣️ 7 ♦️
With the board dropping blanks, and no scares of any kind, Kotake doubled up again.
| Player | Chips |
| Ryo Kotake | 192,000 |
| Hiroki Karatsu | 171,000 |
Level 7:
5K/10K (10K BBA)Kyung Min Lee Defends His Pocket Pair
By Tricia David
Kyung Min Lee
Kyung Min Lee looked down at 5 ♦️ 5 ♥️ and raised to 25,000. Big blind Hsing Hsiung Tai defended with 9 ♣️ 6 ♣️.
More chips found the middle on the flop A ♣️ Q ♣️ 8 ♦️ with Lee c-betting 16,000, Tai raising double to 32,000, and Lee making the call.
After the small battle, both players checked down the turn K ♥️ and 4 ♥️ river. Lee was awarded the pot for his pair in the hole.
| Player | Chips |
| Kyung Min Lee | 660,000 |
| Hsing Hsiung Tai | 362,000 |
Level 7:
5K/10K (10K BBA)Ryo Kotake Lucks Out
By Tricia David
Ryo Kotake shoved his last five big blinds and was behind at showdown against caller Chien Te Lee.
Ryo Kotake: K ♦️ 10 ♦️
Chien Te Lee: A ♥️ 10 ♣️
By the turn 8 ♠️ 5 ♠️ 7 ♠️ 2 ♦️ Kotake stood up then sat right back down when the river turned up a K ♥️.
| Player | Chips |
| Ryo Kotake | 113,000 |
| Chien Te Lee | 170,000 |
Level 7:
5K/10K (10K BBA)Chip Count Update - Final 13 Players
By Tricia David
Kyung Min Lee
| Player | Chips |
| Kyung Min Lee | 549,000 |
| Hsing Hsiung Tai | 472,000 |
| Wei Zhu | 432,000 |
| Chang I Hsuan | 429,000 |
| Haibo Yang | 405,000 |
| Jin Bo | 340,000 |
| Van Dao Duong | 322,000 |
| Chien Te Lee | 270,000 |
| Chia Yun Wu | 214,000 |
| Ryo Kotake | 190,000 |
| Tianhua Xie | 189,000 |
| Kenji Hata | 151,000 |
| Hiroki Karatsu | 130,000 |
| CHIP COUNTS - FINAL 13 | |
| Table 1 By Seat | Chips |
| Hsing Hsiung Tai | 472,000 |
| Van Dao Duong | 322,000 |
| Kenji Hata | 151,000 |
| Chia Yun Wu | 214,000 |
| Kyung Min Lee | 549,000 |
| Haibo Yang | 405,000 |
| Table 3 by Seat | Chips |
| Jin Bo | 340,000 |
| Hiroki Karatsu | 130,000 |
| Ryo Kotake | 190,000 |
| Chang I Hsuan | 429,000 |
| Chien Te Lee | 270,000 |
| Wei Zhu | 432,000 |
| Tianhua Xie | 189,000 |
Level 6:
4K/8K (8K BBA)Kenji Hata Gives Two Players the Boot
By Tricia David
Kenji Hata
Multi-event champion Kenji Hata with two side event trophies under his belt and a runner-up finish at the Titan Stack is plowing his way through Day 1B by knocking out two players to bring the field down to 13 players with ITM at five remaining.
The first one that met his hammer was Tomokatsu Kumano who shoved on a board 2 ♥️ 8 ♣️ 3 ♦️ 8 ♦️.
Hata called and turned over 10 ♥️ 8 ♥️ trips. Kumano showed K ♣️ K ♦️. The river was J ♥️.
A few hands after, Gary Moon was all in with 10 ♦️ 10 ♠️ and Hata sent him packing with A ♦️ 5 ♦️ pairing up the ace on a board of Q ♠️ 9 ♥️ 2 ♣️ A ♣️ 4 ♠️.
| Player | Chips |
| Kenji Hata | 211,000 |
| Gary Moon | 0 |
| Tomokatsu Kumano | 0 |
Level 5:
3K/6K (6K BBA)Three-Way Cooler!
By Tricia David
Van Dao Duong
Shocking three-way cooler came down at Table 1 but before the hands were revealed, it kicked off with a raise from middle position, called by three players before small blind Van Dao Duong three-bet to 28,000. Only one player dropped out for four-way to the flop.
When the flop fanned A ♣️ 2 ♦️ 3 ♦️, Duong c-bet 50,000, two players folded then Yoshiyasu Nagayasu shoved.
Next to act Hsing Hsiung Tai joined with a covering stack, and Duong called as well for his tournament life.
Yoshiyasu Nagayasu: J ♦️ 10 ♦️ flush draw
Van Dao Duong: A ♠️ 3 ♠️ two pair
Hsing Hsiung Tai: 4 ♠️ 5 ♠️ nuts straight
The next card is where is was all decided with the turn A ♦️ giving Duong the full house to crush both Tai's straight and Nagayasu's flush. The river was a meaningless 6 ♠️.
| Player | Chips |
| Van Dao Duong | 430,000 |
| Hsing Hsiung Tai | 110,000 |
| Yoshiyasu Nagayasu | 0 |
Level 5:
3K/6K (6K BBA)One Point Higher for Chang I Hsuan
By Tricia David
Chang I Hsuan
Live updates is now underway with 17 players remaining.... oops... make that 16 players. Chang I Hsuan just eliminated Jingpei Peng.
Peng shoved at under the gun for his last 22,000 and Chang called on the button.
Jingpei Peng: 8 ♣️ 8 ♦️
Chang I Hsuan: 9 ♣️ 9 ♠️
Only two outs to help Peng avoid elimination however the board bricked to send all of his chips in Chang's direction.
| Player | Chips |
| Chang I Hsuan | 449,000 |
| Jingpei Peng | 0 |