GOP Main Event - Flight D Day 1 - Reg. Open Till the Start of Flight D2 (240 Mins) - NT$ 21,000,000 GTD

Everyone folded to the button Wai Tung Cheung, he shoved and was joined by shorter stacked Katsutoshi Watanabe on the small blind. 

Katsutoshi Watanabe: 9 ♣️ 8 ♣️

Wai Tung Cheung: A ♠️ K ♦️

Cheung was looking good for a pickup until the turn improved Watanabe and with the runout completing 3 ♣️ 2 ♥️ 3 ♦️ 8 ♠️ J ♠️, Watanabe avoided the rail.

With the clock down to the last fifteen minutes, only five deals for players before bagging up.

Chen Yu Hung opened from early position with a min-raise then faced a three-bet of 16,000 from the small blind Kai Yang. Hung wanted to play on and made the call.

At the flop of 10 ♥️ 6 ♥️ J ♠️, Yang continued for another 16,000 and Hung stuck around to bring them to the turn 5 ♦️. Yang fired again for 40,000 and this time, Hung wasn't quick to call, using a time-bank before letting go. 

Woo Tshung Yeo

On a turn board showing 9 ♠️ 10 ♦️ Q ♥️ 5 ♥️ and 29,000 in the pot, the blinds checked to John Niko Costiniano at under the gun who tested with an 18,000 bet. 

Action swung back to the small blind Woo Tshung Yeo who called then big blind Jintae Yang raised to 55,000. This was enough for Costiniano to give up his hand while Yeo went clear other direction and jammed.

Yang was well covered and paused for thought. Yeo took it as a sign that he was ahead and fist-pumped. Then Yang called.

Jintae Yang: Q ♠️ 5 ♠️

Woon Tshung Yeo: Q ♦️ J ♥️

Jintae Yang

Yeo was mistaken as his pair was behind Yang's two pair. The river 2 ♠️ changed nothing for a double up to Yang.

Huang Yu Chen

Preflop betting war opened with a raise from middle position, David Erquiaga, of 5,000 that found one customer in Chi Wen Sun at cutoff. 

Action on the button, Huang Yu Chen, he three-bet to 14,000, sending to option back to Erquiaga. The Filipino pro answered with a four-bet to 50,000, and after Sun bowed out, Chen jammed his big stack. Erquiaga folded. 

Long Hin Shiao

Small blind Long Hin Shiao checked a flop of 4 ♥️ 8 ♣️ 7 ♠️ then called big blind Kiyoung Kim's 13,000 overbet with the pot only at 11,000. 

After the turn revealed the 4 ♠️, Shiao switched up and led for 25,000. Kim shook his head with a smile while folding. 

The board had already completed 6 ♠️ 5 ♥️ 6 ♦️ A ♥️ 7 ♦️ with 51,000 in the pot when Sangjun Jung checked from early position. This gave Nishant Kumar the go-ahead which he used to fire a 41,000 bet. 

Action back on Jung who tanked until he found good reason to make the call. Kumar had pocket nines, Jung had better with A ♠️ 10 ♣️ to collect the pot. 

Seungmin Yu

On a board showing 6 ♣️ 5 ♠️ Q ♣️ 3 ♥️ 2 ♣️ with 88,000 in the pot, small blind Yasunori Sato went all in for 71,000. Seungmin Yu, on the button, needed two time-banks before he decided to hero-call.

Sato flipped over A ♣️ K ♠️ bluff, Yu had 8 ♣️ 8 ♥️ to give Sato the boot. 

Wutikrai Phraikhieo

Wutikrai Phraikhieo min-clicked from under the gun and only next door neighbor Piet Pape gave him action for the dealer to burn and flop it. 

When the cards came 7 ♦️ 4 ♦️ 3 ♣️, Phraikhieo checked, Pape took the reins with a bet of 7,500, then Phraikhieo answered with a raise to 18,000. Pape was unfazed and within seconds, he called to head to fourth street. 

No more checking for Phraikhieo who laid out a c-bet of 16,000 on turn K ♦️. Pape let him have the pot without further challenge. 

After another two hours of play, Flight D is once again on a break. When they return, Level 2 resumes for its last two hours. Registration is wide open for anyone interested in jumping in. Starting stack is 120,000 which is 60 big blinds.

Shun Hei Lee

Action folded around to the small blind Shun Hei Lee, raised 7,000. Big blind Joshua Figuerres defended, firing a three-bet to 28,000. Lee answered back with a shove and Figuerres snap-called for his tournament life. 

Joshua Figuerres: K ♥️ K ♣️

Shun Hei Lee: A ♥️ Q ♠️

As soon as the flop landed 10 ♦️ A ♦️ 9 ♣️, Figuerres' cowboys were cracked, and with the turn 10 ♠️ and river 5 ♠️ he sped off as the pot was pushed to Lee's side of the felt.

David Erquiaga

Catching the action on a board showing 3 ♣️ 2 ♠️ J ♥️ 3 ♦️ 4 ♥️ with 57,000 brewed, Yohwan Lim aka BoxeR bet 27,000 only to be stunned by by David Erquiaga's shove. BoxeR was multiple times over dominated in chips which he decided to preserve after spending two time banks. 

Jinsoo Kim

On a board of 5 ♦️ 3 ♥️ 10 ♦️ 3 ♦️ Q ♠️ with around 64,500 in the pot, Chulho Park bet 53,000 out of the big blind to send Jinsoo Kim deep in the think tank. 

As time ticked with two time-banks out, Kim announced all in for 110,500. Park could easily afford it but opted to fold instead while showing Q ♦️ 7 ♦️ flush that drew a shockwave through the table. Kim didn't return the gesture and just smiled as he arranged his newfound chips. 

Chien Te Lee

Battle of the blinds with 20,000 in front of big blind Jaegeol Cho and small blind Chien Te Lee punching back with a shove for 115,000. Cho was covered by a hair with 109,500 in total. 

After deliberating that cost him three time-banks, Cho risked his tournament life and was flipping with a fifty-fifty chance.

Jaegeol Cho: A ♣️ Q ♦️

Chien Te Lee: J ♠️ J ♦️

Cho's chances slipped when the flop came 8 ♣️ 9 ♦️ 5 ♠️ and further down on the turn 3 ♣️. With the river K ♦️, he was eliminated while Lee shipped a near double up.

Eng Loong Choi

Eng Loong Choi has been on a heater since last year and to cap it off, he won the Gold Gauntlet at the GOP debut in Jeju. Returning for another shot at a gauntlet, he was in a heated battle against John Niko Costiniano on a board of 7 ♦️ 4 ♣️ Q ♦️ 4 ♠️ A ♥️ with 74,000 in the pot.

Costiniano checked from the small blind position while Choi burned through one time-bank before announcing all in. Costiniano quickly surrendered his hand. 

Huan Yu Chen

Siddharth Karia raised to 4,500 from under the gun then tanked after button player Huang Yu Chen three-bet to 12,000. 

Taking three time-banks to decide, Karia announced all in and in a snap, Chen called.

Karia saw the bad news as Chen turned over the nuts.

Huang Yu Chen: A ♣️ A ♥️ 

Siddharth Karia: A ♠️ K ♦️

The flop gave Karia a bit of hope but then failed him as it ran out J ♠️ Q ♦️ 4 ♣️ 3 ♠️ 4 ♥️. Chen shipped a huge double up as Karia was down to crumbs.

Kim Enriquez

Kim Enriquez raised from cutoff then four-bet all in after big blind Luke Brendan reraised to 25,000. Brendan called to put Enriquez in danger of elimination.

Kim Enriquez: A ♠️ K ♠️

Luke Brendan: A ♦️ Q ♥️

Enriquez was in fine shape with his superior kicker however when the board reached the turn 8 ♥️ 3 ♥️ 10 ♣️ 2 ♥️, Brendan had a flush draw. Enriquez jumped out of his seat saying, “no, no, no!” And it was granted with the river coming 7 ♠️. 

Wutikrai Phraikhieo

Action opened with a raise from lojack  which was reraised by next door neighbor Chulho Park to 11,000. Cutoff player Billy Alfonso called to swing back the decision to Phraikhieo after the rest folded. 

Phraikhieo answered with a four-bet to 34,500, Park shoved that got Alfonso to quickly fold while Phraikhieo tanked. After using up four time banks, Phraikhieo couldn't let go and tossed in the one-chip call. 

Upon revealing, both had pocket queens. And with a rainbow flop, that ensured the split of the blinds and Alfonso's contribution. 

Heng Zhe Hu

Three players in for 5,000 each preflop head down the streets with the flop landing J ♥️ K ♣️ 5 ♣️. 

Following two checks, action got hot and heavy starting with button player Wai Tung Cheung betting a light 5,000 that got looked up by the big blind Sangjun Jung. Action on the middle position Heng Zhe Hu, he raised to 20,000 which Cheung answered with a 45,000 reraise. 

After Jung stepped aside, Hu shoved and Cheung snap-called for his tournament life. 

Wai Tung Cheung: A ♣️ J ♣️

Heng Zhe Hu: A ♠️ K ♠️

Hu was ahead but needed to dodge a jack and clubs. With the turn 5 ♥️ and river 3 ♥️ he did just to boot Cheung and rise to one of the big stacks.

Kazuki Okamoto

Kazuki Okamoto made his mark at the Gods of Poker debut in Jeju last month with a fourth place finish in the Main Event. On a post-run interview, he spoke openly about his support for the Cronus Structure and intended to return.

True to his word, Okamoto is back in action at GOP. He entered Flight D and wasted no time announcing his presence. He is already sitting on an above the start stack and is definitely one to watch as the day progresses.

Second break of the day. There's still plenty of time to sign up and receive a starting stack worth 60 big blinds with the next level coming up. Level 2 also runs a lengthy four hours.

Edgar Asehan

A big pot of 98,000 was already weighing down the middle and a board of Q ♠️ 6 ♠️ 2 ♠️ 3 ♠️ 9 ♣️ laid out. 

Small blind positioned Zong Chi He checked then spent some time in the think tank after Edgar Asehan jammed from cutoff for 56,500. Zong had slightly more behind but after four time banks spent, he opted to fold and relinquish the pot to Asehan uncontested. 

Hao Lin

First to act Shun Hei Lee opened 2,500 and down the orbit on the small blind, Hao Lin challenged with three-bet to 11,500. Lee wasted no time deciding and called. 

On a flop of 6 ♠️ 8 ♥️ K ♣️, Lin continued for 7,500 and again Lee flatted. Lin paused for a time-bank on the turn 4 ♣️, then fired a 21,000 bet. Lee used a time-bank as well before laying out a bet that covered Lin's stack. 

Lin risked his tournament and turned over A ♠️ K ♠️ top pair. Lee had Q ♣️ J ♣️ flush draw. The river was a black card but not the suit Lee needed. Instead it was the 3 ♠️ for a safe landing for Lin to double through. 

Alan King Lun Lau

Following an open from Simon Hoffmann, cutoff player Alan King Lun Lau three-bet 8,500 and found one caller in David Erquiaga on the button. After a fold, big blind Sung Jin Yun squeezed for his last 36,000. 

Hoffmann got out of the heat while Lau tanked for three-time banks before sliding out the call. Erquiaga tanked as well, though much shorter, burning one time chip then called. 

After the tense preflop action, the board completed 4 ♥️ 8 ♦️ 4 ♠️ K ♦️ 5 ♦️ with Lau and Erquiaga checking it to the river. No more checking for Lau as he dipped in and pulled out 37,000. Erquiaga tanked again for one time chip then folded. 

Sung Jin Yun: :9 ♦️ 9 ♠️

Alan King Lun Lau: Q ♣️ Q ♠️

With Lau's pair dominant, he shipped the pot while booting Yun out in the process.

Jaehyeok Ha

Jaehyeok Ha and Wai Tung Cheung were the only players remaining by the time the flop felted Q ♥️ 10 ♦️ 10 ♥️ with 18,500 in the pot. 

From the lojack position, Ha overbet 30,000 and Cheung defended his stake in the pot and called to head to the turn 6 ♣️. 

No more counting for a Ha who leveraged his towering stack and shoved, easily covering Cheung. After several seconds, Cheung released his hand in frustration.

Battle of the blinds between Fhu Leong Yeo and Piet Pape built a pot of 14,000 by the turn of a board 8 ♠️ Q ♣️ 3 ♦️ 7 ♦️. 

Yeo bet pot and after a bit of thought, Dainton called to take them to fifth street where the 3 ♥️ landed on the river. 

Yeo wasted no time deliberating and bet near-pot of 26,000, and this time, Dainton's pause was much longer, costing him four time-banks before surrendering his hand. 

Yeo showed one card, the J ♥️ bluff? Dainton returned the gesture and revealed his 8 ♦️ 7 ♦️ two pair. 

Chun Lung Wong

Piet Pape has just arrived and quickly put his chips to work with a raise from under the gun that found one caller in the small blind Chun Lung Wong. 

Pape continued for 3,000 at the flop 9 ♠️ 2 ♣️ 10 ♦️ then after Wong check-called, they both checked the turn 9 ♦️.

No more checking for Wong with a steal-bet of 17,000 on the river J ♣️. Pape tanked for one time-bank then let Wong have the pot unchallenged.

Three players remained by the turn 10 ♠️ 5 ♥️ 3 ♠️ 7 ♠️ with 9,000 up for grabs. Out of the big blind, Piet Pape bet 6,500 and the three-way stayed intact with Justin Chan and Yi Ho Chang both tossing in the call. 

With another spade on the board, the J ♠️ on the river, everyone stayed cautious and checked. 

Pape had : 3d: 3 ♠️ set but was still denied the pot with Chang flipping over 8 ♠️ 7 ♦️ flush. 

The first 15-minute break serves as a halftime for the four-hour opening level. When play resumes, players return to the same level for the remaining 120 minutes.

YI Ho Chang

With a pot of 23,000 brewed and a board already at the turn 5 ♠️ 8 ♥️ 7 ♦️ 10 ♥️, Billy Alfonso took a stab for 5,000 only to be challenged with a raise to 25,000 from Ho Yi Chang. Alfonso only had 40,500 behind and still slid out the call. 

When the river produced the 7 ♣️, Chang put Alfonso all in and won the pot uncontested. 

Gyeongbyeong Lee

At Flight B, Gyeongbyeong Lee used fifteen time-banks in one hand. Back in action here at Flight D, Lee was caught in a pickle again to drain his supply eleven time-banks before making the call.

The action was caught at the turn of 5 ♦️ A ♠️ 9 ♦️ 4 ♠️ with 20,000 in the pot. Lee bet 10,000 from the button then called Jaehyeok Ha's 30,000 check-raise. 

When the Q ♠️ graced the river, Ha led out for 36,500 and that's when Lee went deep in the tank. With only 72,500 behind, he used up eleven of his allotted twenty time chips then called. 

Ha showed A ♦️ 5 ♥️ two pair which was good with Lee mucking. 

Fhu Leong Yeo

Soohyeok Lee is back in and found himself involved in a three-way all in preflop against Jinsoo Kim and Fhu Leong Yeo.

Soohyeok Lee: A ♥️ Q ♣️

Jinsoo Kim: K ♠️ K ♦️

Fhu Leong Yeo: A ♣️ K ♣️

The board ran 4 ♣️ Q ♦️ 10 ♥️ J ♣️ 8 ♣️ for Broadway to Yeo and a triple up while Kim took down the side pot. 

Sangjun Jung

Sangjun Jung and Fhu Leong Yeo had already built a pot of 70,500 by the time the board completed 8 ♣️ A ♠️ 8 ♦️ A ♥️ 6 ♦️. Out of the big blind Jung bet 30,000 into it and Yeo hesitated then called. 

Jung turned over his J ♦️ 8 ♠️ full house and Yeo decided to share his hand, K ♦️ 2 ♦️. 

Jun Yi Goh

Jun Yi Goh and Billy Alfonso faced off for a pot that grew to 17,500 preflop before the dealer spread the flop 4 ♦️ 10 ♠️ 2 ♦️

From the button, Alfonso slid out 8,000 only to be met with a check-raise to 24,000. Alfonso called then take them to the turn Q ♦️.

Action repeated with Alfonso betting 25,000 that was check-raised again by Goh announcing he was all in. With just 33,000 behind, Alfonso opted to let go of his hand. 

Soohyeok Lee

Among the players that was seated by the starting buzzer was Soohyeok Lee who already has two trophies under his belt having won the Pandora's Mystery Bounty and a Hyper Turbo side event. Lee hasn't had much luck at the main event though having fallen at the previous flights. His troubles continued as he became the first bust of the day just twenty minutes into the flight.

Luke Dainton

The takedown happened in two hands with a majority of Lee's chips claimed by Luke Dainton. As retold by Dainton, he called a raise from a player at under the gun then Lee three-bet to 10,000. Under the gun folded and Dainton called.

 On a board that completed J-10-7-4-4 Lee barreled 12,500 on the flop and another 35,000 on the turn, Dainton check-called both then led on the river for 11,000. Lee called with pocket fives, Dainton had pocket nines. 

Down to just 25,000, Lee shoved with pocket threes into Jintae Yang's pocket aces. 

Sangjun Jung

Sangjun Jung jumped to an early lead after being awarded a larger than usual pot. On a board showing 3 ♦️ 5 ♦️ 6 ♦️ J ♠️ A ♣️, Jung bet 36,000 onto a pot of around 50,500. Jun Yi Goh called while Hsiang Chieh Chan tank-folded. 

Jung had J ♦️ J ♣️ set and though not needed, Goh decided to reveal his hand A ♦️ 10 ♣️.

Cards are now flying at Flight D of the Main Event with one table running and another ready to open with a line at registration. This is the deepest Cronus Structure format with the first two level running a lengthy four hours each. Players begin with 120,000 in chips which is equivalent to 120 big blinds. 

Good luck to all!

The Gods of Poker Taipei: The Titan Assembly continues today, January 14, as Flight D takes center stage with cards in the air at 12:30 PM. Running across two days, the flight features extended registration with blind levels clocking in a total of four hours with scheduled breaks every two hours.

By far the slowest structure of the series, players get to experience the depth of the Cronus Structure as Flight D offers a perfect entry point for every style of player, albeit time-limit tournament specialists, cash game players, deepstack grinders, and even late arrivals looking to settle in before the real climb begins.

With a buy-in of NT$ 45,000 (~US$ 1,400), players begin with a 120,000 stack, equivalent to 120 big blinds at the opening level. Players that sign up at Level 2 start with 60 big blinds. When registration closes on Thursday, January 15, just before the start of Level 3, last second entries will start with 30 big blinds. From there, the blinds increase every 60 minutes until ITM is reached. 

The Main Event has drawn 271 entries with 38 players through to the ITM round. For players looking to chase the top spot, the bar was set by Chihwei Fan at Flight A at 2,375,000. 

Stay tuned as the GOP team brings you fresh updates on the action throughout the day.