Lightning Strikes Taipei: Gods Of Poker Titan Assembly Begins

Like lightning tearing through the sky, Gods of Poker has descended on Taiwan, ready to unleash its vision at one of Asia’s most vibrant poker cities for the very first time.

Welcome to GOP Taipei – The Titan Assembly.

Debuting in Jeju last month, Gods of Poker has already given players a full view of what makes the brand unlike any other in existence. If you missed it, now is your chance to experience what it's all about. 

Let The Games Begin

Kicking off today, January 8, and running until January 18 at the CTP Asia Poker Arena, GOP Taipei - The Titan Assembly features 95 events and NT$ 42,000,000 (~US$ 1.35M) in guarantees. That’s eleven days of relentless poker action with unique GOP trophies - Spartans, Shields, Mirrors, Kraken, and most especially the magnificent wearable Gauntlets - all being highly sought after. 

All events run under the brand's signature Cronus Structure which offers a deep starting stack and registration closing after just two levels. By cutting out the fillers and “nonsense levels,” the Cronus Structure ensures that players' time is valued. 

Additionally, since time is also a weapon at GOP, players are given their full time-bank allowance from the opening hand, with no refills at any point. 

For tournament rules, click here.

Beyond the structure, GOP’s identity is also shaped by other features: the Main Event, High Roller Gauntlet events, marquee guarantees, Aphrodite Events, multi-dealers, and Player of the Series. With the cards now in the air, here are the highlights.

Main Event And The Black-and-Gold GOP Gauntlet

Tian Zhi Kong - GOP Jeju Main Event champion

If there is only one event you can attend then let it be the Main Event. Backed by a NT$ 21,000,000 (~US$ 670,000) guarantee, the champion not only wins a large cash prize but also becomes the proud owner of the Black-and-Gold GOP Gauntlet. Only one player has this mighty trophy on his shelf, Tian Zhi Kong for his victory at Eden Awakens last December. 

The Main Event runs from January 12-17. It opens with five flights and four different level structures. This allows players to choose how they want to battle. 

• Day 1D offers the longest blinds, catering to deep stack grinders with  two registration levels of 240-minute blinds each. That's four hour blinds! Once registration ends, the pace shifts to 60-minute blind levels until ITM is reached.
• For those that prefer speed, Day 1C and Day 1E offer two 60-minute registration levels then accelerate to 20-minute blinds after registration closes until ITM is reached.
• Players that want a balance of both can jump in Day 1A with two registration levels of 120-minute blinds each or Day 1B with two registration levels of 90-minute blinds each.

For all of the Main Event info, click here.

To enter, the Main Event buy-in is NT$ 45,000 (~US$ 1,430). This gives players at Level 1 a starting stack equivalent to 120 big blinds. Players that sign up at Level 2 start with 60 big blinds. 

Additionally, all Level 1 sign ups receive 20 time-bank chips worth 30 seconds each. If you sign up at Level 2, you receive 17 time-bank chips. Last second sign ups at the break will receive 14 time-bank chips. 

High Roller Gauntlet Events

High Rollers will be busy throughout the festival with ample choices offered daily.  Buy-ins range from NT$ 25,000 (∼US$ 800) to NT$ 330,000 (∼US$ 10,500). High roller events stand out from the rest as there will be two dealers at every table until the winner emerges. 

For serious competitors, the High Roller Gauntlet events are the ones that demand a spot in your lineup. Conquer any of these events and you'll hoist one of the coveted GOP Gauntlets on display. 

Among the players confirmed to attend are Yohwan Lim aka BoxeR who is already on-site, Marc Rivera, Rudy Edenata, Hayato Kitajima, Seunghyuk Jung, and Kazuki Okamoto.

With the first HR Gauntlet event yet to take the stage in a couple of days, we suggest to get some practice at the daily high roller events where Spartan and Shield trophies are up for grabs. 

Guaranteed Events

Players that prefer events with guaranteed prize pools, there are a total of eight events listed with buy-ins across the board. Guarantees range from NT$ 2,500,000 (∼US$ 80,000) to the highest of NT$ 21,000,000 (∼US$ 670,000). 

The GOP Olympians kicks it off with three flights offered today and another three flights tomorrow. All flights play to ITM. 

Like the Main Event, the big blind structure is 120-60-30. The blinds move differently though, slowing down at Level 2 then speeding up again once registration closes. 

For the GOP Olympians structure, click here. 

Daily Aphrodite Events

The increase in female players across Asia has been one of the region's most notable trends and at GOP we've made it a priority to support that growth. Named after the greek goddess, Aphrodite Events are dedicated ladies events offered daily with each winner earning the Aphrodite Mirror. 

Aphrodite Events run everyday with buy-in of NT$ 12,000. The first one kicks off today at 3:00 PM with registration closing at 4:55 PM. 

Live Streaming

Players and fans alike can watch the live action of various key events via the livestream aired at CTP Twitch. 

Player Of The Series Title

Aside from GOP trophy events, the Player of the Series title will be up for grabs. The player that accrues the most points by the end of the festival will win the glorious POS Crown. At the GOP debut, Taiwan's Meng Ling Lin aka Candy catapulted to the top after finishing 3rd at the Main Event to win the title. 

To be eligible, players need to have cashed in at least three point-generating events at the ongoing series. 

For all of the POS information, click here.

Skip The Line

Register in advance to skip the line and dive straight into the action.

Traveler Info

Before heading out, be sure to pack a warm jacket or layered clothing, as it is winter in Taipei. Temperatures typically range from 12°C to 20°C. Maybe some gloves too. 

For first timers, getting around Taipei is a breeze but before leaving the airport, it is best to buy a SIM card if you think you will need one as these are not easy to find in the city. 

The local currency is NTD. If you need some pocket money, you can exchange at the airport. To buy-in to events, you can change at the venue. CTP Asia Poker Arena accepts five different currencies: Taiwan Dollar, USD, Euro, Japanese Yen, and Korean Won.

Traveling from the Taoyuan International Airport to the city, players can take the express train, the commuter train, the bus, taxi, or Uber. The fastest to CTP APA is via Uber which usually takes around 45 minutes. 

If you are still in need of accommodations, there are numerous options near and around the venue with all varying price points. The closest affordable hotels are Green World Hotel Grand Nanjing, K Hotels, Hamp Court Palace, and Happiness Hotel which are just a five-minute walk. On the pricier side is Hotel Mvsa which is just a few minutes on foot.