GOP Voices From Olympus

At the inaugural Gods of Poker festival at LES A Casino in Jeju, South Korea, the felt became a modern-day Olympus, where mortals gathered and destinies were tested. Between hands and heroic moments, the media team caught up with several players to hear their stories and reflect on their experience at the debut event.

Meng Ling Lin Chasing GPI Points At Gods Of Poker Jeju

Meng Ling Lin

Taiwan's Meng Ling Lin “Candy” has been having an incredible year on the felt, stacking up high roller titles and deep runs that have firmly placed her among Asia’s top women in poker. As she wraps up her 2025 season at the Gods of Poker festival, she took a moment to share her thoughts on the series and her experience in Jeju.

What made you decide to come to Jeju to play this series? 

I am actually chasing my GPI points. Right now I'm the fourth place woman in the world. So I only need 100 points, less than 100 points to chase third. So that's why I came here to play to chase the points. 

Based on her GPI points, Lin is also the top female player from Asia with the more well-known Kitty Kuo several spots below. This being her first time try out the Cronus structure, she shared her experience, 

It's new for me, but I think it's good, I don't need to rebuy so many times. Some people like to rebuy and gamble so with this structure, I think it's good for players that want to play serious. But I also see this as a challenge for me because I play high rollers and players are aggressive. I'm also an aggressive player but I  feel that some of the Philippine players here are more aggressive than me, so it is difficult to play with them.

Lin went on to cash in four events with a 3rd place finish at the Main Event to win the Player of the Series title!

Eng Loong Choi Closes The Year On A Golden High

Eng Loong Choi wins the Golden Gauntlet

Malaysia's Eng Loong Choi has been one of the most active and consistent performers on the Asian live circuit since late 2024, racking up a string of five-figure scores and, more recently, a six-figure breakthrough. His tournament results this year read like the profile of a player with no brakes as he added another title to his portfolio here at Gods Of Poker Jeju 2025. Catching up with Choi for a brief chat, he explained,

I’ve actually been playing for a while, but I stopped to do some business. This year I found the chance to play more but before that, I played a lot of cash games.

Tournaments, however, have become Choi's new spark. 

I started playing more tournaments because it’s more fun compared to cash sometimes. When you get first place, it boosts you up. Even if the payout is just four or five figures, being champion means a lot.”

One of the biggest talking points at Gods of Poker has been the new Cronus Structure, designed to shorten daily play and close registration early. When asked his thoughts on the structure, he laughed,

Finally, we can go back to sleep before 12! My friends and I can actually have dinner together. At normal super high rollers, you finish at two or three in the morning, then wake up at eleven to play at 12 o' clock. Then you have to play another eight hours.

While he acknowledges there’s slightly more variance, Choi sees it as a welcome tradeoff. “For me, it’s a good event to close out my year. I don’t have to be so stressed. Playing more than ten hours a day can be really exhausting.”

Choi’s trip to Jeju was almost derailed by logistics. He initially planned to attend through a DK Poker package.

This is the funniest part. My friend introduced me to DK Poker. I kept in touch with the girl selling the package and told her I would confirm by the second. Every day I updated her that I was confident I’d get the high roller package. But she said it was sold out.

Choi considered giving up on the trip until a friend texted and encouraged him to come anyway. 

Just come here. Just play. If you win, it will feel much more different, much higher.

Not only did Choi follow the advice and make the trip, he turned it into a career highlight. As soon as he landed, he played the GOP Super High Roller and went on to claim the coveted GOP Gauntlet, one of only five to be awarded in the inaugural series.

Curiosity Rewards Kazuki Okamoto

Kazuki Okamoto

For a player who spends most of his poker life in Japan, Kazuki Okamoto took a chance on the Gods of Poker debut in Jeju as only his second tournament appearance outside his home country.  Driven more by curiosity of the Cronus Structure, his trip concluded with more than he expected.

I loved it because the structure was slow, slow to start. There were some turbos, but for the main event and the tournaments that I joined, I liked the structures. The blinds moved up slowly so I was able to use my ability, my knowledge of poker and apply it on the playing field. I really loved it.

For Okamoto, that breathing room mattered and the results soon followed. Okamoto cashed multiple times during the festival and pushed deep in the Main Event, ultimately finishing fourth. He also won a side event. 

Because this is only my second tournament abroad, it was a great experience and exciting too because I reached my first final table in another country. At other events there are so many players that join, so it is hard to reach the final table. I became champion at one of the side events, so that was a great experience overall.

Okamoto's decision to attend Gods of Poker was rooted in that early buzz. Back home, the talk of a new tournament with a new structure caught his attention, and familiarity with the organizer gave him added confidence.

When I was in Japan, I heard rumors about this new tournament coming up, and at the same time the structure was totally different from other tournaments. So I was excited to hear this and excited to come and join this new tournament. I also know the organizer of the event, I know he knows quite a lot of people, so I aimed to come here.

When asked whether he would return to attend the next Gods Of Poker series, Okamoto said,

It’s all about the timing. But if I have a chance to attend again, then yes, I will. The structure is pretty good, so it makes me want to come.

Maureen Bloechlinger Brings Her Mission To Gods Of Poker

Maureen Bloechlinger

Globetrotting Poker Women founder and World Poker Federation Europe head, Maureen Bloechlinger, has been in Jeju since the opening day of Gods of Poker, keen to experience the new Cronus Structure and the newest festival in Asia. After putting in time across multiple events, she shared some of her thoughts, especially on the rising trajectory of women in poker. 

I read all the documentation before coming here to know what to expect. I've only been playing the low to mid stakes, and I kind of like it. I think it is very innovative but I still see many players register late and not sit down at the beginning. In my opinion, other brands cut off their late registration too late. 

Seen in the region attending several events per year, Bloechlinger's connection to Asia runs deeper. The poker culture is what keeps her flying from Zurich to these events. 

I really like the Asian stops. It's a different vibe at the table. The players are very polite unlike in other cities where every five seconds it's, ‘floor, floor, floor’. So, yeah, so I really like that aspect. The play is pretty good, too. Very organized. Top dealers, top floor staff, and the food. You can't beat the food!

Yet the biggest reason she supports Gods of Poker is trust. She’s known founders Ray Chiu and Lloyd Fontillas for years and said, “I know game integrity will be followed.". 

That especially matters when she recommends destinations to her women’s network. If she points them somewhere, she wants them to feel safe, welcomed, and confident in the structure. The fact that GOP offers a daily women’s event, something she rarely sees even in Europe or the U.S., stands out. 

That’s pretty awesome. If a series has women’s events, I prioritize that series.

Bloechlinger has spent years pushing visibility for women in poker and believes one of the biggest barriers for women is simply that first step into the poker room. 

Many women think it’s like golf or chess, that you need a score or club membership. I always tell them to ‘just show up.' The first time is scary because it’s unfamiliar, but once you know the ropes, it becomes a lot easier.

She’s seeing encouraging signs in Jeju. Compared to her recent stop in Portugal where she counted only five women in the field, GOP’s turnout is noticeably bigger. Community matters, and she hopes the visibility here encourages other women to try a major Asia-Pacific event.

Yuri Ishida and Maureen Bloechlinger

As a poker lover, her own travel is driven partly by competition. Bloechlinger currently sits second on the global female flaghunter leaderboard. 

It’s a competition between me and Yuri, she’s number one right now, I’m number two.” she laughed, “but we like seeing each other, too.

Whether she’s advising players about which stops are safe or helping women take their first seat at a table, Bloechlinger’s mission remains constant: make the game more accessible, more welcoming, and more global for women. 

One stop that I'm pretty sure my group members will love is Cambodia. They are always asking about Cambodia. So hopefully I can bring a group there because Gods Of Poker is happening over Easter next year when many of the Europeans, Americans, and Canadians have off.

Kevin Choi Lam Shares Thoughts On Cronus Structure

Kevin Choi Lam

Hong Kong’s Yun Lam Kevin Choi bulldozed the Titan Stack High Roller final table to claim the magnificent Rose Gauntlet. In a post-win interview with GOP host, Erica Tsang, Lam shared his emotions on his victory,

I feel happy, I am happy to be the first Hong Kong player to win the Gauntlet. The structure is quite novel. I started with 180,000 and then dropped to 18,000 when I lost with aces. Because the structure is quite slow, I was able to make my way back.

Expounding further on the Cronus Structure and adjusting strategy, 

This structure really needs to be studied since it is a novel idea. Starting with 120 big blinds and then 60 big blinds, closing at the end of Level 2, everyone can play slowly and keep from going all-in.

When asked what brought him to the inaugural series,

I was invited by my friend Ray and I came here to support. I am also looking forward to the tournament in Taipei in January. I will definitely be there.

John Costiniano On GOP Innovation

John Costiniano

Catching up with Filipino pro John Costiniano on the final day, he shared his experience on the felt and thoughts on GOP's innovations starting with the Cronus Structure:

I like it overall. I like the fact that the action just keeps going and going. With the structure, there are fewer dead levels. Most players are forced to tune into every hand they play, because each part is relatively crucial. After two levels, you’re playing with around 30 big blinds on average.

When asked about strategic adjustments, his answer was straightforward.

To be honest, not much adjustment.

Still, he acknowledged that the Cronus Structure might demand deeper study over time to see long-term potential for players willing to invest in understanding its nuances.

Maybe it has to be studied. That might be right. It might be worth putting some time into if you want to generate better ROIs in this type of format. I haven’t really thought about it yet, but maybe after talking with my friends and my team — and after two or three more GOP events, we’ll have a better feel if we need to make some adjustments so we can generate better ROIs in our games.

Beyond the structure, the overall experience left a lasting impression, especially at the top end of the schedule.

First of all, the trophies are beautiful. That’s what we’re fighting for. I love it, especially the high rollers. I love the high rollers. The adjustment of running with two dealers is groundbreaking. It’s the first time I’ve seen that. It feels like I’m just playing online. I get to play more hands.