New WPT Prime Main Event Record Looming After Strong Turnout on Day 1b
Aug 18, 2023
Day 1b chip leader Wen Kai Chen
The second edition of the WPT Prime Main Event on Taiwanese soil is on track to set a new record for the mid-stakes global live poker tour after yet another strong turnout in the Asia Poker Arena in Taipei City. Out of the 393 entries on Day 1b of the TWD33,000 Main Event, 306 were unique entries and that is a very promising sign for the final starting day.
So far, the total attendance has reached 730 entries and it seems to be a minor formality to breeze past the 877 entries of the 2022 edition. Since then, the hosting Chinese Texas Hold’em Poker Association (CTP Club) moved to a new location with more than fifty tables and has shattered the own attendance records. A new record is on the horizon now and at least 495 entries are required for Day 1c in what is typically the strongest of the three starting days.
The record in the Asia-Pacific region was set earlier in 2023 when the WPT Prime Vietnam Main Event drew 1,151 entries total at the Crown Poker Club. However, the all-time record for the the WPT Prime brand still stands tall at 1,224 entries at Star Gold Coast.
A trio of local players occupies the overnight podium. Wen Kai Chen bagged up the most chips with 563,000 with Hsiao Wei Wu (540,000) and Teng Kuei Hsu (520,000) close behind.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
| 1 | Wen Kai Chen | Taiwan | 563,000 | 94 |
| 2 | Hsiao Wei Wu | Taiwan | 540,000 | 90 |
| 3 | Teng Kuei Hsu | Taiwan | 520,000 | 87 |
| 4 | Richard Marquez | Philippines | 510,000 | 85 |
| 5 | Sparrow Cheung | Hong Kong | 484,000 | 81 |
| 6 | Jereld Sam | Singapore | 478,000 | 80 |
| 7 | Sumit Sapra | India | 466,000 | 78 |
| 8 | Charles Wong | Hong Kong | 430,000 | 72 |
| 9 | Chih Hsien Lin | Taiwan | 423,000 | 71 |
| 10 | Hung Te Lee | Taiwan | 413,000 | 69 |
Richard “Hotsauce” Marquez advanced with a very healthy 510,000 as well. Other notables among the big stacks are Park Yu “Sparrow” Cheung (484,000), Sumit Sapra (466,000), Charles Wong (430,000), Dongkyu Kim (366,000), as well as Lester Edoc (348,000). The WSOP bracelet winners Anson Tsang (212,000) and Pete Chen (103,000) likewise secured a portion of the prize pool.
It took marginally longer to burst the money bubble on Day 1b, which eventually happened mid-way through level 16. With 51 players remaining and 50 set to earn a portion of the cash prize pool, Tzu Ha Tseng and Haoshan Huang bowed out on separate tables to split the min-cash which is to be determined once the late registration for Day 1c closes. Both can enter the third and final flight for a chance to earn an even bigger cash prize.
As previously mentioned, a strong turnout can be expected for Day 1c which kicks off at 11.30 a.m. local time on Saturday, August 19, 2023. Hundreds of poker enthusiasts from near and far will enter the fray and one of the biggest names to jump in may perhaps be Florencio Campomanes. He prevailed in a field of 25 entries in the Super High Roller before taking over daddy duties for his three month old again.
Stay tuned right here on WPT.com throughout the next three days to find out who comes on top of the 2023 WPT Prime Taiwan Main Event.
Super High Roller champion Florencio Campomanes
@WPT