USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026 Kicks Off with VND 120 Billion Series Guarantee and VND 30 Billion Main Event
Asia's emerging live poker tour USOP (U Series of Poker) launched its 2026 Vietnam Series on May 19 at the InterContinental Ha Long Bay Resort. The series carries a total guaranteed prize pool of VND 120,000,000,000 (approximately USD 4.8 million / KRW 6.5 billion) — the largest guarantee in USOP Vietnam history — anchored by a VND 30,000,000,000 (approximately USD 1.2 million / KRW 1.65 billion) Main Event (Event #58, running May 28 to June 1). The 14-day festival features 83 events in total, with the Main Event champion to be crowned on June 1.
Ha Long Bay Replaces Hanoi as the New Hub
The first reason this festival matters is the shifting center of gravity in Vietnamese poker. Vietnam's live poker scene has long been anchored in Hanoi, but starting last year, USOP relocated its flagship operation to the InterContinental Ha Long Bay Resort — situated in the Ha Long Marina development, roughly a two-hour drive from Hanoi. Located within a UNESCO World Heritage area, the resort offers a large ballroom, dedicated media center, and VIP lounges, providing top-tier infrastructure for international festival operations. The previous USOP stop in Hai Phong built the momentum that made this Ha Long Bay edition possible, and the entire series is run as an "Officially Sanctioned" festival in cooperation with Vietnamese authorities.
Four Marquee Events Build Across the Schedule
Of the 83 events on the schedule, four core tournaments form the backbone of the series, stepping up in size as the festival progresses. The festival opens with #1 Madness Kick Off, a VND 11,000,000 (approximately KRW 600,000) buy-in event carrying a VND 10 billion guarantee (approximately KRW 540 million). #19 Mini Main Event runs from May 22 to 24 with a VND 20 million buy-in and a VND 15 billion guarantee (approximately KRW 820 million). #38 Championship Event takes place May 25–27 with a VND 25 million buy-in and a VND 20 billion guarantee (approximately KRW 1.1 billion). The festival centerpiece, #58 Main Event, runs over five days from May 28 to June 1, with a VND 30 billion guarantee (approximately KRW 1.65 billion) waiting for the champion.
A Key Stop in Asia's Crowded May Calendar
The bigger meaning of USOP Vietnam Ha Long Bay 2026 lies in its timing. May has become the most congested month of the Asian live poker calendar. GOP Incheon and TLPT Jeju are both running simultaneously in South Korea, while the Triton Super High Roller Series in Montenegro continues through May 28. With Asian grinders forced to choose where to spend their bankroll, USOP Ha Long Bay positions itself as a value play — buy-ins in Vietnamese dong remain relatively accessible while the series-wide guarantee still sits at the equivalent of KRW 6.5 billion. The VND 99 million (approximately KRW 5.4 million) Main Event buy-in is significantly more accessible than the $15,000 TLPT Jeju Super High Roller or the $100,000 Triton Main Event running in the same window.
USOP has positioned this Ha Long Bay stop as its first Vietnam series of 2026, with the season finale already locked in: the "USOP Grand Championship Vietnam" returns to the same property from October 22 to November 4, carrying an even bigger VND 160 billion (approximately KRW 8.8 billion) series guarantee. Whether the May series can fuel that fall edition will be one of the storylines to watch.
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