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The final table of the WDHL Seoul Main Event is set with nine players: Lee Joo-hyun leads with 5.64 million chips.

WDHL Seoul Championship Season | The final table of 9 players is set, with Lee Joo-hyun leading the race for the title with 5.64 million chips.

International news

  The first season of the 2026 WDHL Seoul Championship has officially entered its final stage. After several days of elimination, the final nine-player field for the Main Event has been determined. Korean player Lee Joo-hyun (이주현) advanced with 5,640,000 chips, becoming the chip leader at the Final Table and launching a final assault on the championship with the largest chip lead of the night. This also means that the most important event of this year's WDHL Seoul Main Event has officially transitioned from a large-scale entry phase to a battle for the championship with only nine players remaining. From 788 players to the final nine, the Main Event has entered its final stage. The WDHL Seoul Main Event previously saw 788 participants in four rounds of preliminary rounds, with 98 players qualifying for the second round. With the continued elimination process, the field has now shrunk to just nine players. The Main Event progressed through four rounds of preliminary play, with a total of 788 players advancing to the second round, where 98 players reached the final table. Lee Joo-hyun (이주현) became the chip leader at the final table with 5,640,000 chips. With the field shrinking from 788 to 9, only about 1.11 TP 3T players remained in contention for the championship. Lee Joo-hyun's 5.64 million chips made him the final table chip leader. In the final nine, the chip leader not only had more room to maneuver but could also apply more pressure to shorter and middle-stacked players as the pay jump increased. However, the situation at the final table differed from the earlier stages. As the blinds continued to rise, a single large all-in was enough to reshape the entire chip leaderboard, so the 5,640,000 chip lead still needed to translate into actual rankings in the final battle. The final table photo of the nine players was completed, and the championship trophy entered the final battle. With the final final table player determined, the nine remaining players took a group photo at the Final Table, and the championship trophy officially entered the competition among the final nine. From the footage, it appears that the final nine players of this year's WDHL Seoul Main Event have all confirmed their seats, with Lee Joo-hyun becoming the most watched player before the final day as the chip leader. Due to limited resolution of the screenshots, some of the nine players' names and complete chip lists in the original report could not be reliably identified; therefore, this article will not speculate on or supplement the names and chip stacks of the remaining players. The frequency of all-in moves increased in the later stages of the Main Event, and a single hand could change the rankings. As the Main Event entered its later stages, the pace of the game changed significantly from Day 1. The original report also recorded several important all-ins and elimination hands. As seen in the footage, with the blinds reaching higher levels, multiple players had to make crucial decisions with limited chips. Every pre-flop all-in and post-flop large pot could directly determine whether they remained in the championship race. Especially as the tournament approached the Final Table bubble, chip value and ranking pressure increased simultaneously. Short-stacked players had to look for opportunities to double up, while players with large chips could utilize the bubble and Pay Jack.

The 14th Anniversary Commemorative Tournament of the 2026 CPG Sanya Grand Finals saw 356 participants in Group A.

CPG Sanya Grand Finals | The annual "big test" officially begins, the first team champion is crowned, and 356 players battle fiercely in the commemorative match Group A.

International news

    On August 19, 2026, the 14th CPG Sanya Grand Finals officially kicked off in Sanya, Hainan. Every summer, the CPG annual tournament returns to Sanya, once again attracting players from all over to the Guoguang Howard Johnson Resort Hotel for a new round of competition for championships and honors. On the first day of competition, multiple competitions started simultaneously. The "Card Friends Poker" team competition determined the first champion of this series, while the CPG 14th Anniversary Commemorative Tournament Group A attracted 356 players. From team competitions to the large-scale opening of the anniversary tournament, the Sanya annual "exam" quickly entered its competitive rhythm. A brand-new dragon-shaped trophy was unveiled, marking the 14th anniversary and strengthening the championship honor. CPG continued its most recognizable "dragon" element at this year's Sanya Grand Finals. As seen on-site, several dragon-shaped championship trophies were officially unveiled, with gold and bronze designs matching different event categories, becoming one of the most eye-catching visual elements of this year's event. Among them, the small golden dragon trophy continues CPG's long-established championship culture. For players, besides the competition results, bringing home a dragon-shaped trophy, a symbol of the brand, has become an important goal of participating in CPG. This year's Sanya Grand Finals coincides with its 14th anniversary, resulting in a more concentrated anniversary-themed decoration, trophy, and brand elements throughout the venue. The Sanya Grand Finals, hosted by the Guoguang Howard Johnson Resort, are once again a major annual event, heating up the Sanya venue. For long-time CPG participants, the Sanya Guoguang Howard Johnson Resort is already a familiar annual venue. From the hotel entrance and main passageway to the competition area, this year's event featured numerous CPG 14th anniversary and partner brand visuals. Registration, player services, partner brand displays, and the competition area operated simultaneously, with players entering the tables after registration. Photos show that many competition areas were already full on opening day. The staggered scheduling of different events created the dense crowds characteristic of large-scale series tournaments from the very first day. The annual "grand test" officially begins. With the opening ceremony, the 2026 CPG Sanya Grand Finals officially commenced. After players and referee representatives completed their respective ceremonies, the annual event officially entered the competition phase. As one of the most representative series of the year in CPG, the Sanya Grand Finals have always been regarded by many participants as the annual "final exam." This year is no exception. After accumulating experience in various regional tours and different series, many familiar faces have returned to Sanya to compete with a new batch of players for the 14th anniversary championship honor. One of the important battle lines of the opening day of the "Card Friends Poker" team tournament is the "Card Friends Poker" team tournament. Unlike general individual tournaments, team tournaments place more emphasis on the overall performance of team members. Each participating team makes a collective appearance before the start of the tournament, and then enters the official competition. This team tournament adopts a format of first ranking by points, and then entering the heads-up elimination stage. Team members need to earn points at different tables, and the team's total score determines the subsequent advancement situation. After entering the elimination stage, the two teams will face off against each other through multiple Heads-Up matches, and only the team that wins enough games first can continue.