Red Dragon Cup PLUS Main Event Round 1 Concludes | Zhang Xinyue Leads with 825,000 Points, 179 Players Advance to Day 2

On July 15, 2026, the Red Dragon Cup PLUS Summer Jeju Main Event concluded its first round, with Day 1C (Regular) and Day 1D (Quick) events taking place in staggered shifts. The two categories attracted a total of 207 entries, with 83 players ultimately securing their spots for Day 2 of the Main Event.

Day 1C saw 185 entries, with 73 players advancing. Zhang Xinyue maintained a steady pace throughout the day, consistently accumulating chips in several key pots, ultimately becoming the chip leader with 825,000 chips. Day 1D, the fast-paced tournament, saw 22 entries, with Gu Chunyong leading 10 players to advance with 313,500 chips.

With Day 1A through Day 1D completed, the four starting groups of this year's main event attracted a total of 506 participants, with 179 players qualifying for Day 2. Due to the extended registration period, which will open up to Day 2 Level 12, the number of participants and the prize pool are still undetermined.

Zhang Xinyue leads Day 1C with 825,000 chips.

Day 1C began at 12 noon local time, attracting numerous Chinese and international players to compete in the final regular starting group. After several rounds of elimination, Zhang Xinyue sealed the bag with 825,000 chips, establishing a clear lead in this group.

The original manuscript did not provide Zhang Xinyue's complete key hands, but she maintained a stable performance throughout the day and continued to expand her chip stack through multiple large pots, ultimately becoming the Day 1C chip leader.

This chip stack also allowed Zhang Xinyue to surpass Day 1B chip leader Jiang Zicong's 648,000, second only to Day 1A chip leader Deng Yawei's 900,000, placing her in the lead of the currently announced Main Event starters.

Zhou Yinan successfully advanced in her debut at this event.

WSOP Paradise Island Main Event champion Zhou Yinan made her debut at this event on Day 1C and finished 16th in her group with 297,000 chips, successfully securing a spot for Day 2.

The tournament moved to Level 8 with blinds at 800/1,600 and a 1,600 big blind ante. Zhou Yinan raised to 3,200 from the under-gun position, and the players in the CO and BTN positions called. He Mu in the small blind then 3-bet to 15,000.

Faced with a raise, Zhou Yinan 4-bet to 37,500, causing the players in the CO and BTN positions to fold, thus entering a heads-up pot with He Mu.

The flop came 3♣7♠5♣. He Mu checked, and Zhou Yinan bet 24,000, which was called. The turn was 3♠, making it a pair. He Mu checked again, and Zhou Yinan continued betting 43,000, which was called.

After the river card A♥ appeared, both players checked. Zhou Yinan revealed K♣K♠, defeating He Mu's 5♦4♦, and took the pot with pocket kings after four raises.

Zhou Yinan ultimately advanced with 297,000 chips, leaving ample room for maneuver in the subsequent Day 2 schedule.

Zhang Chenxu's top set was reversed by a flush on the river.

Red Dragon team player Zhang Chenxu steadily accumulated chips in the early to mid-Day 1C, putting her in a favorable position to advance. However, she encountered a large pot in level 10, severely damaging her previously accumulated lead.

The blinds were 1,500/2,500 with a 2,500 big blind ante. Zhang Chenxu, in the under-the-gun position, raised to two big blinds with A♠A♥. Song, a Vietnamese player in the CO position, called with Q♦T♦. Zhou Quan, in the big blind, defended with pocket fives.

The flop came 7♦Q♠A♦. Zhang Chenxu hit the top set and checked. Song bet 6,000 with Q pair. Zhou Quan folded, and Zhang Chenxu called.

The turn card was 9♥, and Zhang Chenxu bet 31,000. Song called after a long thought. The river card was 4♦, completing a diamond flush. Zhang Chenxu checked, and Song bet 50,000.

Faced with a flush on the river and a half-pot bet, Zhang Chenxu thought for a long time before calling with three aces. Song showed up with Q♦T♦ to complete the flush and take over the large pot, causing Zhang Chenxu's chip count to drop significantly.

Despite suffering a major setback, Zhang Chenxu managed to secure his qualification by relying on the scoreboard he had accumulated earlier, and ultimately sealed the victory with 72,000 scoreboards.

OOI ZHI JIAN SEAN won three consecutive pots.

Malaysian player OOI ZHI JIAN SEAN also delivered a stellar performance in Day 1C. In Level 7, he faced off against Vietnamese player NGOC's JTs with pocket sevens.

The community cards were 2♣J♥J♠7♠K♦. NGOC hit a set of Jacks on the flop, while OOI ZHI JIAN SEAN completed a full house on the turn with 7♠. After both players put in all their chips, OOI ZHI JIAN SEAN was eliminated with a full house.

Shortly after, he was involved in another three-way all-in and defeated both pocket J and AQo with pocket Ks, taking down another big pot.

With two crucial all-in victories, OOI ZHI JIAN SEAN ultimately sealed the bag with 400,500 chips, finishing sixth in Day 1C.

Day1C has announced the leading scoreboard.

Note: The original manuscript did not provide a complete list of those who advanced and all scoreboards for each player; the above only summarizes the published data.

Gu Chunyong leads the Day 1D quick race

Day 1D Fastball started at 7 PM local time, with 22 entries. Due to the fast-paced format, players had to accumulate scorecards quickly within shorter levels, resulting in significantly higher overall volatility compared to the regular season.

After the tournament concluded, 10 players secured Day 2 slots. Gu Chunyong became the Day 1D chip leader with 313,500 chips, leading the field that advanced from that group.

Main event starting group data

The four starting combinations produced 179 Day 2 qualifiers. Currently, Deng Yawei maintains an overall lead with 900,000 chips, followed by Zhang Xinyue with 825,000.

However, since late registration is still open for Day 2, some players who directly bought into the next stage have not yet been counted in the first round's entry data. Therefore, the 506 entries are not the final size of the main event.

Four new champions join the series

During the first round of the main event, four other events at the Red Dragon Cup PLUS Summer Jeju Station also produced champions.

Main Event Day 2 will officially begin on July 16th, and all players who advanced from the starting group will regroup. The late registration channel is expected to close after two levels of Day 2, at which time the final number of participants, total prize pool, and prize distribution for this year's Red Dragon Cup PLUS Main Event will be officially announced.

First-round chip leaders Deng Yawei, Zhang Xinyue, Jiang Zicong, and Gu Chunyong will enter the next stage with their respective group leads, while Zhou Yinan, Xu Jieming, Li Jingjing, and Zhuo Dajie have also secured their Day 2 spots. With all the qualifiers in the next round, the main event championship landscape will become clearer on the next day of competition.

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