In this report, we will delve into the victory of Benjamin Leblond and Jeffrey Ponce, who emerged victorious at the USOP Grand Finale and PokerStars Manila Megastack 20, respectively. Leblond won the Superstar Challenge for a career-high payday of VND 3.23 Billion (~$127,000) and his first-ever USOP title.
Jeffrey Ponce clinched the Manila Megastack 20 Mystery Bounty Event for his career second live cash of ₱360,000, along with ₱67,000 in bounties for a total payout of ₱427,000 (~$7,270). His victory was a thrilling one, as he knocked out two players in one hand. Below here is a recap of the final tables:
2024 USOP Grand Final Superstar Challenge Recap
127 entrants participated in the VND 120 Million (~$4,700) Superstar Challenge at the 2024 USOP Grand Final, generating a total prize pool of VND 13 Billion (~$513,000). The event guaranteed VND 3 Billion, however; the response surpassed the GTD almost four times. 19 players advanced to the Day 2, all locking up a payout.
Le Du Boisbaudry led the final table but fell short of reaching the heads-up when he went all-in against the set of Xiangyu Yu. Boisbaudry collected VND 1.5 Billion (~$60,000) for his third-place finish. Despite Yu’s lead at the start of the heads-up, Leblond locked up the victory easily. In the first all-in hand, Leblond doubled up against the pocket sevens of Yu with his ace-king. The second time they were all in, Leblond sealed the victory.
The final hand saw Leblond shove with king-queen and Yu called with queen-jack. Yu spiked his queen-jack on the flop for two pairs and was in good shape for a double-up. However, the turn brought King giving LeBlond a superior two pairs of king-queen. Yu ended up in second place, receiving VND 2.1 Billion (~$82,000). The Canadian pro banked VND 3.2 Billion (~$127,000) for his victory.
Team India Performance
Top 19 players were paid out in this event with a min cash of VND 210,000,000. Several Indians competed in the tournament but only Ashish Munot managed to cash the event. He finished in 17th place, earning VND 210,000,000 ($8,285) for his first cash of the series.
2024 USOP Superstar Challenge Final Table Payouts
| Rank | Player | Prize (USD) | Prize (In VND) |
| 1st | Benjamin LeBlond | $127,000 | 3,230,000,000 |
| 2nd | Xiangyu Yu | $82,000 | 2,140,000,000 |
| 3rd | Leo Du Boisbaudry | $60,000 | 1,500,000,000 |
| 4th | Julian Warhurst | $43,000 | 1,102,000,000 |
| 5th | Piet Pape | $32,000 | 817,000,000 |
| 6th | William Jia | $24,000 | 620,000,000 |
| 7th | Varma Hari Rajeev | $19,000 | 485,000,000 |
| 8th | Anton Lu | $15,200 | 387,020,000 |
| 9th | Jon-Peter Rounce-Sue | $12,500 | 317,200,000 |
2024 Manila Megastack 20 Mystery Bounty Event Final Table Recap
The Mystery Bounty Event at the Manila Megastack 20 attracted 193 players across two flights inside the Okada Manila Poker Room. The entrants build a total prize pool of ₱3,294,896 (~$ 56,100), which was finally shared among the top 30 players. 30 players returned to the final day with a guaranteed payout and bounty prizes up for grabs.
Jeffrey Ponce entered the final day as fifth in chips and played some top-notch poker to enter the final table in the middle of the pack. Ponce enjoyed a good run at the final table, busting Yuki Nishio (8th) and Michael De Leon (4th) to enter the three-handed play. Ponce then struck a three-way ICM deal with Francisco Sanchez and Michael Cerbito. The amateur player soon secured his first-ever live trophy, eliminating both his opponents in a single hand.
On the last hand of the tournament, Sanchez open-shoved with ace-jack, and Cerbito also re-jammed his remaining chip stack with ace-nine. Ponce, who covered both, called the all-in, revealing king-ten. Ponce spiked his king on the flop and held from there to score double elimination, securing the PokerStars trophy and a total payout of ₱427,000 (~$7,270).
Spain’s Francisco Sanchez locked up a bigger payout of the tournament, as he collected ₱402,000 in bounties and ₱267,500 ICM payout, earning ₱669,500 (~$11,400). Cerbito collected ₱334,500 (~$5,696) for his runner-up finish.
2024 Manila Megastack Mystery Bounty Final Table Recap
| Rank | Player | Prize (USD) | Prize (In PHP) |
| 1st | Jeffrey Ponce | $7,271 | 427,000 |
| 2nd | Michael Cerbito | $5,696 | 334,500 |
| 3rd | Francisco Sanchez | $11,400 | 669,500 |
| 4th | Michael De Leon | $4,887 | 287,000 |
| 5th | Mark Hebron | $2,554 | 150,000 |
| 6th | William Kang | $1,515 | 89,000 |
| 7th | Ryan Tan | $1,481 | 87,000 |
| 8th | Yuki Nishio | $988 | 58,000 |
| 9th | Edgar Asehan | $850 | 49,896 |
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Source: USOP/SMP
Image Credit: USOP/PokerStars
