GOP Main Event Preview: Road to the Black-and-Gold Gauntlet

The Gods Of Poker - The Coiled Path is four days in, and now, ready to take the stage, is the brand's crown jewel Main Event where atop the prize podium stands the Black-and-Gold Gauntlet. 

To date, only two players have earned the right to claim it - China’s Tian Zhi Kong at GOP Jeju, and Taiwan’s Chih Wei Fan at GOP Taiwan.

A new chapter is set to unfold in NagaWorld Phnom Penh, with another gladiator destined to join this exclusive pantheon of champions. 

GOP Main Event : Everything You Need To Know

Backed by a solid $500,000 guarantee, the path toward glory and the coveted gauntlet has been carved with five entry flights, followed by Day 2, and the Final Day.

• Dates: March 30 to April 4
• Buy-In: $1,540
• Guarantee: $500,000
• Starting stack: 120,000 (120 big blinds)

Flight Structures

Revered as one of the best structures in the world, the Cronus Structure will see all flights close at the end of two levels with three different level formats to choose from running from March 30 to April 2. Click on each highlighted flight below to view its structure.

• Flight A runs a total of 240 minutes of late registration. 
• Flight B / C / E each run a total of 180 minutes of late registration - 60 minutes for Level 1 and 120 minutes for Level 2.
• Flight D runs a total 9 hours of Day 1 late registration - four hours for Level 1 and 5 hours for Level 2. Players also have until the start of Level 3 in Flight D - Day 2 to sign up.

 

For those seeking maximum flexibility, Flight D stands apart with a marathon nine-hour late registration period - four hours in Level 1 and five hours in Level 2. Players can even register as late as the start of Level 3 on Day 2 of Flight D. With low blinds throughout the lengthy registration levels, this flight is ideal for grinders and cash game specialists looking to build a stack before the pressure mounts.

Deep Starting Stack

At GOP Main Event, players always begin with a deep 120,000 starting stack, which is 120 big blinds at the opening level. This gives players plenty of room to maneuver the road to the gauntlet. Across all flights, registration closes at a 30 big blind average, keeping late entrants in contention. 

Day 2 and Final Day

After each flight plays down to ITM of 13.5% of the field, all of the survivors head to Day 2 on April 3 where they race to the final table which takes place on April 4. 

Past Two GOP Main Events

Taking a brief look back at the first two GOP Main Events, the inaugural run in Jeju, South Korea drew 481 entries with China's Tian Zhi Kong emerging as the first ever champion. Kong hoisted the black-and-gold gauntlet and a payout of KR₩ 187,290,000 (~USD 127,000).  

In January, the Main Event drew 556 entries in Taipei, Taiwan, reflecting the growing interest in the brand. Local star Chih Wei Fan captured the gauntlet along with a top prize of NT$ 4,323,180 (~US$ 136,864). 

Through fire, cunning, and cards, the time has come. Who will rise and wield the next black-and-gold gauntlet?