The Hanoi Series of Poker is back. After a hiatus of nearly two years, HSOP has confirmed the HSOP Grinder Series 2026, a twelve-day festival running July 2 to 13 at the Grand Plaza Hotel in Hanoi with VND 50 billion — roughly USD 1.9 million — in total guarantees. For a Vietnamese capital that has watched Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Long Bay grab most of the headlines lately, it is a statement of intent.
The schedule is built for grinders rather than just the high-stakes crowd, with buy-ins scaling from a VND 3.4 million opener up to the marquee Main Event. Twelve days, eight flagship events on the featured slate, and structures backed by an organiser that just delivered a record-breaking series at the same venue.
A Main Event built to be reached
The centrepiece is a Main Event carrying a VND 12 billion guarantee (about USD 455,000) for a buy-in of VND 16.5 million, around USD 625. That price point matters: it sits well inside reach for the region’s recreational players while still drawing the pros, and it runs July 9 to 13 to close the festival.
The opening week sets an early target of its own. The Hanoi Open Special Boosted kicks things off from July 2 to 5 with a VND 3.4 million buy-in (~USD 130) and a VND 4 billion guarantee — enough room for roughly 1,333 entries across six Day 1 flights. Early-flight chip leaders on Days 1A through 1D collect bonuses of VND 7 million to VND 15 million, and the first six players to register before each flight get their rake waived.
Early Bird value for the high-roller set
Players plotting a full Hanoi grind get the bigger incentives up top. The Ultimate High Roller Package bundles entry into ten premier events, including the Superstar Challenge, Super High Roller and High Roller Megastack. Normally VND 313.5 million (~USD 11,910), early bookers pay VND 299.25 million (~USD 11,368) — a VND 14.25 million saving. A Custom Package lets players hand-pick any five high-roller events (the Superstar Challenge must be among them) in exchange for a 50 percent rake discount across that set.
Every Early Bird holder also gets complimentary airport pick-up and a welcome merchandise pack. The catch: only the first thirty packages are available, with reservations and payment due by June 30 via bank transfer.
VPL backing signals Vietnam’s momentum
The series is sponsored by the Vietnam Poker League, the same operator behind VPL III 2026, which ran the Grand Plaza in late April under a blunt “WE ARE BACK!” banner and shattered records — Duy Thuc Nguyen took the Main Event while China’s Lei Li finished as top earner. That credibility is the real selling point here: reliable structures, trustworthy payouts, and a venue that has already proven it can absorb a big field.
Hanoi’s return to the calendar slots neatly between the WSOP grind in Las Vegas and a packed Southeast Asian autumn. Early July, the felt comes back to the Grand Plaza — and the numbers suggest the city intends to keep it there.