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Xiong Thao, known to friends as Peter, has captured the $400 PokerNews Cup at Thunder Valley Casino Resort, topping a field of 901 entries. The win earned him the first-place prize from a $306,340 prize pool after he defeated Farzad Abbaszadeh heads-up for the title and trophy.
Thao entered the final day with a commanding chip lead, having bagged roughly 40 starting stacks after a strong Day 1a performance. None of the 88 remaining players from the other flights were able to close the gap as the field steadily narrowed.
Despite his big stack, Thao said he changed his usual approach this time, admitting he has struggled in the past with overplaying big leads. He credited staying present and avoiding unnecessary risks for helping him close out the tournament without repeating past collapses.
At the final table, Thao worked his way from sixth in chips to the winner’s seat, eliminating Khamla Kounlavouth in fifth and Elijah Obel-Jorgensen in fourth, before dispatching Vijesh Suseela in third to reach heads-up play.
This marks Thao’s fourth RunGood Poker Series ring, coming almost exactly a year after his first two victories at the same venue during last summer’s season finale. He also won an RGPS Dream Factory event at Thunder Valley in December, with this new score ranking as his fourth-largest career cash according to The Hendon Mob.
Thao recently returned from Japan, where he used a $2,000 travel package earned from an earlier RGPS Passport qualifier win, after initially postponing the trip due to a family wedding.
