Dominick “Dino” French and Other Top Flaghunters Spotted at WPT Prime Thailand 2025 The Opener Event

Thailand entered the global poker spotlight this week with the launch of the WPT Prime Thailand Exhibition, held at the UOB LIVE venue inside Bangkok’s EMSPHERE lifestyle mall. This landmark tournament, which runs from July 31 to August 5, 2025, is the first major poker event to take place in the country since the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) officially recognised poker as a mind sport on July 23, 2025.

The event blends poker with cultural tourism, featuring over 70 tournament tables, and a staggering ฿37 million (~US $1.1 million) guarantee in travel fund prizes for the Championship event. But while the headlining event will draw the most fanfare, one of the most notable gatherings occurred at the very start of the festival—with The Opener.

Several notable poker professionals have gathered in Thailand, drawn by the rare convergence of international tournaments and the country’s thriving tourism appeal.

These were the events during the first day and the events expected for today:

Tournaments Exclusive for Thai Nationals

Two out of the three July 31, 2025 events were exclusive to Thai nationals. The Event S8: WPT Prime Thailand Exclusive Qualifier to Day 1A and Event S1: Satellite to WPT Prime Thailand Exhibition Championship. 10% of the field has progressed to the respective tournaments.

The Opener: Freeroll Freezeout Format

The festival opened with Event #1: The Opener—a freeroll freezeout boasting a ฿3 million (~$91,500 USD) prize pool. As the first official event open to international players, the action was intense from the very first deal, setting the tone for the action-packed week ahead.

What Is FlagHunting in Poker?

In poker, flaghunting is the pursuit of in-the-money (ITM) finishes across multiple countries. Each time a player cashes in a live tournament held in a new country, they earn a flag on their profile to commemorate. These flags represent a player’s international reach and consistency on the live circuit.

The more countries a player has cashed in, the higher they rank on The Hendon Mob Flaghunters leaderboard, making flag-hunting both a competitive and prestigious achievement for well-travelled players.

Notable FlagHunters Seen at WPT Prime Thailand

Several well-known flag-hunters were spotted participating in The Opener at WPT Prime Thailand.

Among them:

Dominick “Dino” French (Canada)

• Flag Count: 66 (Ranked #1 on Hendon Mob’s all-time FlagHunter leaderboard)
• Most Recent Trip: Manila, Philippines in July 2025 (but he’s won there before)
• Career Earnings: Over $684,000

Known for setting the 2024 record of 48 country cashes in a single year, Dominick French has cashed across nearly every continent and currently holds the top spot globally for countries cashed. In that year, he spent 300 days (82% of 365 days) in hotel rooms.

He hopes to secure a cash finish in Thailand and earn a 67th flag on his profile.

Andrew Leathem (Scotland)

• Flag Count: 58 (Ranked #2 on Hendon Mob’s all-time FlagHunter leaderboard)
• Most Recent Trip: Bokeo, Laos in June 2025
• Career Earnings: $1.4 million
• Notable Win: Triton Poker $25K Turbo for $670,000 in Hanoi, Vietnam

A strong performer in both high-roller and open-field events, Leathem tied for 6th place in the 2024 flaghunting rankings with 13 countries cashed that year.

Interesting fact: French and Leathem currently tie in 3rd place for the 2025 FlagHunter Leaderboards.

The Thailand Flag is Officially in the Mix

Poker is now recognized as a sport by Thailand’s national sport authority, and WPT Prime Thailand marks the first tournament following this announcement. Any in-the-money finish earned during the festival will now officially contribute to a player’s international country cash count.

For the first time, participants can record a Thailand flag on their Hendon Mob profiles under the government-supported tournament—a significant milestone for the global poker community. The appearance of globally ranked players further underscores the festival’s wide-reaching appeal and solidifies its importance on the international poker calendar.

August 1 Events

6 PM – Event #1: The Opener – Day 2

• Blind Level Duration: 20 minutes
• Registration: Closed

6 PM – Event #7: WPT Prime Thailand Exhibition Championship – Day 1A Turbo

• Starting Stack: 40,000 chips
• Blind Level Duration: 20 minutes (adjusted to comply with the official play period from 6:00 PM to 12:00 AM)
• Play Concludes: At the end of Level 10, approximately 10:20 PM
• Registration Opens: 2:00 PM

The 16 qualified players from yesterday’s satellite will be in this tournament.

6 PM – Event #S9: Exclusive Qualifier to Championship Day 1B (Thai Nationals Only)

• Starting Stack: 10,000 chips
• Blind Level Duration: 10 minutes
• Entry Cap: Limited to 160 players on a first-come, first-served basis

Let us know if you’re joining the tournament for today.

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