The Main Event of the Asian Poker Tour Philippines 2016 resumed yesterday at Resorts World Manila with the Final 8 players taking to the poker felt. This event saw 180 entries ponying up the $3,300 buy-in, and a prize pool of $523,800. Displaying poker prowess all throughout the Main Event was Korea’s Seung Soo Jeon who reigned victorious to claim the $116,100 first place purse and his second APT Main Event championship title.
Seung Soo Jeon (Photo APT)
Jeon entered the Final 8 ranked second in chips to New Zealand’s Thomas Ward. Jeon got to work early picking up where he left off in Day 3, adding more chips to his already massive artillery. It further accumulated after he eliminated Canadian Michael Lee in 8th place. Next one to fall was the other Canadian at the Final 8, Zackary Lazarus, exiting in 7th place. Lazarus met his end in a hand against Malaysia’s Kah Boon Teh.
At six-handed, it took a while before another player hit the rail. Chips were moving from player to player with the short stacks gaining momentum. Australia’s Chris Edgar started the day as the lowest stack but after three successful double ups, his stack was in fighting form. Guam’s Jim Bonanno also battled hard for pots. His first double up was in a hand against Filipino Czardy Rivera that sent his stack straight into the seven-digit zone. Rivera responded with a double up of his own through Teh. As for Ward, he had difficulty chipping up and bowed out in 6th place against Rivera. It was a nutty hand with Ward holding ace-jack and Rivera with pocket kings. An ace landed on the flop but then a king on the turn switched the lead from Rivera to Ward and then back to Rivera for the win.
At five-handed, Rivera’s stack swung wildly. He lost a big pot to Jeon when he bluffed on the river and was called. Jeon was now the massive leader with 3.7m chips. Rivera recouped some of his chips through other players but he could not get past the lucky streak of Teh. Pror to that fateful Rivera/Teh encounter, Teh was in danger of elimination in a hand against Edgar. Teh was all in with king-nine suited and Edgar had pocket queens. A king spiked on the river giving Teh the chip boost to face Rivera. During the hand, Rivera was all in with king-eight suited on an eight-high board, with a five on the turn. Teh had ace-five suited. Teh tank-called the shove and then got a lucky five on the river for trips to eliminate Rivera in stunning fashion.
The next player to fall was Edgar in 4th place. Like Rivera, he too busted out with his jaw dropped. He was all in with red pocket sevens and was called by Teh with ace-six offsuit. The flop gave Edgar a set but when the board completed, Teh’s six was a club, and good for a winning flush. Bonanno exited in 3rd place with his ace-jack suited bested by Jeon’s ace-king.
This left Teh up against Jeon at the heads up round. Teh had a chip advantage of 1m but that quickly changed with Jeon winning a big pot holding two pairs. The final hand saw Jeon win with trip eights.
Seung Soo Jeon and Lloyd Fontillas (Photo APT)
Final 8 Payouts
– 1st Seung Soo Jeon – Korea – $116,100
– 2nd Kah Boon The – Malaysia – $96,100
– 3rd Jim Bonanno – Guam – $54,200
– 4th Chris Edgar – Australia – $39,500
– 5th Czardy Rivera – Philippines – $32,700
– 6th Thomas Ward – New Zealand – $27,000
– 7th Zack Lazarus – Canada – $23,300
– 8th Michael Lee – Canada – $18,600
Louis Hartwell
Graduated in Media Communication at the University of Lausanne, Louis Hartman is a co-founder of somuchpoker.com. He began his career in Cambodia as freelance journalist. In same time he was making his living by playing poker every night at that time. Intense learner, he read dozens of poker strategy books to improve his skills during many years. With a strong interest about poker "behind the scene" in Asia and his communication skills, Louis launched Somuchpoker in 2014.
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