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Ferlyn Cabaling: The lady with 5 APT Ladies Event Titles

Everyone knows that Sam Razavi has dominated the Asian Poker Tour circuit for the past three years, but there is one event where he certainly is not the king, that is, the APT Ladies Event. Obviously so, as he is not qualified to enter, however, there is one lady who has dominated that event, Filipino player Ferlyn Cabaling, who recently claimed her fifth trophy under this category.

Prior to 2010, Cabaling was just a fan on the sidelines watching her lifelong partner, Filipino poker pro Lester Edoc, play poker both live and online. Discovering that she was more than just interested in the game, Cabaling began to read up, study, and play loosely online until she eventually got the courage to play on the actual poker green. With the guidance and encouragement of Edoc, she entered her first major poker event, the APT Asian Series Manila 2011 Ladies event, and captured the trophy. (Incidentally, Edoc also won a side event that day, and both of them were awarded trophies side-by-side.) Now that could have been considered beginner’s luck by many, but a year later, Cabaling would prove it to be otherwise. Cabaling claimed her second trophy of the Ladies event at the APT Asian Series Manila 2012. In 2013, it was a turkey. Cabaling earned her third Ladies event trophy, this time at the APT Philippines. By then, there was no doubt that Cabaling was the queen of the APT Ladies event, but in 2014, her stats were surprisingly dry, posting no wins.

This year however has been very different. In April, Cabaling bagged her fourth Ladies event trophy courtesy of the APT Asian Poker Series Philippines, and then landed a second place finish in the Ladies event at APT Vietnam. The queen was certainly back and she would go on to display domination by winning the APT Asian Series Manila 2015 Ladies event just a few days ago.

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The lady with 5 APT Ladies Event Titles (Photo APT)

With that said, we hunted down this impressive lady for a quick chat about her recent win.

SMP: Congratulations on your fifth Ladies Event trophy! You have really dominated this event in the APT circuit. Can you give us a rundown on the final table leading up to the heads up round and then the win?

Cabaling: I came into the final table with a mid stack and then I doubled up with my jacks against ace-jack. Then at five-handed, I had pocket aces and I was up against the biggest stack. She went all in on a flop of 3d-4d-K. I called, and after the turn and river, I won because she missed her straight flush draw, she had 5d-7d. So now I was the biggest stack. At heads up against Tina Argao, I had her dominated in chips. In our final hand, she went all in on a seven-high flop. She had ten-seven, I had queen-seven.

How would you compare the ladies event which usually has a small field versus the other events with much bigger fields and which one do you enjoy playing more?

I like one day games but I prefer the bigger field, the mixed. I get to learn more. The ladies event is really long because the women are very tight. We played thirteen hours and we were only 38 players

Wow, that is long! Who would you say your toughest opponent was at this event?

Diana Tan. She came in fifth. She’s s a really good player, she plays aggressively, like the boys.

In terms of your game, why do you think you have dominated the ladies event and what helped you raise your game to continuously be successful?

I think it is because of Lester. I watch him play online all the time and we discuss our game all the time. He taught me how to observe. He told me I have to analyze everything. So I watch every hand and every move the players make. Having Lester to help me is a big advantage because I have someone who I can get advice from and advise me. He is a very good poker coach.

Who would you say are your poker idols?

The Rivera brothers, and Lester of course. As for international players, I just watch a lot of videos so I can learn from all of them.

What is your poker dream? 

Of course it is to go to Las Vegas and play in the WSOP. Unfortunately Cabaling was unable to qualify into day 2 of the main event however, she cashed at the No Limit Hold ‘em event and immediately after our interview, she was headed to her seat for the MegaSportsWorld Deep Stack Turbo. Good luck to her and surely we will be seeing more deep runs from her in the near future.

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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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