Early highlights of the APT Philippines 2017 II

The Asian Poker Tour has returned to Resorts World Manila for its latest event, the APT Philippines 2017 II. The ongoing festival has already wrapped up several side events with many notable players running deep. The first trophy was picked up by local player Eugene Co while the biggest first prize was collected by Korea’s Sung Min Oh. One player running very hot at the series is Japan’s Tetsuya Tsuchikawa with a few cashes collected. Have a read on some of the event’s early action.

Filipino Eugene Co wins the APT-RWM Opening Event

The APT-RWM Opening Event kicked off with 186 entries and at US$275 each, this amassed a prize pool over the US$40K guarantee to a sum of US$45,100. 27 players got to take home slices of the opening pie with the list including JC Sayo (17^th), Jeon Seung Soo (12^th), and 2017 APT POY race leader Tetsuya Tsuchikawa (9^th). In total, eleven of the payouts went to local players.

Grabbing the largest portion was Filipino player Eugene Co who picked up his first major international title along with the largest score of his career of US$8,190. Co dusted four players at the final table and defeated second-ranked 2017 APT POY leader, Japan’s Yoichi Uesugi, at the heads up round.

Final 8 payouts
1st: Eugene Co –  Philippines – US$8,190 9 (three-way deal)
2nd: Yoichi Uesugi – Japan – US$7,000 (three-way deal)
3rd: Dhanesh Chainani – Singapore – US$7,000 (three-way deal) 
4th: Pasi Heinanen – Finland – US$3,160 
5th: Martin Corpuz – Philippines – US$2,570 
6th: Yoshiro Inoshita – Japan – US$2,070 
7th: Doug Young Hyun – Korea – US$1,670 
8th: Jerick Almusajin – Philippines – US$1,350

Korea’s Sung Min Ho denies Tsuchikawa at the NLH Two-Day event

The US$1,100 buy-in NLH Two-Day event saw 51 weekend warriors head for the APT poker green. This created a prize pool worth US$49,470, the biggest amount out of all the side events that have already completed. Unlike the opening event where many local players were present, this event saw only foreign nationals in attendance.

Rising to the occasion was Korea’s Sung Min Oh who like Eugene Co at the opener, he earned his first major title and the largest tournament payout of his career. He defeated Tetsuya Tsuchikawa at the final heads up round and cleared US$15,000.

Payouts
1^st Sung Min Oh – Korea – US$15,000 (deal made)
2^nd Tetsuya Tsuchikawa – US$12,200 (deal made)
3^rd Liis Erit – Estonia – US$6,430
4^th Jim Bonanno – Guam – US$4,950
5^th Juan Carlos Martin – Spain – US$3,960
6^th Mike Steinbacher – USA – US$3,710
7^th Julian Hasse – Germany – US$3,220

Three early cashes for Tetsuya Tsuchikawa

The 2017 APT Player of the Year race leader, Japanese pro Tetsuya Tsuchikawa, is making quick work of distancing himself from the rest of the players. Last APT event, Tsuchikawa only cashed in one event, finishing first at the NLH High Rollers. He is now making up for that.

At the ongoing series, Tsuchikawa is running red hot. Although he hasn’t yet picked up a win, he has cashed in 3 out of the 5 side events that have completed. He placed 9^th out of 186 at the Opening Event, 5^th out of 97 at the NLH One-Day event, and 2^nd out of 51 at the NLH Two-Day event. That brings him to 6 APT titles and 16 APT cashes so far this year. 

Article by Triccia David