APL Main Event (65,000 PHP)

The APL Manila Main Event qualifiers are close to wrapping up with four of five flights in the books. Today saw the biggest turnout so far, with a total of 174 entries turning up for the Day 1D games. More than half the field hit the rails, leaving only 67 players advancing onto the next round.

South Koreans dominated the scene from start to finish and saw the top four ranks taken by the international contenders. Jongwon Lee clutched the lead right at the last few deals, having snipped a pot off Seungjun Lee to finish with 242,800 (152 BB). Three more compatriots locked in stacks over the 200K mark with Jaehyuk Kim, Hyeongmin Yu, and Seungjun Lee, ready to kick off Day 2 with a grand start.

South Korea’s Sangwoo Chun raised the bar high in the opening heat and continues to hold the reins, having finished with a staggering 550,400 (344 BB) chip count in Day 1A.

For those who missed to make the cut can still vie for the last flight on offer, currently underway. Late registration remains open until the start of Day 2, tomorrow, March 1st.

APL Manila 2025 Main Event

Dates: February 26 - March 3, 2025

Buy in: PHP 65,000 (~USD 1,120)

Guarantee: PHP 55,000,000 (~USD 1,000,000)

Day 1A: 64 entries, 19 qualified

Day 1B: 135 entries, 44 qualified

Day 1C: 82 entries, 29 qualified

Day 1D: 174 entries, 81 qualified

Day 1E: Friday, February 28

Day 2: Saturday, March 1

Day 3: Sunday, March 2

Final Day: Monday, March 3

Top Ten Chip Counts

A four way limp pot read a flop of 9♣ 3♠ T♠ . Both players on the blinds checked, followed by a bet of 3,000 from Seungjun Lee. Jongwon Lee called behind, as well as the small blind.

On turn K♠ , Seungjun barreled another 7,000, raised by Jongwon to 23,000. Third player got out of the way while Seungjun completed.

Action slowed down on river 5♥ , revealing Seungjun's two pair T♣ 9♠ , no match against Jongwon's better K♣ 9♦ .

Up against an open and a call, John Clyde Tan fired a 15,000 three bet on the big blind and called for the rest after Jiwoon Yoon moved all-in for 39,600.

Tan with the best hand in the deck, relinquished the pot as board 9♦ 8♦ 7♠ T♦ 6♣ ran a straight for Yoon.

A four way raised pot saw aggressor Duc Hung Tran continue for 3,000 on flop 2♥ 7♦ 7♥ . One called behind and was followed by a 14,800 check jam from Alfonso Baja on the small blind. Only Tran found the call, putting Baja at risk.

Baja K♣ 7♣

Tran T♥ T♣

Baja well ahead, bid his chances of Day 2 goodbye as runout 4♠ T♠ landed Tran a full house to snag the win.

Jessie Leonarez opened on the hijack and called an 11,000 three bet from Gangwoo Lee on the big blind.

Action was checked round to turn K♦ 9♦ 2♥ A♥ , where Lee led 13,000. Leonarez called behind, yet gave it up shortly after Lee pulled a final 23,000 on river 5♦ .

Day 1D is nearing its close with the clock set on pause and only three more deals left in play before bagging time.

Sviatoslav Belov squeezed all-in for 24,600 following an open and two calls, and was challenged by initial raiser Gerald Lubas for a showdown.

Belov at risk, failed to improve on board 9♣ 6♠ 3♥ 2♠ 6♣ , knocking him out a second time around.

A blind vs blind clash saw Seongjun Ko commit his entire 51,200 stack with K♦ T♦ up against Jaebong Jeong behind. Jeong is slightly ahead with A♠ J♣ , but booked the loss as runout 2♣ 3♥ 9♦ T♠ K♥ favored his opponent.

Edwin Dela Cruz opened 3,000 utg and saw Anastasios Pavlou make the call on the cutoff.

Dela Cruz went for a check raise to 13,500 on flop T♣ 8♣ 3♦ , and barreled another 16,500 on turn 9♠ . Pavlou called both streets and was put in a tough spot after Dela Cruz fired a final 22,000 on river 2♦ .

After giving it some thought, Pavlou found the call with top pair A♣ T♠ and locked in the win shortly after.

Kyungsuk Bae on the big blind, led out a hefty 6,500 bet into a pot of 8,800 on flop J♥ A♥ 8♠ , and was met with an all-in from Moses Saquing for 23,300. Bae called off with top pair and was up against Saquing's flush draw K♥ 8♥ for a 35 big blind pot.

A third heart came on runout 4♥ 6♦ , earning Saquing the last minute double up just as the day is about to close.

John Carlo Sayo open shoved 29,400 on the button and was looked up by Dongwon Lee on the small blind.

Sayo in trouble, dodged a potential elimination as board T♣ 3♣ 5♥ 6♣ 4♥ ran him a wheel straight to take the win.

Edwin Dela Cruz opened mid position and was called by Jayden Zalac behind. Frank Lillis on the big blind decided it was a good time to shove, and ended up facing Zalac at showdown for his tournament life.

Zalac a huge favorite, had no problems taking down the pot on board Q♦ 9♥ 3♦ A♣ 2♠ , sending Lillis out right at the last level.

Manwoo Park on the small blind, stuffed his 59,500 stack against a late position open and saw Jaehong Lee right behind take the spot.

Park dominated, was in luck to find two pair straight away on board A♥ Q♠ 2♣ T♣ 3♠ to survive through.

A blind vs blind battle between Edwin Dela Cruz and Jayden Zalac built a pot of 12,300 preflop.

On flop 7♦ 3♥ 6♥ , Dela Cruz pulled a check raise to 15,000, to which Zalac completed. Dela Cruz gunned for another 10,000 on turn 3♣ and saw the action arrive at a halt after Zalac decided to give up the fight.

Up against an open and a call, Hyunsoo Ham sent out a three bet to 16,000 and called off his entire 52,900 after initial raiser Jongwon Lee came back with an all-in.

Lee ahead, cruised to victory on board A♠ J♥ 9♣ J♣ 6♥ , running quads to kick his opponent out.

Earl Mendoza opened to 3,000 and saw both Minku Kim and Kwonhan Mun complete their blinds.

Flop 9♦ 4♥ T♠ was checked to Mendoza, ushering him to fire 5,000. Kim called while Mun raised all-in for 24,000. Mendoza reshoved, and Kim opted out.

Mun K♣ 9♥

Mendoza A♦ T♣

Mendoza with top pair, locked in the win as Mun failed to catch up on runout 7♣ J♠ .

Another coinflip situation was caught on another table with Joemark Vasay at risk for his 29,000 stack against Frank Lillis' pocket pair.

Vasay's overcards quickly paired up on board A♦ Q♠ Q♥ 9♠ 5♠ , keeping him in the Main Event Day 1D games.

With action folded to the blinds, Sviatoslav Belov and Minku Kim went back and forth up until both stacks landed in the middle - Belov at risk for his entire 47,300.

A coinflip situation, Belov found none of his overcards appear on board 7♠ 6♠ 5♣ K♠ 5♥ , eliminating him from the Day 1D heat.

Vying for a pot of 19,600 on flop 8♠ 6♦ 5♣ , Marciel Cerbito made a bet of 5,000 and was met with a check raise to 12,000 from Czardy Rivera. Cerbito made it 52,000 to go and snap called the rest after Rivera moved all-in for 82,700.

Rivera 6♥ 6♠

Cerbito Q♥ Q♠

Crushed against a set, Cerbito watched his ladies get swept into the muck as runout K♦ 7♠ sealed his loss.

Kentaro Somekawa shot out a 15,000 three bet against a late position open and a call, and saw initial raiser Junho Kwak call off his 12,600 stack.

Board 7♣ 2♣ 4♥ 2♠ J♥ ran dry for both, leaving Somekawa's ace-high good for the win.

River action was caught on Jayden Zalac on the button, striking a nearly pot size bet of 30,000 on board 5♦ 5♣ 3♣ T♥ 7♣ . Alexis Lim check called, only to muck as Zalac revealed A♠ A♣ .

A three way raised pot saw action on flop 8♣ 8♦ 3♣ get checked round to turn 8♥ , where Jayden Zalac on the small blind led for 5,500. Anastasios Pavlou right behind, raised to 13,500, pushing one out of the pot. Zalac on the other hand, made the call and arrived at showdown for cheap shortly after Pavlou checked back river Q♠ .

Zalac showed full house 4♦ 4♣ and claimed the pot.

Jeongyeol Yu opened 3,000 on the hijack and was met with a raise to 7,200 from Dongwon Lee on the button. Yu responded with another raise to 27,000, yet surrendered as Lee shoved for 75,700 total.

Facing a late position open and a call, Suguru Sawada padded the pot to 11,000 on the small blind and saw initial raiser Eosoo Lee defend.

Action on board A♣ 3♣ 7♥ 6♦ K♦ was checked down to the river, where Sawada bet 5,000. Lee raised all-in for 11,200 more, snap called by Sawada to showdown.

Lee revealed set 3♦ 3♥ , crushing Sawada's top pair A♦ T♦ entirely.

Jose Colada opened on the cutoff and called Jongbea Jang's 18,700 all-in on the big blind, putting his opponent at risk.

Board K♠ 8♠ 2♦ 3♣ 8♥ ran dry for both, leaving Colada's ace-jack high good for the bust.

Three way action on flop 5♣ 3♠ 8♦ saw Robertson Yap continue for 4,000 into a pot of 11,900. Both players on the blinds check called to turn 6♠ , where Yap barreled another 9,000. Alexis Lim check raised all-in and Yap snap called for his remaining 12,000.

Lim 9♣ 7♠

Yap 7♦ 4♠

Both with straights, Lim's higher nine-high remained in the lead just as river 6♣ completed the board.

Duc Hung Tran opened utg and was met with an 8,000 three bet from Marco Espela on the cutoff. Tran responded with an all-in for 31,100 and remained unchallenged.

Yongsoek Choi opened 3,000 utg, called behind by Gangwoo Lee on the cutoff along with the big blind.

On flop 3♣ T♥ J♥ , Choi continued for 3,000 and saw only Lee stick around to turn K♦ . Choi this time, elected to check call Lee's bet of 6,500, and proceed to tank fold on river 7♠ after Lee finished with a hefty 32,000.

With a pot of 11,600 centered around board A♠ K♠ 4♥ 3♥ , George Salud led out a bet of 8,000 on the small blind and got a call from Zhiqiang Liu behind.

On river 9♠ , Salud check called for his last 13,600 with two pair A♦ 4♠ , only to crash out as Liu revealed flush 8♠ 5♠ .

Two stacks were seen piled in the middle with Jiwoon Yoon at risk for his entire 64,500 against Junnie Pamplona on a board of 7♣ 5♣ 9♦ Q♠ .

Yoon 7♦ 5♥

Pamplona A♣ Q♦

Pamplona behind, lucked out as river 9♥ gave him a better two pair to ship the hefty pot his way.

Vying for a pot of 32,600 across a completed board of 5♦ 6♠ T♦ 5♠ 3♣ , Kwonhwan Mun made a final attempt on the button with a bet of 13,000. Sviatoslav Belov on police duty, check called with two pair A♥ T♣ and collected the pot as Mun revealed bluff 9♠ 8♥ .

Woo Jin Jeong opened 2,800 early position and found one caller behind. Jongbea Jang decided to bump it up to 10,800 and saw Jeong come back with an all-in for 54,800. None of his opponents was up for the challenge, shipping him the dead money in the middle.

Following a late position open and a call, Martin Gonzales squeezed all-in on the big blind for 27,700 and was challenged by initial raiser Gun Young Kim.

Gonzales at risk, headed out as board 9♣ 4♥ K♦ J♦ 6♦ felted no aces.

Jose Colada pushed his last 14,100 against an early open and saw Younghun Kim cold call behind.

Colada in rough shape, turned the tables right on the flop, having landed a full house on board J♦ 4♦ 7♠ 8♣ 4♥ to steal the win.

A three way all-in ensued with Taejoon Cho making the final call, covering both Anthony Gabitan (15,800) and Hwang Seong Il (33,100).

Board came 9♠ 6♦ 2♠ J♣ A♣ , landing Gabitan top pair to earn the main pot. Cho shipped the side pot, covering his losses while Hwang headed for the rails.

Jessie Leonarez opened mid position and called an 8,500 three bet from Benhur Ybarsabal on the button.

On board 3♠ 7♥ 9♣ J♥ 6♣ , Leonarez check called all three streets - 4,500, 18,000, and a final all-in for 23,000 from Ybarsabal, and sent his opponent out with a pair of nines Q♦ 9♦ as Ybarsabal revealed ace-high A♣ K♥ .

Suguru Sawada defended his big blind against Jiwoo Kim's 3,000 button open, and went to battle on flop 2♣ Q♣ 3♠ .

Action checked round to turn 3♦ , where Sawada shot out a bet of 3,000. Kim called behind, yet surrendered on river 3♣ as Sawada pulled a final 7,800.

Jongbea Jang opened 3,100 on the button and saw both players on the blinds complete. On flop 8♥ A♦ 8♠ , Jang went for a bet of 2,600 and was met with a check raise to 8,100 from Khristian Nery. Both opponents found no reason to continue, shipping Nery the pot.

With a pot of 18,800 spread out on board T♠ 5♦ 9♦ 3♠ , Jungmin Park fired a bet of 7,000 and called Oh Se Kyung's check jam for 7,000 more.

Kyung K♠ T♠

Park A♥ 9♠

Kyung ahead, further improved to trips on river T♦ , cementing his win.

Manwoo Park opened 2,500 utg and found two callers behind.

Action on flop Q♣ T♦ 7♥ was checked to Juhyun Lee on the button, leading him to bet 5,500. Park check raised to 15,500 and called off his entire 78,000 after Lee came back with an all-in.

Lee Q♦ Q♥

Park Q♠ T♠

Crushed against Lee's set, Park forked over half his stack as runout 3♠ K♠ sealed his fate.

Paul Tirnovean stuffed his 19,500 on the button against an open and saw John Clyde Tan on the big blind go over the top. Initial raiser stepped away from it all, leaving the two to showdown.

Tirnovean a huge favorite, instead bowed out as board J♣ 2♥ A♠ Q♥ Q♣ ran quads for his opponent.

Anthony Gabitan pushed his last 6,100 in the middle and saw Nohyun Park reshove to isolate. All else folded, leaving the two to run the board 3♦ J♠ 4♣ 6♠ 6♥ .

Gabitan's two pair is good for the win, keeping him right on his seat.

A six way family pot saw aggressor Oh Se Kyung continue for 1,600 on flop T♥ 6♠ Q♣ . Three got out of the way, revealing turn K♦ . Kyung went for another 3,500 and left only Marco Espela up for the action.

On river 2♥ , Kyung finished with a final 5,500 and was snap called by Espela with top pair K♠ 3♠ to take the win against his Korean opponent's Q♦ 9♦ .

Mei Hsuan Hu opened 4,000 against a limp and called off Junnie Pamplona's all-in behind for 31,400 total.

A coinflip situation, Pamplona instantly spiked the advantage on board J♣ 9♦ 7♠ T♦ 9♥ , leaving Hu down with not even a single big blind.

A three way all-in saw Czardy Rivera cover both Seungsoo Jeon's 13,000 and Aleksei Zhukov's 39,200 stacks.

Board 4♦ 3♣ 8♣ 5♠ 7♠ ran safe for Rivera's ladies, sending two out simultaneously.

Jaeyoung Choi open shoved 14,900 on the button and was looked up by Manwoo Park right on the big blind.

Park dominated, left his opponent to take the pot on board 2♠ 9♥ 5♦ 8♣ 9♣ with king-high.

Junho Kwak opened on the cutoff and was called by Jiwoon Yoon on the button along with the big blind.

Yoon called down two barrels - 3,000 and 6,500 from Kwak on board 5♠ 3♣ 2♣ 5♣ and arrived at showdown shortly after no more bets piled in on river T♣ .

Kwak showed two pair A♦ 3♠ , no match against Yoon's 6♦ 6♥ .

Jaehyuk Kim opened 2,500 on the button and saw both players on the blinds come along on flop 5♠ K♥ 4♣ .

Kim struck out a bet of 2,600 and followed with another 4,000 on turn 9♣ . Hyunsoo Ham check called the initial street but let it go after Kim proceeded with aggression.

Marco Almerez opened in early position and called a 6,500 three bet from Seungsoo Jeon on the small blind.

Jeon led two streets - 5,500 and 8,500, on board 3♥ J♣ 2♣ 3♦ and checked river J♦ to his opponent. Almerez fired a final 32,000 and showed a full house K♠ J♥ after Jeon paid the price with A♠ A♣ .

Taejoon Cho defended his big blind against Anthony Gabitan's 2,500 cutoff open, and check called another 2,500 on flop 6♦ T♥ 5♥ . Both checked turn 7♦ through to river 2♦ , where Cho led 5,000. Gabitan called behind, only to muck as Cho revealed a backdoor flush 9♦ 5♦ to take the pot.

A button vs blind clash built a pot of 18,100 across board 3♠ K♥ T♥ 7♥ Q♠ . River action saw Dongwon Lee lead out a hefty 15,000 and get a call from Mark Dela Cruz behind.

Lee showed flush 9♥ 6♥ and earned the pot while crippling Dela Cruz in the process.

Hwang Seong Il opened in early position and called off for his 17,600 after Jihoon Kim moved all-in on the cutoff.

A 50-50 situation, Hwang's overcards came through this time on board T♦ 3♥ K♠ 4♦ 8♠ , earning him a clean double up.

The worst cooler in Hold'em cost Noel Araniel his entire 34,100 against Moses Saquing's nutted pair.

Board A♠ T♣ 6♦ 3♠ 5♥ left Araniel with no escape, ending his run completely.

Anacleto Quijano stuffed his remaining 12,100 on the button and was challenged by utg raiser Jungmin Park.

Dominated, Park forked over the 26 big blind pot to Quijano as board 7♠ 9♠ 9♣ 8♣ 8♠ left him behind.

With a completed board of 9♣ T♥ Q♦ 8♠ 4♠ alongside a pot of 23,800, Jaehong Lee made a final attempt for 11,000 and was check called by Miura Shinya on the big blind.

Lee showed nut straight K♠ J♥ , sending Shinya's J♣ 2♥ bound for the muck.

Hyeongmin Yu defended his big blind against Taejoon Cho's 2,000 cutoff open, and check called two streets - 2,500 and 6,500, on board 8♠ T♣ 4♦ 2♥ .

On river A♣ , Cho slowed down and checked it back, revealing Yu's busted straight draw Q♦ J♥ . Cho tabled his premium K♦ K♥ and shipped the win.

A blind vs blind confrontation between Jiwon Kim and Hwang Seong Il racked up a pot of 12,200 across board T♥ 6♥ 8♦ 8♥ . Kim led 4,000 and called 7,400 more following a raise from his opponent.

On river 7♥ , Kim check called for Hwang's last 6,000 with a straight K♥ 9♠ and booked the loss as Hwang revealed a full house 8♣ 7♣ .

A preflop back and forth between Sunggun Han on the button and Jongsoo Han on the big blind landed the latter's entire 38,000 in the middle.

Jongsoo a favorite to win, clutched the double up on board 4♠ 8♥ T♦ 9♣ 7♠ , costing Sunggun half his stack.

Up against an open and a call, Jongwon Lee squeezed all-in for 15,000 on the big blind and faced Jiwoo Kim at showdown for a flip.

Board A♥ K♠ T♠ 6♦ 2♣ immediately landed Kim's way, eliminating Lee from the Main Event qualifier.

With a completed board of Q♥ 4♦ K♣ 7♠ 9♠ faced up on the felt alongside a pot of 25,000. Seungyeop Kang made a final attempt for 5,000 and was snap called by Jiwoon Yoon for a showdown.

Kang tabled pair of queens Q♠ T♥ , outpipped by Yoon's kicker Q♦ J♥ .

Facing an early open and a call, Sin Yong Il fired a three bet to 8,000 and saw only initial raiser Jang Ho Moon complete.

On board J♥ 6♥ 5♣ Q♦ , Il barreled continuously for 7,000 and 16,000, leaving Moon to give it up by the turn.

Daegon Shon open shoved 12,600 in early position and was looked up by Anastasios Pavlou behind.

Shon in rough shape, missed to improve on board Q♦ 5♣ 9♣ 9♠ 6♣ , sending him out in quick fashion.

Martin Gonzales kicked off the action with an open to 2,000 on the hijack, called by Hyeongmin Yu on the small blind.

On flop 5♥ 4♣ J♥ , Yu pulled a check raise to 4,500 against Gonzales' 2,000 cbet. Gonzales made the call but tossed the fold on turn 3♥ after being faced with another 7,100.

With already 25,200 in the pot across flop 7♠ 2♥ Q♥ , three way action was checked to Kwonhan Mun, leading him to bet 3,500. Marciel Cerbito check raised to 10,000 and Seonghyung Lee flicked in his last 1,900. Mun got out of the way, leaving the two to showdown.

Cerbito A♦ A♥

Lee T♥ T♣

Crushed against the rockets, Lee bowed out shortly after runout 6♥ J♦ offered him no salvation.

Sunggun Han opened 1,800 mid position, called by Roxanne Victorino behind. Changjae Lee on the small blind stuffed 8,800 in and was met with another raise to 12,500 from Jeongyeol Yu on the big blind. Both Han and Victorino shove all-in, pushing Yu out of the three way showdown.

Board ran 7♦ 7♥ 9♦ 9♥ 2♥ , leaving Han's ace kicker good for the double bust.

Vying for 12,000 in the middle on flop 5♥ A♥ 5♠ , Yongsoek Choi cleared out a bet of 2,500 and followed with another 6,500 on turn 8♦ . Suguru Sawada check called two streets, yet slipped the fold on river 2♦ as Choi pushed for the rest.

Younghun Kim opened 1,600 on the hijack, called by Jongbea Jang right behind along with the big blind.

Action on flop J♦ T♦ 2♣ was checked to Jang, pushing him to bet 1,900. Big blind folded while Kim came back with a raise to 6,500. Jang gave it up with no hesitation, earning Kim the boost.

Roxanne Victorino limped in utg, raised by Johnson Tan to 3,000. Another player cold called and so did Victorino, revealing flop Q♠ T♠ 8♥ .

Tan bet 5,100 and gunned another 10,000 on turn 3♥ . Victorino check called the initial bet but laid it down as Tan proceeded with aggression.

Jiwoon Yoon opened 1,700 utg and saw five other players join the action on flop 5♦ A♥ 6♣ . Yoon thinned the field with a bet of 1,300, seeing only Seonggwon Kim and Seungyeop Kang continue to turn 4♣ .

Yoon bet another 15,000 and left both opponents in quick surrender to take the pot.

Jaebong Jeong kicked off the action with a 2,000 open utg, called by Jiwoon Yoon on the button along with player on the small blind.

On board 4♣ 4♥ 2♦ 5♣ , Jeong barreled - 3,300 and 8,000, with Yoon calling down both streets. Yoon gave up the fight on river T♥ as Jeong demanded for his remaining 26 big blinds.

With a pot of 13,500 spread out on board 8♥ 5♠ 9♣ 5♦ , Roxanne Victorino on the button made a go for it with a bet of 10,000. Jeongyeol Yu check called, and led a hefty 35,000 on river 7♦ . Victorino paid the price and mucked as Yu showed full house 7♥ 7♠ .