Main Event

After 13 heads up hands, Taiwan’s Chao Ting Cheng defeated Filipino Junnie Pamplona in dramatic fashion. Pamplona had a full house, Cheng had quads. What a great way to end this exciting tournament! Cheng earned an ICM deal payout of US$ 94,448 and the coveted PokerStars Shard trophy.

*Heads up deal

160,000 ante

On the tenth heads up hand, it was fireworks. Action opened with button Junnie Pamplona limping in then calling Chao Ting Cheng’s 500,000 raise. At the flop 8♥ 5♥ 2♠ , Cheng checked, Pamplona bet 350,000, Cheng raised to 1,000,000, Pamplona shoved, and Cheng snap-called.

Pamplona 8♣ 7♠ top pair Cheng Q♥ Q♠

With the turn K♥ and river 5♦ , Cheng with the fist pump for his win.

120,000 ante

After a few hands with small chips passed around, Junnie Pamplona claimed the first good pot. From the button, Chao Ting Cheng raised to 250,000, Pamplona called, the flop was 2♥ 2♦ T♠ . Both players checked and the turn came 2♠ . Pamplona led for 200,000, Cheng called. The river 9♦ , Pamplona bet 420,000, Cheng called then mucked to Pamplona’s 9♠ 5♠ full house.

120,000 ante

Button Junnie Pamplona raises to 260,000, small blind Eric Tsai three-bets to 760,000, big blind Chao Ting Cheng four-bets all in for 2,850,000, Pamplona folds, Tsai calls for his tournament life with 2,755,000.

Cheng A♥ Q♣ Tsai Q♦ Q♠

With the flop running K♥ J♠ J♥ , Cheng gained outs, and with the turn 6♥ , more outs on a possible flush. The river 7♥ was the money card for Cheng to dust Tsai.

100,000 ante

Button Junnie Pamplona opens for 210,000, big blind Chao Ting Cheng shoves his 1,350,000 stack, Pamplona calls.

Cheng A♦ 8♥ Pamplona A♠ 3♠

The board runs 9♦ Q♣ 8♦ 9♥ 7♥ for a double up to Cheng.

100,000 ante

80,000 ante

Jimmy Torres has been slowly losing chips and eventually lost it all to Junnie Pamplona in a big hand. Torres shoves 1,695,000 from utg, button Eric Tsai calls, big blind Pamplona tank-shoves to push out Tsai who says he had pocket Jacks.

Pamplona K♥ K♣ Torres 8♣ 7♣

The board runs 9♦ 2♠ Q♦ 9♥ Q♣ . Torres is out in 4th place.

80,000 ante

Under the gun Chao Ting Cheng opens, button Junnie Pamplona three-bets to 350,000, Cheng calls. Pamplona c-bets 250,000 on the flop T♦ 6♣ 2♥ , Cheng calls. They chekc the turn A♥ , then Pamplona bets 550,000 on the river 9♣ . Cheng folds.

80,000 ante

From utg Eric Tsai raises to 160,000, button Chao Ting Cheng and big blind Jimmy Torres call. On the flop 7♣ K♣ 8♦ , it is checked to Cheng who bets 250,000 which is enough to take it down.

60,000 ante

From cutoff, Chao Ting Cheng raises to 120,000 then faces a three-bet o 375,000 from small blind Jimmy Torres. Cheng calls, the flop runs T♥ 5♥ J♠ . Torres c-bets 175,000, Cheng calls. On the turn 2♠ , Torres sends out 500,000, Cheng tanks then shoves with 1,525,000 in chips. Torres folds.

60,000 ante

Small blind Jimmy Torres raises to 155,000, big blind Eric Tsai defends, the flop runs 8♦ K♥ 6♥ . Torres c-bets 125,000, Tsai raises to 380,000, Torres folds.

A couple of hands after, Torres raises from utg, button Tsai calls, small blind Chao Ting Cheng three-bets to 450,000, initial raiser Torres folds, Tsai calls. No bets land on the flop Q♦ 9♠ 3♥ , but on the turn 8♥ , Cheng checks, Tsai bets 275,000, Chao calls. On the turn 9♣ , both check again. Chao has A♠ J♣ , Tsai ships it with 6♥ 6♦ .

60,000 ante

From utg, Chao Ting Cheng raises to 120,000, button Junnie Pamplona three-bets to 320,000, back to Cheng with a four-bet to 760,000, Pamplona tank-folds and says “nice hand” while showing A♥ .

60,000 ante

Remaining players of the Main Event have reached their first break of the day. Here are the chip counts.

50,000 ante

From under the gun, Junnie Pamplona raises to 105,000, small blind Evgenii Nekrasov shoves for 835,000, Cheng calls and shows K♣ Q♠ . It’s a flip with Nekrasov holding T♣ T♦ . With the board running 5♥ 4♠ K♥ 9♥ Q♥ , Cheng outdraws Nekrasov to ship it and send the Russian out in 5th place.

40,000 ante

Under the gun +1, Chao Ting Cheng raises to 85,000, next to him Kien Tat Heng who has been quiet up until this time announces all in. Action folds around back to Cheng who calls and shows K♥ K♠ . Kien has J♦ 9♦ . With the board running A♣ T♦ 4♦ 6♥ 8♥ , Cheng ships it and Kien exits in 6th place.

40,000 ante

Cutoff Chao Ting Cheng raises to 80,000 and big blind Torres defends. At the flop { 9♦ Q♣ J♦ , both check. The turn 3♣ Cheng bets 65,000, Torres check calls. On the river A♣ , Torres leads out 125,000, Cheng calls, Torres wins the pot with A♥ 9♥ two pair.

40,000 ante

From utg+1, Junnie Pamplona raises to 85,000, big blind Chao Ting Cheng calls to see the flop Q♦ [10c} 7♥ . Both check for a free turn 6♣ . Cheng checks again, Pamplona bets 55,000, Cheng calls. On the river 8♥ Cheng switches up and leads for 85,000, Pamplona calls and as Cheng shows his J♥ 9♦ striaght, Pamplona says in his native tongue “I knew it!”

40,000 ante

From under the gun, Jimmy Torres opens and finds one customer in Chao Ting Cheng. At the flop and turn J♠ 4♦ 2♥ T♠ , Torres bets 60,000 and 130,000 and Cheng calls. On the river 3♣ Torres checks, Cheng fires 150,000, Torres calls then mucks to Cheng’s A♦ J♥ top pair.

40,000 ante

First double up of the final table goes to Evgenii Nekrasov who shoves with A♠ K♠ and is flipping against caller Chao Ting Cheng with Q♦ Q♥ . The board runs K♦ 3♦ T♣ K♣ 2♣ .

30,000 ante

The first casualty of the final table has been delivered. On the fourth hand, from mid position, short stacked Bien Mai shoves, beside him Chao Ting Cheng calls, no other joiners for the first heads up showdown.

Mai K♦ Q♦ Cheng 6♦ 6♥

Mai happy to see the flip however the board runs in Cheng’s favor 6♠ 8♠ 5♣ 2♣ 8♣ .

30,000 ante

And they’re off! The hunt for the APPT Cambodia Main Event title has kicked off! Everyone is guaranteed a minimum US$ 10,908 but all eyes will be on the PokerStars Shard Trophy and US$ 120,300 top prize.

25,000 ante

Chao Ting Cheng shoves with A♣ K♦ and Bien Mai snap calls with A♠ Q♥ , the board runs 6♥ 7♣ 8♦ T♠ 5♥ for a double up to Cheng.

20,000 ante

Chao Ting Cheng and Lev Kydatov meet again. Cheng is now ahead with Q♠ Q♦ , Kydatov with K♦ Q♥ , the board runs 2♦ 7♦ J♠ 9♦ 6♠ for a double up to Cheng.

20,000 ante

Chao Ting Cheng limps in, Lev Kydatov shoves, Cheng calls and sees he is behind. Kydatov has [ad} A♣ , Cheng with A♠ T♣ , the board is Q♥ Q♣ T♠ 6♣ 6♠ . Cheng pays the double up of 225,000.

After twelve hours of play, the APPT Cambodia Main Event Final 9 players was formed! Filipino Junnie Pamplona bagged the largest stack with Taiwan’s Eric Tsai and Colombia’s Jimmy Torres close behind. The finalists return at 1pm on Monday, May 15, 2023 and will chase down the coveted title, trophy, and six figure US$ 120,300 payout. Somuchpoker will bring you the blow-by-blow action via Live Updates.

From under the gun, Junnie Pamplona raises to 65,000, small blind Jimmy Torres and big blind Chao Ting Cheng both call to see the flop 3♠ 5♠ 2♦ . Torres leads out 75,000, Cheng calls, Pamplona folds. The turn K♦ , another 205,000 by Torres called by Cheng. On the river 8♣ , Torres slows to a check, Cheng bets a large 700,000, Torres calls then pays Cheng’s 6♠ 4♦ straight. Torres shows 3♦ 3♣ set.

25,000 ante

Another double up for Chao Ting Cheng who pushes with A♦ K♣ , Junnie Pamplona calls with A♥ Q♣ . No hits on the board for Pamplona to pay the double up to Chao.

Main Event Day 1A is in the books with 41 players out of 176 entries surviving the 13 rounds. Cheng Zhang bagged the chip lead with 399,000 and at his heels was hot running Bien Mai with 394,000.

2500 ante

On a board that completed 5♥ 7♠ 6♣ 8♠ A♦ and 53,500 in the pot, Xiaohua Fu bets 11,000, Chao Ting Cheng shoves 141,500, Fu tanks. After a few minutes, Fu agonizingly folds.