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.

120,000 ante

Chip leader Junnie Pamplona has won the next few hands to rise back up to 8,100,000. That’s well over half of the chips in play. On the first hand, button Chao Ting Cheng opens for 210,000, small blind Pamplona three-bets to 625,000, no call.

Next hand, Pamplona raises from the button to 260,000, Eric Tsai calls, the flop runs J♠ 5♣ {5h. Tsai checks, Pamplona c-bets 150,000, Tsai folds.

On the third consecutive hand, Cheng limps from the small blind, Pamplona checks on the big blind, then bets 150,000 on the flop 9♣ 6♥ 8♣ . Cheng check-folds.

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

From under the gun, Junnie Pamplona raises to 200,000, button Jimmy Torres calls, the flop is 4♦ 6♥ 9♦ . Pamplona c-bets 160,000, Torres calls. On the turn J♠ Pamplona check-calls Torre’s 250,000 bet, then both check the river K♣ . Pamplona shows 9♣ 8♦ and Torres mucks.

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.

60,000 ante

Cards are back in the air, utg Jimmy Torres min-raises and big blind Junnie Pamplona defends. At the flop T♠ 7♦ Q♣ , Torres c-bets 100,000, Pamplona check-calls. Both players check the turn 3♠ and Q♠ , Pamplona has J♥ 7♠ , Torres wins it with T♣ 6♣ pair.

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 cutoff, Jimmy Torres raises to 100,000, big blind Junnie Pamplona defends to see the flop 3♠ K♠ 7♣ . Torres bets 75,000, Pamplona check-calls. Same action on the turn T♣ with a 250,000 bet by Torres check-called by Pamplona. On the river J♣ , both players check. Pamplona shows 8♠ 2♠ missed flush, Torres wins the pot with A♦ 2♥ .

50,000 ante

Cutoff Junnie Pamplona raises to 105,000, button Jimmy Torres three-bets to 250,000, big blind Chao Ting Cheng tosses in the 105,000 then realized there was a three-bet. The floor was called and ruled that he can fold but loses the bet. Cheng folds, Pamplona calls.

At the flop A♥ 9♥ 9♣ , Pamplona leads out 175,000, Torres calls. Both players check the turn K♠ , then on the river 6♥ , Pamplona sends out 310,000, Torres folds.

50,000 ante

Battle of the blinds, Junnie Pamplona limps then calls big blind Jimmy Torres’ 125,000 raise. At the flop 4♣ 8♦ Q♠ , Pamplona check-calls 100,000. The turn 7♣ and river 7♦ , both check. Pamplona has 8♣ 9♦ two pair, Torres mucks.

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!”

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

Catching the action on a board showing 9♣ 4♠ T♦ 9♠ 6♥ , Junnie Pamplona roars upon winning the huge pot with A♠ T♥ beating Philip Tan’s K♦ Q♣ .

16,000 ante

From hijack Junnie Pamplona raises to 36,000, cutoff Ashish Munot calls, button Philip Tan three-bets to 151,000, Pamplona calls, Munot shoves, Tan shoves, Pamplona tanks and expresses his disbelief. He then folds and shows J♥ J♦ . 

Munot A♦ Q♥ Tan A♣ K♠

When the board runs 6♦ 3♣ 7♦ 9♥ 8♣ , Pamplona is shaken as he would have won, instead, Tan ships a massive double up and Munot plunges. 

16,000 ante

Short stacked Yannick Jobin all with T♠ 8♥ and finds no luck on the board to fall to Junnie Pamplona‘s A♦ J♥ .

16,000 ante

Junnie Pamplona and Ashish Munot both limp, button Philip Tan raises to 40,000, Pamplona calls, Munot folds. At the flop 5♠ 4♥ 8♥ , both check. On the turn J♥ , Pamplona bets 33,000, Tan raises to 103,000, Pamplona flats. On the river Q♥ , Pamplona checks to the aggressor Tan who fires 400,000, Pamplona folds.

10,000 ante

8000 ante

On a three-bet raised pot by big blind Roman Kolotiuk, Junnie Pamplona called and the flop ran A♦ 9♥ 7♦ . Kolotiuk c-bet 150,00, Pamplona shoved, Kolotiuk called putting Pamplona at risk of elimination. Kolotiuk opens T♦ 5♦ , Pamplona with A♠ Q♠ , the turn 5♠ and river K♣ were no good for Kolotiuk. Pamplona doubles up huge. This was the second time Pamplona shipped in a pot with top pair holding against a missed draw.

5,000 ante

Hard-hitting Tian Yuan Tang is out of the running. After losing a succession of pots, he goes all in from the big blind on a flop J♥ 4♣ 5♥ , hijack Junnie Pamplona calls. Tang is drawing with Pkh} 7♥ , Pamplona hoping his A♣ J♣ top pair holds. With the turn Q♠ and river 2♣ , the pair holds, Tang is eliminated.

4000 ante

Junnie Pamplona with A♠ J♠ , Xixiang Luo risks it with A♦ 9♦ , with the board running 8♠ 4♥ 3♣ 2♥ 8♣ , Luo is eliminated.

4000 ante

From mid position, Junnie Pamplona raise to 8000 and big blind Tian Yuan Tang calls. At the flop 9♠ 8♣ 7♥ , Pamplona c-bet 8,000 and Tang check-calls. No bets come on the turn 3♠ but on the river Tang leads out 18,000 and Pamplona folds.

After shipping in the pot, the dealer asks to pay one time-bank. According to the dealer he bet on the river after the counter was at Zero. Tang says otherwise. The TD was called and it was decided, Tang owed the time-bank as he let second lapse before betting after the initial 30 seconds.

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.

Short stacked Jun Lai is all in with K♥ J♥ and big stacked Junnie Pamplona gives him a sweat with A♣ 6♦ . The board runs A♥ 6♠ 9♦ T♠ 9♣ .

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.