APPT Manila Main Event (80,000 PHILIPPINE PESO)

After eleven rounds of play, Day 2 ended with 18 players bagging up. Up top was Israel's Daniel Benor with a commanding 5,295,000 stack equivalent to 88 bb entering the final day's starting blinds. At his heels was Japan's Shobu Oda with 71 bb and to round out the top three was John Matsuda, also from Japan, with 62 bb.

When the final 18 players return, they are guaranteed PHP 530,000 while the top prize of PHP 15,000,000 awaits its champion.

Stay tuned for the recap.

John Matsuda went on a knockout spree, eliminating two players just before the end of day. The first was Victor Chong in 20th place with A♥ 6♠ over K♠ Q♥ on a board K♦ T♠ 2♦ A♦ 8♣ . This earned him 13 bb.

Several hands after, he raised 100,000 then snap-called Marc Rivera's 650,000 shove. Matsuda showed A♣ K♥ , Rivera with A♦ 9♦ , the board ran 7♦ 6♦ K♣ 7♠ K♦ improving both with Matsuda's full house dominating the nut flush. Rivera finished in 19th place.

Marc Rivera opens 110,000 and big blind Victor Chong calls. Both check the flop 4♥ T♥ J♥ . Chong checks the turn A♥ then calls Rivera's 60,000 bet. On the river T♦ , it is back to checking. Chong shows A♣ 3♣ , Rivera claims the pot with A♦ K♣ higher kicker.

Chip leader Daniel Benor opens 100,000 then calls James Dela Cruz's 300,000 re-raise. On a flop 6♣ 7♣ Q♥ , Benor check-calls 200,000, then both knock the turn 7♠ . On the river K♣ , check again from Benor, Cruz bets 500,000, Benor tanks for one time-bank then calls and exposes Cruz's bluff.

Small blind Shobu Oda opens 160,000, big blind Tran Huy Hoang three-bets 500,000, Oda tanks for two time-banks then jams with stack covering Tran who folds.

Button Vamerdino Magsakay opens 100,000, big blind Neo Zhi Han three-bets all in for 790,000, back to Magsakay who tanks for two time-banks then gives up his hand.

Zhao Feng raises 110,000 from utg and is joined by big blind Xiong Cheng to the flop Q♥ J♥ 7♦ . Cheng check-calls a 90,000 c-bet then both check on the turn J♦ . The river 7♠ has Cheng lead out 280,000, Feng folds. Cheng shows J♠ for the full house.

Shobu Oda opens then calls Melchor Vasquez's three-bet shove. Oda is ahead the whole way to ship it and boot Vasquez.

Maxwell Rosete opens 80,000 then calls small blind Tran Huy Hoang's 240,000 re-raise. They head to a flop 6♥ 3♣ 6♣ . Tran continues for 200,000, Rosete shoves 1,250,000, Tran is stopped in his tracks.

Defending his big blind, John Matsuda calls utg Andrew Nguyen's min-raise and head to a flop T♠ A♥ 6♠. Matsuda checks to Nguyen who c-bets 50,000, Matsuda flats to bring the turn 9♣ . Nguyen continues for 120,000 leaving which is met with a check-raise all in from Matsuda that well covers Nguyen's stack, Nguyen risks it.

Daniel Benor opens 80,000 then calls big blind Im Heesoo's three-bet of 235,000. Flop comes 8♠ 3♥ 7♥ , Heesoo c-bets 125,000, Benor flats to the turn T♠ . Heesoo bangs out 350,000, once again Benor calls. On the river A♠ , Heesoo checks, Benor fires 430,000, Heesoo tanks for three time-banks then calls. Benor opens A♣ 9♣ top pair on the river. Heesoo mucks.

Button Quang Huy Nguyen raises 80,000, Maxwell Rosete defends the big blind. On the flop Q♠ 6♠ 8♥ , Nguyen c-bets 50,000, Rosete check-raises 125,000, Nguyen calls. The turn 7♣ , Rosete leads out 250,000 and takes down the pot unchallenged.

Though Patterson is behind, the flop gives plenty of hope until the river to fall in 28th place for PHP 350,000

Michael Soyza opens, Beng Ker three-bets 200,000, Soyza jams and Ker risks with less chips. Soyza has A♦ T♥ , Ker with K♣ K♥, no improvement for Soyza on the board to drop to

Shortly after, Soyza three-bet shoves with 8♦ 8♥ , Tran Huy Hoang snap-calls with A♣ K♥ . With the board running K♦ K♣ 6♦ 9♣ 9♦ , Soyza exits in 32nd place for PHP 305,000.

Maxwell Rosete kicks it off with a min-raise that finds two callers to the flop 5♠ J♠ 3♥ . Rosete c-bets 55,000 that's check-called by both players. On the turn 9♦ , James Dela Cruz leads out 110,000, Mike Takayama folds, Rosete raises 220,000, Cruz flats then checks the river 8♦ . Rosete continues for 275,000, Cruz calls then mucks to Rosete's J♥ J♣ set.

From the button, John Matsuda opens 60,000 then calls big blind Ashley Patterson's 200,000 re-raise. When the board runs A♠ 5♦ T♦ , Patterson bets 125,000 and 205,000, Matsuda calls both bets then head to the river 9♦ . Patterson checks, Matsuda shoves, Patterson surrenders his hand.

Aldous Formanes's roller coaster day ends at the hands of Jongbea Jang with K♣ J♠ unable to crack Jang's 4♦ 4♠ . Formanes exits in 38th place for a decent PHP 305,000 at no cost to enter.

Catalig has the nuts straight which holds on the turn 9♦ then with the river T♣ , Feng overtakes with a full house to rail Catalig and soar over 2M.

Nguyen improves on the flop then Oda rivers the straight to ship it and boot Nguyen.

Im Heesoo raises 50,000, William Teoh and Jongbea Jang call, flop comes 2♥ 6♣ K♠ . Action is checked to Teoh who shoves 235,000, only Jang calls.

Sanjeev Kapoor raises 55,000, cutoff James Dela Cruz throws it back with a 150,000 re-raise, Kapoor tanks for two time-banks then four-bets all in for 435,000. Cruz folds.

Lucky catch by Vamerdino Magsakay to stay in the game with A♦ T♦ all in called by Tobias Fabech with A♥ Q♦ . The board runs 4♠ T♣ K♠ 6♣ 5♥ , Magsakay pairs up.

Marc Rivera opens 40,000, small blind Zhiqiang Liu calls, both see a flop T♠ 8♣ 7♠ . Liu leads out for 30,000, Rivera jams 295,000, Liu calls and slightly covers.

The turn 8♠ and river J♥ keeps cowboys ahead for a double up to Rivera while Liu plunges.

Button Daniel Benor raises 40,000, small blind James Dela Cruz calls then check-calls 35,000 on the flop K♠ 9♦ K♥ . On the turn Q♠ , Cruz switches up and leads out 100,000, Benor folds.

The river 6♦ doesn't improve Iliadi to hit the rail as Oda soars.

A new champion will be crowned at the 15th APPT Manila Main Event with the last title-holder Florencio Campomanes missing the mark. Campomanes was all in on a flip with Ace-Ten, Edgar Asehan's 7♦ 7♠ held.

Utg+1 Hyunyeong Kang raises 40,000, cutoff John Matsuda calls , buttong Seokchul Hwang three-bets 100,000, Kang and Matsuda call. Flop comes 6♥ A♣ 3♣ , action is checked to Hwang who c-bets 200,000, Kang calls, Matsuda raises 650,000, Hwang folds giving up 15 bb, Kang goes all in for 660,000, Matsuda calls.

The turn 2♣ is one of Matsuda's out for the flush and Kang is drawing dead.

From hijack Hyunyeong Kang raises 40,000, button John Matsuda re-raises 115,000, Kang uses one time bank then four-bets 540,000 which is enough to induce a fold.

Small blind Takuya Morita limps in and big blind Daniel Benor checks and head to a flop 7♣ 6♦ K♥ . Morita leads out 20,000, Benor raises 55,000, Morita calls. The turn 7♦ , Morita passes the betting to Benor who continues for 110,000, Morita raises 220,000, Benor calls to bring the river 2♣ . Morita jumps out with a shove and wins the pot without further challenge.

Cheng triples up and Kapoor claims the larger side pot.

Lee misses the board to fall out of the running.

From utg, Michael Soyza opens 40,000 and finds two caller to the flop A♠ 3♥ 9♥ . Big blind Nicole Wee checks, Soyza checks as well, utg+1 Victor Chong lays out 50,000. Only Soyza calls then both check the turn 9♥ to bring the river Q♥ . Soyza leads out 30,000, Chong calls then mucks to Soyza's Q♠ Q♣ full house.

2019 APPT Main Event champion Florencio Campomanes is the lone title-holder in the field. He raises 35,000, Quang Huy Nguyen three-bets 100,000, Campomanes four-bets all in for 205,000, Nguyen calls with Ace-Queen.

Campomanes is ahead with K♦ K♥ which holds throughout a board T♦ 3♦ 6♦ 7♥ 9♦ for the flush.

Edwin Dela Cruz pumps it up to 32,000, blinds Ira Blumenthal and Zhiqiang Liu call, flop rusn A♠ 6♦ 9♥ . Cruz continues for 40,000, Blumenthal check-calls, Liu check-raises 110,000, Cruz responds with a shove of 357,000, no takers. Liu folds and shows A♣ .

Button Takuya Morita opens 35000, small blind Daniel Benor three-bets 115,000, Morita calls. On a flop T♦ A♦ 8♥ , Benor continues for 70,000, Morita calls it then both check the turn A♣ and river 3♦ . Benor shows T♥ 8♦ , Morita mucks.

Heavy preflop betting ends with Maxwell Rosete all in holding Ace-King that is ahead of caller Benjamin Jacobs with Ace-Queen. The board runs Ten-high, Rosete doubles up.

Seokchul Hwang takes control with a 32,000 preflop raise, big blind Hyungyeong Kang calls. Hwang c-bets 25,000 on the flop J♦ 4♣ T♥ , Kang check-calls then switches up on the turn 4♦ with a lead out bet of 110,000. Hwang makes the call and the turn lands 8♦ . Kang goes back to checking, Hwang shoves 244,000, Kang folds.

Early position Huu Dung Nguyen min-raises, blinds Chase Cokaliong and Benhur Ybarsabal call. Action is checked to Nguyen who c-bets 18,000, blinds check-call. No bets land on the turn A♥ to bring the river 6♠ . From the small blind, Cokaliong leads out 55,000, big blind Ybarsabal calls, Nguyen bows out.

The turn K♦ and river 7♦ further improve Iliadi to double up.

Edilberto Gopez opens 25,000 and is joined to the flop A♥ J♣ 6♣ by the blinds Benhur Ybarsabal and William Teoh. Gopez continues for 40,000, Ybarsabal check-calls, Teoh check-raises 150,000, this is enough to push out Gopez while Ybarsabal goes the other direction and shoves 508,000. Teoh tank-folds.

Edilberto Gopez re-raises Benhur Ybarsabal's 24,000 raise to make it 65,000 to continue. Ybarsabal obliges to bring the flop 7♥ 7♣ 4♣ . Gopez continues the aggression with a 40,000 bet, Ybarsabal tank-calls. The turn 4♥ sees a larger 80,000 bet from Gopez that is again check-called. Both knock the river 3♦ .

From utg Jun Lai raises 32,000 and two players call. Lai c-bets 50,000 on a flop 8♥ 6♥ K♦ , losing one player while button Christopher Mateo obliges to see the turn 8♠ . Lai decides to check it, Mateo fires a 55,000 bet, Lai shoves for 185,000 sending Mateo to the think tank. Mateo eventually folds.

Utg+1 Edilberto Gopez kicks off the hand with a 25,000 raise, blinds Benhur Ybarsabal and William Teoh defend for a flop Q♥ J♣ 6♣ . Heavy betting follows with Gopez c-betting 40,000, Ybarsabal check-calls, Teoh check-raises 50,000, Gopez calls Ybarsabal shoves 508,000, Teoh tank folds and Gopez folds as well.