APPT Main Event

The 2024 APPT Cambodia Main Event wrapped up Day 1B at NagaWorld in Phnom Penh with 29 players surviving the 15 rounds of scheduled play. Early in the heat, Denmark's Michael Kim Falcon stormed to the top and parked there all day, bagging up the largest stack of 491,000.

Out of the many pots Falcon accumulated today were numerous eliminations that included Adam Lawler, Oliver Schulze, Hwang Choong, and David Erquiaga. One of his biggest pots was up against Nicola Spicher whose Q♠ 8♠ two pair on the turn could not push out the Dane's A♦ 7♦ drawing hand that completed a flush on the river Q♦ 3♠ J♦ 8♣ 3♦ . Falcon is running red hot at the festival. Just days prior, he finished second at the APPT National.

Down the Day 1B rung, also surviving were NagaWorld Kick Off champion Itsuki Homma, APPT Cambodia Super High Roller runner up Nevan Yu Chung Chang, 2007 APPT Philippines runner up Ira Blumenthal, Chinese players Yunsheng Sun, Xiaosheng Zheng, Guiyang Wang, and Team Cimitarra's Yannick Leonard.

The survivors have a couple of night's off before heading back for Day 2 on November 24, 2024 where they will be hunting down a piece of the US$ 500,000 advertised prize pool.

In partnership with Connaissance Management Group, the Main Event has now drawn a combined 299 entries with 51 advancing to Day 2.Up next is Day 1C which is the last flight to enter. For those planning to attend, get there early as this will likely attract the biggest crowd. Flight kicks off at 12pm on November 23, 2024.

For a buy in of US$ 1,650, players start with 30,000 which is 300 times the opening blinds. All Day 1 heats play 15 levels of 40 minute blinds which increases to 60 minutes at Day 2 and 75 minutes on the final day.

Read up on the Day 1B action down below.

Yannick Leonard opens 8000 then goes head to head with chip leader Michael Kim Falcon who calls from the big blind. Both check the flop J♠ Q♥ J♣ . Falcon bets 10,000 on the turn 9♥ and Leonard calls. The river T♣ , Falcon fires again for 16,000, Leonard tests with a 55,000 raise, Falcon gives up his stake on the pot.

Ronald Haverkamp picks up a couple of pots early in the final level. First one sees the pot build to 28,000 with three in the hand, then they check down the board J♦ Q♠ T♥ 7♠ . On the river 5♥ , Haverkamp bets 10,000 and wins it uncontested.

One orbit later, is a much larger pot. He defends the big blind again by calling an 8500 bet from Dmitry Suchkov. When the board runs 9♥ T♣ 2♠ K♦ , Haverkamp check-calls 7000 and 23,000 then they river 5♥ is checked by both. Haverkamp's 8♠ 5♠ bottom

He Zhou opens 6000, Ngoc Thai Huynh three-bets 16,500, Zhou answers with a 38,000 four-bet, Huynh folds.

End of the road for Tetsuya Tsujisaka, well at least for today. Tsujisaka shoved with J♠ J♥ , Yunsheng Sun called with 4♦ 4♠ , the board ran 3♥ Q♣ 4♥ K♠ 8♦ for a set to Sun.

With a race before him, Naoki Watanabe jams all in holding A♥ A♠ and is called by initial raiser Sha Chengchun with A♦ Q♦ . No bad beat arrives on the board K♣ 9♣ 4♥ 2♦ 3♣ for a clean double up to Watanabe.

Big blind Michael Kim Falcon is dealt Q♥ Q♦ and just calls small blind Itsuki Homma's 6000 raise. On the flop 6♣ 4♦ 7♠ , Falcon takes charge, leading out 10,000, and another 20,000 on the turn 7♦ . Homma calls both and with the river A♠ . They both check. Homma shows 3♦ 3♥ and is way behind Falcon's red hot ladies.

From the big blind Robin Roth with Q♠ 9♠ defends from the raise of Roman Shcherbakov and lands top two on the flop Q♦ 5♣ 9♥ . Setting the trap, Roth checks then calls 6000. The turn 5♥ is checked by both then on the river 5♠ , Roth pumps the pot another 8000, Shcherbakov calls then mucks.

Yannick Leonard defends his big blind to see a flop 8♠ J♠ 2♣ . Facing a 6000 c-bet from William Lius, Leonard check-raises 19,000 and just like that, the pot is his.

Donghyup Kim re-raises 15,500, Naoki Watanabe calls while initial raiser opts out. On the flop 3♠ 5♠ 2♦ , Kim puts pressure with a 21,500 bet that Watanabe still calls. However, on the turn 7♥ , Kim's big shove is enough to take down the pot without further challenge.

The river 3♦ is just what Falcon wanted, the flush, to send Spicher to the rail.

Yannick Leonard and Tetsuya Tsujisaka go tit for tat with the latter defending his big blind. On the flop Q♣ Q♥ 6♥ , both check. Tsujisaka bets 6300 on the turn J♣ that Leonard calls. Tsujisaka fires again on the river T♥ for 23,500, Leonard shoves 35,500, not much more for Tsujisaka to call but chooses to fold.

Though not needed, Hussaini's kings improve to ensure the triple up while Lius falls to giving Tsujisaka the side pot.

Xiaosheng Zheng defends his big blind with K♦ 9♣ to battle with and lands top pair on the flop K♣ 5♥ 6♠ . He check-calls aggressor Aleksandr Blokhin's 2500 c-bet and 20,000 turn bet on J♣ . Both tap felt on the river 5♣ . Blokhin is behind with A♦ 4♦ .

Danny Huynh calls Wooseok Kim's open shove of 28,000 and is ahead T♦ T♥ to Kim's A♥ 6♠ . With no help coming for Kim on a board 7♦ 2♠ 3♦ 3♠ 5♠ , Huynh ships it and chips up once more.

With no hits for Chengchun, Huynh doubles up.

Despite Firstov pairing both cards, it is still behind Lucking's broadway.

Meerwais Hussaini has Q♥ 8♥ and gives it a bump to 4000 from hijack. Button Tetsuya Tsujisaka has A♣ 8♠ and makes the call. After the blinds fold, both players land top pair on the flop 6♥ 8♦ 3♣ to add in more chips to the pot with Hussaini betting 8000 that's called. On the turn T♣ , Hussaini checks to the overcard, Tsujisaka bets 15,000 to try to take it down but Hussaini calls. On the river J♠ , both players check, Tsujisaka wins the pot with the higher kicker.

Pound for pound between Roman Shcherbakov and Michael Kim Falcon kicks of with Shcherbakov raising 3000 and Falcon calling from the big blind. On the flop 4♦ J♣ Q♥ , Falcon seizes control with a 5000 bet that Shcherbakov calls. The turn8c , Falcon fires 10,000, Shcherbakov raises 25,000, Falcon calls. Both players check the river. Falcon has Q♣ 8♥ two pair, Shcherbakov wins the pot with 9♣ T♦ straight.

With three hearts on the board, Qui is saved while Vasylenko plunges.

Following a raise by utg, cutoff Xiaosheng Zheng three-bets 6000, small blind Aleksandr Bokhin four-bet 12,000, utg folds, Zheng tames the action with a call. At the flop 7♠ K♥ 9♠ , Blokhin c-bets 14,000 which is enough to win the pot without further challenge.

Blinds call Jungyeob Lee's 3500 raise preflop, the cards run 7♥ Q♦ 2♦ , and they check. Lee continues for 4500, only Ferdinand Lu calls. No betting happens on the turn 4♣ , then on the river 9♥ , Lu leads out 9500, Lee raises 19,000, Lu makes it 44,500, Lee calls then mucks to Lu's 9♦ 9♠ set.

Day 1B registration closes at 171 entries. Currently 74 players remaining. They play to the end of Level 15.

By the turn J♣ , Tsujisaka is drawing dead to pay up.

Quang Huy Nguyen opens 2400, gets reraised to 7200 by Sha Chengchun. Nguyen calls and the flop runs 4♥ 2♥ 6♠ . Checking to Sha who barrels 5800, Nguyen calls and the turn is 5♣ . Sha barrel a third time for 21,000 which is half of Nguyen's stack, Nguyen folds.

Zheng is awarded the pot for his higher two pair.

Jun Yamada starts it off with a 2400 raise and big blind Francisco Sanchez defends his big blind. At the flop 5♠ 3♥ Q♠ Sanchez puts the heat on with a check-raise from 3000 to make it 8000 to continue. Yamada obliges and the turn is T♦ . Sanchez continues for 12,000, and still Yamada calls until the river J♠ where Sanchez backs down and checks, giving Yamada the green light to bet and does so for 23,000. Sanchez folds.

Button player Ngoc Thai Huynh drives the pot with a 2500 raise, big blind Michael Kim Falcon pressures with a 7200 three-bet, Huynh answers back with a 17,500 four-bet, Falcon calls to slow down the action. On the flop 2♣ 2♠ 3♠ , Falcon comes out firing 12,000, Huynh calls. Falcon fires again for 40,000 on the turn 7♣ . Huynh tanks then lets it go.

Justin Chu opens 2500 with A♦ 5♦ and the blinds call. When the flop runs T♠ A♠ A♥ , Chu lands trips and continues for 3500. Only small blind Somashekhar Sanampurl wants to continue and calls to bring the turn K♠ . Sanampuri checks, Chu checks back, and the board completes 4♣ . Sanampuri jumps out with a 5000 bet, Chu calls. Sanampuri shows K♥ Q♣ , losing a third of his stack to Chu.

Francisco Sanchez and Maxwell Rosete call a raise preflop and after the flop is checked, Rosete bets 6500 on the turn board 8♥ T♦ 9♥ 3♦ that only Sanchez calls. The river 9♦ lands and again Rosete comes out with a bet of 17,000, Sanchez wants to see and calls exposing Rosee's A♥ 4♥ bluff. Sanchez takes the pot with Q♠ T♠ .

Three players in a limped pot battle on a flop 4♦ 3♣ T♣ . Big blind Sergius Santos kicks it off for 1200, hijack Manwoo Park calls, cutoff Dmitry Suchkov raises 7000, Santos calls and Park opts to leave them to it. On the turn J♦ Santos leads out again betting 3700, this time Suchkov just calls, and the river A♦ completes the board. Santos fires a third time though a light 3000 only, Suchkov calls then mucks to T♠ 9♥ two pair.

Ira Blumenthal picks up a couple of pots, first taking a little fro Anzhela Vasylenko. Blumenthal three-bets Vasylenko's raise of 2500 to make it 7500 to see the flop. Vasylenko defends her raise and they see a flop 8♣ 6♣ T♣ . Blumenthal continues 8000 and quickly wins the pot.

One orbit later, Blumenthal three-bets from the big blind again and small blind Nevan Yu Chung Chang tosses in the call. Blumenthal bets the flop and turn 3♥ 6♠ Q♥ 2♣ , 3500 and 4500, Chang check-calls both. Blumenthal keeps the fire going on the river A♣ for 7500, this time Chang gives up his hand.

Raise from utg+1 sees five callers for lots of small chips in the middle. At the flop 6♣ 9♥ 8♠, hijack bets 6000, two players call, then small blind Ferdinand Lu check-raises 21,000. This is enough to win the pile.

Battle of the blinds has Tetsuya Tsujisaka limp in then call big blind Ihor Yerofieiev's 4500 raise. At the flop T♠ 3♦ K♣ , Tsujisaka passes the action to Yerofieiev who continues for 3200, Tsujisaka check-raises 7000 which is strong enough to win the pot.

Raised pot preflop brings three players to a flop K♣ 6♣ A♥ . Akihiro Konishi c-bets 4000 finds one callers in cutoff Ira Blumenthal. More chips tossed in the pot with Konishi betting 7500 on the turn 3♣ and still doesn't shake off the caller Blumenthal. Konishi then checks the river, Blumenthal does the same. Blumenthal's A♣ J♠ top pair earns a muck from Konishi.

The river T♥ is no help to the ladies and Mitani packs up.

Battle of the blinds with 8400 in the pot, Yannick Leonard bets 3500 and big blind Robin Roth calls it. The turn 5♦ is checked for a free river 8♣ . Leonard resumes betting for 1800, Roth calls then mucks to K♣ 6♠ pair.

After raising preflop, Nikolai Zhivoderov continues 1500 on a flop T♠ 9♣ J♣ only to face a raise from Abhishek Goyal of 6500. Zhivoderov responds with a shove and wins the pot uncontested.

Action folds to the small blind William Lius and raises it to 2000. Big blind Donghyup Kim won't give up his forced bet that easy and calls. On the flop and turn 6♦ 2♦ A♦ Q♦ , Lius bets 3000 and 5000 and Kim continues to defend until the river J♠ . Lius jams and this time Kim gives it up.

Facing a raise from Itsuki Homma that's called by Chun Meng Chua, Huseyin Akgul three-bets 7500. Both Homma and Chua want to play and toss in the chips, dealer felts 7♦ J♦ J♣ . Checked to Akgul who bets 4500 that finds no takers.

Yannick Leonard defends the big blind then checks the flop 3♦ 4♣ 6♠ with preflop raiser Bruno Moyse. At the turn J♥ , Moyse gives it a go for 3500 and Leonard check-calls. Switch up on the river 3♣ with Leonard leading out 10,000 to claim the pot without a fight.

The turn 6♥ Haverkamp is drawing dead.

Meerwais Hussaini and Felix Rahden spar preflop started by the former for 2100, Rahden responds with 6000, Hussaini makes it 10,000 and the battle ends with Rahden making the call. At the flop 3♠ J♣ 2♣ , Hussaini resumes for 2500, Rahden punches back 10,000, Hussaini shoves his huge stack that gets a fold.

Ihor Yerofieiev raises from cutoff and goes down the streets with caller Aleksei Ignatev. On the flop 5♠ K♥ 6♠ , Ignatev calls 1600 then both check the turn 4♠ . The river A♦ Ignatev jumps out for 7000, Yerofieiev goes all in with less behind (6200) and shows A♠ 8♠ flush ahead of Ignatev's A♥ 5♥ two pair.

With two kings on the board, Scheld is denied as rockets go bust.

With 4900 in the pot, Siarhei Chudapal bets 1200 in position on a flop 8♥ 7♥ 8♦ . Small blind Nageshwara Alaparthy Prasad check-raises 5100, big blind Emad Zarghami check-calls, action back to Chudapal who opts to fold. According to Alaparthy, he didn't intend to bet that much.

On the turn 4♠ , both players check it to the river 6♥ . Alaparthy shoves 5400, Zarghami snap-calls, Alaparthy shows A♥ 5♥ flush that dusts Zarghami's T♠ 8♠ trips.

Following a limper, Junpeng Pan raises 4000 and is called by small blind Somashekhar Sanampuri and limper Hwang Wei Choong. On the flop T♦ 8♦ A♦ , Sanampuri takes charge and jams 30,700 and finds no callers.

After a preflop betting war that sees utg Michael Kim Falcon call button Sha Chengchun's 4000 raise, they check it down until the river 4♣ 6♦ 7♦ 4♦ 3♠ . Falcon bets 17,000, Sha tank-folds. Falcon reveals his 7♥ 4♥ full house.

Roman Shcherbakov and Calvin Tan face off on a flop K♦ 6♦ 8♥ wih Shcherbakov betting 1500 that Tan check-calls. However, the battle dies out on the turn 8♣ and river A♦ with no bets. Tan shows Q♥ 6♠ bottom pair for the win.

Looking down at 3♦ 3♣ , David Erquiaga raises 1400 and Nevan Chang defends his big blind. At the flop J♠ 2♣ 3♥ , Erquiaga improves to a set and c-bets 1000, Chang check-raises 3000, Erquiaga three-bets 6000, Chang flats then both knock the turn 6♠ . Back to betting on the river Q♠ with 13,000 out front from Erquiaga, Chang calls then mucks to the set.

From the big blind, Jungyeol Lee joins three others to build a 5700 pot. On the flop 8♣ T♣ 5♠ , preflop raiser Justin Chu continues for 2500 and only loses one player to head to the turn 7♦ . No bets land this time and the dealer fans out 3♦ . Lee bets 5500, Chu calls, one player folds, Lee shows T♠ 3♠ two pair for the winner

Soren Strub is dealt Q♦ Q♥ and raises it to 1400 from cutoff. Two players go with him post flop then all check to the turn 6♠ T♠ 2♥ 9♥ . Masaru Matsuzawa leads out 1700, two calls are follow to head to the river 6♣. Matsuzawa checks this time, Strub bets 5500, only Matsuzawa pays to see then mucks.

Simakin's pocket pair holds for a double up however still very short.

With 15,300 in the pot, Oliver Schulze and Sha Chengchun check it to the turn Q♠ 5♣ 8♥ K♣ . Sha leads out 7000 from the big blind and Schulze calls. They go back to checking on the river 3♠ . Sha has 6♠ 6♦ though still behind K♠ J♠ top pair.

"Justin" Chi Jen Chu is in the house! Chu recently finished 3rd at the APPT Manila Championship. Catching him in a hand, Chu opens from ug then calls Leo Kamiya's 3200 button reraise. Both are friendly at the flop, chips come in again on the turn board K♣ 4♦ 7♠ J♠ with Chu betting 5000. Kamiya calls and they see the river 9♥ . Chu continues for 19,000, Kamiya calls again and soon mucks to Chu's K♠ J♣ top pair.