APPT Main Event ($1,650)

With Mateo pairing up both of his cards and Zebib unable to catch up, Zebib turned his US$ 165 flipout buy in ticket into a sweet US$ 17,700 payout.

Hand #1: Opening hand of the APPT Cambodia Main Event saw everyone fold to the small blind Nicola Spicher who limped and checked by the big blind. On the flop A♦ 7♥ 3♠ , Spicher led for 50,000 and got called. Both player proceeded to check the turn 2♠ and river A♥ . Zebib showed 3♦ 6♥ two pair to claim the pot over Spicher's K♦ 5♦ .

Another intense yet thrilling day came to a close at the record breaking APPT Cambodia Main Event with the field reduced to the last 9 players. This was determined at the fall of Sunghak Lee in 10th place to Christopher Mateo just before the eleventh hour kicked in. In turn, Mateo bagged up the largest stack of 3,275,000 (81 bb) with his closest challenger, Nicola Spicher, sitting 13 bb behind.

Running third rank is none other than Trong Hieu Ngo, the champion of the APPT Manila Championship that took place last month. Hieu has been running strong at the festival with a trophy already captured at the Megastack High Roller. Hieu is looking to be the first player to win the APPT Main Event in back to back tours.

Entering Day 2, Sven McDermott led the chase and became the first player to amass a million in chips very early on. McDermott caught Alexsandr Blokhin bluffing to bring about the bubble round.

After several attempts, the bubble burst on Jeremy Jehanne who was forced all in on the big blind and fell to small blind caller Noyan Slamiya.

Others down the lineup are the highly decorated David Erquiaga who is on a hot streak this year, Ceesvin Abraham, Vaicheslav I, and well known cash game slugger Donghyup Kim.

Standing out of that star loaded final 9 lineup is USA's Ziad Zebib, who is already looking at a substantial profit having won his seat via one of the flip out events for just US$ 165.

When the final 9 players return they are each guaranteed US$ 13,954 while awaiting the champion is a life-changing US$ 147,500. The remaining payouts are as follows:

1st US$ 147,500

2nd US$ 92,000

3rd US$ 66,000

4th US$ 50,600

5th US$ 39,000

6th US$ 30,000

7th US$ 23,000

8th US$ 17,700

9th US$ 13,953

Blinds continue for just over 2 minutes at Level 25. At the completion, Level 16 onwards will have blinds increase every 75 minutes.

Action folds to the small blind Ziad Zebib, he looks down at A♠ Q♦ and shoves 530,000. Big blind Donghyup Kim calls and shows A♦ 3♦ . The board runs 6♠ A♣ 7♠ J♦ 2♥ for a clean double up to Zebib.

Ziad Zebib starts us of with a min-raise and calls DB Christopher Mateo's 125,000 to see the flop 3♠ 5♣ T♥ . Checked to the turn J♥ , Zebib leads 100,000, Mateo calls. On the 2♥ river Zebib bets his last 255,000 and Mateo tank folds.

Ziad Zebib starts us off with 40,000 from UTG and only Ferdinand Lu wants to see the flop, defending his big blind. Lu check-calls for 30,000 on Q♠ 9♣ 9♠ and 60,000 on the turn 9♥ to switch it up and lead on the river K♦ for 100,000. Zebib needs a time bank to find the call and mucks when Lu flips over K♠ J♠ .

With 23 fighters left the top spots go to:

UTG Christopher Mateo gets us going with 35,000 and both blinds defend. The flop Q♠ 4♠ A♥ gets checked to him, he continues for 65,000 and only Ziad Zebib finds a call from the BB. The turn T♠ has Zebib lead for 115,000 and thereby secure the pot uncontested.

Ziad Zebib takes control preflop with a 7000 raise then maintains aggression by betting down the board Q♣ K♦ 7♥ 6♦ 9♣ . Big blind caller Takashi Yagura calls 6500 and 11,000 but doesn’t reach in on the river to award Zebib the pot.

A big pot of 26,000 built preflop sees the cards land J♥ 5♥ 2♣ . Small blind Ziad Zebib takes charge for 9000 and hijack John Clyde Tan calls to stake his claim on the pot. Zibab continues on the turn 9♥ for 15,000, again Tan calls, then both check the river K♣ . Zebib flips open A♦ A♣ and takes down the pot.

Following a 1500 raise from Ziad Zebib, button player Kien Tat Heng beefs up the pot further with a re-raise of 3500, and is joined by small blind and Zebib for a good pot already weighing down the middle. On the flop 3♦ 3♠ 7♦ , Heng bets 5000, enough to lose a player while Zebib calls. No action is seen on the turn 9♦ but on the river 8♥ , Heng dips in his stack and tosses out 10,500, Zebib calls then mucks to A♦ A♠ .

Ari Kumpumaki of Greece opens from the D for 500 and gets 3-bet by American Ziad Zebib in the SB for 2,200. Kumpumaki makes the call.

The flop is 7♦ 9♣ A♥ and Zebib continues for 1,500. Kumpumaki makes the call. The turn is 2♠ and the American once again fires, this time for 6,500. Kumpumaki still calls. The river is the 5♦. Zebib shoves his remaining 15,600 stack to the middle of the table. The Greek player opts to fold.