APPT Manila Championship (165,000 PHP)

APPT National champion Chen Zhen of China starts the action by raising from the +2 position to 12,000 and gets a phalanx of four callers in Korean Kim Woojin in the HJ, Georgios Skarparis of Cyprus in the CO, American John Joseph Panish in the D and Vietnam's Pham Bao in the BB.

The flop is 3♣ 5♥ Q♠ as Pham, Cen and Kim check. Skarparis, however, leads out for 22,000. Panish, Bao and Chen fold, but Kim makes the ccall. Heads up to the turn of the 3♦, Kim and Skaparis both decide to check. The river is the J♠ as Kim checks again. This time the Cypriot fires 32,000. Kim calls.

Skarparis shows 6♦ 6♥ while Kim tables K♦ Q♣ for top pair on the flop and takes down the pot, reducing Skaparis' stack to less than 100,000.

The action is getting more tense at the PokerStars poker room at Okada Manila with the action of Day 2 at the APPT Manila Championship about to reach the bubble. 16 one-hour levels have been played so far and 75 players of 416 entries are still competing for a chance to take a chunk from the PHP 59,922,720 (~US$ 1,027,000) prize pool. 63 players will be guaranteed a payout, and there is still a lot of poker to go.

Australian John Edward Perry currently stands out as the chip leader from the 75 players that remain with 963,000 chips. Korean Kim Kiyoung has been consistent and ranks second with 700,000. Irishman Patrick Clarke holds the third spot with 630,000 so far.

APPT Manila Championship (Day 2, October 25)

Date/s: October 23 to 27, 2024

Buy in: PHP 165,000 (~US$ 2,850)

Prize Pool: PHP 59,922,720 (~US$ 1,027,000)

Entries: 416

Starting Stack: 50,000

Average Stack: 277,300

Blinds: 2,000/5,000 Ante 5,000

Remaining players: 75

ITM: 63

After the storm in the city subsided, so did the action settle down at Okada Manila where Flight B of the APPT Manila Championship concluded for the day. 194 entries made the buy-in of PHP 165,000 (~US$ 2,850) to compete for their share of the PHP 55,000,000 (~US$ 960,850) guaranteed prize pool. 80 players were still on their seats to bag their chips at the end of 11 levels and nearly 12 hours of poker. Those 80 players will be back tomorrow to compete again in the Day 2 leg and will be joined by the 59 players who advanced from Flight A.

Among the 80 survivors of Flight B, it was Kim Youngkim of South Korea who bagged the largest stack with 452,500 chips. Moses Saquing of the Philippines was at a distant second with a very healthy 295,000. Rounding up the top three chip leaders is American John Joseph Panish who bagged 277,500 to carry onto Day 2.

Date/s: October 23 to 27, 2024

Buy in: PHP 165,000 (~US$ 2,850)

Guarantee: PHP 55,000,000 (~US$ 960,850)

Entries: 194

Starting Stack: 50,000

Average Stack: 116,867

Blinds: 1,000/1,500 Ante 1,500

Remaining players: 80

Meanwhile here are the top 10 chip counts

John Joseph Panish made a 2,500 raise from under the gun and got called by William Tech at the small blind. Both players were given a flop of 3♦ 7♦ 5♣ . Tech bet out 4,700 and was called by Panish to see a 7♣ on the turn. Tech bet out a 7,000 second barrel, but folded when Panish three-bet to 21,000.