APPT Manila Championship (165,000 PHP)

Chen Zhen of China opens the action from UTG and gets calls from Switzerland's Kevin Hasler in the CO and Filipino pro Christopher Mateo in the BB.

The flop is 7♥ 7♠ 8♣ as Mateo checks. Chen leads out for 25,000 and gets called by both of his opponents. The turn is the A♦ . Mateo checks again and this time Chen also slows down. Hasler is the one who leads out this time, betting 55,000. Both his opponents make the call. The river is the 5♣ as everyone decides to check.

Hasler shows A♣ Q♣ for top pair on the turn. Mateo flips over A♥ 8♠ for two pairs on the turn. Chen mucks as Mateo takes more artillery away from two dangerous players.

APPT National champion Chen Zhen of China opens from the HJ for 20,000 but Korea's Kim Kiyoung re-pops all-in from the D for 89,000. Another Chinese player in Wu Yuanning also shoves his remaining stack of 133,000. Chen covers both and decides to make the call.

Kim actually paired ten on the river but it was also the card that gave Wu the last piece of his runner-runner/gutshot Broadway. Kim, who was the chip leader at the conclusion of Flight B, has now been bounced from the tournament.

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.

Flight A of the APPT Manila Championship wrapped up after 11 levels and nearly 12 hours of tournament poker. 59 hopefuls out of 165 total entries will be moving on to Day 2, inching their way closer to a payout from the guaranteed prize pool of PHP 55,000,000 (~US$ 960,850). Flight B will play tomorrow with the survivors of those joining the "Flight A Fifty-Nine" for 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: 165

Starting Stack: 50,000

Average Stack: 139,831

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

Remaining players: 59

Here's a look at the Flight A chip counts: