APPT National (60,000 PHP)

At one point, Thomas Ward of New Zealand was among the first to garner over one million in chips. Now he's fighting for his tournament life as he 3-bet shoves Czechia's Philipp Zukernik for 355,000. Zukernik calls the shove.

Ward shows A♦ 4♣ while Zukernik has 6♣ 6♠ .

The flop goes Q♥ 4♠ 7♠ to give the Kiwi more outs, but the turn is the 3♥ and the river is the river produces the T♣ to give the chip lead to the Czech national and bounce Ward in 15th place.

In dire need of a double-up, Singapore's Ajay Abroi open-shoves his remaining stack of 151,000 folded to him on the D. In the BB, Thomas Ward of New Zealand makes the call.

Abroi flips over A♣ 2♦ and has one over-card to the K♥ K♣ of the Kiwi.

The runout goes: 7♣ 8♥ 7♠ 7♦ (for a one-out sweat) and 5♠ .

Ward now joins Filipino Edgar Asehan in the one million chip club.

Another battle was won before any community cards were dealt when New Zealand's Thomas Ward raised from UTG for 32,000 but gets re-popped by Lai Jun of China to 100,000.

Ward counters by 4-betting all-in for 665,000. Lai consumes two Time Bank cards before deciding to fight another day.

Here are the top ten in chips thus far:

Keeping it simple, Korea's Im Youngshin shoves his stack of 144,000 to the center of the table and when the action gets folded to New Zealand's Thomas Ward in the SB, he isolates by re-raising all-in and gets no call.

Im shows A♦ J♦ while Ward flips over K♥ K♠ .

Not even a sweat card appeared on the board: 7♣ 2♦ 9♦ 5♣ 8♥ as Im gets bounced from the tournament and Ward nears the one million chip threshold.

Thomas Ward of New Zealand has the action folded to him on the HJ and raises to 20,000, but right beside him in the CO is Japan's Yashiro Naoki who 3-bets all-in for 131,000. It gets folded all the ay back to Ward who opts to call.

Naoki shows A♠ J♠ while Ward is in a flip with 3♠ 3♥ .

The flop practically shut the door on the Japanese player: K♣ 3♦ K♥ to give the Kiwi an near insurmountable lead. Naoki was drawing dead on the turn of 9♥ and the river of 6♦ made the elimination official.

Yashiro Naoki of Japan starts the action with a UTG raise for 18,000 and gets calls from Korea's Bae Wonchul and Kiwi Thomas Ward.

The flop comes T♠ 7♦ 9♦ . Ward checks, Naoki CBets to 20,000 and gets called by Bae. Ward steps aside. It is heads up to the turn: Q♣ . Naoki fires again, this time for 45,000 and the Korean still calls. The river is the 7♣ . This time, both check.

Naoki is first to show and he flips over A♦ K♠ for a bunch of missed draws while Bae shows 8♠ 8♦ for a missed gutshot but most importantly a pair that withstood the board and the bombardment from the Japanese player.

Here are the chip-leaders entering the upcoming blinds - 4,000/8,000 (8,000):

Raising from UTG, Japan's Yoshihiro Naoki raises to 13,000 and gets called by local bet Flo Campomanes in the D and Thomas Ward of New Zealand in the BB.

The flop comes 5♠ 4♣ A♥ . All check. The turn is the 4♥ as it is checked to Campomanes who leads out for 42,000. Ward calls and Naoki folds. It is heads up to the river of the 6♥ as both check.

Ward flips over A♦ 3♥ for top pair and a not so sexy kicker. Campomanes mucks.