APPT Main Event ($1,750)

The last hand of the day sees Sameer Agarwal of India open from the cutoff for 8,000 and a severely short-stacked Sergey Kharitonov of the United States puts in his remaining 3,500 in the middle. Russia’s Anton Rubtsov (in the SB) and chip leader Nguyen Hoa Thinh of Vietnam (in the BB) are also in.

The flop is 6♣ 9♦ 3♣ as am opportunity to grow the side pot could be developed. Rubtsov bets 10,000 and gets called by Nguyen. However, Agarwal has other ideas and raises it to 39,000. The move makes Rubtsov and Nguyen fold. Agarwal claims the side pot.

Kharitonov turns over K♠ K♣ while Agarwal shows A♥ 9♣ for a pair of nines, still dwarfed by the Cowboys of the American.

The turn brings out the 8♣ while the river is the 5♣ to give Kharitonov the quadruple up with a higher one card flush than that of the Indian.

Kharitonov joins 23 others advancing to Day 2. Day 1B commences on Friday (May 9) at 11:30am (UTG+7).

Nguyen Hoa Thinh of Vietnam opens the action from UTG for 8,000 and gets re-raised on the +1 position by Korea’s Kim Seongje to 24,000. Nguyen calls.

The flop is A 7 3 as the Vietnamese player checks. Kim continues for 12,000 but gets check-raised to 37,000 and still calls. The turn is a J as Nguyen takes over the betting lead for 76,000. The Korean shoves his remaining 101,000 and gets a quick call from Nguyen.

Kim shows A 9 for top pair while Nguyen turns over A 3 for two-pair on the flop. Needing the board to pair or draw a nine, a 5 came on the river to knockout Kim and bring the chip lead back to Nguyen after losing it briefly a few hands back.

Vietnam’s Nguyen Hoa Thinh opens from the hijack and gets 3-bet from the BB by Sameer Agarwal of India for 24,000. Nguyen makes the call.

The flop comes Q♠ Q♣ 5♦ as both players opt to check. The turn is the J♠ and Agarwal checks a second time. Nguyen fires 17,000 and gets called by the Indian. The river is the 3♦ and this time, it’s Agarwal leading out for 13,000. Nguyen opts to call.

Agarwal shows K♣ Q♦ for trips on the flop. Nguyen mucks but not after a losing almost 50,000 in that hand.

Charlie Chiu of Taiwan opens from the +1 position for 5,000 and the action folds to the SB of Vietnam’s Nguyen Hoa Thinh who 3-bets it to 16,500. Chiu makes the call.

The flop is Q♠ Q♦ 4♣ as Nguyen CBets to 9,000. Chiu calls. The turn is the 2♣ and the Vietnamese player unloads 15,000. Chiu still calls. The river is the 3♦ and this time, Nguyen pulls the breaks and checks. The Taiwanese player checks behind.

Nguyen tables A♠ K♠ while Chiu shows 7♥ 7♠ , calling every street with his middling pair. The victory catapults Chiu’s stack past the century mark.

After an initial raise from the cutoff by China’s Qiu Quan, Nguyen Hoa Thinh of Vietnam 3-bets it to 11,200 from the BB. Qiu calls.

The flop comes: 6♥ 9♥ K♦ as Nguyen continues firing for 9,900. Qiu still calls. The turn is the 4♠ as the Vietnamese player now makes it 24,000 to go. Qiu still calls. The river is the J♦ and this time Nguyen shoves his remaining 75,000.

Qiu goes into the tank and decides to make a fourth call.

Nguyen turns over A♦ A♣ while Qiu tables 3♠ 3♥ . Qiu busts. Nguyen nears the 200,000 chip mark.

UTG, Vietnam’s Nguyen Hoa Thinh raises it 2,000 and the action folds to the button where Qiu Quan of China 3-bets to 5,500. After the blinds get out of the way, Nguyen lays down a serious 4-bet of 16,500.

It’s enough to make Qiu tank and fold.

A struggling Kim Jung Su of Korea opens from utg for 700 only to get 2-bet from the hijack by England’s Craig Jones for 1,600. However, Hoa Nguyen 4-bets it from the button to 4,500 prompting Kim to fold but Jones opts to stay sticky.

It is Head Up to the flop of 5♦ J♠ K♥ as both choose to check. The turn is the Q♦ and still no action ensues. The river is the 3♥ as both take it to showdown.

Nguyen quickly turns over T♠ T♦ while Jones mentioned he had a six as he mucks his hand.