APPT Main Event ($1,750)

Santiago Soriano Ramos of Spain opens from the button for 5,500 only to get 3-bet shoved by China’s Zhang Lei who covers him from the BB. Ramos makes the call for his tournament life.

Zhang tables A♥ K♦ while Ramos shows he is coinflipping with Q♦ Q♣ .

The flop comes safe for the Spaniard: 8♦ 2♦ 2♣ but when the 4♦ arrives on the turn, concern creeps in and the nightmare is realized on the river when the 9♦ comes to give Zhang a higher backdoor flush and send Ramos to the sidelines for good in Day 1A.

Zhang keeps his six figure holdings secure for the moment.

Indian poker legend Abhinav Iyer opens the action from the +1 position for 1,300 and gets called by famous Spanish grinder Santiago Ramos on the button and Irish icon Frank Lillis in the SB before Zhang Hongru of China 3-bets it to 6,000 from the BB. Iyer makes the call, Ramos exits and Lillis sticks around.

The flop is 6♣ K♦ K♠ as Lillis checks. Zhang continues his bombardment for 6,300 as Iyer folds. Lillis makes the call. It is Heads Up to the turn where the 2♠ appears. Lillis checks again and this time, Zhang unloads 16,200. Lillis goes into the tank but yields.

The win has Zhang overtaking Lillis in stacks.

A battle of the blinds in an unraised pot finds David Keith Rees in the sb against Spain’s Santiago Ramos who checks his option in the bb.

The flop is 8♠ 2♠ 5das both check. The turn is the 5cand still no action ensues. The river is the Q♣ as now Rees fires for 1,100 and gets quickly called by the Spaniard.

The American tables 6♣ 5♥ for trips on the turn and Ramos mucks his hand.