APPT Main Event ($1,750)

After a riveting day of intense ups and downs, 26 runners trudge on to Day 2 of the APPT Cambodia 2025 Main Event at the NagaWorld Integrated Resorts here in Phnom Penh, Cambodia where 172 saw action in Day 1B of the competition.

Former APPT Cambodia Main Event champion Alexander Puchalski of Canada finally made it through to Day 2, albeit with the shortest stack among the qualifiers and is joined by the likes High Roller Turbo winner Nikesh Chawla of India, WPT Championship Event Final Table participant Neng Zhao of Australia and multi-titled Vietnamese icon Nguyen Huu Dung.

The biggest stack, however, belongs to Bo Su of Taiwan who used a late crippling of erstwhile big stack Craig Jones when the Englishman had Q♦ Q♥ against the A♠ T♠ of the Taiwanese player and eventually lost most of his stack on a board that went 4♣ T♥ 7♣ A♣ 8♥ . The result of that encounter gave Bo a stack of 509,000 and ended with 521,000 which dwarfs the stack of Day 1A chip leader Nguyen Hoa Trinh of Vietnam who carries 375,000 into Day 2.

Bo’s only cash on record is an 54th place finish in the WPT Championship Event here earlier this year but is poised to make a major splash if he can build on his edge heading into the deep waters of the competition.

Second in chips is Li Shankui of China with 487,000 while third is Vietnam’s Tran Hai Ha with 451,000.

Day 1C will happen on Saturday (May 10) still at 11: 30AM (UCT+7) while the Turbo version (Day 1D—20minute blinds) occurs later on at 6:30PM.

Valeriy Fokin of Russia opens from the hijack for 6,500 but gets re-raised from the cutoff by Spain’s Jesus Espinosa Fernandez to 14,500. Another Russian in Dmitry Nemiroysky makes the call on the button but Fokin suddenly goes for a 4-bet shove and gets isolated by another all-in declaration, this time from Fernandez. Nemiroysky gets out of the way.

Fokin shows J♣ J♦ while the Spaniard turns over A♥ A♣ .

The flop kept the advantage to Fernandez: 3♣ A♦ 8♦ top set and the Russian was drawing dead on the turn card being the 4♥ . The 7♣ on the river made Fernandez’s double-up official as now Fokin’s stack is barely above the 50,000 mark.

Former APPT Main Event champion Alexander Puchalski of Canada is back in action and is raising from UTG to 1,600. He gets a call from Russia’s Valeriy Fokin on the button but suddenly a short stacked Jesus Espinosa Fernandez of Spain gos all-in for his remaining 8,100 from the SB. Puchalski calls and Fokin folds.

Puchalski turns over A♠ Q♥ while Fernandez shows live cards in K♣ J♣ .

Fernandez outdraws Puchalski as the runout goes: 3♠ K♥ 8♠ 2♠ (a sweat card for the nut flush) 3♦ .

The hit sends the Canadian’s stack down to below starting levels and Fernandez gets a new lease on his tournament life.