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.

The action is folded to the lowjack where Fu Xiaohua of China opens for 5,000 but right beside him in the hijack, Taiwan’s Chao Ting Cheng repops it 16,000. Big stack Craig Jones of England makes the call from the cutoff and Fu considers his position and opts not to go any further in the hand.

The flop shows K♣ 8♣ T♥ as Chao check. Jones leads out for 15,000 and gets called. The turn is the 8♠ and this time, both players decide to check. The river is the J♦ . Chao bets 35,000 and Jones raises all-in. Needless to say, Chao is covered. The Taiwanese player opts to let it go.

The Englishman is finding ways to become the chip bully at his table.