APPT Main Event ($1,750)

The biggest influx in the APPT Cambodia 2025 (Event #40) Main Event went down in Day 1C when 234 entries graced the NagaWorld Integrated Resorts here in Phnom Penh and when the dust settled, 45 advanced to join the 50 that had already trudged on from the first 2 qualifiers.

This merges with those who made it from the Turbo Day 1D that took place later in the evening that had 85 entries and 26 advancing now brings the runner total to 121 that will converge on Sunday (May 11) as Day 2 commences here at 12:00PM (UCT+7). A total of 643 entries were logged in this US$1,000,000 GTD event.

Among the notables that made it to Day 2 from Day 1C were the Philippines’ lone WSOP bracelet winner Mike Takayama, Pokerstars LIVE Manila Super Series 12 Main Event titlist Hu Jin Long of China, APPT Manila Championship Pokerstars Red Dragon winner Aladin Reskallah of Canada and multi-titled Australian Daniel Nielson.

The race for the chip lead was a harrowing one as so many players traded seats atop the leaderboard, but in the end China’s Hao He rose to the top after busting out two in one hand towards the twilight of the session with a flush. Hao, who has amassed nearly US$250,000 in his career, carries a stack of 518,000 into Day 2 and is followed distantly by Somashekar Kurkhepally Nahadeva of India with 382,000 while Ireland’s Frank Lillis is third with 374,000.

Day 1D saw the likes of APPT Main Event runner-up Kim Donghyup of Korea, 4-time WPT Cambodia trophy winner Erik Rozhynskyi of the Ukraine and international campaigner Guy Taylor of England among those who will be seeing action in Day 2.

Malaysian Victor Chong acquired the most chips from Day 1D with 248,000. Chong, among whose many trophies is the 2023 WPT Passport to the World Championship Super High Roller championship title, shoved his last hand and was called by Japan’s Akihiro Konishi ending up as a full house to surge ahead of the field. Second in chips is the Philippines’ Richard Marquez with 195,000 while Pranav Bathjia of India captured third with 175,000.

Of the 121 players that will return for Day 2, only 95 will be ITM so the fight will resume with the sane ferocity that was required to make it this far.

The action is folded to the blinds as China’s Hao He completes his SB and Kyle Bao Diep of Vietnam checks his option.

The flop comes 4♣ 7♦ 8♣ as both players check. The turn card is the T♠ and this time Hao bets 2,200. Bao calls. The river is the A♥ and this time the Chinese player puts in 6,500. Bao folds.

Canada’s Sid Lukie has it folded to him on the cutoff and he raises it to 3,000. At the SB, Hao He of China 3-bets it to 8,500 and by the time it gets back to Lukie he 4-bets to 20,000. Hao 5-bet shoves and gets snap called.

Hao flips over Q♦ Q♠ while he sees the bad news that he’s up against the A♦ A♠ of the Canadian.

The first three community cards are 4♦ J♥ 3♠ . However, the fourth one is the Q♣ to give the Chinese player top set. Lukie misses his two-outer as the 4♣ shows up to give Hao a full house and Lukie’s aces get cracked on the suck out.

Hao’s stack suddenly climbs to almost 140,000 while the Canadian has a little over 15 BBs left.