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.

In the final hand of the flight, the action gets folded to the hijack where France’s Jean Philippe Testa (still on his lone bullet) makes a raise to 55,000, starting a cascade of folds until the BB of big stack Pulkit Totla of India who makes the call.

The flop is 2♣ 7♣ 6♥ as Totla checks and the Frenchman goes all in. Totla folds as Testa shows K♣ K♠ to conclude hostilities for Day 1C.

From UTG France’s Jean Philippe Testa limps in and it folds to the hijack where Kaifan Wang of the United States raises it up to 3,500. Testa calls.

The flop goes 7♠ T♥ 8♦ as both players check. The turn is the T♦ as Testa checks again. Wang now bets 3,500 and gets called. The river is the Q♥ . The Frenchman checks a third time, but now Wang slows down and checks behind.

Testa tables 7♠ 7♥ for bottom set on the flop while Wang shows J♠ J♥ and thankfully for the American that an over card came on the river, otherwise the trap that Testa so carefully set up may have been sprung.

The action is folded to the button of England’s Matthew Ledger who decides to limp in. Korean Kim Hyunbin opts to complete his SB and Jean Philippe Testa of France checks.

The flop is A♣ 5♥ J♥ as the blinds check. Ledger leads out for 2,000 as Kim folds but Testa sticks around for one more street and makes the call. The turn is the T♣ and the Frenchman checks again. This time, Ledger fires 8,500 and it’s enough to push Testa away.

The action is folded to the hijack of Ireland’s Tadhg Conway who makes the raise to 1,600. From the SB, Jean Philippe Testa decides to make the call.

The flop goes 2♠ 4♠ T♣ as Testa checks. The CBet of 1,600 is executed by the Irishman, to which Testa makes the call. The turn card is the K♥ as the Frenchman checks again. This time, Conway bets 2,200 and it’s enough to take the pot down as Testa folds snowing an Ace before he throws his hand into the muck.

Jean Philippe Testa of France has it folded to him on the hijack as he opens for 400. Korea’s Lee Juyeol (now on his second bullet) makes the call on the button while American Kaifan Wang joins from the BB.

The flop goes A♣ K♦ 7♣ as Testa and Lee check. Wang leads out for 700 and gets no action.