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.

From the lowjack, big stack Zheng Xiaosheng of China raises to 9,000 and gets 3-bet when it gets to the cutoff of Ireland’s Henri Hinds to 22,000. Zheng calls.

The flop is J♦ 7♦ 6♥ as both players check. The turn card is the 5♥ as this time, Zheng comes out firing for 33,000 and gets his Irish opponent to fold.

China’s Zheng Xiaosheng opens from UTG for 6,500 and gets called by fellow Chinese player YU Yuan in the cutoff and Lionel Loh of Singapore in the BB.

The flop comes 3♣ 9♥ Q♠ as Loh checks. Zheng replicates his 6,500 bet and gets called by Yu. Loh exits. It is Heads Up to the turn that brings out the 2♥ as Zheng unloads 16,000. Yu still sticks around. The river card is the 8♥ and this time Zheng puts it all in there. Yu tanks for a while but decides on letting the hand go.

The action is folded to the cutoff of China’s Zheng Xiaosheng who raises it to 2,500 and is called in the BB by fellow Chinese player Yu Yuan.

The flop comes 2♦ 9♥ A♣ as Yu checks. Zheng continues for 1,700 but gets check-raised to 4,700. Zheng calls. The turn card is the 6♦ as Yu now makes it 10,300 to go. Zheng still makes the call. The river is the 9♠ as now both slow down and check.

Yu shows Q♥ 3♥ as he tried to win the hard with aggression. Zheng tables A♠ 4♦ for top pair and a kicker that let a lot to be desired. Thankfully for Zheng, it was not an issue in this particular situation.

China’s Xin Yuan has it folded to him on the button and he raises it 1,300. The blinds come along.

The flop shows 7♥ 9♠ J♥ as all three players check. The turn is the 5♥ and still no action happens. The river card is the Q♠ as suddenly coming alive from the SB is Chinese player Zheng Xiaosheng who fires 2,200. Gregory Kiat of Singapore folds from the BB and Xin, the initial raiser, goes out as well.