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 folds to the lowjack where India’s Pulkit Totla raises it up to 10,000. In the cutoff, Xin Yuan of China 3-bets to 47,000—and leaves one 1,000 chip behind. It doesn’t matter as the Indian 4-bet all-in and Xin makes the literal “one chip call”.

Totla tables 9♠ 8♦ and suddenly the Chinese player is liking his chances with A♣ 9♣ .

The first three community cards, though, were sweat-riddled: J♣ A♠ T♣ for an open-ended straight draw for the Indian. However, the runout concludes with the 3♣ and the 4♦ as top pair is enough for Xin to double up and overtake Totla’s stack.

It is folded to the hijack of China’s Zhi Tang who raises it to 4,500 but his bid to steal the blinds and ante is deterred by the 3-bet shove of Xin Yuan for his remaining 39,500.

Before folding, Zhi shows the A♦ .

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.