APPT Open (55,000 PHP)

Grueling day of eliminations at Okada Manila as the featured APPT Open of the 2025 APPT Manila brought the return of 53 players out of a field of 367 entries. After ten and a half hours of play, the goal was reached. The final 9 players emerged led by Jihun Choi with an enormous stack of 2,610,000 (104 bb). To emphasize just how massive this was, his closest challenger, Gi Boum Kim, bagged 1,765,000 (71 bb), which was 33 big blinds less.

Helping Choi reach this height was a double up off then-chip leader Sukwang Ko who pushed on a board 3♦ 7♥ T♣ 5♦ . Choi called with 5♥ 7♣ two pair and it held against top Ko's top pair. In turn, Ko dropped signficantly and eventually bubbled the final table.

Also navigating his way into the lineup was local player Edgar Asehan who finished 6th at this event last year. Asehan will have his work cut out at the final table as he enters with just 255,000 (10 bb). On the healthier side, the 2024 APPT Cambodia Main Event champion Christopher Mateo overcame a swingy session to be in the running for his second shard trophy. One of his biggest hands of the day was at 16 remaining. Mateo made a daring call for his tournament life and won the pot with a one card flush. Scroll down to read up on some of the biggest moments of Day 2.

The Final 9 players will return on July 29, 2025 for the last dash to the title and the ₱3,430,000 (~$60.4K) champion's purse. Everyone is now guaranteed ₱371,505 (~$6,540).

Sukwang Ko will not be advancing to the final table having been downed in two hands to exit in 10th place. The first hand was a flip with Christopher Mateo whose overcards K♣ J♠ paired on the turn Q♥ 3♦ 6♣ J♥ 7♣ to defeat Ko's 8♠ 8♥ .

Down to 4 bb, Ko's last hand was A♠ 4♦ that was also outdrawn by Leo Kamiya with Q♦ J♣ on a final Day 2 board of 6♠ 3♠ Q♣ T♦ 4♣ .

Defending his big blind, Gi Boum called Alex Chong's raise holding 8♦ 9♠ . Both players checked the flop then Kim bet 75,000 when he paired up on the turn 8♣ . Chong called and they repeated on the river 3♣ with Kim betting 100,000 and Chong paying to see only to muck.

With the board running 7♥ 9♥ T♥ 6♣ 5♠ , Derecho improved to a straight to end Panagiotis in 11th place.

Down to 10 players. Only one bust needed to form the final table.

Pete Chen ran out of gas and fell in 12th place. After running into Emmanuel Derecho's aces on a previous hand, Chen could not recover. He sent it all in holding K♠ 7♦ and was cleaned out by Leo Kamiya with A♦ T♦ on a board 8♣ 2♠ 5♦ 2♦ T♥ .

Choi was ahead with two pair while Ko had outs however they did not turn up, instead a river 6♦ landed to send Ko plunging to 21 bb. Choi catapulted to 126 bb.

Finn Penderak made it 40,000 from cutoff and got challenged to 120,000 by button Gi Boum Kim. Penderak called. At the flop 5♣ A♦ A♣ , Penderak checked to Kim who looked at his cards again and yes, he had the boat with A♠ 5♠ in the hole.

Hoping to squeeze more out of Penderak, Kim bet a light 60,000 and got the call. Same action on the turn J♣ with Penderak check-calling a larger 170,000. On the river 2♣ , Kim tanked for one time-bank then bet slightly over half pot for 460,000. Again Penderak paid to see then quickly mucked to the full house.

At table 19, Jihun Choi has been very active giving away chips. Benhur Ybarsabal and Alex Chong exploited to slightly boost their stacks.

With only 4.5 bb, Petrou Panagiotis only has one move, to shove, which he did twice and won both showdowns.

With no bad beat, Chen paid the costly stack and dropped to 20 bb. On the other, Derecho zoomed to 78 bb.

Pete Chen kicked off the hand with a raise of 32,000, Fabian Spielmann three-bet 88,000, then Fabian Spielmann repopped all in for 381,000. No takers.

Four players in preflop for 40,000 trimmed to two players after Sukwang Ko bet the flop 7♦ A♥ J♣ for 75,000 with only Finn Penderak calling. On the turn 2♦ , Ko checked, Penderak took the reins for 75,000, and Ko stuck with him to see the river 2♣ .

Check again from Ko sending the action to Penderak who tanked for one time bank then bet 400,000. Ko snap-called only to muck when shown A♣ Q♣ .

The field is now down to two tables with 16 players remaining.

Christopher Mateo and Pete Chen go head to head starting with Mateo raising then calling Chen's three-bet of 60,000. Both players check to the turn 9♦ K♦ 3♦ A♦ spreading all diamonds on the board.

Mateo looks down at his A♥ 5♦ and bets a light 25,000, Chen check-calls to complete the board 3♠ . After using up a time-bank, Chen goes all in sending Mateo deep in contemplation until he uses up three time extensions before calling for his tournament life. Chen shows J♠ 9♠ two pair, Mateo ships a double up.

Sukwang Ko seems to just be collecting and collectiing. His recent grind fattened up his stack past the 2M marker courtesy of Alex Chong, Opening preflop, Ko found one caller in Chong. And as the board ran 6♦ T♠ 8♠ 2♠ J♦ , Ko barreled 25,000, 75,000, and 175,000. Chong folded to the river bet.

Pete Chen and Leo Kamiya banged heads in two hands that saw Chen chip up past the million marker. On the second hand, Chen raised to 25,000 then called Kamiya's 100,000 re-raise. At the flop 2♥ A♠ K♥ , Kamiya laid out 75,000 and still Chen called to head to the turn 7♥ .

Kamiya slowed down and checked, Chen took control with a bet of 180,000, and now it was Kamiya who called. On the river 8♣ , Kamiya checked again while Chen unloaded, Kamiya was covered and went deep in the tank using up three time banks before folding.

The hand began with Younhyuck Lim min-raising from hijack. Next to act Finn Penderak bumped it up to 55,000 which was called by Sukwang Ko on the big blind followed by Lim. After they all passed on the flop the board turned T♠ 3♥ 9♣ 6♥ . Ko led out 50,000, Lim raised 125,000, Penderak got out of the way, while Ko tanked for a time bank.

Just before time ran out, Ko re-raised to 525,000, covering Lim's 494,000 stack. Lim laid out his remaining time banks then called.

Lim: A♦ T♦

Ko: 6♦ 6♣

Lim was drawing dead to fall in 22nd place.

All in preflop, Czar Ian Marco was nearly out when his A♦ T♠ was outdrawn on the turn by caller Petrou Panagiotis with K♠ Q♥ on a board T♥ 9♥ 8♣ Q♦ . However, luck was on his side with the river coming A♣ .

Christopher Mateo's stack took a small hit against Leo Kamiya that saw a board reach A♣ K♣ 2♣ 8♦ . On the flop, Mateo bet and was check-called. They switched up on the turn with Kamiya leading out 25,000, Mateo raised 75,000, Kamiya shoved, pushing out Mateo.

With just 15 big blinds remaining, Mateo opened, and Fabian Spielmann, seated on the button, made the call. The flop came 8♦ T♠ K♣. Mateo checked, Spielmann bet 25,000, which Mateo called.

After the turn revealed A♣, Mateo checked once more. A♠ before, Spielmann continued with a 65,000 bet prompting Mateo to go all in for 88,000. Spielmann called and showed top two pair with A♦ T♠ however was behind Mateo's Q♦ J♣ straight. The river 9♦ was good for Mateo to secure a double up.

Upon revealing their hands, both players were drawing for a flush with Penderak holding the higher draw. Ko's only chance was to pair up which did not materialize on the turn 8♣ and river T♠ .

On the next hand, both players met again. Ko three-bet to 80,000 preflop and Penderak defended his open. At the flop and turn 5♥ T♣ T♠ 8♥ , Ko barreled 55,000 and 200,000. Penderak folded to the turn bet.