APPT National (35,000 PHP)

Youngtaek Lim clinched victory at the APPT National to become the first player of the annual APPT Manila series to win the PokerStars shard trophy. Held at the world class Okada Manila resort from July 24-27, Lim overcame a field of 600 entries to turn his ₱35,000 buy-in nearly one hundred times over, collecting the coveted ₱3,340,000 (~USD 58.8K) top prize. In an interview with the champion, he was very emotional.

After I won the event, I felt a bit dizzy like I'm going to throw up because I am way too focused on the tournament but after a few fours I felt a lot better and could not be happier than ever.

I actually quit my job before I decided to come to Manila and a lot of bad things have happened recently. So I'm really happy that I could achieve a really good result. This is my first time being a winner and also honored that I have a really awesome PokerStars trophy.

Leading up to the final table, Lim bagged the Day 1A chip lead then dominated Day 2 to carry the largest stack into today's final table play. Sitting on a 30 bb advantage over his closest challenger, Lim's momentum continued as his lead further widened to a 50 bb gap. Despite the full table, it seemed as though he was destined for victory. At this point, the real race appeared to be for second place.

Even if I was the big chip leader, I did not try to do anything foolish, I just focused on my cards and chose not play crap hands. That was my strategy today. I don't want to enter any tough situations with anyone. I only pressured a few times. There is one hand I had 8-2 or 9-2 suited but mostly I didn't want create any situations. My strategy was to only focus on good hands.

The final table ran a total of 96 hands with Okada Kickoff champion Maxwell Rosete (9th) first to go, falling 15 hands in. Meanwhile, Alvin Jeff Sembrano made a stunning comeback after being dealt back-to-back A♣ A♠. Down to just 9 bb, Sembrano doubled up and then eliminated Naohiro Arita (8th), to balloon to 39 bb, rising to second in command.

Andoni Sanchez also climbed the rankings, eliminating Marko Puskadija (7th) to get the closest to the leader Lim of just 15 bigs apart. However, Lim quickly pulled away after cleaning out the 2024 APPT Manila Main Event champion Xiong Cheng (6th) and Ryan Gebow (5th).

There is this one player, Ryan Gebow, I eliminated him in 5th place. Every time he is on the button he raises on my big blind and he kept playing aggressive. So I kept three-betting back. I realized that he was getting mentally and emotionally charged, and I knew that I could exploit it. On his last hand, I three-bet jammed again and he called. Before the showdown I knew that I was ahead.

Down to four players, with Lim back to a 50 bb lead, the river god emerged and was fully on Lim's side, delivering jaw-dropping moments. First, Lim cracked Sanchez's Q♥ Q♣ with a sneaky A♣ T♠ straight on board 8♥ 7♦ 9♥ 3♦ J♠ .

The shock didn't end there. Sembrano holding K♣ K♥ thought he was in good shape against Lim's K♦ 7♠ , instead fell in 3rd place to a one-card flush on a board 2♦ T♦ 9♥ A♦ 4♦ . The equally shocked Lim shared his thoughts on this hand,

When I eliminated Alvin Jeff Sembrano, in that moment I already knew I would win this tournament. I wasn't happy or laughing, I was just shocked like "Oh my god what is this?"

In the same stunning fashion, Lim sealed the win by denying Mac Mantos’s K♥ Q♠ with a K♦ 6♥ one card flush on a board of K♣ J♦ 4♦ 8♦ T♦ .

Congratulations to Youngtaek Lim! This was Lim's first major title and largest live tournament career payout.

Both players connected on the flop K♣ J♦ 4♦ with Mantos holding the better kicker. On the turn 8♦ , it was reminiscent of Alvin Jeff Sembrano's elimination, and sure enough, that's exactly what happened. The river came T♦ for a victorious flush to Lim and Mantos stunned into 2nd place.

From Hand #88-93, it was back to raises and reraises with no flops seen. On the next hand, Youngtaek Lim raised 350,000 and Mac Mantos defended to finally bring a board 4♠ A♦ 7♥ . Mantos check-called Lim's 250,000 c-bet to take the battle to the turn 9♦ . Lim charged again, betting 600,000. This time Mantos gave up his stake on the pot.

Youngtaek Lim walks.

Sembrano was far ahead especially with a flop of 2♦ T♦ 9♥ . When the turn landed A♦ , Lim was back in the game with a chance at a flush. The river 4♦ handed Lim exactly what he needed to come from behind and eliminate Sembrano in stunning fashion.

With the field down to three players, action slowed down again with only one flop before the blinds went up. Alvin Jeff Sembrano raised from small blind and Mac Mantos defended. Sembrano continued for 150,000 at the flop J♦ A♠ 7♥ and claimed the pot then and there.

Harsh defeat for Andoni Sanchez at the hands of Youngtaek Lim. Sanchez had Q♥ Q♣ and opened 240,000, Lim was dealt A♣ T♠ and pushed his big stack. Sanchez snap-called.

When the flop ran 8♥ 7♦ 9♥ Sanchez stayed ahead while Lim had a straight draw on top of his ace draw. The turn 3♦ changed nothing until the river J♠ granted the straight to end Sanchez's run in 4th place.

No flops for eleven consecutive hands.

Following Andoni Sanchez's 240,000 raise, small blind Mac Mantos shoved his last 1,210,000 (10 bb) and still didn't shake off Sanchez.

Mantos: A♥ 9♦

Sanchez: K♦ T♥

When the flop ran A♠ T♣ A♣ , Mantos jumped far ahead however with the turn Q♥ , Sanchez had hope with a straight draw. With the river 4♦ , Sanchez missed granting Mantos a double up.

With more chips to play with, Mac Mantos opened 240,000 from the button and went to the flop with big blind defender Alvin Jeff Sembrano. With a board showing 2♠ 6♦ K♥ , more chips went in the pot with Mantos betting 150,000 and Sembrano continuing to defend. Both players checked the turn A♥ to see a free river K♠ .

Sembrano switched up and led out 450,000, Mantos tanked then called. Sembrano showed 3♣ 3♦ pair, Mantos had better A♦ 2♦ to claim the pot.

Third consecutive pot for Mac Mantos with a raise of 250,000 finding no callers.

Alvin Jeff Sembrano raises from the small blind and Andoni Sanchez defends his big blind. When the flop comes 9♠ 5♥ K♥ , Sembrano continues for 350,000, Sanchez defends again but this time with a raise of 780,000 and is successful with Sembrano giving up his hand.

Under the gun Youngtaek Lim wins the blinds and ante with an uncalled min-raise.

Another pot for Youngtaek Lim as everyone folds to his big blind.

Andoni Sanchez limped in from under the gun and got to see a flop after Alvin Jeff Sembrano checked his big blind. On a board 5♣ 5♦ J♦ , Sembrano checked to Sanchez who slid out the minimum, Sembrano folded.

Easy pot for Youngtaek Lim who raised on the button and only got folds.

No more freebies for Youngtaek Lim with his 250,000 under the gun raise called by small blind Andoni Sanchez. At the flop K♦ A♠ K♣ , Sanchez checked, Lim c-bet 150,000, Sanchez folded.

Heavy betting preflop begins with Alvin Jeff Sembrano raising 225,000, small blind Andoni Sanchez three-bets 700,000, Sembrano moves all in for 3,600,000, Sanchez tosses his hand to the muck pile.

Youngtaek Lim opens and wins the blinds and ante.

Another blinds and ante claimed with Ryan Gebow's button raise good for the win.

Small blind Ryan Gebow limps in and Mac Mantos checks his option to finally see a flop 5♣ T♠ 6♠ which both check. On the turn K♣ , Gebow bets 100,000 and claims the pot.

Youngtaek Lim walks.

Andoni Sanchez min-raises and wins the blinds and ante.

Youngtaek Lim min-raises from the button and gets some action from big blind Andoni Sanchez. Both players then check down the board 9♦ J♦ 7♥ K♣ 5♥ . Lim shows 7♠ , Sanchez wins the pot with A♣ 7♦ .

Having just won a pot, Andoni Sanchez raises 500,000 from small blind and short stacked Xiong Cheng preserves his remaining 600,000.

Youngtaek Lim min-raises and wins the blinds and ante.

Alvin Jeff Sembrano min-raises and he too wins the blinds and ante.

Ryan Gebow also wins the blinds and ante with the blinds folding to his button raise.

Back where it started, Andoni Sanchez steals the blinds and ante again with no callers to his utg min-raise.

Andoni Sanchez raises 200,000 and Mac Mantos defends on the big blind. Both players check to the river 8♣ 7♣ J♦ 8♦ J♠ . Mantos test-bets 550,000 and it's good enough with Sanchez folding.

Youngtaek Lim is back to shoving. Facing a min-raise from button Ryan Gebow, Lim defended with a shove and won the pot.

Xiong Cheng makes it 240,000 from under the gun then folds to Ryan Gebow's shove.

Andoni Sanchez walks.

Mac Mantos raised 200,000 then tanked to Ryan Gebow's 525,000 three-bet. After one time bank, Mantos gave up his hand.

Still no flop with Andoni Sanchez's 200,000 raise uncalled.

Another one bites the dust. After Xiong Cheng got the first walk of the day, it was a completely different story on the next hand. Dealt A♣ K♥ , Marko Puskadija went all in for his last 670,000 and got called by Andoni Sanchez with J♠ J♥ .

When the flop came 4♥ J♣ 8♥ , Sanchez pulled further ahead. The turn T♥ gave Puskadija hope for the higher flush , however it did not materialize on the river 9♠ .

Naohiro Arita looked down at A♦ K♠ and gave it respect with a raise of 200,000. In a very rare back to back, Alvin Jeff Sembrano was dealt the exact same cards as the previous hand, A♣ A♠ . Arita got some help on the flop 4♠ K♣ 9♦ but with the turn and river 6♠ 2♠ , it ended his bid for the title in 8th place.

Sembrano zoomed to second in chips.

Action folded around to the small blind Mac Mantos, he looked down at A♦ 3♦ and shoved. However, he was denied the steal with big blind Youngtaek Lim waking up with 9♣ 9♠ . When the board ran 7♥ 2♥ 5♦ A♥ 6♦ , Mantos was saved from elimination.

Ryan Gebow raised 200,000 and won the blinds and ante.

No action until the button Mac Mantos made it 160,000 to go. Small blind Youngtaek Lim pushed. Mantos lets it go.

Xiong Cheng kicks off the hand with a raise of 175,000 and like the previous hand, Youngtaek Lim shoves his monster stack. Cheng calls for his tournament life.

Cheng: 9♣ 9♥

Lim: K♣ Q♦

Cheng sweats the flip as the board runs 4♥ 4♦ 5♣ 5♥ A♣ and is relieved to have survived.

In an attempt to reclaim the lost chips, Youngtaek Lim raises 200,000 from cutoff and big blind Andoni Sanchez defends. No brakes for Lim with a c-bet of 150,000 on a flop Q♦ 3♦ 9♦ , Sanchez check-folds.

Alvin Jeff Sembrano goes all in for 700,000 and wins the blinds and ante.

Ryan Gebow's turn to steal the blinds and ante with a raise of 180,000 from under the gun that saw no callers.

Youngtaek Lim has recovered the lost chips with another pot earned. He opened 160,000 from early position and got some action from the big blind Ryan Gebow. At the flop 5♣ 4♠ 4♥ , Lim continued for 200,000 and took down the pot easy.

Needing to improve to stay in the game, Rosete was denied with the turn 9♠ and river 7♦ .

Facing a raise of 200,000 from lojack Xiong Cheng, chip leader Youngtaek Lim on the button reraises 400,000. Cheng calls and both check it to the turn 7♥ Q♥ 9♥ K♣ . Cheng checks again, Lim tests with 350,000 and with that, he wins the pot.

Xiong Cheng continues to initiate with another preflop raise of 175,000, Ryan Gebow challenges with a 425,000 reraise. Cheng uses a time bank before folding.

Ryan Gebow opens 160,000, Mac Mantos pushes all in for 670,000, Gebow snap calls.

Gebow: J♦ J♥

Mantos: A♥ A♦

With the board running 2♥ 2♦ 4♦ 4♥ K♦ , Mantos doubles up.

Marko Puskadija goes all in for 920,000 and wins the blinds and ante.

Andoni Sanchez gets in the action with a min-raise and finds no callers to win the blinds and ante.

Now with chips to play with, first to act Mac Mantos raises 180,000 and finds no takers to collect the blinds and ante.

Following a min-raise from Andoni Sanchez, hijack Maxwell Rosete sends it all in for a total of 760,000 and takes down the pot without a challenge.

Chip leader Youngtaek Lim opens 160,000 from hijack and wins the blinds and ante.

First shove at the final table came afer Alvin Jeff Sembrano opened 160,000 from hijack. At cutoff, Marko Puskadija moved all in for 760,000, Sembrano used up two time banks before folding.

Ryan Gebow min-raised from under the gun and won the blinds and ante.

Action folds to the small blind Xiong Cheng, he limps in and big blind Ryan Gebow checks to bring the first flop of the final table. Spreading J♥ 3♣ A♦ , Cheng bets 86,000 and wins the pot uncontested.

Everyone folds around the orbit until small blind Ryan Gebow jams 2,865,000. Short stacked Mac Santos folds, losing his big blind.

From the button, Ryan Gebow raises 160,000 but this time is denied the steal with big blind Youngtaek Lim three-betting 580,000. Gebow folds.

Mac Mantos open shoves 470,000 and successfully steals the blinds and ante.

Shuffle up and deal! Cards now flying at APPT National with 9 players remaining. Good luck to all!

Important announcement for players, the blinds will no longer increase based on time. Blinds will now increase every 24 deals.

The 2025 APPT Manila is set to crown its first APPT shard trophy winner today, as the final table of the APPT National gets underway at 1pm at Okada Manila.

The highlight event drew 600 entries across three flights, with 90 players making it into the money. Now, just 9 players remain, each guaranteed a share of the ₱18,333,000 (~$323K) prize pool. While a minimum payout of ₱322,000 is assured, the goal is the top prize of ₱3,340,000 (~$58.8K).

Good luck to all! The Somuchpoker team is onsite to bring you all the action as it unfolds.