APPT National (35,000 PHP)

The hunt for the final 9 players continues with two called shoves resulting in double ups. In a battle of the blinds, small blind Mac Mantos was all in for 295,000 holding A♥ 8♦ and won against big blind caller Edgar Asehan with K♥ 5♣ . The board was A♦ 6♠ Q♠ T♣ Q♣ .

At the other table, Maxwell Rosete three-bet shoved 540,000 and initial raiser Naohiro Arita called. Rosete was behind A♠ T♥ against Arita's A♦ J♦ until the flop 5♦ T♣ 2♣ gave him a pair which held through the runout 2♦ 9♠ .

From under the gun, Naohiro Arita makes it 160,000 to go, small blind Ryan Gebow challenges with a re-raise of 565,000. Arita takes it to the limit with a covering stack and that's enough to push out Gebow.

When the board ran 4♣ 5♦ 4♥ , Cheng was still ahead, then the turn dropped T♣ improving Rosete to a pair. Looking like the end for Cheng, the river had other plans as it spiked A♣ . Cheng celebrated the win and sat back down to collect his chips.

One orbit after dropping on a failed bluff, Maxwell Rosete defended his big blind by calling a button raise. Rosete and Andoni Sanchez both checked the flop J♦ 5♥ 8♣ , then Sanchez bet 115,000 on the turn 2♥ . Rosete answered with a check-raise of 375,000, Sanchez flatted. On the river, it was back to checking. Rosete showed Q♥ 9♦ missed gutshot, Sanchez claimed the pot with 7♠ 8♠ pair.

Catching the action on the turn J♦ 3♥ 9♦ 4♦ with 375,000 in the pot, big blind Maxwell Rosete fired 250,000 and small blind Ryan Gebow check-called. The river then paired the board 4♣ . Another check from Gebow and another bet from Rosete for a much larger 700,000. Still Gebow wanted to see and called. It was the right decision as Rosete flipped over K♥ 7♠ bluff, Gebow dragged in the pot with 8♥ 9♥ .

After losing a showdown, Le Ngoc Khanh was down to just 6 bb and risked it all with A♦ Q♥ . However, he was up against Ryan Gebow with A♣ K♣ . The board bricked, running ten-high to end Le in 12th place.

A couple of short stacks doubled up. First was Edgar Asehan with Marko Puskadija paying up. At the other table, Xiong Cheng doubled up off Le Ngoc Khanh with A♦ K♠ dominating K♣ Q♥ on a ten-high board.

Facing a raise of 80,000 from cutoff Maxwell Rosete, small blind Jayden Zalac looked down at 6♣ 6♥ and announced all in for 855,000 (21 bb). Rosete called and revealed his higher pair 9♠ 9♦ . No bad beats nor scares found the board T♦ J♣ 5♥ 3♣ 7♥ for Rosete to ship it and Zalac to finish in 13th place.

With his last 15 bigs, Gyeong Tae Yoo took a stand with 8♥ 9♥ then ran into Naohiro Arita's A♣ K♣ . The flop gave Yoo a pair as it came 9♠ T♣ Q♠ but with the turn J♥ , it was broadway for Arita to end Yoo's run in 14th place.

Gary Thompson started the day very strong and seemed unstoppable as he eliminated players and racked up a massive lead. However, that's now in the past as he lost a majority of his stack to Alvin Jeff Sembrano then busted shortly after.

Sembrano opened the hand for 75,000 and Thompson defended on the big blind. At the flop 6♥ 8♥ J♣ , Sembrano continued for 85,000 then called Thompson's 220,000 raise. After they checked the turn 9♠ , the river 4♣ brought more chips to the middle. Following Thompson's check, Sembrano bet 650,000, Thompson tanked for two time-banks then called.

Sembrano flipped open 7♣ 5♣ straight, Thompson mucked. One orbit later, Thompson was back on the big blind and shoved with A♦ Q♦ . Marko Puskadija had A♥ K♥ . The board bricked. Thompson finished in 18th place.

Probably the wildest board of the day yet. Czardy Rivera was all in preflop with 6♠ 6♥ and was behind chip leader Youngtaek Lim's 7♦ 7♣ ... that is until the flop ran K♥ 2♦ 6♦ giving Rivera the set. More miracles came on the turn with 7♥ sending Lim back on top. Rivera got up and accepted his defeat but then the river slapped down the last out 6♥ sending shockwaves across the felt.

With everyone folding to the small blind Gary Thompson, he limped in and got to see a flop cheap with big blind Andoni Sanchez checking. When the board ran A♥ 9♥ T♥ 2♥ 7♠ , Thompson check-called 60,000 and 80,000 then both checked the river. Thompson showed T♦ 2♠ two pair which was good to win the pot.

Alvin Jeff Sembrano joined the millionaire stackers after knocking out Keijiro Shimojo in 25th place. Action opened with Sembrano on the butting raising his 9♦ 7♦ , Shimojo defended on the big blind with Q♦ 8♥ .

At the flop 3♣ 8♣ 9♦ , Shimojo announced all in for 190,000, Sembrano snap-called. The turn 5♠ and river A♣ ended Shimojo as Sembrano shipped it.

Unlucky way to go for Kevin Mateo who was down to just 190,000 (7 bb) and put it all out front holding A♥ T♥ . Though he was ahead of Benjamin Martinez's K♠ Q♦ , the board running 6♣ 4♠ T♠ 7♠ 2♠ ended his bid, falling to Martinez's one card flush.

Holding Q♣ T♦ , Seiji Kikuoka open shoved from early position for 445,000 (17 bb). Everyone folded down the orbit until the big blind Youngtaek Lim who defended with K♠ Q♠ . With the board running J♣ Q♦ 2♦ K♦ 2♣ , that ended Kikuoka as Lim catapulted to the top of the counts.

Marko Puskadija and Gary Thompson built a pot of 180,000 before the river 9♠ 3♦ 2♦ Q♦ . When the river came 6♥ , Thompson bet 70,000, Puskadija raised to 180,000, Thompson paid to see then mucked to K♥ Q♥ .

The top two chip leaders are seated at the same table with Youngtaek Lim having position over Gary Thompson. Lim went on attack mode leading to three wins in one orbit. His last one was up against Thompson who called defended on the big blind.

When the board completed 4♠ T♥ 5♠ J♣ A♦ , Lim barreled down every street betting 35,000, 80,000, and 175,000. Thompson folded on the river.

Looking down at 7♠ 7♣, Marvin Cerbito open shoved 299,000 (15 bb) from cutoff. Two spots over Ryan Gebow was dealt 8♦ 8♥ and didn't hesitate to call. With the board running Q♣ 6♣ 8♠ 4♣ 6♥ , Gebow further improved to send Cerbito packing.

All in preflop with Hyun Jong Kim Q♦ Q♣ up against big stacked Francisco Mir Sanchez A♥ K♦ . The flop dropped an Ace and a King to end Kim's run in 39th place.