PokerStars Red Dragon (70,000 PHP)

Day 2 of the PokerStars Red Dragon brought 51 players out of 340 total entries back to the Coral Lounge in Okada Manila, and took nearly nine hours of play to reach the final six lineup.

When Kjetil Kemi bowed out in 7th place, it was Cao Ngoc Anh who emerged as the frontrunner, edging past Eng Loong Choi for the chip lead. The two had clashed just before the final bust with Cao winning the pot that secured him the overnight pole position.

The final six return tomorrow, October 22 at 1PM. Each one is guaranteed ₱800,000 ( ~$13,760) but all focus will be on securing the title, the iconic PS Red Dragon trophy, and the ₱3,950,000 (~$67,935) top prize.

Blinds will resume at 10,000-25,000 ante 25,000 for 16 hands.

Similar to how he bad beat Hogyun Kang, Alex Chong pulled off another come from behind, this time to eliminate Kjetil Kemi in 7th place.

Prior to the bustout, Kemi had slipped to 11 bb after opening 55,000 then faced a shove from Song Peng Lee. With 290,000 left, he decided to wait for a better spot. That chance arrived on the big blind when he found A♦ T♥ and three-bet jammed. Easy call for initial raiser Chong holding A♥ 5♠ .

It was looking peachy for Kemi on a flop T♠ Q♠ K♣ , but the 8♠ turn brought danger. The 7♠ river sealed his fate as Chong completed the flush to score the knockout.

Cao Ngoc Anh made it 50,000 from hijack and only the leader Eng Loong Choi gave him some action to bring a flop 9♠ 7♥ 7♠ . Cao switched up and checked, Choi attempted to steal for 120,000 but Cao called. Both players opted to control the pot on the turn A♣ and check, but on the river, Cao resumed for 100,000 and claimed it without a showdown.

Ever since he lost a showdown, Hogyun Kang has been struggling to recover and picked up some chips along the way however his run was put to hard halt, falling on a bad beat against Alex Chong.

Chong opened the hand with a raise then snap-called Kang's all-in. Both hand an ace with Kang holding a strong kicker with A♠ J♦ over A♣ 5♦ . His hope for a double looked bleak when the flop ran 5♠ 9♦ 7♣ and with the turn 3♥ river 3♣ , it vanished completely for an 8th place finish.

No board needed in this hand to win a big pot. From middle position, Cao Ngoc Anh min-raised only to see next to act Song Peng Lee three-bet 120,000. After the rest folded, Cao four-bet 300,000, then Lee sent out a cold five-bet to 720,000. Cao folded.

Kjetil Kemi opened from utg+1 and both blinds defended - Eng Long Choi and Graham Cowan. The board was checked to the turn A♦ T♥ 4♥ Q♠ where Kemi sent a feeler bet of 50,000 that only Choi matched. It was back to checking on the river 2♦ .

Kemi revealed 9♥ 9♣ but was denied the pile with Choi showing J♦ T♦ .

Blinds are up and will now increase every 24 hands.

After his double up, Alex Chong got involved in the next three hands. On ft hand #6, he called Eng Loong Choi's raise and it was a three-way with big blind Song Peng Lee joining the party.

After Choi continued for 30,000 at the flop K♥ 2♣ 7♣ , Chong raised to 90,000, Lee folded, and Choi went on to the turn 5♣ where he checked. Chong fired 150,000 and it was enough to win the pot uncontested.

With a queen on the window, the field stays intact with Chong scooping a double while sending Kang down to 13 bb in the process.

First hand of the final table and it was a battle of raises with Alex Chong opening from +1 for 35,000 then calling middle position Cao Ngoc Anh's 105,000 re-raise. The flop 9♦ 2♦ Q♥ drew a check from Chong who then folded to Cao's 80,000 c-bet.

Cards are now back in the air. Players have received an additional five time-banks. The TD has announced that the top three will win a seat worth ₱165,000 to the APPT Championship Main Event ₱60M GTD.

Play will stop when the final 6 has been reached. Blinds are currently at 8,000-16,000 ante 16,000. After this level (18:11) remaining, blinds will increase every 24 hands.

George Tomescu returned from the dinner break in fighting form but could not keep his stack from going south. After losing to the leader on a cooler flush to full house, he brought his stack up a bit then dropped to 4 bb against Kjetil Kemi.

From the big blind Tomescu defended with T♣ 7♣ and a flop gave him top pair 2♣ 2♥ 7♥ . He checked to the aggressor Kemi on cutoff who jammed for 316,000, Tomescu hero-called only to see he was far behind the T♥ T♠ set. By the turn J♦ he was drawing dead and dropped to 4 bb.

The next hand, Song Peng Lee raised on the button, Tomescu went all in for 54,000, easy call for Lee who showed A♥ 4♥ . Tomescu's K♣ 7♠ hand was live until the board ran J♦ 6♣ 8♦ Q♣ T♥ to fall as the final table bubble.

Alex Chong finally put a lid on his losing streak with double up off Hogyun Kang. The hand kicked off with Chong raising 35,000 then calling small blind Hogyun Kang's 100,000 three-bet. After the dealer spread the flop 8♦ 2♣ 2♦ , Kang continued 60,000 and this time it was Chong who put him to the test with a raise of 100,000. After a quick thought, Kang called.

Chong was ahead with K♣ 2♣ , Kang was still on a draw with A♠ Q♦ . With the turn 8♣ and river 5♠ , Chong cheered "yes!" and the final table bubble round continues.

First hand of the new level and utg Cao Ngoc Anh opens 37,000, called by cutoff Graham Cowan and big bind Hogyun Kang. All hearts on the flop J♥ 9♥ 4♥ and it's checked to Cowan who goes all in. No one bites he shows J♣ 9♣ saying he had to jam.

The final 10 players are on a dinner break. We will be right back.

Hogyun Kang is on a roll! After a winning showdown for all of his chips against Graham Cowan, he got fully paid again, this time it was Alex Chong paying up. Catching the hand on a board 10c 4♦ 2♠ 7♣ with 144,000 already in the pot, from the button Chong bet 75,000 only to face a check-raise of 200,000. Chong called and they went to fifth street.

When the 8♦ river arrived, Kang announced all-in and Chong asked for a count then took it back saying "no count, I call" and flipped over J♦ J♥ . The overpair was not enough as Kang revealed 7♥ 7♠ set.

Hogyun Kang and Graham Cowan went toe-to-toe that saw all the chips go in. It started with a min-raise from Kang at utg then Cowan three-bet 75,000 on the button. Kang called and they saw a flop of J♥ 5♥ 3♠ . Cowan was given the reins which he used to send out a c-bet of 100,000 to which Kang called again.

Kang open-checked again on the turn 6♠ and Cowan opted to do the same for a free river card A♠ . No more checking for Kang who jammed, and without blinking Cowan snap-called then saw the bad news. Kang opened J♣ J♠ set, Cowan said "well done" as he showed A♦ 5♠ two pair.

Eng Loong Choi put the hammer down on Henrik Tollefsen in 11th place. Sitting as the shortest with just below 20 bb Tollefsen was all in with K♠ J♠ and was behind Choi with A♦ Q♠ . The flop gave the Norwegian hope with a draw Q♥ 8♥ T♦ but the runout was 3♥ turn and river 7♣ .

At Table 1, Seunghyuk Jung opened from cutoff and got challenged by the massive stacked Eng Loong Choi with a three-bet of 85,000. Jung stayed tough and fired a four-bet of 155,000 only to snap-fold when Choi jammed.

At Table 36, Frank Lillis min-raised, Hogyun Kang three-bet 75,000, then Cao Ngo Anh on the small blind four-bet 195,000. This was enough to win the hand uncontested.

Somewhere along the way, big stacked Trong Hieu Ngo lost a majority of his chips and was down to 7 bb when he went all in with T♦ T♠ . He was put on the ropes by fellow countryman Cao Ngoc Anh with A♣ J♠ who quickly improved on the flop then held 2♠ J♣ Q♦ 8♥ K♦ .

And the rich get richer as Hogyun Kang finishes off short stacked Julien Van who first went all in for his last 100,000. Kang and Graham Cowan called then the latter folded to a 50,000 bet on the flop 4♥ 8♦ 8♣ .

Kang showed T♦ T♥ , Van was flipping with Q♥ J♥ but it was not to his favor as the 2♥ and 5♣ completed the board.

After splitting the pot, Thomas Lee went crashing out in two hands, both up against Frank Lillis. The first one was with pocket Queens that lost the flip to Ace-King with an ace finding the board. Plunging below 5 bb, Lee went all in with A♥ 4♠ and did not catch an ace to fall to Lillis's 8♣ 8♠.

Cezar Quiambao was joined by the blinds to see the flop come down 3♣ 4♠ T♠ . They checked to him and he slid out nearly all of his chips leaving just 5000 behind. Small blind George Tomescu called while Eng Loong Choi stepped aside.

Tomescu checked the turn T♣ and Quiambao put in his last chip in that was easily called. Upon showing, Quiambao had T♦ 7♦ trips and had 80% chance to win the hand against Tomescu's A♣ 4♣ . However, that 20% found the board with a river card 5♣ giving Tomescu the flush.

Action heavy hand after a three-way to the flop 5♣ J♣ T♦ with 75,000 now in the pot. Preflop aggressor Frank Lillis on utg continued for 20,000, a few spots over Thomas Lee raised to 60,000, then big blind Florencio Campomanes check-raised to 190,000. Lillis tanked then jammed (268,000), Lee followed behind (287,000), and Campomanes called to put both players on the ropes.

When they flipped 'em over, Campomanes was behind T♣ 8♣ but had outs for the flush while Lillis and Lee were looking for a possible split with Lillis holding J♠ T♠ and Lee J♥ T♥ . The turn Q♠ and river 8♠ were no help to Campomanes to pay up for the two to chop up while Lee claimed a side pot.

Hogyun Kang has somehow catapulted to the top of the leaderboard and is now sitting with over a million after winning this small pot. He three-bet 60,000 on the button to induce a fold in raiser Trong Hieu Ngo while Lu Zhou called again. At the flop A♣ 5♣ 3♦ , Zhou snap-folded to a Kang's 30,000 c-bet.

Getting to Table 1 as David Erquiaga was packing up while Eng Loong Choi was arranging the newly acquired pile to climb to 880,000.

Alex Puchalski followed out when he shoved with 8♥ 8♣ and lost the flop to George Tomescu whose A♥ J♠ improved on the board 2♦ 5♣ Q♠ A♠ A♥ .

Form under the gun, Seunghyuk Jung min-raised and got a caller in +2 Lu Zhou. When it reached the button Hogyun Kang, he repopped to 60,000 and only Jung topped up.

At the flop 3♣ 9♠ 2♣ , Kang barreled again for 40,000 then faced a check-raise of 120,000, Kang called then checked the turn 2♦ , relinquishing control to Jung who went all-in. Kang was covered which didn't matter as he replied with a snap-call and showed A♥ A♠ . Jung was behind J♥ J♦ . The river 4♠ ensured Kang the double up and more.

Thi Hue Dang hasn't been able to get anything going all day and with her last 9 bb, she risked it with Q♠ 9♦ . Still, it brought no luck as she ran into Frank Lillis's A♥ K♣ . The board also didn't cooperate, running 5♠ 6♥ 7♠ K♥ J♥ .

Andrew Rodgers was in the driver's seat throughout the hand despite David Erquiaga attempting to steal. Preflop action started with an open from Erquiaga who then called Rodger's three-bet. On a flop A♣ 9♦ Q♠ , Erquiaga led out but was denied control again with a raise from Rodgers. Erquiaga called to balloon the pot further to 213,000. On the turn T♥ , Erquiaga opted to check, Rodgers slid out a tower of yellows that sized up Erquiaga's stack who then folded to preserve his remaining chips.

Florencio Campomanes opens with K♣ Q♣ at utg and Thi Hue Dang defends the big blind with 5♣ 7♦ . Hue Dang finds the flop 5♥ A♦ 8♦ and check-calls a 15,000 c-bet. Both players check the turn A♥ then Hue Dang lays out a half pot bet on the river worth 30,000. Campomanes pays to see and claims the pot with the better kicker.

We aren't sure how Graham Cowan went from 350,000 to 580,000 however Akinobu Kirishima was missing from the table before it broke.

George Tomescu has a battle in his hands with Andrew Rodgers sticking around to defend his initial raise by calling the 37,000 three-bet. Rodgers puts Tomescu to the test on a flop 4♥ K♦ A♠ by check-raising from 21,000 to make it 62,000 to go. Tomescu flats then fires again on the turn 8♥ for 41,000 after another open-check from Rodgers. This time Rodgers gives it up.

The very next hand, Tomescu raises 12,000 from cutoff and big blind Hyeongjun Kwon calls. When the board runs down 3♦ 8♦ J♥ Q♠ K♥ , Kwon check-calls 9,000 and 41,000, then snap-folds on a river bet that didn't need a count.

Single-raised pot drew interest with four players in then watching the board complete J♦ Q♠ 2♠ K♦ 8♣ . Small blind John Matsuda picked it up with K♣ 6♣ .

Kevin Song kicked off the hand from under the gun with a min-raise and got a bout going with big blind defender Alex Puchalski. When the board completed 8♠ 6♠ 2♠ T♦ T♣ , Song was relentless, firing down every street - 21,000, 38,000, and a shove. Puchalski check-called the first two bets then preserved his remaining chips with a river fold.

Czardy Rivera was all in preflop for 61,000 with A♠ Q♣ and was flipping against caller Choi Eng Loong with T♣ T♠ . Rivera quickly improved on the flop 4♣ 2♦ A♥ with no change on the turn 8♣ . The river crushed his hopes finding one of Choi's two-outs to get bounced out.

Song Peng Lee ignited in three consecutve hands to nearly triple up. The hand that sparked his rise was A♦ A♣ which he opened then jammed with Thi Hue Dang calling with J♣ J♦ . No bad beat on the board for the aces to ship a double.

Next hand, he three-bet Frank Lillis's open and won the pot uncontested. Repeat on the next deal with no callers to his raise.

Alex Chong found 9♥ 9♠ in the small blind and three-bet 32,000, with John Matsuda defending his open. On the flop 2♣ 3♥ Q♦ , Chong kept up the pressure with a 25,000 continuation bet, which Matsuda called again however when the Q♣ came on the turn, this slowed down both players, leading to checks through the river 7♣. At showdown, Matsuda mucked to Chong's pocket pair.

David Erquiaga opened 11,000 from under the gun and big blind Yusuke Okazawa defended to take the action to the flop. When the board landed K♦ 3♥ 7♥ , both players tapped it for a free turn card 3♣ .

No more checking for Erquiaga with a light 6,000 bet and it was enough to bait in Okazawa to bring them to fifth street where an 8♠ appeared. Check again from Okazawa led to Erquiaga using a time-bank before firing an overbet of 50,000. This sent Okazawa tanking for one time-bank then slid out the one-chip call. Erquiage flipped over K♣ K♠ full house.

George Tomescu has already cashed at the APPT Open in 39th place and is certain to have a better run here having with a decent stack and adding in a bit more. Catching him win two pots, the first was blind on blind where he defended then checked down the board A♣ T♥ 9♠ 5♦ 2♣ . Small blind Andrew Rodgers showed K♠ J♣ and was out-kicked by Tomescu's K♦ Q♦ .

Two hands after, he faced a raise from David Erquiaga of 11,000 that was re-raised by Rdogers at cutoff for 44,000. Tomescu four-bet 100,000 and took it down without a fight.

Seitaro Aso looked down at premium A♥ A♣ and min-raised it from hijack. He nearly scooped the blinds and ante until the big blind Hogyun Kang decided to toss in the cheap call with K♥ 4♥ . The dealer fanned a strong board for Kang K♠ J♥ 5♥ whose win-rate improved from 15% to 45%. Seitaro continued with his overpair with a bet of 8,000, Kang check-raised to 20,000, Seitaro topped up.

Action heated up on the turn 2♠ with Kang now leading out 20,000, Seitaro raised to 45,000, Kang shoved, and a snap-call from Seitaro. With only one card to come, the aces were a strong favorite however, an 8♥ found the river to send Seitaro packing up disappointedly in 46th place.