APT High Roller

Australia's Daniel Neilson made history by clinching victory in a record-breaking APT High Roller event, earning an impressive PHP 4,317,000 (~$73,390). Neilson defeated fellow Australian Alexander Lynskey in a heads-up showdown in the largest Philippines-based APT High Roller in tour history, with Lynskey taking home PHP 3,866,000 (~$65,720) as runner-up after an ICM deal had been cut between the final three players.

The event attracted 134 entries (92 unique) and generated a prize pool of PHP 23,396,400 (~USD 397,740), setting a new record for the richest APT High Roller tournament ever held in APT tour history in the Philippines.

At the start of the day, 26 players remained, all vying for a spot in the money, though only the top 20 would earn a minimum cash prize of PHP 314,000 (~$5,340).

Among the contenders was two-time APT Main Event Champion Lester Edoc from the Philippines, who, unfortunately, exited just before the money bubble, leaving without a payout.

Chi Wai Law burst the bubble when he went all-in with king-nine, only to be called by Lynskey—one of the tournament's chip leaders at the time—who held queen-seven suited and hit a seven on the flop.

Lynskey continued his strong performance, eliminating Xin Ann Lim on the final table bubble by rivering a straight with queen-five suited against Lim’s pocket sevens, which had caught a set on the flop.

Thanks to his impressive performance, Lynskey entered the final table as the chip leader, with Jason Lau in the short-stack position. Neilson, though second-shortest in chips, began steadily growing his stack as soon as final table play began.

The battle to be the last man standing was intense, with chips constantly changing hands. For two hours, the player at the bottom of the chip count rotated frequently before the first elimination finally occurred.

China’s Yuhang Chen was the first to exit, crippled after Vamerdino Magsakay’s pocket queens held strong against his king-jack. On his final hand, Chen moved all-in with king-queen but lost to Jordan Westmorland’s ace-nine, with Westmorland taking the pot with ace-high.

Local contender Jason Magbanua, who began the final table third in chips, was gradually worn down by both the eventual champion and runner-up. Choosing his spot to double up, Magbanua went all-in with king-queen suited after Lynskey’s raise. Lynskey called with ace-queen off-suit and hit a pair on the river, eliminating Magbanua in 8th place with a payout of PHP 725,000 (~$12,325).

Eliminations then slowed as players carefully selected their moves, especially under Lynskey’s relentless aggression as he dominated the table dynamics with his chip lead. In a pivotal hand, Lynskey surrendered the chip lead to Singapore’s Teng Yang Hoo after calling Hoo’s all-in with pocket queens and losing the pot.

Westmorland got knocked out by the new chip leader, Teng Hoo, in a showdown where both players hit an ace on the turn. However, Hoo’s ace-king outkicked Westmorland’s ace-nine, sending the American out in seventh place with a payout of PHP 980,000 (~$16,660).

On the final table, Filipino player Magsakay stayed afloat by carefully timing his steals on the blinds. However, in his final hand, he went all-in with king-eight offsuit, only to be called by Neilson in the big blind holding king-queen suited. Neilson’s hand held through the board, sending Magsakay out in sixth place with a prize of PHP 1,308,000 (~$22,235).

Lau, though not the last man standing, proved to be the luckiest at the final table. Entering with the shortest stack, he managed to survive numerous pay jumps before his luck ran out. He went all-in with queen-jack but fell short against Hoo’s pocket tens, which held firm, ending his run in fifth place with a payout of PHP 1,668,000 (~$28,355).

Shortly after, Ireland's Gary Thompson exited when Lynskey, attempting a steal with jack-eight suited, was called by Thompson holding king-queen offsuit. Despite having the better starting hand, Thompson watched as Lynskey paired on the flop, ultimately knocking him out in fourth with a reward of PHP 2,078,000 (~$35,325).

The battle among the final three players was intense, with the chip lead shifting frequently. After several hands brought their stacks nearly level, they agreed to an ICM deal. Soon after, Hoo was eliminated in a blind-versus-blind showdown. Hoo went all-in with king-jack offsuit, and Lynskey called with queen-four suited, rivering a flush to end Hoo's nearly twelve-hour run with a third-place payout of PHP 3,760,400 (~$63,930).

Then, only two remained. The heads-up match between the two friends was brief yet memorable. All day, players had teased Neilson about his slow-rolling tactics, and on the final hand, he showcased his signature move in style.

Lynskey moved all-in with jack-three offsuit, unaware he was stepping into Neilson’s trap; Neilson had flopped a flush with king-queen suited. With a touch of theatrics, Neilson finally revealed his hand, securing the win. Lynskey left with a great story and a 2nd-place prize of PHP 3,900,000.

After all was said and done, only one man was left standing at the end of it all. Congratulations to Neilson on a fantastic victory.

Daniel Neilson has won the PHP 200,000 APT High Roller for PHP 4,317,000.

Stay tuned as a full recap will follow shortly.

Hand 126 Daniel Neilson, on the button, limped with K♣ Q♣ and was checked by Alexander Lynskey, who held J♠ 3♣ , to see a flop of 5♣ J♣ 9♣ .

Neilson bet 300,000 with his flopped flush. Lynskey, who had hit a pair of jacks, unknowingly raised Neilson to 650,000. Neilson, setting a trap, flat-called.

The turn 4♠ prompted Lynskey to shove all-in for 2,000,000, risking his tournament life. Knowing he had the nuts, Neilson went into the tank, determined to slow-roll his fellow Australian. He threw in two time bank cards, maintaining a stoic face to disguise the joke, even taking a sip of his drink.

After enjoying the moment, Neilson finally smiled and called. A♠ the cards were revealed, Lynskey shot him a look of friendly disbelief, then smiled at the theatrical display.

The inconsequential river 6♠ was dealt, and Lynskey was eliminated in 2nd place.

Hand 119 Alexander Lynskey folded and surrendered to Daniel Neilson.

Hand 120 Neilson raised to 500,000. Lynskey three-bet to 1,500,000 and Neilson folded.

Hand 121 Lynskey limped with Q♦ 6♥ Neilson raised to 750,000 with J♦ 8♠ . Lynskey completed to see a flop of 4♣ 9♦ 6♠ Neilson led with 450,000 and Lynskey called. The turn came 4♠ . Neilson fired 1,200,000 and Lynskey called. The river came K♠ Neilson shoved all-in and made Lynskey fold the winning hand.

Hand 122 Neilson pressured all-in with A♦ 2♣ and Lynskey stayed away to give Neison a three-to-one chip advantage.

Hand 123 This time, Lynskey raised and Neilson folded.

Hand 124 Neilson shoved all-in with 3♦ 3♣ , but Lynskey wasn't interested.

Hand 125 Lynskey folded and gave Neilson a walk.

Players are on a 10-minute break to allow APT to set up the heads-up stage.

Hand 118 Teng Hoo, in the small blind, shoved 2,500,000 chips all-in for his tournament life and got called by Alexander Lynskey in big blind.

Teng Hoo: K♣ J♠

Alexander Lynskey: Q♥ 4♥

The flop came down 7♥ A♥ 8♦ . Hoo was ahead but needed to evade Lynskey's out as he had a flush draw. The 2♦ turn retained the status quo but the T♥ on the river sealed Hoo's fate, eliminating him at 3rd place.

Hand 114 Alexander Lynskey shoved all-in with 1,500,000 Q♥ 7♥ and Teng Yang Hoo called with A♦ 7♦ The flop came Q♣ Q♠ 5♥ . The turn came K♠ and the river 4♦ to give Lynskey a double-up.

Hand 115 Hoo moved all-in with A♦ 8♦ in the small blind and won the blinds of Lynskey.

Hand 116 Lysnkey raised to 700,000 from the small blind with 8♣ 2♣ and Neilson shoved jammed all-in. holding K♦ Q♥ and Lynskey gave up.

Hand 117 Lynskey shoved al-in for 2,700,000 on the button and scooped the blinds.

Hand 110 Alexander Lynskey with nine-seven off completed and Daniel Neilson nine-four suited checked. the flop came doesn J♣ A♦ 6♥ . Lynskey bet 200,000 and won the pot.

Hand 111 Neilson limped with 7♦ 4♥ and Teng Hoo checked with ;9h: :5: . The flop dropped Q♥ 4♠ J♣ . Neilson bet 200,000 and won the pot.

Hand 112 Neilson on the button raised to 400, 000 with 9♦ 9♣ . Lynskey called with J♥ 7♠ . The flop dropped 5♥ 5♦ 7♥ Lynskey raise to 750,000 and Neilson called. Lynskey continued with 675,000 on the 4♠ turn. Neilson called. The river 8♥ got another 375,000 bet from Lynskey which Neilson calmly called. Neilson won the pot.

Hand 106 Teng Yang Hoo limped with 8♠ 8♦ and Alexander Lynskey checked with K♦ 7♦ Flop came Q♥ A♥ J♣ Both checked and saw a T♥ turn. Lynskey bet the minimum and Hoo folded.

Hand 107 Hoo raised to 400,000 with A♦ Q♠ and Daniel Neilson called in the big blind with 4♥ 2♥ . Flop came 4♣ 9♦ 3♥ . Neilson check-called the 200,000 bet to see a 5♣ turn. Neilson led with 300,000 and Hoo called to see a K♣ river. Both checked and Neilson showed to scoop 980,000

Hand 108 Lynskey raised to 400,000 with K♦ 7♣ and Hoo jammed with K♥ 9♠ Lynskey moved out of the way.

Hand 109 Neilson raised to 400,000 with K♣ 4♣ and Hoo shoved all in with A♠ K♦ . Neilson folded to give Hoo the pot.

The final three players have agreed to an ICM chop, which guarantees them all a lump sum. A total of PHP 440,000 has been left on the table to play for, as well as the Bronze Lion Trophy.

The blinds have been cut to 15 minutes as a result of the deal.

Players are in a 15-minute break.

Hand 103 Teng Hoo with A♣ T♦ went all for 6,400,000 in the small blind and Alexander Lynskey, in big blind, with A♥ 4♣ shoved all-in for his tournament life in response. The board displayed Q♣ K♠ J♣ 8♥ T♣ for a chop.

Hand 104 Lynskey completed in the small blind for T♦ 6♥ and Daniel Neilson in big blind checked. The flop dropped A♠ T♠ J♣ . Lynskey bet 160,000 and Neilson called. The 8♥ turn was checked by both players. the K♣ was checked by Lynskey and Neilson with a Broadway straight bet of 600,000 and won the pot.

Hand 105 Lynskey raised to 320,000 with A♥ J♦ . Teng Hoo announced all-in with A♦ 3♦ and got called by Lynskey. The board unfurled into 5♠ 4♣ Q♦ 8♠ 6♣ giving Lynskey a double-up.

Hand 98 Small blind Alexander Lynskey shoves all-in for 740,000 with J♥ 4♦ and is called by big blind Daniel Neilson with K♣ 9♣ . Flop came T♦ A♦ J♣ . The turn followed 6♦ and the river came 5♣ and Lynskey stayed alive with a crucial double.

Hand 99 Lynskey jammed all-in again for 1,700,000 and scooped the blinds.

Hand 100 Teng Yang Hoo shoved all-in from the small blind and Lynskey gave up his big blind.

Hand 101 Small blind Lynskey raised to take Neilson's big blind.

Hand 102 Lynsley jammed from the button and found no callers.

Hand 94 Daniel Neilson raised to 320,000 with Q♠ J♦ and Teng Hoo went all-in with pocket sevens and won the pot.

Hand 95 Teng Hoo with K♠ K♥ raised to 320,000 and Neilson with A♥ 8♠ three-bet to 1,000,000. Hoo replied with a jam all-in and won the pot.

Hand 96 Alexander Lynskey shoved all-in with J♦ 6♣ and won the pot.

Hand 97 Neilson raised with king-ten offsuit and got called by Lynskey in big blind with Q♣ 5♣ . The flop came down T♠ 4♠ 9♦ which Lynskey checked. Neilson bet 160,000 and won the pot.

Hand 90 Alexander Lynskey raised to 320,000 from under the gun with Q♥ 6♥ . Daniel Neilson three-bet to 2,000,000 from the small blind with pocket kings and found no action from Lynskey to scoop the pot.

Hand 91 Neilson raised to 320,00 from the button with A♣ 2♣ and bagged the blinds.

Hand 92 Teng Yang Hoo min-raised from the button with pocket fives and took down the blinds.

Hand 93 Lynskey raised to 320,000 from the button with A♦ 8♥ . Neilson shoved 2,500,000 with J♦ T♦ . and Lynskey called. Flop came 2♥ Q♠ T♣ . The turn came T♠ and the river 9♦ was a formality. Neilson doubled up to take the chip lead and Lynskey is crippled.

Players are on a 15-minute break.

Hand 89 Alexander Lynskey shoved 3,100,000 all-in at the dealer button and got a similar reply from the man on his left in the small blind position, Gary Thompson, at risk of his tournament life.

Gary Thompson: K♦ Q♣

Alexander Lynskey: J♦ 8♦

The flop dropped 4♦ 5♠ J♣ giving Lynskey a pair with the board. Thompson was praying to hit oe of his overcards but the turn 7♠ and the river 3♥ didn't give it to him, forcing him to exit the tournament.

Hand 87 Gary Thompson raised 1,000,000 with ace-three offsuit and won the pot.

Hand 88 Alexander Lynskey shoved all-in with J♦ 9♠ and won the pot.

Hand 86 Jason Lau shoved all-in from under the gun for 920,000 and ran into the T♦ T♣ of Teng Yang Hoo in the big blind. The flop peeled 7♦ 5♣ 9♠ to keep Hoo in the lead. The turn 6♥ and the river 2♣ did not improve Lau and the poker gods finally decided that his journey come to an end.

Hand 85 Vamerdino Magsakay open-jammed all-in from the cutoff for 630,000 and was called by Daniel Neilson in the big blind.

Vamerdino Magsakay: K♥ 8♠

Daniel Neilson: K♣ Q♣

The flop came 6♠ J♣ 9♣ , giving Neilson additional outs while already leading, leaving Magsakay concerned for his tournament life.

The A♦ turn and 4♣ river didn’t improve Magsakay's hand, leading to his elimination from the tournament.

Hand 82 Teng Yang Hoo raised to 1,800,000 from the button with A♦ 3♦ to pressure the blinds. Jason Lau, in the small blind, called all-in for his remaining 340,000 with A♠ 9♦ . The flop came A♥ 6♠ A♦ . The turn fell 2♣ and the river threw 7♠ for Lau to scoop 580,000 and climb up to 920,000 from literally having a chip and a chair.

Hand 83 Gary Thompson shoved to 600,000 from under the gun with K♣ Q♦ and got called by Daniel Neilson from the hi-jack with 9♠ 9♥ . Flop came K♥ T♣ 2♥ Thompson check-called the 250,000 bet from Neilson to see a 6♣ turn. Thompson pushed his last 5,000 all-in and Neilson called. The river came J♠ and Thompson doubled to 1,100,000.

Hand 84 Level 28 opened with blinds at 80,000/160,000 with a big blind ante of 160,000. Action folded to the blinds and Alexander Lynskey, in the small blind, shoved all-in with 8♣ 2♦ to take down the big blind of Thompson.

Hand 78 Alexander Lynskey shoved all in with 9♠ 2♦ and won the pot.

Hand 79 Jason Lau went open-jammed all-in with his one 5,000-chip with T♥ 5♥ . and Lynskey with Q♣ 5♣ raised to 240,000 in cut-off. Daniel Neilson shoved all-in with K♦ Q♦ in big blind which forced Lynskey to fold his hand. The board showed A♣ J♥ 5♦ 6♥ 6♠ . Lau doubled up with a chip and a chair.

Hand 80 Lau, under-the-gun, went all-in again with 9♠ 8♦ with 14,000. Gary Thompson, on the button, three-bet to 600,000 with K♦ J♠ forcing the blinds to fold. The board showed 3♠ T♣ 9♥ 4♠ 9♣ . Lau doubled up once again.

Hand 81 Lynskey raised to 240,000 in hi-jack with A♦ 7♥ and won the pot.

Hand 77 Jordan Westmorland was forced all-in for 200,000 by his position in the big blind, holding A♦ 9♠ and went up against the A♠ K♣ of Teng Yang Hoo from the hi-jack. The flop came T♠ Q♦ 6♣ to keep Hoo ahead. Both hit the A♣ on the turn. The 6♦ on the river still kept Hoo ahead and sent Westmorland out of the APT High Roller.

Hand 73 Everyone folded to Teng Yang Hoo on the big blind, who didn't get action holding pocket queens.

Hand 74 Alexander Lynskey raised to 240,000 with J♠ J♥ and won the blinds.

Hand 75 Daniel Neilson raised to 240,000 with 4♠ 4♥ and scoops some blinds.

Hand 76 Action folded to the blinds and Vamerdino Magsakay shoved all-in for 570,000 in the small blind with A♣ T♣ to take down the blinds.

Hand 67 Jordan Westmorland raised 720,000 with A♦ 7♦ and got called by Daniel Neilson with J♠ J♣ on the button. Jason Lau went all-in for 1,100,000 with A♥ K♣ in the big blind. Westmorland folded but Neilson called for his tounament life. The board showed 2♠ 5♥ 8♥ 6♦ 6♣ . Neilson's jacks held and doubled up.

Hand 68 Teng Hoo raised to 2,000,000 with A♣ 3♥ on the button and won the pot.

Hand 69 Hoo opened to 250,000 on cut-off with A♦ 9♥ and won the pot.

Hand 70 Neilson raised to 240,000 in middle position with A♦ T♣ and won the pot.

Hand 71 Hoo raised to 2,500,000 in middle position with A♥ 9♠ and won the pot.

Hand 72 Jason Lau shoved all-in with K♠ 7♥ for 215,000 and got called by Neilson with K♦ 3♣ . The board displayed K♥ 2♣ 2♠ 8♣ J♥ . They chopped the pot.

Hand 62 Action folded to the blinds and small blind Vamerdino Magsakay gave big blind Alexander Lynskey a pass.

Hand 63 Teng Yang Hoo raised to 200,000 with Q♥ J♣ on the hi-jack. Lynskey called with Q♦ T♦ in the small blind. Flop came 8♥ 3♠ 8♦ . Both checked and saw a 5♠ turn. Both checked to see a A♣ river. Lynskey checked and folded when Hoo pushed 250,000.

Hand 64 Magsakay raised all-in to 975,000 with K♠ T♠ from the cut-off and picked up the blinds.

Hand 65 Action folded to the blinds. Small blind Gary Thompson shoved for 1,400,000 with K♦ 9♦ and takes down the hand.

Hand 66 Jordan Westmorland raised to 520,000 with K♦ T♠ from the cut-off.

Hand 58 Alexander Linskey went all-in from the cutoff with K♣ Q♦ for 4,100,000 and Gary Thompson made the call for his tournament life holding K♦ J♥ . The board unfurled 3♦ 2♦ 8♠ J♦ A♦ , giving Thompson a double up.

Hand 59 Lynskey woke up with Q♥ Q♦ in the hole and opened the hijack to 200,000 and won the pot.

Hand 60 Lynskey raised to 200,000 with A♥ 3♥ and got a 2,300,000 chip all-in shove from Teng Hoo for his queens and won the pot.

Hand 61 Teng Hoo with A♦ 7♠ raised to 1,900,000 and won the pot.

Hand 54 Jordan Westmorland raised to 200,000 with A♠ J♣ and won the blinds.

Hand 55 Action folded to the blinds, Vamerdino Magsakay in the small blind folded to give Alexander Lynskey a pass.

Hand 56 Teng Hoo found A♥ A♣ in the hijack and raised to 200,000. Lynskey three-bet to 650,000 from the small blind. Hoo four-bet to 1,000,000. Lynskey folded.

Hand 57 Magsakay raised to 950,000 with K♠ J♠ and found no customers.

Hand 53 Alexander Lynskey raised to 200,000 from middle position, and when the action folded to Jason Magbanua in the big blind, he shoved all-in for 1,200,000 chips, putting his tournament life on the line. It was an easy call for Lynskey.

Jason Magbanua: K♦ Q♦

Alexander Lynskey: A♣ Q♥

The dealer flopped 2♠ J♠ 6♠ , keeping Lynskey in the lead and offering no help to Magbanua. Still hoping to hit one of his outs, Magbanua watched as the dealer dealt the 5♣ turn. The A♠ river sealed Lynskey’s victory, and Magbanua was eliminated, hitting the rail.

Hand 48 Jason Lau raised to 200,000 with A♣ K♥ from the hijack and Jordan Westmorland defended the big blind with Q♦ 5♦ . The flop came K♣ K♠ 6♥ Westmorland checked. Lau bet 125,000 and took down the pot when Westmorland folded.

Hand 49 Alexander Lynskey on the button raised with A♠ 4♠ and scooped the blinds.

Hand 50 Vamerdino Magsakay shoved all-in with A♥ J♠ from the hijack and found no customers to win the pot.

Hand 51 Action folded to the blinds and Daniel Neilson gave Teng Hoo a pass.

Hand 52 Jordan Westmorland raised to 600,000 with J♥ T♥ and won the pot.

Players are on a 15-minute break.

Hand 41 Vamerdino Magsakay with K♠ J♥ raised to 200,000 at cut-off and got a three-bet from Alexander Lynskey to 320,000 with A♥ A♣ and won the pot.

Hand 42 Lynskey with Q♦ T♥ shoved all-in in small blind and won the pot.

Hand 43 Gary Thompson raised to 160,000 with A♦ 6♠ and got an all-in shove for 2,400,000 from Teng Hoo with nine-seven suited. Thompson folded.

Hand 44 Lynskey opened to 160,000 with A♥ 7♣ and got a call from Daniel Neilson with Q♦ 9♦ on the button. The flop showed 4♦ Q♥ 6♠ , Neilson bet 110,000 after action was passed to him and won the pot.

Hand 45 Jason Magbanua got a walk.

Hand 46 Lynskey raised to 160,000 with A♥ J♠ under-the-gun and Jason Lau shoved all-in with A♣ 8♣ for 560,000 and got called by Lynskey. The board displayed 2♣ T♣ 2♥ 4♣ 8♥ . Lau doubled up.

Hand 47 Magsakay raised to 800,000 with ace-eight offsuit and won the pot.

Hand 40 Yuhang Chen pushed his last 15,000 and was at risk against Jordan Westmorland.

Yuhang Chen: K♦ Q♦

Jordan Westmorland: A♥ 9♦

Chen picked up a lot of outs on the 2♥ J♠ T♣ flop, but failed to find any help as neither the J♦ turn nor 7♠ river could save him from elimination.

Hand 35 Alexander Lynskey opened Q♣ 3♦ in middle position and Teng Hoo shoved all-in with A♥ K♦ . Lynskey called. The board displayed 5♥ 5♠ 6♥ 2♥ A♦ which doubled Hoo up.

Hand 36 Lynskey raised to 160,000 with Q♦ 5♦ and Jason Lau shoved all-in from the small blind with Q♥ 8♥ . Lynskey called. The board displayed 5♠ 8♣ 4♠ T♠ 2♠ . Lau doubled up.

Hand 37 Lynskey raised to 1,600,000 with his T♠ T♥ in middle position and Hoo shoved all-in for 1,200,000 with J♠ J♦ in the cutoff. Lynskey called. The board showed K♥ 5♠ 3♣ J♥ J♣ . Hoo won the pot with his quads.

Hand 38 Lynskey raised to 160,000 with A♠ 9♣ under the gun and won the pot.

Hand 31 Action folded to Alexander Lynskey in the small blind, who raised to 200,000 and stole the big blinds.

Hand 32 Teng Hoo raised to 160,000 with A♦ Q♦ from early position and Gary Thompson calls in the big blind with A♥ 8♣ . The flop came 9♣ 7♥ T♣ where both checked to see a J♣ on the turn. Thompson bet 100,000 and Hoo matched to see a 5♦ river. Thompson fired 290,000 and Hoo called. Thompson's straight scooped the pot.

Hand 33 Lynskey shoved all-in from the cut-off with 6♣ 4♣ and took down the blinds.

Hand 34 Lynskey raised all-in from the hijack and took more blinds.

Hand 24 Jason Magbanua raised to 120,000 with A♠ T♠ and Daniel Neilson defended his big blind with K♠ 3♠ . The flop came 9♥ K♥ 8♥ where both checked. The turn came 7♣ and both checked again and saw a J♦ river. Neilson checked and Magbanua bet 110,000 with his straight. Neilson folded.

Hand 25 Yuhang Chen raised from under the gun with A♣ T♦ and everyone folded.

Hand 26 Alexander Lynskey raised the minimum from middle position with A♠ 9♦ and Chen called from the big blind. The flop came K♥ 6♥ 3♥ where Chen checked and Lynskey bet 60,000. Chen called and saw a 5♠ on the turn. Both checked. The river came Q♦ and both checked again. Lynskey showed the better hand to scoop the pot.

Hand 27 Magbanua min-raised 120,000 from under the gun. Lynskey three-bet to 300,000 with A♦ T♠ , which earned him the pot.

Hand 28 Lynskey raised to 120,000 with A♥ 3♣ and was three-bet by Neilson to 300,000 with A♣ 9♣ . Lynskey folded.

Hand 29 Lynskey raised to 120,000 with A♦ 2♠ and won the pot.

Hand 30 Vamerdino Magsakay completed with Q♦ 9♦ and Lynskey checked with Q♣ 8♠ . The flop was 3♣ 8♥ A♠ . Magsakay bet 60,000 and Lynskey called. The 5♦ was checked by both players. Magsakay bet 125,000 on the K♦ river and got called by Lynskey, who won the pot.

Hand 20 Jason Lau with A♦ 3♣ raised to 120,000 on the button and Vamerdino Magsakay shoved all-in with K♥ Q♠ in the big blind and won the pot.

Hand 21 Jason Magbanua raised to 100,000 on the button with J♠ 8♠ and got called by Alexander Lynskey with 9♣ 5♠ . Both saw the flop K♠ K♥ 3♥ where Lynskey checked and Magbanua bet 75,000 and won the pot.

Hand 22 Lynskey completed in the small blind with 4♣ 3♠ and Jordan Westmorland in the big blind checked with A♣ 9♥ . The flop 5♦ 9♠ 9♦ was checked by Lynskey and Westmorland bet 60,000 and won the pot.

Hand 23 Daniel Neilson raised to 120,000 with A♦ T♦ and won the pot.

Hand 16 Alexander Lynskey raised 125,000 from the hijack and collected the blinds.

Hand 17 Vamerdino Magsakay min-raised from early position with 7♠ 7♦ and Lynskey three-bet to 250,000 with Q♣ 7♣ . Magsakay called to see a flop of Q♦ 4♦ K♥ , pairing Lynskey's queen. Magsakay checked and folded when Lynskey bet out only 60,000.

Hand 18 Jason Magbanua min-raised to 120,000 with K♥ Q♠ from under the gun and Lynskey called with A♥ 2♥ two seats down. Both saw a flop of 3♠ 4♣ K♠ , giving Magabanua top pair. Magbanua check-called Lynskey's 60,000 bet to see a J♣ on the turn. Magbanua check-raised all-in for 660,000 over the 160,000 bet of Lynskey, who immediately gave up.

Hand 13 Alexander Lynskey completed the small blind with J♣ T♦ and Jordan Westmorland raised to 100,000 with T♠ T♣ . Lynskey called to see a flop of Q♠ 6♣ Q♣ where he check-called the 150,000 bet from Westmorland to see a J♥ on the turn. Both checked to see the 3♥ on the river. Lynskey popped 250,000 and Westmorland called. The pot of 650,000 was shipped to Lynskey.

Hand 14 Lynskey with K♠ 4♣ raised to 100,000 and won the pot.

Hand 15 Jason Magbanua raised to 100,000 in middle position and got called by Daniel Neilson with T♥ 8♥ to see a flop of 4♥ 5♥ J♠ . Neilson checked, Magbanuna bet 140,000, and got called by Neilson.

The turn 6♦ was once again checked by both players. Neilson shoved for 750,000 on the river 5♣ . Magbanua surrendered the hand.

Hand 11 Alexander Lynskey with 2♠ 2♦ under the gun raised to 100,000. Daniel Neilson with 9♠ 9♦ three-bet to 620,000 and won the pot.

Hand 12 Gary Thompson raised to 100,000 with A♥ T♣ and got called by Lynskey in the big blind. Both players checked the flop of K♥ Q♣ A♣ . Both players checked the turn Q♦ and the 7♦ river and Thompson scooped the pot with his ace.

Hand 8 Alexander Lynskey min-raised with Q♥ J♠ from the hi-jack and Daniel Neilson three-bet to 450,000 from the button. Lynskey folded.

Hand 9 Teng Hoo min-raised to 100,000 with king-queen off from the button and took the blinds.

Hand 10 Lynskey raised from early position with A♥ T♦ . Jason Lau shoved all-in from the big-blind and Lysnkey made the call for a showdown. The flop came 6♣ K♥ K♠ then Lysnkey ace paired with an A♦ on the turn. Lau stood up, ready to leave, but the river threw a 7♥ for a set to double him up.

Hand 1 Yuhang Chen raised to 100,000 with 4♠ 4♣ on the button and won the pot.

Hand 2 Jason Lau got 6♠ 6♥ and shoved all-in. Everybody else folded.

Hand 3 Chen with K♣ Q♠ raised to 100,000 and Vamerdino Magsakay in the small blind with A♣ Q♣ shoved all-in and took down the pot.

Hand 4 Alexander Lynskey opened A♣ 2♥ from the small blind and won the pot.

Hand 5 Chen with 9♠ 9♦ raised to 100,000 in middle position and scooped the pot.

Hand 6 Lynskey raised 100,000 with A♣ 9♠ and scooped the pot.

Hand 7 Jason Magbanua with A♠ K♠ raised to 100,000. Teng Hoo with Q♦ J♥ in the big blind called. The flop came down 9♠ T♥ 6♣ , which went check-check. The turn 7♥ was checked by both players again. Teng Hoo bet 180,000 on the river 3♦ and Magbanua folded.

The clock has been rolled back so the final table will start at Level 23 - 25,000/50,000.

Hand updates will start to push through momentarily.

Alexander Lynskey holds a commanding chip lead heading into the final table, but he can convert his lead into a Bronze Lion Trophy?

Play will resume in around 30 minutes time and updates will be synchronised with the live stream.

With the final table about to be set, Vamerdino Magsakay announced - "Let's drink! Let's drink!" - offering the invitation to Gary Thompson and Jordan Westmorland on the other table.

The final table action will be featured on the livestream (with a 30-minute delay) on the following links:

YouTube

Twitch

Xin Ann Lim opened to 100,000 from under the gun and Alexander Lynskey three-bet the button to 275,000. Lim called.

They went to a flop of Q♥ 6♦ 7♠ where Lim led out with a bet of 150,000, which Lysnkey called to the 8♠ turn. Lim kept up the aggression with a bet of 375,000, which Lynskey called.

A 4♦ landed on the river and Lim unloaded a third bet into the pot of 275,000. Lynskey riffled his chips for a while and used some extra time before he shipped his stack into the pot. Lim had around 600,000 behind and rechecked his cards as he leaned back in his chair, pondering his decision.

A towering stack belonging to Lim was pushed into the pot, but it wasn't chips. Instead, all of his time-bank cards were moved in while Lim mulled it over. Lim needed just a few 30-second extensions before he finally made a decision, and called.

Lynskey then showed Q♠ 5♠ for a rivered straight, which beat the 7♥ 7♦ of Lim, who had flopped a set.

What a pot for Lynskey, but disaster for Lim who becomes the final table bubble boy.

Alexander Lynskey shoved from the small blind and Chaoui Mehdi made the call for his tournament life from the big blind for around 330,000.

Chaoui Mehdi: J♣ T♥

Alexander Lynskey: A♥ T♦

Mehdi was dominated and couldn't reverse the situation as the 2♥ 7♥ 7♠ 7♣ 8♦ runout meant he was eliminated just shy of the final table.

Action was picked up with Jason Magbanua betting 150,000 on the flop of 5♥ 7♦ 6♠ . Juns Leong was considering what to do and finally shoved his remaining chips worth about 140,000 all-in for his tournament life.

Juns Leong: A♥ 9♦

Jason Magbanua: 9♣ 7♣

Magbanua hit a pair of sevens on the board, but Leong had numerous outs including a gutshot draw. A♠ Leong prayed for just one of his outs to come out, the dealer dealt the turn of 5♠ and river 9♠ . Without a redraw, Leong exited the premises.

Alexander Lynskey made it 100,000 from the hijack and Chaoui Mehdi made it 450,000 from the cutoff, leaving himself just 35,000 behind. Lynskey then shoved, and Mehdi called off his stack.

Chaoui Mehdi: A♥ 6♥

Alexander Lynskey: K♥ T♥

Mehdi was marginally in the lead, but probably didn't feel comfortable being the at-risk player. However, the runout of 5♦ J♦ 4♠ 2♣ 3♥ gave him a straight, and earned him a double-up.

Abraham Ceesvin looked down at his cards on the button and decided they were good enough to play, then shoved around 365,000. Alexander Lynskey shoved from the small blind, which forced the big blind to fold.

Abraham Ceesvin: K♠ Q♥

Alexander Lynskey: K♦ J♣

Ceesvin was a in a fantastic spot to double up, and his hand stayed in the lead on the 3♦ 3♠ 7♠ flop. However, a devastating J♥ on the turn propelled Lynskey in front, leaving Ceesvin with three shots at survival.

An 8♦ on the river wasn't what Ceesvin needed, and he was eliminated in the unlucky 13th place.

Players are on a 15-minute break.

On the final hand just before the break, the floor director announced that the table would switch as the featured table for the livestream.

Xin Ann Lim made a min-raise to 80,000 from early position. When it hit Vamerino Magsakay and Abraham Ceesvin on the button and the small blind, Ceesvin saw that Magsakay was counting chips and contemplating a move. Ceesvin commented. "C'mon, do you want to double-up or do you want TV time?" Both players folded.

Meanwhile, with most players out of their seats already. Andrew Lysnkey in the big blind, re-popped to 240,000. Lim folded and showed 9♥ 8♥ and said, "I showed, you should show." Lynskey obliged by showing A♣ Q♣ .

Now, the players are officially on break.

Abraham Ceesvin opened for 250,000 leaving 2,000 chips behind. Yuhang Chen went all-in on the big blind and Ceesvin called.

Abraham Ceesvin: T♦ T♠

Yuhang Chen: T♥ 9♥

Upon seeing Chen's hand, Ceesvin went, "Looks good, looks good." The dealer flopped a board of 2♠ 4♣ 6♥ 3♣ 3♥ And with the board completed Ceesvin doubled up.

The hand after, action folded to the blinds. Small blind Chaoui Mehdi put his last 274,000 chips at risk against the big blind and big stack of Yuhang Chen. Chen made the easy call.

Chaoui Mehdi: Q♠ J♠

Yuhang Chen: 2♠ 2♥

Mehdi went ahead when his jack paired the flop of T♦ 5♦ J♣ , which stayed ahead on the 8♥ turn and K♥ river for a very crucial double-up to around 600,000 to keep his APT High Roller journey going.

In a battle of the blinds, small blind Andrew Lynskey and big blind Chaoui Mehdi checked on a flop of 2♦ J♥ 3♣ to see a T♣ on the turn.

Lynskey check-called the 75,000 bet from Mehdi to see a 4♦ on the river. Both decided not to put any more chips in. Lynskey flipped 8♣ 8♥ while Mehdi mucked. The win grew Lynskey's stack even more while Mehdi's stack sunk.

Big blind Xin Ann Lim and Chaoui Mehdi on the button were staring at a flop of 9♦ 7♦ 2♠ with a pot of 260,000 beside it.

Lim acted first and bet out 80,000, and Mehdi raised to 220,000. Lim then took a moment before he called to see a Q♦ on the turn. Lim tapped his option over to Mehdi, who bet out 80,000. When it was Lim's turn, he re-popped to 220,000. Mehdi tanked and folded, having a taste of his own medicine.

Alexander Lynskey opened for 60,000, and Yuhang Chen called. When the action folded to the blinds, Abraham Ceesvin re-raised to 100,000, leaving himself with only 48,000 chips behind. Lynskey responded with a four-bet to 180,000. Chen considered his options and then made the call, creating a 65,000 side pot.

The dealer flopped J♥ 9♦ 8♦ , and both players checked. Lynskey kept up the pressure by betting 160,000 on the 5♥ turn. Chen called.

On the river 4♦ , Lynskey continued, which perplexed Chen. He took some time to consider the hand, using a time bank card. In the end, he mucked his hand, and Lynskey scooped the 385,000 side pot.

Abraham Ceesvin: K♣ J♣

Alexander Lynskey: K♦ J♠

With identical hands, Ceesvin and Lynskey chopped the main pot.

Yohwan Lim made it 152,000 from early position, and left himself just 1,000 behind. Gary Thompson shoved from the big blind, and Lim called off.

Yohwan Lim: A♦ 8♠

Gary Thompson: A♠ 9♠

The man they call "BoxeR" was at risk, and things looked bleak on the 3♣ 5♠ Q♠ flop as Thompson picked up a flush draw, which removed one of Lim's outs. The Korean player couldn't punch his way out of the situation as the 6♠ turn gave Thompson the nuts, which deliver the knockout blow.

A meaningless 5♣ dropped on the river, which left Lim on the canvas and headed to the payout desk.

Ryosuke Tomuro shoved from the small blind for around 440,000 and Jason Magbanua called out of the big blind.

Ryosuke Tomuro: A♣ T♥

Jason Magbanua: K♦ 8♣

Tomuro had been patient and found a great spot to close in on a million-chip stack, and held firm on the 4♠ 2♣ 6♦ flop. However, an 8♥ on the turn gave Magbanua a pair, which left Tomuro one card from the rail.

No ace or ten came on the 9♠ river, which left Tomuro sidelined in 15th.

The game is obviously poker, and the fun part is when things like this happen.

Daniel Neilson walked over from the featured table a few meters to the other table and announced, "FYI, someone's about to go all-in so you guys should stall." which brought a round of laughter.

Abraham Ceesvin made an early position min-raise to 60,000 and was called by Chaoui Mehdi on the button. Both players entered a flop of K♥ 6♦ 4♦ and the Jedi mind tricks began.

Ceesvin checked. Mehdi pushed a time-bank card followed by a bet of 40,000. Ceesvin pushed a few time-bank cards and made a raise to 85,0000. Mehdi then took a moment and counted off a re-raise to 180,000. Ceesvin folded almost immediately, and a jubilant Mehdi exclaimed, "YES!" and showed his Q♦ J♦ bluff. Ceesvin complimented, "Beautifully executed."

Ryosuke Tomuro opened to 60,000 from early position and Gary Thompson three-bet to 160,000 from the cutoff. Jordan Westmorland then shipped it for 478,000 from the button, which got a quick fold out of Tomuro. Thompson mulled it over for a while, but eventually put in the call, which left Westmorland at risk.

Jordan Westmorland: 9♠ 9♣

Gary Thompson: T♠ 8♠

Thompson had been caught with his hands in the cookie jar, but did still have decent equity to send Westmorland to the rail.

A flop of 4♥ 2♣ 6♣ was clean for Westmorland, but the 8♥ turn did mean he had to dodge a few more outs on the river. However, Westmorland needn't have worried as the A♦ rolled off on the river, earning him the double-up and a stack of over a million.

The action folded around to Jordan Westmorland in the small blind, who shoved all in. Taiga Ishiwatari was in the big blind and snap-called for his tournament life with around 190,000 in his stack.

Taigi Ishiwatari: Q♠ J♥

Jordan Westmorland: A♣ Q♣

Westmorland had no interest in looking at the board and stared into the abyss somewhere while Ishiwatari's future in the tournament was about to be realized.

It seems paying no attention to the board means your hand holds up as the runout of 8♠ 2♦ 7♣ T♥ 8♦ kept Westmorland in the lead, sending Ishiwatari to the rail in 16th.

After the action was folded to the blinds, Seungmook Jung, in the small blind, raised to 70,000, only for Vamerdino Magsakay to up the ante by betting 450,000 from the big blind, leaving himself with just 40,000.

Jung, looking at Magsakay, said, "I think you have a very good hand," to which Magsakay replied affirmatively. Immediately after the exchange, Jung announced all-in, shoving his remaining stack of 250,000. Magsakay snap-called.

Seungmook Jung: Q♥ Q♠

Vamerdino Magsakay: A♣ K♠

The dealer flopped 2♥ A♠ 9♥ , and with the ace on the board, Jung started packing up while still watching the deal. The turn 3♥ and the river 9♦ didn’t change the outcome, so Jung headed to the payout counter.

Gary Thompson raised to 48,000 from under the gun and Daniel Neilson called on the button. Teng Hoo also came along from the big blind.

They went to a flop of 8♦ J♠ K♠ , which all three checked to the T♥ turn. Hoo checked, Thompson fired 60,000, Neilson got out of the way, and Hoo dropped in a call.

A 3♦ fell on the river and after Hoo checked again, Thompson must have been in a darts mood as he threw in a bet of 180,000. Hoo didn't need too much time to think before he called.

Thompson quickly revealed K♥ Q♥ for top pair, but Hoo's J♥ T♣ was the winner as he turned two pair to take the pot.

Jiaqi He opened for 50,000 and was called by Vamerdino Magsakay on the button, bringing a flop of 8♥ 7♦ 8♣ .

He continued with a bet of 80,000, and Magsakay called once more. With the pressure on and his stack running low, He shoved all-in for 183,000 on the 3♥ turn. Magsakay made the call.

Jiaqi He: J♦ J♥

Vamerdino Magsakay: 5♥ 5♠

The river Q♣ didn't help Magsakay, and He scooped the pot.

Spanish player Ramos Soriano has gone out on 20th and David Wang followed shortly on the 19th spot with both the first to claim their minimum cash prize from the payout counter. We are down to 18 players, waiting on 2 more busts before we hit the final two tables of 16 players.

Malyasian player Xin Ann Lim just won a pot worth 150,000 from Yuhang Chen and in the next few hands won some blinds from some pre-flop raises that saw no action.

This prompted someone to ask, "again?" and chided Lim to show a card after everyone had folded. Lim flashed a K♣ and they asked for another card, but Lim fired back, "But you didn't call."

The last 20 players are back from a satisfying break knowing that they've made it in the money wIth the bubble bursting just before the break. All 20 are already guaranteed a minimum payout of PHP344,000 ($5,850), but all will see how far up the payout ladder they can go, where the top prize of PHP5,614,400 ($95,445) and a bronze APT Lion Trophy awaits the champion who outlasts them all.

Good luck, players!

Players are on a 15-minute break.

After around fifteen episodes of hand-for-hand play, short-stacked Chi Wai Law shoved from the small blind for 120,000 and Alexander Lynskey quickly called from the big blind.

Chi Wai Law: K♠ 9♥

Alexander Lynskey: Q♣ 7♣

Law had to wait around to watch his fate unravel as there was still play on the outer two tables. Eventually, the floor gave permission for the dealer to start running the board.

Lynskey took the lead on the T♥ 7♥ 4♣ flop as he paired his seven, which left Law needing some help. The 3♣ turn offered absolutely no help, and the 2♣ river was the brick Lynskey needed to send Law to the rail empty-handed.

With hand-for-hand play going on in search of a bubble to burst, Gary Thompson raised the minimum 40,000 and snap-called the short-stacked push by Yohwan Lim in the small blind.

Thompson flashed 9♦ 8♣ while Lim flashed A♠ A♦ . Thompson spiked an 8♥ on the flop for a pair to make Lim nervous, but eventually his aces held to double him up to a stack of around 360,000, which kept him alive.

After everyone folded to the blinds, Teng Hoo in the small blind completed and Gary Thompson, the current chip leader, decided to put the pressure on by raising to 70,000. With only about 400,000 behind, Hoo went into the tank to consider his options, especially since the tournament hand-for-hand.

After a few seconds, Hoo declared all-in for his tournament life and Thompson snap-called.

Teng Hoo: T♣ T♠

Gary Thompson: 6♦ 6♥

Hoo was quite satisfied when the hole cards were tabled until the dealer flopped 6♠ A♣ 9♠ which evoked a strong groan of frustration from Hoo.

That immediately changed when the T♦ came down when the groan turned into a cheer. Despite the railbirds chanting a six, the set of tens held when the 7♣ fell on the river.

Play is now hand-for-hand as they are one spot away from the money!

Gary Thompson raised to 32,000 and Taiga Ishiwatari matched from the cutoff along with big blind Rosuke Tomuro.

Three players saw a flop of Tc 5h 4s then all checked to get a freebie Ts on the turn. Tomuro checked his option over to Thompson who put 50,000 in the middle. Ishiwatari called and Tomuro got out of the way.

A river 2s showed for the remaining two and Thompson fired 175,000. Ishiwatari tanked and used up a couple of time-bank cards before finally making the call. Thompson showed a Qd Td for a trip tens. Ishiwatari didn't bother opening his cards.

90,000 chips were in the middle with a flop that showed J♣ T♦ K♣ with two players in the hand.

Big blind Daniel Neilson check-called the 50,000 bet from Gary Thompson, who was in the cutoff. Both players checked down the 3♣ turn and advanced to the 2♥ river.

Neilson checked his option and Thompson counted out 110,000, then pushed it forward. Neilson took a moment and then fought back with a 280,000 raise. Thompson took one last look at his cards before bidding them farewell to the muck.

Yuhang Chen made it 32,000 to go from the hijack and Lester Edoc shoved his stack of around 250,000 into the middle from the cutoff. It folded back around to Chen, who wasted no time at all in putting Edoc at risk.

Lester Edoc: 7♠ 7♦

Yuhang Chen: A♦ J♠

Edoc instantly fell behind on the 9♥ J♥ 2♣ flop as Chen paired his jack, and the Chinese player made two pair on the A♥ turn. Only a seven from heaven could save Edoc from elimination, but instead Chen filled up on the J♦ river, sending Edoc to the rail-empty handed.

Xin Ann Lim opened to 35,000 from under the gun and Yuji Yaginuma shoved from the next seat for 167,000. When the action got back to Lim, he called.

Yuji Yaginuma: A♠ Q♠

Xin Ann Lim: A♦ K♣

Yaginuma found himself dominated, and couldn't get any help from the 9♣ 3♣ 8♦ 7♦ 5♦ runout, which meant the was eliminated just shy of the money.

Gary Thompson made a 24,000 min-raise from early position and Ryosuke Tomuro defended his big blind for both to see a 2♥ 9♣ 9♠ flop.

Tomuro check-called the 33,000 bet of Thompson to see a Q♣ turn. This time, Tomuro check-raised Thompson's 40,000 bet to 93,000. Thompson used a time-bank card, but made the call to see a 2♦ turn. Tomuro fired 110,000 in the final betting round and Thompson stood down and surrendered the pot.

Joseph Cheong shoved his remaining 125,000 to the middle in confidence on a board of T♠ 9♠ , which Seungmook Jung commented "I like that hand!" However, the hand had to withstand the A♣ Q♥ of Jason Lau, which was ahead pre-flop and made sure it stayed ahead on a flop of 4♦ 7♦ A♦ .

Cheong was drawing dead when the 5♣ came on the turn and was up by his seat "Saying thank you and wishing everyone good luck" by the time the inconsequential K♣ was placed on the river.

Cheong's bust at 23rd, means there are only 2 more to go until the top 20 get in the payout circle.

Juns Leong opened for 25,000, with two players calling: Jason Lau from the cutoff and Seoha Lee from the big blind. The dealer spread a flop of 8♠ K♠ 3♠ . Both Lee and Leong checked, giving Lau the chance to bet 55,000. Lee called, while Leong folded.

The turn brought the 6♦, and Lee checked again. Lau then confidently slid 250,000 chips into the pot, prompting an exasperated groan from Lee, who looked up in frustration with only about 80,000 left behind. After a long pause, Lee finally called.

Seoha Lee: K♥ 9♦

Jason Lau: 8♣ 8♦

Lee had top pair, but Lau had flopped a set of eights. The river brought the 5♠ , sealing Lee’s fate, and he was eliminated from the tournament.

Teng Yang Hoo opened for 25,000 from the cutoff, and Jordan Westmorland responded with a three-bet. Hoo made the call, setting up an intense showdown as the dealer revealed a flop of 7♣ 3♠ J♦ .

Westmorland continued the aggression, firing 28,000 on the flop, and Hoo, unfazed, called once more. When the T♥ appeared on the turn, Westmorland slowed down, checking to Hoo, who seized the moment and went all-in.

After a brief hesitation, Westmorland folded, and Hoo scooped a crucial pot, giving his short stack a much-needed boost.

The APT High Roller featured table is live! Featured in the table are: Australia's Alexander James Lynskey, Chaoui Mehdi of Morocco. Yuhang Chen of China, Lester Edoc of the Philippines, Yuji Yaginuma of Japan and Chi Wai Law of Hong Kong.

Watch the players show off their acting skills, and more importantly, poker skills via the livestream links below:

YouTube

Twitch

With the 134 entries generating a prize pool of PHP 23,396,400 (~$397,740), the eventual champion will walk away with PHP 5,614,400 (~$95,445), and of course, the APT Bronze Lion Trophy.

A full APT High Roller Payout List, complete with rough USD conversions, can be found by CLICKING HERE.

And we're on our way! Cards are in the air!

The final day of the APT High Roller concludes today at the last day of the APT Manila 2024 series. The series kicked off on October 28 and will finally come to a close today after 11 days of exciting poker action - and for some of the big winners of nearly 100 poker events- maybe something life-changing.

Closing the series with a bang is the APT High Roller - one of the highlight events of the APT Manila series. There were a total of 134 registrants who paid for their PHP200,000 seat for a chance to earn a share from the guaranteed prize pool of PHP15,000,000 (US$ 254,000). However, only 26 qualifiers made it through after nearly 12 hours of poker through 16 levels.

Play resumes today at 11:15 AM in the Grand Ballroom of the City of Dreams Manila with the continuation of Level 16 where blinds are at 5,000/10,000 with a big blind ante of 10,000.

Atop the leaderboard of the chip counts is Gary Thompson of Ireland with 1,258,000 - the only millionaire of the field thus far. Just within spitting distance is Japan's Taiga Ishiwatari with a second-ranked high stack of 980,000. Australia's Alexander James Lynskey completes the podium with 964,000 chips.

Some other notable poker figures in the field that still have a chip and a chair include Lester Edoc (288,000) of the Philippines and Joseph Cheong (188,000) of the USA. Both already have two championship titles this APT Manila 2024 series and will hunt for a third before all events close tomorrow.

Of the 26 remaining players, only 20 will gain access to the payout circle for a minimum payout of PHP 314,000 ($ 5,340). Of course, the true hunt is for the championship reward of PHP 5,614,400 ($ 95, 445).

For payouts, please click HERE.

Chip counts and seat draws are available below: