APT Main Event

The Final Table of the record-breaking APT Manila 2024 Main Event is set, with Daniel Lee from the United States in the lead holding 6,620,000 in chips. The final nine players have outlasted 1,081 entries—the largest field in APT tour history—to compete for a share of the biggest guaranteed prize pool of PHP 100 Million (~$1.7 million) in Philippine poker history. They will battle it out on the final day for the prestigious 24K Lion trophy and the top prize of PHP 18,060,000 ($307,020).

The day started with 48 players returning to the field, and after seven 60-minute levels of intense play, the final table was reached. Former APT Champion Mike Takayama came tantalizingly close to securing a spot at the final table and vying for a historic third APT Main Event title but ultimately fell just short, exiting in 13th place.

Other notable players who didn't make it included Alex Chong (30th), Lester Edoc (39th), Ronnie Tate (40th), Joonhee "Steve" Yea (41st), and Renniel Galvez (47th).

Lee took the lead by eliminating SJ Kim in a pivotal hand, where his king-queen offsuit managed to stay ahead, even though Kim’s queen-eight suited held multiple outs. Lee’s turn catch of a king sealed Kim’s fate and knocked him out of the tournament.

Close on Lee’s heels is South Korea’s Gab Kim, who steadily built his stack after claiming a significant pot from Edgar Antezana, hitting a broadway straight to secure his edge.

Day 3 chip leader and WSOP bracelet holder Renji Mao remains in the mix, having doubled his stack from the start of the day to enter tomorrow’s final battle with 4,660,000 chips.

The chip counts of the final nine players are listed below.

Here are the payouts for the final table.

With the biggest stack only double the shortest, it’s an open contest heading into the final day. Join us for the thrilling conclusion of the APT Manila Main Event, where a new champion will be crowned.

The action gets underway at 11am local time and live updates will be posted here. The action will also be streamed live (with a 30-minute delay) and you can tune in by clicking through the following channels.

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The final table of the APT Main Event is set!

Stay tuned for a recap of the day's action.

Sung Jin Yun shoved the cutoff for 345,000 and Daniel Lee called from the button.

Sung Jin Yun: A♦ 9♥

Daniel Lee: A♣ 2♣

Yun had a chance to almost triple up and was a big favorite to do so. The flop of 7♥ A♠ Q♣ gave both players top pair, but the 2♥ on the turn gave Lee two pair, and left Yun on the brink of bubbling the final table. The T♦ river changed nothing, and Yun was out in tenth.

Edgar Antezana, being the chip leader of the outer table, had been waiting for the right time to make a move.

Sitting in the big blind, Antezana called a raise from Vincent Huang after everyone else passed the action to him. The flop came down 5♦ 9♦ 9♥ .

Antezana checked the flop, allowing Huang to lead with 175,000. Antezana calmy put 400,000 in the pot, which made Huang look at Antezana and think a bit. After a moment of thought, Huang folded.

Before releasing his hand, he showed Huang one card, the 4♥ , then said, "Is this good enough?" then mucked his hand.

With 10 players left and one more player to go to make a final table, there was an anxious ambiance when action folded for a battle of the blinds.

Small blind Sandagdorj Munkhbaatar peeked at his cards, liked what he saw, and raised to 350,000. Jaejoong Kim must have liked his cards better, as he announced "all-in" and risked his Main Event life for his last 2,610,000.

An excited crowd of photographers and videographers immediately flocked to the table with the golden words "all-in" were muttered. Munhkbaatar was in a bit of a shock, and perhaps the frenzy encouraged him a little to fold his hand.

The last remaining APT Main Event winner in the field has just been eliminated, which means a new champion will be crowned tomorrow.

SJ Kim made it 225,000 on the button and Daniel Lee called from the big blind.

They went to a flop of J♣ 3♥ T♥ where Lee checked, and Kim fired 175,000. Lee then reached for chips and raised to 500,000, then Kim shoved for 1,600,000. Lee asked for a count and after thinking it over, he made the call.

SJ Kim: Q♥ 8♥

Daniel Lee: K♥ Q♣

Kim had flopped a monster draw with a flush draw and a gutshot, but was behind to the overcards and open-ended straight draw of Lee.

A K♣ on the turn gave Lee a pair, which was quickly followed by the J♣ on the river, which meant Kim was sent to the rail just shy of the final table.

Vincent Huang made the min-raise to 200,000 and called the re-raise to 450,000 by Sandagdorj Munkhbaatar.

Both saw a flop of 7♠ 3♥ T♦ and checked to see a free T♣ on the turn. Both checked down again to reveal a 7♥ on the river. With no more bets, Huang flipped over A♣ 6♦ and Maunkbaatar showed A♦ K♠ . Both players used their aces as a kicker for the board's two-pair and got their money back.

Jaejoong Kim raised to 250,000 from the hijack and was called by Edgar Antezana in the cutoff.

Both players saw a flop of Q♠ A♦ 2♣ where Kim check-called the 400,000 bet of Antezana to see an A♠ on the turn. Kim presented the option to Antezana, who didn't shy away by putting another 800,000 in the middle. Kim folded and Antezana's stack improved some.

Having just lost a flip, Kim Enriquez shoved from the button for almost 1,100,000, and John Costiniano called from the small blind.

Kim Enriquez: K♥ T♥

John Costiniano: A♦ K♠

Enriquez was dominated but did pick up a flush draw on the 3♣ 2♥ A♥ flop. However, it was just false hope as the 8♠ turn and A♣ river meant Enriquez was eliminated in twelfth.

SJ Kim shoved for around 1,000,000 from the cutoff and Kim Enriquez called from the big blind.

SJ Kim: 2♥ 2♣

Kim Enriquez: A♠ Q♦

It was a classic flip that was all too familiar deep in a poker tournament. This one went the way of Kim as his ducks held up on the 7♦ 4♦ 9♠ T♦ 8♣ runout, which saw the two players swap stacks.

Jaejoong Kim raised to 200,000 from the button. Edgar Antezana folded his small blind, and Renji Mao announced an all-in from the big blind. Kim looked at his stack, counted out his chips, and then called the all-in for 1,525,000, putting his tournament life on the line.

Jaejoong Kim: A♠ Q♥

Renji Mao: A♥ K♦

When Kim saw Mao's hand, he stood up, shaking his head in frustration. His disappointment deepened as the dealer flopped 4♦ K♥ J♦ , giving Mao a pair of kings.

Kim began pacing, muttering under his breath, and looking to the ceiling as if hoping for a miracle. The turn brought the 3♥ , making Kim's frustration even more visible as he started gathering his things.

Then, the dealer revealed the river T♥ , drawing gasps from players and spectators alike. Kim, stunned but overjoyed, sat back down with a big smile, having completed his straight and staying alive in the tournament.

Daniel Lee opened to 200,000 from under the gun and SJ Kim shoved from the small blind. Lee had just over 1,500,000 to start the hand, and put in the chips, which left him at risk.

Daniel Lee: K♠ K♥

SJ Kim: A♥ Q♣

Lee was a big favorite, but it's always a sweat being the at-risk player. The flop of 7♣ T♥ 9♥ didn't offer much to Kim, but he did pick up an open-ended straight draw on the J♦ turn. The Q♦ river did pair Kim, but it also gave Lee a straight and earned him a double-up.

The final twelve players have been sent on a 15-minute break.

Despite managing to double up twice, Mike Takayama couldn't keep the momentum going and eventually fell in thirteenth.

Sandagdorj Munkhbaatar opened the button to 160,000 and Takayama made it 800,000 from the small blind. Munkhbaatar called.

They went to a flop of Q♥ 6♠ 8♥ where Takayama shoved his last 300,000, and Munkhbaatar called.

Mike Takayama: A♣ 8♣

Sandagdorj Munkhbaatar: A♦ A♥

Takayama shook his head when he saw the aces of his opponent, and was sent to the rail as neither the 3♥ turn or K♣ river could save him.

The action folded around to Mike Takayama in the small blind who limped in, and Jaejoong Kim made it 215,000 from the big blind. Takayama called.

On the 3♠ 5♥ 4♦ flop, both checked to the K♥ turn where Takayama checked, Kim bet 175,000, Takayama made it 1,000,000, and Kim shoved 1,100,000. Takayama called off the extra 100,000.

Jaejoong Kim: A♣ 5♦

Mike Takayama: 9♥ 6♥

A huge call from Kim, who was just one card away from a double-up. On the other hand, Takayama had a plethora of outs to hit with his flush and straight draws, plus the overcards he held. However, it was a case of 'too many outs' as the 4♠ was a brick, earning Kim the pot.

After action folded to the blinds, John Costiniano limped in from the small blind, only to face a raise of 275,000 from Gab Kim on the big blind. Costiniano called after using a time bank to think it over.

The flop came J♠ 6♦ 3♥ . Costiniano checked, and Kim bet 185,000. Costiniano took his time again, eventually calling. Both players then checked the turn T♥ and river A♥ . Kim revealed A♣ K♥ , and Costiniano mucked his hand.

One round later, they clashed again—this time with Costiniano opening from the cutoff for 160,000 and Kim three-betting to 475,000 from the button. Costiniano called, and they saw a flop of 8♥ 4♣ 9♦.

After Costiniano checked, Kim bet 330,000, and Costiniano called. The turn J♣ was checked by both players after Kim used a time bank.

On the river 6♠ , Costiniano check-called a 605,000 bet from Kim, who revealed 6♣ 6♥ , catching a set on the river. Costiniano mucked his hand once more, and Kim scooped the pot with a lot of Costiniano's chips transferring to his side.

Edgar Antezana opened to 200,000 from early position and Paul Nattapatsiri three-bet to 650,000 from the cutoff. Munkhbaatar Sandagdorj then four-bet to 1,300,000 from the small blind, which got Antezana to fold. Nattapatsiri then shoved for around 2,500,000, and Sandagdorj called with a very similar stack.

Paul Nattapatsiri: A♠ K♠

Munkhbaatar Sandagdorj: K♦ K♣

A huge cooler that Nattapatsiri just couldn't get away from. However, the Thai player did add some outs on the 3♦ 2♥ 4♠ flop as he picked up a gutshot straight draw. The outs list kept growing for Nattapatsiri as the 3♠ turn added a flush draw, but the T♣ river was a brick, which meant he was eliminated.

The downfall of Shin is complete in the space of just a few hands.

Vincent Huang opened to 160,000 from under the gun and Jae Wook Shin shoved from the small blind for 665,000 out of the small blind. Once the action got back to Huang, he quickly called.

Jae Wook Shin: K♦ Q♠

Vincent Huang: A♠ K♠

After just losing a huge pot to Renji Mao, Shin was now on the brink of elimination.

A flop of 8♣ 9♥ J♠ did give him a gutshot straight draw, but it didn't arrive on the 2♦ turn or J♣ river, which meant he was eliminated.

Jae Wook Shin opened to 160,000 from under the gun and Renji Mao called out of the big blind.

The two saw a flop of 6♣ 7♦ 8♠ where Mao checked and Shin fired 150,000. Mao quickly called and the 5♦ dropped on the turn, where the Chinese player led out for 350,000, which Shin called.

A Q♣ fell on the river and Mao went for a big bet of 1,100,000. Shin took a sip of his drink and played with his chips before he eventually tossed in a call.

Mao showed a straight with A♦ 9♠ , which bested the flopped set of Shin, who had 8♦ 8♣ .

Zhen Chen had a great tournament run and was the chip leader when Day 2 of the APT Main Event concluded. However, his deep run ended on Day 4 in 18th place.

John Costiniano raised to 135,000 from the hijack and Zhen Chen re-popped to 850,000. Costiniano then pushed all-in, with Chen making the call to risk his Main Event life.

Zhen Chen: A♦ Q♣

John Costiniano: J♥ J♦

The flop came 2♣ 6♦ 2♦ , which gave Costiniano two-pair to lead the coin toss. The 6♣ turn tightened the noose around Chen and the river 7♣ finalized the demise.

Players are on a 25-minute break.

When play resumes, live updates will be delayed by 30 minutes to match the stream.

SJ Kim made the raise to 120,000 and got called by Lou Marcial & Daniel Lee for a three-way pot entering a flop of J♥ 4♦ 2♦ .

Lee checked from the big blind and SJ Kim measured out Marcial's stack of 170,000 and made a 70,000 bet. It didn't take long for Marcial to push his 170,000 all-in. Lee stepped out of the way for a Kim vs Marcial duel.

Kim showed A♣ J♦ for a top pair while Marcial flipped Q♦ T♦, hoping for a queen or a diamond. The turn threw a 5♥ and the poker gods sealed the fate of Marcial with a 9♦ on the river.

Marcial's bustout brought a pause to the tournament as the final sixteen players will redraw seats for the final two tables.

.As the action was passed to the blinds, Soo Jo Kim in the small blind took the opportunity to jam all-in, and it was immediately called by Hisashi Yamanouchi who was covered and at risk.

Hisashi Yamanouchi: A♥ T♠

Soo Jo Kim: K♥ 6♥

Yamanouchi looked quite satisfied with his hand being ahead after he saw Kim's hand. With the flop of Q♥ 3♣ 5♠ , Yamanouchi sat relaxed on his seat, looking forward to a double. Status quo didn't change for the 2♣ turn. But the dealer dealt a 6♦ on the river giving Kim a pair and Yamanouchi a look of dismay.

Kim Minjeong shoved all-in for 1,020,000 and got called by Vincent Huang for a show down.

Kim Minjeong: K♣ 8♦

Vincent Huang: 6♣ 6♦

Huang was ahead on a flop of Q♦ 2♦ T♠ and kept ahead after the 4♠ turn and then finally sealed the win with 5♠ on the river. Minjeong tried to cheer on the board, but the poker gods didn't offer any sign of hope. Kim Minjeong ended her run at 18th place, and was the last woman standing.

Sung Jin Yun raised to 130,000 from late position, nearly covering the entire stack of Dmitrii Belikov, who had only 155,000 behind. Despite the short stack, Belikov made the call, leaving himself with just one 25,000-chip behind.

The flop came down 7♥ Q♣ 6♦ , and Belikov checked to Yun, who bet 60,000. After considering his options and using one of his time bank cards, Belikov decided to push all-in with his last chip.

Dmitrii Belikov: 9♦ 3♦

Sung Jin Yun: Q♠ 9♠

With Belikov unlikely to win the hand, he began packing his belongings as the dealer completed the board with a turn of 2♥ and a river of 4♣ .

The APT Manila Main Event still has 20 players in the tournament who have reached the PHP 701,000 ($11,920) cash prize level on the payout ladder from a guaranteed PHP100,000,000 (~USD 1.7 Million).

Of course everyone has their eyes on the champion's prize of PHP 18,060,000 (~USD 307,020)

Action was folded to the blinds with Renji Mao making a small raise Min Sung Lee jamming all-in for his last 300,000+ chips. Mao snapped called and flipped over A♠ A♦ . Lee laughed while showing T♥ 5♦ , thinking that Mao wouldn't call his shove.

The flop came 7♦ 7♣ 3♣ and kept the aces head. Some sort of hope came Lee with a 5♥ on the turn, but one of the other two-fives didn't follow on the river and Lee just laughed off his exit from the table.

Xiaohua Fu had just 80,000 in his stack after the three-table redraw, and did manage to make a pay jump, but eventually succumbed to Yuhang Chen.

Xiaohua Fu: J♠ 5♣

Yuhang Chen: Q♥ 8♣

Chen flopped top pair and held the lead on the Q♣ 7♥ 9♠ A♠ 9♣ runout, which brought the field down to 22.

Renji Mao opened the action with a raise to 100,000 from early position, and the table folded around to Zhen Chen in the big blind, who made the call. The flop came down K♣ 7♠ 7♣ .

After Chen checked to him, Mao bet 60,000, which Chen called, bringing them to the turn, T♠ .

Both players checked again, and the river revealed the K♥ . Chen then bet 250,000 into the pot, and Mao made the call.

Chen turned over 5♦ 5♠ , which was no good against the two pairs on the board. With a grin, Mao revealed his A♦ 6♦ , winning the pot with his ace kicker.

Jin Woo Choi made it 120,000 to go from the hijack and Edgar Antezana defended from the big blind.

On the Q♠ T♥ 3♠ flop, Antezana checked and Choi made a bet of 125,000. Antezana quickly called.

An A♣ landed on the turn after Antezana checked, Choi shoved for 355,000. Antezana didn't need to think for too long before he eventually flicked in the call.

Jin Woo Choi: K♥ Q♦

Edgar Antezana: Q♥ T♣

Antezana's two pair was leading at the moment, but Choi did have a number of outs that he could find to survive. However, the 2♣ wasn't one of them, and Choi was eliminated.

With a complete re-draw of the 24 players remaining on 3 tables, the featured table will feature a fresh mix of players who will be playing it for the cameras.

Featured in the table are Philippines' very own Mike Takayama, South Koreans Gab Yong Kim and Jin Woo Choi, China's Yuhang Che and Xiaohua Fu, Thaland's Paual Nattapatsiri, South Africa's Edgar Antezana and Mongolia's Sandagorj Munkhbaatar.

Antezana enters the featured table atop the chip count leaderboard with a commanding 5,105,000 chips. Xiaohua Fu has the lowest count with 80,000 and will certainly provide the livestream with some all-in action.

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Twitch

With the three table redraw complete, here's an up-to-date chip count along new seat assignments.

Currently, South Africa's Edgar Antezana leads with 5,105,000 chips!

Kazuhiro Shirazawa doubled his 360,000 stack with his 9♦ 9♣ vs the A♣ Q♦ of Soo Jo Kim. Shirazawa's nines flopped a set on the K♠ 2♦ 9♥ flop and went on to win after the 5♠ turn left Kim drawing dead. The 2♥ river was just a formality, improving Shirazawa to a boat.

Two hands later, Min Sung Lee raised to 120,000 and was called by Sung Jin Yun. From the small blind, Shirazawa pushed all-in for 770,000. Yun was the lone caller for a showdown.

Kazuhiro Shirazawa: 8♣ 8♦

Sung Jin Yun: Q♥ Q♣

Yun remained ahead on the flop of 3♥ 9♥ 5♠ and kept the lead on the 4♦ turn and 9♥ river to end the APT Main Event journey of Shirazawa.

Play was paused after Shirazawa's elimination at the 25th place to re-draw seats for the last 3 tables.

Action folded to the blinds, where Taeo Lee in the small blind shoved all-in for 155,000, putting his tournament life on the line. Yuhang Chen called from the big blind.

Taeo Lee: K♦ 3♣

Yuhang Chen: Q♥ T♠

The dealer revealed a flop of 5♦ J♦ 8♥ , keeping Lee ahead with king-high. The turn A♥ gave Chen a gutshot straight draw, adding a chance to turn the tables on Lee.

The river K♠ completed Chen’s straight, knocking Lee out of the tournament.

With action folded to the small blind, Mike Takayama raised the pot to 350,000 and received an all-in shove from Vincent Huang to his left for 870,000, risking his tournament life. Takayama didn't hesitate to make the call.

Vincent Huang: A♥ K♠

Mike Takayama: J♥ J♣

Huang found himself in a classic coin flip, with Takayama slightly ahead with his jacks. Both players anxiously awaited what the poker gods had planned for them as the dealer flopped K♦ 5♥ T♣ .

With Huang ahead with a pair of kings, Takayama could only pray for a redraw. The turn 5♦ didn't help him at all, and on the river K♥ , Takayama's fate was sealed, with Huang scooping the pot for his trips on the river.

Short-stacked Kazuhiro Shirazawa moved all-in for around 150,000, and Hisashi Yamanouchi, on the button, re-raised to 250,000 to isolate him. With everyone else folding, the two went heads-up.

Kazuhiro Shirazawa: K♥ 9♥

Hisashi Yamanouchi: A♠ Q♥

To Shirazawa’s delight, the dealer revealed a flop of 9♠ K♦ 3♣ , giving him two pair. The board completed with 3♥ and T♠ , allowing Shirazawa to double up and stay in the tournament.

Renji Mao opened from the hijack to 85,000 and Gab Yong Kim defended his big blind.

They went to a flop of 4♦ 9♣ 2♥ where Kim checked, Mao bet 150,000, and Kim called.

On the J♠ turn, Kim checked again and Mao sized up with a bet of 350,000. After thinking it over for a while, Kim made it 925,000. It was Mao's turn to go into the tank, and he eventually called.

With around 2,400,000 in the pot, a 4♥ hit the river and Kim checked. Mao quickly checked back.

Kim showed A♠ 3♦ for just ace-high, but Mao had the winner with Q♣ J♣ for a pair of jacks, which earned him the pot and a stack of almost five million.

Short-stacked Jaejoong Kim was all in for his last 345,000 against the imposing stack of Mike Takayama.

Jaejoong Kim: K♦ 9♦

Mike Takayama: Q♥ Q♠

The flop arrvied 4♦ A♣ 3♠ , dimming the flush hopes for Kim and leaving him with three outs. A K♥ on the turn gave Kim the lead and he held after the 5♣ river to double him up to almost 800,000.

In the following hand, Lifu Huang was all-in for his last 400,000 against Mike Takayama.

Lifu Huang: 7♦ 7♥

Mike Takayama: A♥ Q♠

Takayama took the lead when he paired his ace on the flop of A♠ 3♥ 6♠ . The turn J♦ and river 8♥ offered no help to Huang, and ended his Main Event championship dream.

Ferdinand Lu, on the same table, cheered - "Iron Mike strikes again!"

Gerardo Lubas opened for 80,000 from the hijack and faced a three-bet from Mike Takayama in the small blind. Lifu Huang folded on the big blind, bringing the action back to Lubas, who responded with a re-raise to 600,000. Takayama then shoved all-in for 1,170,000, and Lubas snap-called, covering him.

Mike Takayama: A♣ K♥

Gerardo Lubas: J♥ J♦

The dealer revealed a flop of 5♦ 6♦ K♣ , giving Takayama top pair and putting him ahead of Lubas' jacks. The turn brought the A♦ , further strengthening Takayama’s lead and leaving Lubas needing a jack for a set.

The river 2♣ didn’t bring Lubas his out, securing the pot for Takayama and doubling him up.

Jin Woo Choi opened for 80,000 in middle position, only to face a re-raise from Tak Sin Chong in late position to 250,000. With everyone else folding, the action returned to Choi, who took a moment to study Chong from across the table, weighing his options.

After a brief pause, Choi moved all-in for 575,000, and Chong snap-called, covering Choi by just around 100,000.

Jin Woo Choi: K♣ K♠

Tak Sin Chong: A♦ Q♠

Choi, holding the lead, needed to dodge an ace to stay in the tournament. The dealer revealed a flop of 3♠ T♣ 9♠ , keeping Choi safe while Chong held out for an ace.

The turn 6♣ and river 7♠ brought no help to Chong, and Choi breathed a sigh of relief as the dealer pushed the pot his way.

Kim Enriquez opened to 80,000 from early position and Jordan Westmorland made it 225,000 from the hijack. When it got back to Enriquez, he called.

On the 5♦ K♣ 4♠ flop, Westmorland fired 150,000, which got the job done as Kim folded.

That takes Westmorland's stack to around 1,850,000, but the big stack at Table #35 is Edgar Antezana, who has almost 3,000,000 chips right now and is amongst the chip leaders with 30 players remaining.

John Costiniano made it 85,000 on the button and Vincent Huang three-bet to 325,000 from the small blind. When it got back to Costiniano, he called.

They went to a flop of Q♣ 2♣ Q♠ where Huang continued for 155,000, and Costiniano called.

A 3♠ dropped on the turn where Huang slowed down with a check, and Costiniano fired 200,000. Huang took his time but eventually laid it down, and Costiniano took it down.

Munkhbaatar Sandagdorj limped from the cutoff and Rex Clinkscales shoved 585,000 from the small blind. Sandagdorj called.

Rex Clinkscales: A♣ 6♣

Munkhbaatar Sandagdorj: K♥ K♦

Clinkscales had fallen right into Sandagdorj's trap, but did still have decent equity to survive. However, the American player was drawing dead by the turn as Sandagdorj hit a set on the 9♥ 5♦ J♦ K♠ 3♥ runout.

Players are on a 15-minute break.

Soo Jo Kim opened for 65,000 and got called by John Costiniano from the small blind. Lester Edoc in the big blind jammed all-in for 754,000. Kim immediately folded his hand, while Costiniano, who covered Edoc, threw in two time banks, considering his options. He finally made the call.

Lester Edoc: K♦ Q♣

John Costiniano: A♣ 9♣

The dealer flopped 7♥ J♣ 2♣ , giving Costiniano a flush draw. The dealer continued with a 3♦ turn and a 4♥ river. Despite not getting his flush draw, Costiniano was still ahead with ace-high and scooped the pot, which stripped Edoc of the chance to potentially win his third APT Main Event title.

Gab Yong Kim raised to 65,000 from the cut-off and Kim Enriquez called from the button. The flop dropped A♠ K♠ 4♣ . Kim bet 55,000 and Enriquez folded.

In the next hand, Gab Yong Kim raised from the hi-jack to 65,000 with Enriquez re-popping to 130,000. This time, Kim folded.

It can't be helped. Gab Young Kim and Kim Enriquez are seated next to each other and will be jabbing each other back and forth until one is removed from the table, either to change seat or to bust out.

Junho Hyeon shoved for 220,000 from under the gun and John Costiniano called from the cutoff.

Junho Hyeon: 9♥ 9♠

John Costiniano: A♥ Q♦

Hyeon needed to win the flip to stay alive, but got off to the worst possible start on the T♠ A♣ 2♦ flop, as Costiano paired his ace. No help arrived on either the 6♥ turn or T♥ river, which meant Hyeon headed to the exit in 36th.

Zhou He shoved form the small blind for 525,000 and Mike Takayama called from the big blind.

Zhou He: K♦ 9♣

Mike Takayama: A♦ 2♠

Takayama had made the right call, but there was still a runout to sweat where anything could happen. However, after the 8♦ 7♣ A♥ flop, it seemed that He's run was coming to an end, unless she could find running cards to survive.

No such thing occurred, though, as the 4♥ T♣ runout kept the pair of Takayama in the lead, ending He's run.

With around 250,000 chips already in the middle on a flop of 4♥ 6♣ T♦ , Gab Yong Kim had checked and his namesake, SJ Kim, fired 85,000. When the action got back to GY Kim, he put in a raise to 265,000.

SJ Kim then shoved for around 800,000, and GY Kim snap-folded.

Lights! Camera! Action!

Eight players are under the lights at the APT Main Event featured table to show their poker game faces for the livestream. Ferdinand Lu opened that featured table with the largest chip stack of 1,978,000. Some of the other notable figures include local pros Mike Takayama, Lou Marcial and Gerardo Lubas III. China's He Zhou adds some eye candy as the only rose among the thorns, and is one of two women still in contention.

Livestream of the APT Main Event featured table can be viewed in the following links:

YouTube

Twitch

Gerardo Lubas made it 65,000 from early position and Mike Takayama called from the cutoff. Kazuhiro Shirazawa then three-bet to 265,000 from the small blind. Lubas then shoved for almost 500,000, Takayama folded, and Shirazawa called.

Gerardo Lubas: K♥ K♣

Kazuhiro Shirazawa: Q♦ Q♣

Lubas was the at-risk player, but he held a huge lead with an overpair. The board of T♠ 7♣ 5♥ 3♥ J♥ never brought an upset, and Lubas doubled up.

Khunshagai Altankhuyag opened the button to 60,000 and was quickly three-bet by Sung Jin Yun in the small blind to 200,000. Once it got back to Altankhuyag, he called.

They went to a flop of 5♣ 4♠ K♣ where the rest of the chips went in the middle, which left Altankhuyag at risk for around 300,000.

Khunshagai Altankhuyag: A♣ 9♣

Sung Jin Yun: K♠ T♠

Altankhuyag had picked up a flush draw and still had an overcard he could spike. The Mongolian played did make a pair on the 9♦ turn, but it still wasn't enough to take the lead. With only one more shot at survival, Altankhuyag couldn't make it happen as the 8♠ river meant he was eliminated, as Yun's stack climbed to around 1,700,000.

Gab Yong Kim raised the minimum of 48,000 from the cut-off and Paul Nattapatsiri defended from the big blind for both to enter a flop of A♣ Q♥ 7♦ . Both players check to see a free J♠ on the turn. Nattapatsiri check-called the 32,000 bet of Kim to see a 8♣ on the river. Nattapatsiri tapped his option and called the 93,000 bet of Kim. Kim showed over a pair of threes with 3♥ 3♦ . Nattapatsiri revealed a better hand with K♣ Q♦ for a pair of queens, and took down the pot.

Alex Chong opened to 75,000 from the hijack and faced a re-raise from Min Sung Lee in the big blind to 145,000. Chong called, and the dealer revealed the flop of Qd Ad 2♠ .

Lee led out with a bet of 40,000, only for Chong to respond with an all-in shove for 1,179,000. Lee, covered by the shove, snap-called and confidently showed his hand.

Min Sung Lee: A♣ A♠

Alex Chong: Td 8d

Lee had flopped a set of aces, while Chong was holding a flush draw. Lee anxiously awaited the turn and river, hoping to dodge any of Chong's outs.

The dealer completed the board with Tc and 2♣ , securing the win for Lee, who scooped up the pot with relief and satisfaction.

It started out as a friendly quarrel of the blinds with John Constiniano meeting the minimum requirement and Lester Edoc checking from the big blind to see a flop of 7♣ A♦ 6♣ .

Constiniano made a friendly bet of 25,000 and Edoc called to see a 3♠ on the turn. Constiniano turned it up a notch to 90,000, with Edoc then pumping it up to 250,000. Constiniano peeked at his cards and counted off the chips to match the raise.

Both checked after the 2♦ river with Costiano showing a pair of aces with his A♥ 4♥ . Edoc didn't bother to turn over the losing hand.

Jaejoong Kim pushed all-in at the button for his remaining 284,000 chips and got called by Gab Yong Kim from the small blind. Jaejoong Kim's J♥ T♥ was behind in rank to the K♦ 7♣ of Gab Yong Kim. However, Jaejoong paired the jack on a flop of J♠ Q♦ 2♥ and maintained the lead even after the 4♠ turn and 2♦ river.

Min Sung Lee opened for 50,000 from the button, and Zhen Chen called from the big blind to see a flop of 3♠ 7♣ T♦ .

Lee continued with a bet of 36,000, which Chen called. The turn brought the 2♠ , prompting Lee to fire another 80,000, and Chen called again, staying in the hand.

On the river J♣ , Chen checked, and Lee made a bold bet of 325,000, a move that would significantly commit Chen if he called. Chen took his time, tossing in two time bank cards to consider his decision, but ultimately chose to fold. Lee raked in the pot.

Zhen Chen raised to 50,000 from the button with Vincent Huang calling to defend his big blind.

Both players were given a flop of 3♠ 7♣ T♦ where Huang check-called the 36,000 from Chen to see a 2♠ on the turn. This time, Huang led out for 80,000 with Chen matching to a J♣ river.

Huang tapped his option to Chen, who fired out 325,000, which was more than half of Huang's chips. Huang went on a thinking journey, making the most of his time-bank tokens before finally succumbing to a fold.

Renji Mao from under the gun and Sung Jin Yun in the big blind had seen a flop of 4♣ 3♦ 9♦ , and both put in 45,000 to see the 8♣ turn. Yun then dropped in a bet of 110,000, which Mao called.

A J♠ landed on the river and Yun used some extra time before he announced a bet of 270,000. Mao snap-folded.

Within just 10 minutes from the start of Day 4 of the APT Main Event, there are already 3 eliminations. Myeongseong Lee was the first casualty of the day followed by former APT Main Event Champion Renniel Galvez and Yuji Yaginuma. Galvez's chips went to Kim Enriquez, who started the day with 465,000 chips and now sits with around 1,100,000.

Day 4 of the APT Manila 2024 Main Event has started.

Good morning from the Grand Ballroom of the City of Dreams, where APT Manila 2024 is in full swing, hosting a series of poker events from October 28 to November 7. The highlight, of course, is the PHP 85,000 APT Manila Main Event, which resumes with Day 4 today.

An impressive 1,081 entries (639 unique players) kicked off the tournament, but only 48 remain in the hunt for a share of the PHP 100 million (~USD 1.7 million) guaranteed prize pool—the largest guarantee in Philippine poker history. Each of these remaining players is already assured at least PHP 316,000 ($5,370), yet they’ll continue battling for a higher payout, with the top prize set at PHP 18,060,000 (~USD 307,020).

Today's action begins at Level 23, with blinds at 12,000/24,000 and a big blind ante of 24,000. Leading the pack is WSOP bracelet winner Renji Mao from China, holding 2,689,000 chips. His fellow countryman Yuhang Chen follows close behind with 2,472,000, while the Philippines’ Ferdinand Lu sits in third with 1,978,000.

Returning to Day 4 are former APT Main Event champions, including South Korea’s Soo Jo Kim (623,000) and local poker stars Renniel Galvez (255,000), Mike Takayama (977,000), and Lester Edoc (888,000). Edoc is on a hot streak, having already claimed two titles in this 2024 APT Manila series and aiming for a third with this Main Event.

Li Ta Hsu of Taiwan (1,012,000) has also claimed two victories in the series, while Rex Clinkscales (776,000) from the USA has secured one trophy so far. Both players will be eager to add the APT Main Event title to their achievements.

Day 4 will play down to the final table of 9 players.

Meanwhile, please click below for more information on today's APT Main Event Day 4.

APT Main Event Day 4 Seat Draw & Chip Counts

Livestream of the APT Main Event featured tables can be viewed in the following links:

YouTube

Twitch