Philippines National Cup

Marco Espela, a homegrown talent, has emerged victorious in the PHP 12,000 APT Philippines National Cup, besting a competitive field of 726 entries (425 unique players) to claim the iconic lion silhouette trophy and a top prize of PHP 1,170,050. Espela cut a deal with Maggy Cenon, who also banked a career-best PHP 1,079,513 (~$ 18,350) as the runner-up.

This tournament, boasting a prize pool of PHP 7,436,563 (~$126,420), is officially the biggest and highest-paying APT Opening Event ever held in Manila, underscoring APT’s strong following in the Philippines despite a two-year hiatus.

Final Table Results

Final Day's Action

The pace was intense as thirty-minute blind levels quickly depleted players' stacks, pushing the action. After fourteen levels, the final table was set, with Korea’s Suya Lee narrowly missing out as the bubble boy for the largest APT opener event in Manila, despite a valiant attempt at a remarkable comeback.

The champion entered the final nine with the chip lead, though holding only 30% of the total chips, making the outcome uncertain. China's Lun Luo, who started third-lowest in chips, was the first to be eliminated. Luo’s pocket jacks fell to Sunjong Yoo’s king-queen when a queen appeared on the board, sending Luo to the rail with PHP 112,000 (~$1,900) for ninth.

Within a few hands, Taiwan's Po Yu Chen, the shortest stack, followed Luo out of the tournament when his ace-five fell to king-queen, of Ashley Patterson, who completed a straight on the turn. Chen exited with a payout of PHP 141,000 (~$2,400).

The eliminations were coming thick and fast especially when Alvir Inocentes of the Philippines and Yoo found themselves in a three-way all-in pot against Mack Lee from Singapore who covered both players. Inocentes' pocket tens and Yoo’s eight-six suited didn’t have a chance when Lee caught two-pair with his ace-jack on a paired board. Inocentes and Yoo left the premises together taking with them PHP 206,000 (~$3,500) and PHP 285,000 (~$4,845) for seventh and sixth place, respectively.

Players were exiting rapidly, and the next to fall was Thailand's Kiwanont Sukhum. He shoved with king-queen suited but was eliminated by Cenon’s ace-four offsuit, who hit trips on the flop, leaving Sukhum with no chance to recover. Sukhum’s deep run earned him a notable PHP 371,000 (~$6,310).

The action continued as Patterson soon followed Sukhum’s exit. Unaware of what awaited, Patterson shoved all-in with king-jack offsuit, only to run into Espela’s pocket queens, which held strong. Patterson exited with PHP 466,000 (~$7,920) in winnings.

And then there were three. However, this trio didn’t last long, as only a few hands after the previous elimination, Lee found himself all-in with queen-ten suited against Espela’s king-queen. A queen on the board couldn’t overcome Lee’s kicker disadvantage, but he was satisfied with the extra PHP 616,000 (~$10,470) in his pocket.

The National Cup came down to an exciting heads-up battle between two Filipino players. With a commanding nine-to-one chip lead, Espela seemed poised to swiftly eliminate Cenon following Lee’s departure. But Cenon had other plans, doubling up with jack-nine suited against Espela’s suited six-five, neither hand improving on the board. Following this, Cenon steadily chipped away at Espela’s stack until they were nearly even.

At that point, they agreed to an ICM deal, securing them each a guaranteed seven-figure payday and leaving additional cash and the prestigious Lion trophy still in play. On the final hand of the night, Cenon went all-in with jack-eight offsuit against Espela’s king-ten suited, and a king on the board all but sealed the deal to clinch the title for Espela. Cenon celebrated her biggest cash prize to date with a tasty payout of PHP 1,079,513 (~$18,350).

This left Espela as the champion, taking home PHP 1,170,050 (~$19,890), his largest career prize. Congratulations to Espela on the victory, and the rest of the final tablists on their efforts.

Be sure to take a peek at the live coverage tomorrow for the final day of the Mystery Bounty Hunter - Sponsored by Natural8, and to see some spicy high-stakes action in the APT Super High Roller.

Maggy Cenon moved all-in for her remaining 2,285,000 from the button, putting her tournament life on the line. Marco Espela, after requesting a count, made the call, setting up a dramatic showdown.

Maggy Cenon: J♣ 8♦

Marco Espela: K♣ T♣

The dealer fanned out a flop of K♦ 6♣ 2♠ , giving Espela top pair and sending a wave of anticipation through the room. Cenon and her railbirds began packing up, exchanging handshakes with Espela as they braced for the end.

The turn brought the A♦ , followed by the 8♣ on the river, sealing Cenon’s fate. She made her way to the payout counter to claim her prize as Espela celebrated his victory!

Marco Espela limped in on the button, and Maggy Cenon raised to 750,000 from the big blind. Espela called.

On the flop of 8♠ 2♥ 2♦ , the action went check-check. A 6♣ rolled off on the turn, where Cenon bet 500,000 and Espela called.

The river brought a board-pairing 8♦ , and both players checked to showdown. Cenon tabled J♥ T♠ for ten-high, but it was no match for Espela's queen-high with Q♣ 9♦ .

Maggy Cenon limped in from the button and Marco Espela checked to take it into the streets.

Both saw a flop of J♦ T♣ K♥ and checked through to see the 4♠ turn, where Espela bet 300,000 and Cenon called.

The river brought a J♠ which paired with the board, and Espela fired 500,000, forcing Cenon to fold.

After intense deliberation, Marco Espela and Maggy Cenon reached an agreement to battle it out for the Php 52,550 prize and the coveted trophy. With the remaining prize pool secured through ICM calculations, the stakes were set, and the final showdown was ready to unfold.

The two finalists have paused play momentarily while they discuss a potential deal.

Keep it right here to see how that pans out.

Maggy Cenon just took down a few crucial pots, which almost evened out the counts!

First, Marco Espela raised to 410,000 from the button and Maggy Cenon made it 1,200,000 out of the big blind. Espela called.

They went to a flop of 4♦ 3♣ K♦ where Espela check-folded to Cenon's shove of around 2,000,000.

A few moments later, Espela raised to 320,000 and Cenon called.

On the J♠ A♥ 3♣ flop, Cenon checked and Espela bet 275,000. Cenon then put in a check-raise to 1,000,000, which got Espela to fold.

Maggy Cenon opened from the button for 400,000, a bold move against massive chip leader Marco Espela, who held a staggering 9:1 lead and called without hesitation. The dealer laid down a flop of 4♦ A♦ 7♣ , and Espela checked, giving Cenon the green light. She seized the moment, shoving all-in, and Espela snap-called.

Maggy Cenon: J♥ 9♥

Marco Espela: 6♥ 5♥

Cenon was ahead, but Espela had an open-ended straight draw, one card away from ending her tournament run. The tension spiked as the turn came 2♠ , followed by the T♣ on the river, leaving Espela’s draw incomplete. Cenon’s bold play paid off as she scooped the pot, doubling up and keeping her tournament hopes alive!

Mack Lee opened the button to 320,000 and only Marco Espela called from the small blind.

Both read a flop of J♠ 5♣ 3♣ , and Espela checked the action to Lee, who then fired 250,000. Espela made the call after a short time.

They saw a Q♥ land on the turn, where Espela checked again, and Lee fired out 650,000. Espela then shoved all in for around 5,575,000, which Lee called off his remaining chips, roughly 2,000,000.

Marco Espela: K♠ Q♦

Mack Lee: Q♣ T♣

Lee still got many outs to win the hand, but the dealer slammed a helpless A♠ on the river to complete the board, meaning Lee was sent to the rail and bagged up PHP 616,000 (~$10,470) payout.

Ashley Patterson shipped for around 1,350,000 from the cutoff four-handed, and Marco Espela called from the button.

Ashley Patterson: Q♠ J♥

Marco Espela: Q♣ Q♥

Patterson started to stand up after the 8♦ 4♥ 4♣ flop left him drawing extremely thin. A T♦ on the turn did give him some outs, but the 7♣ river wasn't what he needed, and he was out in fourth, just shy of the podium places.

Marco Espela kicked things off with a raise to 150,000 from under the gun, drawing a call from Ashley Patterson in the big blind. The tension built as both players eagerly awaited the flop, which came down 7♦ 2♠ 3♦ . Patterson, sensing an opportunity, led out with a bet of 125,000, only for Espela to call and keep the pot alive.

The turn revealed the 8♥ , and Patterson seized the moment, launching a hefty bet of 350,000 into the pot. But Espela wasn’t backing down; he responded with a powerful raise to 1,025,000, putting Patterson in a tough spot and forcing him to commit a significant portion of his stack if he chose to call.

After a moment of intense deliberation, Patterson ultimately decided to surrender his hand, relinquishing the pressure to Espela as he took control of the pot.

Kiwanont Sukhum made a bold move, shoving all-in for 370,000 from under the gun, putting his tournament life on the line. Maggy Cenon in the big blind quickly called, ready for a showdown.

Kiwanont Sukhum: K♣ Q♣

Maggy Cenon: A♥ 4♦

The flop came down A♦ 3♠ A♠ , and Cenon hit trips, sending Sukhum’s heart racing as he realized the precarious position he was in. A♠ the dealer turned over the 8♣ , and then the river revealed the 6♣ , Sukhum’s hopes faded.

With no help coming, he began to pack his things, walking off the floor as Cenon celebrated her triumphant hand.

One three-way all-in hand just played out, resulting in a double elimination and a single winner of the pot.

Sunjong Yoo from the button shoved all in for 610,000, and received two callers, Mack Lee nd Sunjong Yoo from the blinds.

Sunjong Yoo: 8♠ 6♠

Mack Lee: A♥ J♠

Alvir Inocentes: T♥ T♣

The board rolled off A♠ 5♦ 3♦ Q♦ Q♠ , giving two pair to Lee and Inocentes. However, Lee bested Inocentes with flopped top pair aces and claimed a double elimination.

Maggy Cenon opened to 250,000 from the cutoff and Sunjong Yoo called out of the small blind.

They went to a flop of 9♦ A♠ 4♠ where Yoo checked, and Cenon fired 300,000. Yoo quickly got out of the way, which left him with a stack of around five big blinds.

The remaining seven players are on a 15-minute break.

After a few hands, another elimination went down, which left just seven players at the table.

Both Ashley Patterson from the button and Po Yu Chen from the big blind got their chips into the middle preflop, with the latter being the at-risk player.

Ashley Patterson: K♠ Q♦

Po Yu Chen: A♦ 5♦

The board contained K♣ T♥ J♦ A♣ , which gave Patterson an unbeatable straight, and eliminated Chen in eighth together with a payout of PHP 141,000 (~$2,400).

Ashley Patterson limped in from under the gun and Marco Espela followed suit from the next seat. When the action got to Mack Lee in the small blind, he made it 350,000 to go. Both Patterson and Espela called.

The three players went to a flop of 6♥ 8♦ 2♣ where Lee requested the all-in triangle and shoved for around 800,000. Patterson rechecked his cards and folded, and Espela also got out of the way.

Kiwanont Sukhum limped from under the gun, only to be met with an all-in shove from Mack Lee for 585,000. The rest of the table folded back to Sukhum, who made the call, setting up a showdown.

Mack Lee: A♥ Q♠

Kiwanont Sukhum: A♠ J♦

The dealer revealed the board: K♣ 4♦ 7♥ 8♦ 6♣ . Neither player connected, leaving Lee’s queen kicker to secure the win. Lee pulled in a crucial stack boost, keeping his tournament hopes alive!

Lun Luo was all in for around 870,000 from under the gun only to jammed by Sunjong Yoo from middle position for 1,100,000.

Lun Luo: J♥ J♣

Sunjong Yoo: K♥ Q♥

The runout dealt 3♥ Q♦ 7♥ 9♦ 4♥ , meaning Yoo flopped a higher pair of queens to beat the hooks from Luo, who was eliminated in ninth.

The chip counts are in for the final table, and it's Marco Espela who surged up the leaderboard and holds a commanding lead over the field.

Espela is one of three local players who reached the final table, along with Maggy Cenon and Alvir Inocentes.

The average stack is 1,210,000, which is just fifteen big blinds, so expect the action to be fast-paced.

The final nine players have been sent on a 15-minute break to prepare for the final table.

Kiwanont Sukhum was all in for 680,000 from the cutoff, and Suya Lee called off his last 80,000 from the big blind.

Kiwanont Sukhum: 9♣ 9♦

Suya Lee: A♣ 3♦

The board came 6♣ K♥ 2♥ 2♠ 7♣ , improving nothing for Lee who bagged up a payout of PHP 91,000 (~$1,550). A valiant effort from Lee, who ultimately fell short of the final table.

Po Yu Chen moved all-in from the button for 170,000, risking his tournament life, and Marco Espela made the call from the small blind.

Po Yu Chen: A♥ K♠

Marco Espela: J♣ 9♣

The flop came down T♠ 2♠ Q♣ , giving Espela an open-ended straight draw and a shot at eliminating Chen. Tension mounted as the turn brought the 5♠ , followed by the river T♥ , leaving Chen’s ace-high as the winning hand. Chen survived, holding his breath as he doubled up and stayed in the tournament!

Suya Lee wants to have his name in the poker dictionary, right next to 'chip and a chair', as he is trying to make a comeback from just a single chip.

First, Lee stuck in his 5,000 from under the gun and the rest of the table folded around to Alvir Inocentes in the big blind.

Suya Lee: K♦ 7♠

Alvir Inocentes: Q♥ 7♦

Just as Lee thought he might be able to spin up a stack, a flop of 9♦ Q♦ 4♥ saw his hopes dashed. However, a K♣ on the turn reignited the flame and the 2♣ river confirmed his as the winner of the pot, bringing his stack up to 95,000.

In the next hand, Lee was in the big blind and was put at risk by Inocentes from the small blind.

Suya Lee: J♥ 3♠

Alvir Inocentes: 9♦ 4♠

Lee managed to survive again as the 8♣ 6♦ 8♦ 3♣ 3♦ board gave him a full house. Comeback on?

Suya Lee made it 600,000 preflop from the button, and left himself just 5,000 behind. Ashley Patterson was in the small blind, coincidentally with exactly 600,000, and called to put himself at risk.

Ashley Patterson: 7♦ 7♥

Suya Lee: K♣ J♣

Another final table bubble, another flip that two players were desperate to win. Nothing changed on the 5♥ 8♦ 3♠ flop, but Lee catapulted into the lead on the K♦ turn, which left Patterson with just two outs to survive. Patterson's survival instincts kicked in as the 7♠ river improved him to a set, which snatched the pot away from Lee at the last possible moment.

Alvir Inocentes shoved all in for around 445,000 from the small blind, and Sunjong Yoo called from the small blind.

Alvir Inocentes: K♠ J♥

Sunjong Yoo: A♦ 8♣

The monotone flop came 4♠ J♠ Q♠ , improving Inocentes to a pair of jacks and a flush draw. With the runout J♦ 3♦ showing, Inocentes upgraded to trips and stayed alive in the field.

Lun Luo opened from late position with a raise to 120,000, drawing a call from Marco Espela in the small blind after a few minutes of contemplation. Maggy Cenon in the big blind stepped aside, setting the stage for a tense heads-up showdown.

On a flop of 7♣ K♥ 6♦ , Espela checked, and Luo continued with a 110,000 bet. Espela called once more, keeping the pot brewing.

The turn brought the A♠ , and with action back on Luo, he jammed all-in. Espela, at risk, snap-called, setting up a dramatic reveal.

Marco Espela: A♣ T♠

Lun Luo: 9♥ 8♠

With his tournament life on the line, Espela had top pair, while Luo was hoping to hit his open-ended straight draw. The river card, J♣, dashed Luo’s hopes, failing to complete his draw and forcing him to surrender a huge chunk of his stack to Espela, who doubled up in thrilling fashion.

Here are the current counts with ten remaining. Lun Luo's lead has been eaten into a little, but he still remains the chip leader with a stack of 2,000,000.

The action folded around to Mack Lee in the small blind, who shoved. Antonio Abesamis was in the big blind and committed his remaining stack of around 200,000.

Mack Lee: 5♠ 5♥

Antonio Abesamis: Q♥ 9♥

Lee improved to a set on the 5♦ 2♦ K♥ flop, to all but seal Abesamis' elimination. However, a glimmer of hope emerged on the 8♥ turn as Abesamis picked up a flush draw. It wasn't to be, though, as the 3♣ completed the board, sending Abesamis out in eleventh.

Lun Luo opened for 110,000 and faced a three-bet from Maggie Cenon in the big blind to 300,000. Without hesitation, Luo announced all-in, and Cenon, at risk, snap-called.

Maggie Cenon: 9♥ 9♠

Lun Luo: A♣ Q♦

The flop came Q♠ 9♦ 6♣ , giving Luo top pair but leaving him behind Cenon’s set of nines. The turn brought the A♠ , giving Luo two pair, but Cenon still held the lead.

The river 6♥ completed the board, giving Cenon a full house and sealing Luo’s defeat in this hand.

Nino Mercado was all-in for his last 220,000, and had been put at risk by Alvir Inocentes.

Nino Mercado: A♥ 6♥

Alvir Inocentes: 9♣ 9♥

Mercado had a live card, but his number of outs were reduced after the 4♣ Q♣ 5♣ flop gave Inocentes a flush draw. When the T♣ landed on the turn, Mercado was drawing dead as Inocentes completes his flush, and the 7♥ river was just a formality.

Sunjong Yoo raised to 25,000 from the cutoff only to be jammed by Li from the big blind for 420,000. Yoo made the call.

Sunjong Yoo K♥ 7♣

Minghui Li T♥ 9♣

The dry board ran out Q♠ T♣ 5♠ J♠ 2♣, sending Li out of the door.

Marco Espela raised from the hijack to 110,000 and Lun Luo defended from the big blind.

They went to a flop of 3♠ A♥ 6♣ where Luo check-called a bet of 100,000 from Espela.

Both then checked the 4♠ turn to the 7♦ river, where Luo led out with a bet of 290,000. Espela went deep into th tank and was thinking for around two minutes before he eventually laid it down.

Players are on a 15-minute break.

Lun Luo opened the action from the hijack with a raise to 80,000, which Po Yu Chen responded to by three-betting to 200,000. The rest of the table folded, and Luo made the call.

Both players checked through the flop and turn, with the board showing A♥ 7♣ K♥ 5♥ . On the 8♦ river, Luo led out with a 330,000 bet.

After careful consideration, Chen made the call, only to muck his hand upon seeing Luo's A♣ 8♣ , giving Luo the winning two pair.

Ashley Patterson raised to 85,000 from the hijack and Alvir Inocentes defended from the big blind.

Both saw the monotone flop of 4♥ 3♥ 9♥ , which gave a flush possibility. Inocentes check-called after Patterson fired a bet of 50,000.

A board-pairing 4♦ fell on the turn, where Inocentes changed the strategy and bet 60,000. Patterson raised to 160,000, sending Inocentes into the tank. After a long time, Inocentes eventually tossed his cards in the muck.

Lun Luo made it 85,000 to go from the hjiack and Mack Lee shoved from the big blind for around 550,000. Luo made a quick call.

Mack Lee: A♦ K♠

Lun Luo: J♥ J♣

Luo already had a mountain of chips in front of him and would have over four times the average if he were to win the flip. However, it was Lee that raked in the pot as he hit two pair on the K♦ 4♦ A♥ 6♣ 3♥ board, which earned him a double-up.

Mitchell Tsang opened to 235,000, leaving himself with a single 1,000 chip behind, and was called by Marco Espela directly to his left.

Tsang tossed in his last chip on the 9♣ T♦ 8♦ flop, and Espela quickly called.

Mitchell Tsang: A♣ T♥

Marco Espela: Q♠ Q♥

Although Tsang paired his ten, it wasn’t enough to overcome Espela’s pocket queens. The 5♣ on the turn and K♣ on the river didn’t improve Tsang’s hand, and he was eliminated in 14th place, heading to collect his payout.

Marco Espela made it 85,000 from middle position and Mack Lee shoved from the hijack for 360,000. Once the action got back to Espela, he made a quick call.

Mack Lee: A♦ K♣

Marco Espela: A♠ Q♣

In a tale as old as time, ace-queen was all-in against ace-king, with the expected result as the 4♠ 4♣ 8♥ 3♥ 9♣ runout kept Lee in the lead, and earned him a double-up.

The action folded around to Frank Lillis in the small blind, who ended up getting his stack of 675,000 into the middle against Lun Luo in the big blind.

Frank Lillis: A♦ K♠

Lun Luo: 5♦ 5♠

It was a huge flip, and one that Lillis needed to win if he wanted to stay alive. A flop of 4♦ 4♣ 2♥ didn't offer the Irishman much help, and neither did the 7♠ turn. The 6♥ on the river confirmed Lillis' elimination, and Luo's stack climbed to almost 2,500,000!

Euryd Rivera shoved from the button for 210,000, and Frank Lillis called from the big blind.

Euryd Rivera: K♥ 6♦

Frank Lillis: K♣ T♠

Rivera was in a world of hurt, but managed to pair his six on the A♠ 6♠ Q♠ flop, which also gave Lillis both flush and straight draws. A T♦ on the turned Rivera's fortune around as his opponent paired his ten, and the 2♥ river confirmed his elimination.

Jeongmin Park was all in from the button for around 375,000 and Marco Espela called from the small blind.

Marco Espela: K♠ A♠

Jeongmin Park: K♣ 8♥

The board filled out 7♥ 5♣ A♦ 5♠ 3♦ , eliminating Park out of the field, and left just two tables of eight remaining.

Alvin Inocentes opened the action with a raise to 54,000 from under the gun. Short-stacked Alvin Sembrano, with only 10,000 left, put in his remaining chips. After a few minutes of consideration, Ashley Patterson three-bet to 150,000, forcing Inocentes out of the pot.

Alvin Sembrano: 9♦ 8♦

Ashley Patterson: 3♥ 3♣

The flop came 3♠ 2♣ 5♦ , giving Patterson a set of threes and prompting a frustrated groan from Inocentes, who regretted folding. The K♠ turn and 4♦ river sealed Sembrano's elimination .As Sembrano exited, Inocentes continued to bemoan his fold, insisting he held what would have been the winning hand.

Benjamin Leblond opened the cutoff to 110,000, leaving 5,000 behind. Lun Luo three-bet to 245,000 on the button, and Leblond called off.

Lun Luo A♥ K♣

Benjamin Leblond Q♥ 8♥

The board dealt 9♥ J♣ J♦ 4♠ K♦ , improving Luo to two pair on the river and send Leblond to the playout desk.

The next pay jump has come and gone as the three listed below landed a payday of PHP 48,000 (~$815). Just 20 remain in the Philippines National Cup.

Alvir Inocentes raised to 75,000 from the cutoff only to be jammed for around 450,000 by Alvin Sembrano on the button, which Jester Intia called off with his last 150,000 chips. Inocentes folded.

Jester Intia K♠ J♥

Alvin Sembrano 5♥ 5♦

The board ran out A♣ J♠ 3♠ 5♣ 7♣ , giving Sembrano a turned set and sending Intia out of the door.

Sunjong Yoo limped from middle position, followed by Frank Lillis on the button, while Euryd Rivera checked from the big blind. On a flop of A♣ 4♣ 3♠ , both Yoo and Rivera checked, allowing Lillis to fire a 25,000 bet. Rivera folded, but Yoo decided to call.

The turn brought the 4♠ , and when Lillis continued with a 50,000 bet, Yoo made the call once more. Both players then checked the river 5♥ .

Yoo revealed K♣ T♣ , missing the board entirely, while Lillis tabled 6♦ 6♣ , securing the pot with his pocket pair.

On the flop of Q♦ K♥ 3♣ , there were around 150,000 chips in the pot when Benjamin Leblond raised to 65,000 from under the gun, and only Lun Luo called from middle position.

Both saw a 9♣ fell on the turn, and Leblond check it to Luo, who then shoved all in and made Leblond snap-fold.

The action unfolded on a flop of 8♦ T♥ Q♦ , with Antonio Abesamis all-in for his last 37,000 in a heads-up battle against Mitchell Tsang in the cutoff.

Antonio Abesamis: Q♣ T♣

Mitchell Tsang: J♦ 5♥

Abesamis had flopped two pair, while Tsang was chasing a gutshot straight draw. The turn brought the T♦ , giving Abesamis an unbeatable full house and leaving Tsang drawing dead. The river card, an A♦ , was merely ceremonial as Abesamis took down the pot.

Frank Lillis ripped in his stack of around 1,100,000 from the hijack, and the action folded around to Sunjong Yoo in the big blind, who after around a minute, called off his remaining 220,000.

Sunjong Yoo: A♥ 5♣

Frank Lillis: 3♣ 3♠

Yoo was probably happy to find himself in a flip, and even happier to find a pair on the 4♦ 5♦ J♠ flop. However, Lillis did pick up an open-ended straight draw on the 2♦ turn. Nevertheless, Yoo stayed in the lead as the 7♥ dropped on the river, which earned him a stack of almost half a million.

The following four players have fallen, but picked up PHP 41,000 (~$700) for their efforts.

Yen Ting Huang opened to 55,000 from middle position and Po Yu Chen shoved from the button for 175,000. Once the blinds got out of the way, Huang dropped in the call, which put Chen at risk.

Po Yu Chen: A♠ K♠

Yen Ting Huang: K♥ Q♥

Chen looked good for a double-up on the 6♠ T♥ 5♠ flop as he added a flush draw. However, the 9♥ turn gave Huang a flush draw of his own, which made things a little sweaty. A anti-climatic 7♣ hit the river, and Chen doubled his stack to over 400,000.

Lun Luo opened the action with a raise to 45,000 from under the gun, only to face an all-in jam from Mark Sanchez for 245,000. Without hesitation, Luo made the call, setting the stage for a heads-up showdown.

Mark Sanchez: A♣ Q♠

Lun Luo: A♠ T♣

The flop came down 4♦ T♠ 5♠ , giving Luo a pair of tens and leaving Sanchez hoping for a queen to take the lead.

The turn brought the 3♥ , which didn’t improve Sanchez’s situation, and the river revealed the T♦ , solidifying Luo’s victory and eliminating Sanchez from the tournament.

Jeorge Lagatuz shoved all in from the button with his last 20,000 chips and Eurvd Rivera called from the small blind to put Lagatuz at risk.

Jeorge Lagatuz 8♠ 4♣

Euryd Rivera K♦ 8♣

The flop came T♠ 3♦ 7♠ , giving Lagatuz small chance to survive with a backdoor flush draw. However, the board made the decision that it was still not time for Lagatuz to leave as the runout filled out 3♠ 5♠ to complete Lagatuz’s flush which earned him a small double up.

Maggy Cenon, the only woman in the field, found herself in a tense three-way all-in for her tournament life. The action began when Benjamin Leblond raised to 50,000, only to be three-bet by Po Yu Chen, who made it 140,000 from the cutoff.

Mark Sanchez, sitting on the button, escalated the stakes by four-betting all-in for 300,000. Seokjong Kim in the small blind folded, but Cenon, with just a 2 big blind stack, decided to risk it all by going all-in.

Leblond quickly got out of the way, and Chen called, putting both Cenon and Sanchez at risk.

Maggy Cenon: A♦ J♥

Mark Sanchez: J♦ J♣

Po Yu Chen: T♣ T♥

The flop came down K♥ 7♠ 4♦ , with Sanchez hoping for a double up and to eliminate Cenon. However, the turn revealed the A♥ , pairing Cenon’s ace and shattering Sanchez’s hopes.

The river brought the 5♥, leaving the situation unchanged. In a remarkable twist, Cenon tripled up, Sanchez doubled his stack, and Chen was left out in the cold.

The four players below all busted shortly after play resumed and secured themselves a payout of PHP 35,000 (~$595) each.

Euryd Rivera was all in for around 95,000 from middle position and Mack Lee called from the small blind to put Rivera at risk.

Euryd Rivera K♥ J♣

Mack Lee A♣ T♦

The board dealt J♠ 5♥ 4♥ 7♠ 4♠ , improving Rivera to a pair of jacks and leaving Lee no choice but to concede the pot.

Godfrey Leung shoved for 235,000 from early position and the action folded around to Suya Lee in the small blind. Lee had a tough decision and after thinking for some time, he made the call for the exact same amount as Leung shoved for.

Godfrey Leung: Q♥ Q♠

Suya Lee: A♥ Q♣

"Oh wow," said Lee as he saw Leung's pocket queens.

Leung was the favorite to double up, but he was left with just one out after the A♦ 6♦ J♥ flop paired Lee's ace. No one-outer arrived on the 9♠ 2♦ runout, which meant Leung headed to the exit.

The remaining 29 players have been sent on a 15-minute break.

Mitchell Tsang raised to 32,000 from middle position and Genexon Osin called from the big blind.

The two saw the 9♥ 6♣ Q♦ flop, and Tsang bet 22,000. Osin called to see the A♣ land on the turn then checked it over to Tsang again, who then fired 72,000. That bet was enough to get the job done as Osin laid his hand down.

Ashley Patterson opened from middle position to 34,000 and Yen Huang Ting defended from the big blind.

Both saw the flop of 4♠ T♣ A♠ , and Ting checked the action to Patterson, who then fired out 25,000. Ting called.

Both then checked the runout of 8♦ 9♣, to take it to a showdown. Ting flipped over Q♠ T♥ for a flopped pair of tens, prompting Patterson to muck his hand.

Dino Sabatini opened the action with a raise to 40,000, prompting Yen Huang Ting to tank for a considerable time. After much deliberation, Ting decided to jam all-in for 241,000, and Sabatini quickly called.

Dino Sabatini: 6♦ 6♣

Yen Huang Ting: A♦ T♣

The board revealed 8♠ Q♦ 2♣ 8♣ Q♣ , resulting in both players making two pair. However, Ting's higher kicker secured him the double-up, leaving Sabatini to ponder his next move.

Vladislavs Azan open-jammed for 70,000, prompting a call from Mitchell Tsang on the button. Mack Lee and Frank Lillis in the blinds folded, setting the stage for a heads-up showdown between the two players.

Vladislavs Azan: 6♣ 7♣

Mitchell Tsang: A♥ J♠

Tsang hit top pair on the flop of T♥ A♠ 5♦. The turn brought the 2♦, followed by the Q♣ on the river, which failed to improve Azan’s hand. A♠ a result, Azan was eliminated from the tournament, leaving Tsang to continue his pursuit of victory.

In a tense heads-up clash, Federico Peralta went all-in for his tournament life, risking 140,000 against Marco Espela, who had him covered.

Federico Peralta: K♦ Q♣

Marco Espela: A♣ J♥

The board revealed 7♠ 7♣ 6♣ 3♥ T♠ , which left both players unimproved, and sent Peralta to the rail with four tables remaining.

The start-of-day chip leader Heejun Kim is among the latest casualties, who all secured themselves a payout of PHP 31,000 (~$530).

Suya Lee shoved for 81,000 from under the gun and Rex Clinkscales shoved from the next seat for 121,000. The action folded around to Minghui Li on the button, who got a count of both stacks before he eventually folded, and claimed to have mucked ace-king, much to the surprise of the table.

Suya Lee: Q♥ J♠

Rex Clinkscales: A♥ 7♠

"You folded ace-king?" asked a surprised Clinkscales.

Maybe Li can see into the future as the flop of 7♥ 4♣ 6♦ would have seen him fall behind as Clinkscales paired his seven. The 3♦ turn did bring around some chop outs, but instead Lee scooped it all as the J♣ river gave him a pair of jacks.

Jester Intia found himself in an unusual situation, as his hand was declared dead before he even had the chance to look at his cards.

The incident occurred when Jeongmin Park, folding from under the gun, accidentally tossed his cards onto Intia's unprotected hand in the big blind. Park quickly reclaimed his cards, verifying they were his, and the floor was called over to decide if Intia's hand was still live or if it should be ruled dead.

After deliberation, the floor ruled that Intia’s hand was dead due to being unprotected, which led to his cards mixing with Park’s, even if Park did confirm he reclaimed the cards he folded. It was a tough break for Intia, who was forced to surrender 2 big blinds without a chance to defend them.

Rex Clinkscales then shoved from middle position, and took down the pot as the rest of the table folded.

Nino Mercado opened to 25,000 from under the gun, and Jin Woo Choi three-bet to 80,000 from middle position. Shion Ogawa then shoved all in for around 150,000 on the button, which only Ogawa called.

Jin Woo Choi: A♥ Q♥

Shion Ogawa: A♦ K♠

The flop rolled off 2♥ J♠ Q♦ , giving Choi a pair of queens and Ogawa a straight draw. Unfortunately for Ogawa, the board didn’t cooperate as the dry runout of 7♦ 6♦ meant the pot went in Choi’s direction.

The action was picked up on the turn with a board of K♣ A♦ Q♠ 3♣ , and Jin Woo Choi had shoved all in for around 310,000 from the small blind, sending Heejun Kim from the hijack into the tank. After around 1 minute, Kim elected to fold.

Choi was friendly enough to show A♥ A♣ for a flopped set while collecting the sizable pot.

With five tables remaining, Mack Lee, seated on the button, moved all-in. After careful consideration, Frank Lillis in the small blind opted to call Lee’s all-in bet, putting Lee at risk.

Mack Lee: K♠ Q♠

Frank Lillis: J♥ J♠

The flop revealed K♣ 2♣ 9♥ , giving Lee a pair of kings and an opportunity to double his stack. The turn brought the 6♦ , followed by the 3♦ on the river, which did not improve Lillis's hand. Consequently, Lee significantly increased his stack at Lillis's expense.

The action picked up on the turn when Mehran Simbre moved all-in with his stack of 130,000, prompting a call from Minghui Li.

Mehran Simbre: K♠ K♣

Minghui Li: A♠ J♥

The flop showed 9♣ 3♥ A♣ , giving Li top pair .As the turn came 7♠ , both players felt the tension rise. The river revealed the 4♥ , sealing Simbre's fate as he was unable to improve his hand, resulting in his elimination from the tournament.

Below is a list of players who cashed for PHP 28,000 (~$475). 40 remain.

Marco Espela opened to 22,000 from under the gun, and Dino Sabatini called from the small blind.

The action went check-check on the flop of A♣ J♣ T♦ . A K♦ fell on the turn, and both players kept the pace and checked through.

The river brought a board-pairing K♠ , and Sebatini shoved all in for 97,000, sending Espela into the tank. After a long time, Espela checked his cards again before he tossed them in the muck.

Daniel Lee had shoved from under the gun for around 130,000, and Shion Ogawa called from the next seat for his stack of about 65,000.

Shion Ogawa: A♥ 9♦

Daniel Lee: K♦ Q♥

Ogawa only had around seven big blinds in his stack, but had a lot more than that after the hand ended as the board of 3♣ 6♥ A♠ J♦ K♣ saw him pair his ace to double up.

Shaotao Li opened from the hijack and quickly called the shove of Jongkook Kim on the button, who had around ten big blinds.

Jongkook Kim: A♠ 5♠

Shaotao Li: K♣ K♥

Li started the day with just 41,000 in chips, but has around 400,000 now after his pocket kings held up on the 2♥ 7♥ 3♣ 7♣ 9♠ board, which sent Kim to the payout desk.

Mark Solsona open-shoved for 66,000, putting his tournament life on the line. Ben Gur, on the dealer button, called, only to face another all-in jam from Lun Luo for 100,000. Gur called again, covering both players.

Mark Solsona: T♣ T♦

Lun Luo: J♠ J♦

Ben Gur: A♦ K♣

The flop came 8♣ K♠ J♥ , which gave Gur a pair, Luo a set, and left Solsona drawing extremely thin. The turn was the 2♠ , and the river brought a T♥ , which sent Solsona to the payout counter and almost tripled up Luo in the process.

Mack Lee raised to 17,000 from under the gun and Mitchell Tsang defended from the big blind.

On the 4♠ 3♣ K♣ flop, the action went check-check. Both players saw a 4♣ fell on the turn, and Tsang led out for 10,000, which Lee dropped in a call.

The Q♥ landed on the river, and Tsang fired out 45,000 this time, sending Lee into the tank. Eventually, Lee stuck around to take it to a showdown.

Tsang tabled table flopped top pair with his K♠ 9♥ , making Lee relinquish the pot.

The action unfolded with Alfredo Boligor all-in for 77,000, leaving only the blinds still in the hand. Ben Gur, in the small blind, declared he was folding but still clung to his cards. Lun Luo, in the big blind, called the all-in, prompting Gur to release his pocket three hole cards, stating he felt he would have won the hand.

Alfredo Boligor: K♦ 5♦

Lun Luo: A♥ J♣

Boligor hit top pair on the flop of K♣ 3♣ 7♠ , but it was Gur who reacted first, standing up and exclaiming, "You see!" lamenting that he would have won.

The dealer then revealed the turn K♠ and the river 8♥ , giving Boligor trips. Gur responded with another proclamation, "See, I have a full house!"

Marco Espela raised from the cutoff and Jeorge Lagatuz defended his big blind.

They went to a flop of K♥ 4♥ 5♣ where Lagatuz check-called a bet of 15,000 from Espela, then they both checked the K♠ turn.

A 9♠ dropped on the river and Lagatuz reached for chips and fired out 35,000. Espela went into the tank and was trying to piece together the puzzle, and after some time, he called.

Lagatuz showed Q♥ J♥ for a missed flush draw, and Espela tabled A♠ 8♦ for just ace-high to claim the pot.

Alvir Inocentes raised to 24,000 from under the gun and Benjamin Leblond called on the button.

The flop showed K♦ 9♣ T♠ , and Inocentes checked to Leblond, who then bet 8,000. Inocentes folded after thinking for a while.

With just 55 players remaining, below is a list of players who cashed for PHP 24,000 (~$410).

Vladislavs Azans opened from the hijack to 17,000 and Mitchell Tsang three-bet from the cutoff to 47,000. When the action got back to Azan, he called.

On the flop of J♣ 8♠ A♦ , Azans checked it over to Tsang, who fired out a bet of 11,000. Azans quickly called.

The action then slowed up as both players checked to showdown on the K♣ turn and 3♦ river. Azans showed a pair of kings with K♦ Q♦ , which was good for the pot as Tsang mucked.

The remaining 58 players are heading on a 15-minute break.

The two chip leaders of Table #54 found themselves in a heads-up battle for a huge pot. It all started with Ashley Patterson from the United States opening for 13,500 on the button. Frank Lillis from Ireland in small blind three-bet to 52,000, then after tanking for some time, Patterson called.

The flop unfurled 9♥ 6♦ Q♣ and the Lillis shot out 27,000 into the pot. Without hesitation, Patterson pulled out a tower of stacks raising to 100,000. Now his turn to tank, Lillis thought for quite some time before finally folding his hand.

Yen Huang Ting opened the button to 13,000, and Vladislavs Azans called from the big blind.

They saw the flop of 3♣ A♥ Q♣ , and Azans checked the action to Ting, who continued with a bet of 8,000. Azans quickly tossed his cards in the muck.

The action picked up with two players all-in, with Marco Espela at risk against Antonio Abesamis, and their hands tabled.

Marco Espela: K♣ J♥

Antonio Abesamis: K♦ 9♦

The board ran out 3♣ A♣ T♠ 7♠ A♥ , securing Espela the win and boosting his stack for another shot in the tournament.

The action was picked up when Haewon Jung three-bet to 20,000 from the small blind and Michael Manlapaz called from the button.

Both players checked through the flop of 5♥ K♦ 7♥ to see the Q♥ turn, and Jung checked the action to Manlapaz, who also decided to check after a while.

The two read T♣ on the river, and Jung fired 20,000 which Manlapaz snap-called. Manlapaz showed two pair with Q♦ T♦, leaving no chance for Jung to win with his K♠ J♠ .

Mack Lee opened to 12,000 from middle position, and Nikolaos Kiourntzidis called from the big blind. The flop came 8♦ 6♣ Q♠ , and after Kiourntzidis checked, Lee continued for 8,500, which Kiourntzidis called.

On the turn 3♦ , Kiourntzidis checked again, prompting a larger bet of 28,000 from Lee, which finally pushed his opponent out of the pot.

Ben Gur has piles of chips in front of him after he just stacked Malaysia's Isaac Phua.

The full action was missed, but on a board of J♥ 7♦ T♥ A♣ 6♥ , Phua had a set with T♦ T♣ , but was behind to the turned straight of Gur, who held K♣ Q♦ .

Screams of "pair the board" could be hard from Phua, but they were to no avail as he was eliminated right before the first break, and Gur's stack swelled to almost half a million!

Below is a list of the early eliminations of Day 2, all of whom locked up a min-cash of PHP 22,000 (~$340) for their efforts.