Philippines National Cup (12,000 PHP)

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.

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!

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

With around 3 big blinds remaining, Ke Yan shoved all-in from middle position and was called by Maggy Cenon in the big blind.

Ke Yan: K♥ T♦

Maggy Cenon: K♠ 6♣

The flop came 7♣ 5♥ 8♦ , giving Cenon an open-ended straight draw, prompting Yan to start gathering his things. However, the 2♥ on the turn and J♥ on the river kept Yan ahead, leading his seatmate Seokjong Kim to tell him to sit back down.