APT Main Event (60,000 PHP)

Ivan Govorov has etched his name in the biggest APT Main Event in Phillippines.

Stay tuned to see how he did it!

Hand 32 Hiroya Iwamoto raised to 400,000 from under the gun with A♦ Q♠ and was Alexander Ugay three-bet to 1,500,00 from the cutoff with Q♥ Q♦ . Iwamoto shoved all in for 3,300,000 and was called by Ugay.

The clean board came 5♦ 7♦ 9♣ 8♣ J♠ , making Iwamoto the first to leave final table.

Alexander now is the chip leader in final table.

Hand 25 Dylan Foster raised to 400,000 from the cutoff holding 9♠ 8♠ and Hiroya Iwamoto shoved from the small blind with A♦ 9♦ for around 2,900,000. Foster quickly folded.

Hand 26 Samuel Mullur limped in from the small blind with A♥ 6♦ and Jie Zhang checked his option from the big blind with Q♣ 2♦ .

On the 8♠ K♠ K♣ flop, Mullur stabbed 200,000 into the pot and Zhang put in the call to see a K♥ fall on the turn. Mullur checked, Zhang bet 250,000, and Mullur called.

A 4♥ completed the board and both checked it down, which meant Mullur took the pot with ace-high.

Hand 27 Iwamoto min-raised to 400,000 from the cutoff with Q♠ 6♠ and Zhang three-bet with K♠ Q♥ from the small blind to 1,400,000. Iwamoto folded quickly.

Hand 28 Ivan Govorov peeked down at A♥ K♥ from early position and min-raised to 400,000. Dmitrii Belikov called from the big blind holding 9♦ 6♦ .

The all four flop of 4♣ 4♥ 4♠ saw Belikov check-fold to the 200,000-chip continuation-bet from Govorov.

Hand 20 Samuel Mullur raised with A♥ 8♦ to 1,200,000 from the hijack and won the pot.

Hand 21 Adalsteinn Karlsson raised with K♥ J♥ from early position to 400,000 and won the pot.

Hand 22 Alexander Ugay raised the button with J♥ 4♥ to 400,000 and won the pot.

Hand 23 Or Yaaqov Nezer raised to 400,000 from early position with A♠ Q♥ and won the pot.

Hand 24 Samuel Mullur raised with 9♥ 9♦ from under the gun and Hiroya Iwamoto called with Q♠ 8♦ from the big blind.

On the flop of 7♣ 9♣ 5♥ , both players checked through to the Q♣ turn, where Iwamoto bet 350,000 and Mullur called.

The river brought a 4♦ . Iwamoto checked over and Mullur shoved all in for 1,200,000. Iwamoto called and sent the sizable pot to Mullur.

Hand 11 Adalsteinn Karlsson shoved for 1,100,000 from early position with K♠ 8♦ , and Hiroya Iwamoto three-bet with A♣ Q♣ to 2,600,000.

A board came down 3♦ 5♥ 6♣ 8♥ 5♣ , improving Karlsson to two pair and won a double-up.

Hand 12 Jie Zhang raised with A♣ J♦ to 325,000 from the hijack and Dimitrii Belikov three-bet on the button to 800,000 with 8♣ 7♣ . Zhang called.

On the flop of Q♦ 8♠ T♥ , both players checked through to the 6♦ turn, where Zhang bet bet 350,000 and Belikov called.

The river showed 3♦ . Zhang bet 325,000 and won the pot.

Hand 13 Alexander Ugay fraised with A♠ 8♣ to 320,000 on the button and won the pot.

Hand 5 Dmitrii Belikov raised with A♥ J♠ from the hijack to 325,000 and Dylan Foster called with 8♠ 8♦ from the small blind. Adalsteinn Karlsson also called from the big blind with 2♠ 2♦

On the flop of 6♥ 6♦ 7♠ , three players checked through to see the A♦ turn, where the blinds checked over and Belikov fired 275,000 and won the pot.

Hand 6 Dylan Foster raised with Q♣ T♠ on the button to 320,000 and called by Hiroya Iwamoto with 8♠ 7♥ from the big blind.

A flop came down 8♦ 9♦ 3♥ . Both players checked through to the 7♣ turn, where Iwamoto checked and Foster bet 450,000, which Iwamoto raised to 1,100,000. Foster called.

The river brought a J♠ , completing Fosteer's straight. Iwamoto checked to Foster, who sent a barrel of 2,200,000, sending Iwamoto into the tank. Eventually, Iwamoto folded.

Top row (L-R): Dylan Wayne Foster (Australia) - 6,615,000, Adalsteinn Karlsson (Iceland) - 1,700,000, Samuel Mullur (Austria) - 2,150,000, Alexander Ugay (Russia) - 4,720,000 Bottom Row (L-R): Jie Zhang (Hong Kong) - 5,320,000, Hiroya Iwamoto (Japan) - 8,225,000, Dmitri Belikov (Russia) - 8,890,000, Or Nezer (Israel) - 6,660,000, Ivan Govorov (Russia) - 3,390,000

After four days of intense competition, the APT Main Event final table is set, and today, one player will etch their name into history as the champion of the biggest APT Main Event ever held in the Philippines. With a massive PHP 62,311,680 (~$1,070,647) prize pool and a PHP 11,069,680 (~$190,201) first-place prize on the line, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Leading the charge is Russia’s Dmitrii Belikov (8,890,000), who surged ahead on Day 4 after winning the tournament’s biggest flip. Japan’s Hiroya Iwamoto (8,225,000) isn’t far behind, while Or Nezer (6,660,000) and Dylan Foster (6,615,000) round out the top four, each well within striking distance.

With APT titles, major final tables, and millions in live earnings among this final table lineup, experience is plentiful, but so is hunger. Samuel Mullur (2,150,000), a decorated bracelet winner, will need to work his short stack to mount a comeback, while Adalsteinn Karlsson (1,700,000) enters as the shortest stack, looking for an early double-up to stay in contention.

With PHP 11,069,680 (~$190,201) up top, every decision at the final table carries high-stakes consequences. Each of the remaining nine players is already guaranteed PHP 819,000 (~$14,072), but the real battle begins now, with the top three finishers all securing seven-figure payouts.

A deep run guarantees life-changing money, with PHP 6,507,000 (~$111,804) for second place and PHP 4,577,000 (~$78,643) for third. But as the eliminations stack up, so do the pay jumps, inching the final contenders closer to the prestigious Gold Lion trophy and the biggest APT Main Event title ever awarded in the Philippines.

The pressure is on, and every decision will be magnified under the bright lights of the final table. Play resumes at 11 AM, with action streaming on a 30-minute delay. By day’s end, only one will remain—the newest APT Main Event champion.

Who will rise to the occasion and claim poker immortality? It’s time to find out!

as the sun rose over Manila this morning, 48 hopefuls returned to the tables inside the Crowne Plaza Galleria with one shared mission—securing a seat at the APT Main Event final table. After eight levels of play, that number has been slashed to just nine, each now shifting their focus to the ultimate prize: the PHP 11,069,680 (~$190,201) first-place payout.

The player in the best position to capture the title is Russia’s Dmitrii Belikov, who ran hot throughout the day and closed out with an impressive 8,890,000 in chips. Japan’s Hiroya Iwamoto wasn’t far behind, building his stack to 8,225,000, while Or Nezer secured the third spot on the leaderboard with 6,660,000, keeping himself in striking distance of the leaders.

When they return tomorrow for the fifth and final day, the remaining nine players will battle for the prestigious APT Main Event title and their share of the massive PHP 62,311,680 (~$1,070,647) prize pool—the biggest APT Main Event ever held in the Philippines. Each has already secured at least PHP 819,000 (~$14,072) for reaching the final table, but with the payouts getting progressively bigger, the stakes couldn’t be higher as they chase history and a career-defining victory.

With a healthy stack of 6,615,000, Dylan Foster is well-positioned to make a run at the title. A familiar face on the APT circuit, Foster has already racked up eight final table appearances in APT events, but a trophy has eluded him outside of his home country of Australia.

Now, with a career-best payday within reach, Foster will be looking to leverage his experience and navigate his way up the payouts—all the way to the PHP 11,069,680 (~$190,201) top prize and his first international title.

The most decorated player at the final table is undoubtedly Samuel Mullur. The Austrian bracelet-winner boasts nearly $5,000,000 in live tournament earnings and currently sits third on Austria’s All-Time Money List—a resume that speaks for itself.

However, Mullur faces an uphill climb with just 2,150,000 in chips, leaving him as one of the short stacks heading into Day 5. But with his experience and deep-run prowess, few would be surprised to see him mount a comeback and battle for the title as the tournament reaches its final stages.

Rounding out the final table are Jie Zhang (5,320,000), Alexander Ugay (4,720,000), Ivan Govorov (3,390,000), and Adalsteinn Karlsson (1,700,000). While Zhang and Ugay sit comfortably in the middle of the pack, Govorov has some ground to make up, while Karlsson enters as the short stack, needing an early double-up to stay in contention.

Day 4 Action

Among those who started the day, Javier Zarco had the steepest hill to climb, entering with just a single big blind. While he hoped to spin up a miracle run, his journey ended in 45th place. Terry Gonzaga (39th), Rishi Mehra (33rd), Jayden Zalac (24th), and Vlada Stojanovic (21st) also fell before the pay jumps started to get a little juicier.

One of the standout stories of the tournament was Gemmy Quach, who described her deep run as “magical” after bagging at the end of Day 3. But as fate would have it, the deck had other plans.

Quach's troubles began in Level 26, when Belikov’s ace-queen rivered her ace-king, but she managed to recover and battle on. However, in Level 29, it was déjà vu—this time, Quach four-bet shoved with king-jack, only to once again find herself at risk against Belikov’s ace-queen.

A king on the flop offered hope for a crucial double-up, but in a cruel twist, the river brought an ace, officially ending her Main Event journey at the hands of the same opponent who cracked her earlier. A magical run, but sometimes even fairy tales get a bad ending.

Belikov vaulted to the top of the chip counts after winning a massive flip, holding strong with pocket jacks against Egidijus Digrys' ace-queen in the tournament’s biggest pot so far. The crucial hand catapulted Belikov into the lead while leaving Digrys on life support with just a handful of big blinds.

Still reeling from the loss, Digrys found himself flipping again just a few hands later, this time with pocket eights against Hiroya Iwamoto’s ace-jack. Unfortunately for him, the board brought an ace on the flop, dashing any hopes of a comeback and sending him out in the unlucky 13th place.

Niklas Warlich (12th) and Jeoffrey Sibal (11th) came agonizingly close to the final table but still walked away with solid paydays for their deep runs. However, it was Japan’s Michikiko Matsuda who suffered the toughest blow, finishing as the final table bubble boy after his stack was slowly ground down to dust.

In his final hand and down to just a few big blinds, Matsuda shoved with nine-eight over an open from Iwamoto, who called with six-three suited. The flop brought Iwamoto a flush draw, and the turn completed it, leaving Matsuda drawing dead and his tournament dreams officially over in tenth.

Play resumes at 11 AM on Saturday, February 15, where the final nine players will battle until one is crowned APT Main Event champion. There’s one minute remaining in Level 30, and with the average stack around 5,300,000, every decision will be magnified as the blinds continue to rise.

as always, the final table will be streamed with a 30-minute delay, ensuring fans can follow the action without spoilers. Live updates will remain in sync with the broadcast to provide a seamless experience. To watch the stream: To watch the stream: Click here.

With PHP 11,069,680 (~$190,201) up top, the pressure is at its peak. The stage is set, the chips are counted, and by the end of the day, a new APT Main Event champion will be crowned. Buckle up—it’s going to be a thrilling finale!

Short-stacked for much of the day, Michikiko Matsuda was desperate for some tinder to reignite his tournament hopes, and when Hiroya Iwamoto raised to 240,000 from the cutoff, he took his stand, shoving for 365,000 from the big blind. Iwamoto quickly called.

Michikiko Matsuda: 9♠ 8♣

Hiroya Iwamoto: 6♥ 3♥

Matsuda was ahead, but Iwamoto had live cards—and more importantly, hearts. The 4♠ K♥ 4♥ flop brought a flush draw, and the T♥ on the turn sealed Matsuda’s fate, leaving him drawing dead.

A meaningless K♣ landed on the river, officially ending Matsuda’s run in 10th place, just shy of the final table.

After losing a crucial flip for the chip lead, Egidijus Digrys found himself on the ropes and desperately needed a double-up.

When Hiroya Iwamoto opened to 240,000 from the cutoff, Digrys shoved his remaining 500,000 on the button, and Iwamoto quickly called.

Egidijus Digrys: 8♥ 8♦

Hiroya Iwamoto: A♥ J♣

Digrys was hoping the Snowmen would bring him back to life, but instead, his Main Event dreams melted away as the board ran out 7♠ A♣ Q♦ J♠ 2♥ , giving Iwamoto top pair and sending Digrys to the rail.

A brutal back-to-back flip loss spells the end of his run, as Iwamoto adds more chips to his growing stack.

Hiroya Iwamoto limped in from the small blind with Q♣ 3♣ and Edigijus Digrys checked his option from the big blind holding 9♦ 7♦ .

On the Q♥ T♥ 4♦ flop, Iwamoto led out for 120,000 and Digrys raised to 400,000. After a brief pause, Iwamoto called.

A 3♥ brought in the flush draw and both players knuckled the table to see the K♠ on the river. Iwamoto then grabbed chips and fired out 550,000, and Digrys finally let his hand go.

Hiroya Iwamoto opened to 200,000 from under the gun, and Alexander Ugay defended his big blind.

The flop came down J♠ 8♥ 5♥ , and both players opted to check.

The Q♠ landed on the turn, where Ugay checked, Iwamoto fired 175,000, and Ugay responded with a check-raise to 425,000. After a brief pause, Iwamoto shoved, and Ugay snap-called for his tournament life with 2,200,000.

Alexander Ugay: Q♦ J♣

Hiroya Iwamoto: A♠ K♠

Ugay had turned top two, but Iwamoto had a Royal Flush draw, needing a spade or a ten to steal the pot. The dealer burned a card and revealed the 5♣ —a total brick—locking up the massive pot for Ugay, who catapulted his stack to nearly five million.

A huge moment, but not quite the fairytale finish Iwamoto was hoping for.

Players have been sent on a 60-minute dinner break.

Here's a peek at the counts while the players fuel up.

Big, big pot for Hiroya Iwamoto right before dinner!

Alexander Ugay opened the hijack to 160,000 and Iwamoto three-bet to 500,000 in the cutoff. When it got back to Ugay, he called.

They both saw a flop of 6♦ Q♣ 7♣ where Ugay check-called a bet of 350,000 from Iwamoto to the K♠ turn. Ugay tapped the table once again and Iwamoto continued firing, this time with a sizing of 600,000. Ugay quickly moved all in, and Iwamoto called off his stack of around 2,300,000.

Hiroya Iwamoto: A♦ K♦

Alexander Ugay: K♣ J♥

That turn was the worst in the deck for Ugay, who now only had three outs to win the pot. Iwamoto was a big favorite to become the chip leader, and climbed to the summit of the counts when the 3♠ landed on the river.

Japan’s Tetsuya Tsujisaka raised to 80,000 from the small blind and his compatriot Hiroya Iwamoto defended from the big blind.

On a flop of 8♠ 7♣ 3♥ , Tsujisaka continued with a bet of 85,000, and Iwamoto put in a raise to 250,000. Tsujisaka dropped in a call.

The 4♠ landed on the turn, where Tsujisaka checked over and Iwamoto sent another chunky barrel of 300,000. Tsujisaka snap-called to see the 6♠ drop on the river. Tsujisaka checked and Iwamoto shoved all in for 420,000, sending his countrymate into the tank.

After long deliberation, Tsjisaka eventually threw his cards into the muck with an 8♣ showing.

“Five?” asked Tsjisaka. Iwamoto replied with one smile only.

Hiroya Iwamoto raised the button to 12,000 and Somasekhar Sanampuri defended from the big blind.

On the flop of 2♣ 5♣ 2♥ Sanampuri checked it to Iwamoto, who continued with a bet of 10,000. Sanampuri then put in a raise to 25,000 and Iwamoto dropped in a call.

The 6♥ fell on the turn, where Sanampuri check-called a bet of 40,000 from Iwamoto.

The river brought an 8♦ and it went check-check.

Sanampuri tabled A♦ 5♥ for a pair of fives, but it was no match for the superior pair of eights from Iwamoto’s K♣ 8♣. .

Hiroya Iwamoto raised to 6,000 from under the gun and received four callers: Somasekhar Sanampuri from late positon, John Tech from the hijack, Olivier Serrie on the button and Hyundong Lee from the big blind.

Only flop of 5♣ J♣ J♠ , Lee checked it to Iwamoto, who continued with a bet of 8,000, which both Tech called Hyundong made the call. Three players saw the 7♥ fall on the turn, where Iwamoto fired out 15,000 and Tech put in a raise to 39,000. Lee got out of the way and Iwamoto called.

The 5♥ landed river. Iwamato checked over and Tech fired out 75,000, leaving only 2,000 chips behind. After some consideration, Iwamoto tossed his cards into the muck.