Philippines, Crowne Plaza Manila GalleriaEVENT #18

2025.02.09 - 2025.02.15Add to Calendar

Asian Poker Tour

Jayden Zalac

Australia

Add-ons

Bounty

Place

24th

Prize

$5,240

Prize (PHP)

₱305,000

Blind level

Level 30: 60,000 / 120,000 ante: 120,000

Entries

9/1,202

Total Chips

48,080,000

Average

5,342,222

Day 4

SMPSMP

2/14/2025, 7:06:12 AM

"All-In!"

Level 26: 25,000 / 50,000 ante: 50,000

Shinya Matsuda

Michikiko Matsuda raised to 110,000. Action folded to Or Yaaqov Nezer on the big blind who liked his cards and announced "All-in!". Michikiko Matsuda reviewed his hand before returning it to the dealer.

In the next hand, pre-flop action folded to Sangbum Kim at the cut-off, who also liked his cards enough to declare "All-in" but found no customers, scooping up the blinds to add a bit more to his stack.

In the following hand, Shinya Matsuda raised to 100,000 on the button and Jayden Zalac defended the big blind. The dealer peeled a flop of 4♦ 8♥ 7♥

Zalac check-called the 125,000 bet of Shinya Matsuda to show a T♠ on the turn. Zalac check-called again, but this time for 350,000.

The river showed a 4♠

Zalac checked and Shinya Matsuda spent a time bank token for dramatic effect before announcing "All-in" and put his last 810,000 at risk.

Zalac counted off the chips and made the call.

Shinya Matsuda showed 7♦ 7♣ for a full house. Zalac mucked his hand, but the table requested for him to show. Zalac flipped T♦ 6♦ to show two-pair.

Player	Chips
MM Michikiko MatsudaJapan	3,100,000(62 BB)
SM Shinya Matsuda	2,900,000(58 BB)
OY Or Yaaqov NezerIsrael	1,600,000(32 BB)
SK Sangbum KimSouth Korea	1,100,000(22 BB)
JZ Jayden ZalacAustralia	630,000(13 BB)

SMPSMP

2/14/2025, 3:33:34 AM

He's Flush Racks in Two Street Value

Level 23: 10,000 / 25,000 ante: 25,000

A flop rolled of 8♣ 7♦ Q♣ , bringing flush and straight draw possibilities, with around 120,000 chips in the middle. Jiaqi He checked over from big blind, and Jayden Zalac led out for 40,000 from the hijack. He dropped in a call.

The Q♦ hit on the turn, where He check-called to a barrel of 180,000 from Zalac. The river showed a T♣ and it went check-check.

He immediately turned over a flush with 7♣ 3♣ , leaving Zalac no choice to muck his cards and forfeit a pot.

Player	Chips
JZ Jayden ZalacAustralia	1,375,000(55 BB)
JH Jiaqi HeChina	1,200,000(48 BB)

Day4 Qualifiers - 48 Players

Player	Chips
JZ Jie ZhangHong Kong	3,930,000
AU Alexander UgayRussia	2,335,000
SM Samuel MullurAustria	2,065,000
GG Geno GendranoPhilippines	1,995,000
HP Huang Po Shuo	1,755,000
JZ Jayden ZalacAustralia	1,740,000
TT Tetsuya TsujisakaJapan	1,630,000
ED Egidijus DigrysLithuania	1,609,000
RM Rishi MehraIndia	1,465,000
NM Niklas Marcus Warlich	1,365,000
AP Adalsteinn Petur Karlsson	1,345,000
CT Chuning TanChina	1,300,000
CL Cheli Lin	1,295,000
DL Daehyung LeeSouth Korea	1,260,000
OY Or Yaaqov NezerIsrael	1,260,000
HI Hiroya IwamotoJapan	1,220,000
LK Lars KamphuesGermany	1,200,000
JS Jeoffrey SibalPhilippines	1,175,000
DB Dmitrii BelikovRussia	1,170,000
HL Hyundong LeeSouth Korea	1,100,000
NT Noppon TaengruenThailand	1,090,000
BM Bonifacio Mondalo Jr.Philippines	1,050,000
XH Xuan Huy Dinh	1,030,000
VS Vlada StojanovicSerbia	990,000
IG Ivan GovorovRussia	970,000
JH Jiaqi HeChina	945,000
SK Siddharth KariaIndia	940,000
SM Shinya MatsudaJapan	800,000
WJ Weslian Jase Alvaran	740,000
NH Ngoc Huyen QuachViet Nam	665,000
NP Nopparut PiyatassakornThailand	615,000
DC Donavan ChuHong Kong	525,000
SJ Seungmook JungSouth Korea	480,000
PP Padipan Photha	470,000
NS Nobuaki SasakiJapan	450,000
DW Dylan Wayne FosterAustralia	420,000
YH Yi-feng Hsieh	410,000
CZ Cheng ZhouChina	320,000
SK Sangbum KimSouth Korea	320,000
ES Emmanuel SegismundoPhilippines	315,000
LD Luke DaintonUnited States of America	315,000
MM Michikiko MatsudaJapan	310,000
AA Anusorn AsiralertsiriThailand	300,000
HM Hayama Miei	285,000
TG Terry GonzagaPhilippines	280,000
TS Tirajad SirimueanphongThailand	280,000
YK Yu-chien KungTaiwan	250,000
JZ Javier ZarcoSpain	30,000

Blind level

Level 23: 10,000 / 25,000 ante: 25,000

Entries

48/1,202

Total Chips

48,080,000

Average

1,001,667

Day 3

SMPSMP

2/13/2025, 10:35:13 AM

Jie Zhang Bags Big as Day 3 Ends, Former Champs Bow Out

Level 23: 10,000 / 25,000 ante: 25,000

Jie Zhang

After a short but action-packed Day 3 at the Crowne Plaza Galleria, just 48 players remain from the 175 hopefuls who started the day. Leading the charge is Hong Kong's Jie Zhang, who holds a commanding chip lead with a stack of 3,930,000 after a dominant performance.

From the moment cards were in the air, eliminations came at a blistering pace. It took just six hours for the field to be whittled down to one-third of its original size, ensuring a new Main Event champion will be crowned, as no former winners remain in contention the PHP 11,069,680 (~$190,201) top prize.

Zhang's rise to the top was punctuated by a massive double-knockout in the late stages, where his pocket aces held strong against pocket kings and ace-queen in a crucial three-way all-in. He cemented his lead by delivering the final elimination of the night, as his pocket queens proved too strong for the pocket sixes of Inoue Senan.

Player	Chips
JZ Jie Zhang (4)Hong Kong	3,930,000(157 BB)
AU Alexander UgayRussia	2,335,000(93 BB)
SM Samuel MullurAustria	2,065,000(83 BB)
GG Geno GendranoPhilippines	1,995,000(80 BB)
HP Huang Po ShuoTaiwan	1,755,000(70 BB)
JZ Jayden ZalacAustralia	1,740,000(70 BB)
TT Tetsuya TsujisakaJapan	1,630,000(65 BB)
ED Egidijus DigrysLithuania	1,609,000(64 BB)
RM Rishi MehraIndia	1,465,000(59 BB)
NM Niklas Marcus WarlichGermany	1,365,000(55 BB)

Behind Zhang, Alexander Ugay holds the second-largest stack with 2,335,000, while Samuel Mullur is the only other player to cross the two-million mark, bagging 2,065,000.

Start-of-day chip leader Po-Shuo Huang ended the day in solid shape with 1,755,000, while Jayden Zalac (1,740,000), Rishi Mehra (1,465,000), and Niklas Warlich (1,365,000) all secured a top-ten finish. The top ten list is represented by ten different countries, showcasing the truly international nature of the competition and reinforcing APT's status as a premier global poker tour.

Three former Main Event champions entered the day, but none managed to survive. Yohn Paredes (107th), Mike Takayama (85th), and Moses Saquing (78th) all saw their title hopes cut short before the bags came out.

Adalsteinn Karlsson

Eleven of the 29 qualifiers managed to find a bag and advance to Day 4. They include the aforementioned Mehra, Adalsteinn Karlsson (1,345,000), Che Li Lin (1,295,000), Noppon Taengruen (1,090,000), Xuan Huy Dinh (1,030,000), Nopparut Piyatassakorn (615,000), Donavan Chu (525,000), Padipan Photha (470,000), Anusorn Asiralertsiri (300,000), Miei Hayama (285,000), and Terry Gonzaga (280,000).

At the bottom of the counts sits Spain’s Javier Zarco, who will enter Day 4 as the tournament’s shortest stack with just 30,000 chips—a little over a single big blind. It will take nothing short of a miracle for him to run it up, but if poker has taught us anything, it's that a chip and a chair is sometimes all you need.

Day 4 kicks off at 11 a.m. on February 14th, where the remaining 48 players will battle to keep their title hopes alive. With the stakes rising and the pressure mounting, there will be no love lost at the tables as they fight for a spot in the final stages of the APT Main Event on Valentine's Day.

Day3 Qualifiers - 175 Players

Player	Chips
HP Huang Po Shuo	1,168,000
JZ Javier ZarcoSpain	959,000
NS Nobuaki SasakiJapan	922,000
SM Samuel MullurAustria	834,000
NM Niklas Marcus Warlich	828,000
IG Ivan GovorovRussia	820,000
JS Jeoffrey SibalPhilippines	769,000
JZ Jayden ZalacAustralia	734,000
DW Dylan Wayne FosterAustralia	700,000
DE David ErquiagaPhilippines	680,000
ML Matthias LippAustria	640,000
VS Vlada StojanovicSerbia	620,000
HI Hiroya IwamotoJapan	613,000
LW Lawrence WongSingapore	597,000
TT Tetsuya TsujisakaJapan	593,000
LK Lars KamphuesGermany	592,000
MT Mike TakayamaPhilippines	577,000
XH Xuan Huy Dinh	577,000
GG Geno GendranoPhilippines	551,000
CT Chuning TanChina	545,000
HL Hyundong LeeSouth Korea	545,000
CZ Cheng ZhouChina	540,000
AU Alexander UgayRussia	516,000
NT Noppon TaengruenThailand	511,000
LP Leonidas PanagiotopoulosGreece	492,000
ED Egidijus DigrysLithuania	489,000
SI Senan InoueJapan	481,000
RE Ramana EpparlaUnited States of America	474,000
FC Florencio CampomanesPhilippines	472,000
YE Yoshizazu Endo	468,000
DM Darius Maximilian Nass	465,000
SD Sita DivariThailand	464,000
JM Javier MartinezUnited States of America	460,000
PS Pattanan Sriwichain	457,000
NK Nattawut KwunsongThailand	450,000
CY Cheng Yen LoTaiwan	442,000
KO Ken Ochiai	434,000
AP Adalsteinn Petur Karlsson	428,000
TC Tsz Chan (2)Hong Kong	428,000
ES Emmanuel SegismundoPhilippines	403,000
BM Bonifacio Mondalo Jr	397,000
YK Yu-chien Kung	389,000
JH Jiaqi HeChina	386,000
SK Sangbum KimSouth Korea	363,000
AA Abraham Abdulla Ceesvin	353,000
SK Siddharth KariaIndia	345,000
YA Yuya AsakawaJapan	336,000
SL Stephen LaiHong Kong	333,000
MG Marc GagneFrance	331,000
WZ Wanhao ZhaoChina	331,000
BJ Bharath Jayaram	330,000
XQ Xiang Qian Ran	330,000
AA Anusorn AsiralertsiriThailand	322,000
JM Joshua MccullyAustralia	321,000
JF Joshua FiguerresPhilippines	315,000
DS Daniel SmiljkovicGermany	311,000
HM Hayama Miei	311,000
MG Martin GonzalesPhilippines	311,000
NP Nopparut PiyatassakornThailand	305,000
YI Yousuke InoJapan	305,000
DL Daehyung LeeSouth Korea	302,000
MA Marco AlmerezPhilippines	300,000
DC Donavan ChuHong Kong	291,000
TH Thijs HilbertsNetherlands	291,000
MA Mark AlmusajinPhilippines	287,000
SL Suya LeeSouth Korea	286,000
OT Oliver Thomas Bithell	285,000
SK Sho KatsuraJapan	285,000
RM Ronn Mesina	280,000
SM Shinya Matsuda	274,000
LD Luke DaintonUnited States of America	270,000
AG Anthony GabitanPhilippines	267,000
IC Isaac Chern Chze Phua	266,000
RM Rishi MehraIndia	266,000
JL Jacques Le GuennecFrance	262,000
JO Jihwan OhSouth Korea	257,000
KT Kaga TamHong Kong	253,000
OS Olivier SerrieFrance	246,000
SJ Seungmook Jung	246,000
TL Thomas LeeCanada	245,000
MR Marc RiveraPhilippines	242,000
BQ Bao Qiang HoSingapore	241,000
MF Martin FingerGermany	240,000
YT Yu Tang WangTaiwan	237,000
DB Dmitrii BelikovRussia	232,000
BK Byeongjin KimSouth Korea	226,000
NH Ngoc Huyen QuachViet Nam	226,000
PP Padipan Photha	225,000
CL Cheli Lin	219,000
JR Jesse RiveraUnited States of America	218,000
BY Benhur YbarsabalPhilippines	216,000
MM Michikiko MatsudaJapan	215,000
EM Edwin MarzanPhilippines	210,000
ZY Zhifan YeAustralia	210,000
NK Nattamon KaweesorasakThailand	206,000
WJ Weslian Jase Alvaran	204,000
HW Hua Wei LinTaiwan	203,000
JL Junghyun LeeSouth Korea	198,000
RA Rokas AsipauskasLithuania	194,000
SA Stephen Andrew Freestone	191,000
YH Yi-feng Hsieh	190,000
FH Frederick Hernandez	182,000
TM Takumi MondenJapan	182,000
DN Dominik NitscheGermany	180,000
WK Wipawadee Kanaraksapong	179,000
JZ Jie ZhangHong Kong	177,000
DH Daichi HirumaJapan	174,000
TC Tsz Chung YipHong Kong	171,000
JG Jimmy Gin Wee Yar	170,000
RJ Raju JaruplavathIndia	169,000
ZC Zhen ChenChina	165,000
PT Prommin TalordpongThailand	163,000
JC Joshua ChargualafGuam	158,000
SC Shyh Chyn LimMalaysia	157,000
AT Alex TchongAustralia	149,000
AC Alexis CruzPhilippines	149,000
OY Or Yaaqov NezerIsrael	149,000
GM Geronimo ManuelPhilippines	148,000
TT Tomoki TerashimaJapan	147,000
JH Joshua Hamilton DuceAustralia	141,000
BK Beng Key Teoh	136,000
AG Asa Gregory Smith	135,000
EC Edward Chun Ho YamHong Kong	134,000
WY Won YouSouth Korea	134,000
AK Alari KunnapuuEstonia	133,000
BE Benjamin EbarlePhilippines	131,000
RM Richard MarquezPhilippines	129,000
TS Tirajad SirimueanphongThailand	129,000
KH Kaito HashimotoJapan	128,000
CG Collin GentnerCanada	124,000
MS Moses SaquingPhilippines	124,000
JK Jaejoong KimSouth Korea	123,000
SL Shengwei LiangSingapore	122,000
TG Terry GonzagaPhilippines	122,000
JP Jason Park Lun Wong	119,000
YT Yuji TsuboiJapan	119,000
SA Seina AsagiriJapan	117,000
AR Aaron Richard Valencia	113,000
DT David Thomson Moore	108,000
YK Yohei KitazatoJapan	105,000
CR Czardy RiveraPhilippines	97,000
EK Edgaras KausinisLithuania	93,000
SD Sithanh DeuansavanhLao People's Democratic Republic	93,000
RR Rahul Rajendra Darak	92,000
JM James MorilesPhilippines	91,000
LV Laurinaitis VytautasLithuania	91,000
GL Gregory LiowCanada	90,000
KF Kam Fung LeeHong Kong	90,000
BH Beng Hong KerSingapore	88,000
KM Kazuma MaekawaJapan	88,000
SS Somasekhar SanampuriIndia	84,000
LO Liam O Donoghue	77,000
AK Akihiro KawaguchiJapan	74,000
LC Lok Ching Li	74,000
RP Runch PornraksamaneeThailand	73,000
YP Yohn ParedesPeru	71,000
RH Rex Hunt AiAustralia	68,000
AK Anthony KastelicUnited States of America	64,000
BG Battulga GanboldMongolia	64,000
JW Jakub WojtasGermany	64,000
JK Jason Kyle MagbanuaPhilippines	62,000
CX Cai Xin Wong	59,000
IC I-chun ChiuTaiwan	58,000
CL Craig LandryAustralia	56,000
DA Dale Andrew Townsend	55,000
MT Muneyuki Tanimura	40,000
PH Patayut Hiranprueck	35,000
AN Andrew NguyenUnited States of America	34,000
RG Renniel GalvezPhilippines	24,000
JY Joonhee YeaSouth Korea	19,000
IA Ish AgarwalIndia	18,000
KM Kaito MoriJapan	17,000
YA Yusuke ArimaJapan	15,000
FO Finn Ove Penderak	12,000
MM Masayuki MurataJapan	5,000

Blind level

Level 18: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Entries

175/1,202

Total Chips

48,080,000

Average

274,743

Day 2

SMPSMP

2/12/2025, 1:12:17 PM

Javier Zarco and Samuel Mullur Bag Huge in APT’s Largest Main Event in the Philippines

Level 18: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Po-Shuo Huang

After an intense and grueling bubble period in the APT Manila Classic Main Event, 175 players have locked up a payday and secured their spots in Day 3. This event has officially made history as the largest-ever APT Main Event in the Philippines, reinforcing the tour’s continued growth in the region.

Leading the field is Taiwan's Po-Shuo Huang, who finished Day 2 with an impressive 1,168,000 chips — the only player to bag a seven-figure stack. Not far behind is Javier Zarco, who accumulated 959,000, with the Spaniard playing a pivotal role in bursting the bubble after eliminating Kenneth Anthony.

Nobuaki Sasaki rounds out the top three, benefiting from a dream scenario when his pocket aces held up against the pocket kings of Raju Jaruplavath in one of the biggest hands of the day.

Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts

Player	Chips
HP Huang Po ShuoTaiwan	1,168,000(146 BB)
JZ Javier ZarcoSpain	959,000(120 BB)
NS Nobuaki SasakiJapan	922,000(115 BB)
SM Samuel MullurAustria	834,000(104 BB)
NM Niklas Marcus WarlichGermany	828,000(104 BB)
IG Ivan GovorovRussia	820,000(103 BB)
JS Jeoffrey SibalPhilippines	769,000(96 BB)
JZ Jayden ZalacAustralia	734,000(92 BB)
DW Dylan Wayne FosterAustralia	700,000(88 BB)
DE David ErquiagaPhilippines	680,000(85 BB)

The day began with 377 returning survivors from the opening flights, joined by 56 late entries who took advantage of the last chance to buy in before registration closed. David Erquiaga wasted no time making his presence felt, quickly rising among the chip leaders after eliminating Shinya Maeda in Level 13. Erquiaga capitalized on his early momentum and bagged a top ten stack of 680,000.

However, several former Main Event champions weren’t as fortunate, as Punnat Punsri, Lester Edoc, Henrick Tollofsen, Christopher Mateo, and John Tech all failed to make the money. Three past champions are still in contention, with Mike Takayama (577,000), Moses Saquing (124,000), and Yohn Paredes (71,000) carrying the torch forward.

China’s Zhen Chen, who has been making waves in the poker world, closed out Day 2 with 165,000 chips. Chen added another trophy to his collection just yesterday, winning the Baby Superstar Challenge for PHP 4,327,600.

Samuel Mullur, currently third on Austria's All-Time Money List, secured the fourth-largest stack of 834,000. Mullur, who captured a WSOP bracelet in December 2023 by conquering the GGMillion$ High Roller for $2,736,300 — his career-best score—now sets his sights on adding another prestigious title. Despite his global accolades, an Asian trophy still eludes him, and what better way to start his collection than by claiming an award-winning Gold Lion to adorn his mantle?

Despite his gut-wrenching cooler against aces, Jaruplavath, champion of the Philippines National Cup, still managed to survive the day with 169,000 chips. Another notable mention is APT commentator Stephen Lai, who navigated the field smoothly and bagged a respectable 333,000 heading into Day 3.

as play resumes, 29 online qualifiers will merge with the live field, adding a fresh dynamic to the competition. Some notable names among them include Adalsteinn Karlsson (428,000), Abraham Ceesvin (353,000), Joshua Mccully (321,000), Marc Rivera (242,000), and Asa Smith (135,00).

Vietnamese poker vlogger Ngoc Huyen Quach, aka “Gemmy” maintained her position as the top stacked female player, fighting through with 226,000 in chips, with five other women still in contention for Day 3: Thailand’s Nattamon Kaweesorasak (206,000), Natural8 Ambassador Hua-Wei Lin (203,000), Thailand’s Wipawadee Kanaraksapong (179,000), Japan’s Seina Asagiri (117,000), and China’s Cai Xin Wong (59,000).

All remaining players are guaranteed a payout of PHP 94,000 (~$1,615), but it’s the PHP 11,069,680 (~$190,201) top prize that remains the ultimate goal. With the biggest APT Main Event field in Philippine history now down to its final contenders, who will rise to the occasion and claim poker glory?

SMPSMP

2/12/2025, 10:58:35 AM

One Away from the Money as Zalac Sends Liu Home

Level 17: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

Zhiqiang Liu

Almost every remaining player is silently thanking Jayden Zalac after he eliminated Zhiqiang Liu, leaving the field just one spot away from the money.

Zalac opened to 12,000 from the cutoff, only for Liu to fire back with a massive three-bet to 81,000 from the big blind. Undeterred, Zalac moved all in for around 300,000. Liu, after burning through all three of his time banks, eventually flicked in the call for his tournament life, sitting on roughly 280,000.

Zhiqiang Liu: 9♣ 9♦

Jayden Zalac: A♦ K♦

Liu pumped his fist, celebrating what he believed was a good call, but with five cards to come, the deck still had the final say.

The 8♠ 2♣ J♠ flop was a safe one for Liu, but the K♥ on the turn flipped the script, leaving him with just two outs to survive. Needing a miracle nine, he instead found the 7♦ on the river, sealing his fate and sending him to the rail just short of the money.