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 63 Jie Zhang shoved all in for 1,700,000 from the small blind and was called by Or Nezer in big blind.

Jie Zhang: J♣ 9♦

Or Nezer: 7♠ 6♠

Zhang was slightly ahead and needed to just get a safe runout to double-up. However, the flop came down K♠ A♠ 3♠ , improving Nezer to a flush. Zhang was already drawing dead as the rest of the board ran out 2♦ A♦ . The pot was sent over to Nezer and Zhang was sent to the cashier's desk to collect his PHP 1,481,000 (~$25,447) payout.

Hand 58 Or Nezer shoved from the button with K♣ 4♥ and picked up the blinds from the two shorter stacks.

Hand 59 Nezer shoved again from the cutoff holding J♣ T♣ and won the pot.

Hand 60 Samuel Mullur min-raised to 500,000 from under the gun with A♥ 2♥ and Nezer called in the hijack with K♦ Q♦ . Dylan Foster was in the big blind and called with K♠ Q♥ .

On the 8♣ 4♠ T♠ , all three checked to the 4♦ turn. Foster checked, and Mullur bet an even 1,000,000. Nezer and Foster quickly got out of the way.

Hand 61 Nezer opened from early position with K♣ J♦ and Mullur defended the big blind holding 9♦ 8♠ .

After Mullur checked the Q♣ K♥ 2♠ flop, he folded to a continuation-bet of 800,000 from Nezer.

Hand 62 Alexander Ugay limped in from the hijack with K♠ Q♥ and Mullur shoved A♥ J♣ from the small blind. Ugay folded.

Hand 48 Or Nezer raised with K♠ K♦ from under the gun to 500,000 and Jie Zhang called from the big blind with K♣ Q♥ . On the flop of 5♥ 8♠ T♣ , Zhang checked to Nezer, who fired 350,000 and successfully collected the pot.

Hand 49 Ivan Govorov raised to 500,000 from the hijack and Or Nezer defended his big blind.

The dealer fanned out the flop of 7♠ K♥ 8♥ and both players checked to see the 6♥ turn. Nezer now opted to lead out for 650,000, which Govorov called.

The J♣ dropped on the river, prompting Nezer to jam all in for 2,400,000. Govorov called and was shown 5♣ 4♣ by Nezer for a turned straight. Grovorov couldn't beat that with his A♦ 8♦ , meaning he had hero called the river with just third pair. Grovorov lost the hand and Nezer doubled up.

Hand 50 Ivan Govorov raised with A♠ K♦ to 500,000 from early position and was jammed by Jie Zhang on the button with A♣ K♠ for 2,500,000. Govorov called.

Both players had the same hand, and after the board came Q♠ A♥ 7♣ K♣ 8♣ , the two players chopped the pot.

Players are on a 15-minute break.

Hand 34 Or Nezer raised to 400,000 with K♣ T♥ from under the gun and won the pot.

Hand 35 Jie hang limped from the small blind with 9♠ 8♦ and Or Nezer checked from the big blind with Q♠ 7♣ .

On the flop of Q♣ 9♥ 7♠ , both players checked through to the T♣ turn, where Zhang checked over and Nezer sent a chunky bet of 550,000. Zhang called.

The river showed a 5♠ . Zhang checked and Nezer fired out 1,700,000, which Zhang called. Nezer collected the pot.

Hand 36 Alexander raised with K♥ 5♦ from under the gun to 400,000 and won the pot.

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 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.

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!

Jie Zhang opened the cutoff to 240,000 and Niklas Warlich three-bet to 700,000 from the small blind, only to be jammed by Zhang for 1,740,000. It only took Warlich a few seconds to announce a call.

Niklas Warlich: A♠ K♣

Jie Zhang: 8♦ 8♥

Warlich was behind with his Big Slick facing off Zhang’s snowmen, which was even improved to a set on the flop of 3♠ 8♠ J♦ .

The 6♦ dropped on the turn, leaving Warlich drawing dead. The board-pairing 6♣ landed on the river, blooming Zhang’s set into a full house.

Jie Zhang open-jammed for 1,280,000 from the cutoff and was called by Or Yaaqov Nezer in the big blind to put him at risk.

Jie Zhang: A♠ 7♣

Or Yaaqov Nezer: 6♣ 6♠

Zhang was behind with ace-seven facing off the pocket sixes from Nezer, but he took over the lead on the flop of 9♠ A♦ 7♥ , improving him to two pair.

The turn showed a T♥ , and Nezer hoped to receive an eight or six to collect one elimination. Unfortunately for Nezer, the J♠ hit on the river, sending Zhang a crucial double-up.

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

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

Dylan Foster limped in from the small blind and Jie Zhang three-bet to 120,000. Foster dropped in a call.

Both players saw a flop of T♣ 8♠ 4♣ and checked through to the Q♥ turn. The action went check-check again.

The 3♦ fell on the river. Foster fired our 525,000, sending Zhang into the tank. After a long time, Zhang eventually tossed his cards into the muck.

Jie Zhang and Samuel Mullur were staring at a board of 7♥ T♥ 2♦ 9♥ with a little over 500,000 in the pot.

Zhang led out from the big blind with 80,000 and Mullur raised it to 360,000 from the hi-jack. Zhang went to deep thought and made the call to see a 3♣ on the river. Zhang checked and Mullur wisely checked behind.

Zhang showed Q♥ 3♥ for a flush while Mullur mucked his hand.

Ivan Govorov raised to 90,000 on the button and Jie Zhang defended the big blind.

The flop showed 7♥ Q♥ 6♠ . Zhang checked and folded when Govorov bet 80,000.

In a following hand Michikiko Matsuda raised to 85,000 and Govorov three-bet to 230,000. Matsuda thought for a moment and decided to fold.

Gemmy Quach made it 95,000 to go from under the gun with Jie Zhang and Michihiko Matsuda calling from the blinds.

Three players checked through the flop of K♠ 3♠ 5♠ to see the 4♠ fall on the turn, where Zhang checked over and Matsuda fired out 150,000. Quach folded and Zhang made the call.

The board-pairing 4♥ hit on the river. Zhang checked to Matsuda, who sent another barrel of 400,000, which successfully to make Zhang muck the hand.