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 126 Mullur, in the small blind, raised to 1,500,000, and Or Nezer called from the big blind.

The K♦ 2♣ 4♣ flop saw Mullur fire out 850,000, only for Nezer to raise to 2,000,000 after a long pause. Mullur took a moment before he called.

The A♣ landed on the turn, slowing both players down as they checked to the river. The 6♠ completed the board, and after one last check from Mullur, Nezer shoved for 5,100,000.

Mullur went deep into the tank, burning through multiple time banks as he tried to piece the puzzle together. With just a few seconds left of his last time bank, Mullur dropped in the call.

Nezer tabled J♦ 5♦ for a stone-cold bluff, while Mullur revealed 7♦ 4♦ —just a pair of fours—to scoop the massive pot.

What a call!

Hand 120 Dylan Foster got a walk with J♠ 5♥ .

Hand 121 Ivan Govorov opened the button to 1,500,000 and Samuel Mullur shoved to put Govorov all in from the big blind. Govorov called off this remaining few chips to put himself at risk.

Ivan Govorov: Q♠ 8♣

Samuel Mullur: K♠ T♥

A flop came down T♣ 9♥ 6♠ , pairing Mullur’s ten. The J♣ hit on the turn, to give Govorov a straight and leave Mullur drawing thin. The river showed the T♠ , meaning Govorov a doubled-up with his straight against the trip tens of Mullur

Hand 122 Samuel Mullur limped in from the small blind with 2♥ 2♣ and Or Nezer checked with 7♠ 3♣ from the big blind.

On the flop of 9♥ 6♠ Q♦ , both players checked through to see the 7♦ fall on the turn, where Mullur checked to Nezer, who led out for 800,000 and collected the pot.

Hand 123 Or Nezer shoved all in for 17,000,000 and Ivan Govorov called off his 5,900,000 in the big blind.

Or Nezer: J♠ 7♦

Ivan Govorov: A♥ Q♣

Govorov’s ace-queen was improved to two pair on the flop of A♦ Q♠ K♣ , leaving Nezer drawing thin. The 8♦ hit on the turn, and Nezer was still looking for a ten.

Unfortunately, the 9♥ landed on the river, ensuring another double-up for Govorov.

Hand 116 Or Nezer shoved from the small blind with 2♥ 2♦ and won the pot.

Hand 117 Nezer shoved from the button and took down the blinds.

Hand 118 Nezer opened to 1,000,000 with Q♥ 5♠ from under the gun and

Samuel Mullur three-bet from the big blind to 4,000,000 with A♥ 4♦ . Nezer folded.

Hand 119 Ivan Govorov made it 1,300,000 from under the gun and Nezer shoved from the big blind. Govorov called off his last 400,000.

Ivan Govorov: 8♠ 8♣

Or Nezer: 7♦ 4♠

Nezer did pair his four on the Q♥ 4♣ K♠ flop, but couldn't improve further as the 9♦ 5♣ runout kept the Snowmen of Govorov in the lead.

Hand 115 Dylan Foster opened the button to 1,000,000, only to be jammed by Or Nezer for 8,000,000 from the big bilnd.

Dylan Foster: A♠ Q♣

Or Nezer: 4♦ 4♣

Nezer’s pocket fours was improved to invincible quads on the flop of 4♥ 2♥ 4♠ , leaving Foster hopeless to win the pot.

The 3♣ turn and 3♥ river came on the board, officially awarding the sizable double-up to Nezer.

Hand 111 Samuel Mullur limped in from the small blind with J♥ 2♦ and Or Nezer checked the big blind with 9♣ 4♣ .

On the A♠ 5♣ 2♥ flop, Mullur check-called a bet of 500,000 from Nezer to the 4♥ turn, where both knuckled the table.

A 2♣ gave Mullur trips on the river and he fired out a sizable bet of 3,000,000. Nezer, with around 12,000,000 in his stack, flicked in the call with his four and paid off Mullur's bet.

Hand 112 Dylan Foster picked up A♣ K♠ under the gun and made it 1,000,000 to go, which earned him the pot as everybody folded.

Hand 113 Foster got a walk.

Hand 114 Ivan Govorov committed himself from the button and picked up the blinds.

Hand 107 Samuel Mullur limped in from the small blind with Q♥ 3♦ , and Or Nezer three-bet to 1,400,000 in the big blind with Q♣ 3♥ to win the pot.

Hand 108 Dylan Foster raised to 800,000 from under the gun with A♦ 5♣ and was defended by Ivan Govovrov from the big blind with Q♦ 3♦ .

A flop rolled off 8♠ T♠ 4♥ , and both players checked through to the 2♦ turn, where Govorov checked to Foster, who bet 650,000 and took down the pot.

Hand 109 Or Nezer opened the button with T♠ 6♠ to 800,000 and Dylan Foster defended from the bit blind with K♠ 7♠ .

On the flop of 9♣ 7♥ 9♦ , both players checked to see a 2♠ fall on the turn, where Foster bet 700,000 and Nezer put in a raise to 2,300,000. Foster called.

The river revealed a A♣ . Foster checked over and Nezer bet 1,500,000. Foster called to take down the pot.

Hand 110 Or Nezer raised to 800,000 from under the gun with Q♣ 7♣ and was called by Dylan Foster from the small blind with 9♣ 8♣ .

A flop filled out 2♥ A♠ 6♠ . Foster checked to Nezer, who bet to win the hand as Foster folded.

Hand 105 Or Nezer opened to 800,000 from the cutoff and Alexander Ugay shoved for 850,000 from the cutoff. When it got back to Nezer, he threw in the extra 50,000.

Alexander Ugay: A♣ J♦

Or Nezer: K♠ K♣

Ugay needed to start the ultimate of spin-ups, but didn't come much closer to achieving that after the 9♦ J♥ T♠ flop gave Nezer an open-ender. A 9♦ turn completed Nezer's straight, and left Ugay with just two outs to survive.

Unfortunately for Ugay, the Q♠ river wasn't what he needed, and he departed in fifth.

Hand 91 Alexander Ugay opened to 800,000 with A♥ 7♠ from the cutoff and Samuel Mullur called with the same hand, A♣ 7♥ , from the big blind.

On the 2♣ 9♦ 6♥ flop, both checked to the 3♥ turn, where Mullur check-called Ugay's bet of 700,000. When the 8♥ landed on the river, both checked and chopped the pot.

Hand 92 Mullur shoved from the small blind and Or Nezer quickly called from the small blind with 6,100,000.

Or Nezer: 7♠ 7♦

Samuel Mullur: J♦ 5♦

A flop of 9♥ 7♣ Q♣ gave Nezer a set and all but sealed his double-up. A Q♠ on the turn improved him to a full house, and left Mullur drawing dead. A meaningless A♦ completed the runout, and Nezer doubled up.

Hand 89 Samuel Mullur open-jammed for 25,000,000 with K♣ 5♣ in the cutoff and win the pot.

Hand 90 Or Nezer raised the cutoff to 800,000 and called by Alexander Ugay on the button, which Ivan Govorov shoved all in for 1,800,000 from the small blind. Nezer also went all in for 8,300,000, but Ugay folded.

Or Nezer: A♥ 4♦

Ivan Govorov: 9♠ 9♦

The flop came down 7♥ 7♠ 6♣ , improving Govorov to two pair. The 5♦ fell on the turn, and Govorov still needed to fade some outs to win the pot. Fortunately for Govorov, the river brought a 2♦ and offered him a double-up.

Hand 83 Samuel Mullur raised to 600,000 with 8♠ 8♣ from the cutoff and Alexander Ugay called with 5♥ 3♣ from the big blind.

On the 6♥ 4♦ 9♣ flop, both checked to the T♣ turn where Ugay shoved for 2,300,000. Mullur thought about it for a while, but eventually elected to fold, and Ugay got away with one.

Hand 84 Mullur opened 8♥ 6♥ from the hijack to 600,000 and won the pot.

Hand 85 Mullur opened to 600,000 with K♣ Q♦ from under the gun and Ugay called with 5♦ 5♣ on the button.

On the Q♥ J♥ 3♣ flop, both checked to the 2♦ turn. Mullur fired out 900,000, and Ugay quickly folded.

Hand 86 Mullur got a walk.

Hand 87 Mullur raised to 1,000,000 from the small blind with K♦ T♠ and won the pot.

Hand 88 Ivan Govorov raised to 600,000 from under the gun and Ugay shoved from the big blind for 2,800,000. Govorov quickly called.

Alexander Ugay: A♣ K♥

Ivan Govorov: T♠ T♣

Ugay was flipping for his tournament life, and took the lead when the dealer put out a flop of 6♠ 2♣ K♠ . Another king on the turn, the K♦ , gave Ugay trips, but didn't change the fact that Govorov still needed to find a ten to earn the knockout.

The 6♣ river was a brick, and Ugay doubled up, while Govorov tumbled to the bottom of the counts.

Hand 80 Or Nezer raised with 9♥ 9♦ from under the gun to 600,000 and Samuel Mullur defended his big blind holding T♦ 8♦ .

On the 5♥ 6♣ 3♥ flop, Mullur led out for 400,000 and Nezer called to the 7♠ turn. Mullur didn't slow down as he fired out 825,000 with his open-ended straight draw, and Nezer put in the call.

A 9♣ landed on the river, giving Mullur the nuts and Nezer a set! Mullur reached for the gold plaques and shoved, which gave Nezer a huge decision for his stack of almost 10,000,000. After burning through some time banks, Nezer elected to fold, and Mullur took down the pot.

Hand 81 Alexander Ugay jammed for 2,500,000 from the hijack with A♣ 8♠ and won the pot.

Hand 76 Samuel Mullur raised with K♠ 8♣ on the button to 600,000 and won the pot.

Hand 77 Ivan Govorov raised with T♠ T♣ to 2,000,000 from under the gun and collected the pot.

Hand 78 Dyland Foster raised with A♠ K♦ to 700,000 from under the gun and won the pot.

Hand 79 Or Nezer shoved all in for 14,000,000 in the hijack and Ivan Govorov also moved all in for 2,800,000 from the small blind.

Or Nezer: A♦ 3♦

Ivan Govorov: K♥ K♣

Govorov has Nezer dominated and just had to fade an ace or some diamonds to stay alive. The flop came down J♥ 2♠ 2♥ and Govorov still held the lead with his Cowboys. The rest of the board runout 4♦ 3♣ , earning Govorov the double-up.

Hand 71 Samuel Mullur raised with K♣ 7♥ from the cutoff to 600,000 and won the pot.

Hand 72 Or Nezer shoved from the cutoff with Q♣ 7♦ from the cutoff and took down the blinds.

Hand 73 Nezer made it 600,000 with J♣ 8♣ from the hijack and won the pot.

Hand 74 Dmitrii Belikov looked down at A♣ Q♠ in the hijack and made it 1,500,000 to go. Everybody else folded.

Hand 75 Mullur limped in from the small blind with J♦ 2♦ and Nezer made it 1,100,000 from the big blind with A♣ T♣ . Mullur called.

On a flop of Q♥ K♦ T♠ , both checked to the 4♠ turn, where they both tapped the table again. A 9♥ river saw Mullur complete his straight, and he fired out 2,600,000. Nezer laid it down.

Hand 68 Alexander Ugay raised with K♠ Q♦ in the cutoff to 600,000 and Dylan Foster three-bet ot 5,000,000 with Q♥ T♥ from the small blind to win the pot.

Hand 69 Samuell Mullur raised with A♦ Q♣ to 1,000,000 in the small blind and collected the pot.

Hand 70 Samuel Mullur raised with Q♠ 7♥ on the button to 600,000 and Or Nezer three-bet to 2,000,000 out of the small blind. Dmitrii Belikov then shoved all in from the big blind. Mullur folded, but Nezer dropped in a call.

Dmitrii Belikov: A♦ K♦

Or Nezer: A♠ Q♥

Nezer looked likely to be the next elimination at this final table as he had the inferior ace. The flop came down 4♣ 6♦ 5♥ which didn't improve either player. The 4♠ turn offered Nezer some chop outs, and when the 6♥ double-paired the board, Nezer should be thankful to the dealer that he is still seated in the Main Event.

Hand 64 Samuel Mullur opened the cutoff with Q♣ 2♣ to 600,000 and won the pot.

Hand 65 Mullur opened the hijack with K♠ 2♠ to 600,000 and Or Nezer three-bet to 1,700,000 on the button with A♥ K♣ . When it got back to Mullur, he laid it down.

Hand 66 Alexander Ugay made it 650,000 in the small blind with A♠ T♥ and Ivan Govorov called in the big blind holding K♣ Q♣ .

The flop came 5♠ 8♦ 2♣ and both checked to the 8♥ turn. Ugay bet 350,000 and Govorov let it go.

Hand 67 Or Nezer shoved from the hijack with A♥ 4♦ and picked up the blinds.

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 54 Dmitrii Belikov raised with K♥ 9♥ from the hijack and was defended by Samuel Mullur from the big blind with T♦ 7♦ .

On the flop of 4♣ 7♥ Q♠ , Mullur checked to Belikov, who bet 450,000. Mullur then raised it to 1,300,000 and won the pot.

Hand 55 Or Nezer raised with J♠ J♥ from under the gun to 500,000 and collected the pot.

Hand 56 Samuel Mullur raised to 500,000 on the button with A♦ Q♣ and won the pot.

Hand 57 Dylan Foster raised with K♣ 6♣ from the hijack to 500,000. Or Nezer three-bet to 1,700,000 from the small blind with A♠ A♣ and won the pot.

Hand 51 Samuel Mullur made it 500,000 to go with 5♠ 5♦ from the hijack and Alexander Ugay defended his big blind with A♦ 2♠ .

The flop came 6♠ Q♦ 9♣ and Ugay check-folded to the 600,000-chip bet of Mullur.

Hand 52 Ugay limped in from the small blind with K♦ 8♠ and Ivan Govorov checked his option in Q♦ 3♠ in the big blind.

On the Q♠ 2♣ A♠ flop, both checked to the 8♦ turn, where again both knuckled the table. A T♣ completed the board and Ugay check-called a bet of 250,000 from Govorov to scoop the pot with his pair of queens.

Hand 53 Or Nezer looked down at A♥ Q♣ in the hijack and min-raised to 500,000. Dylan Foster was in the big blind and defended holding T♥ 7♥ .

When the dealer put out a flop of A♠ 4♣ Q♦ , Foster check-folded after Nezer stabbed for 700,000 with his top two pair.

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 38 Or Nezer raised with T♥ 9♥ to 400,000 in the cutoff and Ivan Govorov called from the big blind with K♥ 5♥ .

On the flop of 6♠ 6♥ K♦ , Govorov checked and Nezer bet 200,000. Govorov called to see the Q♥ fall on the turn. The action went check-check.

The river revealed the 6♣ . Govorov fired 500,000 and won the pot.

Hand 39 Dmitrii Belikov raised to 400,000 in the cutoff with 9♠ 8♠ and Aleander Ugay called on the button with 4♦ 3♦ . Ivan Govoro three-bet to 1,600,000 from the small blind with A♣ K♦ and won the pot.

Hand 40 Samuel Mullur got a walk.

A monumental pot at the final table saw Samuel Mullur vault into the chip lead after a massive preflop showdown against Or Nezer. With seven players left and every chip carrying immense value, this hand could change the course of the tournament.

Hand 37 Mullur raised to 400,000 from the hijack, and Nezer three-bet the button to 1,100,000. Once the blinds folded, Mullur responded with a four-bet to 2,600,000. Nezer used a time bank before deciding to shove, and Mullur snap-called for his stack of over 7,000,000.

Samuel Mullur: A♠ A♣

Or Nezer: A♥ 4♥

Nezer had picked his spot but ran straight into Mullur’s pocket rockets. The 7♣ Q♦ K♥ flop left him with only a few backdoor outs, and the J♠ on the turn eliminated any hope of winning the pot outright. A ten could still force a chop, but instead, the 2♥ landed on the river, securing Mullur the huge double-up and the chip lead.

A massive swing at the final table as Mullur now positions himself as the player to beat with seven remaining!

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 14 Ivan Govorov raised the button to 320,000 with Q♦ T♣ and Dylan Foster shoved 7♦ 7♣ from the small blind. Govorov had just over 3,000,000 behind and elected to fold, earning Foster the pot.

Hand 15 Alexander Ugay looked down at A♠ K♥ and raised to 320,000 from the hijack. Nobody else wanted to play, and Ugay took the pot.

Hand 16 Or Nezer raised A♠ Q♠ to 320,000 from early position and Samuel Mullur defended with Q♥ 2♥ from the big blind.

They went to a flop of 6♣ 5♠ 7♦ where Mullur check-folded to the 255,000-chip bet from Nezer.

Hand 17 Nezer picked up A♥ Q♣ from under the gun and again made it 320,000 to go. Mullur then made it 800,000 from the small blind with A♣ T♦ , and Nezer almost immediately shoved. Mullur quickly folded.

Hand 18 Hiroya Iwamoto raised to 325,000 with A♠ 7♠ from the cutoff and won the pot.

Hand 19 Ugay raised to 320,000 from under the gun with A♣ 6♣ and Adalsteinn Karlsson shoved for around 2,300,000 with A♥ K♦ from middle position. When it got back to Ugay, he folded.

Hand 7 Jie Zhang looked down at A♥ Q♠ from under the gun and raised to 325,000 and took down the pot.

Hand 8 Hiroya Iwamoto raised to 325,000 on the button with A♠ 4♠ and Samuel Mullur shoved K♣ J♣ from the small blind for around 2,100,000. Iwamoto mulled it over for a while but eventually elected to lay it down.

Hand 9 Alexander Ugay raised to 320,000 from early position with A♥ Q♣ and took down the pot.

Hand 10 Ivan Govorov made it 320,000 from early position holding 9♥ 9♣ and Or Nezer called with 9♦ 9♠ from the small blind.

With both players having the same hand, they went to a flop of 4♠ Q♣ Q♥ where Nezer check-called a bet of 265,000 from Govorov. An 8♦ dropped on the turn and again Nezer went into check-call mode after Govorov fired out 550,000.

Another eight, the 8♣ , completed the runout and both players knuckled the table and split 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!

Or Yaaqov Nezer raised the cutoff to 240,000, and Jeoffrey Sibal shoved all in for 1,210,000. Nezer made the call to put Sibal at risk.

Jeoffrey Sibal: K♦ T♦

Or Yaaqov Nezer: K♣ Q♣

Nezer was ahead with the queen kicker. A flop came down 2♣ 8♠ 9♣ , giving Nezer a flush draw.

The turn revealed a 6♦ and Sibal received a straight draw. The Q♦ hit on the river, pairing Nezer’s queen and sending Sibal to the rail in eleventh place for a payday of PHP 679,000 (~$11,667).

Or Yaaqov Nezer opened the cutoff to 240,000, only to be jammed by Ivan Govorov on the cutoff. Nezer dropped in a call to put Govorov at risk.

Ivan Govorov: A♠ 9♦

Or Yaaqov Nezer: J♠ 8♠

Govorov was ahead with ace-nine, and the flop came down A♣ T♣ Q♥ , pairing Govorov's ace and offering Nezer a straight draw.

The 4♥ landed on the turn. Nezer was still looking for a nine. However, the river brought a 6♠ , awarding another double-up. This time to Govorov instead.

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.

Dylan Foster raised to 200,000 from the hijack and was defended by Or Yaaqov Nezer from the big blind.

Both players checked through a flop of 2♠ 2♥ 6♦ to the 9♦ turn. The action went check-check again.

The river showed Q♦ . Nezer checked it to Foster, who fired 275,000, which Nezer called to take it to a showdown. Foster tabled king-high with K♥ J♦ while Nezer flipped ace-high with A♦ 5♥ to collect the pot.

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

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

Or Yaaqov Nezer raised to 160,000 from under the gun and received two callers: Dylan Foster from the cutoff and Niklas Warlich in the big blind.

Three players checked through the K♠ 3♣ Q♦ flop to see a 6♠ fall on the turn, where Warlich fired 300,000, which only Foster made the call.

The river showed a 9♦ . Warlich sent another barrel of 800,000 and took down the pot as Foster threw his cards into the muck.

Shinya Matsuda raised to 130,000 from under the gun. When action reached Or Yaaqov Nezer in the big blind, he moved all-in, threatening the shorter stack of Matsuda.

Matsuda made the call and put his tournament life at risk.

Shinya Matsuda Q♠ Q♦

Or Yaaqov Nezer A♦ T♠

The flop came 6♦ A♠ 7♠ giving Nezer the lead with a pair of aces.

Nezer held the lead all the way after the 2♥ turn and K♦ river did noting to save Matsuda, sending him to the rail.

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.

Or Yaaqov Nezer raised to 60,000 then Dimitir Belikov three-bet to 155,000. When action came back to Nezer, he shoved all-in. Belikov immediately folded, giving Nezer a decent scoop to push his stack past the million mark.

In a following hand, Rishi Mehra raised to 60,000 and Nezer defended the big blind. Both players were given a flop of 4♠ 4♣ 9♠

Nezer check-called the 45,000 bet of Mehra to open a J♠ on the turn. Nezer check-called again for 120,000 to open a Q♥ on the river. Both players checked. Nezer peeled open 9♥ 7♦ with the pair of nines giving him a decent pot to build his stack even more.