APT Main Event (60,000 PHP)

With the board showing Q♠ J♦ 8♥ J♣ , John Tech led out with a 3,500 bet, quickly called by Naoto Saito, seated to his left.

The dealer revealed the 3♠ river, and Tech ramped up the aggression, firing 13,500 into the pot. Saito, unwilling to back down, made the call.

At showdown, Tech tabled A♠ A♦ , but Saito revealed K♥ J♥ for three of a kind, scooping the pot and leaving Tech on a short stack as the chips slid across the table.

A 23,000 chip pot had already built between John Tech and Lianli Xu when the board read K♠ 5♠ 4♠ T♣ . On the 3♦ , Tech moved all-in for 22,100, putting his tournament life on the line.

Xu went deep into the tank, carefully analyzing the situation—was Tech really holding the nuts? After several moments of deliberation, Xu finally slammed his stack into the middle, committing to the call.

John Tech: A♠ 7♠ Lianli Xu: K♣ T♠

Tech triumphantly tabled the nut flush, leaving Xu shaking his head as his stack dwindled back to nearly its starting amount. Tech, meanwhile, scooped the massive pot, keeping his tournament hopes alive.