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.

With his tournament life on the line, Lianli Xu shoved all-in preflop, facing off against Naoto Saito in a high-stakes confrontation.

Lianli Xu: Q♥ Q♠

Naoto Saito: A♥ K♣

Xu looked over the table as the dealer slowly peeled off the J♠ 6♥ 3♣ flop. Without an Ace on the board, Xu continued to pray that his Queens would hold. Xu dodged an Ace further with the 2♣ turn, and finally, the 8♦ river—delivering a much needed double up for Xu!

Xu relieved and satisfied with the stack surge, sat back down while Saito let out a deep sigh, watching a chunk of his chips slide across the table.