APT Main Event (60,000 PHP)

After ten intense sixty-minute levels of play inside Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, Flight A of the PHP 60,000 APT Main Event has come to a close. A total of 218 entries battled it out on the felt, but by the end of the night, only 67 players had secured their spot for Day 2. With chips bagged and dreams still alive, the road to the title is just getting started.

Of the survivors, one name stood above the rest as Tomoki Terashima from Japan bagged up 347,300 chips and sits alone at the top of the counts. Terashima surged ahead of the field after winning a massive all-in showdown against compatriot Nobuaki Sasaki. With both players’ significant stacks on the line, Sasaki failed to complete his straight draw, falling short against Terashima’s Ace-King, which paired the Ace on the flop to secure the victory.

Close behind is Andrius Janca from Lithuania with 338,000 chips and Thijs Hilberts from the Netherlands with 292,600 chips Three former APT Champions have also secured their spots in Day 2 - Filipino Christopher Mateo with 206,400 chips, Yon Paredes from Peru with 169,800 chips and local celebrity John Tech with 84,700 chips. With their experience and sizable chip stacks, these seasoned players will definitely challenge the field as they chase for another APT Lion Trophy.

Other notables include Benjamin Jacobs (208,500), Jason Wong (188,700), Dylan Foster (181,800), Edward Yam (156,300), Natural8 Ambassador Hua-Wei Lin (155,100), and Daniel Smiljkovic (96,600).

With 218 entries recorded in Flight A, the total field has now grown to 420 players, boosted by an additional 202 qualifiers. With three more opening flights still to come, the final number is expected to climb even higher. A solid chunk of the PHP 60,000,000 guaranteed prize pool has already been chipped away, and with registration still open, the guarantee is inching closer to being met and surpassed.

Flight B of the Main Event will kick off tomorrow at 11am local time and will have ten 60-minute levels of play. Registration for the second flight of Day 1 will be open until 8:30pm.

Tirajad Sirimueanphong and Yohn Paredes limped in from early position, but Rajeev Kanjani decided to raise it up to 1,300. Thijs Hilberts called, as did Sirimueanphong and Paredes called, creating a four-way pot.

The flop came 9♣ T♥ K♥ . The action checked to Kanjani, who continued with a 2,800 bet. Hilberts folded, while Sirimueanphong and Paredes called.

Three players saw the 5♣ turn. The action was checked over to Kanjani again, and he fired 5,600. Sirimueanphong tanked before making the call, while Paredes also tanked but ultimately folded, leaving it heads-up to the river.

The river brought the A♠ . Sirimueanphong eyed Kanjani’s stack and took so much time that eventually, the clock was called on him. He opted to check, and Kanjani checked behind.

Sirimueanphong tabled 6♥ 5♥ for a pair of fives, but Kanjani showed A♥ K♣ for top two pair to claim a healthy-sized pot.