APT High Roller (200,000 PHP)

Short stacked Nopparut Piyatassakorn shoved all-in for 735,000 from the hijack and John Matsuda re-jammed all-in from the button for 1,600,000. Emilien Pivaty was in the big blind and immediately called when after he took a peek at his cards.

Nopparut Piyatassakorn: A♠ 7♠

John Matsuda: J♦ J♣

Emilien Pivaty: A♥ A♣

The aces of Pivaty had an opportunity to earn a double knockout, and that's exactly what happened when the board came 3♣ 8♦ 5♠ 3♠ T♦ .

Matsuda earns a fifth place finish for PHP 1,573,000 (~USD 27,027), with a stack bigger than Piyatassakorn who finishes in 6th for PHP 1,241,000 (~USD 21,323).

Matsuda made another 5th place finish in the Super High Roller event in this series along with 3 other cashes. Matsuda's total live earnings have moved up to over USD 700,000.

Piyatassakorn cashed in as a runner-up in the Single Day High Roller event earlier this week. His two final table appearances in this series has moved his total career cashes to nearly USD 150,000.

Players are now on break. Here are the current chip counts of the final 6 players.

Hand 26: Emilien Pitavy raised on the button with J♥ T♥ to 100,000 and got a three-bet from small blind Benjamin Jacobs to 250,000 with 7♥ 3♣ . Pitavy made the call taking them to the flop.

Jacobs fired 485,000 on the flop Q♠ 4♠ 7♦ and took down the pot.

Hand 27: Nopparut Piyatassakorn open-shoved all-in in the small blind with A♠ 8♦ and won the pot.

Hand 28: Benjamin Jacobs raised to 60,00 in the cutoff with A♥ K♥ and got called by Piyatassakorn on the button with K♣ J♥ . Yohei Kitazato, in the small blind, had other plans and shoved all-in with A♣ K♦ . Jacobs replied with his own all-in making Piyatassakorn fold.

The two players saw they had the same hand and waited for the board to be completed. The board dropped 8♣ T♦ 4♥ T♠ J♣ then split the pot.

Hand 29: John Matsude in the small blind went all in with 8♠ 8♦ and won the pot.

Hand 30: Matsude on the button limped with 9♠ 7♠ . Leon Sturm, in the small blind, followed suit holding Q♣ 8♣ . Emilien Pitavy in the big blind raised to 350,000 for T♠ T♣ and scooped the pot.

Hand 31: Matsuda raised in cutoff to 120,000 holding K♣ T♣ and was called Pitavy with A♠ J♠ in the small blind. Jacobs in iblind also called with J♣ 4♣ to see a flop.

The flop came 3♦ T♦ A♣ which all players checked.

Pitavy led with a 100,000 bet on the turn K♦ making Jacobs fold his hand. Matsuda,however, called to see the last community card.

Both players checked the river 2♦ and Matsuda scooped the pot for two pair.

Hand 21: Nopparut Piyatassakorn raised to 125,000 on the button with Q♣ J♠ and Yohei Kitazato three-bet to 400,000 on the big blind with A♥ T♥ and got Piyatassakorn to fold.

Hand 22: Yohei Kitazato raised to 100,000 on the button with 2♠ 2♣ and Sturm three-bet to 350,000 with A♥ 3♣

Kitazato matched the bet to see a flop of K♠ J♣ Q♥ Sturm led with 115,000 and Kitazato stepped out of the way from the painted board.

Hand 23: Leon Sturm called on the small blind with Q♦ J♠ and Emilien Pitavy checked the big blind with K♦ 9♣

The flop arrived A♠ 4♥ Q♥ Both players checked to open a 5♣ on the turn.

Sturm bet out 105,000 and Pitavy got out of the way.

Hand 24: Leon Sturm raised to 105,000 on the button with J♥ 9♦ and scooped the blinds.

Hand 25: Emilien Pitavy raised to 100,000 on the button with J♥ T♥ Small blind Benjamin Jacobs three-bet to 350,000 with 7♥ 3♣ .

Pitavy matched to see a flop of Q♠ 4♠ 7♦ . Jacobs led out ffor 450,000 and Pitavy folded.

Hand 7: Benjamin Jacobs opened to 80,000 in middle position with A♦ T♣ and got called by Yohei Kitazato with Q♠ J♠ on the button and John Matsuda in big blind with 9♥ 8♥ sending all three players to the flop.

The flop came 7♦ 2♣ 7♣ which was checked by all players. Matsuda led with 230,000 on the turn 5♥ , enough to make Jacobs and Kitazato fold. He scooped the pot.

Hand 8: Adalstein Karlsson woke up with K♦ K♣ and raised to 80,000 in hijack. He got called by Leon Sturm in the big blind with T♦ 6♦ taking both players to the flop. The flop came 2♠ 9♣ 8♥ and was checked by Sturm. Karlsson continued with 110,000 and took down the pot.

Hand 9: Matsuda raised to 80,000 on the button with K♠ K♣ and got called by Emilien Pitavy in big blind with J♥ 9♥ . The flop dropped 8♥ 4♠ 7♣ and was checked by both players. Pitavy bet 60,000 on the turn 4♣ and Matsuda flat called. Pitavy bet 260,000 having completed his straight on the T♠ river and got called by Matsuda. Matsuda mucked upon seeing Pitavy's hand.

Hand 10: Vlada Stojanovic raised to 80,000 in hijack with A♣ J♦ and got an all-in shove from Matsuda with A♥ Q♣ in cutoff. Stojanovic mucked and Matsuda took down the pot.

Hand 11: Pitavy raised to 80,000 on the button with A♠ 6♦ and got called by Nopparut Piyatassakorn in big blind with T♦ 8♦ taking them to the flop. The flop came down J♦ K♠ 3♥ and was checked by both players. Passing the action, Pitavy bet 105,000 on the the Q♣ turn and Piyatassakorn flat called. Piyatassakorn bet 120,000 on the 9♣ river which gave him a straight. Pitavy folded and the pot was awarded to Piyatassakorn.

Hand 5: Nopparut Piyatassakorn raised to 100,000 on the button and the blinds did not challenge.

Hand 6: Benjamin Jacobs raised to 85,000 on the hi-jack with A♦ J♠ and Nopparut Piyatassakorn three-bet to 240,000 with A♠ A♣ from the cut-off. Jacobs called.

The flop came down T♠ 3♠ 4♣ causing Jacobs to check. Piyatassakorn fired 120,000 and Jacobs then raised to 450,000. Piyatassakorn carved out the call.

The 2♠ landed on the turn and Jacobs moved all in for 2,300,000. Piyatassakorn went into deep thought and threw in a few time bank tokens, wondering what to do and if an axe would be a good weapon during a zombie invasion. Piyatassakorn eventually folded his rockets. Jacobs flashed his cards to the table, which resulted in some "oohs" from around the table.

There will now be a short break while the final nine players prepare for the final table.

The level will also be rolled back to Level 22 (20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 big blind ante) to ensure that the average stack for the final table is 30 big blinds.

Following the 11th-place bust out, play tightened considerably as players carefully navigated the final table bubble. With only one more elimination before the official final table and a PHP 100,000 pay jump between 10th and 9th place, every decision became crucial.

Preflop raises and folds dominated the action. Some players shoved all in, only to see their opponents perform what felt like a magic trick—a small blind would shove, and the big blind would slowly peel his cards, deciding whether to call. At times, it felt more like baccarat than poker.

But once in a blue moon, a flop was finally seen.

Nopparut Piyatassakorn raised to 80,000, and Vlada Stojanovich defended from the big blind.

The flop came J♦ 9♠ 7♠ , and Stojanovich check-called a 90,000 bet from Piyatassakorn to see the 9♣ turn. Stojanovich then led out for 125,000, but Piyatassakorn responded with a raise to 300,000. Without hesitation, Stojanovich folded.

Vlada Stonajovic opened for 80,000 in cutoff and got one caller in Piyatassakorn Nopparut in big blind taking both players to the flop.

The flop came 8♠ 6♠ 7♠ which both players checked. Nopparut bet our 60,000 on the 8♥ turn and was called by Stonajovic. On the river A♠ Nopparut threw in a time bank card to consider his options. He finally fired 125,000 chips. Stojanovic stared Nopparut down for a few seconds then made the call.

Nopparut immediately threw his hand in the muck, making Stojanovic smile not having to show his cards.

Piyatassakorn Nopparut opened for 80,000 from the hijack and faced a three-bet from Adalsteinn Karlsson in the cutoff. Nopparut made the call, sending both players to the flop.

The dealer fanned out 3♣ 8♦ 8♣ , and Nopparut check-called Karlsson’s continuation bet of 105,000. Both players then opted to check the T♥ turn.

On the river 4♠ , Nopparut fired out 140,000. Karlsson used a time bank card to deliberate but ultimately made the call. Nopparut tabled 6♥ 6♣ for two pair with the board, prompting Karlsson to muck his hand. Nopparut raked in the pot, further adding to his massive stack.

Naohiro Matsuda raised to 25,000 from early position, and Nopparut Piyatassakorn defended the big blind.

The flop came 8♥ 4♠ J♠ , and Piyatassakorn check-called the 18,000 bet from Matsuda.

When the 3♣ hit the turn, Piyatassakorn checked to allow Matsuda to bet 40,000. Piyatassakorn raised to 95,000, and Matsuda fought back with another raise, making it 200,000 to go. Piyatassakorn didnt long to fold his cards and forfeit the pot to Piyatassakorn.