Main Event (45,000 PHILIPPINE PESO)

Chip leader Edilberto Gopez of the Philippines raises to 80,000 on his CO and former chip leader Tasuku Maruo 3-bets all-in for 750,000. This ploy would usually work against steal attempt, but Gopez wasn't trying steal just the blinds and ante. Gopez calls.

Maruo turns over Q♥ T♥ and Gopez shows K♣ K♥ .

The flop offered a semblance of hope for the Japanese player as it went 7♦ 6♥ 5♥ for a flush draw, However, the turn was the 6♦ and the river was the 3♦ as Maruo exits in 13th place for PhP260,000 (~US$4,642).

Folded to his CO, Japan's Tasuku Maruo raises to 80,000 and William Ysmael of the PHilippines is there to provide the call from the BB.

The flop is Q♥ T♠ Q♠ as Ysmael checks. Maruo CBets for 50,000 and the Filipino makes the call.

The turn is the K♣ and this time both gentlemen check.

The river is the 7♣ . Ismael fires 340,000. Maruo tanks and folds.

All players now guaranteed PhP198,000 (~US$3,535):

Coming off an encouraging double up a few hands previous holding Big Slick, the cards make an appearance again for Filipino Joemark Vasay as he uses it in a raised pot by Japan's Tasuku Maruo who pumps it up from UTG for 35,000. Vasay now shoves a more damaging stack of 264,000 from the HJ. Everyone folds back to Maruo who makes the call.

Maruo tables T♣ T♠ while Vasay's Big Slick is now in the form of A♦ K♣ .

The start of the run out instantly brings bad news to the Filipino: T♥ 7♠ 4♣ as Maruo flops a set. No sweat card comes on the turn of 8♠ and to add insult to injury, the K♥ is the river card.

Vasay is railed and Maruo nears the one million chip mark with the triumph.

A♠ the dust settles in an action-packed Day 1A of the Manila Megastack 19 Main Event, Tasuku Maruo of Japan leads the pack who advanced to Day 2 of the competition and the 12 players who survived the 15 level grind are now assured a chunk of the PhP20 Million (~US$357,000) guaranteed prize pool.

Maruo was among the most active players in the competition and was involved in two eliminations towards the latter portion of the evening when his Q♦ Q♠ ousted the desperation shove of Singapore's Wei Amos Yi Zhu's 2♣ 2♠ and just a few hands later when he outdrew Canadian Thomas Lee's A♥ 8♣ with his K♦ T♦ on a board of 2♦ 4♣ 3♥ T♥ 4♦ . Maruo's stack of 410,000 is the only one that concluded the day with over 100 BBs (103 BBs).

Finishing in second is Jose Colada who is one of four local aspirants to make it through. Colada, who incidentally ousted Money Bubble Ryuta Sakurai of Japan, amassed 388,000 in holdings.

Another Japanese player in Dexter Santos took third with 236,000.

Day 2 is on Saturday (September 28).

Chips in play: 2,340,000

Average stack: 195,000 (49 BB)

Blinds: 2,000/4,000 (4,000 BB Ante)

Remaining players: 12

Dates: September 25-29, 2024

Buy in: Php 45,000 (~US$800)

Guarantee: PhP20,000,000 (~US$357,000)

Day 1A entries: 78 / 12 qualified

Day 1B: Thursday, September 26

Day 1c: Friday, September 27

Day 1D (Turbo): Friday, September 27

Day 2: Saturday, September 28

Day 3/Final Day: Sunday, September 29

China's Li Xinjing raises from UTG to 4,500 and gets calls from Tasuku Maruo of Japan (CO) and Singapore's Wei Amos Yi Zhu (SB).

The flop comes 6♠ J♦ 2♣ as Wei checks. Li fires a CBet of 5,500 and gets a call from Maruo. Wei folds.

The turn is the 5♣ and this time it's Li who opts to check. Maruo bets 12,000 and Li walks away from the pot.