Kick-off (16,500 PHP)

With 173 entries today we doubled yesterdays field of 86 and the same can be said for the action. A lot of players have more than one bullet to their name and the final chip counts reveal Shimojo Keijiro being the only one topping half a million largely due to him eliminating Christian Lortie on the bubble, adding a hefty 166,000 last minute.

Roxanne Victorino - one of the multi bullet contenders - bagged the 2nd highest stack with 440,000 after a roller coaster ride early in the game. Closely followed by Hyunbae Lim with 439,000 and both players topping yesterdays chip leader Jess Dalipe who will start Day 2 with 379,000.

The full chip counts are as follows :

Not knowing it yet, Christian Lortie initiates the last hand of the day with a 146,000 jam from HJ with A♠ 6♣ and gets called by big stack Shimojo Keijiro from the button, holding A♣ J♣ to dominate. More eyes than usual follow the hands of the dealer flip over K♣ 7♠ 4♠ 8♥ T♦ to end Flight B, sending Christian Lortie to the rail.

Being so close to the bubble, Liao Po Hsun elects to put 136,000 into the middle from UTG, holding K♦ Q♦ , but probably doesn't feel too good when hearing call from +2 Chua Woo Hian who covers and flips over A♠ J♦ . The dealer keeps everyone on their toes by hitting the felt 2♣ T♥ A♦ 2♥ and a gasp goes through the room on the river J♣ for Liao Po Hsun to stay alive and double up.

With Michael Bueza pumping it up to 20,000 from the button and Christopher Mateo jamming 93,000 behind we have the dealer take center stage once more.

UTG Michihiko Matsuda jams 82,000 with T♥ T♣ and finds a customer in +2 Edgar Asehan who has only 60,000 left with A♦ J♣ . The latter hitting a jack, but gets out drawn with a straight on 5♥ Q♣ J♥ K♥ 9♦ and has to pack up his things.

Alex Taneo starts us off with a 12,000 open from +1 and CO Shiina Tsubasa calls to see the flop J♣ 8♥ 5♥ . Checked to the river 5♠ 7♠ Alex Taneo tries again for 12,000 with A♣ 3♣, but gets called by Shiina Tsubasa showing A♥ 9♥ for the better kicker.

Picking up the the action on a Q♦ K♠ 6♥ flop and 45,000 in the middle, we check to the river A♦ T♠ with Jonald Garcia sliding in a strong 40,000 bet out of position that takes it down against Lee Jongho.

UTG Andrei Vavilonskii looks down at 3♥ 4♥ , slides his last big blind in the middle and the action folds to Alex Taneo on the button who successfully isolates for 20,000 with A♦ Q♣ and the dealer cooks up 6♦ 6♠ K♥ 7♣ 2♣ , sending another player to the rail.

Kawa Kami Yuta announces all-in for 32,000 in +2 and button Inocentes Alvir does the same for 37,000 and the card go in the middle.

Looi Tek Wye Jonathan jams for 32,000 from +1 and finds a customer in CO Lenart Ecarma, successfully isolating to table the cards for another race.

A quick 44,000 all-in from CO Marcial Lou with A♥ 9♥ and an even quicker call from BB Liao Po Hsun with A♦ Q♠ has the dealer prepare to deal the board K♥ T♠ 3♦ 5♥ 7♦ , no help for the underdog, thinning out the field some more.

First to act Shimojo Keijiro opens for 9,000, +1 calls and HJ Marcos Ian Czar announces all-in for 37,000. SB Sakui Sho flings 23,000 in the middle for an all-in call that is called by Shimojo Keijiro with +1 getting out of the way. Three way showdown with two players at risk!

Dmitrii Belikov starts us off with a raise to 6,000 from HJ and Jeongwoo Heo jams 25,000 from the button with J♣ J♦ . Filling up and tabling 6♠ 5♠ , Dmitrii Belikov watches the dealer put some color on the felt 4♠ 5♥ 4♥ 9♣ K♥ and slides his part of the pot over to Jeongwoo Heo.

With +1 making it 6,500, enough to put HJ Munoz Roden all-in for 5,500 and BB Pavlou Anastasios announcing his own all-in for 58,000 to successfully isolate we have the dealer in the spotlight.

With a 6,000 open from Initia Jester, followed by an 18,000 three-bet from Winifred Obedoza we see Initia Jester shove for 58,500, enough to end the hand right there.

SB Alex Taneo opens for 5,500 and Pavlou Anastasios finds a call to see the flop 9♦ J♦ 7♣ . Countering the SB's 6,000 c-bet with a 15,500 raise of his own we see the turn 6♦ and Alex Taneo takes over the reins once more by announcing all-in and taking home the pot.

Looi Tek Wye Jonathan starts us off with a raise to 5,000 from CO and both blinds defend with Lee Suya being all-in. The board gets checked to J♠ Q♦ 8♥ 6♣ and SB Lenart Ecarma tests the waters for 3,000. A call, the river 6♠ and another 25,000 from the SB eliminates the initial raiser and Lenart Ecarma takes all the chips with Q♠ Q♥ , sending Lee Suya home in the process.

Another min-open from UTG Jonald Garcia and a jam for 15,000 from HJ Tracy Crisostomo has the eyes on the dealer once more.

A min-raise from Ryan Tan in HJ triggers an all-in for 24,500 from BB Kim Hong Ko for a heads up showdown.

First to act Qi Le Wah limps with a 6,000 raise from HJ Chang Chen-Ming who finds two callers for the flop 2♣ 4♣ A♣ . A 9,000 c-bet only gets called by limper Qi Le Wah for the dealer to table the K♦ on the turn. Another 18,000 from Chang Chen-Ming seals the deal, banking a nice pot.

A 3,500 open from UTG Munoz Roden and two calls behind from HJ and BU, the dealer hits the felt with 8♥ 2♥ 4♥ for a 2,500 c-bet from Munoz Roden, followed by a 7,500 raise from Singapan Ricardo for the turn T♣ heads up. All-in and a call with Munoz Roden having K♥ T♥ against Singapan Ricardo's Q♥ 9♥ for a cooler to send Singapan Ricardo packing.

Picking up the action on the flop Q♥ T♥ 2♣ and 16,000 already in the middle, BB Sean Carbonneau shoves for a massive 40,000 with 5♥ 4♥ , Cerbito Marciel calls with the higher flush draw 8♥ 6♥ , but the dealer surprises with 7♦ 5♣ , pairing up Sean Carbonneau and moving 98,500 his way.

With less than two big blinds, Francisco Sanchez is all-in from HJ to the 3,000 open from +2 and Artae Pee Jay defends in BB. On the flop 9♣ K♣ 4♠ a simple 3,000 lead from Artae Pee Jay with 6♥ 4♥ is enough to go heads up against Francisco Sanchez' J♠ 8♠ with bottom pair holding on Q♣ Q♠ and we lose another player in the process.

With no more option to re-enter the action, the current leaderboard consists of the following names :

Kim Hyeongjung opens for 2,500 under the gun, BU Hyunbae Lim announces all-in for 13,500 and the next race is in the dealers hands.

CO Edgar Asehan puts his remaining 29,700 out front with A♠ Q♥ and BB Geronimo Manuel calls with T♥ T♠ for a flip. The dealer favors the high cards, revealing K♣ A♥ 3♠ 5♦ A♦ for Edgar Asehan to double.

With CO Jung Lovo opening for 2,500 and a defend from BB Choi Wing Ho we see the flop 8♣ A♣ T♣ . Two c-bets for 3,000 and 50,000 on the turn Q♦ , Choi Wing Ho calls for 44,500 left with Q♣ 9♦ against Jung Lovo's A♥ 9♠ . The river J♣ completes Choi Wing Ho's flush for a double up.

Richard Marquez goes all-in from +1 for 34,500 and gets called by BB Raymundo Gomez for the dealer to hit the felt five times in a row.

First to act slides out 1,200, +1 Winifred Obedoza calls and CO Looi Tek Wye Jonathan pumps it to 3,500 with the initial raiser exiting. The flop K♣ 2♥ 3♠ has Looi Tek Wye Jonathan continue for 1,200 which is enough to scoop the pot.

A 26,300 cold four-bet shove from Joseph Magnotti in the SB has only HJ Hyunbae Lim stick around for the dealer to arrange the cards and flip over 4♦ 6♠ 9♥ 3♣ 2♥ .

Vavilonskii Andrei opens 2,500 from UTG with K♠ 7♠ and forks over the rest to call Noguchi Yoshihiro's 7,700 all-in from the button with 2♠ 2♥ . The dealer reveals 5♠ J♠ 5♥ 4♠ A♣ completing a flush for the big stack and Noguchi Yoshihiro hits the rail.

Fresh from his Main Event victory in Cambodia, Mateo Christopher starts us off with 2,100 from the button, countered by SB Balciunas Dalius' 6,000 and the dealer tables 2♦ 6♦ 7♦ . A 3,000 c-bet and a call reveal the turn 3♣ . Check-raise allin for Balciunas Dalius with Q♥ Q♦ to put Mateo Christopher all-in who is ahead with 7♥ 2♥ . The river A♠ doesn't change anything and Mateo doubles.

With five players trying to have a piece of the pot pre flop, only Keita Kashifuku and Roxanne Victorino remain standing with the former being at risk for 22,500.

Opening with a 12,700 jam holding T♦ 9♥ , Nakamura Kento is at risk when SB Kim Kunwoo calls and flips over A♦ 9♠ . The dealer - having a soft spot for underdogs - tables Q♠ 5♦ T♥ 4♦ 2♦ and Nakamura Kento stays in the tournament.

With a 2,200 open from CO Francisco Sanchez and a 6,000 reraise from SB Lee I-Ting the dealer reveals 3♣ 9♣ 5♦ . A simple c-bet does the trick for Lee I-Ting and we move on.

An 18,000 open from UTG Takuya Shinoda is enough to put CO Inocentes Alvir all-in and we have another race on our hands.

Bryan Wong opens 2,200 from +1 and takes along HJ and BU for a flop 4♦ 3♣ T♦ . Checked to Pang Ying on the button we see 4,100 go into the middle for a call and a 15,100 jam from HJ Masanori Ishihara. The rest of the chips go in for a three way show down.

Chua Woo Hian starts us off with a 2,000 raise from UTG, called by BU and BB for the flop 8♠ 4♦ 4♠ and a check around for the turn K♥ . Checked to the button we see 2,200 added to the pot that gets met with a 7,000 raise from BB Chen Chun-Yuan and a 9,200 all-in for Chua Woo Hian holding A♦ A♣ with only Chen Chun-Yuan filling up to show Q♠ 9♣ . An insignificant 6♥ on the river has Chua Woo Hian scoop the chips.

With UTG initiating the action for 1,700, but a three-bet and a call for 4,500 from BU and BB we see the flop heads up showing 6♥ J♠ 6♦ . C-bet from BU Marquez Richard for 2,000 and a call gets checked to the river 5♠ 9♣ . This time a 10,000 lead takes it down for Marquez.

HJ Pang Ying opens 2,000 and finds three customers behind. The flop J♠ 7♥ 5♣ has Pang Ying c-bet for another 2,800 to see the turn 2♥ three-way. When checked to him, BU Chua Bernard puts his remaining 10,200 in the middle and takes down the pot.

Chua Bernard starts the action with a 7,700 jam from CO holding Q♣ 7♣ and SB Takuya Shinoda has an easy call with A♥ Q♦ . The dealer tables 8♠ 3♥ K♦ 7♦ 9♥ for Chua Bernard to take his seat again.

UTG Ivan Goh jams K♠ T♥ for 16,700 and finds a caller to his left in Kimura Nao holding K♣ J♦ . Some hope but to no avail when the dealer flips over J♣ 9♥ K♥ 2♠ 9♠ and Ivan Goh is out.

Kim Kunwoo opens 1,500 from +1 and BU Asakawa Yoshihito's 4,500 takes us to the flop J♠ 8♥ A♠ and chips go flying with Asakawa Yoshihito at risk holding A♣ K♣ against Kim Kunwoo's A♥ J♥ two pair. The board completes 6♥ 3♦ eliminating Asakawa Yoshihito.

With Kang Myeonghwa starting the action in CO for 1,200 and two calls we see the flop 5♠ 9♦ 4♦ . Checked to the button a 2,000 bet goes into the middle and everyone sticks around for the turn J♣ . Kang Myeonghwa is the one in the lead this time for a 7,000 jam with T♣ 7♣ and a call by BB Teliani Nohad with Q♠ 9♠ but the dealer has no help in store for Kang Myeonghwa, who misses the river 4♥ and is out.

With SB Roxanne Victorino jamming for 5,600 two hands after the double and button Asakawa Yoshihito calling all eyes go to the dealer again.

With the remaining 3,300 going in the middle, UTG Roxanne Victorino gets called by CO Sean Carbonneau and the outcome is in the dealers hands.

With a four bet war between Magnotti Joseph on the button and Chang Chen-Ming in +1 for 1,200, 3,000 and 10,000 we go to the flop K♣ 5♠ 5♦ . The last chips go in for a showdown with Magnotti Joseph being at risk holding Q♥ Q♠ against Chang Chen-Ming's A♣ A♦ . The board running K♦ J♠ doesn't change Magnotti Joseph's fate to shrink the field some more.

Picking up the action on 3♣ 2♦ 6♦ 9♠ with 8,000 in the pot, Aratea Pee Jay slides out 2,000 that is getting called by Obedoza Winifred to see the river 3♥ . A massive 20,000 is enough to put Obedoza Winifred all-in for 11,500 who makes the hero call with 5♠ 5♣ against A♦ K♣ and doubles up.

Another UTG open for 1,000 from Shiina Tsubasa and the blinds defending once more we check around to the turn 3♠ J♠ A♦ 8♥ and see SB Aleksandr Pereslegin take the lead for 2,000. Two calls and the river 2♣ has Looi Tek Wye Jonathan slide out 10,000 to take it home.

CO Pang Ying starts us off once more with a raise to 1,100, called by BU Kwon Ohbyung and BB Komaki Minami for a flop 4♥ 3♦ 8♦ . Pang Ying's 1,200 c-bet gets countered by a 5,000 raise from Komaki Minami to end the hand.

This time we have Maruyama Kenzo lead the table with a 1,000 raise from +2 and BB Sakui Sho defending in BB. The flop A♥ 8♠ T♦ has Maruyama Kenzo continue for 1,000 and a call is all this pot has to offer for a check down to the river 2♠ K♦ and Sakui Sho tables the winner with 8♥ 6♣ .

Komaki Minami opens for 1,000 from HJ and both blinds defend to see the flop 6♠ 4♦ 5♦ followed by checks to the river K♠ 8♣ and SB David Perreau picks up the action with a 400 lead. Only BB Michael Bueza calls with K♥ J♠ and takes it down against A♦ 8♠ .

Hiroshi Kohara starts us off with a limp, answered by a 1,100 raise from Nokhyun Lee to see the flop Q♠ 6♠ 7♥ . A missed c-bet is enough for Hiroshi Kohara to lay out 1,400 and take it down right there.

When faced with a limp from UTG Nokhyun Lee, Roxanne Victorino makes it 1,000 with button Hiroshi Kohara coming along for a three-way flop Q♥ 6♠ 3♦ . With two checks in front, Hiroshi Kohara tests the waters by leading 1,000, but lets it go after Roxanne Victorino's 3,000 raise to scoop the pot.

We go three-way to the flop 6♦ K♣ 8♠ for 900 and the initial raiser continues for 1,500 from the HJ. BB Michael Bueza is the only one eager to pay when Pang Ying pumps it up to 3,300 for a turn 2♥ . Another 3,800 seals it for Pang Ying.

Miyatake Makoto slides in his remaining 7,000 chips with K♦ J♥ from +1 and Sean Carbonneau is a happy customer, waking up with Q♥ Q♠ in the big blind. The dealer dishes out the first elimination with A♠ A♥ 3♥ Q♣ K♥ and Sean Carbonneau continues with almost double starting stack.

Another Flight A contender is back in Looi Tek Wye Jonathan, three-betting 2,500 from SB when faced with a 400 raise and a call from HJ and CO. BB Shiina Tsubasa cold calls and the CO pays to see the A♣ J♥ 3♣ with Looi Tek Wye Jonathan continue for a familiar 2,500, taking us heads up with Shiina Tsubasa to the turn 6♠ . Another 8,500 is enough for Looi Tek Wye Jonathan to take it down uncontested.

UTG, +1 and BB all pay up when the button pumps it to 2,100 with a three-bet. The flop A♣ 5♣ 7♦ has +1 Shibano Kohei lead 1,700 and only Shiina Tsubasa call from UTG to see the turn K♠ . Another 2,100 lead and a call sees the dealer flip the 4♦ river and both players elect to check. Shiina Tsubasa shows 5♠ 5♣ to beat Shibano Kohei's A♦ T♠ .

Flight A late exit Testsura Ogura picks up A♥ A♦ in the big blind making it 1,900 against a UTG min-raise and a call from CO. The flop 9♠ 2♦ 8♥ gets checked to the turn T♣ with Testsura Ogura leading 3,000 and only CO Yamakawa Ryuichiro continuing to the river 7♣ . Another check around has Tetsura Ogura table aces and Yamakawa Ryuichiro moves his cards in the middle face down.

Dalius Balciunas makes it 600 from the CO and both blinds defend again. The flop 4♥ 6♣ J♠ has Dalius Balciunas continue for 700 and only BB Pang Ying elects to see the turn 9♠ . A 2,100 c-bet and a call present the 7♥ river which is checked around with Pang Ying flipping over 4♠ Q♠ to scoop up the pot.

With the button opening 400 and both blinds defending we go to the flop 3♠ 7♠ Q♣ for Kwon Ohbyung taking the lead with a 300 bet. Called by two we see the turn 3♦ and Kwon Ohbyung fires again for 700. Only SB Pang Ying sticks around to see the river K♠ . Another bet and a call has Kwon Ohbyung table 8♠ 3♣ for trips and Pang Ying throws it in the muck.

The cards are in the air for the Manila Megastack Kick-off Flight B

Starting off the action today will be Flight B of the Kick-off event at 13:00 with a buy-in of PHP16,500 and late registration closing at level 10 around 17:30. At 18:00 we have Flight C on the menu as a turbo with 15min levels instead of the previous 25min. Late registration will also last until level 10 which is scheduled to conclude at 20:40.

With a guaranteed PHP3,000,000 and 13 players already qualified from Flight A last night we are waiting to determine the full line up for tomorrows Day 2 Final at 12:00.

Good luck to all the players taking a chance today and we will see you at the live updates for Flight B in a few minutes!