Kickoff

In five-way limped action with Sham Wing Sheuk forced all-in out of the big blind, the king-high flop and ace on the turn were checked through. Akihiro Kawaguchi bet the river for 12,000 and Daito Kamei called, as did Rey Roca. Sheuk revealed trips deuces with the worst kicker, while Kamei had paired the ace. However, Kawaguchi had the best of it and the Day 1a bubble burst.

Ho-Tai Tsai limped in, Sham Wing Sheuk then called all-in for 1,000 in the cutoff. All three players behind limp along to the flop on which Tsai's bet of 20,000 isolates. He revealed top pair but Sheuk turned broadway to escape for now.

Sham Wing Sheuk jams from under the gun with tens and runs into the queens of Rey Roca. No upset on the board and Sheuk is left on fumes right on the stone bubble.

Sergei Korzhenko pushed all-in from the small blind with an ace rag and John Jay Magadan snapped him off with the rockets. Despite flopping top and bottom pair, Korzhenko had no chance at all to leave two spots away from reaching Day 2.

Bubble time on Day 1a with 11 left!

Taehyun Jang jammed the button for 85,000 just before the end of the level with a suited king. John Jay Magadan called with tens but the king came on the flop.

Peter Chung opened to 10,000 in the hijack for Michihiko Matsuda on the button and the big blind to call. Only Matsuda called a bet of Chung for 15,000 on the flop. Chung checked and called Matsuda's bet of 38,000 on the turn, they checked the river and Chung took it down with a turned set of sevens.

When limped two ways to Masaaki Hibino in the small blind, he jammed for 56,000. Daito Kamei reshoved over the top and his pocket jacks flopped a set ffor good measure to send his fellow countryman to the rail.

Sunhwi An three-bet jammed for 50,000 in the big blind and initial raiser Daito Kamei called in the hijack with sixes. The treys of An found no help and the field was one step closer to the conclusion of Day 1a.

Jose Cheung jammed a shorter stack in the cutoff and Michael Calunsod called for 74,000 on the button with kings. The suited ace of Cheung only found one four and his stack was reduced to fewer than a big blind.

Taehyun Jang opened the action with a raise to 11,000 and was called by Sergei Korzhenko. John Jay Magadan three-bet to 33,000 and two calls later, they checked through the nine-high flop. It checked to Magadan on the repeat seven on the turn, he bet 80,000 and took it down.

Sunhwi An raised to 8,000 from under the gun and called the short stack jam of Hochung Song, who he had previously doubled through. The kicker disadvantage preflop turned into his advantage as the deuce came to knock out Song.

Hochung Song jammed from under the gun and Sunhwi An called all-in from the cutoff for 30,000. An flopped the superior pair to survive.

Akihiro Kawaguchi made it 6,500 to go first to act and was called only by Rey Roca in the small blind. Roca check-called once on the ace-high flop for 8,000 but then check-folded the turn when Kawaguchi made it 17,000 to go.

Daito Kamei opened to 6,500 on the button for Paul Coles to defend the big blind. Coles check-called for the same amount on the flop and they checked the turn. Coles led the river for 12,000 and Kamei called with the bottom end of the straight to beat Coles' slow-played flopped two pair.

Michael Calunsod opened to 6,500 on the button and called the three-bet shove by Sergei Korzhenko for 62,000. The pocket nines of Korzhenko flopped a full house, then dodged the case queen and three aces to double.

Button limper Jansen Tiu called a bet of 4,000 by Peter Chung in the small blind on the king-high flop. They checked the turn and Chung bet another 12,500 on the river, Tiu called and mucked against the full house.

In a four-way limped pot to the ten-high flop, Akihiro Kawaguchi in the small blind check-raised to 14,000. Hogyun Kang on the button had bet 4,000 and then jammed for 28,000, which Kawaguchi called.

The turn was the instant bad news for Kang, as Kawaguchi improved to an unbeatable flush.

Jansen Tiu raised to 7,500 and Michael Calunsod just called from the big blind. Calunsod check-raised the flop from 6,000 to 15,000 and Tiu came along. The turn brought a bet of 25,000 by Calunsod for Tiu to call, who then folded the river to Calunsod's shove - the latter flashed his pocket aces.

The hijack limped in, Peter Chung limped in the cutoff. Sergei Korzhenko shipped it in for 18,500 from the big blind with a pair of fours. Chung called but was pipped with treys. They were beaten by a fours full of eights.

Sergei Korzhenko raised to 6,000 in the cutoff and found a single caller in Peter Chung out of the big blind. Following two checks on the flop, Chung check-raised the turn from 7,500 to 22,500. Korzhenko called and then bet the 31,000 river when it was checked to him.

Chung called with his ace-rag, having hit the kicker, and Korzhenko's missed open-ender saw his stack melt down a lot.

Lenart Ecarma made it 4,000 to go from an early position and Jose Cheung just called in the cutoff. Ecarma bet the flop for 6,000, Cheung raised to 12,000 and then instantly called for his last 35,500 when Ecerma jammed right into his trap. No miracle runner-runner came and Ecarma was left on a nub.

Michael Calunsod opened to 4,500 from under the gun and Tan Wee Jie defended the big blind. Jie check-jammed for 37,000 and Calunsod snapped it off after he had continued for 4,000.

Jie's open-ender was dead on the turn to make the river a formality.

Sergei Korzhenko limped the small blind and called a raise to 5,000 by John Jay Magadan. They checked the king-high flop and Korzhenko check-called for 3,000 on the turn. Korzhenko check-called another 3,000 on the river and mucked versus pocket tens.

Hogyun Kang opened to 4,000 from under the gun and Lenart Ecarma called in the next seat. Akihiro Kawaguchi then three-bet to 17,000 and forced out both opponents to pull ahead of Ecarma.

Sergei Korzhenko raised to 4,000 on the button for Jansen Tiu to defend the big blind. They checked the flop and Tiu bet the turn for 3,500, Korzhenko called. On the river, Tiu bet another 5,000 and Korzhenko folded.

Yashiro Naoki min-raised to 2,400 and the cutoff three-bet to 7,500. John Jay Magadan cold four-bet to 18,000 and Naoki jammed for 64,700, the cutoff folded and Magadan snap-called with the rockets. Naoki was drawing dead on the turn when Magadan hit the set of aces.

Near the end of the level, Mike Takayama jams for 15,100 from under the gun and Mike Takayama calls in the big blind. The suited ace-ten of Takayama missed the flush draw and he was left on fumes.

Sergei Korzhenko opened to 2,700 and Yashiro Naoki defended the big blind. They checked the flop and Naoki check-called the turn for 11,000. Both checked again the river and Naoki won the pot with trips jacks.

Daito Kamei raised the button to 2,800 and Bonghyun Lee came along from the small blind. Lee check-called the flop for 3,000 and check-raised the turn from 7,000 to 16,000. Kamei moved all-in and Lee called for 39,500 with his bottom two pair.

Kamei tabled the nut flush draw and gutshot broadway draw, the latter of which hit on the river.

Daito Kamei opened to 2,700 and earned two callers including Bonghyun Lee and Michael Calunsod. They checked the queen-high flop and Kamei's bet of 4,500 on the turn took it down.

Taehyun Jang in an early position, Lemmor Patulot in the small blind and the big blind are on a king-high flop. With 9,800 in the pot, Jang bet 6,000 when checked to and Patulot was the only caller. Patulot then checked the turn and folded when Jang upped the sizing to 17,000.

Guicai Ye limped, as did the button, and Taehyun Jang then raised to 6,000. Only Ye called and they checked the flop. On the turn, Jang check-called for 7,000 and did so again for 10,000 on the river to get shown a missed straight draw, which he had beat with the ace-king high.

Rey Roca made it 2,500 to go and then called the shove by Hogyun Kang for 17,600. The classic flip went to the Korean after a nine-high runout.

After their previous big clash that vaulted Sergei Korzhenko into the top spot, he then doubled Tan Wee Jie. In a 2,500-raised pot to the flop, they get it in with Jie at risk for 23,800. Jie's superior flush draw is already ahead and the turn seals the double.

Michael Calunsod opened to 2,500 and was called by the button and big blind. On the flop, it checked to him and he jammed for 14,900. Brenton Buttigieg called on the button and needed to improve versus top pair, which he did right away with broadway on the turn.

Michihiko Matsuda made it 2,000 to go first to act and was called only by Hochung Song in the big blind. Song check-called the A♠ T♦ 9♠ flop for 2,000 and the 8♣ turn was checked. Song led the 5♦ river for 5,500 and Matsuda called, but couldn't beat the second nuts.

Michihiko Matsuda opened to 2,000 and Jose Cheung defended out of the small blind. Both checked the flop before Cheung bet the turn for 3,000 and the river for 3,500. Matsuda called but couldn't beat the flopped top pair.

Michael Bueza raised to 2,500 and instantly called all-in for 14,800 when Ho-Tai Tsai three-bet large for 75,000 in middle position once everyone else had folded.

Queens beat jacks for Bueza to double and dent the larger stack of Tsai

Hogyun Kang raised to 2,500 for fellow Korean player Sunhwi An to defend the big blind. On the T♠ 2♠ 2♣ flop, An check-raised from 1,200 to 6,000 and that did the trick to force out Kang.

Peter Chung opened to 2,500 and Ho-Tai Tsai called in the big blind. They checked to the river on which Tsai bet 2,000, Chung called and won with ace-king high.

Sergei Korzhenko raised to 2,200 for Tan Wee Jie in the cutoff and Badrudin Ampatuan in the big blind to call. They all checked the eight-high flop to the king on the turn. Korzhenko's bet of 12,000 was called by Jie, Ampatuan then jammed for 53,500 and Korzhenko called for 100 chips fewer. The two pair of Ampatuan could not improve and he was left with a chip and a chair.

Michihiko Matsuda opened to 2,200 and received three callers behind including Jansen Tiu in the small blind. On the eight-high flop, the cutopff bet 2,000 and Tiu as well as Matsuda came along to the turn. Tiu now bet 5,000, only Matsuda called.

Tiu jammed the river for 13,300 and was snapped off by Matsuda with fives full of treys.

The hijack raised to 1,600 and the cutoff called. Ho-Tai Tsai on the button three-bet to 5,600 and was then the only caller when Masaaki Hibino jammed for 21,900 in the small blind.

Hibino's ace-king were drawing dead versus aces on the turn.

Lemmor Patulot raised to 3,000 when limped to by two opponents and Prolan Fandialan was the only caller. They checked the flop and Fandialan bet the turn for 8,000, which Patulot called. Fandialan jammed the river for 15,000 and Patulot called with the flush to beat the flopped trips of Fandialan.

A short-stacked Naohiro Arita jammed for 11,400 and was called by Paul Coles in the big blind. The ace-rag fell behind on the flop and never improved anymore for Coles to score the knockout.

Tan Wee Jie made it 3,200 to go and was called only by Sergei Korzhenko in the big blind. Korzhenko check-called the flop for 3,800 and the turn for 8,000. They checked the river and Jie showed his set of sevens to win the pot.

Junghyun An raised to 1,500 and John Jay Magadan called in the cutoff. On the five-high flop with two clubs, Magadan check-raised from 3,900 to 8,500 and called the shove by An for 28,800. Magadan's seven-five suited was ahead versus the superior flush draw and two blanks later, An was out.

Junghyun An limped in, Lenart Ecarma raised the button to 2,000 and Sergei Korzhenko called on the big blind with An following suit. On the queen-high flop, the action checked to Ecarma and he bet 5,000. Korzhenko called, An check-raised all-in for 28,000. Ecarma called all-in for 11,500 and Korzhenko looked up both to reveal trips fours.

Turn and river were bricks for Korzhenko to score a double knockout.

Seonghun Jeong raised to receive two callers in the hijack and on the button. Tan Wee Jie three-bet to 3,500 in the big blind, then called Jeong's four-bet to 8,500. Jie's bet of 3,500 on the flop was called and they checked the turn. On the river, Jie check-called the shove of Jeong for 12,700 with ace-queen for top pair and top kicker, catching Jeong on a move with ace-king high.

Three ways to the eight-high flop, the hijack folded when Yashiro Naoki in the big blind bet 6,000 into 15,200. Tan Wee Jie in the cutoff raised to 20,000 and Naoki called. Jie jammed the turn for 28,200 and Naoki check-called for 26,000 to find his kings in prime shape.

However, the dreadful eight on the river sent Naoki to the rail with a bad beat story to tell.

Four ways to the flop with 1,200 invested each, John Daenzel David bet 1,800 in the hijack. Only Prolan Fandialan called on the button. After the turn, David bet another 2,800 and Fandialan called.

David then check-called the river for 5,500 and won the pot with top pair, as Fandialan had missed a straight draw.

John Daenzel David four-bet jammed for 18,800 from under the gun and cutoff three-bettor Ho-Tai Tsai, who had made it 4,400 to go, was the only caller as the small blind got out of the way. The hot streak early on for Tsai continued, as his kings held versus ace-jack to knock out another opponent.

The action started with a raise by Hiroyuki Matzusaki and Ho-Tai Tsai three-bet to 3,700 on the button. The big blind called, Matzusaki then jammed for 18,500. Tsai called, the big blind folded. In the classic flip, the ace-king of Tsai got there to beat Matzusaki's tens.

The player under the gun raised to 700 and Yashiro Naoki three-bet to 2,500 thereafter. Jongmin Kim on the button four-bet to 6,500 for the initial raiser to fold. Naoki jammed and Kim called all-in. Aces held versus queens and Kim's second bullet ended quickly, too.

In one of the most classic setup hands in tournament poker, Rey Roca opened and then four-bet jammed into South Korea's Sunhwi An, who snap-called for 22,400. The aces of An held versus kings to send Roca back to the drawing board.