Main Event (50,000 PHP)

The Manila Megastack 23 Main Event has exceeded all expectations, shattering its PHP 20,000,000 guarantee with a total prize pool of PHP 33,392,250 (~USD 566,300). Across four packed starting flights and a host of satellite qualifiers, 850 players put their names in the mix, all chasing the top prize of PHP 5,750,000 (~USD 98,065) and the prestige of winning one of the season’s flagship events.

From that massive field, 128 players returned for Day 2, each having already secured a minimum cash but still hungry to climb the payout ladder and contend for the title.

After 13 hours of intense play, the floor decided to end the day with just six players remaining, deferring the crowning of a champion to tomorrow’s finale.

Siyuan Liu (9th), Alessandro Oppicini (8th) and Jinhyun Kim (7th) all fell during the twilight hours of play today, and will unfortunately not be returning to slog it out for the title tomorrow.

Somuchpoker will resume coverage tomorrow at 12:00 PM sharp with all the details, double-ups, busts and the eventual crowning of the Manila Megastack 23 Main Event Champion!

The Manila Megastack 23 Main Event has come down to the last six players. Action will resume tomorrow at 12 p.m. local time as the finalists battle for glory and a chance to claim the top prize of PHP 5,750,000 (~USD 98,065).

Stay tuned for a full recap and highlights from Day 2 of the Main Event.

Somuchpoker is live at PokerStars LIVE Manila inside the luxurious Okada Manila, bringing you the latest updates and action straight from the tournament floor.

Jinhyun Kim shoved for just under 1,000,000 and was ultimately called by Junele Oswa for potentially the last elimination of the day:

Jinhyun Kim: 9♠ 9♥

Junele Oswa: A♣ Q♠

Kim was marginally ahead preflop, but Oswa drilled the flop as the dealer fanned 3♠ Q♣ Q♥, giving him a set. The J♥ bricked the river, and Kim simply needed to find a nine to stay alive.

The 8♥ sealed his elimination in seventh and set the final six up for tomorrow's finale.

Under the gun, Edilberto Gopez continued to dominate the final table, raising almost every hand. He open shoved again, and in the cutoff, Eoghan Macgabhann, fresh off yet another chop with Gopez, called all in for 1,525,000.

Eoghan Macgabhann: Q♣ Q♦

Edilberto Gopez: A♣ T♦

Gopez miraculously paired his ace on the flop A♦ 6♣ 2♠ , leaving Macgabhann with just two outs. The turn 7♠ brought a wave of anticipation from the entire table as Macgabhann was down to a single card to stay alive.

Before the dealer revealed the river, Raymond Tiu joked that Macgabhann always hits the river, and moments later the table erupted as Macgabhann spiked his two outer yet again on the river Q♥ to secure another crucial double.

Seven players remained, and play will continue until the final six are reached or 1 a.m., whichever comes first.

Under the gun, Junele Oswa opened to 350,000 and then called the three bet-shove of Eoghan Macgabhann for 840,000. Macgabhann had just chopped a pot that would have doubled him through Edilberto Gopez and was looking to finally secure the full double.

Eoghan Macgabhann: A♥ J♦

Junele Oswa: 4♥ 4♣

It was a classic flip for Macgabhann and he found immediate help on the flop A♦ 8♥ 8♣ . Oswa had only two outs left and could not find either one on the runout 9♣ 8♠ , giving Macgabhann yet another double up as his comeback story continued.

Edilberto Gopez opened to 330,000 from middle position and then called Alessandro Oppicini's three-bet shove for 1,185,000.

Alessandro Oppicini: A♠ K♦

Edilberto Gopez: Q♠ J♣

Disaster struck for Oppicini when Gopez paired his queen on the Q♥ 4♦ 9♠ flop. No help came on the 7♥ 4♣ turn and river, ending Oppicini's run in eighth place and adding more chips to the table chip leader's stack.

Under the gun +1, Eoghan Macgabhann open shoved for his last 580,000 and big blind Junele Oswa called.

Eoghan Macgabhann: Q♥ 9♥

Junele Oswa: K♠ 7♦

Macgabhann took the lead on the flop J♣ 9♦ 7♣ after hitting middle pair while Oswa connected with the bottom pair and still had a few outs. The turn 7♠ was a disaster for Macgabhann as Oswa hit trips and left him with only two outs.

It felt like the deck was teasing the table as the river 9♠ came and everything turned around. Macgabhann spiked his two outer for a much needed double up and the final table remained at eight players.

Under the gun +1, Raymond Tiu opened to 250,000, and big blind Mc Yeldrab Mantos made the call.

On the flop A♥ T♥ 9♣ , Mantos check-raised all in for 530,000 after Tiu fired a continuation-bet of 250,000. Tiu snap-called.

Mc Yeldrab Mantos: T♠ T♦

Raymond Tiu: A♦ J♠

Mantos smashed the flop with a middle set, though Tiu still had an open-ended straight draw to sweat. The turn 6♠ and river 3♥ bricked out for Tiu, securing the pot and a much needed double up for Mantos.

Siyuan Liu shoved from the button for 1,400,000 and was called by covering stack and big blind Raymond Tiu.

Siyuan Liu: A♥ 4♣

Raymond Tiu: J♦ J♣

Liu was behind and needed an ace to stay in the game. The flop couldn’t have come much worse, with the dealer spreading J♥ K♦ 6♥, putting Tiu firmly ahead and leaving Liu needing runner-runner to survive. He was drawing dead on the 2♦ turn, and the 8♣ river completed the board to seal his fate as the first elimination of the final table.

Under the gun +1, Eoghan Macgabhann shoved his last 500,000, nearly getting the blinds to fold, but big blind Mc Yeldrab Mantos made the call.

Eoghan Macgabhann: K♠ K♣

Mc Yeldrab Mantos: A♠ T♦

Mantos, with three outs, picked up extra hope on the flop T♠ 5♣ 3♦ after pairing his ten. Still, Macgabhann’s kings held strong through the turn Q♣ , and the river 3♠ locked up the pot. A much needed double up for Macgabhann as he stays alive at the final table.

From middle position, Alessandro Oppicini raised to 250,000. Siyuan Liu, seated on the button, three-bet to 750,000, and when it folded back around, Oppicini four-bet shoved for 965,000. Liu snap-called:

Alessandro Oppicini: Q♦ Q♠

Siyuan Liu: A♣ J♦

Oppicini needed to fade aces or drawing cards, and the 5♠ 4♠ 9♣ flop kept him firmly in front. The 7♥ turn held steady, and the 7♦ river paired the board to lock up the double, drawing a visibly relieved celebration from Oppicini.

"Sorry, I get a little excited," he told the table after slamming his hands down in delight. Liu was left with around five big blinds.

Under the gun +1, Edilberto Gopez opened to 200,000 and both blinds defended. All three players checked the flop T♣ 8♠ 7♠ and went straight to the turn 8♦ , where big blind Jinhyun Kim led for 225,000. Gopez made the call while the small blind folded.

On the river Q♦ , Kim checked, and Gopez fired 550,000. Kim called, but Gopez revealed Q♥ 7♥ a rivered top pair that took down the pot. Kim mucked, left crippled, while Gopez surged past the 10 million mark.

The floor has announced that play will wrap for the night once one of two conditions is met: the field reaches six players, or the clock strikes 1:00 AM - whichever comes first.

After more than ten hours of intense play, the final table of the Manila Megastack 23 Main Event is officially set. Edilberto Gopez leads the charge with a dominating stack of 8,485,000 (85 big blinds) after steamrolling through the last three tables and knocking out player after player.

All remaining players are guaranteed a payout of PHP 538,250 (~USD 9,180), but all eyes on the coveted top prize of PHP 5,750,000 (~USD 98,065).

With the final table established, the structure now shifts from 40-minute levels to a 20-hands-per-level format.

Good luck to the nine remaining players. May the runouts be kind and the poker gods be with you.

Button Junele Oswa limped in, John Cousins was blinded all in for his last 50,000, and big blind Eoghan MacGabhann checked.

Oswa and MacGabhann checked all the way down on the 7♠ K♥ 6♦ 2♥ Q♣ runout. A♠ all three tabled their hands, Cousins offered a cheerful “Good luck, guys!” while revealing jack-four offsuit. Oswa showed 9♥ 4♣, but MacGabhann’s Q♠ 8♣ was best, taking the pot and eliminating Cousins as the final table bubble.

Button Shawn Jie raised to 570,000, leaving around 30,000 behind, and was called by small blind Junele Oswa.

On the K♣ K♥ 2♣ flop Oswa put 80,000 in the middle, and after using his last time bank, Jie stuck in the call:

Shawn Jie: Q♦ 8♣

Junele Oswa: A♥ J♠

Oswa’s ace-high was ahead and stayed there through the 5♦ A♠ runout, pairing his ace for good measure and sending Jie to the rail in 11th place.

Tan Keng Yong, with just 250,000 (3 big blinds) remaining, shoved and got a call from big blind Siyuan Liu.

Tan Keng Yong: K♥ 9♦

Siyuan Liu: A♣ T♣

Yong was behind but still had live cards. Unfortunately, he failed to connect with the board 7♣ 2♥ 2♦ 5♠ Q♠ and was eliminated in 12th place.

Masafumi Kuromiya shoved from under the gun and next-to-act Jinhyun Kim stuck in the call. Once it folded around, they revealed their hands:

Masafumi Kuromiya: K♥ Q♥

Jinhyun Kim: J♣ J♦

Kuromiya needed to connect with his overcards, but nothing materialised on the 7♦ 9♣ 2♥ 3♦ 3♠ runout, giving Kim a sizeable boost and sending Kuromiya to the rail in 13th.

Cutoff Eoghan MacGabhann called big blind Raymond Tiu’s three-bet shove for 815,000.

Raymond Tiu: A♠ 8♥

Eoghan MacGabhann: A♥ 7♥

Tiu had MacGabhann in a rough spot, and pairing his eight on the Q♥ T♠ 8♦ flop all but secured the double. The J♠ gave MacGabhann a gutshot, but the J♣ river didn’t save him, taking a fair chunk out of his stack.

Edilberto Gopez opened to 160,000 and then snap-called the three-bet shove of Mindaugas Simkus for 780,000.

Mindaugas Simkus: 5♥ 5♦

Edilberto Gopez: J♥ J♠

Simkus was left with just two outs, which became even slimmer when Gopez flopped K♦ J♣ T♦ a set. His only hope was a runner-runner flush, but the turn 8♠ sealed the deal for Gopez, and the river A♠ was mere formality. Simkus was eliminated in 14th place.

Boon Ang, with 340,000 remaining, three-bet shoved, and initial raiser Edilberto Gopez snap-called.

Boon Ang: Q♣ T♠

Edilberto Gopez: 8♣ 8♦

It was a flip for Ang’s tournament life, but he failed to connect on the flop J♣ 6♠ 3♦ . The turn 9♦ gave him an open-ended straight draw, yet the river A♠ bricked, and Ang was eliminated in 15th place. Another player falls to Gopez’s rising stack.

Folded to the button, Mc Yeldrab Mantos shoved in an attempt to steal the blinds, and small blind Younghyun Park called all in with his last 300,000 (5 big blinds).

Younghyun Park: A♠ J♥

Mc Yeldrab Mantos: 7♣ 7♦

The table erupted when the window card J♦ appeared, but the excitement turned quickly as Mantos completed a full house on the flop J♦ J♠ 7♠ . The turn T♦ and river 3♦ offered no help for Park, and he was eliminated in 16th place.

Eoghan MacGabhann raised to 900,000 from the small blind, leaving around 150,000 behind. Big blind Masfumi Kuromiya then shoved with a covering stack, and MacGabhann made the call.

Eoghan MacGabhann: A♦ 7♥

Masfumi Kuromiya: 9♣ 9♥

A flop of mixed emotions followed as the dealer spread A♠ 9♦ J♠, giving MacGabhann top pair but Kuromiya a set.

The T♣ on the turn added a gutshot, and the miracle 8♣ river completed it, giving MacGabhann a crucial double through Kuromiya.

Folded to the button, David Erquiaga, with only 620,000 remaining, shoved and got a quick call from Edilberto Gopez.

David Erquiaga: A♦ 9♠

Edilberto Gopez: A♠ Q♠

Erquiaga, who had gotten lucky earlier on the flop hitting a two outer, was dominated pre-flop this time. He did hit one of his three outs on the flop T♦ 9♣ 2♠ , but the turn 3♠ gave Gopez a flush draw, and the river 4♠ completed it, eliminating Erquiaga in 17th place.

On the very next hand, Yun Xiang Lee three-bet shoved with his remaining 410,000, and the initial raiser Rikiya Ogura snap-called.

Yun Xiang Lee: A♥ 6♥

Rikiya Ogura: A♣ J♣

Lee was dominated pre-flop and failed to connect with the board Q♣ 4♣ 3♠ K♥ 8♦ . Ogura’s hand held, eliminating Lee and giving Ogura a significant boost to his stack.

Action was joined on a flop of T♥ 9♠ A♥, where Rene Mar David had moved all in for his last ~100,000. Eoghan MacGabhann made the call, as did Junele Oswa.

The Q♠ hit the turn and MacGabhann check-called Oswa’s 360,000 bet.

The 7♦ completed the board and MacGabhann checked once more. Oswa shoved for his remaining 350,000, sending MacGabhann deep into the tank. After a long think, he found the fold. Oswa tabled K♠ J♠ for the turned straight, more than enough to eliminate David, who revealed J♣ T♣.

Cutoff Edilberto Gopez opened to 110,000, and big blind Yun Xiang Lee defended. Gopez fired all three streets, 100,000 on the flop Q♣ 4♣ 3♠ , 350,000 on the turn K♥ , and 800,000 on the river 8♦ , all check-called by Lee.

Edilberto Gopez revealed a set on the flop that improved to quads by the river. He now holds a massive chip lead, while Lee is left with just 410,000.

Eoghan Macgabhann opened to 100,000, and Oleg Mordassov snap-called after three-bet shoving for 880,000.

Oleg Mordassov: A♣ K♣

Eoghan Macgabhann: A♠ Q♣

Macgabhann was dominated pre-flop but caught early help on the flop Q♦ 4♣ 3♦ , leaving Mordassov visibly disappointed. The turn J♠ gave Mordassov extra outs, but the river 7♣ didn’t deliver. The former chip leader fell short, while Macgabhann secured a huge pot.

Cutoff Billy Soriano open-shoved with 320,000 remaining, and big blind Junelle Oswa called.

Billy Soriano: A♠ T♥

Junelle Oswa: 6♣ 6♦

It was a flip for Soriano’s tournament life, but he didn’t connect with the board 4♠ 3♣ J♥ 3♦ 3♥ . Oswa’s pocket sixes held, eliminating Soriano. Earlier, Oswa had been down to less than a single big blind, now he’s surged to 825,000.

Just one hand after Takuo Nishiki’s double up, Table 31 exploded with a three-way all-in pre flop.

Hijack Lukasz Jankowski open-shoved for 235,000. Button Takuo Nishiki three-bet shoved for 710,000. Big blind David Erquiaga took his time before calling all in for 495,000. The all-in drew a crowd as the players revealed their hands.

Lukasz Jankowski: J♠ T♥

David Erquiaga: 8♥ 8♦

Takuo Nishiki: 9♦ 9♠

The flop J♣ 8♣ 3♠ brought a roar as Erquiaga hit one of his two outs, leaving Jankowski needing a runner-runner and Nishiki with just two outs. The turn A♠ changed nothing, and the river 4♦ held for Erquiaga, eliminating Jankowski while Nishiki doubled up. Erquiaga nearly tripled his stack and now sits with 1,285,000.

Folded to the small blind, Jeongwon Seo shoved in an attempt to steal the blinds from Takuo Nishiki, who called all in for 335,000.

Takuo Nishiki: K♥ J♣

Jeongwon Seo: K♦ 8♦

Nishiki got a serious sweat after Seo picked up an open-ended straight draw on the flop 7♥ 6♠ 5♦ . Seo even had a chance to chop on the turn 6♣ , but the river 6♥ came clean for Nishiki, giving him a full double up.

Hand 1

Somashekar Mahadeva raised to 85,000 from under the gun and was called by big blind Alessandro Oppicini.

Both checked the T♥ J♣ 4♦ flop to the 7♣ turn, where Oppicini led for 75,000. Mahadeva made the call.

On the K♦ river, Oppicini increased it to 175,000, and Mahadeva couldn’t find the call.

Hand 2

Yonghyun Park raised to 85,000 from the hijack and got it through, flashing K♠ K♥ as he collected the blinds.

Hand 3

Park raised again to 85,000, this time from middle position, and once more got it through. He tabled J♦ J♣ to the table’s surprise, picking up yet another premium.

Hand 4

Shawn Jie limped in from the small blind and John Cousins checked his option.

Jie check-folded on the 8♠ 4♠ 5♦ flop when Cousins fired 75,000.

Hand 5

Hijack Jinhyun Kim moved all in and Mahadeva called from the button.

Somashekar Mahadeva: A♦ K♠

Jinhyun Kim: 9♥ 9♠

Both picked up straight draws on the J♦ T♥ 7♦ flop, though Mahadeva would be ahead if he connected. He spiked an ace on the A♠ turn to move in front, but disaster landed on the river as the 8♠ completed Kim’s straight, stunning the table.

“Sorry,” Kim said quietly. Mahadeva took a photo of the table before heading to the rail.

Players have stepped away for their 45-minute dinner break, and everyone in the Manila Megastack 23 is invited to the Player’s Party at La Piazza inside the stunning Okada Manila. If you’ve been there, you know it feels like stepping into Italy for a moment, with its elegant ambiance and delicious regional dishes waiting to be enjoyed.

It’s a well deserved pause from the intensity on the felt. Players can relax, grab good food and drinks, and take a breather before diving back into the grind. And as always, PokerStars LIVE Manila shows unmatched hospitality, making sure the experience goes beyond just the cards and chips.

Back in the Main Event, the field is down to just 28 players. The end of the line is almost in sight.

Action folded to the small blind where Brett Bader tried to swipe the big blind by shoving for 470,000. Unfortunately for him, Mc Yeldarb Mantos woke up with queens and snap called.

Brett Bader: A♥ 7♦

Mc Yeldarb Mantos: Q♥ Q♣

Bader picked up a few extra outs on the flop J♥ 9♦ 7♠ , but none of them arrived on the turn 5♠ or river T♣ . He was eliminated, while Mantos dragged a mountain of chips and strengthened his position in the field.

Somashekar Kurkhepally Mahadeva was down to 250,000 when he open-shoved from under the gun. In the small blind, Jinhyun Kim snap called.

Somashekar Kurkhepally Mahadeva: J♠ J♥

Jinhyun Kim: K♣ Q♠

Mahadeva found himself flipping for his tournament life, but his jacks stayed sturdy on a clean runout 9♣ 2♠ 4♥ 4♠ T♥ . He secured a much needed double up and kept his hopes alive.

Jesse Rivera was down to 165,000 and pushed it all in from under the gun. Boon Ang woke up with a monster in the small blind and made the call.

Jesse Rivera: Q♥ T♦

Boon Ang: A♣ A♥

Rivera stepped straight into danger but picked up a flicker of hope when the flop K♦ J♠ 6♥ gave him an open ended draw. The turn 4♣ and river 8♣ brought no salvation, and Ang’s aces held strong to send Rivera out of the tournament.

Eoghan MacGabhann raised to 60,000 from the hijack and then called big blind Oleg Mordassov’s three-bet shove, with MacGabhann at risk for 365,000:

Eoghan MacGabhann: J♦ J♠

Oleg Mordassov: 7♥ 7♠

Mordassov’s sevens couldn’t find any help on the 4♠ 5♣ 4♣ 8♣ Q♠ runout, earning MacGabhann a full double.

In the very next hand, Mordassov shoved from the small blind for 375,000 after Donghyun Kim opened to 60,000 under the gun. Kim made the call:

Oleg Mordassov: J♦ J♠

Donghyun Kim: 9♣ 9♥

Mordassov found himself holding the same hand he had just lost against, and again, the jacks held on the 2♥ 6♣ 7♦ A♣ 8♥ runout, lifting him right back to where he’d been two hands earlier.

David Erquiaga raised to 60,000 from the button and received a call from big blind Mindaugas Simkus.

Both players checked the Q♠ J♣ Q♣ flop, taking them to the 6♥ turn. Simkus led for 60,000 and Erquiaga raised to 145,000; Simkus called.

The J♥ completed the board and Simkus checked. Erquiaga slid 150,000 into the middle, only to face a shove from

Simkus, putting him at risk. Erquiaga thought it over for a while before eventually sliding his cards into the muck.

"You're not going to show us what you have?" Simkus asked. Erquiaga responded with nothing but a smirk.

Junele Oswa had been down to his last 10,000 earlier, barely clinging on with less than a single big blind. After battling back to 245,000, he shoved from the hijack and cutoff Donghyun Kim made the call, taking them to a heads up showdown.

Junele Oswa: A♣ 9♦

Donghyun Kim: A♥ Q♦

Oswa was dominated pre flop with only three outs. He missed the flop T♣ 6♣ 4♠ completely, but the turn 9♥ delivered one of the cards he was screaming for, igniting a burst of excitement from him. The river A♦ paired Kim, but Oswa’s two pair held firm, completing a remarkable climb from the brink and earning him a crucial double up.

Button John Cousins moved all in and Jinkwan Kim, who was left with just 20,000 from a previous hand, called from the big blind:

Jinkwan Kim: K♥ Q♥

John Cousins: A♣ 5♦

The spade-studded 7♠ T♠ 6♠ flop brought no help for Kim, and the A♠ turn effectively sealed his fate, giving Cousins top pair. The 3♥ completed the board to confirm Kim’s elimination. Cousins gave a fist bump to Kim as he collected his chips.

Fresh from a double up, Vincent Wong again found himself all in, this time from the cutoff with 290,000 left. On his left, Siyuan Liu made the flat call, looking to score an elimination.

Vincent Wong: A♦ T♠

Siyuan Liu: K♦ J♦

Wong was ahead but Liu had live cards, and he connected with the flop J♣ 9♥ 2♥ to make top pair. Wong, down to three outs, found no help on the turn 2♦ or the river 8♠ and was eliminated from the game.

From the small blind, Vincent Wong three-bet shoved for 100,000 after current chip leader Rene Mar David opened, and David snap called.

Vincent Wong: 4♥ 4♣

Rene Mar David: K♠ Q♣

Wong’s fours held through the board T♦ 7♣ 2♥ 2♦ T♣ , earning him a much needed double up.

Wong had lost most of his stack earlier to David, and this hand gave him a bit of revenge, though still not enough to recover everything he had lost.

Under the gun, Justin Ong open-shoved for 250,000 but found no caller. On the very next hand, action folded to the button, Junele Oswa announced all-in, and big blind Ong called for his 230,000 remaining.

Justin Ong: K♦ Q♣

Junele Oswa: 7♣ 7♠

Ong hit a pair of kings on the flop A♠ K♣ J♥ , leaving Oswa with just two outs. The turn 4♣ and river 2♣ bricked, giving Ong the double up and dropping Oswa to 10,000. After the hand, Ong shared with the table that he felt confident he was going to win, and even with King-Ten, he would have called.

At the second break of the day, only 44 players remain. Singapore’s Yun Xiang Lee leads the pack with 1,300,000 chips. Here are your current chip leaders:

Hand 1

John Cousins opened to 40,000 from the hijack before folding to cutoff Younghyun Park’s three-bet to 110,000.

Hand 2

Park limped from the hijack then called Alvir Inocentes’ raise to 40,000 from the big blind.

Inocentes shoved for 120,000 on the 2♦ T♣ 8♥ flop, prompting a brief tank from Park.

“So sick,” he said as he mulled it over, before ultimately folding. Inocentes flicked over 9♠ 7♣ for the open-ender.

Hand 3

Steven Smith raised to 45,000 from the cutoff and received a call from Shawn Jie in the big blind.

Jie check-folded on the K♣ A♦ 2♠ flop when Smith fired 35,000.

Hand 4

Jie limped in from the small blind then folded to Cousins’ shove for 295,000 in the big blind.

Hand 5

Steven Smith made it 45,000 from middle position and received a call from big blind Younghyun Park.

Both players checked the 2♠ 2♦ 3♣ 9♠ flop and turn, taking them to the A♥ river. Park check-raised Smith from 30,000 to 130,000, and Smith burned a time bank before ultimately deciding against the call.

Jie is also now sitting on over 1.2 million in chips, over five times what he started the day with.

Moments ago, Aaron Lam Weiming had been open-shoving with no callers, but this time he opened from under the gun for 89,000, and small blind Eoghan Macgabhann called.

Aaron Lam Weiming: A♣ J♣

Eoghan Macgabhann: A♥ Q♠

Weiming was dominated by Macgabhann but hit one of his three outs directly on the flop J♠ 9♥ 5♣ . The table then turned, giving Macgabhann three outs, but failed to connect on the runout 8♦ 6♦ . Weiming secured a huge double up.

Hand 1

Frank Lillis’ shove from under the gun got through.

Hand 2

Daishi Ichimanda raised to 35,000 from under the gun and was called by cutoff Itsuki Chiba.

Ichimanda check-folded when Chiba fired 22,000 on the 7♦ 3♥ Q♦ flop.

Hand 3

Cutoff Keith Wei Lee raised to 35,000 then folded to button Nils Evers’ 80,000 three-bet.

Hand 4

Small blind Ichimanda raised to 38,000 and received a call from big blind James Bonanno.

Ichimanda led for 50,000 on the 9♥ A♥ K♦ flop and Bonanno let it go.

Hand 5

Hijack Evers’ 32,000 raise prompted folds around the table.

Hand 6

Lee limped from under the gun, small blind Billy Soriano came along, and big blind Chiba checked.

Soriano check-called and Chiba check-folded when Lee put 18,000 into the middle following the Q♣ Q♠ 2♥ flop.

Soriano then led for 35,000 on the 6♥ turn, prompting a fold from Lee. Soriano knocked the table; from the post-hand discussion, it sounded like he had flopped trips, possibly holding queen-jack.

After dropping to just 5 big blinds, Justin Ong bounced back and even eliminated a player.

Under the gun, Kasper Hansen open-shoved for 86,000. On the button, Ong used one time bank before announcing his all-in, with no other callers.

Kasper Hansen: A♥ 8♦

Justin Ong: Q♣ Q♥

Hansen had three outs but failed to hit any on the board T♠ 3♠ K♦ 6♠ Q♠ , allowing Ong to eliminate him and gain a crucial boost.

After losing a big pot to Rene Mar David, the new chip leader, Justin Ong open-shoved for 243,000. Cutoff Yun Rong Cheong, with 163,000 remaining, called, sending the two players to a showdown.

Yun Rong Cheong: A♥ T♣

Justin Ong: A♠ 8♥

Cheong dominated Ong and picked up a possible chop on the flop 5♣ 3♦ 2♠ . The turn 3♣ changed nothing, and the river T♥ paired Cheong, securing the win and a much-needed double up. Ong suffered another big blow, dropping down to 80,000.

Facing a raise from early position, cutoff Renato Villanueva three-bet to 60,000. On his left, Siyuan Liu announced a four-bet shove. The initial raiser folded, and Villanueva moved all of his 264,000 into the middle.

Renato Villanueva: A♦ K♠

Siyuan Liu: J♣ J♠

It was a flip, but Liu’s jacks held through the clean board Q♦ 8♥ 2♣ 7♠ J♥ , delivering a knockout for Villanueva.

At Table 27, Nichols Manalo raised to 25,000 from the hijack and was called by cutoff Junele Oswa. Short-stack Yun Rong Cheong then shoved for 102,000 from the big blind and found no takers.

A couple of hands later, Donghyun Kim opened to 24,000 from middle position and faced a three-bet to 100,000 from Justin Ong on his left. Kim flicked in a time bank while weighing his options before four-betting to 275,000.

Ong went into the tank, burning through several time banks, before eventually deciding to release his hand.

Kim has almost quadrupled his stack since the start of the day.

Yonghyun Park raised to 25,000 from the cutoff and was three-bet to 60,000 by Steven Smith on the button. Big blind Alvir Inocentes then four-bet to 105,000, prompting a fold from Park, before Smith five-bet jammed for 228,000. Inocentes stuck in the call:

Steven Smith: A♥ T♥

Alvir Inocentes: A♦ K♦

Smith knocked the table, somewhat acknowledging his fate. However, his eyes widened at the K♥ 2♥ Q♠ flop, knowing another heart would give him the nuts. The J♥ turn secured the double for him, and the T♦ completed the board.