Warm-up (12,500 PHP)

After 17 rounds of play, Flight A of the Manila Super Series 21 Kick Off event bagged up with 19 players out of the 124 entries securing their seat in the ITM round. At the top of the leaderboard was Filipino player James Moriles with 437,000 (73 bb).

Moriles was the bane of multiple players including Alari Kunnapuu to catapult to the flight's throne. One of Moriles' more interesting hands was a three-bet call preflop on the small blind with A♠ 9♥ that won the flip against big blind Andrei Vavilonskii's 4♥ 4♠ . At the time of the shove, both players had over 30 bb. This hand kicked off his ascent to set the bar for the final flight.

Not too far behind were Royly Oracion (401,000) and Kiril Gelev (400,000) both with 67 bb. On the rail side, MSS 6 Kick Off champion David Erquiaga was unable to hold on to his chips, pushing his mid-pair into Dmitrii Belikov's set of aces. Erquiaga quickly jumped in the next flight hoping for a better result.

The survivors return on February 2 at 12pm to chase down the first key title of the series.

Nachor's hooks survive for a triple up and Oracion claims the side pot.

Big blind Jonald Garcia calls Joseph Magnotti's raise then leads out 15,000 on the flop 4♦ Q♥ 6♦ . Magnotti calls for the turn 7♣ which both opt to check. On the river 8♦ , Garcia returns to betting for 38,000 and wins the pot uncontested.

Chip leader update: James Moriles catapulted to the top of the counts after booting out Alari Kunnapuu.

After a preflop raise, chips go flying on a flop 3♥ 4♦ 6♠ starting with a 10,000 bet from big blind Dmitrii Belikov. From cutoff, Aslan Olavi Vainio raises 20,000, Belikov responds with a re-raise of 50,000, Vainio flats. Belikov continues to pummel on the turn 9♠ for 40,000 and this time, Vainio gives up his hand.

Preflop battle ends with a pot of 42,000 and a flop running 7♦ K♦ 4♣ . Looking down at 7♣ 7♥ set, Royly Oracion bets a light 10,000 and Rene Mar David check-calls. After both check the turn 4♦ , Oracion value-bets 35,000 on the river A♥ , David pays to see then mucks to the full house.

Raised pot preflop, Alari Kunnapuu bets 16,000 on a flop 3♠ 4♦ 9♣ , gets called by Kiril Gelev and one player drops out. Gelev takes the reins on the turn 4♣ for 31,000 which is enough to claim the pot.

From mid-position, Byambasuren Danzanbaljir is dealt 5♥ 5♣ and opens for 10,000. Big blind, Aslan Vainio defends with T♦ 7♣ . When the flop lands 7♣ 7♥ 5♦ , both check their big hands for a free turn J♣ . Vainio checks again, Danzanbaljir draws him in with a light 8000 bet leading to the river T♥ . With a boat on hand Vainio leads out 26,000, Danzanbaljir answers with a shove that covers Vainio who doesn't hesitate to risk it all. Danzanbaljir shows a full house, Vainio flips open a rivered higher full house and scoops a sick double up.

With the river 9♣ , Lizano gets the boot as Moriles rises to the top of the leaderboard.

Raised pot preflop brings the action down to two players. Pat Lizano bets 16,000 on a flop 9♥ A♣ K♣ and Ryan Tan check-calls. Both pass the turn T♦ then Tan leads out 45,000 on the river 6♥ which is enough to win the pot.

Vivencio Nachor was enjoying a big stack for some time but has dropped significantly after Kiril Gelev shaved a chunk.

It's a good call for Kunnapuu whose pocket pair is ahead and stays that way after the river 6♣ for a well earned double up.

Down to 9 bb , Oleg Kaminski three-bets it all holding K♠ 7♠ and gets lucky against caller Gyusun Park's A♣ Q♦ with the board running 6♠ 6♦ K♥ T♥ 4♣ .

After calling a 7000 raise, big blind Jonald Garcia check-calls another 6500 by button Masakazu Miyamoto on a flop J♥ 8♣ A♣ . Both proceed to check the turn T♥ and river K♠ . Garcia flips open A♥ 7♠ and wins the pot.

Rene Mar David is sitting on a full house with Q♣ Q♠ on a board 3♦ 8♦ Q♥ 3♥ T♠ . With the pot already at 49,500, Vivencio Nachor bets 12,000, David goes all in for 35,500, Nachor wants to see and calls. Before tossing his hand in the muck, Nachor shows T♥ 9♥ .

The turn 3♦ and river K♦ don't improve Natsagdorj to pay Klug the maximum.

The river 7♦ is exactly what Vainio was hoping for to ship it and boot Arima.

Picking up the action on the turn 5♥ A♥ Q♦ 6♦ and 32,000 in the middle sb Royly Oracion leads 8,000, followed by a raise to 22,000 from utg Benhur Ybarsabal, but Oracion takes it down with a reraise to 51,000.

With 30,000 in the pot, Carsten Klug and Jonald Garcia take it to the flop K♦ 5♦ 4♣ . Garcia checks to Klug who slides out 5500. Garcia calls for the turn Q♣ . Garcia checks again then folds to Klug's 10,000 bet.

With J♣ J♠ on hand, Ryan Tan enters a pot with Kento Chogo that sees it build to 29,000. Action is checked to the turn 2♣ 5♥ J♦ Q♦ . Tan bets 8000 for his set, Chogo check-raises to 17,000. Tan flats to bring the river K♣ . Tan continues for 27,000, Chogo snap-calls then mucks.

Big blind Patricio Lizano takes command on the turn board 3♦ 9♥ K♥ 2♠ after checking the flop with hijack Stephane Graffin. Lizano's 7500 bet is called. On the river T♥ , Lizano shoves and wins the pot uncontested.

On a raised pot preflop that's checked to the turn J♠ Q♠ 9♥ 2♦ , big blind Jerick Dale Santerva takes a stab for 4500 and preflop raiser Alari Kunnapuu flats for the river Q♦ . Santerva jumps out with a shove of 13,000, though Kunnapuu can easily afford it, he folds.

Registration for Kick Off Flight A closed with 124 entries. The remaining players now enter the freezeout stage. Only 19 players are guaranteed a spot in Day 2 / ITM round.

With the turn 3♦ and river 8♣ , drawing cards miss and go bust.

On a board showing K♣ 2♦ J♣ 9♣ , and 42,800 in the pot, Feridoun Farboud and Royly Oracion check to the river 3♣ . Big stacked Oracion jumps out with a shove that earns the pot uncontested.

Following that hand, Oracion faces a raise by Fujita Haruna that's called by Nichols Manalo. Feeling the winning vibe, Oracion three-bets 8800. Both players call then both players fold to Oracion's 16,000 bet on the flop 9♣ 5♠ 3♣ .

The river 9♥ is not one of Mitsuhiro's outs to falls to Lizano's flush.

Four players splash 2500 in the pot and head to the flop Q♣ K♦ 3♣ . When Feng Ji Chua c-bets 5800, it goes to heads up with only Benigno Ledina calling. Chua fires again for a huge 30,000 bet on the turn 3♠ . This covers Ledina who opts not to risk.

Jerick Dale Santerva controlled the pot throughout starting with a 2500 raise preflop and finding two callers. He continued for 4500 on the flop A♦ T♥ 2♥ with only Joseph Magnotti tossing in the chips. Santerva bet a larger 10,000 on the turn 5♠ and was enough to win the hand.

Carsten Klug opens 2,500 from utg and takes three players to the flop 2♠ J♣ 8♠ that gets checked to the turn Q♦ . Big blind Anacleto Quijano slides out a 4,000 lead, gets raised to 11,000 by Klug, which gets rid of the other two contenders and Quijano's call reveals the river 7♠ . After two checks Quijano shows his set of ducks 2♦ 2♥ to scoop up a sizable pot.

Raised pot preflop trims the action down to two players. The flop runs 4♦ A♠ 3♦ . Utg Aslan Olavi Vainio bets 2500, big blind Alan James Yap check-raises to 7000, Vainio calls. Yap barrels again on the turn 6♠ for 10,500, Vainio calls again. On the river 4♥ , Yap wastes no time counting and shoves, this time Vainio opts to hold on to his chips.

Picking up the action on the river 7♣ T♣ J♠ 6♠ 7♥ and 15,500 in the pot, Nichols Manalo tries to steal with a 5,000 lead, but utg Alexander Donn smells something fishy, calls and watches Manalo throw his cards in the muck.

The turn A♦ instantly burns Quijano's set and with the river 6♥ , David scoops a massive pot to catapult to the upper tier.

The turn 6♥ secures the flush for Kunnapuu and with the river J♠ , Acdal doesn't improve to be forced to pay up.

By the turn board 8♥ A♦ 2♣ 9♥ , a pot of 12,500 was in the middle and Battulga Ganbold betting near pot of 10,000. Rene Mar David answers with a check-raise push of 23,700 and wins the pot with Ganbold unwilling to take on the challenge.

Richard Garcia and Richard Marquez tangle in another pot that builds to 7500 preflop. They check to the turn Q♦ K♥ 8♥ K♣ . Marquez test-bets 3500 and Garcia checkc-calls. Both tap felt on the river 5♠ . Garcia shows 9♠ 9♦ for the win.

On a flop 4♦ A♠ T♥ and 6500 in the pot, it is checked to Richard Marquez who bets 3500 and big blind Richard Garcia sticks around to see the turn 9♣ . Check again from Garcia leads to a 5000 bet from Marquez, Garcia folds.

Utg Anacleto Quijano opens for 1600 then bets 2200 on the flop 9♣ 4♦ 3♥ after the blinds check. Small blind Lizano answers with a 7600 raise, only Quijano stays on. The turn 7♥ sees Lizano lead out with shove that is met with a quick fold from Quijano.

Big pot of 23,000 brewed by the turn 4♥ 4♦ J♣ 5♣ with Joseph Magnotti and Zhiqiang Liu in the hand. Both check to the river A♦ . Magnotti sends out 10,000, Liu calls and shows A♣ Q♦ . Magnotti drags in the pot with A♠ J♠ top two pair.

After seeing the hands, Arima was in disbelief. Esdaile's big slick jumped ahead on the turn, but Kitamura was saved when four hearts were felted for a flush. Arima's would have lost.

Alari Kunnapuu opens 1600, Benhur Ybarsabal three-bets 4600, Kunnapuu answers with a four-bet of 10,800. Ybarsabal gives it up.

Alari Kunnapuu opens then bets 2000, 4000, 2300 down every street on a board T♣ 2♦ 9♥ 7♣ 2♠ . Lone challenger Zhiqiang Liu folds on the river.

With the turn A♥ and river K♦ , Worth's pocket pair holds to collect all of Oracion's chips.

Masakazu Miyamoto finds three callers to the 1500 raise then small blind Oliver Kubalek three-bets all in for over 25K. No takers.

Royly Oracion raises 1300 and with two callers - June Nuestro and Keijiro Shimojo - it builds a good pot of 4500. At the flop A♥ 7♠ Q♣ , action is checked to Nuestro, he bets 2100 and takes down the pot.

With a raise to 1,500 from utg+1 Anastasios Pavlou takes utg+2 Benhur Ybarsabal and both blinds to the flop 4♦ 7♥ 8♦ . Action is checked to Ybarsabal who forks out 3,200. Big blind Byambasuren Danzanbaljir and Pavlou pay up to see the turn 8♠ that gets checked around to the river 3♠ . Danzanbaljir takes a stab with a 3,500 lead losing Pavlou then immediately throws it in the muck when Ybarsabal says call.

Suguru Yonezawa and Anacleto Quijano build a pot of 6500 then take it to the flop K♥ 3♥ Q♠ . Yonezawa bets 3000 and Quijano matches it up from the small blind. On the turn 9♠ , Yonezawa bets 6600 and this time Quijano surrenders his hand.

With the turn 2♥ and river 2♦ , Liu's top pair fails to improve to find the rail.

Facing a raise from Anacleto Quijano of 1100, Chun-Yuan Chen three-bets 3200. Qujiano calls then both check to the turn K♠ 8♥ 7♣ 2♥ . Chen sends out 4000 and wins the pot easy.

Ilia Timofeev starts us off with a raise to 1,000 from utg and takes five players to the flop 7♠ T♥ A♦ . A 3,000 c-bet gets rid of everyone except Danzanbaljir Byambasuren from +2 to see the turn J♣ . Ilia Timofeev jams his remaining 7,200 with A♣ Q♦ and quickly gets called by Danzanbaljir with A♠ T♠ . The dealer completes the board with the river 5♦ and sends Ilia Timofeev packing.

Utg Sergei Korzhenko opens and three players make the call for a pot of 3800 preflop. The cards land 3♣ T♣ K♠ , Pat Lizano tries to take control with a bet of 1800, however after two folds, Korzhenko check-raises 5500. Lizano calls. The turn T♥ and river 5♦ , Korzhenko bets 6000 then jams, Lizano calls again then opts to give it up on the river.

Picking up the action on the turn K♥ 9♦ 9♠ 7♠ with 9,800 in the middle sees Chua Feng bet 3,200 which gets check-called by Nikolai Babushkin for the river 3♥ to be revealed and a friendly check-check has Babushkin come out on top with A♠ 9♣ .

Facing a raise that's called by button Ilia Timofeev, small blind Alari Kunnapuu three-bets 3500, only Timofeev calls. At the flop J♣ 4♥ 3♦ , Kunnapuu fires 3800 and wins the pot right there.

Plenty of chips in the pot preflop with Gyusun Park raising 700, called by two players, then big blind Benhur Ybarsabal re-raises 2400. Everyone calls for a pot of 10,000, and they head to the flop Q♦ Q♣ 8♣ . Following two checks, William Wright shoves 10,600 (over pot) and wins the pot uncontested.