Deepstack (12,500 PHP)

In just four heads up hands, India's Anant Acharya defeated UK's Ashley Patterson to hoist his first-ever PokerStars spadie. Anant outlasted the 134 entry field of the Deepstack Event for a payout of ₱356,780 (~$6,105).

Leading up to his victory, Anant picked up momentum after eliminating Byambasuren Danzanbaljir in 8th place. He became the first player to reach a million stack then surged to half the chips in play after eliminating Alvir Inocentes (5t) and Anthony Castro (4th).

At heads up, against Patterson, both players were deep. However on just the second hand, all the chips were out front preflop with a flip to determine the outcome. Anant's K♥ Q♣ found a queen on the board to dust Patterson's J♦ J♣ and double up. Two hands after, Anant took the crown by outdrawing Patterson once again. This was Anant's first tracked victory. Players can expect to see more of him as he plans to return to play the rest of the series.

That wraps up another exciting day at the Manila Super Series 21 taking place at Okada, Manila, Philippines. The Deepstack event drew 134 entries to breach the ₱1M guarantee. The top 17 players earned a piece of the ₱1,429,780 (~$24,390) prize pool with Anant locking up the lion's share for his victory.

Plenty of games still ahead with the festival running through February 9. The Main Event rolls in on February 6 with four entry flights. It feaures a ₱10 Million guarantee for just a buy-in of ₱18,500 (~$315).

With Anant pairing up on the turn, and no change on the river, Patterson setted for 2nd place.

With Anant spiking a higher pair on the flop, he shipped a huge double up that sent Patterson down to 10 bb.

After nearly twelve hours, the Deepstack has reached heads up wih Anant Acharya and Ashley Patterson due to battle it out for the title and the ₱356,780 top prize. For the runner-up, ₱223,500.

Small blind Anant Acharya min-raises and goes to the flop with caller Ashley Patterson on the big blind. Both players check it to the turn 6♣ J♠ Q♠ 4♣ . Anant slides out 60,000, Patterson calls then takes the reins on the river 7♠ by betting 300,000 after Anant checks. Anant folds.

From cutoff, Anthony Castro looked down at A♣ J♣ and three-bet 155,000. Action folded around back to initial raiser Ashley Patterson who four-bet all in with his massive stack. Castro called and was at risk against Patterson's Q♣ Q♥ . With the board running 6♦ 5♦ 2♣ 4♠ 3♦ , they split with a straight showing.

Anant Acharya has taken the lead after a hand against Juhoon Chung sent him soaring over the million marker. The hand opened with a limp from Chung from the small blind and Anant checked. At the flop K♥ 4♥ 6♠ , Chung bet 25,000 that Anant called. Chung checked the turn A♣ , Anant bet 50,000, Chung answered with a raise of 130,000 then folded to Anant's shove of 795,000.

Ashley Patterson defended his big blind by calling hijack Anthony Castro's 55,000 raise. Both checked to the turn 4♠ 9♠ 2♣ 7♠ . Patterson led out 100,000 that Castro called. Patterson continued on the river 7♦ announcing all in. Castro folded.

After scoring a double up, Anthony Castro picks up a few pots. The first one saw him steal the blinds and ante with an uncalled shove. The next, he opened 45,000, got called by two players, then he c-bet the flop 3♦ 5♦ Q♦ for 80,000. No one called. On the third pot, he defended the big blind by calling utg+1 Juhoon Chung's 40,000 raise and called the 30,000 flop bet on a board T♣ 6♣ J♠ . After they both checked the turn 6♥ , Castro fired 95,000 on the river 8♠ , Chung called then mucked to Castro's 9♦ 6♦ trips.

Following a raise, small blind George Salud looks down at J♥ J♠ and three-bets 100,000. Big blind Stephane Graffin has A♠ K♦ and four-bets all in for 188,000. Only Salud calls and they go flipping.

At the flop J♣ 3♠ T♣ , Salud improves to a set that's burned on the turn Q♣ as Graffin improves to a straight. With the river 8♠ , Salud doesn't land his outs to pay up.

Action folds to the blinds, Juhoon Chung limps then calls Byambasuren Danzanbaljir's 35,000 raise. Both check it to the turn 7♦ 6♦ 8♦ J♠ . Chung checks again then calls 45,000. On the river A♠ , Chung checks, Danzanbaljir fires 85,000, Chung snap-calls and wins the pot with Danzanbaljir quickly mucking.

Both players were drawing. The turn 9♣ and river A♠ changed nothing. Danzanbaljir had the better spread to boot Henoud in 17th place.

From hijack, Kumar Asnani opens for 18,000 then slows down by checking back the flop 6♣ 5♥ 5♣ with big blind Ashley Patterson. On the turn T♠ , Patterson assumes control for 22,000 and Asnani calls. The river T♦ sees Patterson fire 50,000, Asnani makes it 100,000, Patterson can't pull the trigger and folds. Asnani shows A♠ T♣ .

On a board 5♠ 3♣ A♠ 9♠ K♥ , a pot of 183,000 was swimming in the middle. Ashley Patterson checked to Byambasuren Danzanbaljir who sent out 75,000. Patterson folded.

Big stack update: Juhoon Chung eliminated Dmitrii Belikov and Marco Almerez to climb to 425,000.

Hijack Robert Van Schalm and bi blind Edwin Dela Cruz build a pot of 41,000 then check it to the turn 4♣ Q♠ Q♦ . Schalm takes a stab on the turn T♣ for 25,000 and Cruz check-calls. The board completes J♦ river and Cruz checks again. Schalm checks back. Cruz shows A♠ T♠ , Schalm's A♥ Q♥ trips wins the pot.

Oliver Kubalek defends his big blind by calling the preflop and flop bets by Joseph Magnotti to head to the turn T♠ 9♥ 3♣ 7♥ . Kubalek switches up and leads out 27,000 that's called. Same on the river 4♠ , Kubalek fires 60,000, Magnotti calls then mucks to Kubalek's J♣ 8♦ straight.

With the turn 8♦ and river 2♠ , the ladies hold, Henoud scoops a double up and more.

Joseph Magnotti opened the action from utg and next to him Claude Henoud called the 9000. They checked it to the turn 3♥ A♠ 9♥ 5♠ where Magnotti resumed with a bet of 20,000 that Henoud called again. On the river 8♠ , Magnotti sends out a larger 35,000, Henoud pays to see then mucks to Magnotti's A♦ K♣ .

Michael Concepcion and Anthony Castro enter a betting war that begins with an 8000 raise by hijack Concepcion that's called by cutoff. Button player Castro three-bets 23,000 and after the blinds fold, it's back to Concepcion who four-bets 56,000. Only Castro calls to take it to the flop 2♠ Q♦ 4♥ .

Concepcion leads 32,000 and Castro calls. Concepcion jumps out with a jam of 65,500 on the turn 2♦ and this time Castro backs down and folds.

Three players toss in 7000 and fight it out on the flop 5♠ 2♥ 7♥ . Following two checks, Oliver Kubalek bets 16,000 and only David Erquiaga check-calls. More chips get dumped in the turn J♦ with Kubalek betting 17,500 that's check-called again. Kubalek slow down and checks back on the river 6♥ . Kubalek has T♣ T♥ , Erquiaga ships with A♥ 9♥ nut flush.

Craig Jones opens for 5000 and big blind Kento Chogo defends to take it to the flop 3♠ 6♠ 8♦ where a battle of raises erupts. Chogo leads 4000, Jones raises 17,000, Chogo three-bets 30,000, Jones shoves over 95K. Chogo can afford but opts to fold.

Looking down at K♦ K♠ , Jester Intia raises then calls Michael Concepcion's three-bet shove of 37,500. Though ahead of Concepcion's 4♣ 4♥ , the board delivers Intia a harsh blow on the window running 4♠ T♦ 2♠ 2♥ A♥ .

Calling from the button, Edwin Dela Cruz checks after Alexander Donn to take the battle to the turn 2♠ 5♠ 4♣ A♥ . Donn bets 3500 and Cruz tosses it in. The river 9♥ brings more action with Donn betting 13,000, Cruz raises to 60,000 which is enough to win the pot.

Munkh Natsagdorj and Soichiro Higashi have a big pot of 118,000 up for grabs with a board showing Q♣ 7♦ 4♦ A♣ 4♠ . Natsagdorj bets a light 25,000, Higashi calls, Natsagdorj shows A♥ K♥ for the pot.

On a board showing 5♦ K♦ T♥ 3♠ 7♦ and 36,000 weighing down the middle, Anthony Castro's 13,000 bet is met with raise of 63,000. Castro opts to fold.

Soichiro Higashi opens up the action from utg for 2600, two players call, then they all check the flop T♥ 3♠ 2♥ . Higashi resumes for 2200 on the turn T♣ which gets one to fold while Benhur Ybarsabal check-raises 8500. Higashi calls and the river comes 3♣ . Ybarsabal fires again for a larger 20,000, Higashi calls, Ybarsabal quickly mucks awarding Higashi the pot without a showdown.

Big pot of 9300 brewed preflop with three players headed to the flop 4♣ 8♥ J♣ . Action is checked to the button Kiril Gelev, he sends out 3600, and is called by both opponents. The trio check the turn 2♠ for a free river 7♦ . Jean Paul Berdejo leads out 15,500, Edwin Dela Cruz folds, Gelev calls then mucks to Berdejo's T♠ 9♠ straight.