Double Stack (10,000 PHP)

An Sangjin Triumphs in Double Stack

After 187 entries more than doubled the initial guaranteed prize pool, it came to a deal to determine the titlist of (Event #24) the Double Stack as Korea’s An Sangjin emerges victorious.

In what looked to be a runaway win for Daijiro Tomoto of Japan who brought a 4-1 chip lead to Heads Up, An all but evened the stack count when he snap called his opponent’s 4-bet shove for his last 1,255,000 with A♥ K♥ . Tomoto showed A♣ 4♦ . The runout went T♥ 8♦ K♦ K♣ J♠ for trips the Korean didn’t need for the decisive double up. With stack sizes close to even, a deal was reached to award An with the trophy but get the runner-up purse of PhP211,000 (~US$3,780) while Tomoto gets the champion’s prize of PhP340,232 (~US$6,090). Parikshit Jain of India finished in third for PhP151,000 (~US$2,705).

“I feel so good that i won this event,” An told SMP. “I (had) a great run in the early levels and I'm happy that i finally won a trophy.”

The key for An was when he doubled up to enable the ICM deal to be made.

“I really (didn’t) have any strategy, if I have a good hands I will play it really good and luckily I had an AK where I doubled up and probably even the chips and after few hands we decided to do an ICM Deal,” he explained.

When the moment arrived to make the deal, An confesses the language barrier became a hinderance.

“To be honest we (didn’t) understand each other (initially),” he said. “But after a few minutes when I pointed out to him the prize pool for first place and said I take the trophy he take the first-place money he agreed so fast. We're also tired so I guess we didn’t have to talk about it for so long.”