Warm-up (5,000 PHP)

The three remaining combatants have agreed to spilt the remaining prize money via ICM chop and decided that Masafumi Kimura of Japan takes down the title.

Raymundo Gomez of the Philippines still gets the biggest cut as he was still barely the chip leader when the agreement was reached. Gomez gets second place and pockets the adjusted prize of PhP227,900 (~US$4,085) while Kimura earns PhP209,800 (~US$3,760). Jester Intia, also of the Philippines, takes third for PhP197,300 (~US$3,535).

Congratulations to this trio besting a field of 402 entries in the Warm-Up!

Jester Intia is still swinging away and continues to defy logic as a card seer.

Raymundo Gomez opens from the UTG/D for 500,000 and Intia shoves from the SB for his remaining 1,280,000. Gomez, the chip leader, makes the call.

Intia turns over A♣ 2♠ while Gomez shows J♠ J♥ .

Prior to the dealer putting out the flop, Intia calls for the Ace of Diamonds.

The flop comes A♦ 3♠ 6♣ as those railing became astonished. The turn is the 3♦ and the river is the 3♣ as Intia doubles through with a higher boat and almost pulls abreast of his opponent.

Just as Raymundo Gomez appears to be heading into cruise control, his UTG raise to 250,000 is greeted by a 3-bet shove from Jester Intia from the SB for his last 640,000. Gomez makes the call.

Intia shows 7♦ 7♣ while Gomez is actually in a coin-flip for his opponent’s tournament life with K♣ 9♥ .

The runout, however, was bogey-free for Intia: J♥ 4♣ 4♦ Q♦ 5♦ as Intia moves into the seven-digit chip mark. Gomez still has a massive lead against the rest of the competition.

The ongoing saga between Raymundo Gomez and Michael Manlapaz continues on the very next after Manlapaz lost the chip lead as Gomez opens from the D for 260,000. Manlapaz calls from the SB.

The flop goes 9♦ Q♥ 5♣ as Manlapaz checks and Gomez fires again, this time for 250,000. Manlapaz calls. The turn card is the 3♠ as this time both slow down and check. The river is the 6♣ as Manlapaz checks a third time. Now, Gomez unloads 700,000 to which Manlapaz folds.

In two hands, Gomez has not only taken the chip lead away from Manlapaz but doubled his stack as opposed to his foe’s.

The action is folded to the blinds where Raymundo Gomez completes his SB but is met with a raise from the BB from chip leader Michael Manlapaz to 300,000. Gomez calls.

The flop goes 8♥ 5♥ K♠ as Gomez checks to the raiser. Manlapaz CBets 400,000 as Gomez calls. The turn is the K♥ and this time, both check. The river is the 6♣ as now Gomez bets 500,000. Manlapaz makes the snap call.

Gomez unveils K♣ 7♥ for trips on the turn while Manlapaz shows A♠ A♥ and is lucky to lose the minimum.

Manlapaz does lose the chip to Gomez anew.

Raymundo Gomez has it folded to him in SB where he completes in as chip leader Michael Manlapaz check his option in the BB.

The flop goes T♦ 9♦ 7♣ as both check. The turn is the Q♦ and once again they skip the street. The river is the K♠ and no one fires.

Gomez shows K♥ 2♦ while Manlapaz tables K♦ 6♠ for a split pot, but Manlapaz posted the ante, that is also divided, hence Gomez wins a little more and it is enough to take the chip lead away from Manlapaz.

The action gets folded to big stack Raymundo Gomez on the D and he raises it to 200,000. In the BB, Jester Intia announces he is all-in for his remaining 390,000. Gomez calls.

Intia tables A♠ 5♥ while Gomez has him dominated with A♣ J♦ .

The flop goes 6♦ 7♥ Q♣ while the turn is the 6♣ . With his chances looking bleak, Intia (in his big baritone voice) calls out for the 5♣ which does appear on the river.

The double up by Intia was hardly felt by Gomez, but more artillery is given to a dangerous competitor.

Raymundo Gomez opens from the +1 position for 200,000 and draws two callers in chip leader Michael Manlapaz in the HJ and Masafumi Kimura in the BB.

The flop is J♥ 4♣ 2♠ as Kimura checks. Gomez CBets for 250,000 and it is enough to get his opponents off the hand.

Gomez is now in solo second place.

In a rarity in the Final Table, chip leader Michael Manlapaz opens from UTG for 200,000 and folds to the BB where Raymundo Gomez defends.

The flop is T♣ 6♥ 2♠ as Gomez checks. Manlapaz continues for 200,000 anew and gets check-raised all-in by Gomez for 735,000. Manlapaz makes the call.

Gomez tables A♠ T♦ while Manlapaz shakes his head as he shows 9♣ 9♠ .

The last two community cards of the hand are the 8♦ and the 2♣ .

Manlapaz’s stack goes down considerably and is now overtaken by Gomez.

In the 20th hand of the Final Table, Raymondo Gomez opens from the HJ for 125,000 and gets called in the SB by Patrick Noonan.

The flop goes 8♥ J♣ Q♦ as Noonan checks. Gomez CBets for 80,000 and gets called. The turn is the 6♠ and this time, both check. The river is the 9♥ as Noonan checks a third time. Gomez fires 200,000 and gets the Irishman to release his cards into the muck.

Gomez now also has seven digit holdings.

Chip leader Michael Manlapaz limps in from UTG and the action folds all the way to Raymundo Gomez in the BB who checks his option.

The unraised pot sees a flop of T♦ 9♥ 5♦ as Gomez checks. Manlapaz leads out for 150,000 and it’s enough to have his compatriot to fold.

The very next hand sees Raymundo Gomez open from the CO for 120,000 and it folds to the BB of erstwhile chip leader Patrick Noonan as the Irishman chooses to defend.

The flop goes A♥ 8♣ J♠ as Noonan checks and Gomez continues for 75,000. Noonan makes the call. The turn is the 6♠ and this time, both check. The river is the 3♦ and now Noonan leads out for 225,000. Time banks are now in play here in the Final Table and the Filipino uses up two of his immediately at this early stage. Gomez eventually decides to fold, awarding the pot to Noonan.

On the tenth hand of the Final Table, Raymundo Gomez has it folded to him on the D and raises it up to 125,000 and gets called by chip leader Michael Manlapaz in the SB.

The flop is J♣ T♦ 5♥ as both players check. The turn is the 7♥ and once again both opt to skip this betting street. The river is the 7♦ and this time, Manlapaz bets 125,000. Gomez elects to call.

Manlapaz shows 6♥ 5♠ for bottom pair. Gomez mucks.

The two blinds go all-in preflop with SB Raymundo Gomez of the Philippines covering the 380,000 call of Korea’s Choi Younsik in the BB.

Gomez tables A♥ Q♥ while Choi holds T♣ T♦, coin-flipping for his tournament life.

The flop gives the lead to the Filipino: Q♠ 5♣ 8♣ followed by the Q♦ . Needing one of the two remaining tens in the deck to stay alive, the 5♥ on the river gives Gomez a full house that busts the Korean in 11th place.

In a rare unraised battle of the blinds, the Philippines’ Raymundo Gomez in the SB and Choi Younsik of Korea see a flop of K♠ 8♥ 2♥ .

Gomez leads out for 30,000 and gets called. The turn is the J♣ and once again the Filipino stays aggressive by firing 65,000. This time, Choi raises all-in for his last 255,000. Gomez opts to release his hand.

Korea’s Kim Hyoungchul raises it to 27,000 from the +1 position and it gets folded to the BB of Filipino Raymundo Gomez who opts to defend.

The flop is K♠ J♣ 5♥ as both players check. The turn is the K♣ as Gomez takes the betting lead for 38,000. Kim calls. The river is the 3♥ and this time, Gomez fires 60,000. Kim folds.