Main Event (18,500 PHP)

The smoke is barely clearing from the battles on the felt for Main Event Day 1A in the Manila Super Series 22 at Pokerstars Live here in Okada Manila but in the end, 34 players from 224 total entries move on to Day 2 with the chip lead changing favors multiple times before the money bubble was eventually burst.

It looked to be a cruise for the Netherland’s Germ de Haas as he was the first to breach the 200,000 chip mark in the early levels but it slowly became apparent that Park Sangsub was out to control the proceedings as he gained the chip lead in the midway mark. Then came Ryuki Shirase of Japan following the outmuscling he did of China’s Li Zhouji. Edgar Asehan of the Philippines also momentarily sat atop the leaderboard but then de Haas began regaining traction and officially stamped his name on the chip leader position after busting Japan’s Takahashi Miyamoto with quads.

But the tournament was still waiting for the money bubble to be burst and Filipino Buds Ampatuan did just that when he flopped a set against Motoya Sato of Japan and it ensured that the 34 left would all be ITM.

De Haas amassed 715,000 in chips and is followed distantly by Shirase with 589,000. Third place is shared by Taiwan’s Yang Chih Chun and Edliberto Gopez of the Philippines with identical stacks of 369,000.

Day 1B commences tomorrow (June 13) still at 12:00NN (UCT+8).

Big stack Germ de Haas of the Netherlands opens from UTG for 15,000 and it folds around to the HJ where Japan’s Takahashi Miyamoto calls.

The flop goes J♦ 9♥ 7♥ asboth players opt to check. The turn is the A♣ as de Haas bets 90,000, putting his opponent in an all-in to call situation which he does.

De Haas turns over 9♦ 9♠ for set on the flop while Miyamoto shows A♦ T♣ for top pair on the turn. With the player from Japan already drawing dead, the poker gods poke a little fun by bringing in the 9♣ on the river to give the Dutchman quads and complete the ouster Miyamoto.

De Haas is the new chip leader and 37 players remain.

It’s them again as the hand in progress sees a pot of 16,600 on a flop of A♥ K♣ 2♠ as Russia’s Nikolai Babushkin checks from the CO. Germ de Haas of the Netherlands bets 6,000 and gets check-raised to 13,500. De Haas elects to make the call.

The turn is the 6♥ as Babushkin takes the betting lead for 17,100. The Dutchman opts to fold.

Babushkin eclipses his opponent’s stack with the win.

In an ongoing hand that already has 23,400 in the middle and a flop of 8♠ A♥ 2♣ , the action is on Russia’s Nikolai Babushkin in the BB who bets 5,800. He gets called by chip leader Germ de Haas from UTG and Mark Vergara of the Philippines in the CO.

The turn is the T♠ and Babushkin continues firing, this time for 13,500 to which de Haas quickly calls. Vergara steps aside. The river is the 3♠ as Babushkin unloads 22,700 and again is greeted by a snap call from his Dutch opponent.

Babushkin shows A♣ K♥ while a disgruntled de Haas flips over A♠ Q♥ as the Russian’s kicker plays and brings de Haas’ stack back to manageable levels.

Stephen Rosenthal of the United States opens from the LJ for 1,200 and gets calls from Japan’s Katsuhito Kawai on the D and chip leader Germ de Haas of the Netherlands in the BB.

The flop goes Q♥ 5♣ 6♥ as de Hass checks. Rosethal CBets 2,500 as Kawai calls. De Haas then check-raises it to 10,000 to which the American moves all-in for his remaining 21,400. Kawai folds, but the Dutchman makes the call.

Rosenthal tables A♠ A♦ and is surprised to find out that de Haas has Q♠ 6♦ for two pairs on the flop.

The last two community cards are the 9♥ and the K♥ as Rosenthal is busted holding aces and de Haas grows his Day 1A lead.

Russa’s Nikolai Babushkin opens from the +2 position for 800 and gets called by Germ de Haas of the Netherlands in the LJ. In the HJ, Ireland’s Patrick Noonan 3-bets to 2,800 and gets a call from American Stephen Rosenthal and the earlier participants.

The flop is 5♣ 7♥ 4♣ as it gets checked to Noonan who continues for 5,500. Rosenthal and Babushkin fold but de Haas check-raises it to 50,000 to which the Irishman shoves his remaining stack of 27,100.

De Haas unfurls 4♦ 4♥ for bottom set on the flop while Noonan tables K♠ K♥ .

The last two community cards are the 2♦ and the J♥ as Noonan busts and de Haas’ stack has reached monster proportions as it nears the double century mark.

Filipina Raquel Mendoza is on her third buy-in and limps in from the +2 position only to get raised in the SB by Germ de Haas of the Netherlands to 700. Mendoza makes the call.

The flop is 5♦ 4♣ J♦ as de Haas CBets for 600. Mendoza min-raises it to 1,200 and is called. The turn is the 2♠ as this time Mendoza grabs the betting lead for 4,000. De Haas raises all-in and gets snap called by the Filipina for the rest of her newly acquired stack of 23,600.

De Haas tables A♠ 3♣ for a wheel straight on the turn while Mendoza is drawing dead holding Q♠ Q♦ . The river card makes Mendoza’s strike out official as the 8♦ shows up.

It remains to be seen if a fourth bullet is in the cards for the Filipina.

Guam’s James Bonnano opens from UTG for 200 and gets called by the player in the +2 position. However, a 3-bet to 1,500 comes from the player on the D and is then 4-bet to 4,100 from the SB of Germ de Haas of the Netherlands. Bonnano 5-bets to 10,200 as it gets folded back to de Haas who 6-bet shoves and is snap called by Bonnano for his last 27,800.

De Haas shows A♥ K♥ while Bonnano has T♣ T♠ .

The flop is 2♣ 9♦ 9♠ but the turn card is the A♠ to give the Dutchman the lead. The river is the 5♦ to rail Bonnano for now.