Main Event (18,500 PHP)

Japan’s Kohei Sato opens from the +2 position for 1,000 and gets calls from the D of Filipino Jun Talosig and the BB.

The flop goes Q♥ 7♦ A♠ as it gets checked back to the Filipino who bets 2,500. The BB folds but Sato calls. It is now Heads-Up to the turn which brings in the 6♣. This time, both check. The river is the 8♦ and no further action ensues.

Sato flips over K♦ Q♣ for second pair on the flop while Talosig opts to muck.

Malaysia’s Ng Kheng Chen opens from the +2 position for 800 and gets called on the LJ until Kohei Sato of Japan 3-bets them to 2,200 from the D. Ng proceeds to 4-bet it to 5,000 as the caller in the LJ folds. Sato chooses to call.

The flop goes 8♠ 7♦ 8♥ as Ng checks. Sato bets 2,500 and is check-raised by the Malaysian to 7,000. Sato calls. The turn is the 6♠ as once again Ng checks. The Japanese player then gos all-in for his remaining stack of 17,500. Ng makes the snap call.

Sato flips over T♦ 9♦ for a straight on the turn while Ng shows T♠ T♥ and is not drawing dead as a seven or the last ten gives him a boat.

The river card does pair the board, but it’s the 6♥ as Ng is in a perilous situation with such a low stack in the early goings.