Warm-up (5,000 PHP)

The biggest guarantee among the six events slated today at the Manila Super Series 22 had its first qualifying sortie launch as 175 entries were logged in (Event #3A) Warm-Up Flight A with 27 making it through to Day 2 in this PHP780,000 (~US$13,970) GTD event here at Pokerstars Live in Okada Manila.

Among the notable who saw action were Manila Megastack 16 High Roller titlist Niroshan Loganathan from Canada, Pokerstars Open runner-up Kai Danilo Paulsen of Norway, Australia’s Andrew Xu who took down the Super Deep title in Manila Megstack 22 and international campaigners Ronnie Hoffman of the Netherlands, Ireland’s Damien, and Filipino hopefuls in APPT National Open winner Alvir Inocentes, Manila Megastack 19 Super Stack titlist Lenart Ecarma, Manila Super Series 18 Superstack champion Chierro de Leon, and WSOP veteran Tony Abesamis.

The action was riveting from the get-go with the chip trading hands in a frenzying pace until Korea’s Han Seung Hyun came back from certain demise when he shoved his Q♥ J♥ on a Q♣ 8♦ 5♥ Q♠ board and was called by Filipino big stack Segundo Barte who tabled K♥ Q♦ . Han rivered the J♠ to improve to a full houise and claim the overall chip lead that he would not relinquish for the rest of the proceedings.

In the end, the bubble was burst by Japan’s Tomohiro Wada when his steal shove from the SB with 5♦ 4♠ was rewarded by a hit on the flop against the K♥ 7♦ of Cypriot Anastasios Pavlou to ensure that the 27 left would be guaranteed to be ITM.

Han’s stack of 461,000 is closely followed by Wada’s 418,000. Sitting in third is Inocentes with 337,000.

Day 2 is on Sunday at 12:00NN (UCT+8).

Meanwhile, Flight B commences tomorrow (June 7) at 5:00PM.

Filipino Jonald Garcia opens from the +1 position for 12,000 and when the action folds to the D, Acharya Anant of India re-raises all-in of his last 82,000. After the blinds fold, Garcia makes the call.

Anant unveils K♥ J♥ while Garcia is live with 8♠ 7♠ .

The flop comes K♦ 4♠ 5♦ as the Indian maintains his lead with top pair but Garcia gets a gutshot. The turn is the T♣ and the river is the 3♣ to get Anant a huge double up at the expense of a former big stack.

Norihisa Zaitsu has it folded to him in the CO and open shoves his dwindling stack of 42,000. Australia’s Hatim Hussein calls from the D and just for good measure, big stack Jonald Garcia of the Philippines joins also from the BB.

The flop goes J♠ T♠ 6♦ as Hussein and Garica check. The turn is the K♣ and they still skip this betting street while the river is the 8♦. No further action ensues.

Zaitsu flips over A♣ T♥ for middle pair on the flop while Hussein has 9♣ 9♦ . Garcia unveils shows 4♠ 4♥ .

With the triumph, the Japanese player triples up and reenters the six-figure mark to stay in contention.

With the flop of 3♥ 4♥ 4♠ already dealt and 36,000 already in the middle, Jonald Garcia of the Philippines checks it to Ireland’s Daryl O’Rourke who comes out firing for 32,000. Garcia then check-raises it 64,000. O’Rourke makes the call. The turn is the 5♥ as Garcia checks anew. The Irishman then goes all-in for his remaining 93,000. The Filipino covers his opponent and makes the call.

O’Rourke shows T♣ T♦ but is surprised when Garcia unveils 3♣ 3♦ for a full house on the flop.

The river card is the 8♣ as suddenly O’Rourke is out of the tournament and Garcia is now among the big stacks.

Carlos Monton of the Philippines limps from UTG and the action gets folded to the SB where another Filipino in Jonald Garcia raises it to 3,100. Ki Young Son of Korea calls from the BB and Monton also joins in.

The flop goes 7♠ 6♥ K♣ as all three players check. The turn is the Q♥ as Garcia now leads out for 3,000. Son calls but Monton moves all-in for his last 19,500. Garcia calls and Son folds.

Monton shows 9♥ 5♥ for a gutshot that gained a flush redraw while Garcia has A♣ Q♦ for top pair-top kicker. Garcia dodges all of his compatriot’s outs as the T♦ appears on the river.

The miss rails Monton as Garcia now has six-figures in chips.