Warm-up (5,000 PHP)

Three Filipinos are all-in preflop with Elmer “Buddy” Kalaquian covering Joseroy “Whoodie” Jeremias in there for his last 44,000 while Fritz Magsumbol has put his remaining stack of 23,000 into the pot as well.

Jeremias flips over Q♠ Q♣ while Kalaquian is not only crushed with 9♦ 9♥ but is also deflated to see that Magsumbol has A♠ 9♣ , leaving only one nine in the deck.

The runout goes: 6♣ 3♣ 2♠ K♥ T♥ as Jeremias triples up and Magsumbol is eliminated. Kalaquian’s stack is back to five-figures.

The action starts with a raise from UTG to 1,600 followed by a 3-bet from Filipino Elmer Kalaquian in the +1 position to 4,600. Katsuhito Kawai of Japan calls from the HJ and another Filipino in Wendell Jhanin Barte make the call. The original raiser joins in as well.

The flop comes 2♠ 5♠ 6♣ as it is checked to Kalaquian who moves all-in and is promptly called by both Kawai and Barte. The initial raiser folds.

Kalaquian shows A♠ 3♠ for the nut flush/straight flush draw, Kawai tables T♣ T♦ for the lead with an over-pair to the board while Barte also has a flush draw but it is with the Q♠ J♠ . Kalaquian covers both.

The turn card gives Barte the edge as the Q♦ appears, giving the Filipino top pair. However, the river is the T♠ to complete Kalaquian’s nut flush as he bounces two from the competition and closes in on the century chip mark.