WPT Cambodia Passport to World Championship

The second starting day of the WPT Cambodia Championship drew a crowd of 312 entries, nearly double that of Day 1A, and with the buy in at $1,300, it easily surpassed the $500,000 guarantee. The prize pool now sits at around $540K and with one more entry flight to go, there is a high chance of reaching the million marker.

After 14 levels of regulation play, the field trimmed to 44 players led by China's Xiaosheng Zheng with a monster stack of 1,013,000, equivalent to 168 bb entering Day 2. Multiple takedowns helped amass this stack which included the cooler that eliminated big stacked Tien Sang Phi. Check out the action via the hand reports or stay tuned for the recap.

From utg, Ian Lee opens, cutoff Shaun Conroy three-bets 35,000, Lee calls, flop runs 5♦ Q♦ A♥ . Conroy c-bets, Lee check-raises 75,000, Conroy tank-calls, turn drops 6♥ . Lee checks again, Conroy bets 72,000, Lee tanks and eventually folds. Conroy flashes Q♣ Q♠ set.

Nguyen is eliminated.

From cutoff Faiz Alam opens 10,000, big blind Max Menzel three-bets 42,000, Alam calls. Flop comes 3♠ T♠ 2♠ , Menzel continues for 25,000, Alam raises 65,000, Menzel shoves, Alam with the snap-call.

The turn 6♠ and river 9♣ are no help to Menzel to give Alam a huge boost.

Ian Lee gets there on the river to knock out both players in one go.

Hijack Ichiyo Niwa opens 10,000, cutoff calls, button Zhang Cheng three-bets 35,000, Niwa four-bets 125,000, cutoff folds, Zhang five-bets 225,000. Niwa tanks for several minutes then gives up his hand.

Preflop raise war ends with big stacked Tien Sang Phi pushing pocket Kings into bigger stacked Xiaosheng Zheng's pocket Aces. No help comes on the board. Zheng catapults to 950,000, Tien is eliminated.

Sitlani misses completely to get the boot.

Utg+1 Karan Sitlani opens 8000, cutoff Junzhong Loo calls button Tien Sang Phi calls, big blind Soo Ghee Lim three-bets 59,000, only Tien joins to the flop Q♣ 5♦ T♥ . Lim checks, Tien jams 146,000, Lim gets a count and calls.

Lots of shoving preflop with some getting through and some packing up. First one on our list is Junpeng Pan who goes all in with 4♣ 4♠ and doubles up through Hai Bo Chu Q♥ T♥ on a board 6♥ 4♥ J♠ 5♣ 9♠ .

Untg Collin Ho opens 8500, utg+1 Cliton Taliwanth calls, big blind Khayal Abbasov calls, then shoves 30,500 on the flop T♥ 5♦ , no callers.

Travis Endersby has been sitting on a short stack for some time, he raises 10,500, Bien Mai shoves, Endersby tosses the rest of it in the pot.

Zhang completed a straight to crush Pang's big slick.

Lim misses the board and goes bust.

With no bad beat on the board, Jian exits as Menzel ships it.

Hand opens with a 6500 raise from cutoff Erwan Regnault, button Shaun Conroy re-raises 17,000, big blind Guangrui Meng jams for 116,500, Regnault folds while Conroy makes the call.

The board runs low for Conroy to ship it.

On a raised pot preflop, Izzat Bananyarli bets the flop T♥ 9♠ 7♥ sending the action back to Xiaosheng Zheng who goes all in. Bananyarli snap-calls and flips over Q♦ Q♠ , Zheng has K♥ 8♥ flush draw. The turn 5♣ keep Bananyarli ahead but the river K♠ sends him crashing out in disbelief.

Santi Adultrakul opens from the button and the blinds call the flop 6♥ Q♦ 2♥ . Big blind Somasekhar Sanampuri bets, Adultrakul goes all in, Sanampuri calls.

The turn 2♣ and river Q♣ are no help to Adultrakul.

From mid-position, Woojin Kim opens for 6000 and big blind Shaohua Luo defends for a look at the flop A♦ 2♦ K♣ . Kim sends out 4000 and Luo check-calls. On the turn J♣ , Kim makes it 14,000, Luo gives up his hand.

Xiaosheng Zheng opens from utg+1 and is joined by the blinds to the flop 3♠ J♣ 4♠ . Zheng continues for 5000, blinds call again. On the turn K♣, Zheng bets 6000, small blind folds, big blind Perri check-raises 18,000, Zhang flats. The river J♥ , Perri shoves 105,000, Zheng tank-calls.

Perri falls on a failed bluff.

The queen kicker plays for a double up.

All Vietnamese battle with utg+2 Duc Nhat Nguyen kicking it off with 5500 raise, lojack Ngo Khoa Anh and big blind Trung Quang Nguyen call for a flop 3♦ 3♠ 9♣ . Duc Nhat continues for another 5500, only Anh calls. Both players check the turn 9♠ . Duc Nhat bets 6500 on the river 6♠ , Anh raises 26,000, Duc Nhat tank-folds.

With a huge 42,000 pot brewed and J♦ 5♦ Q♣ 2♠ before them, Santi Adultrakul checks to Travis Endersby who goes all in. Though Santi can afford it, he gives up his hand and shows Q♦ . Endersby also has a queen and shows Q♠ .

Cho Yi Pang opens 8000 then calls a shove with 9♣ 9♦ up against A♥ 7♠ . The board burns Pang on the flop A♦ 8♦ 8♥ but with the turn 9♠ , Pang is ahead again. The river Q♠ seals the win.

Vishal Ojha raises 4000 preflop that's called by the big blind Hai Bo Chu. Flop comes 8♠ A♣ 6♦ , Chu check-calls 5000. On the turn Q♥ , Ojha bets 16,000 which is enough to claim the pot.

From utg Hong Wei Andee Peh opens 6000 and big blind Seongho Cho defends for a flop 8♥ A♣ 7♣ . Cho check-calls the flop and turn 8♥ A♠ 7♣ 3♥ for 15,000 and 26,000, then both check the river 4♦ . Cho reveals 9♦ 9♥ , Peh wins with A♦ J♣ top pair.

Rayhaan Adam has lost the big stack he once had but is slowly making up for the lost chips. He eliminated a short stack, calling with 9♥ 8♣ against A♣ K♣. The board dropped an eight on the river 3♥ 7♥ 3♣ 2♣ 8♥ .

Preflop raise war ends with a pot of 25,000 and a flop Q♣ T♦ 3♠ . Sung Jae Cho bets 8000 and Seongho Cho calls. Both check the turn T♠ , then on the river 6♦ , Sung Jae checks ,Seongho fires 18,000, Sung Jae calls and exposes Seongho's K♥ 9♥ bluff. Sung Jae wins the potwith J♥ J♣ .

Catching the action on a board 7♠ 9♠ A♣ 6♦ T♣ , the pot is being pushed to Xiang Hue Eu who doubles up with T♠ 8♠ straight against Minh A Nguyen's A♥ 9♣ two pair.

Cutoff Hai Nam Hoang raises then calls big blind Craig Jones 18,000 three-bet. Flop comes 3♣ 4♥ T♠ , Jones continues for 15,000 and Hoang calls. The A♣ turn induces more action with Hoang betting 26,000, Jones check-raises all in, Hoang quickly folds.

With 16,000 in the pot and a board showing Q♣ 4♠ 2♠ 8♥ , utg Trung Quan Nguyen bets 4000, gets raised to 12,000 by Xiang Hue Eu, button and small blind Raju Jaruplavath call, back to Nguyen who folds. When the river 5♥ felts, Jaruplavath goes all in for 8400 and only Zhan calls.

All in preflop, Junzhong Loo ahead in cards and in chips against Alex Lindop who goes bust at the runout.

Rayhaan Adam is sitting with a mountain of chip and added more by shoving Daniel Lim out of the pot. On a board showing T♠ 8♣ 4♣ 8♠ K♦ , with 19,400 brewed, Lim bets 8000, Adam check-raises all in, Lim folds after a few minutes. Adam tell Lim he had him at the flop and had King-Ten.

Mid position opens, and gets called, big blind Curtis Jian three-bets, initial raiser four-bets 10,500, a player folds, Jian shoves his big stack that sends mp tanking. After a few minutes, mp folds and shows T♣ T♠ , Jian returns the gesture and shows A♦ K♠ .

Utg Yongoh Lim raises 3200 and is joined by the blinds to the flop 4♣ 8♣ 9♦ . Lim continues for 3500, small blind Jhon Hendri calls, big blind folds. On the turn 2♦ , Lim sends out 5500 and this time he is met with a check-raise of 20,500 from Hendri. Lim tanks for a few minutes then calls. More heat on the river A♣ with Hendri laying out 45,000, Lim tanks again for a few minutes then folds showing 8♠ 9♠ two pair. Hendri says he had Ace-Nine but didn't show.

Now at Level 9 which means this is the last level to enter Day 1B. Currently 300 entries and the pot at $541K.

Changyu Zhai raises 3000, Hong Zhu three-bets 8700, Zhai answers with a shove, Zhu folds.

On a flop Q♠ A♥ 7♣ with 13,700 brewed, Kajornnut Prirungrueng check-raises to 11,000 and wins the pot.

Four players build a 13,800 pot preflop and cards land A♦ 9♥ 3♣ . Hijack player Rui Bouquet bets 14,500, cutoff Donghwan Won calls, two players fold and Rui calls. The turn 2♦ Rui bets 14,500, Won tank-shoves and covers Rui who snap-calls.

The river 6♣ assures Rui the double up.

Erwan Regnault raises to 2000 then calls Shaun Conroy's 6400 re-raise then both watch the flop land 9♣ K♥ 3♦ . Conroy c-bets 2700 and Regnault check-calls. Both check the turn 7♦ then on the river 5♥ , Regnault leads out 6000, Conroy calls then mucks to Regnault's K♥ Q♥ top pair.

Hijack Vikaas Shah opens the betting, cutoff Cao Ngoc Anh and big blind Anh Tuan Ho call and see a flop 7♠ 2♦ 8♥ . Shah continues for 3000 and again both players call. Plenty of chips come on the turn 5♥ with Anh shoving, Shah folds, Cao calls.

Four players in on a min-raised pot for a flop 2♠ A♥ 9♠ . Middle position Niles Short bets 3500 and finds one caller in Kosei Fujiwara. They check the turn J♠ . On the river 7♥ , Short bets 5000, Fujiwara goes all in for nearly triple, Short folds.

Somasekhar Sanampuri limps then calls Haisheng Qiu's 3000 raise. Flop comes Q♣ Q♥ 7♦ , Sanampuri check-raises Qiu's 2200 bet to make it 5000 to continue. Qiu calls. The turn 2♠ Sanampuri leads out 10,000 and wins it.

Nguyen's aces hold to ship it all and catapult to the top of the counts.

On a flop 9♣ 8♣ 3♣ with 15,400 in the pot, Yuanning Wu bets 2000 then calls Cao Ngoc Anh's 5500 raise to head to the turn T♠ . No bets land. The river 7♥ sees a 7000 bet from Anh, Wu calls, Anh turns over A♣ T♥ , Wu has J♠ T♣ straight.

Catching the action as the dealer is sending the chips to Yaxin Cen with Ace-King top pair King to bring her stack to 70,000.

From utg, Guangrui Meng bumps it up to 1300 and is joined by three players to the flop 9♥ 7♦ 2♥ . Meng c-bets 1800, and again everyone calls and head to the turn 8♦ . Small blind Eric Ceret leads out 2500, big blind Yaxin Cen goes all in for 19,900, two folds follow then Ceret takes on the challenge and calls. Cen show third pair with a draw. Ceret a flush draw.

Anton Johnson opens 2000, Hai Nam Hoang and Vivian Lo call, small blind Craig Jones three-bets 11,000, Johnson and Hoang call while Lo folds.

At the flop J♠ 3♣ K♣ , Jones continues for 10,000, gets raised by Johnson to 22,000, Hoang folds, Jones moves all in. Johnson folds.

Bora Uludag opens from utg+1, Duc Hieu Nguyen three-bets 2600, three players call including Uludag. Everyone checks the flop and turn 4♦ J♦ 3♦ 7♥ . On the river K♣ , Uludag bets 3400, only Nguyen calls and wins with a higher pair.

Choyi Pang three-bets 3300 and gets called by initial raiser Huu Dung Nguyen. Pang continues 2000 on the flop 2♠ A♠ K♦ and takes it down.

Sven McDermott min-raises then calls big blind Matthew Wakeman's 5500 re-raise. They head to the flop 6♥ 3♣ 8♠ , Wakemen bets 10,000 that's called. The turn 9♣ , Wakeman announces all in and wins the pot uncontested.

Following that hand Nguyen Quang Huy opens from utg and blinds call. At the flop J♦ 9♠ 5♦ , Nguyen continues for 5000, small blind Wakeman calls, big blind McDermott folds. The turn 6♦ is checked then the T♣ river sees a 10,000 bet from Nguyen that Wakeman opts not to call.

Marco Perri three-bets 3000 and gets called by the initial raiser for a flop 4♠ Q♣ 8♥ . Both check for a turn K♦ . Perri bets 7000 and wins it then and there.

Utg Harsh Jhirmiria opens, big blind Anton Johnson three-bets 3,000, Jhirmiria four-bets 8,000 Johnson calls to see the flop 4♠ T♦ A♦ . Johnson checks, Jhrimiria continues for 6500, Johnson calls. On the turn 7♥ , check again from Johnson, Jhirmiria shoves around 25,000, Johnson tank-calls.

Karan Sitlani three-bets 3000 and initial raiser Faiz Alam calls for a flop 6♠ 9♠ 8♠ . Sitlani bets 1500 and is called. Both check the turn 3♠ and get a free river 7♥ . Alam leads out 2000, Sitlani calls, Alam says he has the flush but hasn't shown, when he does it is 2♥ 2♠ , Sitlani wins the pot with J♠ J♣ higher flush.

On a board showing 4♦ K♣ T♦ A♠ 4♥ and 24,800 in the pot, Vishal Ojha checks to Tiger Ong who tanks then checks back. Ojha flips over K♦ K♥ and wins the pot.

Four players in on a raised pot, flop comes A♥ 2♠ 4♥ . Hijack Hong Wei Andee Peh bets 3100, button Meherzad Munsaf calls, the rest fold. The turn 9♣ , Hong bets 4000, Munsaf shoves 18,600, Hong calls.

2023 WPT Vietnam Passport Champion has taken a seat and got in a hand that sees Bien Mai open from hijack that's called by cutoff Buu Nghia Le and big blind Suriyakarn. At the flop 2♥ 7♦ A♠ Bien continues for 1200, only Le calls, dealer drops the turn 2♠ . Bien checks then folds to Le's 2200 bet.

Next hand Le opens 1100 from hijack, button Faiz Alam three-bets 3500, Le four-bets 12,500, Alam folds.

Karan Sitlani opens then calls Michael Lindstrom's re-raise of 3500. At the flop 7♠ Q♦ T♦ , Lindstrom fires another 3500 and Sitlani check-calls. The turn 6♦ Lindstrom continues for 9000 and Sitlani folds.

Sriprathai Watcharasak opens 700 and is called by two players to the flop T♣ 3♠ 2♦ . Watcharasak continues 600 and only big blind Cliton Taliwanth joins to the turn K♣ . Watcharasak fires again for 1300 and this time wins the pot outright.

Utg+1 Shanhui Li opens 800 then calls hijack Amit Kaushik's 2400 three-bet. On the flop J♣ 8♠ J♦ , Li check-calls 2500. The turn 4♠ , Kaushik bets 7000, Li check-raises 16,000, Kaushik calls. On the river K♣ , Li announces all in for 19,000, Kaushik tank-calls and pays up.

Unraised pot with four players in the hand, flop 5♦ J♦ 6♠ sees a 1000 bet from Slav Rypinski, button Dmitry Nemirovsky calls, Michael Bihari calls and big blind folds. No bets land on the turn 8♦ and the dealer flips over the river 2♦ . Rypinsky bets 3300, Nemirovsky calls and wins it with the flush.

Cutoff Bing Wang opens 1000 and big blind Michael Bihari defends for a flop J♥ T♦ 3♣ . Bihari check-calls 700 then folds to Wang's 2400 bet on the turn Q♥ .

More players have pulled up seats with WPT champion Dhaval Mudgal and WSOP bracelet champion Alex Lindop among them. Other notables are Bien Mai, Vishal Ojha, and recent festival winners Karan Sitlani and Cliton Taliwanth.

Preflop raise war builds a pot of 11,100 as the dealer lays out the board 6♣ 5♥ 9♦ 2♦ J♥ , Erik Rozhynskyi bets 7000, 6500, Izzat Bananyarli calls both, then 20,000 on the river that covers Bananyarli who asks "do you have it?" And slides in the rest of his chips. Indeed, Rozhynskyi has it.

With 3,300 in the pot and a board A♦ Q♦ A♣ 9♠ , Amit Kaushik bets 3000 then folds to Junpeng Pan's 10,000 raise.

Buu Nghia Le claims two pots with the first one three-betting 1600 from small blind that's called by two players. The all check the flop and turn for the board to complete T♣ 5♦ 3♠ A♣ Q♦ , Le bets 2500 and wins the pot with no callers.

Two hands after, with four players in on an unraised pot, utg bets 700 on the flop 2♠ T♠ 6♠ and only Le calls to the turn 7♥. Le bets 1000 and utg calls. Both check the river 3♣ . Utg has Q♠ J♣ , Le wins it with A♣ 9♠ ace high.

Among the players getting it in on the first deal of the day is hot running Amit Kaushik from India. Kaushik finished 5th at the WPT Cambodia Main Tour in January and a few days prior, he placed 2nd at the 8 Max Survivor Bounty. He will be one of the players to watch for today.

Cards are now flying for Day 1B of the Championship. Registration stays open until the start of Level 11 at 6pm local time. Good luck to all!

The WPT Cambodia Championship resumes today with Day 1B kicking off at 11:30am at NagaWorld Integrated Resorts in Phnom Penh. For a buy in of USD 1,300, players have a chance at the USD 500,000 guarantee.

Starting stack is 40,000 which is a deep 200 times the opening blinds of 100-200 with a big blind ante of 200. Blinds increase every 40 minutes. Once registration closes at the start of Level 10, blinds will increase every 60 minutes for the duration of the tournament. Day 1 bags up at the end of Level 14.

At Day 1A, a total of 175 entered with 22 players advancing. Vietnam's Van Dan Nguyen is the one to measure up to with 644,000 bagged.

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