Championship Warm Up ($600)

Robert Sherwood opened 800,000 utg, leaving himself with 75,000 behind. Amir Abbas called on the button, followed by a squeeze from Ilya Firstov. Both short stacks called off their remaining chips and found themselves in a three way pocket pair showdown.

Sherwood and Abbas dominated, bound for the exit as Firstov's hooks held all through board Q♣ Q♥ 9♣ A♦ 5♣ to deliver the double elimination.

Amir Abbas opened on the hijack and was joined by Ilya Firstov behind, along with Robert Sherwood on the big blind.

Abbas continued for 125,000 on flop A♣ 7♦ 4♦ , called by Firstov onto turn 8♣ . Abbas checked, and folded after Firstov gunned 500,000.

Robert Sherwood raised all-in on the small blind for his last 1,400,000 (11 BB) and was called by chip leader Ali Hassan right behind.

Sherwood slightly ahead, was left in no sweat, having instantly spiked top pair on board A♠ 8♦ T♠ 6♥ 2♦ to rake in the double up.

Hassan Sey opened utg and was met with a 550,000 three bet from Robert Sherwood on the cutoff. Sey tank four bet jammed his entire 3,175,000 (32 BB), called by Sherwood with overcards for a flip.

Sey's ladies held on board 3♦ 9♥ 3♥ 6♠ 8♥ , keeping him in the running with a much bigger stack.

Ali Hassan opened 200,000 utg and Robert Sherwood completed on the big blind.

On board 6♠ 4♣ Q♥ K♥ , Hassan double barreled - 100,000 and 225,000, leaving Sherwood to give it up by the turn.

Mateuz Stanielewicz opened to 200,000 on the button, joined by both Robert Sherwood and Ali Hassan on the blinds.

Action on flop Q♥ J♣ 3♣ was checked round to turn 6♦ . Hassan led for 225,000, and saw only Sherwood continue to river Q♠ . Both checked it down, revealing Sherwood's trip queens Q♣ T♣ for the pot.

Ilya Firstov opened on the hijack and called a 400,000 bet from Robert Sherwood on the button.

Sherwood continued for 275,000 on flop T♦ 7♥ 6♠ , enough to get Firstov to lay it down.

Ali Hassan opened utg, called by Amir Abbas on the hijack along with Robert Sherwood on the big blind.

All three checked flop 9♦ 8♠ 6♠ through to turn Q♦ . Checked once more to Abbas, he bet 225,000. Sherwood continued to river T♣ , but missed to arrive at showdown after Abbas gunned for a final 350,000.

Robert Kiss opened 150,000 on the button and saw both Ali Hassan and Martin Sedlak on the blinds come along on flop A♠ J♠ 3♠ .

Action checked round to turn 7♥ , where Hassan led 100,000. Martin Sedlak called to see turn 6♥ , but stepped away as Hassan went for another 375,000.

The WPT Cambodia Championship Warm Up games is due to crown its champion today with its 527-entry field whittled to the final eight. While initially set to narrow down to six, all remaining players agreed to wrap up yesterday's Day 2 following ten levels of play.

Leading the charge for the lion's share of the $274,943 prize pool is UK's Robert Sherwood with 4,275,000 (57 BB), having claimed a last minute double up right as the day closed. Trailing just six big blinds behind are both Ali Hassan and Ilya Firstov, to round up the top three counts.

A ton of play however, is left on the table with all the remaining contenders stacking above the 30 big blind mark. Still anyone's game, each runner has a fighting chance to claim the $52,383 top prize along with a seat to WPT Prime worth $1,100, all while guaranteed $7,122 in winnings as they return to the felt for the final battle.

Play resumes at 11:30 local time, with 46 minutes left on the clock at Level 26: 50,000 / 75,000 ante 75,000. Stay tuned for updates as SMP brings you all the latest directly off the floor!

Championship Warm Up

Date/s: February 7-10, 2025

Buy-in: USD 600

Guarantee: USD 150,000

Entries: 527

Prize pool: USD 274,943

ITM: 66 places

Final 8 Chip Counts

The WPT Cambodia Championship Warm Up wrapped up Day 2 at NagaWorld in Phnom Penh with the field trimmed from 113 players down to just eight finalists.

Sitting at the top of that lineup is Robert Sherwood with a stack of 4,275,000 (57 bb). Sherwood was chip leader for a large portion of the day then dropped down with 12 players left. He reclaimed the lead on a double up off Thomas Eychenne with A♦ Q♦ over K♠ T♠ just before they called it a day.

Sherwood is closely trailed by Ilya Firstov with 3,850,000 (51 bb) and rounding out the top three is Ali Hassan with 3,800,000 (51 bb). While the leaders have an edge over the rest, it is still anyone's game with the shortest sitting on a healthy 31 bb.

The remaining players are now guaranteed a minimum $7,122 payout while awaiting the champion is a hefty $52,383 along with a seat to WPT Prime worth $1,100.

The Championship Warm Up opened Day 2 with 113 players out of the 527 entries returning to action. Two levels in, the bubble round arrived with 67 players remaining. In a gutsy showdown, Pham Tien Dung's aggression was finally challenged by Ireland's Frank Lillis, calling a preflop shove by risking 30 bigs holding Ace-King. It paid off with a big double. Immediate following the win, Lillis delivered the bubble to the ailing Jingyi Wang with 8♠ 3♠ flush dusting A♥ J♠ . Lillis went on to finish in 47th place while Pham fared better in 34th place.

The players raced down for a spot at the final table. India's decorated Ankit Ahuja seesawed throughout the day and was grounded in 23rd place. Fellow countryman Dhaval Mudgal finished notches higher in 12th place. For Vietnam, Mai Bien also saw his stack swing and emptied out in 16th place. Their final hope was Thanh Ha Duong who just missed the unofficial final table in 10th place. The day ended shortly after the fall of Shane Pearce in 9th place.

Somuchpoker returns tomorrow for the final dash to the title. Stick with us for all of the action.

The aim for Day 2 was to play down to the official WPT final table of six players however with ten hours of play, the game was stopped at the final 8. Action resumes at 11:30 tomorrow, February 10, 2025.

Day 3 blinds resume at Level 26: 50,000-75,000 ante 75,000 with 46:24 remaining in the clock.

Here are the finalists:

Ilya Firstov defended his big blind then put in a strong check-raise of 325,000 on the flop 7♣ T♥ 3♠ . Robert Sherwood gave it some thought then relinquished his bet without any further challenge.

Robert Sherwood continues to battle for chips and there to challenge him is Martin Sedlak. The first hand between them sees Sherwood raisin 120,000 from hijack, Sedlak called from cutoff, and they both check it to the turn A♠ 7♠ Q♠ 4♣ .

No more checking for Sherwood with a bet of 125,000 sent out front. Sedlak calls to take it to the river 5♠ . Again Sherwood pressures with a bet of 350,000, Sedlak tanks then decides to give up his stake on the pot.

On the next meeting, Sedlak opens from under the gun and Sherwood defends the big blind . Both again check it to the turn J♣ J♠ 2♣ 7♥ . Sherwood jumps out for 150,000 and Sedlak calls to go to the river 2♥ . Sherwood continues the barrage for 500,000, like previous, Sedlak tank but this time he calls. Sherwood flips open 9♠ 9♦ , Sedlak has him beat with A♣ A♦ .

Robert Sherwood is on a downward spin having lost another pot, this time to Thomas Eychenne. During the hand, Sherwood raised preflop then both checked it to the turn 6♠ 6♣ A♠ 5♠ . Eychenne bet 125,000 then bet another 190,000 on the river 3♦ . Sherwood called both then mucked to the 7♣ 6♥ trips.

Robert Sherwood pressured raiser Ilya Firstov with a 425,000 three-bet and Firstov obliged. On the flop K♦ Q♠ 6♠ , Sherwood continued for 150,000, Firstov called then both checked the turn 6♦ . On the river A♦ Sherwood returned with an 800,000 bet, Firstov tank-called then quickly mucked to Sherwood's K♥ K♠ .

With the board going Sherwood's way, Bien was eliminated in 16th place.

On a board showing 5♠ 3♦ 9♦ A♦ T♠ and a hefty 960,000 pot brewed, Amir Abbas bets 150,000. Robert Sherwood calls then mucks to Abbas's A♣ 3♠ two pair.

From the button Thanh Ha Duong three-bets to 140,000 and initial raiser Robert Sherwood calls to take the battle post flop 4♦ 4♥ T♦ . Thanh continues for 85,000, Sherwood check-calls. On the turn A♥ , Duong fires 170,000 again, this time Sherwood gives it up.

The bubble round has been reached after Robert Sherwood eliminated Jiangfeng Sun. He is currently chip leading with 1,700,000.

67 players remaining.

Kiem is looking strong with two pair however Sherwood has outs that misses the turn K♣ then connects on the river 4♦ to burn Kiem out of the running.

Konstantin Held had a spectacular 2024 season that was kicked off by his victory at the WPT Cambodia Championship. Held has returned and is getting in some early practice before defending his title. However, he will have to get more in having just fallen early in the new level. He pushed with pocket Nines that failed to improve against Robert Sherwood's pocket Jacks.

Sherwood has now entered the million marker.