The first-ever Poker King Cup National had players take to the felt for Day 1a of the PHP4,000,000 Guaranteed Main Event at the VIP room of Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City, Philippines . With an entry fee of PHP15,000 ($326) there were a total of 56 entries which dwindled down to 13 players by cutoff time. Owning the chip leader’s throne was Filipino player Johnson Tan with 172,500 chips.
Tan’s rise to the leader’s seat began when he eliminated Filipino player Martin Corpuz, his ace-queen banked an ace on the board against Corpuz’s pocket jacks. With the field downsized to 18 players, Tan steamrolled and cleaned out two more players, increasing his stack well past the six-digit chip mark. With a massive arsenal in front of him, he dusted another player with his pocket kings dominating pocket queens.
Trailing behind Tan in second position was Filipino player Noel Araniel aka “the Kid”. Araniel’s day was quite different from Tan’s with his chips swinging up and down instead of a steady incline. Halfway through the day, Araniel shipped in a huge double up with a straight to make him the first player to cross the century mark. After that, his stack took a beating, losing over half of it on a couple of pots. However, Araniel fought his way back up, later winning a big pot against Korea’s Hyo Won Son to finish the day with a healthy 137,300 chips.
Another Filipino player followed in the chip rung, local pro Jessie Leonarez, who finished in third position with 116,300 chips. Leonarez earned his status when he was awarded a hefty pot for his flush of diamonds. Rounding out the leaders above the century mark was Singapore’s Kif Loh who bagged up 114,200 chips to claim the fourth spot at the end of the day.
While there were players on the rise, so it goes with players taking a fall. Among those unable to make it through the day were Korea’s Jeon Seung Soo, China’s Hui Yao, Denmarks’ Michael Kim Falcon, and Filipino player Joven Huerto. Luckily for them , there are more chances to get back in the game starting with day 1b which kicks off tomorrow, Friday, June 10, at 1pm.
Stay tuned for more coverage of the event
List of Day 1a survivors
Johnson Tan –Philippines – 172,500
Noel Araniel – Philippines – 137,300
Jessie Leonarez – Philippines – 116,300
Kif Loh – Singapore – 114,200
Sam Peralta – Philippines – 94,800
Lester Edoc – Philippines – 92,600
Loo Tze Ming – Malaysian – 88,500
Jerick Almusajin – Philippines – 78,000
Joseph Sia – Philippines – 55,400
Nilo Heinikangas – Finland – 52,300
Hyo Won Son – Korea – 44,100
Joseroy Jeremias – Philippines – 41,400
Camilla Samsung – Norway – 33,600
Louis Hartwell
Graduated in Media Communication at the University of Lausanne, Louis Hartman is a co-founder of somuchpoker.com. He began his career in Cambodia as freelance journalist. In same time he was making his living by playing poker every night at that time. Intense learner, he read dozens of poker strategy books to improve his skills during many years. With a strong interest about poker "behind the scene" in Asia and his communication skills, Louis launched Somuchpoker in 2014.
Follow Me:
