Asian Poker Tour wraps up biggest festival at the VSOP; Vamerdino Magsakay wins Main Event and POS; Slade Fisher banks record Championships

The Asian Poker Tour (APT) concluded its fourth international festival of the year with thirteen days of games running from July 12 to 24 at the Viet Nam Series of Poker (VSOP) in Hanoi, Vietnam. This was the brand’s first series at the venue and it was an ambitious one. A total of 29 tournaments lined the schedule which was the most ever staged by the APT in history. At the close, it was well worth the risk as it smashed all guarantees and paid out a grand prize pool of over VN₫ 43.8 Billion (~US$ 1.867M). This was the second largest APT pot ever produced.

Here are the highlights.

*All photos by the APT

Filipino VAMERDINO MAGSAKAY wins the Main Event and Player of the Series

Milestone achievement for Filipino young gun Vamerdino Magsakay who captured the Main Event for his first major career win. Magsakay had been on the hunt for the title ever since he placed 3rd at APT Philippines 2019. He outlasted the 487 entry field, coming from behind at the Final 8 and at heads up. Magsakay banked a career high score of VN₫ 1,986,320,000 (~US$ 84,960) and became the first player from the Philippines to win it outside of home turf.

In addition to this victory, Magsakay cashed at two side events to accrue the highest number of points in the APT Player of the Series race. This was the second time Magsakay clinched the distinguished title having first won it at APT Phu Quoc Vietnam last April. He joined Filipino pro Mike Takayama and Japanese pro Iori Yogo in the exclusive group of two-time POS winners.

The VN₫ 22M buy in Main Event ran from July 14 to 19 pulling in 487 entries for guarantee smashing prize pool of VN₫ 9,447,800,000 (~US$ 402,800). For most of the stages, Vietnamese high roller Dao Minh Phu dominated the charts with an enormous stack carried into Day 2, Day 3, and the Final 8. At five handed, he lost the lead to eventual runner up Nguyen Quang Huy with a straight crushed by a full house. Phu went on to exit in 4th place and was followed out by India’s Ankit Kumar Jajodia in 3rd place.

Nguyen opened heads up with a 5:1 advantage and with blinds still low, Magsakay grinded and slid into the top spot for the first time. As the pair tugged, Magsakay plunged on a lucky two-outer spiked by Nguyen on the river to beat trips. With the counts flipped it was back to the grind for Magsakay. It took another two hours to secure the win. Magsakay surged on a failed bluff by Nguyen then closed it out with outdrawing .

Buy in: VN₫ 22,000,000 (~US$ 940)
Guarantee: VN₫ 5,000,000,000 (~US$ 213,860)
Entries: 487
Prize pool: VN₫ 9,447,800,000 (~US$ 402,800)
ITM: 49 places

Final table payouts

SLADE FISHER dominates the record Championships Event

The Championships Event was the second featured tournament of the series with buy in at a higher VN₫ 38,500,000 (~US$ 1,640). With registration running through the first three levels of the Day 2 stage, it closed at a total of 288 entries. This was a new APT Vietnam Championships Event record turnout, besting the previous high of 248 entries. The prize pool was also one to boast of as it grew to more than double the proposed guarantee. Emerging victorious was New Zealand’s Slade Fisher for a career high payout of VN₫ 2,298,440,000. This was the largest first prize payout awarded at the series. Fisher became the first player from his country to win this event.

Among the players that reached the final table were WPT Prime Vietnam Main Event champion Zarvan Tumboli (8th) and inaugural APT Vietnam Hanoi Main Event champion Shardul Parthasarathi (4th).

Buy in: VN₫ 38,500,000 (~US$ 1,640)
Guarantee: VN₫ 4,000,000,000 (~US$ 172,300)
Entries: 288
Prize pool: VN₫ 9,777,600,000 (~US$ 416,866)
ITM: 29 places

Final table payouts

KYLE BAO DIEP sweeps the Mystery Bounty

The Mystery Bounty event kicked off the festivities with 252 entries. This set the tone for the series as it smashed the guarantee for a larger prize pool of VN₫ 1,955,520,000 (~US$ 83,630). Vietnamese-American player Kyle Bao Diep swept it, capturing the win, the most kills, and the highest amount in bounty rewards. Breaking it down, Diep won the VN₫ 288,260,000 first prize payout plus VN₫ 232,400,000 in combined seven bounty rewards, for a grand total score of VN₫ 520,660,000 (~US$ 22,260). This was Diep’s largest known live win and first at an international festival.

Buy in: VN₫ 8,800,000 (~US$ 376)
Guarantee: VN₫ 1,500,000,000 (~US$ 64,150)
Entries: 252
Prize pool: VN₫ 1,955,520,000 (~US$ 83,630)
ITM: 26 places

Final table payouts (includes bounties)

NGUYEN QUANG HUY emerges as the biggest earner

Vietnamese high roller Nguyen Quang Huy consistently runs deep at APT Vietnam events and it was no different at this series. He nearly shipped the Main Event, falling one spot short to pocket VN₫ 1,324,230,000 for runner up. At the final day of the series, Nguyen closed out the Super High Rollers event to pad up another hefty payout of VN₫ 1,249,700,000. These two massive scores awarded Nguyen a combined VN₫ 2,573,930,000 (~US$ 110,090) making him the series’ biggest earner.

DAO MINH PHU wins Superstar Challenge and goes deep at the Main Event

Stealing the most headlines was Vietnamese high roller Dao Minh Phu who captured his first ever APT victory at the Superstar Challenge event. This was the most expensive tournament offered with buy in at VN₫ 108,000,000 (~US$ 4,620). Phu topped the 27 entry field for a payout of VN₫ 1,118,890,000 (~US$ 47,860). Following that event, Phu entered Main Event Day 1B and bagged up the fifth largest stack. While most everyone would be content with a stack over 160 BB for the next heat, Phu entered Day 1C attempting for better. Not only did he stun the crowd by entering, he bagged up a monstrous 450+ BB stack to enter Day 2 as the overwhelming chip leader. Phu carried the momentum through the next two stages and entered the Final 8 still as chip leader. He eventually finished in 4th place.

Malaysia’s CHANG XIANG GUANG cashes in 7 events, finishes 2nd in POS race

Newcomer to the APT, Malaysia’s Chang Xiang Guang walked away delivering one of the best performances. Guang cashed in 7 events, the most by any player, to win 2nd place in the Player of the Series race. He nearly made it eight but fell on the bubble at the No Limit Hold’em Single Day on a full house over full house. All of Guang’s cashes were at the side events, reaching six final tables with a victory at the Deep Stack Hyper Turbo.

Up next: APT Vietnam Ho Chi Minh 2022

Just two weeks after the completion of this event, the APT returns to Vietnam for another full fledged series. This one takes place from August 8 to 17 at the Saigon Poker Club in Ho Chi Minh City. A total of 21 events are lined up with the Main Event guaranteeing VN₫ 6 Billion (~US$ 256,816). Back in 2018, the APT was the first international brand to stage an event in the city and returned numerous times before the pandemic struck. The inaugural event still holds the record for the highest APT Main Event turnout of 664 entries.