Final 8 of the APT Main Event includes pros Czardy Rivera and Samad Razavi
The Asian Poker Tour’s first event of the year, the APT Kickoff 2017, has been running at Resorts World Manila with the Main Event winding down to its last day.
Last night the Final 8 was set and among them were three past APT Main Event champions. Also in the mix were several newbies and a couple of players on the hunt for their first-ever APT trophy. The eventual champion will be earning US$38,020 and the APT Championship Ring.
Here are the Final 8 contenders:
Czardy Rivera – Philippines – 1,276,000
Poker pro Czardy Rivera leads the Final 8 of the Main Event. He is decorated with only one title throughout his tournament poker career and it was at the APT Asian Poker Series Manila in 2013 where he earned his biggest live score of US$98,927. The following year, he cashed big at the Macau Poker Cup, finishing 4th at the No Limit Hold’em II side event for a US$32,957 payout. Back in 2011, Rivera missed the trophy by one spot at the Manny Pacquiao World Poker Event but still took home a hefty payout of US$27,505. He is running tenth in the country’s All Time Money list.
Takumi Samejima – Japan – 1,193,000
Not much is known of Takumi Samejima other than he is a recreational poker player. This is his first Final 8 appearance at a poker event. Samejima was one of the players in Day 3 who clawed his way out of the danger zone to impressively become almost par with the chip leader.
Karl Peter Wittmann – Germany – 749,000
Karl Peter Wittmann is occasionally seen at APT events. Last year, he finished 3rd in two APT side events and 2nd at one of the last side events of the APT Finale Macau. Wittmann has been running well the past two days, ending in fifth position in Day 2 and third in chips at the end of Day 3. This is his first Final 8 appearance.
GACKT – Japan – 721,000
Another Japanese recreational player earned his seat to the Final 8, GACKT, who was the chip leader at the end of the first entry flight. The rest of the days saw him maintain a high ranking and comes in fourth position. This is GACKT’s first Final 8 appearance.
Samad Razavi – UK – 385,000
English pro Samad Razavi is the most decorated poker player at the Final 8. He was the APT Player of the Year four years in a row, 2012-2015, and came close last year. While his list of cashes and titles are pages long, he also has two APT Main Event titles on his shelf.Razavi’s biggest live tournament score was at the ANZPT IV – Grand Final,in 2012 winning the Main Event and clearing US$339,745. Last year, he placed 2nd at the APPT 10 Manila Main Event for a US$73,552 payout.
Yoichi Uesugi – Japan – 211,000
Yoichi Uesugi is one of the Japanese APT regulars who ran well last year. He had a series of cashes including a 4th place finish at the APT Daegu Main Event. His largest payout was at the APT Philippines Main Event in 2015, taking fifth place for US$18,800. He is on the hunt for his first APT Main Event title and another five-digit score.
Alexis Lim – Philippines – 130,000
Alexis Lim is another player decorated with an APT Main Event title claimed three months ago at the APT Manila. This was his single biggest score of US$15,849. Last year, Lim entered several local events and cashed in 12 occasions.
Phua Si Yang – Singapore – 126,000
Phua Si Yang is another newbie at the APT Main Event Final 8. He is in search of his first live tournament title. Whatever place Yang lands today, he will have earned his biggest live score to date.
The US$1,650 buy-in Main Event attracted 96 entries for a total prize pool of US$139,680. We will have a winner’s story as soon as it concludes.
Article by Triccia David
