Five memorable achievements of the APT Kickoff 2017

Last night, theAPT Kickoff 2017 concluded its nine-day festival at Resorts World Manila. The event witnessed many well known pros and APT regulars taking home some of the trophies, including the rise of several players. Here are five of the most memorable achievements of the event.

Takumi Samejima wins his first major title

Japanese musician, Takumi Samejima, is a surprising newcomer in the live tournament scene. Having entered only two events late last year, though without any success, his third attempt was nothing short of magical. He defeated Filipino pro Czardy Rivera at the heads up round of the Main Event to capture his first ever championship title. He was awarded the US$38,020 first prize, which makes him the biggest winner at the event.

More: Takumi Samejima wins first-ever title at the APT Kickoff Main Event

Yoichi Uesugi wins the APT Player of the Series

Japan’s Yoichi Uesugi, a regular in the APT circuit, ran deep in several big buy-in events to rise to the top of the APT Player of the Series race. The APT POS is the newest player incentive offered with the top three players (in points) at the conclusion of the series awarded exclusive prizes. Uesugi cashed in four events, which included an 8^th place finish at the Main Event and 4^th at the High Rollers.

Lester Edoc takes down three events

Filipino pro Lester Edoc kicked off his year with high marks. He raked in the most number of trophies, taking down three events, the Main Event Warm-Up, the WeLoveSport.com Deep Stack Turbo, and the Deep Stack Hyper Turbo event. For his 3^rd place finish in the APT POS race, he was awarded another trophy making that a total four to add to his poker altar.

Iori Yogo and Samad Razavi big earners

For the past two years, pros Iori Yogo and Samad Razavi have led the APT POY charts. While both players found themselves far from the leaders in points, they still picked up thick wads. Yogo won the High Rollers event for an US$18,350 payout and Razavi cleared US$16,790 for his 3^rd place finish at the Main Event. This makes them the second and third highest earners at the kickoff.

Anthony Gabitan lands his first trophy

Filipino Anthony Gabitan is one of the most active players in the local tournament scene. He has a knack for consistently being in the money but has missed the trophy many times. He can now tick that off his bucket list having won the No Limit Hold’em 2 event on the penultimate day. He also had three additional cashes to award him another trophy for his 2^nd place finish in the APT POS race.

Article by Triccia David

More: APT Kickoff coverage