The second-biggest APPT Main Event in history is one step closer to crowning a winner at the luxurious Okada Manila hotel in Paranaque near the international airport of the capital city. It has been a return to remember for the PokerStars sponsored Asia-Pacific Poker Tour to the same venue after one year as the crown jewel on the schedule drew a staggering field of 1,354 entries.
After the completion of 11 levels of 60 minutes each on Day 2, the 2023 APPT Manila PHP65,000 Main Event has seen the number of hopefuls to claim the golden shard trophy all the way from 343 to just 30. All of them are vying for the biggest slice of the PHP76,832,730 (～$1,381,101) prize pool, which will be up for grabs on the final day inside of the stunning Coral Room.
Three local players from the Philippines are featured in the overnight top ten and they are headlined by John Tech with 3,025,000, who sits atop the leaderboard. Alvin Sembrano (1,875,000) and Ivan Tabucal (1,680,000) also reside in the top ten while one third of the remaining contenders will aim to keep the title on home soil.
Top 10 Chip Counts After Day 2
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Tech | Philippines | 3,025,000 | 76 |
| 2 | Jacque Ramsden | United Kingdom | 2,820,000 | 71 |
| 3 | Gyuhyuk Lee | South Korea | 2,810,000 | 70 |
| 4 | Yuanning Wu | China | 2,500,000 | 63 |
| 5 | Alex Chong | Singapore | 2,135,000 | 53 |
| 6 | Nino Pansier | Netherlands | 2,000,000 | 50 |
| 7 | Kenny Shih | Taiwan | 1,920,000 | 48 |
| 8 | Alvin Sembrano | Philippines | 1,875,000 | 47 |
| 9 | Hiroshi Irimajiri | Japan | 1,705,000 | 43 |
| 10 | Ivan Tabucal | Philippines | 1,680,000 | 42 |
Jacque Ramsden (2,820,000) and Gyuhyuk Lee (2,810,000) are the closest followers of Tech with big names such as Kenny Shih (1,920,000), Thomas Ward (1,385,000), Norbert Koh (760,000), and Steve Yea (550,000) all still in the mix. They will return at 1 p.m. local time on Sunday,August 6, 2023 when the tournament is slated to play down to a winner.
The top three of the Philippines' all-time money list according to The Hendon Mob database all cashed and ran deep in this event. 2019 APPT Manila champion Florencio Campomanes bowed out in 43rd place while Marc Rivera made it to 34th place. Mike Takayama, the first WSOP bracelet winner for his home country and Super High Roller winner of the ongoing series, became the final casualty of the night and earned PHP312,000 for the efforts.
Campomanes started the day second in chips but never gained any traction. He kept a shorter stack afloat but ultimately came up short with an open-ended straight draw against two trips kings. Rivera got it in with top pair and top kicker but Ramsden's straight draw hit thereafter. Takayama lost almost all of his chips to third-placed Leeduring the final stages.
Another pinoy poker player was the unfortunate final contender to leave empty-handed without any cash prize to show for. Rebel Magdagasang flopped the top pair against fellow countryman Conrad Lumaban, who had an easy call with bottom set. There was no miracle escape for Magdagasang and the bubble burst in the third level of the day.
As soon as the min-cash was locked up, the all-in showdowns kept coming at a frantic pace and hinted at the slight possibility of potentially reaching the final table. However, that was out of the equation soon after the dinner break when the madness slowed down eventually.
When the dust had settled, only four tables were left over and the final 30 players bagged up for the night. The action will recommence in level 25 with blinds of 20,000-40,000 and a big blind ante of 40,000. With an average of more than 30 big blinds, it certainly won't be a brief affair en route to crown a winner.
The PokerNews live updates team will be back on the floor for the conclusion of the 2023 APPT Manila Main Event.
