APT Phu Quoc 2024: Team India Packs a Friday Punch With Kunal Patni & Akhand Shukla Lifting APT Trophies; Deepankur Gupta Finishes 7th in Main Event (₹21.37 Lakhs)

The Asian Poker Tour (APT) Phu Quoc 2024 is reaching its grand crescendo, with 59 champions crowned so far at the spectacular Corona Theatre on Phu Quoc Island. Team India has been a force to reckon with, racking up 24 cashes, 13 final table finishes, and four prestigious title wins, continuing their dominance on the Asian poker stage.

Natural8 India Executive Director Kunal Patni is having a series to remember! This former investment banker turned poker pro just added a remarkable fourth APT title to his already impressive resume, conquering Event #57: VN₫ 110 Million Baby Superstar Challenge. This is his second title of the series, and he walked away with a massive VN₫ 1.436 Billion (~₹47.78 Lakhs) – his biggest cash of the series by far.

With this victory, Patni has become the highest-scoring Indian player at APT Phu Quoc, boasting a staggering VN₫ 1.772 Billion (~₹58.94 Lakhs) across five cashes. He’s been playing some incredible poker and is definitely one of the standout performers of the series.

While Patni was grabbing headlines, Akhand Shukla was creating his own moment of glory by winning his first-ever live title in Event #65: VN₫ 4 Million Super Hyper Turbo. Shukla outshone the competition and pocketed VN₫ 48.205 Million (~₹1.60 Lakhs) – his best live score yet. With two other deep runs in the series, Shukla’s total winnings have climbed to VN₫ 59.955 Million (~₹1.99 Lakhs).

Avneesh Munjal, who already made a splash by winning Event #29: VN₫ 60 Million High Roller – Double Stack for VN₫ 1.541 Billion (~₹51.34 Lakhs), continued his hot streak. He stormed into Day 2 of Event #51: VN₫ 50 Million Zodiac Classic as one of the chip leaders and finished in 15th place for VN₫ 103.36 Million (~₹3.44 Lakhs). Munjal’s total winnings for the series now stand at a whopping VN₫ 1.645 Billion (~₹54.75 Lakhs).

Russia’s Natalia Rozova won her second APT title in the Zodiac Classic, earning VN₫ 1.55 Billion (~$61,040) – the second-largest score of her poker career. Vietnam’s Phuong Ngoc Nguyen finished as the runner-up for VN₫ 1.053 Billion (~$41,460).

Musician and poker pro Dhaval Mudgal, who had last cashed in Event #1: VN₫ 90 Million No Limit Hold’em – Vietnam National Cup, picked up his second score for the trip in Event #64: VN₫ 7 Million Hyper Turbo, finishing fifth for VN₫ 26.95 Million (~₹90,000). Mudgal’s total series winnings now stand at VN₫ 56.73 Million (~₹1.89 Lakhs).

China’s Chi Zhang won the VN₫ 7 Million Hyper Turbo, collecting his first APT trophy and VN₫ 98.586 Million (~$3,880). Fellow countryman Yankai Zhang finished as the runner-up for VN₫ 71.31 Million (~$2,810).

But the real story of the day was Deepankur Gupta‘s amazing performance in the VN₫ 36 Million APT Main Event. Starting Day 3 with 290,000 chips, Gupta battled his way to the nin-handed final table with 3.38 Million (68 BBs) – the third-shortest stack.

Congratulations to the top 9 finalists of the #APTPhuQuoc2024 Main Event!

𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐑𝐎𝐖 (𝐋-𝐑): 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐮𝐫 𝐆𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐚 🇮🇳 – 3,380,000; @Dibspid 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐄𝐫𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐚 🇵🇭 – 5,470,000; 𝐉𝐢𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐮 🇨🇳 – 4,740,000; 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝐍𝐠𝐨𝐜 𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐜 𝐁𝐚𝐨 🇻🇳 -… pic.twitter.com/nGtTzi4GG5

— Asian Poker Tour (@AsianPokerTour) November 15, 2024

Already guaranteed a payout of VN₫ 352 Million (~₹11.71 Lakhs), Gupta had his eyes on the VN₫ 4.710 Billion (~₹1.57 Crores) top prize and the iconic 24K Gold Lion APT Main Event trophy. He had a wild ride at the final table today, with some big swings and exciting moments. He even chipped up to fifth place at one point, but ultimately, his run ended in seventh place when his ace-king couldn’t beat Hu Jinlong’s ten-eight. Still, he earned a fantastic VN₫ 642.50 Million (~₹21.37 Lakhs) – his second-best live cash ever after his VIPT Hanoi win in April.

Kunal Patni`s Poker Prowess Shines Again! Bags Fourth APT Title and a ₹47.78 Lakh Payday in Event #57: VN₫ 110 Million Baby Superstar Challenge (VN₫ 1.436 Billion)

When it comes to making waves on the APT stage, few do it better than India’s Kunal Patni! Twenty-one months after his dazzling double victory at the APT Hanoi Vietnam VSOP 2023, where he clinched back-to-back titles in Event #36: Hyper Turbo – 8 Max and Event #41: Hyper Turbo – 8 Max, Patni has done it again in style! Yesterday, the poker veteran and poker operator added another glorious chapter to his growing legacy, conquering Event #57: VN₫ 110 Million Baby Superstar Challenge to claim his fourth APT title.

Just three days after crushing Event #37: VN₫ 7 Million Tick Tock BOOM, Patni tackled a stacked field of 47 high rollers (39 unique entries) in the Baby Superstar Challenge. Emerging victorious, he pocketed a stunning VN₫ 1.436 Billion (~₹47.78 Lakhs) – his biggest score of the series so far and fourth best overall – along with his second APT Lion Trophy of the series.

The nail-biting final showdown saw Patni facing off against Malaysia’s Zhi Jian Sean Ooi. The thrilling conclusion unfolded when Patni’s Ace-Seven (suited) clashed with Ooi’s Ace-King (off-suit). A flush on the river sealed the deal for Patni, handing him a spectacular victory. Ooi walked away with a respectable VN₫ 1.037 Billion (~$40,820) for his runner-up finish.

This incredible win also marked Patni’s fifth cash of the series, bringing his total winnings to a jaw-dropping VN₫ 1.772 Billion (~₹58.94 Lakhs). He’s now surpassed Avneesh Munjal as the highest-earning Indian player at APT Phu Quoc!

Final Table Results (VND)

1. Kunal Patni – VN₫ 1,436,070,000
2. Zhi Jian Sean Ooi – VN₫ 1,037,170,000
3. Pham Thanh Nghia – VN₫ 661,060,000
4. Nelson George Dong – VN₫ 501,490,000
5. Dylan Wayne Foster – VN₫ 387,520,000
6. Justin Tsui – VN₫ 296,340,000
7. Biao Guo – VN₫ 239,350,000

Akhand Shukla Shines Bright With First Live Title and a ₹1.60 Lakh Score in Event #65: VN₫ 4 Million Super Hyper Turbo (VN₫ 48.205 Million)

While Kunal Patni was busy crushing the Baby Superstar Challenge, another Indian was making headlines of his own! Akhand Shukla just took down Event #65: VN₫ 4 Million Super Hyper Turbo at APT Phu Quoc, outshining a field of 42 entries (39 unique) to grab his maiden live title and a career-best (live score) VN₫ 48.205 Million (~₹1.60 Lakhs).

The event wasn’t easy, with China’s Zhang Wangcheng putting up a strong fight. But Shukla held his ground and emerged as the champion, leaving Wangcheng to settle for second place and VN₫ 33.32 Million (~₹1,312).

This victory wasn’t just a one-off for Shukla. He’s been making deep runs throughout the series, finishing ninth in Event #46: VN₫ 40 Million No Limit Hold’em – Super Hyper Turbo, for VN₫ 6.38 Million (~₹21,209) and tenth in Event #60: VN₫ 3 Million NL Hold’em – Freezeout for VN₫ 5.37 Million (~₹18,000). With this latest win, Shukla’s total winnings for the series have climbed to VN₫ 59.955 Million (~₹1.99 Lakhs)!

Final Table Results (VND)

1. Akhand Shukla – VN₫ 48,205,200
2. Zhang Wangcheng – VN₫ 33,320,000
3. Jiachuan Yang – VN₫ 21,270,000
4. Georgios Skarparis – VN₫ 16,300,000
5. Yuko Takahashi – VN₫ 12,760,000
6. Sumpatha Jadee – VN₫ 9,920,000

Main Event Final Table Underway! Deepankur Gupta`s Dream Run Ends in Seventh Place (₹21.37 Lakhs)

The final day of the VN₫ 36 Million APT Main Event is now underway! What started with nine hopefuls has now been whittled down to just six, all battling for the lion’s share of the massive VN₫ 25 Billion (~$1 Million) prize pool. The eventual champion will walk away with a whopping VN₫ 4.710 Billion (~$185,430), the coveted 24K Gold Lion APT Main Event Trophy, and bragging rights for days.

Day 3 began with 50 players, each guaranteed at least VN₫ 87.50 Million (~$3,445). But the dream ended for most as the field thinned across nine gruelling 60-minute levels. South Korea’s Dongyeol Choi was the last player to bust on Day 3, eliminated by David Erquiaga of the Philippines. Choi finished 10th for VN₫ 288.75 Million (~$11,370), while Erquiaga bagged the chip lead with 5.47 Million (109 BBs).

Erquiaga, a poker powerhouse with 31 live tournament titles (including five APT trophies!), is looking to claim his first APT Main Event win after narrowly missing out in the APT Philippines 2022 Main Event. Hot on his heels are South Korea’s Junseok Oh (5.08 Million) and China’s Jinlong Hu (4.74 Million), both formidable opponents with multiple titles to their names. Adding some local flavour, Vietnamese actor Do Tien Vu (4.63 Million) rounded out the top four stacks.

Deepankur Gupta, who had a strong showing in Flight A, carried the hopes of India on his shoulders. Starting Day 3 with 290,000 chips, Gupta made waves early on when he was moved to the featured table. By Level 26, his stack had surged to 1.40 Million (28 BBs).

In a pivotal hand, Gupta eliminated Dinh Tien Thanh with , hitting quads on a dream board against Thanh’s . Thanh exited in 15th place for VN₫ 233.25 Million (~$9,180), while Gupta’s stack climbed to 2.70 Million (45 BBs).

Although Gupta lost some chips when Wang Haozhao’s beat his on a tense board, he bounced back to end the day with a healthy 3.38 Million (68 BBs) – the sixth-largest stack going into the final table.

Unfortunately, Gupta’s fellow countrymen Amit Kaushik and Young Gun Shardul Parthasarathi weren’t as fortunate.

Amit Kaushik was eliminated in a dramatic four-way all-in. Kaushik, with , moved all-in from the small blind, followed by Bui Le Ahn in the big blind with , Pham Ngoc Bao in the middle position with , and Wattana Luangsuwimon on the button with .

The flop came down , giving Luangsuwimon a set of fives but Bao the top set of aces. The turn brought the , giving Ahn a flush draw, but the river was a , giving Bao a boat – aces full of fours – and sending the other three players to the rail. Anh finished in 45th place, followed by Kaushik in 46th and Luangsuwimon in 47th. All three players earned VN₫ 87.50 Million (~₹2.91 Lakhs)!

Shardul Parthasarathi joined Kaushik on the rail soon after, busting in 41st place for VN₫ 87.50 Million (~₹2.91 Lakhs).

The remaining nine players were guaranteed at least VN₫ 352 Million (~$13,860) as they converged for the final table today. The action kicked off at 11 AM (local time) on Saturday, November 16, and it was intense from the start. Three players were quickly eliminated: Pham Ngoc Quoc Bao (9th for VN₫ 352 Million), Chuhao Zhang (8th for VN₫ 445 Million) and Deepankur Gupta (7th for VN₫ 642.50 Million)!

Gupta had a swingy ride at the final table. He saw the two short stacks bust early on and even chipped up to fifth place with seven players remaining. But his run came to an end when he called Hu Jinlong’s shove with ace-king and ran into Jinlong’s ten-eight. The board brought a ten and an eight, giving Jinlong two pair and sending Gupta home in seventh place with VN₫ 642.50 Million (~₹21.37 Lakhs) – his second-best live cash ever.

You can follow the Main Event final table coverage on APT`s YouTube channel below.

Content and Images Courtesy: Asian Poker Tour

Keep following PokerGuru for all the latest updates from APT Phu Quoc 2024!