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The 2023 APT Phu Quoc, hosted at the Sapphire Conference Room of the luxurious Corona Resort & Casino, is just two days away from culminating. The Indian contingent attending the series has posted 26 cashes, including nine FT finishes and a title victory.
The most sought-after tournament of the series, the VN₫ 10 Billion GTD Main Event, played out Day 3 on Friday, with 48 runners, from the guarantee-crushing 507-entry field returning to the felts. After eight levels of play, the nine-player final table was formed, with USA’s Albert Gorelik (5,075,000) emerging as the runaway chip leader.
Team India’s run in the Main Event ended on Day 3. Among the trio of Indians who had advanced to Day 3, Deepak Bothra ran the deepest. Having carried the seventh-biggest stack to Day 3, Bothra seemed poised to make the final table until Level 26, when he lost a huge pot to Thailand’s Phachara Wongwichit, reducing him to the shortest stack. He was eliminated a level later, by Japan’s Hayato Kitajima, in 10th place for VN₫ 213.93 Million. This was Bothra’s third score of the series, boosting his winnings to VN₫ 321.96 Million.
MPL Poker Pro Siddharth Karia (26th for VN₫ 97.37 Million) and Gamezy Poker Pro Nishant Sharma (39th for VN₫ 73.77 Million) rounded out the Indian scores in the Main Event.
While India’s Main Event run may be done and dusted, another title sweat is ongoing in Event #33: VN₫ 11 Million Double Stack, where Amit Kaushik (130,000) has made Day 2 among 20 survivors. Australia’s Tu Thanh Le (800,000) is the day-end chip leader.
Vietnam’s Bien Mai (Won Event #29: VN₫ 22 Million Zodiac Classic for VN₫ 407.18 Million), Vietnam’s Duy Thuc Nguyen (Won Event #34: VN₫ 44 Million Single Day High Roller for VN₫ 803.03 Million), UK’s Robert Birss (Won Event #31: VN₫ 5.5 Million NLHE Crazy Pineapple Turbo For VN₫ 59.20 Million) and Australia’s William Jia (Won Event #32: VN₫ 16.50 Million Turbo – 8 Max for VN₫ 183.03 Million) won APT trophies on Friday.
USA’s Albert Gorelik Headlines Main Event Final Table; Deepak Bothra, Siddharth Karia & Nishant Sharma Post Scores
Buy-in: VN₫ 33,000,000
Entries: 284
Re-entries: 223
Prize Pool: VN₫ 14,753,700,000
Places Paid: 71
Forty-eight runners returned to the felts on Day 3 of the APT Phu Quoc VN₫ 33 Million Main Event. It took eight 60-minute levels for the nine-handed final table to be formed.
American pro Albert Gorelik (5,075,000) secured an overwhelming chip lead with 85 BBs. Japan’s Satoshi Kuriga (3,480,000) with 58 BBs and UK’s Jacque Ramsden (3,045,000) with 51 BBs were a distant second and third in stacks, respectively.
A trio of Indians, Deepak Bothra, MPL Poker Pro Siddharth Karia, and Gamezy Poker Pro Nishant Sharma, had progressed to Day 3.
Deepak Bothra had entered Day 3, seventh in chips among 48 Day 2 survivors. The IIM Indore alumn has performed rather well in the South-Asian circuit, especially in Vietnam. Bothra bagged his career-best score of VN₫ 1.065 Billion in the 2022 APT Summer Festival Hanoi – VSOP VN₫ 4 Billion GTD Championships Event held last July. The former WPT and DPT champion sought to break through his six-year-long title slump.
Bothra was first seen in action on Day 3 during Level 22 when he won some chips from Flight B chip leader Seok Hyeon Park, boosting his stack to 1,300,000.
Bothra engaged in several hands with Natural8 Ambassador Phachara Wongwichit. During Level 24, Bothra won a huge pot against Wongwichit when the latter’s were bested by Bothra’s that bettered to a rivered set on the board. Bothra binked the one-outer on the river, stunning Wongwichit and bagging in 1,600,000 pot.
Nevertheless, it seems Wongwichit had the last laugh. After surviving what could have been his elimination hand when Bothra’s lost out to Wongwichit’s , the Thai pro doubled up, and Bothra was left with the shortest stack among the final 10 players.
A level later, Bothra jammed his last 700,000 from the button with , and Hayato Kitajima called, covering Bothra, holding . The board ran , eliminating Bothra in 10th place for VN₫ 213.93 Million. This was Bothra third score of the series, taking his overall tally to VN₫ 321.96 Million.
Young Gun Siddharth Karia fell out in 26th place for VN₫ 97.37 Million. He had previously placed fourth in Event #1: VN₫ 8.8 Million APT Kickoff (VN₫ 125.99 Million) and Event #1: VN₫ 8.8 Million APT Kickoff (VN₫ 125.99 Million) and Event #11: VN₫ 5.5 Million NLH – Win The Button – Turbo (VN₫ 25.10 Million). With his Main Event cash, Karia has now booked VN₫ 248.46 Million in series winnings.
Nishant Sharma was the first of the Indian trio to hit the rails on Day 3, exiting in 39th place for VN₫ 73.77 Million. Like Bothra and Karia, this was Sharma’s third cash of the series (his biggest score of the series so far), netting VN₫ 107.47 Million overall.
The nine finalists returned to the Main Event final table at 12 PM (local time) on April 1 and will play down to a champion who will take home the coveted lion trophy and VN₫ 2.848 Billion up top.
Final Table Chip Counts
Australia’s Tu Thanh Le Chip Leads 20 Survivors to Day 2 of The Event #33: Double Stack; India’s Amit Kaushik Also in The Mix
Buy-in – VN₫ 11 Million
Entries – 97
Re-entries – 37
Prize Pool – VN₫ 1.30 Billion
The inaugural VN₫11 Million buy-in Event #33: Double Stack attracted 134 entries over two starting flights (Day 1A – 66 & Day 1B – 68), collecting VN₫3.20 Billion in the prize pool.
The tournament featured two starting flights, and after the conclusion of both, only 20 players remained in contention for the top prize of ₫311,910,000 ($13,400).
The opening Day 1A flight saw 66 players (55 unique) compete, Vietnam’s Nhu Hai Le (770,000) emerging as the chip leader among 10 survivors. Canada’s Tyler Warken (635,000) and Australia’s Ken Quach (600,000) rounded out the top three stacks – putting them in five and seventh place heading into Day 2.
Two Indians joined the Day 1A action: Amit Kaushik and Jasven Saigal. Eventually, Amit Kaushik (130,000) was the only Indian to make it to Day 2 (through Day 1A), bagging the eighth biggest stack from Day 1A & sixteenth overall stack on Day 2.
Day 1B saw 68 entries (59 unique), joining the action, with Australia’s Tu Thanh Le (800,000) leading the pack of 10 survivors. Hong Kong’s Kong Fung (760,000) and Philippines’ David Erquiaga (660,000) rounded out the top three stacks, with the two returning third and fourth, respectively, in the overall standings heading into Day 2.
India’s Jasven Saigal also participated in Day 1B but was not able to survive.
A total of 20 players made it for the Day 2 of the Double Stack, and all of them are assured a min-cash of at least VN₫ 17.42 Million, with the winner set to take home a top prize of VN₫ 311.91 Million.
The top ten stacks heading into Day 2 include Day 1B chip leader Australia’s Tu Thanh Le (800,000), the overall chip leader. Day 1A chip leader Vietnam’s Nhu Hai Le (770,000) and Hong Kong’s Kong Fung (760,000) round out the top three.
The tournament’s final day (Day 2) begins at 12:30 PM (GMT+8.5) on April 1 and will play down to a champion.
Top 10 Chip Counts at the Start of Day 2
Vietnam’s Bien Mai Champions Inaugural Event #29: VN₫ 22 Million Zodiac Classic For VN₫ 407.18 Million
Buy-in: VN₫ 22,000,000
Entries: 61
Re-entries: 10
Prize Pool: VN₫ 1,377,400,000
Places Paid: 9
The two-day long Event #29: VN₫ 22 Million Zodiac Classic, sponsored by Natural8, had clocked in 71 entries (61 unique), generating a VN₫ 1.377 Billion prize pool. Twenty-five players had survived the Day 1 onslaught.
Three weeks after he won the WPT Prime Cambodia Event #4: 8-Max NLH Single Day, Vietnam’s Bien Mai took down his career-second APT trophy, becoming the first-ever Zodiac Classic champion for VN₫ 407.18 Million.
Japan’s Kaito Hirai finished runner-up for VN₫ 293.33 Million, and Day 1 chip leader, France’s Romain Morvan, placed third for VN₫ 190.66 Million.
Complete Payouts (VN₫)
Vietnam’s Duy Thuc Nguyen Tops Event #34: VN₫ 44 Million Single Day High Roller For VN₫ 803.03 Million
Buy-in – VN₫ 44,000,000
Entries – 53
Re-entries – 18
Prize Pool – VN₫ 2,754,800,000
Places Paid – 9
The VN₫44 Million buy-in Event #34: Single Day High Roller – 8 Max was the talk of the town beside the APT Main Event yesterday, as 53 (71 overall entries) of the world’s best high-stakes players gathered for a chance at a life-changing VN₫2.755 Billion prize pool.
After twenty-five 30-minute levels, Vietnam’s Duy Thuc Nguyen was the last player standing and banked VN₫ 803.03 Million as the first-place prize along with his maiden APT Trophy. This was his second recorded live-title after the WPT Prime Vietnam Event #8 win in May last year.
Singapore’s Jun Hao Wu put up a tough fight but ultimately had to settle for second place, collecting VN₫ 578.51 Million for his efforts.
Nine players made it to the money, with Quang Huy Nguyen (3rd for VN₫ 376.03 Million), Keng Yong Tan (4th for VN₫ 283.74 Million), Gen Nose (5th for VN₫ 220.38 Million), Shunsuke Tokoo (6th for VN₫ 170.80 Million), Natalie Teh (7th for VN₫ 134.99 Million), Bat-Erdene Erdenebayar (8th for VN₫ 104.68 Million), and William Teoh (9th for VN₫ 82.64 Million) crossing the money line.
Complete Results (VN₫)
UK’s Robert Birss Wins Maiden APT Title In Event #31: VN₫ 5.5 Million NLHE Crazy Pineapple Turbo For VN₫ 59.20 Million
Buy-in – VN₫ 5,500,000
Entries – 27
Re-entries – 6
Prize Pool – VN₫160,050,000
Places Paid – 5
UK’s Robert Birss claimed his maiden APT title yesterday in the Event #31 NLHE Crazy Pineapple Turbo, outlasting the 33-player field (27 unique) to bank the top prize worth VN₫ 59.20 Million.
Japan’s Gen Nose secured the runner-up position, earning a payout of VN₫ 40.81 Million.
The VN₫5.50 Million buy-in event collected VN₫160.05 Million in the prize pool and paid out the top five finishers.
Akeelat Namsililert (3rd for VN₫ 26.01 Million), Le Hoai Nam (4th for VN₫ 18.81 Million), and Keng Yong Tan (5th for VN₫ 15.20 Million) were the others to secure payouts in Event #31.
Complete Results (VN₫)
Australia’s William Jia Binks Event #32: VN₫ 16.50 Million Turbo – 8 Max For His First-Ever Live title & VN₫ 183.03 Million
Buy-in – VN₫ 16,500,000
Entries – 28
Re-entries – 6
Prize Pool – VN₫ 494,700,000
Places Paid – 5
Event #32: VN₫ 16.50 Million Turbo – 8 Max saw Australia’s William Jia trouncing the 34-entry field (56 unique) to win his first-ever live title and maiden APT trophy. Jia took home the lion’s share of the VN₫ 494.70 Million prizepool worth VN₫ 183.03 Million.
Event #27: Turbo – 8 Max champion Australia’s Anton Lu fell inches short of his second victory at the ongoing series, collecting the runner-up’s payout worth VN₫ 126.15 Million.
Thailand’s Poopadsri Panitan (3rd for VN₫ 80.39 Million), Australia’s Armon Van Wijk (4th for VN₫ 58.13 Million) and UK’s Michael Doyle (5th for VN₫ 47 Million) round out the top five finishers.
Team India’s Jasven Saigal was among the initial runners but fell short of the money line.
Complete Results (VN₫)
Content & Images Courtesy: Asian Poker Tour
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