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The climactic final day of the highly anticipated VN₫ 12 Billion GTD APT Summer Series Hanoi Main Event unfolded on Saturday with nine players returning to the Grand Loyal Poker Club at the luxurious Grand Vista Hanoi Hotel, fighting for a piece of the VN₫ 17.753 Billion prize pool and the coveted title.
As the adrenaline-filled poker action ensued for over eight hours, the crowd was on the edge of their seats, awaiting the emergence of a victor, especially the Indian rail, which was rooting for Akshay Nasa, the start-of-day chip leader. Ultimately, Vietnam’s Dinh Duc Linh triumphed and was crowned the well-deserved APT Summer Series Hanoi Main Event champion!
The gripping heads-up match saw Linh initially trailing behind India’s Akshay Nasa with a 3:2 chip deficit. However, Linh quickly seized control, turning the tide in his favor and claiming the chip lead. Displaying unwavering composure and skill, Linh maintained dominance throughout the intense two-hour heads-up battle, skillfully maneuvering himself across the finish line and securing an astounding VN₫ 3.401 Billion (his career-best score to date)! This was Linh’s second APT title, with his maiden win coming in the 2023 APT Hanoi Vietnam VSOP Event #5 Mystery Bounty Hunter in February.
In the post-tournament interview, an emotional Linh said, “I want to say thank you to my family, my friends here, and my backers.”
“It was a good fight, my competitor was a really strong competitor. I’d also like to thank APT for bringing the festival to Hanoi. I’m spent right now, I’m overwhelmed,” concluded Linh.
Although Nasa, the 2019 APT Ho Chi Minh Main Event champion, fought valiantly, his pursuit of a second APT Main Event trophy fell just short. Nevertheless, the 888Poker LIVE London Mini Main Event winner’s outstanding performance earned him a commendable second-place payout of VN₫ 2.116 Billion, marking his first score of the series and the highest prize money achieved by an Indian player at the 2023 APT Summer Series Hanoi.
Akshay Nasa missed out on winning the Main Event trophy, but just around the time he was battling it out on the final table, compatriot Dhaval Mudgal got India its second series title as he championed Event #39: VN₫ 5 Million Turbo for VN₫ 78.90 Million. (More info on this win will come in our follow-up APT report, so stay tuned).
Coming back to the Main Event, the VN₫ 35 Million buy-in showstopper attracted a massive field of 581 entries (345 unique), surpassing the advertised guarantee and generating a jaw-dropping prize pool of VN₫ 17.753 Billion. The top 87 players were assured a min-cash of VN₫ 55 Million.
Among the Indian contingent, Kunal Patni and Mohit Bohra also made it to Day 3 of the Main Event.
Bohra, the APPT Cambodia 6-Handed Hyper Turbo winner, secured 36th place and claimed VN₫ 79.90 Million, marking his inaugural scorecard entry for the series.
Meanwhile, the illustrious two-time APT champion, Kunal Patni, achieved his debut series score, finishing 22nd in the Main Event for VN₫ 120.70 Million.
Other notable Indian players who made their mark in the Main Event were Young Gun Kanchan Sharma (63rd for VN₫ 62.10 Million), Romit Advani (76th for VN₫ 55 Million), and Amrit Mishra (77th for VN₫ 55 Million).
You can watch the replay of the final table live stream (on delay) below.
Final Table Chip Counts
Final Table Recap
The shortest stack at the start of the final table, South Korea’s Jeongho Hwang was the first player to depart. Hwang pitted his against Chun Chieh Liu’s . The latter paired his King on the flop, eliminating Hwang in ninth place.
Less than 30 minutes later, Australia’s Emmanuel Derecho open-shoved for 850,000, with . Nguyen Van Sang called holding . The board brought , and Sang’s rivered boat dismissed Derecho in eighth place.
Seven-handed play continued for over three hours before the subsequent elimination came about. On the 77th hand, Chun Chieh Liu moved all-in for 570,000, and Dinh Duc Linh called off.
Chun Chieh Liu
Dinh Duc Linh
The community cards opened , and Linh’s rivered two-pair knocked Liu out in seventh place.
Twenty-eight hands later, it was Nguyen Van Sang‘s turn to bid adieu to the final table. Sang jammed from the button for 2.50 Million. Akshay Nasa called from the big blind with . Sang turned over . The community cards read , ending the Vietnamese player’s run in sixth place.
Next to go was South Korea’s Jongwook Kim when his were bested by Linh’s . The board bricked, and Linh’s King kicker eliminated Kim in fifth place.
Four hands later, Nguyen Duc Cuong open-shoved for his last 2.10 Million, holding . Linh called with . It was an ill-timed shove on Cuong’s part as the board revealed , ending his run in fourth place.
Another ten hands were played, after which Linh delivered a fatal blow to Takumasa Uemura. The Japanese player shoved his remaining 1.10 Million with . Linh came up with a call with . The showdown came , and Linh’s rivered two-pair ousted Uemura in third place.
The heads-up between India’s Akshay Nasa (13 Million) and Vietnam’s Dinh Duc Linh (9.70 Million) began with the former holding a slight edge. Despite starting on the back foot, Linh kept fighting back. By the 152nd hand, Linh had managed to surge ahead, amassing an impressive 17 million, leaving Nasa trailing with 6 million.
Despite facing adversity, Nasa displayed tenacity, launching a counterattack during Level 32 and elevating his stack to 9 million. Yet, his efforts fell short as he struggled to seize the chip lead from the relentless Linh.
The gripping heads-up duel persisted for a grueling 60 hands, with both players exhibiting remarkable acumen. Ultimately, Linh emerged triumphant, claiming the coveted trophy and etching his name in APT history.
On the last hand of the final table, Nasa moved all-in for 5.10 Million. Linh tanked for a while, even using up a time-extension chip. He eventually decided to call, putting Nasa at risk.
Dinh Duc Linh
Akshay Nasa
The runout showed , and Linh’s King kicker held true, denying Nasa his second APT Main Event title.
Final Table Results (VN₫)
Content & Images Courtesy: Asian Poker Tour
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