WPT Vietnam 2018: Sapra Finishes Runner-Up in Welcome Event For ₹5.06 Lakhs, Rubin Labroo Headlines 5 Indians on Day 2 of Ho Chi Minh Cup

Sumit Sapra and Rubin Labroo
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  • PG News September 28, 2018
  • 6 Mins Read

With bigger crowds and several events currently underway, the World Poker Tour (WPT) Vietnam currently underway at the Pro Poker Club in Ho Chi Minh City is well on an exciting ride.

The biggest show of the day was the Welcome Event that reached its culmination after India’s Sumit Sapra, who looked well on his way to claim the title, was defeated in the heads-up play by Nguyen Dang Toan of Netherlands. Sapra had a commendable ride on the first day but while he had managed to collect only the fifth-largest stack among the final nine. He returned to the final table with aggression and chipped up to take a dominating position, however, Sapra suffered setbacks towards the finale and his clash with Toan saw him lose the final hand to finish in runner up place. While Toan claimed the title and the top payday of VND 260,000,000, Sapra collected a pay cheque of VND 163,720,000 (₹5,06,195) for his finish.

Alongside, the two starting flights of the WPT Ho Chi Minh Cup drew in a total of 207 entries including a number of Indian challengers. From Team India, five players, i.e. Rubin Labroo (173,000), Dhaval Mudgal (130,000), Abhinav Iyer (115,000), Zarvan Tumboli (83,000) and Akshay Nasa (29,000) have advanced further in the event. While Mudgal entered through the first flight and was among the 16 survivors who made it for Day 2; Iyer, Tumboli, Labaroo and Nasa all made it through to Day 2 on the second starting flight.

After an eventful day that saw players falling quickly off quickly, only 28 remain in contention for the WPT Ho Chi Minh Cup and it’s going to be a thrilling run to the finale!

Welcome Event

Opening the 2018 WPT Vietnam, the VND, 7,700,000 buy-in Welcome Event saw 137 entries. The field narrowed down to nine players by conclusion of Day 1 and when the nine finalists converged to resume play on Friday, it was Dung Pro with the biggest stack of 528,000 who seemed the strongest contender to win the event.

India’s Sumit Sapra had only managed to bag an above-average stack of 215,000 and was placed fifth in chips coming into the final table. The final table action was a game changer and soon the hands played out to send Dutch player Nguyen Dang Toan who had entered the final table with a stack of 214,000 to the top while Sapra was close behind.

Toan eventually won the event for the top prize of VND260,000,000 while Sapra had to settle for the runner-up finish and pocketed a payday of VND 163,720,000 (₹5,06,195).

The top 18 finishers made it in the money and from Team India, Kunal Patni and Dhaval Mudgal had also entered the event but both were eliminated empty handed.

Kjeu Ove Dyb (10th for VND22,790), Nguyá»…n Trung Tín (11th for VND22,790), Ng Pui Cheung (13th for VND19,770), Đào Ngọc Nam (14th for VND19,770), Richard Amaranton (16th for VND16,980) and Nguyá»…n Đức Há»™p (18th for VND16,980) were among the players who made it in the money.

Alan king Lun Lau, Julien Tran and Sapra were the three notables who made it to the nine-handed final table.

Final Table Recap

The final table saw its first casualty when Nguyen Ngoc Thien An was eliminated in ninth place.

Next to fall was Alan King Lun Lau who had suffered a big loss in chips to Xuan Hong after his pocket kings were cracked by the ace-jack of Hong, that improved to a full house on a board that brought two aces, two sixes and one jack. In the next hand, Lau was eliminated by Nicholas Dixon in eighth place.

Toan then scored two knockouts one after the other. He first sent Thai Sang Bao Huy to the rail in seventh place and then dominated Julien Tran’s ace-jack with his pocket jacks, to eliminate Tran in sixth place.

Here on, Toan gathered momentum. He went on to win a big pot through Dung Pro in a hand where both players moved all in on a card 3card 3card 2 flop and Dung, tabled card 2card 2 for a straight while Toan tabled card 1card 1 for two pair. The card 2 turn and the card 2 river improved Dung to a flush but also improved Toan to a full house. Several hands later, Pro who had by then become short-stacked, clashed with Sapra who relegated him to the rail in fifth place.

Toan then trained his guns on Nicholas Dixon who had sent several players packing out from the event. In the hand, Dixon moved all in with card 3card 3 against Toan’s card 1card 1 on the board card 1card 1card 2card 1card 1. Dixon’s tournament run ended in third place.

With only Sumit Sapra and Toan left in the running, the heads-up match began with Sapra make a determined effort to gain the lead. However he had his work cut out for himself as he had entered the heads-up with 750,000 as against Toan’s 1.3 Million chips.

Sumit Sapra
Sumit Sapra

Several hands later, the final hand was played where Sapra’s card 3card 2 came up against Toan’s card 2card 3. The board ran card 1card 3card 3card 3card 2 and Toan spiked a higher pair to eliminate Sapra in runner-up place to win the title!

Nguyen Dang Toan
Nguyen Dang Toan

Final Table Results (VND)

1. Nguyen Dang Toan – VND 260,000,000

2. Sumit Sapra – VND 163,720,000

3. Nicholas Dixon – VND 97,210,000

4. Nguy Xuan Hong – VND 58,600,000

5. Dung Pro – VND 45,580,000

6. Julien Tran – VND 38,140,000

7. Thai Sang Bao Huy – VND 33,020,000

8. Alan King Lun Lau – VND 29,350,000

9. Nguyen Ngoc Thien An – VND 26,000,000

WPT Ho Chi Minh Cup

Adding to the zing of WPT’s Asia Swing was the WPT Ho Chi Minh Cup that saw its two starting flights kick off on Friday. End of the day, a total of 207 had entered the field, 114 from the opening flight and another 93 from the later flight. While both flights were played in the freezeout format, players eliminated in Flight 1 were allowed to enter Flight 2. Overall as the day concluded, a total of 28 players have made the cut for Day 2.

Team India performed well in the opening flights. Dhaval Mudgal (130,000) was among the prominents to carry a stack for Day 2 while topping the leaderboard was Vietnam’s Thai Sang Bao Huy aka Huy Coshet (225,000). Huy jumped in late after a seventh place finish in the Welcome Event.

The subsequent Flight 2 concluded with 12 players remaining in contention, and US player Nicholas Gorman (284,000) took the top seat after doubling up late in the day with ace-king over his opponent’s king-queen. Among our Indian challengers, Rubin Labroo (173,000), Abhinav Iyer (115,000), Zarvan Tumboli (83,000) and Akshay Nasa (29,000) made it to the next day.

Rubin Labroo
Rubin Labroo

Indian Chips Counts For Day 2

The overall chip leader among the 28 players who will resume action is Nick Gorman (284,000), followed by Thai Sang Bao Huy (225,000) and Ayman Elsaid (212,000).

Nick Gorman
Nick Gorman

Top 10 Chip Counts At The End Of Day 1

1. Nick Gorman – 284,000

2. Thai Sang Bao Huy – 225,000

3. Ayman Elsaid – 212,000

4. Shyh Chyn Lim – 205,500

5. George Sandford – 191,000

6. Rubin Labroo – 173,000

7. Richard Mari – 170,000

8. Chua Shanhui ‘Benny’ – 160,000

9. Dhaval Mudgal – 130,000

10. Nghia Le – 117,000

Day 2 Action for the WPT Ho Chi Minh Cup is slated to kick off today and since 26 spots are paid, two players will return empty-handed.

Meanwhile, apart from Day 2 of the Ho Chi Minh Cup, the WPT Vietnam Main Event with VND 8M GTD will kick off today, with the first of its three starting flights. Players can re-enter once in every flight. In addition, the Bounty Event featuring a VND880,000 buy-in is also scheduled to kick off, in addition to a mega satellite to WPT Vietnam Main Event.

Keep following all the latest updates from WPT Vietnam right here on PokerGuru!

Related Articles:

1. WPT Vietnam 2018: Sumit Sapra Reaches Final Table in Welcome Event, Trần Kim Đông Ships Charity Event

2. WPT Maryland 2018: Indian-Origin Shankar Pillai Finishes Runner-Up in Main Event, Tony Ruberto Wins Title For $344,755

3. World Poker Tour Announces Much-Awaited Return to India in November

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