Tae Jun Noh, playing his rush, opened once again with a raise to 15,000. Hyoung Jin Nam stomped a stack into the middle with a defiant call in the small blind, and Manish Sansi came along for the ride in the big blind.
The flop landed and the blinds checked to Noh, who made a continuation bet of 40,000. Nam called and Sansi stepped aside.
The turn was the and both checked. The river brought and again both checked.
Noh tabled and his ace kicker played as the best hand, as Nam showed for a counterfeited pair. Noh is certainly mixing things up here and with the cards falling his way, so are the chips!
Tae Jun Noh kicked things off with a raise to 16,000 from middle position. The short stack of the final table, Rainier Aquino made his move, reraising all in from the small blind for a total of 30,000. Hyoung Jin Nam called out of the big blind, bringing the action back to Noh. He also called. It was a three-handed pot, with one player all in.
Noh and Nam checked the action all the way to the river. With the board showing , Noh bet 40,000. Nam quickly called, spelling certain disaster for Aquino. That doom was confirmed when the hands were opened.
Aquino:
Nam:
Noh:
Noh showed down a remarkable hand -- he had raised three-seven suited from middle position and got there on the river! As a result, Aquino was eliminated in ninth place, earning $9,228 in prize money.
Ramil Tandoc opened with a raise to 15,000 and Tae Jun Noh made the call. The action was then with Lee Nelson, who cut out raising chips, making it 42,000 to go. The blinds folded, as did Tandoc, but Noh made the call.
The flop was and both players checked. The turn brought the and again both players checked. The river was the and Noh checked for a third time to Nelson, who deliberated before checking behind once again.
Final tables are nothing new for Lee "Final Table" Nelson, and is looks like Lee is ready for battle, dressed in his famous Hawaiian shirt. His lucky shirt has brought him many tournament victories, including the 2006 Aussie Millions Main Event worth nearly $1 million. In a poker world full of sponsorship deals, slick patches and custom designed logos, it's fascinating to see that Lee has once again donned the impressively colored number for today's televised final table.
Michael Chang opened the pot with a raise to 15,000 from late position. Action passed to the blinds, where Lee Nelson thought it over for 30 seconds before calling. Van Marcus also called from the big blind for a three-handed pot.
The flop came down . Nelson checked, allowing Marcus to take a stab at the pot with a bet of 27,000, just more than half the pot. Chang quickly raised that bet to 65,000, chasing Nelson out of the pot. Marcus tanked for well over a minute before releasing his hand.
The first hand of the final table saw the action fold around to Manish Sansi who completed in the small blind. Michael Chang checked his option in the big blind and we took a flop of .
Both players checked. The hit the turn and Sansi checked to Chang who took down the opening pot with a bet of 10,000.
TD Danny McDonagh made the player introductions, then turned the mic over to the APPT Manila hostess, who uttered the magic words and kicked off play. The button has started in Seat 6 with Hyoung Jin Nam. As is typical of APPT tournaments, the clock has been wound back to Level 17, with blinds of 3000 and 6000 and an ante of 500, in order to allow for more play at the final table.