Five players from Russia made the long trek to the Philippines. Incredibly, three cashed and two would have made the final table if not for the elimination of Oleg Poluzhnikov in 10th position. Tikholiz first journeyed to Cebu on a holiday with his family last year and was thrilled to be able to return after winning a seat on PokerStars. He's only been playing poker for one year but has already earned a spot in APPT record books as the first Russian player to reach a final table.