After four action-packed days of scintillating tournament poker the APT Phu Quoc 2024 Main Event—the tour’s largest Phu Quoc-based tournament with 795 entries—has been reduced to the final nine players.
These lucky few are competing for a share of the VND 25 billion (~USD 1 million) prize pool, and with a sizeable VND 4,710,000,000 (~USD 185,430) top prize on the line, in addition to the award-winning 24K gold lion APT Main Event trophy and all the accolades that come with it, the battle for the title promises to be epic. To see how we got to this point, you can check out the coverage on the APT Blog.
You can also view all the action as it played out via the live stream on the official APT YouTube channel.
| Position | Name | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Junseok Oh | South Korea | 5,080,000 | 51 |
| 2 | Pham Ngoc Quoc Bao | Vietnam | 1,965,000 | 20 |
| 3 | Minh Truong Thang | Australia | 3,900,000 | 39 |
| 4 | Jinlong Hu | China | 4,740,000 | 47 |
| 5 | Hao Zhao Wang | China | 2,025,000 | 20 |
| 6 | Chu Hao Zhang | China | 515,000 | 5 |
| 7 | Do Tien Vu | Vietnam | 4,630,000 | 46 |
| 8 | David Erquiaga | Philippines | 5,470,000 | 55 |
| 9 | Deepankur Gupta | India | 3,380,000 | 34 |
Seat 1: Junseok Oh
South Korea’s Jun Seok Oh began his poker career in 2021, earning most of his early cashes in his homeland. His appearance at this APT final table marks a significant milestone as not only his first-ever APT final table but also his largest APT cash prize to date. With a stellar performance on Day 3, Oh built an impressive stack, entering the final table with 5,080,000 chips (51 big blinds), positioning himself as a formidable contender. This achievement is sure to be a memorable highlight in his poker journey.
Seat 2: Pham Ngoc Quoc Bao
One of the two locals who made it to the final table, Pham Ngoc Quoc Bao holds the second shortest chip count at the table with 1,965,000 chips, enough for 20 big blinds. That being said, he has plenty of chips to play with to finish well, what more with a seat right in front of the chip leader. With over USD 500,000 in live earnings, Bao can rely on his experience to guide him and with the crowd behind him, he may perhaps surprise us at the final table.
Seat 3: Minh Truong Thang
Australia’s Minh Truong Thang is returning fifth in the overall chip counts with a stack of 3,900,000, valued at 39 big blinds and has already demonstrated his skills over three days of gruelling play. Thang only has one recorded live cash on his poker resume and is already guaranteed the largest score of his poker career – making his APT tournament debut one to remember. Returning in the #3 seat, Thang will have position on China’s Jinlong Hu and while he has one of the bigger stacks in the form of South Korea’s Junseok Oh seated two to his left, Thang’s table position could work out in his favor.
Seat 4: Jinlong Hu
Within just a year of beginning his poker career, China’s Jinlong Hu made an impressive debut at an APT final table during the APT No Limit Hold’em event in Vietnam in 2018. The following year, he secured his first APT title, winning the NLH Single Day Event (Shot Clock Event #7) for VND 165,150,000 (~$7,121). Since then, Hu has become a familiar face at APT events and is no stranger to final table appearances. Hu started Day 2 as the chip leader and maintained a strong presence throughout the tournament, entering Day 3 third in chips. His consistent performance kept him in the top five all day, and he will head into the final table in the top 3 with 4,740,000 chips (47 big blinds), eyeing the top prize and the title.
Seat 5: Hao Zhao Wang
China’s Hao Zhao Wang represents one of the middle stacks of the final table, with 2,025,000 chips (20 big blinds). With some live cashes in his poker résumé, Wang has shown that he is able to play with the big boys at the table with his run to the final table. While he has plenty of room to play with, he should have one eye on his short-stacked compatriot seated to his left; one miss-timed raise could put him in a difficult spot. Wang is assured of his highest payday regardless of what happens at the final table, though he is sure to set his sights high.
Seat 6: Chu Hao Zhang
When the final table was set, China’s Chu Hao Zhang probably heaved a sigh of relief. However, the Chinese amateur has his work cut out for him. Sitting on 515,000 chips, a mere 5 big blinds, Zhang also drew the short end of the stick of the final table draw as he finds himself behind two of the three biggest stacks at the table. With barely any room to maneuver, Zhang will have to pick his spots carefully. Whatever happens, he is set for his first live cash with an appearance at a Main Event final table. Not bad for someone with no history of tournament earnings coming into the final nine.
Seat 7: Do Tien Vu
The second of the two Vietnamese finalists, Do Tien Vu has seven recorded live cashes on his poker resume, including a 74th place cash in the APT Summer Series Hanoi 2023 Main Event—which was good for VND 55 million (USD 2,342)—and includes three final table appearances. Vu is returning fourth in the overall counts with a stack of 4,630,000, which is good for 46 big blinds, and will have position on big stack David Erquiaga, a factor that could work out well, and the Vietnamese film actor is already guaranteed the best score of his playing career.
Seat 8: David Erquiaga
The Philippines David “Spade” Erquiaga is ranked #6 on the Philippines All-Time Money List with total live earnings of USD 1,754,553 and is the most experienced player at the final table. Erquiaga’s breakthrough came in 2019 when he claimed his first APT title, winning Event #2: APT No Limit Deepstack Turbo at APT Ho Chi Minh for VND 68,650,000 ($2,975). He followed this up with another victory at APT Phu Quoc 2022, securing the Event #22: APT NLH – Short Deck title for VND 48,090,000 ($2,100). His biggest APT cash came in 2022 in the APT No Limit Hold’em Championships, earning PHP 3,925,300 (~$68,993). Erquiaga is returning as chip leader with 5,470,000 (55 big blinds) and will be looking to add the one thing missing to his stacked poker resume – an APT Main Event title!
Seat 9: Deepankur Gupta
The only Indian player at the final table, Deepankur Gupta is making his APT debut one to remember and will earn his first recorded tour cash in the Main Event. However, this is not Gupta’s first rodeo, and he has five live tournament titles on his poker resume along with USD 122,865 in live tournament winnings. This pales in comparison to his online scores where he has over USD 889,000 in online tournament winnings. Gupta is returning sixth in the overall counts with a stack of 3,380,000 (34 big blinds) and a fifth-place finish or better will see him make a career-best live score.