APT Super High Roller - 8 Max Final Day

Vietnam’s Nguyen Trung Quan has defeated the largest Super High Roller field in in Asian Poker Tour history, claiming victory in the ₫88,000,000 APT Super High Roller – 8 Max for a payday of ₫1,196,680,000 (~$51,450). Quan defeated a 56-strong field comprised of 34 unique entries to make his first live title score and maiden APT title win a memorable one.

After scoring a shock double elimination when the tournament was four-handed to take play heads-up, Quan and his sole remaining opponent Anarbayasgalan Sainjargal cut a deal that saw the Vietnamese player take the title and trophy, with Sainjargal receiving a pay-out of ₫1,050,000,000 (~$45,150) for his runner-up finish.

Just eight players returned for the second and final day, all looking to stake their claim to the title and top prize. It was Anarbayasgalan Sainjargal who returned as the start-of-day chip leader, and the Mongolian player padded out his lead almost immediately, becoming the first player to crack the 3-million chip mark on the second hand played, hitting a full house on the river in a pot against Hon Cheong Lee.

Lee’s inauspicious start proved to be just a taste of things to come, with the Hong Kong native losing two huge pre-flop coin flips on the first two levels played.

The first saw Lee and the Czech Republic’s Roman Hrabec become embroiled in a raising war that saw the former pull the trigger for stacks with pocket queens, with the latter making the call for his tournament life with ace-king and spiking an ace on the flop to double-up and drop Lee down to just under ten big blinds.

A level later Lee found himself on life support, dropping down to less than a single big blind after his ace-king lost a race to Shardul Parthasarathi’s pocket threes. Despite earning a double-up at the expense of the Philippines’ Mike Takayama, Lee could not mount a comeback, with Parthasarathi administering the coup de grace shortly afterward, waking up with ace-ten when the short-stacked Lee shoved with king-eight.

Hon Cheong Lee finished in 8th place

China’s Yake Wu began to make some waves shortly after Lee’s departure, winning a pot from Quan with ace-jack against the former’s pocket sevens, before showing Takayama the door. The two-time former Main Event champion’s departure was a brutal one, and while Takayama got his chips in the middle ahead with ace-ten suited against the king-queen of Wu, improving to top pair on the ace-high flop, running cards saw Wu river Broadway to send the Filipino out in seventh.

China’s Yuhang Chen made his play for the tournament top spot shortly afterwards, climbing into the lead after tangling in a hand against Sainjargal. The Mongolian got frisky pre-flop from the button with jack-ten, pairing his ten on a king-high double heart flop and barrelling both the flop and the queen of hearts turn card.

However, Chen put a spanner in the works with a check-raise shove to send Sainjargal deep into the think tank. After burning through several timebank chips Sainjargal – holding the jack of hearts for a live flush draw to accompany his pair of tens – made the call but could not overcome Chen’s king-queen turned two pairs when the river bricked out.

Quan’s tournament almost ended abruptly later that same level after a battle of the blinds against Hrabec; the Vietnamese player pulled the trigger with a four-bet shove holding jack-nine and found himself dominated by Hrabec’s ace-jack, but the runout came nine-high to grant Quan the double-up.

Despite earning two double-ups during the first two levels Parthasarathi’s tournament came to an end on the third level played, his three-bet shove with ace-three suited running into kicker troubles against opening raiser Anarbayasgalan Sainjargal’s ace-nine.

India's Shardul Parthasarathi busted in 6th place

That left five, which quickly became four after Roman Hrabec moved all-in pre-flop from the small blind for his last 900,000 in chips holding king-eight suited. Unfortunately for the Czech player, Sainjargal woke up in the big blind with ace-ten and immediately flopped top two pair to send Hrabec to the rail in fifth place.

Following Hrabec’s departure, Quan clashed with Sainjargal in the largest pot played in the tournament so far with the duo getting all the chips in on a six-high flop in a three-bet pot; Quan, holding king-five suited, had paired his five while the Mongolian had the best of it with pocket eights. However, a king on the river gave Quan two pair and marked the start of the Vietnamese player’s meteoric rise to the top of the chip counts, and subsequently, the title.

A level later, it was all over; Following an under-the-gun minimum open from Chen and a flat call from Wu, Quan opted to apply maximum pressure and moved all-in for 5.5 million – easily having both his opponents covered. Both Chen and Wu made quick calls and Quan was caught with his hand in the cookie jar, his king-nine suited trailing to both Chen’s ace-jack and Wu’s pocket queens.

However, fortune favors the bold and the ace-high flop brought something for everyone, giving Chen top pair, Wu an open-ended straight draw and Quan a pair of kings. A nine on the river saw Quan score a double elimination to take play heads-up, with the Vietnamese player coming into the confrontation with over an eight-to-one chip lead.

Mongolia's Anarbayasgalan Sainjargal claimed 2nd place

While that concludes the APT Super High Roller action, the second and final day of the ₫9,000,000+900,000 Event #4 Mystery Bounty Hunter is running concurrently and you can follow all the action via the APT blog live updates. Then there is the ₫30,000,000+3,000,000 Main Event, which gets underway on Monday, March 27 – the APT live blogging team will be on hand to bring you all the tournament thrills and spills as they happen so join us then as we see who has what it takes to become the APT Phu Quoc 2023 Main Event champion!

Nguyen Trung Quan and Anarbayasgalan Sainjargal have agreed to a deal which means that Quan is our APT Super High Roller champion.

Both players were discussing a chop but there was a clear language barrier between them which meant some spectators were trying to translate the proposed agreement.

When the numbers were written in front of both players, they finally could see what their adjusted prizes would be.

Anarbayasgalan Sainjargal would take home ₫1,050,000,000 ($45,150) and 2nd place.

Our champion would be Nguyen Trung Quan who would take home ₫1,196,680,000 ($51,450) and the Super High Roller trophy.

Both players agreed to the deal and almost instantaneously, Quan let out a huge roar much to the pleasure of the poker room floor.

Congratulations to both guys and all the participants in this year's record-breaking APT Super High Roller.

Nguyen Trung Quan really wants the Super High Roller trophy.

He keeps offering deals to his opponent to try and lure him into a chop.

I will say the trophy is rather fetching.

...play has paused while players discuss a deal.

The atmosphere here is electric as the local Nguyen Trung Quan looks certain to take home the Super High Roller title.

There are talks of a deal but Anarbayasgalan Sainjargal refuses.

"Let's play" says the Mongolian.

No deal is struck as cards are back in the air.

Does Nguyen Trung Quan have 1 hand on the trophy already?

With blinds at 50,000/100,000/100,000 Yuhang Chen min-raises UTG to 200,000 and is called by Yake Wu from the button.

Quan, with his monster pile of chips, shoved his entire 5,500,000 chip stack into the middle. It seems he wanted to apply maximum pressure to the remaining 3 stacks as they fight to ladder up the payouts.

Anarbayasgalan Sainjargal folds his big blind and the action is back to Yuhang Chen who counts out his chips before pushing them forward and announcing that he calls.

Action is now back to Wu who instantly called all-in and flipped over his cards revealing the Q♣ Q♠.

Chen turned over A♣ J♣ while Quan showed the K♣ 9♣. Both Chen and Quan had fallen into Wu's trap and he just had to hold to be our new chip leader.

Quan had the chance at a double elimination whilst Chen had hope of a triple-up. A lot was going on here as cameras and spectators flocked to the table to watch the board run out.

The flop K♦ T♦ A♠. Unbelievable.

Chen had top pair meanwhile Quan had out-flopped Wu for the bigger side pot. Wu and Chen both held each other's gutshot outs. Could Quan bink another 9 as he did earlier against Hrabec?

The turn.

3♣. Chen is only 1 card away from a triple up whilst Wu needs a Queen to win a side pot against Quan or a Jack to scoop the lot. Quan needs a 9 or a King to win it all and send us to heads-up play.

The much-anticipated river card...

9♥.

Insanity.

Quan binks 2 pair and wins the entire pot, knocking out 2 players in the process. He takes a giant leap to the APT Super High Roller title but can the Mongolian, Anarbayasgalan Sainjargal mount a comeback and challenge Quan?

With that drama, let's get to the eliminations.

Yuhang Chen is eliminated in 4th place for ₫460,630,000 ($19,800). Chen had fewer chips than Wu to start that hand so finishes in the lower position.

Yake Wu is eliminated in 3rd place for ₫608,380,000 ($26,160). I'm sure Wu will be thankful he had more chips than his fellow countryman to begin that hand,

We have just seen the biggest pot of the tournament so far.

It involved Anarbayasgalan Sainjargal and the local Nguyen Trung Quan.

Quan raised the button to 175,000 and was 3-bet by Sainjargal to 690,000. Quan called in position and we saw a flop.

3♣ 6♦ 5♠.

Sainjargal wasted no time and open-shoved this board. Quan looked confused by this bet and put in a few time chips before deciding to call off.

Sainjargal's effective shove was for 1,940,000 meaning this pot is now way over the 5,000,000 mark and worth over a third of the chips in play.

Sainjargal flipped 8♦ 8♥ and was well ahead of Quan's K♣ 5♣.

Quan, again, needed some help. Can he find it again?

The turn bought the J♦ which changed nothing.

The river bought the K♥. Pandamonium from Quan as he yells and thumps the table in delight. Yet again he gets his money in bad but ends up with the pot. Is there any stopping the Vietnamese from winning the title now?

Roman Hrabec has just been eliminated in 5th place for₫356,340,000 ($15,322).

Hrabec shoved his last 900,000 in the middle from the small blind and was called by none other than Anarbayasgalan Sainjargal.

Hrabec showed K♣ 8♣ whilst Sainjargal flipped A♠ T♥.

The board ran T♦ A♦ J♥.

Sainjargal had flopped top and bottom pair but Hrabec still had hope with a gutshot to broadway.

The turn bought the 5♣ bringing no help to Hrabec.

The river 8♠ paired Hrabec but it was no good. Sainjargal won the pot and we are down to 4 players in the APT Super High Roller.

Shardul Parthasarathi has been eliminated in 6th place for ₫278,120,000 ($11,960).

Action folded to Anarbayasgalan Sainjargal who opened to 175,000 at 40,000/80,000/80,000 and Shardul Parthasarathi next to act shoved his last 1,000,000 into the middle.

Sainjargal called and the cards were flipped on their backs.

Sainjargal A♦ 9♠ Parthasarathi A♣ 3♣

The flop looked promising for Parthasarathi when it came 8♣ 7♣ 2♦ as it gave him a flush draw. He needed a club or a 3 to stay alive.

The turn A♥ paired them both but didn't bring any chop-outs. The river 2♠ sealed Parthasarathi's fate and he was gone in 6th. Another great run for the Indian.

Shardul Parthasarathi has doubled-up in the APT Super High Roller final table.

Nguyen Trung Quan opened to 200,000 only for Parthasarathi to 3-bet rip 540,000 from the big blind. Quan called and cards were on their backs.

Quan A♣ 6♠ Parthasarathi 8♥ 8♣

The board ran a clean 5♣ 2♦ 6♣ Q♦ 5♥ for Parthasarathi and he doubled to over 1,100,000.

Yake Wu opened to 160,000 and Hrabec called from the small blind.

The flop came 6♥ 2♦ 9♥ to which Hrabec checked and Wu bet 225,000. Hrabec called and we saw a turn.

8♠

Action went check check and we saw an interesting river.

A♣

Hrabec checked once again and Wu decided to over-bet shove the river leaving Hrabec no option but to toss his cards into the muck,