Flight A of the APT Main Event Draws 462 Entries; Japan's Keigo Kuybo Tops Counts

Ben Wilson / 30 Sep 2024

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Flight A of the APT Main Event Draws 462 Entries; Japan's Keigo Kuybo Tops Counts

APT TPC 2024 SCHEDULE| OFFICIAL RESULTS | IMAGES | WINNERS | PLAYER LISTS

TAIPEI, TAIWAN, September 29, 2024 – While it was the Final Day of the APT Super High Roller that captivated the attention of the watching rail birds—more on that below—it was the opening flight of the APT Main Event and its juicy TWD 65 million (~USD 2 million) guarantee that drew the biggest crowd, attracting 462 entries (341 unique).

It was Japan's Keigo Kubo sitting atop the chip counts by the time the tournament clock ticked into the red after the ten 60-minute levels played out, with 157 players locking up a berth for Day 2.

Kubo was the only player to crack the 400K chip barrier, concluding play with a stack of 420,600, with Hong Kong's Nicholas Go (398,600), and Japan's Yuya Arito (335,400) rounding out the top three, with the top ten stacks as follows:

MAIN EVENT FLIGHT A TOP TEN STACKS

  1. Keigo Kubo (Japan) – 420,600
  2. Nicholas Go (Hong Kong) – 398,600
  3. Yuya Arito (Japan) – 335,400
  4. Ee How Ong (Malaysia) – 313,200
  5. Robert Nemeskeri-Kiss (United States) – 299,900
  6. Wongyu Kang (South Korea) – 288,500
  7. Sang Woo Chun (South Korea) – 284,600
  8. Ka Chun Tsui (Hong Kong) – 274,300
  9. Chi-Ying Lin (Taiwan) – 269,300
  10. Cheng Yen Lo (Taiwan) – 244,800

Australia's Dylan Foster jumped in after busting the APT Super High Roller and bagged 218,300, as did two-time Main Event champion Lester Edoc (188,000), and Ethan "Rampage" Yau (109,600).

Former Main Event champion Shixiang Khoo managed to bag 207,600, despite running kings into aces in the last five hands played.

Other notables to make it though included Germany's Martin Sedlak (229,300), Hong Kong's Tsz Him Chan (222,500), the USA's Peter Kiem (199,800), India's Abhinav Iyer (182,300), former APT and Triton commentator Henry Kilbane (164,200), India's Dhaval Mudgal (103,600), the Netherland's Thijs Hilberts (95,600), Yohwan "BoxeR" Lim (76,900), the Philippines' John Tech (36,000), and former Main Event champion Dicky Tsang (32,700) to name but a few.

For Main Event Flight A Player List please CLICK HERE

For Main Event Flight A Survivors please CLICK HERE

With three more starting flights left to play out, there are still opportunities for those unsuccessful in their endeavours to win their way through.

Flight B gets underway at 11am on Monday, September 30, with players competing over six 45-minute levels and four 60-minute levels.

The final two starting Flights C & D—both boasting six 30-minute levels and four 40-minute levels each—get underway on Tuesday, October 1 at 11am and 6:30pm respectively.

You can read how all the APT Main Event Flight A action played out via the APT Blog.

All tournament information can be found on the APT Main Event Flight A tournament page.

Thailand's Phanlert Sukonthachartnant Tames Pewter Lion to Claim APT Super High Roller Title for TWD 5.79M (~USD 183.5K)

APTTPCM_#12SHRFD-89.jpg Thailand’s Phanlert Sukonthachartnant made his maiden APT title win one to remember in the APT Super High Roller

In a Thai on Thai battle for supremacy, Phanlert Sukonthachartnant has become the first player from the Land of Smiles to lay claim to the APT Super High Roller title and tame the award-winning pewter lion APT Super High Roller trophy.

Sukonthachartnant found himself up against compatriot and start-of-day chip leader Thanisorn Saelor for the title, with the duo coming into the heads-up battle with less than a single big blind separating them and the former coming in with a slight chip lead.

The pair opted for an ICM deal to flatten the payouts and guarantee both a payday of at least TWD 4,740,500 (~USD 150,060), with the winner walking away with a TWD 5,793,950 (~USD 183,375) top prize, the trophy and the title.

While Saelor was looking to become the first player in tour history to win two APT signature lion trophies, having won the APT High Roller title back during APT Incheon 2023, Sukonthachartnant was hunting his maiden APT title and did not seem inclined to roll over.

The heads-up match proved to be an epic back-and-forth 47-hand battle spanning three 40-minute levels with the chip lead changing hands on multiple occasions.

However, it was Sukonthachartnant who came out on top in a cooler of a final hand which saw both players back door a club flush and all the chips go in on the river.

Unfortunately for Saelor, Sukonthachartnant's eight-high flush was crushing Saelor's four-high flush, although the two shared a smile and a sporting hand shake immediately after the hand, before Sukonthachartnant's gave the obligatory winner's interview via the aid of a translator:

“Thank you to all the players who supported me, and all the support from the Thai poker community, I'm so happy and pleased to win," said Sukonthachartnant, before posing for his winner's photo.

In addition to awarding Sukonthachartnant his maiden APT title, this win represents the second largest score of the Thai's playing career, bumping him up from #5 to #4 on the Thailand All-Time Money List with over USD 1.5 million in live tournament winnings.

While Saelor was unable to unify the two signature lion trophies, his second place finish represents the second-best result of his poker career, with only his APT High Roller win last year topping it.

Mikael Andersson also managed his largest APT cash, and the most lucrative result of his short tournament career, his third-place podium finish earning the Swede a career-best 2,866,000 (~USD 90,780) payday.

Natural8 Ambassador and APT Taipei 2023 Main Event champion Punnat Punsri was also flying the flag for Thailand and was another to come close to claiming a second lion trophy, cashing in fifth-place for TWD 1,747,000 (~USD 55,340).

Ethan "Rampage" Yau was another big name to make the final table, scoring his first cash on Asian soil on his APT debut, cashing in sixth place for TWD 1,366,000 (~USD 43,270) with the final table paying out as follows:

APT SUPER HIGH ROLLER RESULTS

  1. Phanlert Sukonthachartnant (Thailand) – TWD 5,793,950 (~USD 183,530)
  2. Thanisorn Saelor (Thailand) – TWD 4,740,500 (~USD 150,160)
  3. Mikael Andersson (Sweden) – TWD 2,866,000 (~USD 90,780)
  4. Jack Maskill (United Kingdom) – TWD 2,206,000 (~USD 69,875)
  5. Punnat Punsri (Thailand) – TWD 1,747,000 (~USD 55,340)
  6. Ethan Yau (United States) – TWD 1,366,000 (~USD 43,270)
  7. Vincent Rubianes (Taiwan) – TWD 1,075,000 (~USD 34,050)
  8. Kyosuke Nagami (Japan) – TWD 840,000 (~USD 26,610)
  9. Jason Wong (United Kingdom) – TWD 638,000 (~USD 20,210)
  10. Joshua McCully (Australia) – TWD 560,000 (~USD 17,740)
  11. Charles Waymel (France) – TWD 560,000 (~USD 17,740)

Just 18 players out of a star-studded starting field of 81 entries (57 unique) returned for the second and final day, all looking to lay claim to a share of the TWD 22,392,450 (~USD 709,295) prize pool.

Two-time APT Main Event champion Lester Edoc, the USA's Joseph Cheong, Singapore's Jun Hao Wu, Australia's Dylan Foster, and Taiwan's Chih Wei Fan were just some of the big names and APT high roller regulars to hit the rail before the paying positions were reached.

Despite departing in the same hand as Fan, Charles Waymel squeaked into the money as the French player started the hand with more chips and while Waymel went in with pocket queens they were no match for Saelor's pocket kings, aiding in setting up the epic heads-up battle against Sukonthachartnant.

You can watch the Final Day's action as it played out via the live stream on the APT's official YouTube channel or read all about it via the APT Blog.

All tournament information can be found on the Event #12: APT Super High Roller Final Day tournament page.

Malaysia's Isaac Phua Wins APT's Largest-ever Mystery Bounty for TWD 1.92M (~USD 60.88K)

Event #10_ Mystery Bounty Hunter 2.jpg Malaysia Isaac Phua won a career best score in the record breaking Mystery Bounty Hunter - Sponsored by Natural8

While the opening flight of the Main Event was the biggest draw of the day, the action in the Final Day of the APT's largest-ever Mystery Bounty Hunter proved popular with the watching rail.

Just 185 survivors of the two starting flights of the TWD 15,000 Mystery Bounty Hunter - Sponsored by Natural8 - TWD 10,000,000 GTD returned to action out of a combined field of 1,328 entries (850 unique), with all returning players guaranteed a payday of at least TWD 14,000 (~USD 440).

With TWD 10,570,880 (~USD 334,840) in the prize pool, a further TWD 664,0000 (~USD 210,325) in the bounty pool, a TWD 1,921,880 (~USD 60,880) top prize* for the winner, and a top bounty of TWD 1,500,000 (~USD 47,510) up for grabs there was all to play for.

It is Malaysia's Isaac Phua who will be entering the annuals of APT history as the champion of the tour's largest ever Mystery Bounty tournament, taking seven scalps on his way to the title for a further TWD 112,000 (~USD 3,540) in winnings.

Phua came into the heads-up confrontation against Japan's Seigo Miyazaki with a 2-to-1 chip lead he would not relinquish, claiming the largest prize of his poker playing career to date, in addition to claiming his maiden APT title, and third live title overall.

That brings Phua's total live tournament winnings up to over USD 190,000, moving him nine places from #62 to #53 on the Malaysia All-Time Money List.

While Miyazaki will be disappointed to have come within touching distance of claiming his own maiden APT title, the TWD 1,099,000 (~USD 34,810) second-place prize still represents a career-best score. The Japanese player collected six bounties for a further TWD 62,000 (~USD 1,960) payday.

Taiwan's Chien-Hung Chi rounded out the last of the podium positions, taking TWD 772,000 (~USD 24,450) for third place – a ~750 percent increase of his previous best of USD 1,695.

It was Jacob Ikuma who scored the biggest bounty on the fifth level of the nineteen Final Day levels played. The added confidence of making close to the equivalent of the first place prize with a single elimination saw the US player come into the final table with the chip lead.

However, Ikuma looked to have used up all his run good for the event and took two brutal beats in close succession to exit the tournament in fifth place for TWD 438,690 (~USD 8,320), plus TWD 1,564,000 (~USD 49,460) in bounty payouts.

MYSTERY BOUNTY FINAL TABLE RESULTS

  1. Isaac Phua (Malaysia) – TWD 1,921,880 (~USD 60,880)
  2. Seigo Miyazaki (Japan) – TWD 1,099,000 (~USD 34,810)
  3. Chien-Hung Chi (Taiwan) – TWD 772,000 (~USD 24,450)
  4. Hung Yu Liao (Taiwan) – TWD 572,000 (~USD 18,120)
  5. Jacob Ikuma (United States) – TWD 447,000 (~USD 14,160)
  6. Chuyi Huang (Taiwan) – TWD 337,000 (~USD 10,675)
  7. Francesco Dastici (Italy) – TWD 257,000 (~USD 8,140)
  8. Chunlung Wong (Hong Kong) – TWD 183,000 (~USD 5,800)
  9. Ka Shing Leung (Hong Kong) – TWD 141,000 (~USD 4,470)

Other notables who enjoyed deep runs included second biggest bounty winner Yuttakan Sangri (21st for TWD 62,000 plus TWD 1,016,000 in bounties), Australia's Jie Chen (19th for TWD 73,000), start-of-day chip leader Carlos Chang (37th for TWD38,000 plus TWD 23,000 in bounties, Flight B frontrunner Wan Hung (53rd for TWD 32,000 plus TWD 79,000 in bounties), the USA's Frankie Cucchiara (72nd for TWD 22,000 plus TWD 33,000 in bounties), Australia's John Perry (124th for TWD 17,000), and India's Dhaval Mudgal (131rd for TWD 17,000).

For all Mystery Bounty Results please CLICK HERE

For Mystery Bounty Prize Pool & Bounty Payouts please CLICK HERE

*First place prize recalculated from Septembers 28 PR due to a double elimination in Flight A.

You can read how all the Mystery Bounty action played out via the APT Blog.

All tournament information can be found on the Mystery Bounty Hunter Final Day tournament page.

Singapore's Ravn Teo Scores in Sunday Super Stack

Event #22_ Sunday Super Stack champion Ravn Teo2.JPG Singapore’s Ravn Teo claimed a career-best score in Event #22: Sunday Super Stack

Playing out at the tournament tables of the Chinese Mahjong League, the TWD 25,000 Event #22: Sunday Super Stack - TWD 4,000,000 GTD drew a field of 229 entries (223 unique), beating the guarantee by over 23 percent and generating a TWD 4,946,400 (~USD 156,680) prize pool.

The action played out over 32 levels in total—ten 25-minute levels and a further twenty-two 20-minute levels—with players duking it out for a TWD 1,045,400 (~USD 33,110) top prize.

It was Ravn Teo who topped the tournament leaderboard, defeating Japan's Toshiya Mochizuki heads-up to claim the largest score of his poker career.

The Singaporean's previous best result also came in an APT event, with Teo coming in third place in APT Taipei 2023's Event #2 Kick Off Event, and this win almost doubles his live winnings, bringing his tournament tally up to over USD 74,000 and moving him up 51 places to #83 on Singapore's All-Time Money List.

With no recorded results on record, Mochizuki will not be too unhappy with the TWD 497,000 (~USD 15,740) on offer for second place.

Third place finisher Kon Hong Tang earned the second-largest score of his poker career, claiming his first live cash outside of his native Malaysia and banking TWD 497,000 (~USD 15,740) for his bronze podium place.

A total of 31 places made the money, with the final table paying out as follows:

SUNDAY SUPER STACK FINAL TABLE RESULTS

  1. Ravn Teo (Singapore) – TWD 1,045,400 (~USD 33,110)
  2. Toshiya Mochizuki(Japan) – TWD 704,000 (~USD 22,300)
  3. Kon Hong Tang (Malaysia) – TWD 497,000 (~USD 15,740)
  4. Lu Jie Wong (Taiwan) – TWD 403,000 (~USD 12,765)
  5. Juns Leong (Malaysia) – TWD 319,000 (~USD 10,100)
  6. Takahiro Nakagawa (Japan) – TWD 242,000 (~USD 7,670)
  7. Ka Ho Cheung (Hong Kong) – TWD 177,000 (~USD 5,600)
  8. Eugene Lim (Singapore) – TWD 129,000 (~USD 4,090)
  9. Keshu Peng (Hong Kong) – TWD 107,000 (~USD 3,390)

Other notables to cash included Thailand's Jakkapong Sreprasom (17th for TWD 66,000), Taiwan's Chi Jen Chen (24th for TWD 48,000), and the USA's Eli Chang, who earned TWD 44,000 for his 31st place finish.

For Sunday Super Stack Player List please CLICK HERE

For Sunday Super Stack Results please CLICK HERE

All tournament information can be found on the Sunday Super Stack tournament page.

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