APT Super High Roller - 8 Max - KRW 250,000,000 GTD - Final Day

Milos Petakovic

Serbia's Milos Petakovic has won the KRW 7,000,000 APT Super High Roller after finishing on top of the 84-player (63 unique) field and takes home a tasty KRW 145,650,000 (~$109,990) for his victory. Petakovic defeated Shimizu Nozomu heads up which saw the Japanese player bank KRW 103,540,000 (~$78,190) for his runner-up finish.

This was Petakovic's maiden APT title and his first live tournament victory on Asian soil with the pewter APT lion trophy heading back to Serbia along with the biggest share of the KRW 529,620,000 (~$399,950) prize pool.

Day 2 began with the sixteen survivors from the opening day fighting it out for the eleven spots in the money. Sparrow Cheung, Valeriy Pak, Chin Wei Lim, Kokwai Sim, and Abraham Ceesvin were the five players who went home empty-handed with Tien Loon Ling (11th) and Joseph Cheong (10th) busting just short of the final table for a min-cash of KRW 13,240,000 (~$10,000).

A familiar name led the counts going into the final table as Petakovic, just as he had done for the majority of Day 1, brought in over eighty big blinds which was over double the average.

The very first hand of the final table saw an elimination after the UK's Asa Smith shoved with pocket eights and was put at risk by the ace-king of Natural8 Ambassador Yu-Chung Chang. The Taiwanese player flopped an ace which was enough to send Smith out in ninth for a payday of KRW 15,090,000 (~$11,400).

Yu-Chung Chang

The second hand dealt saw another player hit the rail when Tsz Him Chan four-bet shoved ace-king and ran straight into the pocket kings of Nozomu. There would be no ace on board for the player from Hong Kong which ended his run in eighth and he took home KRW 19,860,000 (~$15,000) for his efforts.

The elimination trend continued on hand number three when Calvin Lee three-bet shoved pocket queens and was called by Chang who held ace-queen. Lee just needed to avoid the three aces in the deck but one of them appeared on the flop which meant he was eliminated in seventh for KRW 25,420,000 (~$19,200).

It didn't take long to thin the field down even further after Thanisorn Saelor called the three-bet shove of Yan Shing "Anson" Tsang and found himself in a dominating position. The Thai player held pocket queens and flopped a set to take down the pocket jacks of Tsang leaving the man they called Anson with a payday of KRW 32,310,000 (~$24,400) for his sixth-place finish.

Yan Shing "Anson" Tsang

Chips went flying back and forth between the remaining five players on numerous occasions with Chang at one point being just one card away from elimination but he managed to pair up on the river holding ace-queen to take down the five-six of Nozomu who had turned a pair of sixes.

Wing Po Liu then scored a double up with jack-four suited after flopping a flush draw and getting it in against eventual champion Petakovic who had flopped the nut straight holding ace-jack. A diamond on the turn would leave the Serbian drawing dead and double up Liu to bring him back into contention.

A pivotal hand then saw the ace-queen of Petakovic check-call the shove on the turn from Liu who held ace-king. The Serbian player had turned a queen but needed to fade the flush draw of his opponent and managed to do so on the river which improved him to trips and brought his stack to almost nine million.

Wing Po Liu

Liu would be out next when his pocket kings fell to the ace-seven of Nozomu after the Japanese player drilled an ace on the river. It meant the player from Hong Kong was out in fifth for a score of KRW 41,310,000 (~$31,200), which is his best in any APT event.

Nozomu then took over the chip lead when his pocket jacks were too good for the king-ten of Chang, who had three-bet shoved over the open from the Japanese player. The four-time APT title holder couldn't add a trophy this time but will surely be happy with the KRW 52,170,000 (~$39,400) he locked up for fourth.

Saelor then won a huge flip with pocket sixes against the ace-queen of Nozomu which brought his stack in line with the chip leader and left the Japanese player short-stacked with just ten big blinds. Nozomu never lost faith and doubled up shortly after with queen-six after rivering a flush against the ace-ten of Saelor.

Thanisorn Saelor

Petakovic took a commanding chip lead when his ten-five backdoored two pair and got paid off on the river by Saelor. It left the Serbian player with around seventy-five percent of the chips in play and the thoughts of winning his maiden APT title must have been running around his head.

Nozomu was then staring elimination in the face after his ace-deuce was all in against the ace-queen of Saelor. The board looked safe for the Thai player but a river deuce kept Nozomu alive and left Saelor with a little over two big blinds in his stack.

The remaining chips in Saelor's stack would soon be pushed in the direction of Petakovic after the Thai player got it in with ace-nine and was at risk with the queen-six of the Serbian looking to bring us to heads-up play. A queen-high did just that which left Saelor out in third for KRW 67,790,000 (~$51,190).

Shimizu Nozomu

Petakovic held around a three-to-two chip lead over his opponent when heads-up play began but that soon shifted when Nozomu called off a shove with king-four and looked in trouble against the pocket sevens of the Serbian player. When the dealer fanned a king-high flop, the rail of Nozomu erupted and he held on to snatch victory away from Petakovic and it was now the Japanese player that held a six-to-one chip advantage.

Two quick double ups followed for Petakovic to put him back in the chip lead. Firstly, his ace-seven dominated the king-seven of Nozomu and then his pocket eights easily beat the four-three of the Japanese player with the chips going all in preflop in both hands.

A decisive hand then played out which saw the ace-jack of Petakovic get all in on a flop that contained two hearts. The Serbian played had flopped a flush draw holding ace-jack and Nozomu had done the same but with eight-five which meant the Japanese player needed to find a pair to win the tournament. The board bricked out which gave Petakovic a gigantic chip lead and a firm grip on the trophy after Nozomu had just three big blinds remaining in his stack.

Shimizu Nozomu watches on with his eight-five of hearts

The very next hand Petakovic shoved all in with king-jack with Nozomu having no choice but to call it off with eight-three offsuit. Petakovic paired his jack on the turn to leave Nozomu drawing stone dead meaning the Japanese player had to settle for second place and the runner-up prize of KRW 103,540,000 (~$78,190).

It means Petakovic is our champion and takes home the pewter lion trophy and the juice first-place prize money.

Congratulations to Petakovic on his maiden APT title!

Milos Petakovic is our champion!

The Serbian player takes home KRW 145,650,000 (~$109,990) for his win after defeating Shimizu Nozomu heads up.

A full write-up of the day's action will follow shortly.

Shimizu Nozomu

Shimizu Nozomu has been eliminated in 2nd place for KRW 103,540,000 (~$78,190).

Milos Petakovic shoved all in from the button and Shimizu Nozomu called of his last few chips from the big blind.

Petakovic K♠ J♦

Nozomu 8♥ 3♠

Was this the moment for Serbia's Petakovic? His two overcards just needed to fade the unconnected holding of his Japanese opponent and he would be our champion.

A crowd had formed around the table, just like they had for the previous all-in situations, and the dealer fanned a flop of Q♣ 5♣ 5♦. So far, so good for Petakovic as his king-high remains well in the lead.

The turn J♣ ended the hand as Petakovic turned a pair to leave Nozomu drawing dead with the 5♥ river improving the Serbian player to a full house.

A great run from Nozomu who will have to settle for second but congratulations to Petakovic on his first APT title.

Milos Petakovic is within touching distance of the APT Super High Roller title.

On a flop of 2♥ K♦ 4♥, all the chips went flying into the middle between the two finalists and Shimizu Nozomu didn't like what he saw.

Nozomu 8♥ 5♥

Petakovic A♥ J♥

Both players had a flush draw but it was the Serbian player who was well in the lead and just needed to fade the six outs of his opponent.

The Q♣ added a gutshot for Petakovic but didn't change the fact that Nozomu needed to hit a five or an eight or he would be left with just three big blinds.

A 6♠ river locked up the pot for Petakovic and launched him to within touching distance of the title.

Another huge twist in this battle for the APT Super High Roller trophy.

Milos Petakovic had shoved the river on a board of 5♥ 2♣ 8♠ A♠ Q♥ which sent Shimizu Nozomu deep, deep into the tank. The shove was for around 3,300,000 and the pot had close to 5,000,000 with Nozomu eventually decided to make the call.

Petakovic tabled Q♠ 8♦ two pair and Nozomu showed he made the biggest of all hero calls with 2♥ 3♠.

Game on!

Milos Petakovic

Milos Petakovic survived another all-in situation after Shimizu Nozomu shoved from the button and the Serbian called from the big blind.

Petakovic 8♣ 8♥

Nozomu 4♥ 3♠

The Japanese player would be drawing dead by the turn as the runout of 7♥ J♥ K♣ 9♦ Q♥ doubled up Petakovic.

On a flop of 4♣ J♣ 6♣ we saw Shimizu Nozomu bet 350,000 and Milos Petakovic make a raise to 850,000. Nozomu did make the call and the two took a turn.

Both checked the A♠ turn and saw the 4♠ river which Petakovic bet 375,000 on. Nozomu thought for a moment before making the call.

Petakovic tabled 8♠ 5♣ for just eight high and Nozomu showed he made the call with just queen-high after tabling Q♦ 7♣.

What a call.

Milos Petakovic was all in the next hand after losing that big pot and was quickly called by Shimizu Nozomu.

Petakovic A♦ 7♠

Nozomu K♥ 7♣

The Japanese player was behind again but if the poker gods could repeat the action from the last hand and deliver a three-outer he would be our champion.

That scenario may have played out in Nozomu's head several times but it didn't happen in reality as the board of 8♦ 9♠ 9♦ Q♦ 9♣ meant Petakovic doubled up.

Shimizu Nozomu

Shimizu Nozomu opened to 500,000 and Milos Petakovic shoved all in. Nozomu went into the tank and after counting out his chips, around 9,000,000, he made the call.

Petakovic 7♠ 7♣

Nozomu K♣ 4♣

Petakovic had one hand on the trophy and just needed hold here to become the APT Super High Roller champion.

The dealer had other ideas for the Serbian as she fanned a flop of K♥ 2♦ 4♦ that gave Nozomu two pair and a big lead in the hand. Petakovic would need to find a seven to win the title but the T♥ turn and J♦ river didn't deliver what he needed.

This heads-up battle just swung heavily in the Japanese player's favor!

Miles Petakovic opened to 450,000 from the button and Shimizu Nozomu made the call.

On a flop of J♠ A♥ 5♦, Nozomu checked-called a bet of 300,000 from the Serbian player.

The turn brought a 4♥ and this time Nozomu check-folded to a larger bet of 1,350,000 from Petakovic.