APT High Roller - 8 Max - KRW 350,000,000 GTD - Final Day

The KRW 4,500,000 APT High Roller - 8 Max has been won by Thanisorn Saelor. The Thai defeated a field of 207 entries, the second biggest High Roller in APTs history, to take home KRW 171,939,500 (~$130,420). Saelor defeated Uzbekistan's Veleriy Pak after a heads-up battle that only lasted two hands. It is Saelor's first live tournament win in his career after finishing 3rd in the Superstar Challenge for KRW 201,800,000 ($152,420) and 3rd in the Super High Roller KRW 67,790,000 ($51,194) earlier this week. His first APT lion win was celebrated loudly together with his Thai rail.

Final Table Payouts

Day 2 of the tournament saw 40 players return while only 31 lucky souls would make it into the money, where a minimum of KRW 7,160,000 (~$5,430) would await them. This meant nine more players would be eliminated without receiving any prize money. Unfortunate players who would miss out on the money were Masaki Nakamura (39th), Daniel Lee (37th), and Darko Svesko (34). Our bubble boy was Serbia's Bojan Berberovic who ran his pocket eights into the pocket jacks of Singapore's Sechariah Quek.

Once we made it into the money, the eliminations kept coming. Players that would make the money but not the final table were APT Incheon Kickoff champion Hong Ru Zhang (30th), Brazil's Largo Sebastian (27th), APT Incheon Mystery Bounty champion Dicky Siu Hang "Tricky Dicky" Tsang (23rd), Team GGPoker Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier (17th), and Superstar Challenge champion Jun Hao Wu (14th).

Team GGPoker Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier

Thailand's Thanisorn Saelor was the overwhelming chip leader coming into our final table with 5,005,000 chips. In hand five, we lost Japan's Hiroshi Nishiyama in 9th place, winning KRW 17,570,000 (~$13,330). Nishiyama tried to bluff chip leader Saelor with ace-high, but the Thai was holding top pair top kicker and knew all the way he was in front.

In 8th place, we would lose Malaysia's Kokwai Sim. The man they call the "The Deuces Magnet" started the final table as one of the short stacks. His last 12 big blinds went into the middle with king-queen of diamonds, but he was called by Milos Skrbic's ace-king. For his 8th place finish, Kokwai Sim received KRW 21,220,000 (~$16,100).

Wing Po Liu had a very swingy Day 2 inside the Paradise City Casino. The Hong Kong high roller had run his stack up multiple times before he was busted out in 7th place. His bust out was ugly as he got it in good with pocket queens against the king-queen of Wataru Kosugi. The Japanese hit a king on the flop to send Liu towards the rail. Liu's deep run was rewarded with KRW 29,030,000 (~$22,020).

Wing Po Liu

The invincible feeling for Wataru Kosugi would not last long as, in the next hand, he jammed his pocket sevens into the middle after Veleriy Pak opened the action. The Uzbeki, who covered Kosugi, snap-called with king-queen and hit top two pairs on the flop. No help for Kosugi, who busted in 6th place, taking home KRW 39,770,000 (~$30,165).

Serbia's Milos Skrbic was one of the most active players all day. Skrbic, a former WSOP Main Event final tablist, started Day 2 in the chip lead and grinded his way to the final table without a problem. In the end, Skrbic completed the trilogy, three eliminations in three hands, when he tried to go for thin value by moving all-in with king-queen on the river. Pak, however, rivered two pairs and wasn't going anywhere. Skrbic won KRW 52,370,000 (~$39,725) for his 5th place finish.

Veleriy Pak was moving into pole position for taking down this event but saw his APT lion trophy dreams come in trouble when he lost almost all his chips against Thanisorn Saelor. The Uzbeki 4-bet jammed all in with ace-queen but received a snap call from Saelor that tabled pocket queens. Pak down to 1,5 big blinds, survived a few miraculous all-ins, making him move back into second place at the final four.

Hong Kong high stakes regular Jeffrey Lo came into the final table as one of the short stacks. Lo made several money jumps before being tested by Natural8 Team Hot member Hua-Wei "Wei Wei" Lin, who jammed all-in with king-jack from the small blind against Lo's big blind. Lo made the call with pocket tens. The flop gave Lo a set while Lin was drawing to only a gutshot. The Taiwanese hit her gutshot on the turn to send Lo out of the door in 4th place for KRW 66,190,000 (~$50,210).

At the last three players, Thanisorn Saelor had 80% of all the chips in play. When Saelor again raised preflop Hua Wei Lin decided to defend her big blind. Lin flopped top two pairs but decided to slowplay it. On the river, she jammed all in but saw, to her disappointment Saelor rivered the nut flush. The Taiwanese Natural8 Team Hot member was playing her very first high roller event, and this was her biggest tournament cash in her poker career. Hua Wei Lin earned KRW 81,650,000 (~$61,935) for her 3rd place finish.

Hua Wei "Wei Wei" Lin

The heads-up battle between Thanisorn Saelor and Veleriy Pak only lasted two hands. Saelor went into the battle with a 3 to 1 chip lead. In the second hand, he decided to limp the button and saw Pak jam all in. This was exactly what Saelor hoped for as he snapped off the Uzbeki with ace-queen. Pak showed king-nine, but after an ace on the flop and a brick on the turn the victory for Saelor was secured. Saelor won over $330,000 during this APT Incheon! What a run!

The APT will be back later this year for one more time. This time the APT sets up camp in Hanoi from 1 to 10 December for the APT Hanoi Billions 2023. The ~$1507 Main Event offers a guaranteed prize pool of $1,000,000! An event you can't miss.

This live reporting blog is brought to you by Life of Poker.

Thanisorn Saelor

Thanisorn Saelor has won the APT High Roller for 171,939,500 (~$130,420)!

A full tournament write-up will follow shortly.

Veleriy Pak and Thanisorn Saelor

Here are the two finalists and also a look at the payouts on offer.

Hand 90 Veleriy Pak made it 500,000 and Thanisorn Saelor called from the big blind. On the T♦ 8♠ 6♣ flop, Saelor checked and Pak checked back. The turn was a 3♠ and Saelor fired 750,000 and won the pot.

Veleriy Pak

Veleriy Pak has been eliminated in 2nd place for KRW 115,800,000 (~$87,840).

Hand 91 Thanisorn Saelor limped in from the button and Veleriy Pak shoved all in. Saelor instantly called to put Pak at risk and give himself a chance at winning the APT High Roller.

Pak K♠ 9♣

Saelor A♣ Q♥

A trap that Saelor had been waiting for Pak to fall in for the entire final table and now the Thai player has his man exactly where he wants him.

There were still five cards to come but it looked all over when the dealer fanned a flop of 2♦ A♠ 3♥.

Pak would need running cards to survive and the 4♦ turn did provide some chop opportunities as now any five would give them both a straight on board.

But this would be Saelor's day as the K♥ river secured the pot for the Thai player and he won the APT High Roller.

Pak has to settle for second but what a great performance and a terrific series for the player from Uzbekistan.

Here are the chip counts when heads-up play begins.

There will be a short break while the two finalists prepare for heads-up play.

Hua-Wei Lin

Hua-Wei Lin has been eliminated in 3rd place for KRW 81,650,000 (~$61,935).

Hand 89 Thanisorn Saelor opened to 400,000 and Hua-Wei Lin defended her big blind.

On the 2♦ 5♥ 7♠ flop both players checked to see a J♥ fall on the turn. Lin fired for 500,000 and Saelor made a quick call.

The Q♥ landed on the river and Lin shoved all in and she was snapped off by Saelor.

Lin 7♣ 5♣

Saelor A♥ 4♥

Saelor had rivered the nuts after Lin flopped two pair which left her out in 3rd.

Hand 88 Thanisorn Saelor limped from the small blind and Veleriy Pak checked his big blind. The flop came down 7♣ 9♠ K♠ and Saelor check-called a bet of 250,000 from Pak. A turn J♠ saw Saelor check-call another bet of 425,000. The river fell a 3♠ and they both checked. Pak won with 7♦ 3♥.

Latest chip counts.