APT Super High Roller - Final Day - KRW 500,000,000 GTD

Zhendong Li

China's Zhendong Li came out on top against some of the world's best players in the KRW 13,500,000 APT Super High Roller to land a career-best score of KRW 229,452,000 (~$166,600) and the flagship APT pewter lion trophy.

Li topped the 67-player field (53 unique) after getting the better of Jeffrey Lo in an entertaining heads-up battle that saw the player from Hong Kong bank KRW 187,730,000 (~$136,300) after the two flattened out the payouts. Amazingly, this is Li's first appearance at an APT series and his first-ever APT tournament — what a way to get started!

The prize pool of KRW 831,872,000 (~USD 603,900) set a new record as the richest-ever APT Super High Roller to take place in South Korea. The event also set a new APT country record for the largest winner's purse awarded for this event — even after a deal was made.

Li spoke with the APT Marketing Manager, Ray Chiu, after his victory.

"I feel great right now, very happy. I can't believe I won!" replied Li when Chiu asked how he was feeling.

Chiu asked Li if this was his first time at an APT event.

"Yes, it's my first time at an APT event and also the first-ever APT tournament that I've played."

Chiu also asked Li what his plan was for the rest of the series.

"I will have to play the full spread; Superstar Challenge, Main Event, and as many as I possibly can."

**Li's responses were translated into English with the aid of an interpreter.

Just nine players returned for Day 2 of the APT Super High Roller all having already locked up a min-cash of at least KRW 24,960,000 (~$18,120).

However, all nine finalists had ambitions to make a lot more than that. Malaysia's Anson Ewe brought the chip lead into the final table after bursting the money bubble and sending China's Song Xue to the rail in brutal fashion at the end of Day 1, which gave him a huge stack of 4,220,000 to do battle with.

Lo started the day as the short stack with just ten big blinds but defied the odds with a dazzling display of poker that left him as the eventual runner-up.

There was action from the get-go as in the third hand, during a blind-on-blind encounter, Xixiang Luo and Weiran "Kevin" Pu got all the chips in preflop with the former at risk. Pu's ace-queen came up short against the pocket kings of countrymate Luo, which meant they effectively switched positions on the leaderboard.

Weiran "Kevin" Pu

After just six hands, China's Yuzhu Wang was the first casualty of the final table in a limped pot between the two short-stacked players. After getting to the turn, Wang shoved all in with ace-seven on an ace-high board but needed a lot of help against the ace-ten of Lo. No help arrived for Wang which meant he was eliminated in ninth and picked up KRW 24,960,000 (~$18,120).

Lo then won a crucial flip with ace-queen against the pocket tens of Chongxian Yang to boost his stack over the one-million chip mark for the first time. Another double-up followed shortly after for Lo when he laid the perfect trap which Chih Wei Fan fell right into. After Lo just called Fan's preflop three-bet, the Taiwanese player shoved all in on the turn with queen-jack and was drawing dead against the pocket aces of Lo, who now had forty big blinds to play with.

Thanisorn Saelor then made a sixty-big-blind three-bet shove with ace-five suited and was put at risk by the pocket queens of Luo. The Thai player did pair his ace but Luo flopped a set which gave him the chip lead and left Saelor with crumbs. It was Luo who then delivered the knockout blow to the Thai player, his ace-king comfortably holding against the king-queen of the Saelor after an ace-high flop. Thailand's Saelor was looking to be the first person to win two of the new-era APT lion trophies, after he won the APT High Roller in Incheon last year, but will have to put those plans on hold - at least for now - as he exited in eighth for KRW 31,610,000 (~$22,950).

Thanisorn Saelor

Yang never recovered after losing that earlier flip and was forced all in from the big blind with eight-deuce after Li had opened with ace-king. Neither player improved on the runout which meant Yang exited in seventh for a payday of KRW 40,760,000 (~$29,590).

Pu followed his compatriot to the sidelines just four hands later after shoving king-deuce from the small blind and running into the king-queen of Lo in the big blind. A great run for the bracelet winner who locks up his first-ever APT cash by finishing sixth for 51,580,000 (~$37,440).

Fan's stack then took a huge hit at the hands of Lo after the Taiwanese player three-bet shoved around thirty-six big blinds effective with jack-nine. Lo made the call with ace-king and flopped Broadway to scoop the pot and take the chip lead, which left Fan as the short stack. The very next hand, Fan would hit the rail, shoving his remaining chips from the small blind with ace-nine and getting a call from Li's jack-deuce. It looked to be a routine double-up for Fan but a jack on the river ended his run in fifth for KRW 66,550,000 (~$48,300).

Chih Wei Fan

Luo would be the next to fall after he tangled with Li on hand sixty-five of the final table. Both players had rivered trip kings and Li had shoved holding king-queen which put Luo to the test for his entire stack. Despite seemingly wanting to give it up, Luo couldn't click the fold button and called off with king-deuce which left him out in fourth with a score of KRW 85,680,000 (~$62,200).

Ewe had laddered up the payouts while maintaining a solid table image but lost a flip with ace-queen against the pocket jacks of Li which ended the Malaysian player's run in third and saw him bank KRW 113,550,000 (~$82,430) for his efforts.

While the remaining two players were preparing for heads-up play, they decided to cut a deal which meant they were guaranteed KRW 187,730,000 (~$136,300) each and left KRW 41,722,000 (~$30,300) on the table to play for.

Jeffrey Lo

Li seemed to get the better of Lo in the early stages of heads-up with his speedy pace and occasional unorthodox style of play working to the Chinese player's advantage.

In the final hand of the night, Lo check-raised the flop with four-five, bet the turn, and shoved the river as a bluff after missing a gutshot draw. A split second later it was all over as Li snap-called with nine-ten after turning a pair of nines which ended Lo's run. A fantastic effort from the player from Hong Kong who will take home KRW 187,730,000 (~$136,300) for his troubles.

Congratulations to Li on an excellent performance in his first-ever APT tournament. What a way do it!

Zhengdong Li lifts the APT pewter lion trophy alongside Ray Chiu

Zhendong Li has won the APT Super High Roller for KRW 229,452,000 (~$166,600).

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

Jeffrey Lo

Jeffrey Lo has been eliminated in 2nd place for KRW 187,730,000 ($136,300).

Hand 97 Zhendong Li raised to 325,000 from the small blind and Jeffrey Lo made the call.

The flop fell 2♠ 6♥ 6♣ and Lo checked it over to Li, who fired a bet of 180,000. Lo thought about his options before putting in the check-raise to 500,000, and Li made the call.

A 9♦ landed on the turn and Lo led out for 575,000, which was quickly called by Li.

After the 2♣ hit the river, Lo took around thirty seconds before he shoved all in, and Li snap-called.

Lo tabled 4♠ 5♣ for just five-high and Li turned over the winning hand with T♥ 9♣ for a turned pair of nines.

Hand 91 Jeffrey Lo got a walk.

Hand 92 Lo raised to 325,000 and Zhendong Li made the call. On the 9♠ Q♦ 6♥ flop, both players checked to see the K♣ fall on the turn. Li check-called a bet of 275,000 from Lo and the river brought an A♠. Li checked, Lo bet 620,000, and Li folded.

Hand 93 Li raised to 325,000 and won the pot.

Hand 94 Lo raised to 325,000 and Li made the call. The flop of A♣ 4♠ T♥ and both players checked to the 6♣ turn. Li led for 450,000 and Lo made the call. A 7♣ completed the board and after Li checked, Lo bet 575,000. Li snap-called and mucked when Lo tabled A♦ 5♥ .

Hand 95 Zhendong Li raised to 325,000 and Jeffrey Lo called. On the 3♦ A♦ 8♥ flop, Lo check-folded to Li's bet of 170,000

Hand 96 Li got a walk.

Hand 87 Zhendong Li raised to 325,000 and Jeffrey Lo three-bet to 1,100,000. Li quickly folded.

Hand 88 Lo raised to 325,000 and Li made the call. On the T♠ 3♣ 5♦ flop, Li led out for 350,000 and won the pot.

Hand 89 Li raised to 325,000 and took down the pot.

Hand 90 Lo raised to 325,000 and Li made the call. When the flop came 9♦ 4♠ 6♣, Li led for 325,000 and Lo raised to 850,000. Li called. The turn brought a Q♣ and after Li checked, Lo bet 1,200,000. After thinking for a while, Li raised to 3,300,000. Lo made the call. A 2♠ hit the river and Li shoved all in for 4,000,000 which left Lo with the decision for the rest of his stack. Eventually, Lo laid it down.

Zhendong Li

Hand 82 Jeffrey Lo raised to 240,000 and Zhendong Li three-bet to 500,000. Lo made the call and the A♣ Q♠ 3♣ flop got Li to lead out fo 350,000. Lo called to see the 2♠ fall on the turn. Li fired another bet of 650,000 and Lo made the fold.

Hand 83 Lo got a walk.

Hand 84 Lo raised to 240,000 and Li made the call. The flop fell T♠ 3♦ 6♦ and after Li checked, Lo fired a bet of 230,000. Li called. A Q♦ hit the turn and both players checked to the 7♦ river. Both players checked and Li took it down with T♣ 8♦ for a rivered flush.

Hand 85 Lo got a walk.

Hand 86 Lo raised to 240,000 and Li called. The flop came 6♥ 9♦ 6♣ and Lo folded to Li's bet of 350,000 chips.

Hand 77 Zhendong Li raised to 240,000 and Jeffrey Lo called. The flop came 8♣ 9♣ 5♦ and Li bet 335,000. Lo then check-raised to 910,000 which Li quickly called. An A♣ hit the turn and Lo led out for 950,000, which got Li to fold.

Hand 78 Lo made it 240,000 and won the pot.

Hand 79 Li raised to 250,000 and won the pot.

Hand 80 Lo min-raised to 240,000 and Li made the call. They saw a flop of 4♥ A♣ A♥ and Li check-folded to Lo's bet of 160,000.

Hand 81 Lo got a walk.

Hand 73 Jeffrey Lo got a walk.

Hand 74 Zhengdong Li got a walk.

Hand 75 Li raised to 200,000 and Lo called. Li took it down with a bet on the 2♥ 4♦ 2♠ flop.

Hand 76 Lo raised to 200,000 and Li called. On the K♦ J♠ 6♣ flop, both players checked to the 4♣ turn. Both checked again to see the 2♥ river and Lo fired a small bet of 170,000 which won him the pot.

The two players have agreed a deal which has flattened out the payouts. The agreement is as follows.

Both players are guaranteed KRW 187,730,000 (~$136,300) and they are playing for KRW 41,722,000 (~$30,300) + the APT pewter lion trophy.

As a deal has been agreed, the blind levels will be cut from 40 minutes to 20 minutes.