APT Main Event - VND 10,000,000,000 GTD Day 3

Top row - left to right. Albert Gorelik, Phachara Wongwichit, Dong Chen, Satoshi Kuriga

Bottom row - left to right. Peter Kiem, Julien Tran, Jacque Patrick Ramsden, John Perry, Hayato Kitajima

That's it, Day 3 is in the books and we have our unofficial final table of nine players. There were 48 players that started the day with the initial plan to play down to a final eight but the tournament directors made an adjustment and decided to have a nine-player final table. The eventual champion of the tournament will take home a huge ₫2,847,540,000 ($119,600) with pay jumps for each place.

Albert Gorelik takes a commanding chip lead into the final table with 5,075,000 chips. Gorelik built a big stack when his pocket aces crushed the ace-king of David Erquiaga to send his stack to 1,200,000. Gorelik then eliminated both Seok Hyeon Park and Matthieu Lamangere to take around 25% of the total chips in play to the final table.

Japan's Satoshi Kuriga places in second with an impressive stack of 3,480,000. Kuriga eliminated Adalsteinn Petur Karlsson with pocket kings against the Icelandic player's ace-king to give him a stack of over 2,000,000 chips with twelve players remaining and kept the pressure on towards the final table bubble. Kuriga has a lot of final table experience that includes three APT titles and he is in a good position to bring home a fourth here.

Jacque Patrick Ramsden bought through a stack worth 3,045,000 which will surely put him in contention for the trophy. Ramsden had pocket aces twice in well-timed situations, the first of which resulted in him eliminating two opponents in the same hand. He would later knockout Nguyen Tuan Anh when Anh's ace-king was no match for the aces of Ramsden.

John Perry bagged up 2,310,000 to bring to the final table. On his way the Australian eliminated Monika Zucowicz when he out-flopped the Polish player. Perry won a High Roller event recently and is full of confidence in his game so will be a dangerous opponent for the other finalists.

Hayato Kitajiima

Hayato Kitajiima follows Perry with 2,200,000 in chips. Kitajima doubled through overnight chip leader Julien Tran when his pocket queens defeated the king-queen suited of the local. Kitajimia would also burst the final table bubble when his pocket jacks beat the ace-five of Deepak Bothra, who finished in tenth.

Phachara Wongwichit, despite being one outed by Bothra, brings 1,590,000 chips to the final table in an impressive display of resilience and composure. Wongwichit had Bothra drawing to one out with ace-king suited, flopping a pair, and turning a flush draw yet the Indian player managed to find the one out he needed to survive. Wongwichit also survived being all in on the final table bubble when his ace-king held against Bothra's ace-three.

Julien Tran has a stack of 1,240,000 which is still good for 21 big blinds. Tran was the overnight chip leader and kept his momentum going to secure a place on the final table. Tran won a huge pot against Wongwichit with pocket kings to push his stack upwards of 2,700,000 chips but lost a few hands late on in the day.

Another American player, Peter Kiem has a stack of 785,000 to play with at the final table. Kiem has a wealth of experience and although short, he will maintain his focus in order to try and build a stack.

Last but certainly not least is China's Dong Chen. Chen brings through just 555,000, the equivalent of nine big blinds. Chen doubled up against South Korea's Park when his queen-ten found a pair on the flop to defeat Park's pocket fives.

The full stacks and seat draw for the final table can be found below.

Tomorrow's final table has the potential to be a belter. We have nine players all fighting for the APT Main Event title but only one can win. Who will it be? Tune in tomorrow to find out who will take him the trophy and the top prize. As always you can follow live updates here or tune into the stream by clicking the links below.

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Deepak Bothra has been eliminated in 10th place from the APT Main Event for ₫213,930,000 ($9,200).

Bothra shoved his last 700,000 into the middle from the button with A♥ 5♠ and was called by Hayato Kitajima who had J♥ J♣.

Kitajima covered Bothra and now it was the Indian player's turn to sweat an all-in on the bubble.

Once everybody was in place the dealer was given the nod to put out a flop.

5♦ 4♦ 2♥. A pair for Bothra but he was still behind the pocket jacks of Kitajima. Bothra did pick up a gutshot straight draw so now any ace, five or three would win the pot for the Indian player.

A turn 2♦ bought a flush draw on board but neither player held a diamond in their hand. Bothra was down to his last chance otherwise he would be the final table bubble boy.

The much anticipated river card.

. . . 7♥.

Bothra could not improve and Kitajima secures the knockout with his pocket jacks holding against the ace-five offsuit of Bothra.

A great run for Bothra who played excellent poker throughout but fell just short of the final table here.

The other 9 players embrace their friends as play stops for the finalists to get some rest and come back tomorrow to play the final table.

Phachara Wongwichit

Phachara Wongwichit was all-in and at risk with A♦ K♣ against the A♥ 3♣ of Deepak Bothra.

Wongwichit had shoved pre-flop for around 750,000 chips and was called by big blind Bothra who covered the Thai player.

Could this be it? If Bothra could find a way to win the hand we would have our unofficial final table of nine players. Wongwichit was a big favorite to win the hand but he must have felt nervous as the dealer put out a flop.

A♠ Q♠ 7♦.

Safe for Wongwichit so far. Bothra still needed a three to win the hand and KO the player from Thailand.

The turn 7♠ meant Wongwichit could not lose the hand as Bothra was now looking for an ace or seven to chop the pot.

A river 9♠ completed the board and Wongwichit doubled up, thus making Bothra the short stack.

We play on...

Albert Gorelik

Matthieu Lamagnere has been eliminated in 11th place from the APT Main Event for ₫213,930,000 ($9,200).

Lamagnere shoved his last 620,000 into the middle and Albert Gorelik snap-called again. The always cheerful Gorelik had even more reasons to be happy when he saw his opponent's hand.

Lamagnere had shoved with K♣ 4♥ but Gorelik had him dominated with A♣ 4♠. The Frenchman would need a king to double up and stay alive in the Main Event while Gorelik was on the prowl for another elimination.

The dealer fanned a flop of J♦ 3♠ 2♠ giving Gorelik a wheel draw to go along with a back door flush draw.

A turn 3♣ was of no use to Lamagnere who had one more chance to hit a king otherwise his Main Event was over.

That king would never arrive as a 9♥ completed the board and the French player Eiffel out of the tournament. Gorelik showed no merci in that hand.

I know earlier I mentioned that we would play down to a final eight but the plan has changed slightly and we will now be playing to a final nine.

Currently, there are eleven players remaining and after the next elimination we will be hand-for-hand until we reach the final table.

Seok Hyeon Park

Seok Hyeon Park has been eliminated in 12th place from the APT Main Event for ₫182,950,000 ($7,860).

On a flop of 4♦ 4♠ 7♠ Albert Gorelik had bet 225,000 into Seok Hyeon Park who went all in. Gorelik snap-called and revealed the A♠ J♠ for two overcards and the nut flush draw. Park was in front but not by much as he showed 3♣ 3♠ and needed to fade a lot of outs to remain in the APT Main Event.

The turn card gave Gorelik a huge advantage when the A♥ dropped meaning Park needed one of the last two remaining threes to survive.

A Q♥ completed the board sending Park home and making Gorelik the chip leader with 4,600,000 chips!

Dong Chen

Albert Gorelik limped the button and Seok Hyeon Park also completed the small blind only for China's Dong Chen to shove 610,000 from the big blind. Gorelik folded but Park called and players flipped their cards.

Park 5♠ 5♥

Chen Q♥ T♥

Another coin flip situation that are all too common deep in tournaments. Chen was at risk and needed to improve to win the hand.

The flop helped him as it came 3♥ K♦ T♦ giving him a pair of tens and putting the man from China into the lead.

A turn 4♦ didn't help Park who needed a five to eliminate Chen. The river 4♠ secured the pot for Chen who doubled up to over 1,300,000.

Matthieu Lamagnere opened to 100,000 and was called by Albert Gorelik and both players saw a flop of Q♣ T♦ 2♦.

Lamagnere and Gorelik checked their option and we went to a turn card.

The T♣ paired the board and both players checked once again to see a river.

When Lamagnere checked for the third time on the 5♥ river, Gorelik bet 100,000 and Lamagnere quickly folded.

As play continues, let's take a moment to look at the runner-up trophy.

Whoever finishes second will take home this beauty and a prize worth ₫1,794,050,000 ($75,350) for their efforts.

Julien Tran

Julien Tran opened to 80,000 playing a stack of close to 1,300,000 and Phachara Wongwichit 3-bet to 240,000. The action folded back around to Tran who used a time extension chip before shoving all in. Wongwichit made the call and players flipped their cards.

Wongwichit A♣ K♦ Tran K♥ K♣

The pot worth 2,700,000 chips and one of the biggest the tournament had seen so far.

Tran was at risk but in front of Wongwichit's ace-king with the Thai player needing to hit an ace.

:4d; 4♥ 3♥ was the flop which didn't give Wongwichit any help.

The turn 8♥ removed one of his outs as it gave Tran a flush draw and the river Q♠ locked up the pot of Tran.

Tran started the day as chip leader and seems to have just regained that position by winning that huge pot.