APT High Roller - 8 Max - Final Day - VND 5,000,000,000 GTD

Nguyen Hoang Long

The VND 80,000,000 APT High Roller - 8 Max has been won by Nguyen Hoang Long of Vietnam after he was the sole survivor of the 161-strong field (91 unique) that saw him take home VND 2,614,280,000 (~$110,360) for his win. Long defeated his countrymate Ngo Khoa Anh in a heads-up match that last twenty-five hands with Anh walking away with VND 1,770,970,000 (~$74,760) for his runner-up spot.

This was Long's second APT title of the series after he took down the Zodiac Classic for VND 337,200,000 (~$14,200) earlier in the week. Winning the bronze APT lion trophy and claiming the biggest share of the VND 11,244,240,000 (~$474,680) prize pool rounds off a perfect week of poker for the Vietnamese player.

Day 2 of the tournament started with twenty-five hopefuls coming back with the first objective being to make it passed the bubble. Only twenty-three places were being paid and the two unfortunate players not to make it were Nguyen Van Phuong (25th) and Ruizi Lin (24th). Some elite players were still in contention but the likes of Julian Warhurst (20th), Yu-Chung Chang (18th), Ashish Munot (16th), Julien Tran (12th) and Gakuto Oshiro (10th) would fall short of making the final table.

When the final table got underway, it was the eventual champion Long who held the chip lead with Terry Nguyen and Xiaosheng Zheng coming in as the short stacks. It was one of the short stacks, Nguyen, who busted first when his pocket queens couldn't hold against the king-five of Tran Trung Hieu after the dealer fanned a king-high flop. Nguyen took home VND 260,870,000 (~$11,010) for ninth place.

Nguyen Trung Quan was left crippled after his ace-queen came up short against the pocket jacks of Malaysia's Shung Er Sua. The very next hand Quan would hit the rail when his ace-nine was no match for the pocket aces of Anh which left the APT Phu Quoc Super High Roller champion out in eighth for VND 327,210,000 (~$13,810).

Yohei Kitazato

Yohei Kitazato looked to be enjoying himself on the final table but was soon felted after running pocket queens into the pocket kings of Anh. The Vietnamese player would end the hand with a full house after flopping a king which sent Kitazato to the sidelines in seventh for VND 445,270,000 (~$18,800).

Despite coming into the final table with the shortest stack, Zheng had managed to ladder up the payouts but on hand number forty-five his big-slick would fall to the pocket nines of Long. The hunt for Zheng's third APT title is still ongoing but the VND 601,570,000 (~$25,400) payday for sixth will help make the journey home a little more enjoyable.

Sua, who won the APT Super High Roller at the last Summer Series in Hanoi, would become the next eliminated after he three-bet shoved king-jack and ran straight into the pocket queens of Matthew Bevin. The board would bring no help to Sua which meant the search for the first double APT lion trophy winner continued as the Malaysian took fifth for VND 775,850,000 (~$32,750).

Shung Er Sua

Hieu had been incredibly quiet throughout the entire final table but had allowed his stack to dwindle away and he finally called off from the big blind after Anh had shoved from the small blind. Unfortunately for Hieu, Anh held pocket queens and his ten-three offered little threat to the overpair. Despite turning an open-ended straight draw, Hieu didn't manage to find any of his outs which meant he was eliminated in fourth for VND 967,000,000 (~$40,820).

When three-handed play began, it was Anh who held the chip lead with over half of the chips in play as Bevin became the table short stack with just ten big blinds. The Australian couldn't get anything going and three-bet shoved all in holding king-nine with Long making the call with ace-five. Bevin flopped a pair and turned two pair, but that same turn card gave Long a flush which was enough to send Bevin out in third for a career-best score of VND 1,180,650,000 (~$49,840).

Anh took a three-to-two chip lead into heads-up play and soon had a chance to win the title after he shoved with pocket tens and Long called holding queen-jack. A jack on the flop would double Long up and send him into the chip lead but just seven hands later he would hand back that advantage. In an unraised pot, the two got their stacks in after Anh flopped bottom two pair holding four-deuce and Long had top pair holding jack-eight. Anh would manage to hold and take over a four-to-one chip lead and put himself in a prime position for the trophy.

Ngo Khoa Anh

In the span of just three hands, the duel would turn on its head and be all over in quite extraordinary circumstances. Long would find himself a double up holding ten-nine after flopping middle pair against the eight-nine of Anh with the kicker of Long playing crucial to winning the pot. The very next hand a similar situation would arise after all the chips went in on a nine-high flop with Anh holding queen-nine and Long king-nine. Again, Long's kicker would play and suddenly it was his turn to hold the four-to-one chip lead.

As Long was still stacking his chips, he called off a shove from Anh with queen-jack and had a chance to win the title if he could beat the king-three of his countrymate. A flopped pair of jacks turned into a full house by the river for Long which meant he won the pot and eliminated Anh in second place for VND 1,770,970,000 (~$74,760).

Long was left with all of the chips and the title of APT High Roller - 8 Max champion and takes the bronze lion trophy home with him along with the VND 2,614,280,000 (~$110,360) winner's purse.

Congratulations to Long!

Ngo Khoa Anh

Ngo Khoa Anh has been eliminated in 2nd place for VND 1,770,970,000 (~$74,760).

Hand 94 Nguyen Hoang Long raised to 500,000 and Ngo Khoa Anh shoved all in. Long called it off and was looking to win the title right here.

Anh K♦ 3♥

Long Q♠ J♣

Anh just in the lead but he wouldn't feel comfortable, especially on the T♥ J♠ 9♦ flop. Long had flopped top pair and an open-ended straight draw with Anh now needed a queen to make a straight and stay alive.

The turn brought a T♦ which didn't change anything and brought Long one step closer to the title.

Long boated up on the J♦ river which meant he had won the pot and eliminated Anh in second place.

Nguyen Hoang Long

Hand 92 Ngo Khoa Anh limped from the button and Nguyen Hoang Long made it 500,000. Anh called to see a flop of A♥ 9♠ 2♣ and Long shoved all in. Anh did make the call to put Long at risk.

Anh 8♦ 9♦

Long T♦ 9♣

Long had his opponent pipped and was looking to double up to get back in the match.

The turn Q♣ and river 6♦ did just that and Long doubled up.

Hand 93 Nguyen Hoang Long raised to 500,000 and Ngo Khoa Anh made the call. The flop came down 2♥ 5♣ 9♦ with Anh checking it over to Long, who fired 700,000. Anh then shoved all in and Long snap called.

Anh Q♦ 9♠

Long K♣ 9♣

What a spot for Long! Now he finds himself on the brink of the chip lead if he can just hold on here.

The turn was a 4♣ and the river K♥ improved Long to two pair and sent him into the chip lead.

Hand 94 Nguyen Hoang Long got a walk,

Hand 86 Ngo Khoa Anh gives a walk to Nguyen Hoang Long.

Hand 87 Nguyen Hoang Long shoved and took the pot.

Hand 88 Nguyen Hoang Long got a walk.

Hand 89 Ngo Khoa Anh shoved all in and won the blinds.

Hand 90 Ngo Khoa Anh limped and Nguyen Hoang Long checked his big blind. It checked to the turn on the 5♦ Q♠ T♠ 3♣ board and Anh won it with a bet.

Hand 91 Nguyen Hoang Long made it 450,000 and Ngo Khoa Anh shoved all in. Long folded and Anh took the pot.

Hand 82 Ngo Khoa And limped in preflop and Nguyen Hoang Long raised and took down the pot.

Hand 83 Nguyen Hoang Long limped from the small blind and Ngo Khoa Anh raised to 600,000 and won the pot.

Hand 84 Ngo Khoa Anh limped from the small blind and Nguyen Hoang Long checked the big blind. A flop of T♥ J♣ 9♠ saw Long check-fold to a 250,000 bet from Anh.

Hand 85 Nguyen Hoang Long limped in preflop and Ngo Khoa Anh checked the big blind. On the 4♦ 2♣ J♦ flop, Anh checked and Long fired 325,000. Anh then made it 650,000 and Long quickly 3-bet to 2,000,000. Anh then shoved all in and Long called.

Anh 4♣ 2♥

Long J♥ 8♦

Anh flops bottom two against the top pair of Long and if he could find a jack or an eight he would be our champion!

The turn 2♦ gave Anh a full house with the 5♣ completing the board.

Nguyen Hoang Long

Hand 78 Ngo Khoa Anh limped the button and Nguyen Hoang Long made it 400,000. Anh then 3-bet all in and Long called off.

Anh T♦ T♣

Long Q♦ J♦

Anh was flipping for the title but the window card was a jack with a flop of J♠ A♣ A♦. The turn A♥ and river 6♠ didn't help Anh and Long become the chip leader.

Hand 79 Nguyen Hoang Long limped the button and Ngo Khoa Anh checked the big blind. A flop of 3♠ 4♠ 9♦ went check-check and the turn brought a 5♦. Anh check-called a bet of 225,000 from Long with both players seeing the 4♣ river. Anh check-called another bet from Long, this time for 375,000 and won the hand with Q♣ 3♦

Hand 80 Nguyen Hoang Long got a walk.

Hand 81 Nguyen Hoang Long limped from the small blind and Ngo Khoa Anh checked his big blind. Anh led for 200,000 on the 4♣ 2♣ T♣ flop and Long called. The turn brought a J♣ and Anh check-folded to a bet from Long.

Hand 74 On a K♥ T♥ 9♦ flop, Ngo Khoa Anh fired a bet of 160,000 with Nguyen Hoang Long making the call. The turn paired the board with a 9♣ with both players checking. Long bet 250,000 on the A♣ river and won the pot.

Hand 75 Nguyen Hoang Lee limped the button and Ngo Khoa Anh raised to 400,000 and won the pot.

Hand 76 Ngo Khoa Anh limped the button and Nguyen Hoang Long raised to 420,000. Anh then made a 3-bet to 1,400,000 and Long folded.

Hand 77 Nguyen Hoang Long raised to 400,000 and Ngo Khoa Anh made the call. The flop of T♦ T♣ 7♦ saw Anh check-call a bet of 200,000. On the Q♦ turn, Anh checked and Long fired another bet of 550,000 with Anh coming in with a raise to 1,500,000. Long quickly folded.

We are now heads up in the APT High Roller - 8 Max. There will be a short break while the two prepare for the battle.

Here are the chip counts.