Mystery Bounty Hunter - TWD 3,000,000 GTD - Sponsored by Natural8 - Final Day

The TWD 14,400 + 1,600 Mystery Bounty Hunter - Sponsored by Natural8 has been won by Kiwanont Sukhum of Thailand. Sukhum outlasted a record-breaking field of 670 to take home a career-best score of TWD 1,173,100 ($38,100) and an all-new APT trophy to add to his collection. Sukhum defeated France's Anthony Cierco in an entertaining heads-up duel that saw them both all-in on numerous occasions. Eventually, Sukhum would emerge victorious and add a second APT title to his name after winning a No Limit Hold'em event in Danang for $7,730.

The 95 survivors of the two opening flights returned for the second day of play and they all had one thing on their mind - hunting bounties. The biggest bounty of them all had been won by Yi-Sheng Wang who bagged TWD 1,000,000 to go along with his 34th-place finish.

It took ten 30-minute levels to whittle the Day 1 survivors down to the final table of nine and when we got there the first to fall would be South Korea's Jaemoon Seok. Seok's ace-jack could not overcome the ace-king of eventual champion Sukhum when both players had flopped top pair. Seok would bag TWD 96,400 ($3,130) for his ninth-place finish.

Japan's Toshio Kataoka was the next player to hit the rail when he shoved with ace-six and was called by the king-seven of Thailand's Pitipong Posri. Despite being ahead pre-flop, Kataoka's opponent flopped a pair which was enough to win the pot and eliminate the Japanese player in eighth for a payday of TWD 121,700 ($3,950).to

Bao Qiang Ho

Posri would then fall at the hands of Bao Qiang Ho when he shoved from the small blind with king-deuce but ran into the king-jack of Ho in the big blind. Ho flopped trip jacks meaning Posri was drawing dead and he headed to the cashier to collect his prize of TWD 178,100 ($5,785).

When played was six-handed we saw Cierco slowly pulling away from the field in the chip counts after a hand in which he had bet two million chips on the river into Yu-Tang Hu with a straight holding ace-deuce. Hu had a set of fives and couldn't make the laydown which sent Cierco to the top of the leaderboard.

Not long after that, Cierco would score a knockout by eliminating Ka Chun Fu when the Frenchman's pocket sevens won a flip against the king-nine of Fu, rivering a full house. Fu would take home a career-best score of TWD 244,500 ($7,940) for his sixth-place finish.

Hu was the next player to hit the rail when his king-ten fell short of the ace-nine of Cierco, with the latter flopping a pair of aces which was enough to earn the knockout. Hu's payday of TWD 313,900 ($10,200) in this event is equivalent to his entire live-career earnings - a fantastic result for the local player.

Anthony Cierco

Chien-Te Lee had been extremely quiet during the final table and manage to ladder his way up to fourth place before finally busting when his ace-three couldn't beat the pocket tens of Sukhum. Lee also scored a career-best cash by pocketing TWD 396,200 ($12,870) for his run.

Cierco and Ho would clash multiple times when play was three-handed with Ho coming out on top more often than not. Ho rivered a straight with king-queen to take down Cierco's pocket queens, then rivered another straight with the same hand to undo the ace-ten of the Frenchman. Cierco won a flip with pocket sevens against the ace-queen of Ho, only for the Singaporean to immediately hit back with queen-jack to defeat his pocket tens. After an insane back-and-forth between the two, Ho pushed all-in with ace-jack and couldn't beat the ace-king of Cierco and he was out in third for a payday of TWD 517,200 ($16,800), adding another APT final table appearance to his already impressive resume.

When heads-up play began, Cierco had a commanding chip lead with his seventeen million chips towering over the three million of Sukhum's. Cierco was one card from victory with ace-queen against the Thai player's ace-ten but Sukhum found a miracle ten on the river to stay alive and ignite the comeback. Cierco had another shot to take the title when his king-eight put the ace-queen of Sukhum at risk but failed to make it count. In the final hand of the tournament, Cierco shoved five big blinds with jack-ten and was called by Sukhum's seven-eight. Both players flopped monsters with Cierco having top two pair but Sukhum took the victory with a straight. Sukhum takes home TWD 1,173,100 ($38.100) for his win and a second APT title.

This live reporting blog was presented to you by lifeofpoker.com.

Anthony Cierco

Anthony Cierco has been eliminated in 2nd place for TWD 723,600 ($23,500).

Cierco shoved his last 2,500,000 into the middle and Kiwanont Sukhum made the call.

Cierco J♠ T♥ Sukhum 7♣ 8♣

Cierco was ahead but not by much with both player's hands being very connected.

A flop of 9♣ T♦ J♠ was about as dramatic as it could get with Cierco flopping top two pair but was behind to Sukhum's flopped straight. Cierco would need to boat up in order to win the pot and stay in contention in this rollercoaster of a heads-up match.

The turn bought a 3♦ which changed nothing leaving Sukhum one card away from his second APT title.

When the K♦ hit the river. Cierco accepted defeat gracefully as the two finalists shared a fist bump before Sukhum celebrated with his entourage.

Anthony Cierco is down to his last 2,500,000 chips.

Sukham can smell blood.

Kiwanont Sukhum

Kiwanont Sukhum opened to 900,000 and Anthony Cierco made the call.

Both players checked on the 6♣ T♥ 8♦ flop.

On the 9♥ turn Sukhum fired for 700,000 and Cierco called.

The river Q♦ drew a large bet of 4,000,000 from Sukhum. Cierco let out a huge puff of air as he reluctantly made the call.

Sukhum tabled K♥ J♦ for the nuts and scooped a big pot to get back to 16,000,000 chips.

Kiwanont Sukhum shoved on Anthony Cierco, who made the call.

Sukhum K♦ T♣ Cierco A♠ J♥

Sukhum had a chance to win the title here but had to come from behind if he wanted to do so.

Both players flopped a pair on the 8♦ T♠ J♣ flop but Cierco maintained his lead.

The 8♥ turn and 7♥ river secured the pot for the Frenchman who boosted his stack back up to around 9,000,000.

Anthony Cierco shoves pre-flop and wins the blinds and ante.

Each pot has 1,000,000 chips in it before cards are dealt with only around 20,000,000 in play.

Anthony Cierco opened to 800,000 and was 3-bet by Kiwanont Sukhum to 2,700,000.

Cierco made the fold and Sukhum took the pot.

The Thai player has around 12,000,000 in front of him now.

We play on...

Play has been paused momentarily while a potential deal is being discussed.