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

After two long days of poker the APT Super High Roller - Sponsored by Natural8 has come to an end. Sam Lam from the United Kingdom was crowned victorious after beating Japan's Jun Obara after a short heads-up battle.

The Brit won TWD $3,997,400 (~$129,900) after Obara rejected his offer to make a deal heads-up. This final table was really the story of the underdog as Lam only started playing poker four months ago.

Lam beat a field of 117 entries, a Super High Roller record for the APT. At the beginning of Day 2 Lam started as second in chips behind Wing Po Liu. Six more players had to bust before the players made the money. The money was made very fast as the bubble only took one hand to burst.

On the way to the final table we lost Ian Modder (16th, TWD 249,500 -~$8,100), Ren Hsien Koh (13th, TWD $286,000 - $9,300), and Jimmy Pan (12th TWD $325,700 - $10,580).

The Final Table Line-up

It didn't took long before we lost our first two players in En Ning Chen (9th, TWD $397,200 - ~$12,900) and Vincent Rubianes (8th, TWD $532,300 - ~$17,300).

It was Adam Kharman that was made his mark on this final table winning pot after pot at the final seven. Kharman took the chip lead and looked to be in the drivers seat to take down this tournament. Sam Lam however, also enjoyed the rub of the green, illustrating that fact by taking out Boonnak Jitrada in 7th place (TWD $707,000 - ~$22,970) with 4♥ 4♦ against Jitrada's A♣ K♠.

Natalie Teh was the last woman still in the field, but was eliminated in 6th place when she ran her 6♠ 6♦ into Kharman's 9♠ 9♣. Teh cashed for TWD $924,700 (~$30,050), while Kharman's confidence kept building.

The Aussies confidence however got a huge blow when he ran into Jun Obara's 9♠ 9♦. Kharman was holding A♠ 7♥, but no ace would save the Aussie from losing a chunk of chips.

Not much later Kharman was crippled by bracelet winner Abhinav Iyer when the Aussie crashed his 9♥ 9♦ into the Indian's K♥ K♦. Two hands later he would hit the rail in 5th place cashing TWD $1,172,600 - (~$38,100).

Only five hands later it would be the end for Yu-Chung Chang. The last Taiwanese standing lost with A♠ J♣ against Sam Lam's K♥ K♣. Chang had to make his way to the cashier in 4th place (TWD $1,453,800 - ~$47,250).

The three handed battle between Obara, Iyer and Lam was a well fought one. In the end a bad beat would see one of India's best poker players get crippled and later bust in 3rd place.

Iyer got it in with A♠ Q♥ versus Obara's A♦ 3♠. The Japanese pro would flop a gutshot and the five on the turn meant a straight for Obara. Iyer made his way to the cashier picking up TWD $1,755,700 (~$57,050).

The heads-up between underdog Lam and the much more experienced Obara only lasted five hands. All the chips went into the middle preflop when Obara called Lam's all-in.

Lam showed A♦ J♣ against Obara's K♠ Q♦. The board ran out T♠ 6♥ 4♣ 6♠ 9♦. Lam turned around to his friend in the rail for an intense hug, but at the same time he still looked in disbelief winning this big event.

In his post-match interview following his impressive win Lam revealed: "I was hoping to finish in the top five and go from there, I very much wanted to make final table."

The winner of the spectacular newly rebranded APT trophy also stated, "I am very surprised, and my girlfriend was unsupportive of my poker play, but said she would consider changing her mind if I win something big."

Sounds like Lam's better half might be re-thinking her stance on poker...

The next big tournament on the APT Taipei schedule will be the Main Event, with the opening Flight A getting underway at 12:00pm local time on Monday, May 1.

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

Super High Roller Final Table Payouts

#113 Obara limped his small blind and Lam checked. The flop came J♣ A♣ 4♠, Obara in position bet out 400,000 and Lam called.

The turn was the 6♥, Obara bet again for 1,400,000 and Lam followed Obara's bet again.

A J♠ completed the board and Lam took the lead with a bet of 2,500,000, Obara put in the classic min-raise to 5,000,000 but was quickly faced with an all-in from Lam.

The stunned Japanese used one timebank before throwing his hand in the muck.

#111 Starting the heads up match with an almost even stack, both players went to the flop without a raise. Obara went on to win after a bet on a 6♠ 6♦ J♣ flop.

#112 Lam wanting to end things early, just annouced he was all-in. After some thoughts, Obara decided to keep on playing and folded his hand.

#113 Big hand as mentioned below.

#114 Obara got a walk.

#115 Obara completed the blind, then Lam raised to 1,500,000 and got called. Flop 3♠ Q♦ T♥, Lam c-bet for 1,100,000 and Obara called. Turn was the A♣, Lam slowed down and check, Obara follow suit. A 2♠ came on the river and Lam put his foot on the gas again betting 1,300,000 but could not get a fold. Lam showed 7♣ 4♠ losing to Obara's J♣ 8♥.

#110 Abhinav Iyer open shoved from the button and gets called by Jun Obara from the big blind.

One level ago these two players clashed as well and that caused the a world of pain for Iyer. This time the two are of to the races in a fair way

Iyer: K♥ Q♥

Obara: T♥ T♦

A coinflip had to decide the faith of these two fine players and the board was heartbreak for the Indian rail: K♠ Q♠ T♠.

Top two for Iyer, but Obara's set was still in the lead. Iyer down to four outs, but the 5♦ on the turn was not one of them. His friends in the rail were rooted for a queen, but the 2♣ ended the run of Iyer in 3rd place.

The bracelet winner will take home TWD $1,755,700 (~$57,050).

#108 Lam won the blinds with an all-in.

#109 Obara opened to 800,000 on the button and went to the flop with Lam once again. Flop 9♦ 6♦ 8♥, Obara made a c-bet of 750,000 but soon faced a big raise of 2,100,000, he made the call regardless. A 5♠ showed on the turn as Iyer stood up and anxiously watches from the side line. Lam continued telling his story of having a big hand by betting 2,500,000, Obara bought it and made a fold. Iyer could only watch as the two big stacks exchange chips hand after hand and hope to find some good spots to pick up some chips.

#100 Iyer went all in from the small blind with his short stack but Lam did not make the call from the big blind.

#101 Lam won the pot with a raise.

#102 Obara looking to finish what he started. First he limped in from the small blind offering Iyer a free flop. It came 9♣ T♦ 6♠, Iyer bet 400,000 and got called, a 6♦ on the turn and Iyer announced all in and got snap-called. Iyer sighed as he opened his T♦ 2♥ and Obara showed T♣ 4♠. However, a 6♣ dropped on the river making this a chop pot.

#103 Obara opened to 600,000 on the button and Iyer went all-in on him again. Obara made the call and gave back some of his chips losing to A♦ 6♦ on 4♥ 6♣ K♦ 6♠ 2♦. Obara had A♠ 4♣.

#104 Lam made it 600,000 on the small blind and Obara called. On Q♠ K♥ 6♥ flop Lam continued for 450,000 and got called. A 4♥ on the turn made Obara gave up after Lam bet 800,000 into him.

#105 Iyer got a walk.

#106 Obara opened to 600,000 on the button and Lam called. Flop 8♦ K♦ 2♣, Lam folded to a c-bet of 325,000.

#107 Lam limped in from the small blind and Obara made it 900,000, Lam called.

We go to a flop of J♣ T♣ 7♦, Obara's c-bet for 650,000 got called by Lam.

When the 3♥ dropped on the turn, Lam counted out his chips and put in 1,100,000, Obara called rather quickly.

The river was the 6♦ and Lam checked, Obara observed Lam for a while before he betted out 4,350,000. This was the biggest none all-in bet of the tournament so far and Lam was a bit flabbergasted. The Brit tanked for awhile then folded his hand.

#99 After the fold from Lam on the button the action is on Jun Obara in the small blind. He open-jammed into Iyer and the Indian pro made the snap call.

Iyer: A♠ Q♥

Obara: A♦ 3♠

Obara in deep trouble and he needed a miracle to stay alive. The flop brought some hope for the Japanese: 2♠ 4♥ J♣. Obara now has seven outs and his friends in the rail shouted for a five.

The poker gods listened as the turn was 5♠ crippling Iyer to less than 6 big blinds.

#86 Iyer won the blinds by going all-in.

#87 Lam got out of the way between the blinds and Obara seize the opportunity and made it 900,000, but Iyer who is the shortest of the three, went all-in and managed to win this pot.

#88 Iyer went all-in on Obara again from the small blind and got the same result.

#89 Iyer limped on the button and went heads-up with Obara. Flop 5♥ 3♣ K♠ and both players checked, turn :Qc and Obara check-called a bet of 450,000. River was the 2♥ and Iyer turned up a heat and fired out 1,700,000 and Obara folded. Iyer has won three consecutive hands against Obara with this hand.

#90 Lam opened on the button and won the blinds.

#91 Iyer and Lam chopped a pot with 5♠ 3♦ Q♣ 3♥ Q♥ on board. Both players had ten high.

#92 Lam won with a single raise from the small blind.

#93 Lam went all-in and won the blinds.

#94 Iyer completed the small blind then went all-in after Lam raised from the big blind to 800,000, Lam reluntantly folded his hand.

#95 Lam on the small blind made it 700,000 and won the pot pre-flop.

#96 Obara casusally slided in a stack of chips and won the pot from the small blind.

#97 Lam got a walk.

#98 Obara got a walk.

#85 Obara opened the action from the button to 600,000 Sam Lam defended his big blind.

Lam and Obara have been battling for many hours already and again they are saw heads-up a flop of 7♣ 5♦ 8♠.

Obara made a c-bet of 800,000 and Lam called.

The turn brought the A♥ and once again Obara bet 800,000. Lam was a disbeliever and called one more time.

On the river both players saw a 9♦, but now all the sudden Lam lead into Obara for 1,525,000. Obara snap-called. Lam opened 7♥ 8♥ what in many cases would have been good, but not this time as Obara showed 9♥ 9♣.