Mini Main Event - TWD 1,500,000 GTD - Final Day

Liam Jehu

The APT Mini Main Event - TWD 1,500,000 GTD has come to an end. The last man standing is Liam Jehu from Australia. The Aussie outlasted a record field of 562 and took home a juicy prize of TWD $831,060 (~$27,164).

Jehu entered the heads-up match with a 3-to-2 chip disadvantage. But within a few hands, he had managed to take the chip lead from Chien Don Houng and got the job done soon after.

The final table results:

It took 10-hours to get from 76 survivors from Day 1, down to the final two. Then just 10-minutes to get to the final winner.

At the start of the final table, we saw Jun Hao Kang score a quick triple-up holding just ace high courtesy of Jui Tse Kao and Chien Don Houng. Then the chips went around for a bit before Yung Yu Chen found the exit.

Chen got crippled earlier after losing a race holding pocket queens against Francisco Sanchez who had ace king. Several hands later he was at risk holding ace queen against Jun Yi Ho's ace deuce, unfortunately a deuce came on the river giving Ho the best hand. Chen took home TWD $82,900 (~$2,700) for his ninth-place finish.

Chien Don Houng came into this final table as the chip leader, but he soon ran into the pocket rockets of Jui Tse Kao, Houng holding ace queen himself, dispite finding nine outs to potentially crack the aces on the turn after turning a flush draw, the river was a different coloured card to what he wanted.

Daisuke Fujii

Daisuke Fujii from Japan was the next player to get kicked out from this final table. Fujii was very animated and received two warnings from the tournament director before his departure. On his final hand, Fujii had his pockets kings cracked by Sanchez's ace king, who made a gut-shot straight on the river. For his eighth-place finish he had earned himself TWD $105,000 (~$3,430).

Jun Hao Kang's elimination came just a few hands after the last. Although Kang managed to triple-up his short stack earlier, he slowly got blinded down to just five big blinds. He got the last of his chips in holding ace queen, only to lose to the seven-eight of Jun Yi Ho. A seven on the flop was enough to send Kang home in seventh-place along with TWD $151,600 (~$4,950).

Right after the break, Jess Lee immediately found herself at risk in a three-way all-in pot. She was in a very bad shape holding the ace five off against the pocket aces of Houng. Sound familiar? That's because it's the same hand that one particular player had on the APT Main Event Final Table where he six-bet jammed into pocket aces. Lee got the same result as the aforementioned player - drawing dead on the turn, and took home TWD $203,100 (~$6,630).

Francisco Sanchez was the next in line to the cage. Just like Lee before him, Sanchez ran into pocket aces held by Jehu. Sanchez had ace jack suited himself but could not crack the aces. He earned himself TWD $258,600 (~$8,450) for his fifth-place finish. This being his fourth in the money finishes in the APT Taipei Series

At this point of the tournament, the average stack was around 15 big blinds. And so there were very few post-flop actions. Jun Yi Ho was down to his last few blinds and decided to go all-in holding just queen three. To his surprise, two other players wanted to bust him, one being Kao and the other being Houng. Kao had him cover by just one 25,000 chip and Houng had them both covered. It was Kao who hit the flop with his seven-eight suited and scored a triple-up, sending Ho to the rail in the process. Ho's reward for his effort was TWD $329,700 (~$10,770).

Although Kao managed to triple-up earlier, the blinds ate him alive and in just a couple of orbits, he found himself one foot out the door holding ten-seven off, completely dominated by Houng's queen ten to put him at risk. The flop showed a queen and that was it. Kao took home TWD $422,900 (~$13,810) for his third-place finish.

After Kao's departure, the two remaining players decided to make a deal, both players agreed on a guaranteed pay day of TWD $700,700 (~$22,903).

Houng had a 3-to-2 chip lead coming into the heads-up match against Jehu, but he lost the chip lead after losing several hands in a row. On his final hand, Houng was down to 10 big blinds and decided to call Jehu's shove holding just queen-six. Jehu's king four held on to win and Houng settled for second-place, earning himself TWD $700,700 (~$22,903).

Today is the final day of the record breaking Asian Poker Tour Taipei 2023. The next APT stop is in Hanoi starting on May 26, 2023. For more information please visit our website or click here for the full series schedule.

Full results of the APT Mini Main Event can be found here.

Thank you to all the players who participated in this historical APT Series and we hope to see you again soon.

Chien Don Houng

It only took a few hands into the heads-up match and the APT Mini Main Event has ended.

The final hand of this tournament started with Jehu going all-in and Houng called.

Jehu: K♦ 4♣ Houng: Q♥ 6♣

Board: T♥ T♦ 7♣ 4♥ 5♣

Jehu was ahead from start to finish and Houng had to settle for second place.

The deal both players agreed on earlier was to guaranteed a pay day of TWD $700,700 (~$22,903).

Houng came into the final table as the chip leader but just fell short before he could get his hands on his first APT trophy. His second place finish has earned him TWD $700,700 (~$22,903).

Jehu raised to 1,000,000 and Houng called. Flop came A♥ 2♦ 4♦, Jehu continued for 600,000 and faced with a raise to 1,500,000, Jehu made the call.

Turn - T♠, Houng checked to Jehu who bet 1,100,000. Houng counted out the chips but in the end folded.

On a board of 3♥ 2♦ 5♥ J♣ 5♥, Jehu went all-in on the river with over 3,000,000 in the pot, Houng was tempted to end the match here if he had called and won, but he chose to fold his hand and play on.

After a deal was made, game must go on.

Jehu was the first man to go all-in after Houng made it 1,000,000 on the button. Huong folded.

Houng has a 3-to-2 chip lead but anything can happen here, especially after what we have witness last night in the APT Main Event heads-up match.

Before heads-up commence, the final two players have made a deal.

More information will follow soon.

Jui Tse Kao

Jui Tse Kao run has ended here in 3rd place in the APT Mini Main Event.

Kao was the shortest stack among the final four players and managed to climb one place on the ladder and claimed third place. After eliminating Jun Yi Ho in a three-way pot, Kao failed to further his run.

In his final hand, the blind was too big to be patient and he went with whatever he was dealt on the big blind and it was T♦ 7♥, the person put him at risk was Chien Don Houng holding Q♣ T♣.

Board ran 5♥ Q♥ K♦ 8♦ A♠

Kao third place finish in the APT Mini Main Event has earned him TWD $422,900 (~$13,810).

Jun Yi Ho

Jun Yi Ho came last in a three-way all-in pot. Ho and Jui Tse Kao both being very short-stacked and both got it in pre-flop. Chien Don Houng saw the chance for a double knock-out, also put in a call without being at risk. Ho: Q♠ 3♦ Kao: 7♥ 8♥ Houng: K♠ 2♦

Houng somehow found himself ahead, but before short, the board came 7♣ 9♦ 9♣ J♥ 8♦ giving Kao the best hand. Kao also covered Ho by just a mere 25,000 chip.

Ho forth place finish is worth TWD $329,700 (~$10,770).

Francisco Sanchez

Francisco Sanchez is our unlucky fifth place finisher in the APT Mini Main Event.

Sanchez ran into the aces of Liam Jehu and failed to catch up. The full hand played out as follows - Jehu opened to 800,000 and Sanchez went all-in, Jehu called.

Sanchez: A♥ J♥ Jehu: A♠ A♦

Board: A♣ K♣ 5♦ T♥ J♣

Although Sanchez picked up some equity, the odds were too great against him. Sanchez took home a prize of TWD $258,600 (~$8,450).

With the average stack sitting on just 15 big blinds, and Houng having most of the chips, there aren't much room for anyone to play post-flop poker.

In the meantime. the APT High Roller is down to the final two tables. For those of you who are interest in that event, please click here.

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