APT High Roller - 8 Max - Day 1 - VND 5,000,000,000 GTD

Takao Shimizu

Takao Shimizu sits atop of the remaining 25 players in the VND 80,000,000 High Roller - 8 Max event. A total of 161 entries were recorded (91 unique) which created the second largest prize pool of the APT Summer Series, Da Nang - VND 11,244,240,000. The winner will walk away with the top prize of VND 2,614,280,000 (~$110,360).

It's Japan’s Shimizuo who bagged up the biggest stack with 1,870,000 chips after playing eighteen 40-minute levels. The Japanese player already has $583,487 in live tournament earnings with a career high score of $73,210. Shimizuo has made three APT Final tables but is yet to walk away with any silverware.

Shung Er Sua, who won the APT Super High Roller in Hanoi early this year for VND 1,922,930,000 (~$81,891), managed to bag the third biggest stack of the day with 1,170,000. Sua is one of four entrants who is already in possesion of a coveted APT Super High Roller lion trophy.

Other winners included Julian - Andrew Warhurst who has 520,000 in chips for tomorrow. Thailands's Phachara Wongwichit, and Vietnam's Ngoc Dai Nguyen were both unable to make it through Day 1 of this event.

Shung Er Sua

Ngoc Minh Le brings forward 520,000 in his attempt to make the final table. Le has already won two APT Titles this series. His first title was in the VND 14,000,000 No Limit Hold'em, and second title in the VND 4,000,000 No Limit Hold'em - 2nd Best Hold'em Hyper Turbo.

Yu-Chung Chang managed to bag up 290,000 in chips for tomorrow. Chang came fourth in the APT Main Event here in Da Nang for VND 1,330,290,000 (~$55,870) and will be looking to better that by the end of day tomorrow.

Other notables to make it through were Gakuto 'GACKT' Oshiro (1,000,000), Anuj Yadav (450,000), Ngo Linh Duong (420,000), Grant Gardner (295,000), and Ngo Khoa Anh (260,000).

The top ten stacks can be found below.

You can see all the respective Day 1 survivors and the Day 2 Draw HERE

A full list of the payouts can be found by clicking HERE

Final five hands.

Quang Huy Nguyen had been nursing a short stack for quite some time when he decided now was the time to move all in for his remaining 130,000. Next to him was Australia's Matthew Bevin who just called. Once the blinds got out the way the cards were revealed.

Bevin K♥ K♦

Nguyen A♣ 6♣

There was an A♦ on the flop followed by the 4♣ and J♥ meaning Nguyen shot into the lead. But the turn K♣ gave Bevin the set, Nguyen still had a flush draw though. Bevin rivered quads with the K♠ and eliminated another player.

Unsure how the action went pre-flop but Xiaosheng Zheng was the player out of his chair and at risk of being eliminated on the last level of the day. His opponent in the hand was Nguyen Hoang Long.

Long J♣ J♦

Zheng K♠ K♣

Long had been the benefactor of set over set against Zheng earlier in the day and this seemed to be Long's chance to get his revenge. The board ran out 7♣ 3♠ A♠ 7♠ 2♣ and Zheng secured a much needed double up to around 800,000

Players are into the final level of the day.

We joined the action on the turn with the board showing A♠ 6♠ 8♥ 3♠ and Terry Nguyen had bet 30,000. Sitting to his left was Australia's Julian-Andrew Warhurst who called. Then Sili Zhang came in with a check-raise to 135,000. Nguyen called but Warhurst quickly folded.

The river came a seemingly blank 2♥ and after some thought Zhang bet out to the sum of 315,000. Nguyen went ino the tank, using some of his time extensions before reluctantly letting his hand go and forfeiting the pot to Zhang.

Tran Trung Hieu

Getting to the table and Ngoc Minh Le had raised initially to 25,000 and been 3-bet by Tran Trung Hieu to 60,000. In the small blind was Huu Vinh Nguyen and he moved all in for about 110,000. Le got out of the way and Hieu called.

Hieu Q♣ 9♣

Nguyen K♠ K♥

Hieu had been caught with has hand in the cookie jar and needed to get very lucky to eliminate Nguyen.

That didn't look likely on the K♣ Q♠ 7♠ flop as Nguyen had made top set. But the J♣ was probably the best card in the deck for Hieu. The river was the T♦ completing Hieu's straight and he eliminated Hieu. Thirty-three remain and they are down to four tables.

Grant Gardner of the United Kingdom opened up to 25,000 and got 3-bet jammed on again by short stacked Duy Thuc Nguyen for about 100,000, this time Gardner called and Nguyen's tournament life was at risk.

Gardner Q♦ T♣

Nguyen 3♠ 3♦

The window card was a 3♣ followed by a K♥ and a T♥ . The turn and river were the 6♣ T♦ securing Nguyen's double up. Nguyen is still one of the shortest stacks in the tournament and will need to win a few more hands like that if he wants to make the money tomorrow.

It folded round to Vietnam's Vu Hoai Lam in the small blind and he raised to 30,000. In the big blind was Australia's Joshua Mccully who made the call, Mccully has had huge success here in Da Nang, his most impressive feat has been winning the Superstar Challenge, he will be looking to winning here add his trophy cabinet if he can.

Both players checked all the way to the river on a board of 9♠ 9♦ 5♣ K♥ 8♦. But then the river is where the action started. Lam bet out 23,000 and Mccully raised to 73,000. Lam pulled back his initial raise and put out a 3-bet to 150,000.

Mccully went deep-deep into the tank, he threw in time extension after time extension, carefully going over the hand. Eventually, he said call and was shown 9♣ 9♥ for quads by Lam and takes a big hit here deep in Day 1. Lam on the other hand is building up momentum.

Getting to this table on a flop of 6♣ 4♠ T♦ and Nguyen Hoang Long had bet out 10,000. In the big blind was Xiaosheng Zheng who check-raised to 30,000. Long just called.

The turn came the 5♥ and Zheng slid in four green chips worth 100,000. Long immediately said all in and Zheng snap called.

Long turned over 6♥ 6♠ for a flopped set, when seeing this Zheng dropped his head in utter disappointment. Zheng turned over 4♥ 4♦ for bottom set and need a total miracle to win this won. He couldn't hit the one outer though as the K♣ came and Long wins a huge pot.