APT All-Star Showdown

Danny Tang Picks up his first APT trophy of the new era

Natural8 Ambassador Danny Tang got his APT Jeju campaign off to a shining start and picked up his first APT Trophy of the new era after he won the All-Star Showdown for KRW 23,517,000 (~USD 17,135) & also bagged himself an APT Main Event seat.

Ray Chiu caught up with Tang after his victory.

"Good, yeah, my first APT trophy ever since the new era, the rebranding, so yeah happy, happy." replied a jovial Tang when asked how he felt after winning the title.

When Chiu asked about Tang's schedule for APT Jeju and what he plans to play in this series.

"I'll be playing all the big stuff, Super High Roller, Superstar Challenge, Main Event, I have a final table to play on the 1st [May]."

"So hopefully I can take 2 trophies."

After finishing runner-up in the memorable All-Star Showdown at APT Taipei earlier this year, Tang went one better to take home the trophy and claim the bragging rights.

**also wins an APT Main Event seat worth KRW 2,500,000 (~$1,820).

Poker stardom had bestowed itself upon the Landing Casino in Shinhwa Resort on the opening day of APT Jeju with some of the world's best players lining up to take their shot at the All-Star Showdown. Natural8 Ambassadors Tang and Punnat Punsri, APT Taipei Main Event champion Daisuke Ogita, bracelet winners Anson Tsang, Weiran "Kevin" Pu, & Dong Chen were all included in the lineup. Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier needs no introduction and neither does the number one ranked tournament player in the Philippines Marc Rivera.

The ninth and final seat was reserved for a wildcard which would be the winner of an APT social media competition. Taiwan's Hao-Shan Huang was the lucky winner and found himself in deep water in shark-infested waters but was determined to give it his best shot.

Huang didn't make it in time for the start of the event as he was busy running up a stack in Flight A of the Korea National Cup where he bagged the fourth-biggest stack to bring into Day 2. As soon as the bubble burst, he made the 5-meter hop to his new seat without a chance to prepare himself for what quite possibly was the biggest poker opportunity of his life.

Hao-Shan Huang

The action didn't take long to heat up as on the very first hand dealt, Punsri five-bet shoved pocket jacks into the pocket kings of Ogita and was swiftly eliminated after the board brought no help. Punsri is known for breaking records but might not enjoy the fact that he will hold the title for the shortest number of hands played in an APT All-Star Showdown event — which will never be broken.

Hand number ten saw Weiran Pu hit the rail as his pocket nines were no good against the pocket tens of the eventual champion Tang.

Rivera followed Pu to the rail just two hands later as he called the shove of Tsang with ace-five but couldn't beat the pocket sevens of the bracelet winner from Hong Kong.

Marc Rivera

The wildcard Huang never really got anything going and was eliminated in sixth after he shoved all in with ace-four and ran into the pocket nines of Chen. A nine on the flop seemed to seal the deal but Huang picked up a flush draw on the turn. However, it wasn't to be as the river bricked out for the Taiwanese player to end his run.

A three-way all-in situation then brought around the demise of Chen as he committed the majority of his chips preflop with king-jack and received a call from Ogita's king-seven. Tsang then shoved all in holding ace-jack and both Chen & Ogita made the call. A clean runout for Tsang saw him more than double-up which sent Chen to the rail in fifth.

Grospellier's seat was empty just two hands later after he defended his big blind with jack-six of hearts and got the chips in on the turn after having picked up both flush and straight draws. Ogita made the call with pocket aces and a brick river meant the man they call "Elky" was eliminated in fourth.

Daisuke Ogita

Tang then took a huge step towards the title after his pocket aces were on the right side of the ultimate cooler against Ogita's pocket kings. After having just been dealt the rockets, the roles were quickly reversed for the Japanese player and he was out in third.

A player from Hong Kong was guaranteed to lift the APT Baby Lion trophy and it was Tang who held a slight chip lead in the unique all-or-nothing heads-up situation they had found themselves in.

After just nine hands it was all over as the chips went in on a seven-high flop with Tsang holding nine-seven and Tang with queen-seven. Both players had flopped top pair but it was the kicker of Tang that proved crucial as the board ran out clean for Hong Kong's number one ranked tournament player and eliminated three-time bracelet winner Tsang in second.

Congratulations to Tang on picking up his second APT trophy, and his first of the new era, in the All-Star Showdown.

Danny Tang's winning moment

Danny Tang wins the All-Star Showdown for KRW 23,517,000 (~USD 17,135) and gets his hands on his second APT title, and his first of the new era.

Tang also picks up an APT Main Event seat to go along with the first-place prize money.

A full write-up of all the action will follow shortly.

Anson Tsang

Hand 58 Anson Tsang limped in from the button and Danny Tang checked his option from the big blind.

On the 2♠ 4♣ 7♠ flop, Tang checked and Tsang fired a bet of 16,000. Tang then raised to 50,000 and Tsang shoved all in for 199,000 total. Tang quickly called.

Tsang 9♦ 7♥

Tang Q♠ 7♣

Tang was just two cards away from victory and only needed to fade the three remaining nines to be the All-Star Showdown champion.

The dealer burned and turned the 3♣ which brought Tang within one card of the title. Only a nine on the river could keep Tsang alive but the T♣ completed the board which eliminated him in second place.

Danny Tang

Hand 54 Anson Tsang limped in and Danny Tang checked behind. Both saw a flop of 3♣ A♥ 5♣ which went check-check to the 7♠ turn. The action was checked through again to the 4♠ river and Tang fired 40,000. Tsang folded.

Hand 55 Tang raised to 24,000 and Tsang made the call from the big blind. On the K♠ 2♥ 8♠ flop, Tsang check-folded to a bet of 18,000 from Tang.

Hand 56 Tang got a walk.

Hand 57 Tang limped in and Tsang checked his big blind. A flop of Q♠ 2♠ K♥ saw Tang fire a bet of 12,000 and Tsang called. The 9♥ turn saw Tang fire a second bet of 40,000 which was once again called by Tsang. A J♦ hit the river and Tsang check-called the shove of Tang. Tsang tabled T♦ 9♠ and Tang had T♥ 2♥ which meant both players chopped the pot with a straight.

Hand 50 Anson Tsang raised to 20,000 and Danny Tang made the call. The flop fell A♠ 9♣ J♦ and Tsang bet 15,000 which won him the pot.

Hand 51 Tang opened to 20,000 and Tsang three-bet to 60,000. Tang folded.

Hand 52 Tsang opened to 20,000 and Tang made the call. A flop of 5♥ A♥ K♣ saw Tsang bet 10,000 and Tang called. The turn brought an A♠ and both players checked to see the T♣ river. Tang led out for 46,000 and Tsang made the call. Tang took it down with K♦ 9♦.

Hand 53 Tang limped in and Tsang checked his big blind. The flop of K♦ 9♣ 4♣ saw Tang fire 10,000 and Tsang quickly folded.

Here are the chip counts going into heads-up play.

The winner of the event will walk away with KRW 23,517,000 (~USD 17,135) + an APT Main Event seat whilst the runner-up will go home empty-handed.

Daisuke Ogita

The ultimate cooler has struck with Daisuke Ogita on the wrong end of it.

Hand 49 Danny Tang raised to 20,000 and Ogita made it 60,000 from the small blind. Tang then shoved all in and Ogita snap-called.

Tang A♥ A♦

Ogita K♠ K♥

The board of 4♠ 3♥ Q♠ 8♥ 4♦ runout brought no surprises as Tang took the last of Ogita's chips.

Hand 45 Danny Tang raised to 20,000 from the button and Daisuke Ogita made the call from the big blind. On the 6♦ A♥ T♠ flop, Tang fired 15,000 and took down the pot.

Hand 46 Ogita limped from the small blind and Anson Tsang checked the big blind. Ogita fired 25,000 on the 6♦ 8♦ 4♠ flop and Tsang folded.

Hand 47 Ogita raised to 25,000 from the button and Tsang three-bet to 70,000. Ogita quickly folded.

Hand 48 Tsang opened to 20,000 and Tang three-bet to 72,000 which earned him the pot.

Players are on a 15-minute break.

Bertrand Grospellier

Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier has hit the rail in fourth place.

Hand 44 Ogita raised to 22,000 and Bertrand Grospellier called from the big blind.

On the 8♥ Q♦ 5♥ flop, Grospellier led out for 22,000 and Ogita made the call.

The turn brought a 9♣ and Grospellier shoved all in for his last 25,000, and Ogita made the call to the former Starcraft player at risk,

Grospellier J♥ 6♥

Ogita A♦ A♠

Grospelllier needed a heart, ten, or a seven to stay alive but the 8♦ wasn't what he needed which meant he was eliminated.