APPT Main Event

Hand #23: Nicola Spicher defends the big blind by calling Trong Hieu Ngo's min-raise and the follow up 80,000 on the flop 5♣ 3♣ 3♥ . Both players check the turn A♦ and river 8♠ . Spicher's 7♦ 7♠ wins the pot.

Hand #24: Ceesvin Abraham gets called by the big blind to be denied the blinds and ante but the 65,00 c-bet on the flop A♠ 2♦ J♣ is enough to earn it right there.

Hand #25: David Erquiaga opens and finds no callers.

Hand #15: Sven McDermott joins the action with a three-bet of 200,000 that's called by open raiser Christopher Mateo. McDermott maintains aggression at the flop J♠ K♠ 6♣ for 155,000 that's called again, then they check the turn 3♠ . Wasting no time counting, McDermott announces all in, Mateo gives it up.

Hand #16: David Erquiaga from the small blind and big blind Nicola Spicher call the button raise by Ceesvin Abraham and take it to the flop 3♥ K♣ J♥ . Sending the action to Abraham, a 100,000 bet is slid out front. Erquiaga check-raises 285,000 and it's enough to induce two folds.

Hand #7-8: Raiser Christopher Mateo is joined by the blinds to the flop A♦ K♣ T♣ with only Ceesvin Abraham continuing to the turn A♥ by calling Mateo's 100,000 c-bet. Both players check for a free river 4♥ . Abraham tests the waters with a 150,000 bet then believes Mateo has it by folding to the massive 1,000,000 raise.

Following the hand, Mateo rakes in the next one which he kicks off with another min-raise. Big blind Nicola Spicher defends and the bring the bout to the flop 5♣ 3♣ 5♦ . Mateo c-bets another light 80,000 and it's enough for Spicher to pay to see the turn 5♥ . Mateo barrels a third time for 150,000, Spicher gives up the challenge.

Another intense yet thrilling day came to a close at the record breaking APPT Cambodia Main Event with the field reduced to the last 9 players. This was determined at the fall of Sunghak Lee in 10th place to Christopher Mateo just before the eleventh hour kicked in. In turn, Mateo bagged up the largest stack of 3,275,000 (81 bb) with his closest challenger, Nicola Spicher, sitting 13 bb behind.

Running third rank is none other than Trong Hieu Ngo, the champion of the APPT Manila Championship that took place last month. Hieu has been running strong at the festival with a trophy already captured at the Megastack High Roller. Hieu is looking to be the first player to win the APPT Main Event in back to back tours.

Entering Day 2, Sven McDermott led the chase and became the first player to amass a million in chips very early on. McDermott caught Alexsandr Blokhin bluffing to bring about the bubble round.

After several attempts, the bubble burst on Jeremy Jehanne who was forced all in on the big blind and fell to small blind caller Noyan Slamiya.

Others down the lineup are the highly decorated David Erquiaga who is on a hot streak this year, Ceesvin Abraham, Vaicheslav I, and well known cash game slugger Donghyup Kim.

Standing out of that star loaded final 9 lineup is USA's Ziad Zebib, who is already looking at a substantial profit having won his seat via one of the flip out events for just US$ 165.

When the final 9 players return they are each guaranteed US$ 13,954 while awaiting the champion is a life-changing US$ 147,500. The remaining payouts are as follows:

1st US$ 147,500

2nd US$ 92,000

3rd US$ 66,000

4th US$ 50,600

5th US$ 39,000

6th US$ 30,000

7th US$ 23,000

8th US$ 17,700

9th US$ 13,953

Blinds continue for just over 2 minutes at Level 25. At the completion, Level 16 onwards will have blinds increase every 75 minutes.

Ceesvin Abraham has been grinding for chips with much success at this short handed round. One of the pots was up against big blind Christopher Mateo who called Abraham's preflop raise. Both players checked the flop 6♥ 9♣ 8♥ then Mateo bet 75,000 on the turn 5♣ . Abraham made the call and the river was 4♥ .

Mateo fired another bet of 100,000, was answered with a 275,000 raise from Abraham, Mateo called and mucked to the 7♥ 7♦ straight.

Abraham has a chance to bad beat with a king on the flop but doesn’t improve further to pay McDermott a full reload.

Short stacked Ngoc Thai Huynh is hanging in there with the big stack landing a double up with Q♠ J♠ that got lucky on a board A♠ Q♦ 2♣ J♥ 9♥ against caller Ceesvin Abraham with A♥ 6♣ .

When David Erquiaga makes it 40,000 from HJ and Abraham Ceesvin counters with a jam for 400,000 from CO, all the chips go in and we see the board revealed as 3♣ 8♠ J♦ 4♠ 8♥ .

With 23 fighters left the top spots go to:

Button Panitan Poopadsri attacks the blinds with 20,000 and calls Ceesvin's 65,000 reraise from SB. The flop J♦ K♠ K♥ has Ceesvin Abraham bet-calling a min raise to 60,000 from Poopadsri for a checked turn 5♠ and a river Q♣ . A 320,000 lead-jam from Abraham sends Poopadsri deep in the tank. Having made his decision, he sends his cards and two time banks the dealers way.

Nevan Chang in +2 gets us going with a 16,000 open and both blinds defending to see K♦ 4♠ 2♠ . Checked to him, Nevan Chang slides out 15,000 and only Abraham Ceesvin stays around to see the turn Q♠ . Another 35,000 c-bet takes it down for Nevan Chang.

Four-way action pre ends up with Alston Wang shoving 98,000 from SB and button Abraham Ceesvin being the only taker.

Chips go flying and Curtis Lim Siew Jian's A♥ K♦ gets crushed by A♣ 6♣ from Abraham Ceesvin when the dealer tables 9♣ T♠ 6♠ 7♥ T♦ .

With the remaining 71 players all guaranteed at least $2,700 the top stacks are :

Following a min-raise from hijack Shaoshuai Li, small blind Ceesvin Abdulla three-bets 22,000, Li calls for a bigger pot to the flop T♣ 7♦ 6♠ . Abdulla c-bets 25,000, Li answers with a 60,000 raise, Abdulla shoves 184,000 and just like that, takes down the pot without further challenge. Abdulla shows his K♣ 6♣ bottom pair.

Min-raising from utg+1, the blinds call Ceesvin Abdulla and they go see a flop 4♥ K♦ 5♥ . Abdulla c-bets 8000 and only small blind Shaoshuai Li wants to play further. Abdulla barrels again, this time for 20,000 on the turn 2♠ , and still Li sticks with him to complete the board 8♣ river. Abdulla fires 48,000 which is enough to win the pot without a showdown.

Three players in a raised pot preflop see the board run 5♠ 8♣ K♠ . Abdulla c-bets 5500 and only Christopher Mateo gives him action. On the turn 5♣ , same pattern with Mateo calling 13,000 from Abdulla then action changes on the river 7♠ with Mateo banging out 20,000. Abdulla calls then gets shown the bad news 5♥ 6♥ trips and mucks as Mateo scoops it up.