PokerStars Red Dragon

Czardy Rivera of the Philippines opens from UTG to 260,000 and the man he took chips from barely an orbit ago is now in the BB as Malaysia's Joshua Tjan makes the call.

It goes to a flop of 7♣ 7♦ 4♣ as Tjan checks. Rivera CBets to 120,000. Tjan check-raises to 300,000 as Rivera burns two Time Bank cards and eventually 3-bet shoves. Tjan snap calls.

Rivera shows J♣ 9♣ for a flush draw while Tjan has 8♥ 7♠ for trips on the flop.

The turn card gives the Filipino one of his outs as the Q♣ completes his flush. But then the river card arrives: the 7♥ to give the Malaysian quads and boot out one of the most seasoned veterans at the Final Table.

With the redemption of chips, Tjan is once again the chip leader.

The final four is now guaranteed PhP1,640,000 (~US$28,374).

The double up by the Filipino further damages the stack of the former chip leader who is now down to a still serviceable 18 BBs. Rivera regains artillery to just over 17 BBs.

For the third time, the stars align to find Alfonso Baja of the Philippines raising from UTG for 200,000 and the action gets folded to the BB of fellow Filipino Czardy Rivera who again chooses to defend.

The flop is A♠ 3♣ 4♥ but it's Rivera who donks in for 100,000. Baja makes the call. The turn is the 2♣ completing what appears to be a one card straight. Apparently unfazed with his, Rivera bets again, this time for 200,000. Baja still calls. The Rivera is the 3♦ . Rivera puts in 350,000 and is quickly called.

Rivera tables Q♥ J♠ for a botched bluff while Baja shows 4♣ 4♦ for a set on the flop and a full house on the river.

Baja now officially captures the chip lead and decimates Rivera's stack to a mere seven and a half BBs.

In hat was shaping up to be Filipinos Clash III, Alfonso Baja opens anew from UTG for 160,000. However, chip leader Joshua Tjan of Malaysia chooses to call from the SB. Rivera joins in from his BB.

The flop is Q♥ Q♦ 7♠ as the blinds check. Baja CBets to 85,000 and gets a call from the Malaysian. Rivera exits the hand. The turn card is the 6♥ . Tjan checks again as Baja continues his assault with a bet of 225,000. Tjan chooses to fold.

Baja flips over 7♣ 7♥, showing that he filled up on the flop. The win now ties the Filipino for the chip lead with the Malaysian.

The stack of Japanese player Takashi Yagura has dipped below the ten BB mark and he open shoves from UTG for his remaining 635,000. It folds around to the SB where Czardy Rivera of the Philippines decides to give him some action.

Exactly one orbit after their first encounter, Alfonso Baja finds hmself pening anew from UTG to 160,000 and once again Czardy Rivera defends his BB.

The flop is 6♦ 5♦ A♠ as Rivera checks. This time, Baja CBets to 125,000. Rivera makes the call. The turn is the J♠ and Rivera checks again. Unperturbed, Baja fires 300,000 as Rivera still calls. The river is the T♠ . Now both opt to check.

Rivera turns over J♦ 9♦ for a missed flush draw but a hit on the turn. Baja shows 6♣ 5♣ for two pairs on the flop and collects the pot.

Alfonso Baja opens from UTG for160,000 and gets a call all the way in the BB by Czardy Rivera.

The flop is 3♠ Q♦ 9♦ as both players check. The turn is the 3♦ as Rivera checks again. Baja now leads out for 100,000. Rivera calls. The river is the 7♥. Rivera then bets 100,000 but Baja come back with a raise to 315,000. Rivera goes into the tank and consumes one Time Bank card in the process before folding.

Opening from UTG, Filipino pro Czardy Rivera brings it up to 120,000 and gets a call on the D from Japan's Takashi Yagura. However, chip leader Joshua Tjan of Malaysia tests the resolve of those in the pot by 3-betting to 380,000. Rivera stops to think and eventually burns a Time Bank card before opting to call. Yagura also joins.

The flop comes 9♦ 9♠ 7♦ . Tjan slows down and checks as and so does Rivera. It's now Yagura's turn to go into the tank and uses a Time Bank card before betting 375,000. Tjan folds but the Filipino calls. The turn is the 7♣ as the board now double pairs. Rivera then declares he is all-in. Yagura decides to fold.

The player eliminated will be pocketing PhP510,000 (~US$8,824).

The action is folded to Czardy Rivera of the Philippines and he raises to 80,000 in the CO. Malaysia's Yan Wen Yee 3-bets all-in right beside him on the D. It gets folded back to the Filipino who makes the call.

Rivera's stack now goes over the one million mark and the ten players left are still guaranteed PhP425,000 (~US$7,353), The next bust out will bring in the individual pay jumps and usher in the Final Table.

The next bust out will be receiving PhP425,000 (~US$7,353).

Everyone still in is guaranteed PhP350,000 (~US$6,055).

It appeared that Hilberts was on his way to pulling off a runner-runner straight but it never got there as Rivera was blocking his outs. The Filipino now also nears the one million chip mark.

Japan's Takashi Yagura opens from UTG for 24,000 and gets calls from the blinds in Filipino pro Czardy Rivera (SB) and Daniel Benor from Israel (BB).

The flop is 4♣ 2♦ J♠ as the blinds check. Yagura CBets to 33,000 and gets a call from Rivera. Benor folds. The turn is the 7♠ and this time Yagura and Rivera both check. The river is the 5♦ as Rivera takes the betting lead for 65,000. Yagura opts to fold.

Czardy Rivera of the Philippines exacts some form of revenge against Singapore's Matthew by grabbing back some of the chips he lost earlier. The preflop raising war ends with all the chips going in the middle with Rivera's tournament life on the line.

Rivera's queens hold and this duel is now tied.

Kim Dohwan of Korea raises from UTG to 16,000 and beside him on the +1 position shoves Singapore's Matthew Chan for his remaining 143,000. Local pro Czardy Rivera makes the call from the CO as Kim folds.

Rivera had just acquired chips before losing most of them to Chan.

Singapore's Matthew Chan opens from the HJ for 16,000 and gets called by Czardy Rivera of the host nation in the D. In the SB, Czechia's Philipp Zukernik 3-bets all-in for his last 110,000. Chan folds but Rivera makes the call.

The elimination of Zukernik now has Rivera's stack near the half million mark.