HomeINCHEON CITY, Korea – After besting a field of 264 entries, Kono Reiji of Japan reigns supreme as the Asian Poker Tour (APT) Korean Incheon 2022 (Event #1) Mystery Bounty champion and along the way collected four scalps worth almost KRW4M (US$2,770) as the opening event officially came to a close at the Paradise City Hotel and Casino here.
Reiji, who recently won The Venetian Deep Stack championship in Las Vegas last June, also received over KRW24M (US$16,730) for triumphing in this event. He has had several cashes in the WSOP over the last couple of years but this is his biggest payday to date and also his first ever APT title.
Kono Reiji of Japan (left) is congratulated by Peter Kim (USA) after his triumph in the Mystery Bounty
Coming in second was American-Korean Peter Janghwan Kim for over KRW16M (US$11,157) and Zhao Young Hui of China was third for over KRW11M (US$7,756) and the most eliminations at five, which included drawing one of the three big ones worth KRW9.32M (US$6,489). Taiwan’s Xion Ho and Ryan Park of the United States attained the other two.
Reiji actually entered the final 62 at 28th in chips with only 112,000 (just a little above the average stack) but still found a way to navigate into ITM and joined Ho and American Ian Rudolph with four eliminations leading to bounty draws.
In the final hand of the Heads-Up battle for the trophy, it was an All-In Preflop (AIPF) situation with Reiji tabling K♦ 2♣ while Kim revealed he was behind Preflop but had Live Cards in Q♦ 10♠.
The board ran: J♣ 4♠ 3♦ and the Turn was A♥ giving Kim a redraw for the Gutshot Straight to add to his 6-outer, but the River was the 3♥ giving Reiji the victory with two-pairs with the second highest Kicker.
Meanwhile, the Day 1s have concluded in (Event #2) the KRW4.3M (US$2,994) High-Rollers–which has thus far tallied 40 entries–and (Event #3) the NLH tiff which had its registration close at 148 entries to bring its total prize pool to almost KRW72M (US$49,974) with the winner getting close to KRW17M (US$11,756) when its Day 2 plays out later (20th October) at 1:00PM (UCT+9).
APT GM and Executive Tournament Director Lloyd Fontillas (center) assists in the chip-bagging process of those who advanced from the NLH tournament
Day 2 of the High-Rollers still has registration open until the end of the first level of its resumption at 2:00PM.