HomeAnother big winner crowned at APT Philippines II 2019 with China’s Xixiang Luo outlasting the competition at the featured Championships Event to ship a huge PHP 4,594,800 (~USD 88,000) and his first-ever APT major title.
“I’m very happy! I just kept staying optimistic and I was also very lucky!”
The Championships Event ran a course of five days, from September 18 to 22 at Resorts World Manila. It drew 265 entries at PHP 82,500 (~USD 1600) each for a very handsome prize pool worth PHP 19,278,700 (~USD 370,00). In Day 3, the money was reached starting at 27th place; the largest cuts were claimed on the final day with 8 players remaining.
The final day race to the championship title was very exciting and if you missed it, you can watch it via APT Twitch and APT YouTube. We have it uploaded for you. It ran over 8 hours with a total of 157 hands tabled. The finalists comprised of four Koreans, two Singaporeans, one Filipino, and one Chinese player Xixiang Luo (seat 1) who entered with the largest stack. Luo was the only player that started the day with a stack above average. Only once did he lose command, reclaiming it two hands after.
Final 8 recap
It was immediate action at the bell. On Hand #4, Singaporean pro Alex Xiang Wei Lee fell in 8th place to Korea’s Jehun Hong. Lee’s K♠ 10♠ found a ten on the flop but still behind Hong’s J♠ J♥. On Hand #11, short-stacked Jeonggyu Cho pushed with A♥ 9♦ only to run into Luo’s dominating A♣ Q♥. Cho took 7th place.
With six remaining, action slowed until Hand #45 with two Korean players backed by large stacks head-butting. From the button, with blinds at 30k-60k ante 60k, Jehun Hong raised to 130k and big blind Jung Seungmook called. On a board that completed 8♠ 3♣ A♠ 8♥ Q♣, Jung triple-barreled, firing 300k, 650k, and shoving. Hong tanked on the river knowing he was covered but opted to call only to get the boot upon seeing Jung’s 8♦ 8♣ quads. Hong had A♣ Q♠ top two pair. He was out in 6th place.
With Jung now leading at five-handed, he widened the gap on Hand #46 with a straight on a board 2♦ 8♥ 6♠ 7♠ 10♣ while holding Q♦ 9♦. Jung also triple-barreled in this hand and got paid throughout by Luo. However, as quick as it came, it fizzled. On Hand #47, Jung raised to 130k from the button, small blind Luo three-bet to 430k, Jung four-bet to 1,375,000, Luo five-bet shoved, Jung snap-called. Luo had J♠ J♥, Jung A♣ K♣, the board bricked and just like that, leadership switched again which Luo never relinquished.
On Hand #56, another Korean player was eliminated. Juyuk Park three-bet all in with A♥ 8♠ and fell to the tour’s defending champion, Graeme Siow, whose K♦ Q♠ landed trips on a board Q♦ 5♠ Q♥ 8♥ 9♦ Park finished in 5th place. Then Hand #75 arrived sending the last Korean player out in 4th place. Utg Luo raised to 170k, bb Jung called. At the flop 7♣ 9♥ 2♦, Jung check-called 175k. On the turn 3♥, Jung checked, Luo shoved, Jung tank-called then fell with J♣ 7♠ burned by Luo’s Q♥ 2♥ that improved to a flush on the river 6♥. Luo amassed two-thirds of the chips in play.
The three-handed bout was the longest session with Siow and Benigno Ledina battling for second rank until Ledina landed a very lucky double up. Hand #86 (blinds 50k-100k ante 100k) saw Ledina raise to 230k from the button, bb Siow called. On the flop 2♥ 10♣ J♥, Siow check-raised Ledina’s 200k c-bet to make it 520k. Ledina shoved and Siow quickly tossed in the call. Ledina had J♠ 10♠ top two pair while Siow had 2♦ 2♣. Ledina began packing when the turn came 6♦ but when the river spiked J♣, Ledina had a higher full house.
45 hands later, on Hand #131, Siow retaliated with a lucky double up courtesy of the river god. With blinds 80k-160k ante 160k, button Ledina raised to 350k and bb Siow called. On the flop A♣ 9♣ 2♣, Siow checked, Ledina shoved with A♠ 10♠, Siow called for his tournament life with 9♥ 5♣, the turn 7♥ was blank but the river 9♦ improved Siow to trips.
On Hand #142, Ledina’s run ended at the hands of Luo. Sb Ledina raised to 350k, bb Luo called, and the flop came 8♥ 9♣ 8♣. Ledina shoved with K♥ 5♣, Luo called with K♣ 9♦ two pair. The turn and river were 5♦ and J♥. Luo entered heads up with a 5:1 chip advantage.
The heads up round lasted 15 hands. The final hand saw Siow all in with J♦ 4♦ on a flop 2♣ 7♦ 7♠. Luo called with A♦ 5♠. The turn and river fell 2♥ 6♣, and with no hits for either, Luo shipped it denying Siow a back-to-bakc victory.
Congratulations to Xixiang Luo for his incredible victory!
Final 8 payouts
1st Xixiang Luo – China – PHP 4,594,800
2nd Graeme Siow – Singapore – PHP 3,063,000
3rd Benigno Ledina – Philippines – PHP 2,129,000
4th Jung Seungmook – Korea – PHP 1,538,000
5th Juyuk Park – Korea – PHP 1,150,000
6th Jehun Hong – Korea – PHP 887,700
7th Jeonggyu Cho – Korea – PHP 704,900
8th Alex Xiang Wei Lee – Singapore – PHP 574,300
You can also read up on the previous day’s action via our Live Updates.