First time APT winners: Joakim Andersson denies Vincent Li the High Rollers title; Michael Shang rules the Head Hunter

Day 3 of APT Vietnam 2019 got underway with several events quickly buzzing up host venue Pro Poker Club. As players filed in to join the MAIN EVENT – VND 8 Billion guaranteed, two events returned for its final day. At the featured table was the Head Hunter with the final 8 players. You can watch that via our media channels APT Twitch and APT YouTube. Beside them were the final three players of the High Rollers 1. We’ve got recaps for you below including full results via the link below. 

APT Vietnam 2019 results

All players that reached the money earned points towards the APT Vietnam 2019 Player of the Series race. Make sure to check your standing via the link below.

APT Vietnam 2019 Player of the Series standings

Joakim Andersson wins the High Rollers 1

The High Rollers 1 ran for two days attracting 18 runners (10 uniques, 8 re-entries) at a discounted VND 52,00,000 (~USD 2,250) each for a prize pool of VND 878,820,000 (~USD 38,000). Day 1 wrapped up in the money with three players remaining. Leading the hunt was Vincent Li with two-thirds of the chips backing him up while Iori Yogo and Joakim Andersson were on the chase. 

Within minutes of the final day, the first casualty was delivered. Yogo three-bet called for all his chips holding J J that fell to Li’s K Q overcards on a board A 5 10 4 Q to finish in 3rd place. Li entered heads up against Andersson way out front 5:1 in chips. 

Half an hour into the final duel, Andersson banked a back-to-back double up to steal the lead and bring himself up 4:1 in chips. The first hand saw progressive bets and a shove from Andersson on the river board 4 8 7 K J. Li called then mucked to Andersson’s 7 8 two pair. The next double saw the board complete 9 A K 3 8. Li bet the flop, Andersson check-raised the turn, Andersson shoved the river, Li called. Andersson won it with Q 7 flush. 

It took two levels before for Li recovered to jump ahead and rise to a 4:1 advantage. On the chase, Andersson picked up a big pot to even it up. With blinds at 6k-12k ante 12k, Andersson limped and Li checked. At the flop 4 9 4, Li checked, Andersson bet 12k, Li raised to 31k, Andersson called. On the turn 6, Li bet 45k, Andersson called. Then on the river 2, Li bet 50k, Andersson shoved (114k total), Li folded. 

The ping pong bout continued. Li answered back with a big pot earned. From the button he raised to 25k, Andersson called. Li triple barreled a board of 6 7 4 5 9, 36k, 85k, all in. Andersson folded on the all in river bet. But again, Andersson retaliated. He won a pot with bottom pair to even it up. The board was 5 3 6 6 2. Li bet the turn and river and was called. Andersson claimed it with Q 3

A few hands after, Li won a pot to create a 3:1 distance between them but once again, Andersson proved tough. He pushed and doubled up with 6 6 set against A 3 on a board 5 J 10 6 2. From there, Andersson never relinquished. Just prior to the final hand, he exposed Li’s bluff to bring Li down to 5 bbs. The final hand arrived. Li with Q 10, Andersson K 7, the board bricked. 

Congratulations to Joakim Andersson for his victory! This was his first-ever APT win. 

Payouts
1st Joakim Andersson – Sweden – VND 497,610,000 (~USD 21,500)
2nd Vincent Li – Hong Kong – VND 244,440,000
3rd Iori Yogo – Japan – VND 130,950,000 

Michael Shang wins the Head Hunter

The Head Hunter event drew 92 to action (73 uniques,19 re-entries) at VND 9,900,000 (~USD 430) each for a cash pool of VND 619,160,000 (~USD 26,700). At Day 1, Johannes Felix Hoeld (seat 8) delivered the bubble leaving 16 players to dip in the money jar. The day closed with the final 8 formed. Hoeld was second in chips to leader Chi Chung Ho (seat 2). 

The final day ran just under five hours with Michael Shang (seat 4), defeating Chi Chung Ho (seat 2) at heads up. Here’s a brief rundown of the final 8 action. 

Thirty minutes in, short stacked Vinh Tran (seat 6) fell in 8th place with A-Q falling to Ho’s A-K. It took another hour and 45 minutes before the next player fell. Kim Jun Whan‘s (seat 5) pocket tens ran into Shang’s pocket kings and with no improvement, Kim exited in 7th place. 

For Guernsey native Roger Bartley (seat 1), he enjoyed an early double up with aces but couldn’t go further. He dropped in 6th place pushing with Q J only to lose to Pham Bao‘s (seat 3) A 10. Hoeld was bumped out next. His A-5 offsuit ran smack into Ho’s pocket aces to end his day in 5th place. 

With half the field gone, it took another two hours to crown the champion. Choi Moon Seok (seat 7) watched his stack dwindle until he had to push with A-3. Shang called with Q-7. A queen showed up on the river to end Choi in 4th place. This gave Shang enough to cuddle half the chips in play. 

Several hands into three-handed with Bao chipping up and Shang dropping a little (still the leader), a head-turner came down. On the button, with blinds at 8k – 16k ante 16k, Shang raised with A 4, second in chips Bao was on the big blind and shoved his 22 bbs with 8 5, Shang snap-called. The board ran 9 4 Q K 9 and just like that, all of Bao’s hard work ended in 3rd place. 

Entering heads up, Shang’s stack dwarfed Ho’s well over 4:1. Ho had 11 bbs while Shang had 46 bbs. Ho was able to trim the gap but not enough to overtake Shang who continued to grind at every deal. The final hand, Shang raised with A 9, Ho shoved 3 3, Shang snapped it off, the board ran 9 K 5 4 K

Congratulations to Michael Shang for his victory at the Head Hunter! This was his first-ever APT title! He pocketed VND 162,830,000 (~USD 7,000) plus 11 bounty rewards worth VND 2M each for another VND 22,000,000 in the wallet. 

Final 8 payouts 
1st Michael Shang – USA – VND 162,830,000
2nd Chi Chung Ho – Hong Kong – VND 108,560,000
3rd Pham Bao – Vietnam – VND 75,470,000
4th Choi Moon Seok – Korea – VND 54,510,000
5th Johannes Felix Hoeld – Germany – VND 40,770,000
6th Roger Bartley – Guernsey – VND 31,460,000
7th Kim Jun Whan – Korea VND 24,980,000
8th Vinh Tran – Vietnam – VND 20,360,000