HomeUSA’s Jaepil You fully dominated the final heads up round of the Championships Event to knock out Japan’s Tamon Nakamura and take home the title. This was You’s first APT event and his first international live tournament career title. He bested a field of 148 entries to capture the ₩49,770,000 first prize, the first-ever APT Korea-Incheon Championships Event Trophy, and the exclusive APT Championship Ring.
Jaepil You, Champion
The APT Korea Incheon Championships 2018 – CHAMPIONSHIPS EVENT – ran for five days from August 15 to August 19 with two starting days kicking it off. Our champion, Jaepil You, was no stranger to being at the top. He bagged up the largest stack at Day 1B, and though he had a rougher time at Day 2, he stormed up the charts in Day 3 to enter today’s Final 8 race in third position right behind Tamon Nakamura and the hot running chip leader Hideki Izutsu.
Championships Event – Final 8
The Final 8 round ran a total of 130 hands with 80 of those prior to heads up. Action began with a quick change in leadership with Nakamura taking down the opening hand against Izutsu. Two hands after, short-stacked Tae Hoon Han was dusted in 8th place. He risked it all against another short stack player, Hyun Kyu Bae, and lost with Q♦ 6♠ dominated by Q♥ J♣ the entire spread.
Tae Hoon Han, 8th place
Despite Hyun’s stack boost, he was still downed in 7th place. He was all in with A♥ 10♠ but failed to improve against Nakamura’s 6♠ 6♦.
Hyun Kyu Bae, 7th place
Out next was Naoki Morita in 6th place. Prior to his elimination, Morita doubled up Hiroyuki Yoshimura with K-K over 6-6. Four hands later, he shoved his short stack with K♠ J♥ only to run into another K♥ K♣ this one held by Izutsu.
Naoki Morita, 6th place
Hand #42, You eliminated Yoshimura in 5th place thus denying him (Yoshimura) a better finish than runner-up at APT Philippines Main Event in April. You’s A♠ J♣ landed two pair on the board 3♦ 5♥ J♥ A♣ 6♣ to bounce off 10♦ 10♥. This was You’s first knockout of the day.
Hiroyuki Yoshimura, 5th place
Seven hands later, Hung Sheng fell in 4th place with Nakamura delivering the axe. Hung Sheng had A♥ J♣ and Nakamura with A♦ Q♥. No hits for either on the board. This was Nakamura’s second knock out of the day.
Hung Sheng Lin, 5th place
The three-handed round comprised of the top 3 players entering the Final 8. Nakamura was ahead in the count followed by Izutsu then You. It took 31 hands of aggressive action taking place before Izutsu was eliminated by You for his second elimination of the Final 8.
Before You shipped in all of Izutsu’s chips, he won a big pot against Izutsu with his 9♥ 8♣ straight on a board of 4♦ K♣ 10♦ J♣ 7♥. Five hands later, You took the rest of Izutsu’s chips with 9♣ 9♠ defeating K♣ J♠ on a board running 2♠ 9♦ J♥ 8♥ A♦.
Hideki Izutsu, 3rd place
The heads up round between You and Nakamura began with You ahead 4.1M to Nakamura’s 3.3M.
You proceeded to dominate the action winning a majority of the pots that by heads up Hand #16, he shaved down Nakamura to 1.4M while he rose to 6M. On Hand #17, Nakamura doubled up with A-Q over Q-10.
Despite the loss in chips, You went back on attack bringing Nakamura down to 835k. Nakamura once again doubled up with A♥ K♣ over A♣ Q♣, then several hands later, a third double up to climb to 2.4M.
Nakamura’s rise was short-lived. You shaved him down again until the final hand arrived. At heads up Hand #50, with blinds at 30K-60 ante 60k, You raised to 205k, Nakamura called. At the flop 9♥ Q♠ 4♦, Nakamura check-called You’s 300k bet. On the K♦ turn, Nakamura check-raised all in and You called. You had K♣ 10♠ top pair and Nakamura with J♦ 6♦ draw. The river A♠ was no help to Nakamura and was eliminated in 2nd place.
Tamon Nakamura, 2nd place
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEWEST CHAMPION, JAEPIL YOU!
