Shixiang Khoo

The VND 35,000,000 APT Summer Series Da Nang has been won by Singapore's Shixiang Khoo after he was the last man standing from a field of 675 and wins 3,935,285,000 (~$165,280) for his first-place finish. Khoo defeated Japan's Shinya Maeda in a short heads-up match that lasted just seventeen hands which saw the Japanese player take home VND 2,429,580,000 (~$102,040) for his runner-up spot.

This is Khoo's first live title and by far his career-best score with only one previous live cash on his record. Now, Khoo has his hands on the illustrious APT golden lion trophy after winning the record-breaking Main Event that created a prize pool of VND 20,624,625,000 (~$867k) which is the APT's largest ever in Vietnam.

When play began today, there were nine hopefuls all eager to ladder up the payouts and get their hands on the trophy and it was the eventual champion Khoo who led them all in the counts with Japan's Daiki Shingae in a close second with just one big blind less.

Tran Duc Tuan held the shortest stack going into the final table with less than eight big blinds but soon turned that around with a double up in the eighth hand of play when his king-nine held against the queen-jack of Khoo. Any hopes Tuan had of lifting the trophy were quickly evaporated though when he check-shoved a six-high flop holding ace-nine and ran into the ace-six of Khoo. There would be no help for Tuan on the turn or river and he was out in ninth for VND 323,810,000 (~$13,600).

The second Singaporean at the final table was The Naing who started the day with a little over two million but they were soon the property of Shingae on the twenty-fifth hand of play. Naing was all in with pocket tens and way ahead of the pocket nines of Shingae but a cruel two-outer on the turn saw the Japanese player improve to a set and leave Naing with just two outs. Naing couldn't find a miracle ten on the river and he was out in eighth for VND 408,780,000 (~$17,170).

The Naing

As things progressed it was Taiwan's Yu-Chung Chang who started to creep his way up the leaderboard after making a heroic call against Shingae. Shingae had raised the river bet of Chang and put him in a difficult spot with top pair but the Taiwanese player made the right call to bring his stack in line with the top two.

Maeda was the short stack at the time and will have been rooting for his countrymate when Shingae held king-queen and had Koangho Lee at risk with the South Korean holding pocket jacks. Lee would manage to double up after the board stayed low but those extra chips he had earned didn't stay in his stack for long. Lee was all in and at risk again holding king-four and couldn't overcome the ace-three of Shingae which saw Lee eliminated in seventh for VND 598,110,000 (~$25,120).

Chang was involved again and scored a big double up with a perfectly executed trap holding pocket aces. The Taiwanese player had just flatted with the bullets pre-flop and called off the shove of Khoo on the turn who had flopped top pair holding queen-jack. Taiwan's Chang would be all in with ace-jack shortly after with Khoo being the favorite to score the knockout holding pocket jacks. However, an ace-high flop kept Chang in the tournament and sent him into the chip lead.

Yu-Chung Chang

Hung Manh Nguyen had been going about his business quietly on the final table but had let himself blind down and was left with less than two big blinds when he finally committed his chips pre-flop holding king-six. Khoo and Chang had called in hopes of eliminating Vietnam's Nguyen and did just that when Chang rivered a flush to send Nguyen to the rail in sixth for a payday of VND 820,860,000 (~$34,480).

Maeda then became the short stack but turned it around when his pocket queens doubled through the ace-jack of Shingae which brought the remaining five players closer together in the counts. Japan's Maeda then slowplayed pocket kings and managed to get a full double up after calling off the shove of Chang on the turn who held four-three for an open-ended straight draw. The river bricked off and Maeda's position of short stack was passed over to Nguyen Khac Cuong.

Cuong would be the next player to fall with the very active Shingae being the man to send him to the rail. Shingae had squeeze shoved all in holding ace-king and Cuong called it off with ace-seven. The Vietnamese player couldn't find the seven he needed and he was out in fifth for a payday of VND 1,053,920,000 (~$44,260).

Daiki Shingae

When play was four-handed the top spot in the counts were highly contested and changed regularly with all of the players taking their turn at the summit. With the ever-increasing blinds, it was only a matter of time before the next casualty was found and it happened to be Chang after he shoved all in holding ace-four and was called by Khoo who held pocket sixes. Chang had a lot of support and was one of the fan-favorites going into the final table but would have to settle for fourth and a score of VND 1,330,290,000 (~$55,870).

The very next hand there we would be down to heads-up after Shingae and Khoo got involved in a huge pot worth a little under twenty million chips. Shingae had limped in before Khoo put in a raise to four times the big blind, Shingae then immediately went all in with Khoo snap-calling. Shingae held pocket sevens and was crushed by the pocket tens of Khoo, and with the board running clean for the Singaporean it meant Shingae was out in third for VND 1,736,590,000 (~$72,940).

When heads-up play began it was Khoo that held an almost two-to-one chip advantage and after seventeen hands it was all over. The two had taken it to the streets with Khoo flopping second pair holding king-jack and Maeda an open-ended straight draw with nine-ten. After a bet, a raise, and a three-bet shove, all of the chips were in the middle with Maeda needing to hit his straight to keep the match going. It wasn't go be though for the Japanese player as the board bricked out meaning he was eliminated in second place for VND 2,429,580,000 (~$102,040).

Shinya Maeda

After all of that, there was only one man left with chips, Shixiang Khoo.

Khoo's journey to the final table saw him accrue 88,500 chips on Day 1, 1,078,000 on Day 2, and 5,020,000 on Day 3 on his way to lifting the trophy.

Congratulations to Khoo and all of the final tablists. Thank you for making this event a success, we couldn't do it without you.

For more information about our next series in Incheon that runs between August 25 and September 3 you can click here.

Shixiang Khoo

Shixiang Khoo wins the APT Summer Series Da Nang Main Event for VND 3,935,285,000 (~$165,280).

A full write-up of the day's action will follow shortly.

Shinya Maeda

Shinya Maeda has been eliminated in 2nd place for VND 2,429,580,000 (~$102,040).

Hand 150 Shixiang Khoo made it 600,000 from the button and Shinya Maeda made the call from the big blind.

On the Q 7 J flop, Maeda checked and Khoo fired a continuation bet of 600,000, Maeda then came back with a raise to 2,000,000 with Khoo not taking much time before shoving all in. Maeda went into the tank, using some extra time chips to think things over, before finally making the call.

Khoo K J

Maeda 9 T

Maeda must have felt like he was priced into the pot and now needs to hit his open-ended straight draw otherwise Khoo will be our champion.

The dealer put out a 3 turn card which left Khoo just one card away from the title. The Singaporean has one hand on the trophy, literally, as he touches the APT golden lion trophy for good luck and Maeda follows suits.

When the Q hit the river it was confirmed Khoo was our champion as Maeda is eliminated in 2nd place. The pair share a handshake as Khoo celebrates his win.

Hand 149 Shinya Maeda raised to 600,000 and Shixianh Khoo made the call. On the 8 4 K flop, Maeda bet 300,000 and Khoo called. The turn brought an A and it went check-check. Khoo fired for 1,250,000 on the J river and Maeda quickly called. Khoo took it down with K 8 .

Hand 146 Shixiang Khoo opened to 650,000 and Shinya Maeda called. Both players checked the 9 2 J flop and saw the 7 fall on the turn with Maeda check-calling bet of 1,100,000 from Khoo. The T completed the board and Maeda checked it over to Khoo who put out a bet of 2,500,000 with Maeda quickly folding.

Hand 147 Shinya Maeda limped in and Shixiang Khoo checked. They both checked the 8 5 2 flop and the 9 and 9 river. Khoo took it down with Q 8

Hand 148 Shinya Maeda got a walk.

Shinya Maeda

Hand 142 Shixiang Khoo opened to 500,000 and Shinya Maeda defended. On the 9 5 8 flop, Maeda check-called a bet of 500,000 from Khoo. When the T hit the turn, Maeda checked again as Khoo put out a bet of 1,100,000. Maeda made a raise to 2,600,000 and Khoo made the call. An A fell on the river and Maeda checked with Khoo checking behind. Maeda tabled T 5 for two pair to win the pot.

Hand 143 Shinya Maeda made it 500,000 and Shixiang Khoo made the call. They saw a flop of 4 8 6 and both checked. The 5 came on the turn and Khoo bet 250,000, which Maeda called. They both checked the 5 river and Khoo won it with K 4 .

Hand 144 Shinya Maeda got a walk.

Hand 145 Shinya Maeda made it 500,000 and Shixiang Khoo 3-bet to 1,500,000. Maeda let his hand go.

Hand 138 In another pot that was limped pre-flop, a flop of J T 2 went check-check and an A came on the turn. Shinya Maeda fired a bet and took down the pot.

Hand 139 Shixiang Khoo got a walk.

Hand 140 Shixiang Khoo limped in and Shinya Maeda checked. On the K 6 J flop Maeda check-called a bet of 600,000 from Khoo. The turn brought a Q and both players checked to see a 7 river which Maeda bet for 350,000. Khoo then raised to 850,000 and Maeda called to win the pot with K 4 .

Hand 141 Shinya Maeda raised to 500,000 and won the pot.

Hand 134 Khoo got a walk.

Hand 135 Shinya Maeda made it 500,000 and Shixiang Khoo called. On the J 4 9 flop, Maeda bet 600,000 and won the pot.

Hand 136 Shixiang Khoo limped and Shinya Maeda made it 500,000. Khoo then made it 2,000,000 and Maeda let his hand go.

Hand 137 After a limp pre-flop, both players saw a flop of A J J and they both checked. The turn brought a J and Maeda took a stab at the pot with a bet of 300,000 to which Lhoo made a raise to 750,000. Maeda called and they saw a K river with the action going check-check. Khoo took the pot with a full house holding A 8 .

(Shinya Maeda & Shixiang Khoo with the golden APT lion trophy)

Here are the payouts for the final two spots.

We are now heads up in the APT Summer Series Da Nang Main Event.

Here are the stacks between the two finalists when heads-up play begins. There will be a short break while the players prepare for this battle.