Hao Shan Huang

As the Asian Poker Tour Championship (APTC) marches on, the APT Championship Main Event played out inside Red Space and the record-breaking 671-entry field is approaching its final stretch. The grueling session ended with just 34 players remaining, all now in sight of the final table and poker immortality in the TWD 311,000 (~USD 10,000) freezeout.

The stakes are higher than ever, with this event featuring the biggest ever APT Main Event prize pool: a staggering TWD 194,080,973 (~USD 6.2 million). Everyone remaining is now chasing the monumental TWD 37,030,773 (~USD 1,186,880) top prize and the Championship title.

Emerging on top after a hard-fought day was Taiwan’s Hao Shan Huang, who bagged the lead with 2,727,000 chips, having consistently stayed near the summit for most of the day. A familiar face on the APT circuit, Huang's best live cash currently sits at just over USD 40,000, meaning a 23rd-place finish or better here will already mark a new, significant career high.

APT Championship Main Event Top Ten Chip Counts

Romania’s Alexandru Papazian is just a few big blinds behind with 2,693,000 chips in his bag. Papazian is in a league of his own as he sits first in his country's All-Time Money List with over USD 4,000,000 in cashes. They are well clear of Australia’s Neng Zhao, who ended in third with 1,688,000 chips.

Alexandru Papazian

Bubble Trouble for Aces

The first objective for the players on Day 3 was to make it into the money, and that didn't fail to deliver some drama as aces were cracked twice during hand-for-hand play on the way to trimming the field down to the final 95.

With 98 remaining, Soohak Eo shoved ace-four suited from the hijack for around 15 big blinds and was quickly called by Sukhrat Massimov in the small blind, who held pocket aces. Just as it seemed that a player would be lost, two fours on the flop gave Eo trips and a double-up.

Not long after, Jen Li Liu committed his stack with ace-queen and ran into Jan Chun's ace-king. Neither player improved on the board, which meant Liu was out in 98th.

Jaesung Lee loses a flip to bust in 97th

Jaesung Lee then got his stack in with pocket jacks and was put at risk by the Big Slick of Eisuke Katsuren. A clean flop for Lee got him over halfway to a double-up, but a king on the turn ended his hopes in 97th.

In the most brutal hand of the bubble, John Costiniano shoved from early position with queen-five offsuit, attacking the shorter stacks who were trying to survive.

Shinya Maeda, who came second in the APT Summer Series Da Nang Main Event, looked down at pocket aces and quickly called. A queen-high flop kept Maeda's aces in front, but a devastating five on the turn improved Costiniano to two pair. Maeda couldn't catch up on the river, which delighted the remaining 95 players as they had all made the money.

Shinya Maeda hits the bubble

Post-Bubble Action

The eliminations then came thick and fast from there on out with the likes of Frank Cucchiara (86th), Roman Hrabec (85th), Fabian Gumz (84th), Stephen O’Dwyer (77th), Natural8 ambassador Phachara Wongwichit (74th), Dylan Foster (62nd), Aditya Agarwal (56th), and the last woman standing Sumire Hori (45th) all hitting the rail before the end of play.

As the day marched on, more and more chip millionaires were made. Huang was one of the first and he spent most of the day on top of the pack. The Taiwanese player had a great series at APT Jeju last year with two runner-up finishes in the Korea National Cup and Micro Main Event, and has carried that momentum forward to Day 4 of the richest Main Event in APT history.

Matas Cimbolas

Lithuania’s Matas Cimbolas steadily climbed the ranks throughout the day and ended up fifth in the counts with a bag of 1,624,000. Late in the last level, he added a chunk to his stack as he picked up pocket aces and called the shove of Lok Ming Chan, who held king-ten. Chan did turn a flush draw, but the river left him unimproved and out in 41st, and sent Cimbolas up the leaderboard.

Start-of-day chip leader Dohang Na had a topsy-turvy day as his stack rode the waves of tournament poker all the way to the finish line in 20th with 867,000 in his bag. In a hand against Huang, Na was caught with his hand in the cookie jar when he bet the river and immediately mucked when his opponent called.

Dohang Na

Some other notables to make it through include Dominik Nitsche (1,504,000), Nishant Sharma (1,329,000, Ankit Ahuja (1,303,000), Jun Hao Wu (1,286,000), Martin Finger (1,275,000), Ben Loo (1,013,000), and Costiniano (318,000).

Play resumes at 11:15 AM on Thursday, November 27, in Level 23 (10,000/20,000/20,000). The plan is to play six levels or to the final table, but that will be decided as the day progresses and will be left up to the tournament director.

For a full Day 3 APTC Main Event Championship Survivor List: Click here

For a Day 4 Seat Draw: Click here

Be sure to check the APT blog frequently for all the latest action from the floor, and to see who can make a run at the final table.

The remaining 34 players are now bagging and tagging for the evening.

Stay tuned for a recap of Day 3.

Chia Wei Kuo found himself short and shoved on the button. It was folded to Wei Lin Bo, who called to put Kuo at risk.

Chia Wei Kuo: K J

Wei Lin Bo: Q 3

Kuo was favored with his queen, but Bo's cards were live, and the 3 5 6 flop paired Bo's trey to give him the lead.

There would be no drama, as the Q turn improved Bo to two pair, which left Kuo drawing dead.

The 9 river made it official and Kuo was eliminated in 35th place for TWD 844,300 (~USD 27,060).

Martin Sedlak

There was a pot of 200,000 in the middle beside a board that showed 5 K K 9

Martin Sedlak tapped his option from the small blind and Eisuke Katsuren fired 75,000.

Sedlak took his time and made the call.

The river showed a 9

Sedlak checked and surrendered when Katsuren fired 300,000.

Eisuke Katsuren

Both relatively short-stacked as the day neared its end, Eisuke Katsuren and John Costiniano were walking on eggshells around each other, careful not to lose more chips.

On a pot of 130,000, Katsuren bet 25,000 on a completed board of 5 6 7 J 4 . After burning his final time bank, Costiniano raised to 100,000, leaving just 170,000 behind. Katsuren spent some time, burning his own time bank before deciding to flat call.

Costiniano tabled K 9 , while Katsuren held J 9 . As the dealer prepared to push the pot to Katsuren, Andrew Han, who was also on the table, questioned the hand, thinking Costiniano might have won it.

Costiniano looked hopeful, but when the dealer revealed the cards—still not in the muck—Katsuren breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he had truly won the pot.

The tournament director has announced that the last 5 hands will be played for the night.

Junzhong Loo

As the day drew to a close, players were tiptoeing around the hands, hoping to survive and have a brighter start tomorrow.

Such was the case when Ankit Ahuja checked a board of 3 A A J with a pot of 130,000, joined by his opponent Junzhong Loo.

On the river T , Ahuja tossed out a tentative 30,000, only to be met with an all-in shove from Loo, who had just 175,000 behind.

With a smile, Ahuja sent his hand to the muck, and Loo grinned as he happily scooped the pot.

Nguyen Man Hao opened for 32,000 from early position. Chia Wei Kuo called from the hijack and Martin Finger defended the big blind.

All three checked the flop of J T 7

Then, they checked the 5 turn

And they all checked the T river.

Finger was the first to show 9 9 for a pair of nines and everyone mucked.

Hao showed a Big Slick before sending it back to the dealer.

Yu Lin

Yu Lin shoved for his last 200,000 from the cutoff and was called by Ben Loo in the big blind, who had Lin covered. Lin then got out of his seat to sweat the runout with his camera.

Yu Lin: 7 7

Ben Loo: A K

It was a coin flip for Lin's tournament life, but the 3 A J T Q runout left Loo best with Broadway — eliminating Lin in 38th place for TWD 844,300 (~USD 27,060).

Kwang Soo Lee

Nishant Sharma raised the pot to 32,000 from the button and both blinds - Kwang Soo Lee in small and Domink Nitsche in big - tagged along.

The dealer flopped 6 6 Q which the trio checked.

Breaking the friendliness on the 4 turn, Lee fired 50,000 which made both Sharma and Nitsche fold.