Chao Xi

Flight A of the KRW 2,500,000 APT Jeju Main Event has concluded after 10 one-hour levels of play. The first of four flights attracted a total of 285 entries (229 unique), with 95 players successfully bagging up their chips and advancing to Day 2 on Thursday, May 2nd.

It was China’s Chao Xi who topped the counts for the day after amassing a whopping 389,200 in chips. Xi flew into the lead during level nine after compatriot Chunqing Wang five-bet shoved the turn with top pair, only to find himself drawing dead after Xi called with a set of tens.

Coming second in chips with 333,500 is the USA’s Nan Chen, who earned his first-ever APT cash a few days ago and has now maneuvered his way into a fantastic position heading into Day 2.

Punnat Punsri, the 2023 APT Taipei Main Event Champion, managed to advance with 135,100 in chips. Entering late in the day, he utilized his extensive tournament experience to triple his 40,000 starting stack, placing him in a great position for Day 2. With over $15,000,000 in live tournament earnings and holding the top spot on Thailand’s all-time money list, Punsri will be a formidable opponent whom others will be hoping to avoid at their table on Day 2.

Punnat Punsri during the APT Superstar Challenge

Three-time bracelet winner Anson Tsang of Hong Kong will bring 95,500 chips into Day 2 and is also a player to watch out for. Tsang finished second in an APT Single Day High Roller just a few days ago here in Jeju and will be hoping to do one better by the end of this Main Event.

Hong Kong's Hon Cheong Lee secured the ninth spot in the end-of-day chip counts with 228,400 chips. Lee is a familiar face on the APT circuit, having made multiple final table appearances, though an APT victory has eluded him so far. With over $2,000,000 in live tournament earnings and occupying the #11 spot on Hong Kong’s All-time Money List, Lee will be gunning for a podium finish in this event.

Other notables to make it through include New Zealand’s Tae Hoon Han (129,000), Natural8 Ambassador Hua Wei Lin (190,000), Philippines' Cezar Quianbao (175,000), and APT Taipei Zodic Classic -Sponsored by Natural8 Champion Jun Li (153,000).

Hua Wei Lin

Here are the top ten stacks of Day 1A.

All Flight A survivors can be viewed HERE.

Join us for Flight B tomorrow which will have slightly faster 45-minute levels and gets underway at 11 am local time.

Play has ended for Flight A of the APT Main Event. Stay tuned here for a full write-up of today's action shortly.

The completed action was missed when we got to the table; we saw Xiao Tong Yu and Jesus Rivera get all the chips in the middle with Yu at Risk on a A J 5 flop.

Yu A 5

Rivera 6 7

The J turn did not change the situation and the river 2 secured Yu's double up.

There will be five more hands before play stops for Flight A of the APT Main Event.

Xixian Luo

When we got to the table the board was showing 7 Q 5 9 and Jaoze Lyu had bet out 8,000 from the big blind. Xixian Luo then raised from the button to 22,000. Lyu made the call and they headed to the river.

The 4 came on the river and the action got checked by both players. Lyu showed A 7 for a pair of sevens, but this was second best to the J J of Luo who dragged in a big pot close to the end of the day,

The action started with Jesus Rivera opening up to 2,600 and got called by Youkan Li. But Jian Han, in the small blind, bumped it up to 8,600.

Rivera mucked his hand and Li made the call to see a flop of A 5 T .

Han continued with 6,500, and Li quickly folded.

Edwin Guzman

Edwin Guzman opened from the cutoff to 2,600 and was called by Sparrow Cheung in the small blind and Hao-Shan Huang in the big blind.

The J J 8 flop got checked through for the Q to fall on the turn. Cheung now took the betting lead and fired out a bet of 4,500. APT All-Star Challenge wildcard Hoang made the call before Guzman moved all in for about 70,000. Cheung folded with 25,000 chips remaining, and after a lot of thinking, Huang relinquished his cards with about 20,000 left behind. Guzman dragged in the pot to build his stack to almost 100,000 chips.

Nan Zhao opened to 3,500 from under the gun and Kazuo Yamamoto called from the seat next to him. Zhi Ning Chen three-bet to 9,500 from the cutoff. Zhao shoved all in for 54,000. Chen didn't need to think for too long before he let his hand go.

Rintaro Kagawa opened to 2,500 from under-the-gun and got three-bet to 5,000 by Yuan Lei in the seat to his direct left. When it got back round to Kagawa he made the call, and they headed to the flop.

Kagawa checked the J 4 8 flop and Lei continued with a bet of 3,000. Kagawa made the call and they went to the turn.

The 2 on the turn got checked through to see the Q fall on the river. Kagawa moved all in for 18,800. Lei seemed on the fence about whether to call or fold. Eventually, he threw in the call and Kagawa showed K J for a pair of jacks. Lei had that beat with K Q for a pair of queens and took down the pot.

Manig Loeser

Manig Loeser has just entered the main event day 1 flight A. He is located on Table 15 and we saw some action with Fei Gao who opened up to 2,400 in the Lowjack and got called by Hao Zhang at the button, but Loeser from the small blind bumped it up to 11,000.

Gao got away and the action was back to Zhang who decided to 4-bet shove to put Loeser at risk, Loeser double-checked his card and made the call.

Zhang A T

Loeser J J

The flop came 3 5 8 , no help for Zhang, while Loeser held his lead after K turn.

The 4 river secured the double up for Loeser, leaving Zhang with 14,600 chips behind