A big pot started brewing on an flop over at Team PokerStars Pro Celina Lin's table.
There was already about 1,500 in the middle when Lin led out for 950. Mark Amparo promptly made it 3,000 and Peter Kleudgen shipped it in for what looked like 13,000.
Lin then pushed all in over the top and Amparo folded. The cards were turned on their backs and Lin held for top two. Kleudgen was holding and a flush draw that hit on the turn.
The river came the and the pot was shipped to Kleudgen, leaving Lin a little less than a starting stack.
PokerStars Qualifier Shih Ciao Wang, also know around these parts as Joe, just dragged a rather large early pot.
He made it 225 only to see the player on his left three-bet to 500. The rest of the table got out of the way and Wang made the call. The flop came down and Wang check-called a bet of 650. He also check-called 1,400 on the turn.
But when the river presented itself, Wang seized the opportunity, betting 5,000. His heads-up opponent made the call and Wang showed , also know around these parts as the nut flush.
Aussie Ivan Zalac, whose biggest career score happened to come here in the Philippines with a third-place finish at an APT event in Cebu earlier this year, managed to pick up and early pot.
It all started with a late position raise to 225 that the button called. Zalac came along for the ride in the small blind and the flop checked around. However, on the flop, Zalac opened for 300 and managed to convince his two opponents to lay down their hands.
The PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Season 8 Manila main event kicks off just minutes from now and the Metro Card Club is buzzing.
The Philippines leg of the tour went off in Cebu last season with Korean Simba Jae Kyung Sim taking the top prize PHP 3,948,000. The last time the APPT was in Manila was in 2010 when Binh Nguyen captured the crown.
This season, moving back to Manila means gaining the support of a rather large local poker community and hundreds are expected to vie for the coveted title. The PHP 45,000+5,000 Phillipine Peso buy-in translates into just over US $1,000 and should attract some of the best and brightest poker minds from around the region.
The plan is to play some eight levels on Day 1a Friday, with the first three lasting 40 minutes and the rest 60 minutes.
Of course, PokerNews will bring you all the action in tidy live update form from start to finish here in Manila. Just sit back and enjoy, APPT Manila is coming at you.