Main Event | 2009 Asian Poker Tour - Manila

02-01-2009 11:10 UTC+8

The Thrilla in Manila -- Day 3 is Here!

[user75032]

Welcome back one last time to the Dusit Thani Hotel in the Makati section of Manila, Philippines. It's Day 3 of the Asian Poker Tour Philippines Main Event, and that means that it's Final Table Day.

The far and away leader in this one is Steve Yea, who brings 754,000 chips to the final table. That's more than a quarter of the chips in play. Look for Yea to start hammering the short stacks early and often, in an effort to repeat the final table performance of APT Macau winner Yevgeniy Timoshenko, who single-handedly demolished that final table and eliminated Yea in second place to take home the trophy.

Trying to prevent Yea from going wire-to-wire are a host of notables, including fellow APT Macau final-tablist Casey Kastle, local hope Neil Arce, and six others. The table draw and chip counts are as follows:

Seat 1: Ron Kluber - USA (310,000)
Seat 2: Cicurel Didier - Switzerland (182,000)
Seat 3: Steven Yea - Korea (754,000)
Seat 4: Vesa Leikos - Finland (94,000)
Seat 5: Neil Arce - Philippines (377,000)
Seat 6: Kim Tae Hyung - Korea (168,000)
Seat 7: Susumu Toge - Japan (102,000)
Seat 8: Liz Lieu - USA (144,000)
Seat 9: Casey Kastle - Slovenia (503,000)

Play is scheduled to kick off at 12 noon local time, in about 45 minutes. Given that this is a televised final table, expect things to run a bit late. Whatever time it is that play gets underway, PokerNews will be there to provide coverage of all the action.

02-01-2009 12:21 UTC+8

Still Waiting

[user75032]

Tweaks, adjustments and final preparations are still being made for this final table. Right now we can't even guess when cards will be in the air. Sit tight...

02-01-2009 12:50 UTC+8

Play Begins

[user75032]

After a lengthy television spot and player introductions, we're underway! 21:42 is left on the clock in Level 19. The button will start with Liz Lieu in Seat 8.

Level: 19

Blinds: 4,000/8,000

Ante: 1,000

02-01-2009 12:57 UTC+8

Kim Tae Hyung Eliminated in 9th Place ($12,000)

[user80015]

On the first hand of the day, Cicurel Didier opened to 17,000 from under the gun and Neil Arce made the call. With the action on Kim Tae Hyung he moved all in for 167,000.

It was folded back round to Didier, who threw away his hand putting the action on the local Arce. Arce sat there for over 90 seconds before announcing, "Call" and the cards were tabled.

Hyung: {A-Clubs}

Arce:

With the crowd on the edge of their seats with this being the first hand of the final table, the flop {4-Hearts}

would put Arce further in front. The {K-Diamonds}

took a few outs away from the Korean, and when the {7-Diamonds}

landed on the river Hyung headed to the rail in ninth place for a payday of $12,000.

Arce raked in the pot, sending him a few thousand short of 600,000 to the pleasure of the strong Filipino crowd.

Tags: Cicurel Didier Kim Tae Hyung Neil Arce

02-01-2009 13:00 UTC+8

Vesa Leikos Eliminated in 8th Place ($16,000)

[user75032]

We had barely settled back into our seats after the stunningly quick elimination of Kim Tae Hyung when Vesa Leikos opened all in from early position for 92,000 chips. Action passed to Casey Kastle, who asked for a count. Once the amount was confirmed, Kastle called. Everyone else folded.

Leikos: {A-Spades}

Kastle:

It was almost a carbon copy of the Hyung elimination hand, and it brought similar results. It was a nine in the window for Kastle on a flop of {A-Clubs}

. Leikos was drawing dead on the {3-Clubs}

turn. Once the river fell {5-Diamonds}

, he was escorted off of the stage to the payout window.

Two hands, two eliminations! Can we go three for three?

Tags: Casey Kastle Vesa Leikos

02-01-2009 13:01 UTC+8

Yea Pressures Lieu

[user80015]

Liz Lieu opened to 19,000 and Ron Kluber made the call from the button as did Steve Yea from the big blind.

On a flop of {Q-Clubs}

Yea checked to Lieu, who fired out a bet of 25,000. Kluber let go of his hand to see Yea put in a reraise to 65,000. Lieu deliberated for over 30 seconds before laying her hand down.

Tags: Liz Lieu Ron Kluber Steven Yea

02-01-2009 13:05 UTC+8

Yea Takes Another Pot

[user75032]

Sometimes final tables start with cautious players who refuse to take flops. Not so this final table. We had a flop for the fourth hand in a row, between Steve Yea and Neil Arce, who were in for the amount of the big blind. Action checked all the way to the river on a board of {6-Spades}

. Yea bet 20,000 at that point. Arce surrendered.

Tags: Neil Arce Steve Yea

02-01-2009 13:08 UTC+8

Yea Takes One From Kastle

[user80015]

Casey Kastle opened to 26,000 from under the gun and with it folding round to Steve Yea in the cutoff, he made the call.

The blinds passed and on a flop of {7-Hearts}

, Kastle checked to Yea who led out for 30,000. Kastle looked Yea up and down while glancing back and forth at the flop before letting go of his hand.

With Yea taking down his third pot of the final table he is already up to 850,000 in chips.

Tags: Casey Kastle Steven Yea

02-01-2009 13:15 UTC+8

Liz Lieu Eliminated in 7th Place ($22,000)

[user75032]

Steve Yea opened from early position for 21,000. Action passed to Liz Lieu, who moved all in for roughly 100,000. Yea asked for a count, but when he realized Lieu didn't have more than 100,000 chips he called before the dealer had completed the count.

Lieu: {2-Diamonds}