2009 Asian Poker Tour - Manila

Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2009 Asian Poker Tour - Manila

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
kq
Prize
$185,000
Event Info
Buy-in
$2,500
Prize Pool
$635,500
Entries
262
Level Info
Level
21
Blinds
6,000 / 12,000
Ante
2,000

Diaz Doubles

Diaz rockets back up
Diaz rockets back up
Julio Diaz has just managed a double up holding {A-Spades}{A-Clubs} against Norihito Suzuki's {Q-Clubs}{10-Clubs}. All the chips went in on the flop, with the final board reading {4-Hearts}{7-Hearts}{10-Hearts}{5-Spades}{4-Diamonds}.

Diaz doubles to 21,000 while Suzuki continues to slid since the dinner break. He is now sitting on 88,000 chips.

Tags: Julio DiazNorihito Suzuki

Level: 8

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 75

Alan Escano Eliminated

It was a long, tough day for Alan Escano. His elimination only punctuated how tough things were. Escano got his chips in good with pocket kings against ten-three, only to see two threes hit the board to make trips for his opponent.

The poker of the Filipino Poker Tour will just have to be enough to keep Escano's attention after his departure from this tournament.

Tags: Alan Escano

Arce's Flopped Nuts Find Little Value

Norihito Suzuki is the big stack of the Day 1a field, but even he can't win every pot. He opened preflop for 1,500 and was called by Neil Arce. Suzuki check-called a bet of 1,500 on the {J-Clubs} {10-Spades} {9-Spades} flop, then shut everything down the rest of the way. He checked the {K-Spades} turn and got a free card when Arce checked, then check-folded to a bet of 3,000 on the {A-Clubs} river.

Arce flipped his cards with some disappointment after he collected the pot, showing {K-Hearts} {Q-Spades} for the flopped straight.

Tags: Neil ArceNorihito Suzuki

Sombero's Instincts Lead Him Astray

Wally Sombero has shown no hesitance to mix things up today. Aggression and an utter lack of fear have been the hallmarks of his play. But his instincts betrayed him in a recent three-way pot with Anders Anderson and Erik Backlund. Sombero led out for 3,150 on a flop of {10-Spades} {8-Hearts} {6-Spades}. Anderson was next to act and quickly moved his whole stack of approximately 13,000 chips into the middle.

Backlund gave the matter some thought but decided that discretion was the better part of valor. He folded, moving the action back to Sombero. Sombero tanked for more than a minute before emphatically shipping a stack of chips into the middle to call Backlund's raise. Backlund showed two pair, {6-Clubs} {8-Clubs}; Sombero could only muster ace-high and a gutshot draw, {A-Diamonds} {9-Spades}.

The {K-Hearts} on the turn was no help for either player and left Sombero looking for only a seven. He improved on the river {A-Hearts}, but not enough to win the pot. Not that this fact didn't prevent the dealer from trying to ship him the pot! All players at the table (most especially Anderson) quickly informed the dealer of his error. The chips did finally wind up in front of Anderson.

Tags: Anders AndersonWally Sombero

Damien Oborne Eliminated

Oborne chipped down
Oborne chipped down
Neil Arce opened to 1,200 from under the gun and Damien Oborne moved all in from middle-position for his last 3,300. Norihito Suzuki made the call from the big blind as did Arce.

Both of the active players checked it down to the river with the final board reading {8-Spades}{4-Diamonds}{8-Clubs}{2-Hearts}{K-Clubs} and Arce tabled {K-Spades}{10-Clubs} for two-pair. Oborne stood up and open-mucked his {A-Clubs}{4-Hearts}; he was not able to find another double following the dinner break.

With Chip Me Up's Oborne headed to the rail, Arce climbed to 33,000 chips and Suzuki slipped to below 100,000.

Tags: Damien OborneNeil ArceNorihito Suzuki

Overheard at the Tables

Eddie Hearn found no callers after moving in for 16,000 over the top of a button raise to 1,600. He showed queens when no one else called.

"He's my mate," Hearn said, pointing at the button player. "We talked earlier. I've got confidence."

"I'd have a lot of confidence too if I was in the small blind with queens," another player responded.

At the next table over, Casey Kastle and Toto Leonidas were discussing the pros and cons of the schedule for the 2009 World Series of Poker, which was released earlier in the week.

Sombero Eliminates Another

Wally Sombero is feeling very comfortable in the Dusit Thani ballroom that is serving as the venue for this event. Despite the chill in the air from the HVAC system, Sombero is running hot. He led out 2,300 in a three-way limped pot on a flop of {Q-Hearts} {4-Clubs} {8-Clubs}, then was faced with a big decision when the player in the small blind check-raised all in for 8,400. Sombero made the call with {Q-Spades} {9-Hearts} and was elated to see that his intuition was correct -- his opponent was on a flush draw with {10-Clubs} {3-Clubs}.

"Red! Red!" Sombero called out as the dealer burned and turned the rest of the board. He got his request. The turn and river were both red cards -- {K-Diamonds} and {4-Diamonds}. Sombero's pair of queens held up to increase his count by another 9,500 chips total.

Tags: Wally Sombero