Break Time
Level 9
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
The 65 remaining Day 1A Main Event players are on their last break of the day with play resuming in 10-minutes so watch this space and we'll be back with some chip counts shortly.
2017 PokerStars Festival Manila
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2017 PokerStars Festival Manila
Buy-in
55,000 PHP
Prize Pool
28,809,000 PHP
Entries
594
Level
28
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000
Razavi Jams on Or-Paz
Level 9
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
Tom Or-Paz opened the action from the hi-jack for a bet of 2,000 and Sam Razavi moved all-in for 14,500 from the cutoff.
“Really?’ asked Or-Paz skeptically, “I have two picture cards…”
“Well then it’s either a flip or you’re dominated then,” quipped back Razavi with a cheeky grin.
“Fine,” sighed Or-Paz, open folding 
.
“Guess it was a flip then,” smirked Razavi as he flashed Or-Paz the 
.
Razavi climbed to 17,400 and will need to get busy building his stack while Or-Paz dropped to 34,400.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
34,400
34,400
|
34,400 |
|
17,400
-12,600
|
-12,600 |
Halme Doubles Through Pang
Level 9
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
Antti Halme is one of the more recent late arrivals and the Finnish player has got his Main Event off in the right way, earning himself a double at the hands of current frontrunner Kwong Yuen Pang.
It was Halme who was the initial aggressor, making it 2,600 to go from under-the-gun plus one and action folded around to Pang in the small blind, who threw out a re-raise of 11,000 in total.
After the big blind bowed out the action was back on Halme who tanked long and hard before deciding to take a stand and moving all-in for 27,600 in total. Pang called immediately and the cards were turned over.
Antti Halme: 
Kwong Yuen Pang: 
Halme maintained his lead on the 
flop but the turn was an extremely sweaty 
to give Pang both a flush and straight draw. Fortunately for the Finn the river was a nice, safe 
and Halme doubled to 56,100 while Pang dropped to 147,400.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
147,400
-12,600
|
-12,600 |
|
56,100 |
Level: 9
Blinds: 500/1,000
Ante: 100
Gall Takes From Nguyen
Level 9
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
An interesting three-way hand played out between Yii Shyang Lai, Van Sang Nguyen and Raphael Gall that saw the latter win a decent sized pot.
While we missed some of the pre-flop action Lai was the man in early position, and although it was unclear whether he limped or raised we arrived in time to see Lai call a Gall (small blind) re-raise to 6,500.
Van Sang Nguyen, sitting in the cutoff had a bet of 2,300 in front of him on the felt and he threw in the extras to take play three-handed to the 
flop, which was checked all around.
The 
turn saw Gall lead out for 6,500 and while Lai gave it up Nguyen tossed in the call to take play heads-up to the 
river.
Both players checked and Gall turned over 
, which was enough to take down the hand when Nguyen mucked, dropping down to 157,000 while Gall climbed to 115,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
157,000
-13,000
|
-13,000 |
|
115,000
18,000
|
18,000 |
More New Faces
Level 9
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
There have been several new arrivals with Tom Or-Paz re-entering for the second time and former Asia Poker Tour Player of the Year Sam Razavi joining the action for the first time.
There are several sizable stacks emerging with Kwong Yuen Pang still slightly in the lead, closely followed by Van San Nguyen. Kunal Patni has been busy since last we checked and has run up a decent sized stack, as has Elan Zak.
Both Sparrow Cheung and Jack Wu are looking a little short and the two will have to dig deep if that want to add to their Asia Player of the Year points s in this event, though Cheung currently holds the top spot so won’t be all that worried with the results he has posted here so far this week, with over PHP753,000 in cashes already this series.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
170,000
63,000
|
63,000 |
|
150,000
83,000
|
83,000 |
|
125,000
95,000
|
95,000 |
|
33,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
|
30,000 | |
|
29,000
11,500
|
11,500 |
Kim Wins Small After Lai Accidently Limps
Level 8
: 400/800, 100 ante
Yii Shyang Lai thought he was the big blind and slid out the 800 needed, only to discover he was actually under-the-gun.
“I haven’t even looked at my cards yet,” Lai said but it was ruled that this counted as a call.
Small blind Raphael Gall and big blind SJ Kim chose not to punish and checked their options and it was three-way to a flop of 
.
This brought checks from all three players as did the turn and and Kim took down the small pot with the mighty 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
45,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
|
15,500
2,500
|
2,500 |
Level: 8
Blinds: 400/800
Ante: 100
Nguyen Wins One
Level 8
: 400/800, 100 ante
While he may not have been able to get much going in the High Roller Shot Clock Event Vietnam’s Hoang Thinh Nguyen is cruising along nicely in the Main Event and has added to his stack.
Pre-flop there was a middle position limp before Nguyen (button) raised it up to 2,500. Both blinds bowed out and the limper called with play going heads-up to a flop of 
.
There was no betting on any street until the river with the 
landing on the turn and the 
hitting the river. Now the limper sprang into action and took a stab for 2,500, which Nguyen called immediately.
The limper rolled over 
but was trailing to Nguyen 
and he stacked up to 65,500.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
65,500 |
Pang Leads, Gall Takes From Kim,
Level 7
: 300/600, 100 ante
While Van Sang Nguyen has a stack of roughly 135,000 - around 35,000 more than he had last we checked - the current chip leader appears to be Malaysia's Kwong Yuen Pang who has a stack of 160,000.
Another player who has just padded out his stack is Raphael Gall and we arrived at the table just in time to see SJ Kim and Gall play a big pot and while it looked like Kim’s tournament was ticking over nicely that is no longer the case.
We picked up the action on the river with the board reading 
just as Gall fired out a rather chunky 16,000 bet into a pot of over 30,000 in blinds and antes.
Kim, with around 30,000 behind did not look too thrilled about it but made the call and Gall turned over 
for the turned Broadway straight and Kim mucked, dropping down to 13,000 while Gall climbed to 97,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
160,000
160,000
|
160,000 |
|
|
97,000
33,675
|
33,675 |
|
|
13,000
-32,500
|
-32,500 |