2010 PokerStars.net APPT Cebu

Main Event
Day: 4
Event Info

2010 PokerStars.net APPT Cebu

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a6
Prize
5,810,000 PHP
Event Info
Buy-in
94,000 PHP
Entries
236
Level Info
Level
25
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
0

Main Event

Day 4 Completed

Congratulations to Young-shin Im; Winner of the PokerStars.net APPT Cebu Main Event (PHP 5,810,000)!

Champion Young-shin Im
Champion Young-shin Im

After five intense days of poker in the Mecca of paradise that is Cebu, Philippines, a champion has been crowned in the penultimate stop of season four of the 2010 PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour!

236 players anted up PHP 100,000 each to partake in yet another PokerStars.net sponsored tournament in the Philippines, and although the numbers were down on the five previous events, an outstanding and highly calibre field all ventured to the beautiful Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa.

WSOP Bracelet holders, APPT and ANZPT Champions, tournament veterans, amateurs and online qualifiers were all in attendance, but many saw their tournament end over the two day ones as only 127 players managed to bag their chips.

Day 2 saw fast and furious action as we played down till just thirty-five remained; seven spots from the money with Kim Gap Young capturing a huge chip lead. Day 3 would follow a similar speed of play as we reached the money before two separate flurries of eliminations put us at a final table of nine with Young well in control again.

With only eight eliminations standing between one player and the title, we would see a slight stall in the action before Raymond Lapitan, Richard En, Jukka Juvonen and Basilios Diakokomninos all falling before the first break. With Young still holding a massive lead, it would be the uncovering that Young-chin Im was his off-felt partner, and it was no surprise that the fellow Korean was sitting nicely placed second in chips. Australian ex-pat and overnight second chip leader Daren Yoon was unable to gather any real momentum on the day and soon found himself out the door in fifth place before Mikael Rosen's elimination saw the final three lock into a tough struggle.

Chips interchanged between the three freely, but it was Im who soared ahead of the pack before her partner - and expected heads-up opponent - was bounced to the rail by Australian Fabiano Michael.

Entering the heads-up duel at slightly better than a two-to-one disadvantage, Michael turned to friend and professional poker player Van Marcus for advice - something of which carries some weight since Marcus held the trophy aloft in the 2008 APPT Manila Main Event.

That advice served Michael a great help as the amateur player applied an aggressive Marcus-like approach to the heads-up battle and managed to snatch the lead only to see it taken back the next hand before being sent to the rail in 2nd place in an unusual hand where Im's {A-Diamonds}{6-Clubs} outdrew his {5-Clubs}{5-Hearts}.

For Young-shin Im, this not only represents her second APPT cash but also maiden tournament victory for the Korean who has attracted attention from all the media outlets since taking her seat in the tournament. Displaying bouts of aggression, composure, patience and willingness to win, Im is not only a worthy winner of the 2010 PokerStars.net APPT Cebu Main Event and recipient of the PHP 5,810,000 first prize, but also one to watch out for on the circuit.

PokerNews would like to congratulate Young-shin Im on a fantastically well played tournament, but also the PokerStars and Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa staff for their wonderful display of hospitality and kindness throughout our stay here in the magnificent Cebu, Philippines.

For the PokerNews Live Reporting Team, we may be waving goodbye to paradise, but over in the USA, the PokerStars.net NAPT Los Angeles Main Event is down to it's final day, before the APPT concludes in Sydney from December 7th-12th. See you on the tournament trail! And until then may your Aces greet Kings, flushes best straights and all your triple-barrel bluffs go uncalled!

Tags: Young-shin Im

Fabiano Michael Eliminated in 2nd Place (PHP 3,660,000); Young-shin Im Wins!

Fabiano Michael - 2nd place
Fabiano Michael - 2nd place

Fabiano Michael opened to 150,000 from the button, and as Young-shin Im contemplated her decision, the dealer dragged in her 50,000-chip big blind into the pot.

Im slid in a stack of 150,000 assuming that it was 150,000 to call, and when APPT Tournament Director Danny McDonagh was called over to make a ruling, he deemed that Im would be bound to a min-raise of 250,000.

With Michael seeming a little confused, he opted to move all for his last 1,945,000 which was just 10,000 shy of Im's total chips. A few moments went by before Im announced call and over thirty players rushed the table.

Michael: {5-Clubs}{5-Hearts}
Im: {A-Diamonds}{6-Clubs}

With Im standing over her chips and Michael in the arms of his good friends Van Marcus and Gokhan Kursunlu, the dealer paused for dramatic fashion before dropping a {7-Clubs}{2-Diamonds}{A-Clubs} to thrust Im into the lead.

As Michael's smiles of being ahead, now turned into a frown at the hands of needing to catch a five to remain alive, Im would quietly utter those tournament-immortal words of, "Hold! Hold! Hold!"

The crowd pushed tighter on the table as the {K-Spades} landed on the turn, and as Michael - who seemed to have already resounded to his fate of a second place finish - slowly backed away from his railbirds, the dealer peeled off the {2-Spades} on the river.

For his fantastic efforts, Michael heads back to Australia not only more confident in his game and his loyal friends, but also PHP 3,660,000 richer as Young-shin Im is crowned the PokerStars.net APPT Cebu Champion!

Tags: Fabiano MichaelYoung-shin Im

Fabiano Snatches Lead

Fabiano Michael now has the chip lead
Fabiano Michael now has the chip lead

Young-shin Im opened to 125,000 from the button before Fabiano Michael moved all in for 2,145,000.

Im kicked her cards into the muck to see Michael pushed the pot while also climbing into the chip lead with 2,270,000 - a mammoth 10,000 more than Im.

Tags: Young-shin ImFabiano Michael

Fabiano Limp-Pushes to Victory

Fabiano Michael limped in from the button before Young-shin Im made it 250,000 to go from the big blind.

Michael looked over at his railbirds - which include Gokhan Kursunlu, Van Marcus and David Ewing - snuck in a sneaky smile and moved all in for 1,845,000.

Im took her time before folding while slipping to 2,385,000 as Michael climbs to 2,145,000 in chips.

Tags: Young-shin ImFabiano Michael

Chop It Up Again

Young-shin Im bumped it to 125,000 from the button and Fabiano Michael defended his big blind to see a {Js]{10-Hearts}{Q-Diamonds} flop fall.

Michael proceeded to check-call 100,000 before repeating that action when the turn landed the {9-Diamonds}.

With the river falling the {k-Clubs} to put a straight on the board, Michael checked for a third time before Im pushed out 200,000.

Michael hesitated for a few moments before making the call tabling his {10-Clubs}{9-Clubs} to chop with Im's {6-Hearts}{5-Spades}.

Tags: Fabiano MichaelYoung-shin Im

Fabiano Closes In On Two Million

Young-shin Im opened to 125,000 from the button and Fabiano Michael made the call from the big blind to see a {9-Spades}{6-Diamonds}{2-Clubs} flop fall.

Michael check-called 90,000 before the {2-Hearts} landed on the turn and he again proceeded to check-call Im's bet; this time amounting to 120,000.

When the river landed the {5-Diamonds}, both players checked it through to see Michael table his {K-Clubs}{10-Spades} to prompt a fold from Im.

With that pot, Michael has now soared up to 1,990,000 while Im slips to 2,540,000 in chips.

Tags: Young-shin ImFabiano Michael

Fabiano Flush'd

After raising the first hand of the new level to 175,000 successfully, Fabiano Michael tried again by making 175,000 from the button.

This time however, Young-shin Im made the call to see a board {J-Spades}{A-Hearts}{2-Hearts}{4-Spades}{8-Spades} checked down.

On the river, Im grabbed 200,000, but only committed 100,000 with Michael making the call.

"Queen-high" announced Im only to flip her {Q-Spades}{3-Spades} for a flush.

Michael tossed his cards to the muck while slipping to 1,430,000 as Im raked in the pot to move to 3,100,000 in chips.

Tags: Young-shin ImFabiano Michael