Yifan "Alvan" Zheng enters the final table as the overnight chip leader with just over 1.5 million in chips. The 25-year old from Guangzhou in China works in the computer industry and learned how to play poker just three years ago when he studied in the United Kingdom.
Alvan considers himself a tournament player and had his first career victory in the HK$20,000 No Limit Holdem event during the Macau Poker Cup in April for a HK$717,100 score. Alvan is currently ranked #29 on the Asia Player of the Year leader board but a win in the ACOP Main Event would give him enough points to overtake current # 1 Jian Yang.
In the first hand of the day, Sunny Hyung Sun Jung put in a raise and took down the blinds and antes. Most of the stacks are extremely deep for final table play, so we expect this to characterize play here in the early goings.
It took just five hands for the first elimination of the day to occur. It happened when a short-stacked Chane Kampanatsanyakorn moved all in under the gun for 80,000 and action folded all the way around to Yat Wai Cheng in the big blind. Cheng thought for about 45 seconds and then made the call.
Cheng:
Kampanatsanyakorn:
"Snap," someone on the other end of the table said, referring to the amount of time it took Cheng to call with a quality hand. Meanwhile, Kampanatsanyakorn was up out of his set and preparing to make his exit. The dealer then burned and began to put out the flop, which had the in the window. Kampanatsanyakorn's supporters began to cheer, but they were quieted when the and followed it.
"Wow, what a flop," another railbird quipped. The set-over-set flop left Kampanatsanyakorn drawing to either running straight cards or the case seven, and the turn made it so only the latter option was available. The dealer burned one last time and put out the . Kampanatsanyakorn missed and was sent to the rail in ninth place for HKD$495,000.
Chenxiang Miao opened to 16,000 from the cutoff only to have Yat Wai Cheng three-bet to 41,000 from the button. Miao made the call before both players checked the flop.
The turn of the saw Miao lead out for 45,000 with Cheng calling as the landed on the river and Miao pushed out 70,000.
Cheng looked at Miao's stack a few times before sliding out an assortment of yellow 5,000 and red 25,000-denomination chips to signify a raise to 300,000 to effectively put Miao all in.
Miao paused for a few moments before eventually tossing his hand to the muck to slip to 160,000 as Cheng climbed over 1.3 million.
Action folded to Yifan Zheng on the button and he opened for 16,000. Jonathan Depa proceeded to three-bet to 49,000 from the small blind, the big folded, and Zheng four-bet to 115,000. Depa thought for a few moments before making the call, and then both players checked the flop.
After the dealer burned and turned the , Depa bet 125,000 and Zheng made a relatively quick call. Both players returned to checking on the river and Depa showed the for a missed flush. Zheng then tabled the for top pair and the win.
![[user80015]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and Kampanatsanyakorn doubled through.
and 
followed it.
turn made it so only the latter option was available. The dealer burned one last time and put out the 
. Kampanatsanyakorn missed and was sent to the rail in ninth place for HKD$495,000.
flop.
saw Miao lead out for 45,000 with Cheng calling as the 
landed on the river and Miao pushed out 70,000.
flop.
for a missed flush. Zheng then tabled the 
for top pair and the win.
