Keiji Takahashi With Commanding Lead After Day 1 of the 2019 PokerStars APPT Korea High Roller
The 2019 PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Korea festival went from strength to strength thus far with bigger field sizes in all major events at the Paradise City Casino in Incheon, South Korea, and it came as no surprise that the final ₩4,000,000 ($3,525) High Roller Event turned out to be an overwhelming success.
One year ago, the very same event drew a total of 82 entries for a buy-in of ₩5,000,000 and the field size was shattered in the 2019 edition with 155 entries after 11 levels, consisting of 119 unique players and 36 re-entries. That number may still rise further, as the registration and re-entry period remains open for the first 40-minute level on Day 2 as of 1.30 p.m. local time. A prize pool of ₩556,295,000 has emerged so far, which equals approximately $490,249.
Out of the 155 entries, only 72 players advanced and Japan's Keiji Takahashi has bagged up an enormous stack of 509,500, nearly or more than two times as many chips as his nearest followers Michael Soyza (264,000), Yasreel Praveen Doddaiavar (255,000) and Daniel Smiljkovic (247,000). In level six, Takahashi was down to fewer than half the starting stack and got it in for 20 big blinds with four-two suited against ace-queen suited. Takahashi hit a deuce and doubled once more to get back into contention.
What followed in the final level of the night was the far biggest pot of the tournament so far when he scored a double knockout with a middle set against top pair and the bottom two pair of Xiaosheng Zheng. That pot catapulted Takahashi into the top spot and he will enter Day 2 at blinds of 1,000-2,500/2,500 with a sizable lead over the rest of the field.
Other big stacks and notables that advanced include Ming Huang (195,500), Linh Tran (160,500), Pete Chen (160,000), Konstantin Pogodin (160,000), Natalie Teh (136,500), Randy Lew (121,500), Oleg Titov (115,500), Ken Okada (91,000), Short-Deck Champion Phachara Wongwichit (66,500, Chin Wei Lim (62,500), two-time festival champion Yan Li (61,500), and Danny Tang (41,000). Hideki Izutsu, who final-tabled the Super High Roller, eventually made it through to Day 2 with 74,500 on his fifth bullet.
As far as Soyza is concerned, the Malaysian is having yet another stellar festival. He triumphed in the Super High Roller and went on to bag the second-biggest stack on his starting day of the Main Event after. While his title defense in that event fell short in 20th place (₩6,400,000/$5,640), he bagged up the second-biggest stack once more.
Celina Lin was the only one to represent the Red Spade in the High Roller Event and joined after she had bowed out in 22nd place in the APPT Korea Main Event. Unfortunately for Lin, she ran out of chips in the final two levels of the night and will have to re-enter in the first level of Day 2 for another shot at a deep run in Incheon.
Other notables that came and left without anything to show for on Day 1 were Christopher Park, Jun Obara, Single-Day High Roller champion Toshiyuki Onda, Jack Wu, Norihiro Otani, Yuki Ko, Robert Glasspool and Alex Lee. All of them may or may not give it another try after a good night's sleep, as Day 2 recommences at 1.30 p.m. local time. The event is scheduled to play down to a champion on Sunday, April 14th, 2019, and the PokerNews live reporting team will be your one-stop-shop until the conclusion of the tournament.
Day 2 Seat Draw
| Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Nan Hong | China | 83,000 | 33 |
| 1 | 3 | Michael Soyza | Malaysia | 264,000 | 106 |
| 1 | 5 | Yasreel Praveen Doddaiavar | India | 255,000 | 102 |
| 1 | 6 | Tsun Ming Chan | Hong Kong | 75,000 | 30 |
| 1 | 7 | Hideki Izutsu | Japan | 74,500 | 30 |
| 1 | 8 | Huijie Zhou | China | 125,000 | 50 |
| 2 | 2 | Wayne Heung | Hong Kong | 92,000 | 37 |
| 2 | 3 | Hisashi Yamanouchi | Japan | 32,000 | 13 |
| 2 | 5 | Natalie Teh | Malaysia | 136,500 | 55 |
| 2 | 6 | Graeme Siow | Singapore | 96,000 | 38 |
| 2 | 7 | Hiroshi Nishiyama | Japan | 98,000 | 39 |
| 2 | 8 | Sano Koichi | Japan | 37,500 | 15 |
| 3 | 1 | Wayne Zhang | China | 46,500 | 19 |
| 3 | 3 | Keiji Takahashi | Japan | 509,500 | 204 |
| 3 | 4 | Kenny Shih | USA | 210,000 | 84 |
| 3 | 6 | Konstantin Pogodin | Russia | 160,000 | 64 |
| 3 | 7 | David Kwong Man | UK | 41,000 | 16 |
| 3 | 8 | Ken Okada | Japan | 91,000 | 36 |
| 4 | 2 | Chuanshu Chen | China | 85,000 | 34 |
| 4 | 3 | Jiaqi Chen | China | 103,000 | 41 |
| 4 | 4 | Dong Chen | China | 179,000 | 72 |
| 4 | 6 | Chin Wei Lim | Malaysia | 62,500 | 25 |
| 4 | 7 | Tamon Nakamura | Japan | 176,000 | 70 |
| 4 | 8 | Masaharu Tomita | Japan | 57,500 | 23 |
| 5 | 1 | Danny Tang | Hong Kong | 41,000 | 16 |
| 5 | 2 | Lei Yu | China | 54,000 | 22 |
| 5 | 3 | Yunye Lu | China | 131,500 | 53 |
| 5 | 4 | Yan Li | China | 61,500 | 25 |
| 5 | 6 | Lu Chen | China | 75,000 | 30 |
| 5 | 7 | Oleg Titov | Russia | 115,500 | 46 |
| 6 | 1 | Shigeji Kusakabe | Japan | 66,500 | 27 |
| 6 | 2 | Jamie Lee | USA | 96,000 | 38 |
| 6 | 4 | Yunlong Jin | China | 59,500 | 24 |
| 6 | 5 | Pete Chen | Taiwan | 160,000 | 64 |
| 6 | 7 | Yusuke Kotake | Japan | 108,500 | 43 |
| 6 | 8 | Yilu Yuan | China | 39,000 | 16 |
| 7 | 1 | Huahuan Feng | China | 36,500 | 15 |
| 7 | 3 | Yilong Wang | China | 45,500 | 18 |
| 7 | 4 | Linh Tran | Canada | 160,500 | 64 |
| 7 | 5 | Phachara Wongwichit | Thailand | 66,500 | 27 |
| 7 | 7 | Yanfeng Wang | China | 79,000 | 32 |
| 7 | 8 | Reo Hayano | Japan | 204,500 | 82 |
| 8 | 1 | Changyang Liu | China | 100,200 | 40 |
| 8 | 3 | Guoliang Wei | China | 116,500 | 47 |
| 8 | 5 | Jie Xu | China | 64,000 | 26 |
| 8 | 6 | Daisuke Ogita | Japan | 134,500 | 54 |
| 8 | 7 | Daniel Smiljkovic | Germany | 247,000 | 99 |
| 8 | 8 | Kengo Sakurai | Japan | 87,000 | 35 |
| 9 | 1 | Jian Yang | China | 126,500 | 51 |
| 9 | 3 | Shinryo Nonin | Japan | 184,000 | 74 |
| 9 | 4 | Changyang Liu | China | 52,500 | 21 |
| 9 | 6 | Masafumi Iijima | Japan | 83,100 | 33 |
| 9 | 7 | Daniel Lee | United States | 93,000 | 37 |
| 9 | 8 | Kensaku Takagi | Japan | 51,000 | 20 |
| 10 | 1 | Yongwei Mo | China | 50,900 | 20 |
| 10 | 3 | Ting Shum Kwok | Hong Kong | 53,400 | 21 |
| 10 | 4 | Yuichi Sumida | Japan | 73,000 | 29 |
| 10 | 6 | James Won Lee | USA | 136,500 | 55 |
| 10 | 7 | Randy Lew | USA | 121,500 | 49 |
| 10 | 8 | Yuanchao Li | China | 128,100 | 51 |
| 11 | 1 | Hiroyuki Noda | Japan | 94,500 | 38 |
| 11 | 2 | Minh Le | Vietnam | 104,000 | 42 |
| 11 | 4 | Irshat Shaykhov | Russia | 61,600 | 25 |
| 11 | 5 | Tianyuan Tang | China | 129,000 | 52 |
| 11 | 6 | Dong Guo | China | 60,500 | 24 |
| 11 | 8 | Jiayi Jin | China | 120,500 | 48 |
| 12 | 1 | Calvin Lee | USA | 33,000 | 13 |
| 12 | 2 | Jwahyoung Kim | Korea | 92,000 | 37 |
| 12 | 3 | Yake Wu | China | 37,000 | 15 |
| 12 | 4 | Ming Huang | China | 195,500 | 78 |
| 12 | 6 | Vincent Li | Hong Kong | 182,500 | 73 |
| 12 | 7 | Kosaku Akashi | Japan | 45,000 | 18 |
flop, Takahashi led for 25,000 and Zheng called. The initial raiser moved all in for 62,000 and Takahashi moved all in over the top for more than 180,000. Zheng gave it some thought, even asked for a count and called it off.
for top pair and Takahashi revealed 
for middle set. Zheng was gutted and barely flipped over his 
for bottom two pair ... he was already drawing to running sevens only for miracle quads. It was all over on the 
turn for Zheng, but the short stack could still hit a straight. A blank 
followed on the river and Takahashi scored a massive double knockout to take the lead.
flop and jammed the turn with a blank came. Ogita showed 
and izutsu had 
. The 
river ensured that the kicker played and Ogita doubled.
, action checked to Ogita on the button and he bet 3,000. Huahuan Feng check-raised to 8,000 in the big blind and Oleg Titov check-reraised to 19,000 in early position. Ogita called and Feng now reraised to 38,000. Titov folded and Ogita came along.
turn for 35,000 to pick up a call and jammed the 
and said in table chat he had pocket fours.
and Izutsu busted for a second time today.
turn and the 
river change nothing whatsoever, and Zhu has been eliminated after a crazy roller coaster in the first levels of the day.
, Oleg Titov bet 11,000 in the small blind and Kenny Shih called from under the gun. The 
versus 
board. However, right after he got it in again with 
, Daniel Lee check-raised from 2,200 to 6,500 and Xiaobing He on the button made the call to see the 
on the turn. Lee now bet 11,500 and He moved all in.
river was a blank and Lee doubled, while He still had 40 big blinds left over.
