Gabriel Le Jossec Wins APPT Season 8 ACOP Main Event, Denies Sunny Jung Repeat Victory (HK$6,300,000)
That's all she wrote from the PokerStars.net APPT Season 8 Asia Championship of Poker Main Event! After a 14-hour day, it was Gabriel Le Jossec who rose to the top to take the title and the HK$6,300,000 first-place prize money. Le Jossec defeated reigning champion Sunny Jung during heads-up play, denying the Korean professional back-to-back victories.
The first casualty of the day came on just the third hand of the final table. Tore Lukashaugen, the table short stack, three-bet all in over an open from Vladimir Troyanovkskiy. Troyanovkskiy called, and Lukashaugen showed the 
, but he was dominated by the Russian's 
. A run out of 
ensured that Lukashaugen would fall in ninth place.
Shortly thereafter, Raiden Kan called all in for his tournament life also holding pocket eights. Kan was up against Jung's ace-king and fell behind after an ace on the flop. Kan was eliminated in eighth place and collected HK$813,100 for his finish.
Play then continued seven-handed for over two hours, with no player wanting to be the next to fall. Ultimately, the next to go was Joseph Cheong, whose top pair ran into Jung's pocket aces during a massive confrontation. Despite Cheong coming up short of the victory in the Main Event, he's had a spectacular week making two final tables. With this finish, Cheong pocketed an additional HK$1,080,000.
Russian Konstantin Pogodin was the next to go, eliminated at the hands of reigning Aussie Millions Main Event champion Ami Barer. Soon after Porodin's elimination, the other Russian at the table made his way to the exit in dramatic fashion. Troyanovskiy four-bet all in over a three-bet from Jung. Action folded back to Jung, and he called, showing the 
. Troyanovskiy had that beat, however, with the 
in the hole. Troyanovskiy looked poised to double up and remain in contention for the title, but fate was not on his side as the flop came down 
to give Jung a set of tens and a massive advantage heading to the turn. The board finished with the 
and the 
, eliminating Troyanovskiy in fifth place.
Four-handed play was the next long stretch of the tournament, lasting several hours thanks to multiple short stacks doubling up. It all came to a head, however, when Barer moved all in with four to a flush and an over card against Jung's pocket kings. Barer failed to improve on the subsequent streets, and he was eliminated from play in fourth place.
Zuo "ST" Wang was then eliminated in third place, failing to improve with ace-jack against Jung's pocket nines. Wang took home HK$2,565,000 for his finish, and with this, Jung and Le Jossec were thrust into heads-up play with the former holding a significant lead.
The heads-up match went back and forth several times, with neither player refusing to quit. On one key hand, Jung flopped two pair only to have Le Jossec turn a better two pair. A series of bets and raises got all of the money in, and Le Jossec was able to score a full double. From there, he seized the chip lead and eventually put Jung against the ropes. On the final hand, Le Jossec flopped bottom set against Jung's flopped top two pair. All of the money went in, Jung was unable to improve, and Le Jossec was awarded the title of champion.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (HKD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabriel Le Jossec | Canada | $6,300,000 |
| 2 | Sunny Jung | Korea | $4,250,000 |
| 3 | Zuo "ST" Wang | China | $2,565,000 |
| 4 | Ami Barer | Canada | $2,025,000 |
| 5 | Vladimir Troyanovskiy | Russia | $1,620,000 |
| 6 | Konstantin Pogodin | Russia | $1,350,000 |
| 7 | Joseph Cheong | USA | $1,080,000 |
| 8 | Raiden Kan | Hong Kong | $813,100 |
| 9 | Tore Lukashaugen | Norway | $675,000 |
That does it for PokerNews' coverage of the APPT Season 8 Asia Championship of Poker. Congratulations to Gabriel Le Jossec and goodnight!