There are still 24 players remaining in the APPT Seoul Main Event but at the end of this day just one will be left with all the chips. The tournament slowed down considerably last night and therefor three tables are left with American Jeff Holbrook (579,000) firmly in the lead. It's still anyone's game though as the good structure leaves a lot of room for all the remaining players.
Among the contenders today we recognize former Aussie Million finalist Sam Cohen who's in second place with 417,000 chips. Cohen had a great day yesterday in which she never put a lot of chips at risk. Chane Kampanatsanyakorn from Thailand finished second in this event last year and he's once again looking to make a run as he comes into the final day fourth in chips with 281,000.
Winfred Yu, host of some of the biggest cash games in the world in Macau, still has a good chance as he takes 244,000 chips into the final day. The Day 1b chip leader Raiden Kan had a late resurge and he's also still in the hunt with 202,000 and Andy Chan, the former ACOP Main Event runner up, looks to finally take home a title of his own as he still has 197,000 chips left.
Make sure to stay tuned all day right here on PokerNews.com as we bring you all the live updates throughout the epic conclusion as a new champion will be crowned in Seoul!
Toan Ngoc Nguyen raised from the button to 12,000 and Bian Hong Yang proceeded to move all in from the small blind for 112,000 total. Both blinds folded and Nguyen called right away.
Akira Ohyama raised to 14,000 from the cutoff and was immediately followed with the all in of An Tai Young on the button for an additional 71,000. Ohyama made the call and the hands were tabled.
Ohyama:
Young:
The board ran out leaving Ohyama with only 12,000. He went all in a few hands later and lost when his couldn't improve upon the flopped pair of his opponent.
Kelvin Beattie went all in from under the gun +1 and it looked like he might get through but he eventually found a caller in Toshimasa Kawahira, from the small blind. Once the big blind folded Kawahira yelled "nuts, baby" as he turned over . Beattie responded with "don't show me the nuts." as he turned over .
The board ran out and Kawahira's aces held, eliminating Beattie from the tournament in 17th place. They are now consolidating down to two tables.
The pre-final table eliminations have been following each other up in quick succession as we are down to just 12 after Yencheng Huang just hit the rail.
Huang kicked off the action himself with a raise to 20,000 and quickly it was folded to John Marshall who three-bet from the small blind to 62,000. Huang tanked for a bit and called.
The flop brought out and Marshall immediately moved all in to put his opponent in a tough spot. Huang had about 280,000 chips left and after about 10 seconds he made the call creating a huge pot.
Marshall:
Huang:
The board ran out , and Huang busted out in a massive pot. Marshall is now our new chip leader as two tables of six players remain.
Andy Chan was down to his final 53,000 chips when he just moved all in from the hijack. Kosaku Akashi tanked for a bit and called from the small blind after which Chane Kampanatsanyakorn called from the big.
The flop brought and both players who still had chips left decided to check.
On the turn the hit and Akashi checked again to Kampanatsanyakorn who bet 70,000 this time around. Akashi called and on the river the hit.
Both players checked and Akashi showed [Ac8c8] which was no good against Kampanatsanyakorn's , as he had rivered a flush. Chan showed and he was eliminated in 10th place.
Play will now continue with two tables of five until we lose one more player before the Final 9 create the official final table.
The action folded to Kosaku Akashi who moved all in for his final 129,000. Makoto Yoshimichi went all in behind him for 245,000 and that was followed by the all in of Shinya Umano, who had both of them covered.
Akashi:
Yoshimichi:
Umano:
The board came and Umano eliminates two players from the tournament and is now sitting a slightly above average stack.
Christian Haggart raised to 55,000 and it folded to Keiichiro Sugimoto who moved all in. Sam Cohen also went all in and it folded back to Haggart who eventually folded. When the hands were tabled, it was Cohen who was ahead going to the flop with against the of Sugimoto.
The board ran out , eliminating Sugimoto from the tournament in 7th place, just two hands after he doubled up.
The action began with Winfred Yu raising to 65,000. It folded around to John Marshall, who announced all in. Back on Yu, he looked at Marshall and said "again?" Marshall nodded and Yu put the necessary chips in the middle. Marshall was behind heading to the flop with against Yu's .
The flop came giving Marshall some outs. Those outs didn't materialize with the turn or the river, elminating Marshall from the tournament in 6th place.
and Yang was knocked out.
couldn't improve upon the flopped pair of his opponent.
. Beattie responded with "don't show me the nuts." as he turned over 
and Kawahira's aces held, eliminating Beattie from the tournament in 17th place. They are now consolidating down to two tables.
and these three cards proved to be the perfect combination for some big fireworks.
and the river the 
eliminating Kan in 15th place while Yu is now very much back in the hunt with a tad below average.
and Marshall immediately moved all in to put his opponent in a tough spot. Huang had about 280,000 chips left and after about 10 seconds he made the call creating a huge pot.
, 
hit.
, eliminating Sugimoto from the tournament in 7th place, just two hands after he doubled up.
giving Marshall some outs. Those outs didn't materialize with the