Andreas Rauh joined a chorus of caller going five ways to a flop. After checks from the blinds and a third player, the fourth bet 1,900.
Rauh flatted, only to see the blinds fold and the third player push all in for 18,800 more. The leader tossed his hand away, but Rauh made the call with . He was up against a flush draw that missed on the turn and river to vault Rauh up the leader board.
Seung-Soo Jeon was rolling right along getting up to around 120,000 in chips when the player two to his right raised it up to 4,500 leaving himself even less behind.
Jeon promptly made it 9,000 and after it folded back to the raiser he called all in. It was for Jeon against the short stack's and the jacks held on the flop. The poker gods gave Jeon the on the turn to put him ahead, but just as they giveth, they taketh away.
The river came the to straighten out the short stack and although he still leads, Jeon has slipped some.
Just when it looked like Seung Soo Jeon was slipping slightly he got involved in a massive 60,000-chip pot where he flopped a wheel against two pair and managed to hold through the turn and river.
Looking around the room he is now the overwhelming chip leader.
It's been a wild last half hour for chip leader Seung Soo Jeon. Just one had after doubling up a short stack when he turned top pair only to see his foe river a flush, he managed to bust that same player.
He got him all in with queens against a weak ace, held and is now running away with Day 1b here in Manila.
With just half a level to play in the day Jeon has a legitimate shot at being the chip leader heading into Day 2.
Day 1b of the PokerStars.net APPT Season 8 Manila main event was a day filled with action.
A total of 153 players joined the fray by the time registration was closed and what that means is a grand total of 260 players entered over the event's two starting flights.
This created a healthy PHP 11,349,000 prize pool that will pay 28 spots with PHP 3,472,000 reserved for the champion.
Building the kind of stack that will give him an inside track on that kind of money today was Korean Seung Soo Jeon.
Jeon enjoyed a late flurry of activity that saw him become the first player to crest the 200,000-chip mark and he will bring the overall chip lead into play Sunday when the survivors of both starting flights combine for the first time.
Elan Zak shot up the leader board early and although he slipped some, he also enjoyed the late level action pushing his stack up into the 130,000-chip range to end the night. Meanwhile, Eric Sia got chips early and played solid to end the day just under 100,000.
The one player bearing the Team PokerStars flag today didn't fare as well, as Vivian Im busted out of this event for the second day in a row Sunday.
In the meantime, the defending champion - having won the title in Cebu the last time the APPT was in the Philippines - Simba Jae Kyung Sim made an appearance today. He flirted with a decent sized stack most of the day, but ended with 15,900 and should be looking to make some moves early Sunday.
With some 60 players making it through the day, there will be a grand total of 95 when play begins at 1 p.m. local time Sunday and as always, the PokerNews Live Reporting team will be on hand to bring you all the action from start to finish.