Main Event Day 1a | 2023 Poker Dream Manila

May 04, 2023

Ewe Sends All Chips to Sze in Two Hands

Christian Zetzsche

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Chi Fu Sze called a river bet worth 11,000 on K♥9♦6♠4♠10♥ and was good with the 8♥6♥, as Eng Soon Ewe had bluffed with a busted draw.

Sze then limped from an early position and Ewe jammed for 26,400 on the button. Alexis Cruz in the big blind tank-folded, later claiming in table chat he had ace-queen., while Sze quickly called.

Eng Soon Ewe: 4♠4♥
Chi Fu Sze: 7♣7♥

The K♣J♥8♣Q♥9♣ runout kept the superior pair ahead as Ewe headed to the rail.

Tags: Alexis Cruz Chi Fu Sze Eng Soon Ewe

May 04, 2023

Dinh Soars to a Big Stack; Lim Survives

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

"Okay, Okay," Tien Thanh Dinh joked as he won a massive side pot in a three-way all-in over on table two. He was involved in the action with the Q♦Q♥ and narrowly missed out on it all as Gai Lax Lim tripled up with the 8♣8♠.

The J♦6♠2♠8♦3♠ board had also seen Kok Weng Beh involved, who lost a big portion of his stack with ace-jack for top pair and top kicker.

Tags: Dinh Soars Kok Weng Beh Tien Thanh Dinh

May 04, 2023

Ewe Prevails in Three-Way All-In Showdown

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Joseph Magnotti got his short stack into the middle and so did Super High Roller third-place finisher Eng Soon Ewe. Both were covered by Saudino Macavinta and the following showdown unleashed.

Joseph Magnotti: K♣J♣
Eng Soon Ewe: A♦J♠
Saudino Macavinta: Q♣Q♥

The board ran out A♥10♦7♥9♣7♣ and Ewe's pair of aces knocked out Magnotti while Macavinta was left short.

Tags: Eng Soon Ewe Joseph Magnotti Saudino Macavinta

May 04, 2023

Teoh Takes a Big Hit

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

In the last hand before the break, William Teoh and Fu Chi Sze got into a preflop raising war in which the latter was the player at risk for 36,400.

Fu Chi Sze: K♦K♥
William Teoh: A♠10♠

The 8♠4♦3♠ flop and 5♣ turn gave Teoh a straight and flush draw. However, the 8♥ river was a brick and Teoh had to part ways with nearly two thirds of his stack.

Tags: Fu Chi Sze William Teoh

May 04, 2023

Magnotti Loses a Bunch to Cruz

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 5 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Joseph Magnotti defended his big blind against a raise by Alexis Cruz and then check-called for 1,500 on the 9♣9♦4♠ flop. On the 6♣ turn, Magnotti check-called for another 4,000 and checked the 2♠ river. Cruz fired a bet of 16,000 to get snap-called and turned over the 9♠8♦ for trips nines.

Magnotti shook his head as he exposed the 9♥3♥ for the inferior kicker and lost a bigger portion of his stack.

Cruz leaped to two times the starting stack, which is only beaten by the large stack of Wai Keong Yong next to Magnotti.

Tags: Alexis Cruz Joseph Magnotti

May 04, 2023

Yu Busts Two With a Suited Five-Gapper

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 5 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Winfred Yu raised to 1,100 and Enrico de Rosa three-bet all-in for the 2,100 he had left. Dieu Phuong Linh Nguyen then reraised to 4,000 and Yu called, inquiring how many players from Vietnam had Nguyen on this trip. "I will buy percentage on the next bullet ... donation," Yu joked in table chat.

The board fell 6♠3♣2♥ and Nguyen continued for 5,000. "You can fold now," she said but Yu called. On the 5♠ turn, Nguyen pushed all-in and Yu called with the slightly superior stack.

Enrico de Rosa: J♣J♠
Dieu Phuong Linh Nguyen: Q♥Q♦
Winfred Yu: 9♣4♣

The 3♠ river brought no chip as the suited cards of Yu knocked out two opponents.

Tags: Dieu Phuong Linh Nguyen Enrico de Rosa Winfred Yu

May 04, 2023

Mondalo Scores a Big Double

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Bonifacio Mondalo reraised to 3,500 on the button only for Hao Cheng to then make it 8,800 to go. Any other opponents got out of the way while Mondalo called. Cheng's continuation bet on the Q♦J♣6♥ flop for 6,500 resulted in a call and Cheng then pushed all-in after the 2♥ turn.

Mondalo tanked for more than a minute and called it off for the 25,400 he had behind.

Bonifacio Mondalo: 10♦6♦
Hao Cheng: K♣K♠

The 10♥ on the river let several players gasp in shock as Mondalo pulled a rabbit out of the hat with a miracle double, while Cheng was left crushed in his chair.

Tags: Bonifacio Mondalo Hao Cheng

May 04, 2023

Bratberg From Hero to Zero

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Prior to the first break of the day, Stephen Nathan had bluffed a 7♦4♠3♦9♠8♥ river with the A♠5♣ but was called by Terje Bratberg with the 10♥10♦ to see the latter win the pot.

Both were involved in the action just now also as well when Hal Rotholz bet the 9♣7♥3♥ flop for 1,400. Nathan called on the button and Bratberg then check-raised to 4,500 in the small blind. Rotholz reraised to 16,600 for Stephen to fold and Bratberg's shove was called.

Hal Rotholz: A♥9♥
Terje Bratberg: 9♠7♦

The Q♥ turn gave Rotholz the nut flush and the A♦ river secured his double for 28,600. Bratberg was left with fumes and bowed out shortly after.

Tags: Hal Rotholz Terje Bratberg Stephen Nathan

May 04, 2023

Beh Doubles Through Singapan

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 3 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

In a three-way three-bet pot, only Ricardo Singapan on the button and Kok Weng Beh in the small blind remained involved in the action on the K♦J♠6♠3♦ turn. Beh jammed for 18,700 and Singapan quickly called.

Kok Weng Beh: K♣J♦
Ricardo Singapan: Q♦10♦

The huge double draw of Singapan missed as the 4♣ river brought no help for Beh to double.

Tags: Kok Weng Beh Ricardo Singapan

May 04, 2023

Kim Caught Bluffing by Lee

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

With some 14,000 in the middle to the K♦2♥2♠5♣ turn, Taehyung Kim bet 10,000 and Suya Lee called. That led them to the J♦ on the river after which Kim pushed all-in for 16,200. Lee mulled it over for two minutes and the clock was called on him.

Lee called eventually and Kim rolled over the A♦8♥, which was beaten by the K♣Q♣ of Lee. "Nice try Sir," Thijs Hilberts joked while Lee replied to another player at the table "I never played with him before".

Tags: Suya Lee Taehyung Kim Thijs Hilberts