Main Event Day 1a | 2023 Poker Dream Manila

05-04-2023 19:45 UTC+9

Babayan Doubles Through Balauitan

Christian Zetzsche

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

Russia's Vage Babayan had 3,500 out in front on the button and then called all-in for the last 17,100 when Maurillo Balauitan pushed all-in from under the gun.

Vage Babayan: Q♠Q♣
Maurillo Balauitan: A♦K♥

The 7♠3♥2♠8♥9♣ board provided none of the two overcards for Balauitan and he dropped below the starting stack, while Babayan leaped above it.

Player	Chips	Progress
Suya Lee	95,000 30,000	30,000
Vage Babayan	38,000
Benigno Ledina	35,000 85,000	85,000
Maurillo Balauitan	27,000

Tags: Vage Babayan Maurillo Balauitan

05-04-2023 19:40 UTC+9

Macavinta Scores a Double

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Christian Zetzsche

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

Soon after winning the three-way all-in, Eng Soon Ewe took a major hit as Wooseok Kim doubled to a very healthy stack.

Ewe also lost the next all-in against a very short-stacked Saudino Macavinta when his K♦7♦ couldn't beat K♥10♥. The K♠Q♠J♥2♠9♣ runout gave Macavinta a straight.

Player	Chips	Progress
Wooseok Kim	100,000 60,000	60,000
Eng Soon Ewe	20,000 54,500	54,500
Saudino Macavinta	16,000 8,500	8,500

Tags: Eng Soon Ewe Saudino Macavinta Wooseok Kim

05-04-2023 19:34 UTC+9

Doddapaneni Flipped Out by Ma

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Christian Zetzsche

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

Yicun Ma was one of three players to limp in and Sriharsha Doddapaneni then raised to 6,500 in the big blind. Ma then jammed and Doddapaneni called it off for just shy of the starting stack.

Sriharsha Doddapaneni: K♠Q♠
Yicun Ma: 7♥7♦

The A♥10♣7♠9♣8♠ board improved Ma to a set and Doddapaneni bricked his gutshot. Shortly after, the Indian bought back in as the Day 1a field has grown to nearly 130 entries by now.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yicun Ma	80,000 80,000	80,000
Sriharsha Doddapaneni	30,000

Tags: Sriharsha Doddapaneni Yicun Ma

05-04-2023 19:28 UTC+9

Kim Sends Chow to the Rail

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Christian Zetzsche

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

Shortly after the blinds had gone up, Pak Khin Chow opted to move all-in for 19,100 in the cutoff,. Junho Kim moved all-in over the top for more than two times as much and Marcuss Liow in the small blind just briefly asked for a count to then fold, as did the big blind.

Pak Khin Chow: A♣10♣
Junho Kim: Q♣Q♥

The 6♦6♠2♠5♣7♣ board provided no help and sent Chow to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Junho Kim	65,000 65,000	65,000
Marcuss Liow	50,000 5,000	5,000
Pak Khin Chow	Busted

Tags: Junho Kim Marcuss Liow Pak Khin Chow

Level: 8

Blinds: 500/1,000

Ante: 1,000

05-04-2023 19:23 UTC+9

Thompson Enters the Fray

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Ireland's Gary Thompson finished second in the Super High Roller event here in the Grand Wing Casino just two days ago and took a seat in level seven. He was just spotted with an open raise to 1,800 and the cutoff was the only caller. They checked to the A♦J♠9♣8♥4♣ river on which Thompson bet 2,200 to collect the pot uncontested.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gary Thompson	33,000

Tags: Gary Thompson

05-04-2023 19:18 UTC+9

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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Eng Soon Ewe	74,500 44,500	44,500
Saudino Macavinta	7,500 23,500	23,500
Joseph Magnotti	Busted

Tags: Eng Soon Ewe Joseph Magnotti Saudino Macavinta

05-04-2023 19:13 UTC+9

Rivera Felted by Cheong

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

In a preflop contest, Marc Rivera got it in with the A♥J♣ and Yuan Xiang Cheong looked him up with the 9♦9♥.

The pocket pair remained ahead all the way on the Q♥5♠3♥7♣K♠ runout and that sent Rivera to the registration desk, he re-entered shortly after.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yuan Xiang Cheong	55,000 21,000	21,000
Marc Rivera	30,000

Tags: Marc Rivera Yuan Xiang Cheong

05-04-2023 19:08 UTC+9

Samant Chips Up in Showdown

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

On the tail end of a heads-up pot between Emil Condez and Kanishka Samant, the former bet 8,000 with the board showing 9♦4♦2♠3♠J♠. Samant just called and Condez rolled over the 3♥3♣ for a turned set of treys. However, Samant had the best of it with the 4♠4♥ for a flopped set of fours to win the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kanishka Samant	75,000 10,000	10,000
Emil Condez	17,000 24,000	24,000

Tags: Kanishka Samant Emil Condez

05-04-2023 18:57 UTC+9

Assorted Counts in the Field

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Marcuss Liow was almost on his way out of the tournament and then scored a triple up. "They made me play three-four," he joked to a friend when he recalled the change of fortune.

Further assorted counts can be found below.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chi Fu Sze	75,000 1,000	1,000
Hal Rotholz	70,000 9,000	9,000
Kok Weng Beh	55,000 3,000	3,000
Marcuss Liow	45,000 15,000	15,000
Andrew Nguyen	42,000 12,000	12,000

Thijs Hilberts	35,000 6,500	6,500
Eng Soon Ewe	30,000 30,000	30,000
Tien Thanh Dinh	30,000 30,000	30,000
William Teoh	28,000 8,000	8,000

Said Mekhmedov	Busted
Wai Ki Cheung	Busted

Tags: Marcuss Liow