Early Salvoes, Shin Edges in Front

Players have wasted little time, getting straight into the action, aside from Zong-Ping Yang, who has yet to show up and is in the process of getting blinded out on table 23.

Over on table 19, Hong Kong's Dicky Tsang and the USA's Edwin Gerard played a sizable pot that went to showdown, with action picked up on the flop with somewhere between 32,000 and 40,000 in the pot with the community cards spread .

Gerard, situate under-the-gun, was the preflop raiser and following Tsang's check, Gerard fired out a 25,000 continuation bet, which after some time in the tank, Tsang called and the dealer burned and turned the completing a possible spade flush.

Both players checked, with the river pairing the board. Sitting in the big blind, Tsang now led out for 47,000 and Gerard called immediately, but could only shake his head and muck when Tsang rolled over to scoop the pot with the nut flush. Gerard dropped to 71,000 after the hand, making him one of the shorter stacks, while Tsang climbed to 360,000.

Over on table 21, it looks as though Taiwan's Chia-Hui Tu means business, mainly because he has turned up in a shirt and tie and Tu elected to defend his big blind against a Jae Wook Shin middle position open to 17,000. Shin continuation bet the flop and Tu quickly gave it up.

Over on table 20, Hong Kong's Ping Cheong Fung made it 18,000 to go from the cutoff and chip leader Chou Chien Fa made the call from the button to take play heads-up to the flop, which was checked by both.

Fung fired out a delayed continuation bet for 20,000 on the turn, which Fa called quickly and the paired the river. Fung checked, as did Fa, and the former rolled over a slowed played for rivered trips, which was good for the pot. That hand means Jae Wook Shin has edged in front of Fa for the chip lead.