Single Day High Roller - 8 Max

Phachara Wongwichit

The TWD 63,000 + 7,000 Single Day High Roller has been won by Natural8 Ambassador Phachara Wongwichit for a payday of TWD 1,860,410 ($60,400). A total of 121 entries (93 unique) were recorded with Wongwichit outlasting them all to take home his fifth APT title and an all-new APT lion trophy. Thailand's Wongwichit defeated Hong Kong's Dicky Tsang in a heads-up battle for the ages that spanned four levels before the Thai player emerged victorious.

Going into the final table it was Farhad Aghayev who had the chip lead with double that of second place, but the Azerbaijani player would be the first to fall when his queen-jack couldn't overcome the pocket queens of Jongwook Kim. The APT Incheon Main event winner took home TWD 184,900 ($6,000) for his ninth-place finish.

Next to be eliminated would be Daniel Rezaei who was sent packing in a cruel way when Kaongho Lee shoved his pocket queens on an ace-high flop into Rezaei's ace-nine, only for a queen to appear on the turn which mean Rezaei was drawing dead. This was his first APT final table appearance and he takes home TWD 247,700 ($8,040) for finishing eighth.

Taiwan's own Chen Lin would be out in seventh when his ace-king couldn't pair up against the pocket tens of Shirasawa Kazuhiro after he had four-bet shoved his stack into the Japanese player. Lin took home TWD 329,000 ($10,680) and added another APT final table to his already impressive resume.

Dicky Tsang

It would be Japan's Kazuhiro to fall next as he called a shove from Lee in a blind-on-blind confrontation holding king-eight. Despite Kazuhiro flopping top pair, South Korea's Lee would hit runner-runner flush to send the Japanese player to the rail in sixth for TWD TWD 430,300 ($13,970).

With play five-handed it was Wongwichit who started to pick up steam and grow his stack, being unfortunate against Julian Cheung when his ace-king ended chopping with Cheung's ace-nine in a pot that would have seen the Thai player take the chip lead with four players to go. Eventually, it would be Cheung who busted in fifth when he shoved twenty big blinds with pocket deuces and running into Kim's pocket eights. Cheung got no help from the board and he was out in fifth for TWD 545,700 ($17,700).

Lee had his moments during the final table, even chip-leading for some time but it would be the South Korean who fell just short of the podium places when he shoved king-jack and was called by his countrymate Kim's ace-queen. Lee had live cards but couldn't connect with the board and he was out in fourth for TWD 676,600 ($21,960).

Jongwook Kim

Kim would be our third-place finisher when he made an uncharacteristic shove with jack-seven and ran into the pocket eights of Tsang. Tsang would flop a set and turn a full house which sent Kim to the rail with the South Korean pocketing TWD 817,100 ($26,520) for his podium finish.

It was Tsang who entered heads-up play as the chip leader but that status would come and go multiple times throughout the encounter as the two players traded positions on numerous occasions. Wongwichit once had a five-to-one chip advantage only for Tsang to hold the exact same lead just a few hands later. The Thai player won a coinflip with pocket fives against the ace-six of Tsang, despite the latter flopping a flush draw, Wongwichit managed to fade the outs and get the stacks back to even. In the concluding hand, Wongwichit had shoved queen-seven with Tsang making the call with king-ten. A queen in the window would be enough for the Thai player to take victory with Tsang putting up a valiant effort and bagging TWD 1,257,000 ($40,800) for his runner-up finish.

Natural8 Ambassador Wongwichit takes home TWD 1,860,410 ($60,400) and becomes only the second person to have won an old APT High Roller trophy and a new-era lion silhouette trophy, along with John Tech.

This live report is bought to you by lifeofpoker.com.

Dicky Tsang

Dicky Tsang has been eliminated in 2nd place for TWD 1,257,000 ($40,800).

Phachara Wongwichit opened shipped his stack into the middle and was called by Dicky Tsang.

Wongwichit Q♣ 7♥ Tsang K♥ T♠

A flip for it all! Both players had pretty even chip stacks with Wongwichit slightly covering Tsang.

A crowd formed around the table to watch the dealer put out five community cards that would separate the players from the title.

No time to waste. The flop.

Q♠ 2♥ 4♣

A queen in the window for Wongwichit!

His entourage erupts as the Thai player takes a huge step towards the trophy.

The dealer slowly burned a card and revealed an 8♠.

Wongwichit was one card away from winning his fifth APT title.

The highly-anticipated river card.

8♣

Wongwichit has done it.

What a rollercoaster heads-up battle that was. Well played to both players.

Dicky Tsang shoved the small blind into Phachara Wongwichit, who made the call.

Tsang A♣ 6♣ Wongwichit 5♣ 5♦

Tsang was a coinflip away from winning the trophy, but if Wongwichit were to hold the stacks would be back to even.

The flop of 9♣ T♣ 2♠ gave Tsang a world of outs as now any club, ace, or six would give him the pot and the title.

Wongwichit would manage to survive though as the board ran out J♥ K♦ and he doubled up.

Heads-up play continues!

Dicky Tsang completed from the small blind and Phachara Wongwichit checked his big blind.

Both players checked the 5♥ 2♠ 9♠ flop.

Wongwichit fired for 300,000 on the K♥ turn and Tsang called.

Tsang fired a big bet of 1,200,000 on the river and Wongwichit made the call.

Tsang tabled K♣ 3♥ for a pair of kings which was good for the pot.

Dicky Tsang limped the small blind and Phachara Wongwichit checked his big blind.

Tsang bet 350,000 on the 9♥ T♠ Q♠ flop and Wongwichit made the call.

Tsang would fire a second bullet on the 4♦ turn for 800,000 which was enough to get Wongwichit to fold.

Phachara Wongwichit limped pre-flop and Dicky Tsang checked his big blind.

Wongwichit bet 300,000 on the 9♦ 4♠ A♦ flop and Tsang made the call.

On the A♣ turn Wongwichit bet again for 600,000 and Tsang called.

Both player checked the 5♦ river and Wongwichit took it down with 5♠ 9♣ for a flopped pair.

Phachara Wongwichit opened to 600,000 with Dicky Tsang making the call.

With the flop reading 5♦ 8♣ 7♥ both players checked to see a free turn card.

Tang fired 750,000 on the 3♥ turn and Wongwichit folded.

Phachara Wongwichit

Phachara Wongwichit shipped his stack from the small blind and Dicky Tsang put in the call.

Wongwichit J♥ 8♥ Tsang K♦ 4♥

Tsang was ahead but if Wongwichit won the hand he would be our champion.

Wongwichit didn't like the look of the Q♦ Q♠ K♣ flop and he was dead on the K♠ turn as Tsang had a full house.

Stacks back to even!

Players are electing to shorten the scheduled 15-minute break to just a few minutes.

Dikcy Tsang limped from the small blind and Phachara Wongwichit checked.

On a flop of Q♥ Q♦ 8c: Tsang bet 250,000 with Wongwichit raising the minimum to 500,000. Tsang made the call to see a turn.

Wongwichit bet 1,000,000 on the 9♣ turn which drew a fold from Tsang.