Isaac Phua

Isaac Phua from Malaysia is the new APT Mystery Bounty Hunter Champion. The event attracted a total of 1,328 entries (850 uniques) accumulating a total prize pool of TWD 10,570,880 which not only surpassed the guarantee but hit a milestone in APT history for achieving a new record for field size for an APT mystery bounty event.

Phua took home the top prize of TWD 1,921,880 (~$60,838) and total bounties of TWD 112,000 (~$3,545), defeating Japan's Seigo Miyazaki in a lightning-fast heads-up match that lasted a few minutes.

This is Phua's very first APT victory, despite participating in APT events since 2022. Being his first APT Lion, the representation from Malaysia cheered him on and celebrated his victory with much fanfare.

Final Table Payouts

Day 2 of the tournament saw 185 players return all in the money, receiving a minimum cashout of TWD 14,000 (~$440). Phua was 6th in chips coming into the final table, but was relentless in building his stack with a combination of aggression and strategy.

Ka Shing Leung

The first to hit the rails at 9th place was Ka Shing Leung, who came into the final table with only 2 big blinds and landed in the small blind position after the redraw. So when Jacob Ikuma raised from under-the-gun, Leung was forced to put in the last of his chips with ten four offsuit. Unfortunately, Ikuma had pocket Queens and Leung exited with TWD 141,000+299,000 for his efforts.

Chunlung Wong

Chunlung Wong fell in 8th place felted by the champion himself. Defending his big blind, Wong jammed his chips in when he hit a pair with his eight-six suited on a paired board. Phua, holding Kings, snap called and removed Wong from the running. For his 8th place finish, Wong received TWD 183,000+155,000.

Francesco Dastici

It was a surprise to all that Francesco Dastici even made it to the final table as the Italian surfed the short stack for most of the tournament but was somehow able to evade elimination. Dastici came into the final table with the second shortest stack and complained of being card dead during his stay at the final table. With 2 blinds left, he went all-in blind after a raise from Phua, with the latter hitting a full house on the board with King-Jack giving Dastici’s four-deuce no chance. Dastici still took home TWD 257,000+250,000 for finishing 7th.

Chuyi Huang

The 6th placecasualty was Chuyi Huang who got caught in between the battle of two huge stacks. Crippled in a previous hand, Huang had one big blind which he placed in the middle of the felt the moment he got a King for his hole cards. Ikuma called and Phua wanted to isolate so he raised, only to be called by Ikuma. The battle that ensued between the two giants pushed Huang out. With Phua winning the hand, Ikuma crippled, Huang was out of the game, taking home a cash of TWD 337,000+671,000.

Jacob Ikuma

Naturally, the next in line to hit the rail was the crippled Jacob Ikuma. With most of his chips having gone to Phua, Ikuma jammed in late position when action was folded to him. Seigo Miyazaki called from the big bliind with King-high which won the hand against Ikuma's suited connectors. The US player took home **5th place prize money of TWD 447,000 (~$14,160) but scored the top mystery bounty of TWD 1,564,000 (~USD 49,460), which made the cash he took home almost equivalent to the top prize of the tournament.

Hung Yu Liao

Hung Yu Liao who fared well and was almost always at the chip lead in the duration of the tournament, found himself card dead at the final table. He shoved his stack in mid-position with Ace-five and was dominated by Chien-Hung Chi’s Ace-seven. The board gave him two-pair at the turn which made him celebrate. But it isn’t over until the fat lady sings and that’s exactly what happened when Chi got the higher two-pair on the river. Liao took home the 4th place prize money of TWD 572,000+55,000

Chien-Hung Chi

And they were down to three. Chien-Hung Chi came 2nd in chip lead entering the final table and have added a few more chips to his stack during the final table. He went all-in with a suited King-high at the button which was called by Phua with Ace-high which was good enough to win the hand. Chi went home with the 3rd place prize of TWD 772,000+215,000.

Seigo Miyazaki

Finally, it was heads-up. After busting out five of the nine finalist, Phua had a 2:1 chip lead against Seigo Miyazaki. The heads-up much only lasted a few hands after Chi left the building. Both being wary of the other, Phua and Miyazaki decided to limp into a hand where both players paired with the board. Action started happening on the turn when Miyazaki caught himself a two-pair. But despite his aggression, he couldn’t push Phua out of the hand. At the river, continuing his aggression, Phua decided to end it by going all-in. Miyazaki called not expecting to see Phua with the higher two-pair. Miyazaki took home a significant TWD 1,099,000+62,000.

The APT Taipei Poker Classic 2024 is still running until October 8 with a lot more exciting and fun tournaments designed for the poker player. Stay tuned for more live reporting, news and updates.

Isaac Phua has won the APT Mystery Bounty Hunter for TWD 1,921,880 + 112,000 (~$60,838 + 3,545)

A full tournament write-up will follow shortly.

Seigo Miyaki

Isaac Phua called the blinds from the button and Seigo Miyazaki checked to see the flop. The flop of 3 J 8 made both players check allowing for another free card.

Miyazaki shot out 1,200,00 on the Q and Phua called. Miyazaki continued his aggression on the K river. Phua looked at Miyazaki before announcing all-in. Miyazaki called.

Phua nervously turned over K 8 to making a two-pair on the river. Phua anxiously waited for Miyazaki's cards. When Miyazaki turned over Q 8 , Phua let out a shout of relief. Miyazaki got eliminated in 2nd place.

Chien-Huang Chi

Three handed Chien-Huang Chi jammed K 7 from the button for 5,600,000.

Phua in the big-blind called with A 4 . Neither player hit anything on the board and Chi busted in a respectable third place.

We are now heads-up for the title with Phua having a commanding chip lead.

Hung Yu Liao

Chien-Hung Chi raised 800,000 in mid-position and and Hung Yu Liao shoved his short stack at the button which Chi immediately called.

Chi showed A 7 while Liao showed A 5 . Railbirds from both sides were cheering both players and the cheers got louder when the dealer dealt T 5 8 .

The A made Team Liao scream "Yes!" with Liao himself doing a fist pump in the air. Team Chi, however, started chanting, "seven, seven, seven." Sure enough the 7 came at the river eliminating Liao in the process.

_Jacob Ikuma

After getting his chips cripped the hand prior, Jacob Ikuma jammed all-in at late position to be called by Seigo Miyazaki at big blind.

Ikuma 6 8 Miyazaki K T

The flop ran 3 9 4 giving Miyazaki a flush draw. But at this point, Ikuma didn't even care about watching the board anymore. He was busy chatting with Isaac Phua whom he seems to have developed a friendship with. The J turn and 4 were insignificant.

And with the bounty that Ikuma received, it would be like he placed 2nd, if not first.

Chuyi Huang

Chuyi Huang is out in 6th place and his bustout hand will have big implications for the future proceeding of this final table. And that’s only indirectly because of Huang. A few hands earlier Huang’s stack got crippled when he lost A J against Yu’s A Q .

Huang was left with less than one big-blind, which he put it all in in the cut-off with K 7 . Jacob Izuma on the button limped and Phua next to him in the small-blind made it 1,500,000, which Izuma called.

The flop came Q J J and Phua put out a small bet, which Izuma called. The A appeared on the turn and Phua continued to bet. Izuma responded with a jam! Phua snapped it off A J and had Izuma dead who showed J T .

Francesco Dastici

Francesco Dastici had been bemoaning how card dead he was and how everybody got pockets while he only got trash. At the big blind position, he was 400,000 behind and actually said this is it.

Isaac Phua initiated action in late position by raising 600,000. Eeverone folded to the big blind, and Dastici looked at us and say, "This is my talent" and gone all-in blind.

Dastici had 4 2 against Phua's K J . Dastici goes, "An Ace, 3 and 5 would be nice right now" before the flop was dealt.

The flop was 4 J J to which Dastici exclaimed, "You're kidding me! I'm drawing dead." Resigned to his fate he watched the Q turn and K with an exasperated look on his face.

Players are on a 15-minute break

Chunlung Wong

Isaac Phua opened from the cut-off and Wong defended his big blind. Flop came down T T 6 , Wong checked and Phua put out a small continuation-bet. Wong, who started this final table as one of the smaller stacks, check-jammed his 8 6 , but unfortunately for the Hong Konger, Phua once again got dealt K K and knocked him out.