Flight A Top of the Pack Japan's Hajime Watanabe

The Asian Poker Tour Championship (APTC) continued today with the opening flight of the TWD 25,000 (~USD 812) Ultra Stack Championship, which drew 293 entries (254 unique), all packing into Red Space 多元商務空間 and battling it out at the tables over twenty 25-minute levels.

After a relatively short bubble period in Flight A, play concluded with a double elimination on the bubble. Filipino Michael Concepcion fell to Japan’s Hajime Watanabe and South Korea’s Hyeonsik Yun was eliminated by Thailand’s Teeraphat Rangkatekarn, ending both their dreams of making the Final Day.

The remaining 40 players have now bagged up their chips to carry through to the final day starting Wednesday, November 19th, and merge with the surviving players from the remaining five flights.

It was Japan’s Watanabe who closed out the flight with the chip lead, bagging a massive 1,831,000 chips. Trailing behind Watanabe was South Korea’s Jaeah Kim with 1,470.000 chips, and hot on Kim’s heels, rounding out the podium in third spot was Hong Kong’s Douglas Tak with 1,396,000 chips.

Flight A Top Ten Chip Counts

Watanabe picked up a big chunk of his stack by helping to burst the bubble when his pocket aces held against Concepcion’s pocket fives.

Kim & Tak were pretty active throughout the day, continuously building their stacks in various spots, but never really got involved in any huge clashes.

American Alfie Poetra is sitting pretty in fourth spot with 1,349,000 chips and will be hoping to make a deep run to take his lifetime earnings across the USD 1,000,000 milestone.

Jun Obara

Second on Japan’s All-Time Money List and multiple APT title holder, Jun Obara, has a healthy 1,304,000 in chips sitting in fifth spot and will be looking to close in on the USD 7,500,000 lifetime earnings mark.

Multiple APT title holder Thailand’s Sukhum Kiwanont, finished up in eighth place with 1,071,000 in chips and will be aiming to put his hands on his first APT Championship Lion Trophy.

Natural8 Ambassador Hua-Wei Lin made it through the day with 467,000 and will be aiming to take her lifetime earnings to near the USD 750,000 mark.

Natural8 Ambassador Taiwan's Hua Wei Lin

The ever-active and jovial, Rangkatekarn, made it through to his second final day of a Championship Event here in Taipei, after qualifying for Day 2 of the National Cup Championship with a monster stack. The Thai player will bring through 992,000 in chips and sits just outside the top ten.

For a full Ultra Stack Championship Flight A Survivor List: Click here.

There are three remaining flights for the event on Tuesday, November 18th, with two flights also currently playing down to the money at the time of writing. All survivors will merge for the final day on Wednesday, November 19th and play down to a winner.

Keep your eyes glued to the APT blog for all the latest updates from the floor inside Red Space, Taipei.

With the double bust out on the bubble only 40 players have survived to day 2 and will make the money.

These remaining 40 players are now bagging up their chips to take through to day 2 on November 19th.

Stay tuned for a recap of today's action with full survivor chip counts.

During the hand-for-hand action, two players were eliminated on the bubble.

Everything was decided pre-flop in early position on the bubble of this Flight A. Michael Concepcion, under the gun, opened to 100,000 before being 3-bet to 250,000 by Hajime Watanabe sitting to his left. Concepcion shoved his stack with pocket 5 5 . Better armed with pocket rockets A A , Watanabe called instantly.

The board offered Concepcion no chance, and he stood up before all the cards were fully revealed as the A K 6 6 4 runout sent him home empty-handed.

Teeraphat Rangkatekarn Burst The Bubble

Hyeonsik Yun moved all in for 225,000 from late position and was called by Teeraphat Rangkatekarn on the button. The blinds folded quickly.

Hyeonsik Yun: Q Q

Teeraphat Rangkatekarn: A J

Not the flop Yun wanted to see when it came T A 2 and he needed to hit a queen or running straight cards to stay alive.

The 5 on the turn did not help and when the J peeled off on the river Yun was sent to the rail as the bubble boy.

Kai Hsu made it 300,000 to play from under the gun leaving himself just one 1,000 chip behind and action folded around to Hyosung Kim on the button who made the call.

The flop came A T 6 and after watching the clock tick down to one second Hsu checked. Kim tossed in a minimum bet of 40,000 and again Hsu let the clock run down before he tossed in his solitary chip to make the call.

Kai Hsu: A 9

Hyosung Kim: 5 5

The 3 dropped on the turn and gave Hsu some additional cards to dodge but when the 7 peeled off on the river he survived for a full double up.

All action started with a pre-flop open from Ka Him Li in early position for 60,000, followed by calls from Ran Ilani in middle position and Zin Wee Lee on the button.

Chien Chih Weng in the small blind then shoved her 411,000 chips into the middle. Li folded, while Ilani reshoved his massive seven-figure stack, forcing Lee to fold.

Chien Chih Weng K K

Ran Ilani 8 8

The board quickly ended Ilani’s hopes as the dealer flipped a K on the flop, followed by 3 2 T 4 .

Frankie Cucchiara

Action folded to Frankie Cucchiara in the hijack who raised to 70,000. Tom Eady on the button pushed in all his time banks and the dealer pulled all of these in before Eady moved all in for 175,000. The blinds folded and Cucchiara called leaving himself just 51,000 behind.

Frankie Cucchiara: A Q

Tom Eady: A 3

A dangerous looking flop came for Cucchiara of 6 K 8 .

The turn of 2 was safe for him but when the 2 came on the river Eady made his flush and was sent the pot leaving Cucchiara with a bowl of rice.

Action folded to Chao Cheng in the hijack who raised to 140,000, leaving just 20,000 behind. Chamanan Arthachinta on the button then moved all in and had Cheng covered. Cheng snap called.

Chao Cheng: K K

Chamanan Arthachinta: A Q

Some help for Arthachinta on the Q 4 6 flop, but when the K dropped on the turn to give Cheng a set, he was drawing dead.

The irrelevant 4 came on the river to seal the deal and gave Cheng a full double up.

Manapat Chuchaisri

All players folded around the table until it was Eunjung Sim’s turn in the small blind, who pushed her entire stack into the middle and was called immediately by Manapat Chuchaisri, holding a bigger stack in the big blind.

Eunjung Sim: 6 9

Manapat Chuchaisri: K Q

Having lost any hope of hitting a flush, Sim could only rely on a six or nine to stay alive in the tournament.

The 6 2 A flop connected with her six and the 3 turn meant she was now a strong favourite to win the hand.

Unfortunately, the brutal river came Q and gave Chuchaisri a superior pair, ending Sim’s run.

Chao Ting Chen opened first for 20,000 under the gun. On the button, Kim Fernandez three-bet to 40,000, only to face a four-bet from Frank Cucchiara in the big blind.

Chen wasn’t done and shoved all-in. Fernandez folded while Cucchiara, who was covered by Chen, took the risk and committed his entire stack.

Chao Ting Chen: K J

Frank Cucchiara: A 3

The flop smiled on Cucchiara, and he doubled up with a straight completed by the turn on a board of 5 8 4 2 A .