Zodiac Classic - Day 1 - Sponsored by Natural8 - TWD 20,000,000 GTD

Christopher Tran

Day 1 of the richest Zodiac Classic in APT history is in the books. The TWD 80,000 Zodiac Classic received a total of 320 entries (232 unique), creating a total prize pool of TWD 22,348,800 (~$709,400). The second largest Zodiac Classic field winner will walk away with a hefty TWD 4,362,800 (~$138,495).

Australia's Christopher Tran, our end-of-the-day chip leader, bagged a huge chip lead with 437,000. The Aussie has won $683,169 in live tournament earnings and scored his biggest live tournament win in Australia in September of last year when he cashed $197,244 during an event in Down Under.

Japan's Takeshi Takahashi will start Day 2 as second in chips, bringing a total of 361,000 to Day 2. Takahashi is relatively new to poker and is looking to best his highest live tournament cash of $5,569 with a deep run on Day 2.

The top 3 are completed by APT Taipei 2023 Zodiac Classic champion Younghee Park, who will bring 336,500 in chips to Day 2. At the end of the day, his title defense went into the highest gear after winning kings versus tens against Hideaki Ohashi.

In the last hand of the evening, the number four on the leaderboard, USA's Benjamin JacobsAt the end of the day, his title defense went into the highest gear after winning kings versus tens against Hideaki Ohashi, picked up aces versus ace-queen on an ace, queen, five flop. His opponent Takashi Ogura couldn't get away from the hand making sure Jacobs went into the night with 316,500.

Zodiac Classic Day 1 Top-10 Chip Counts

Other notables that made it to Day 2 are former WSOP Main Event runner-up Tony Miles (196,500), Taiwan's #2 ranked tournament player Yen-Han "Pete" Chen (174,500), Natural8 ambassadors Yu Chung "Neven" Chang (155,000), and Phachara Wongwichit (68,000), and four-time WSOP bracelet winner Bradley Ruben (64,500).

Zodiac Classic Payouts

Join us tomorrow for Day 2 of the Zodiac Classic from 11:15 am, March 8, to find out who will win the richest Zodiac Classic in APT history.

This live reporting blog was brought to you by Life of Poker.

Day 1 of the Zodiac Classic has come to an end, a full recap is coming to you shortly.

Benjamin Jacobs

In the last five hands of the day, the action was getting wild in the Asia Poker Arena.

On Table 43, Adones Carmona was all-in for his tournament life with A♥ Q♣ against Guan Hao Tan's 9♥ 9♣. The board ran out K♣ J♦ 5♥ 2♠ 3♣. A frustrated Carmona made his way to the exit while using a few powerful Filipino words (@#$%).

Table 42 offered us an all-in at the same time as short-stacked Romain Dours was all in versus Tsz Hin Lou. Romain tabled A♦ J♦ while Lou showed A♠ 5♠. Dours flopped a nut flush draw on 8♦ 9♦ 9♥. The Frenchman made a small fist pump but wasn't out of the woods yet.

The K♠ turn and 4♣ river made sure Dours doubled up to 43,000 in the last hand of the day.

The last all-in we witnessed was the last bust out of the. While all other tables were tagging and bagging, Benjamin Jacobs and Takashi Ogura were involved in a preflop 3-bet pot. Ogura made the call and the two above-average stacks went to a flop of Q♥ 5♠ A♦.

Jacobs fired out, and Ogura clicked it back; Jacobs came over the top with a 4-bet all-in, and Ogura snap-called!

Ogura was at risk, the Japanese showed A♠ Q♠ for flopped top two pair. Jacobs tabled A♥ A♣ for top set, a massive setup in the last hand of the day. Ogura did not see the outcome with the 2♦ turn and J♥ river as he stormed out in frustration.

In one of the last hands of the day, we saw Chun Shing Lau and Kyle Bao Diep get all their chips in the middle, with Lau at risk.

Chun Shing Lau: K♥ K♣

Diep: Q♣ Q♦

Lau needed to dodge two outs. The board ran out of 5♥ 6♠ A♥ 6♣ T♦, Lau found a double-up!

The action started with Guan Hao Tan raising from early position and was called by Chia Yun Wu. The player on the button Hao Shen decided to shove all-in for 45,000. Action folded to Tan, who re-shoved all-in for 115,000 in an attempt to isolate the shorty. Wu went deep into the tank but decided to let it go. After Wu's cards hit the muck, he commented, "I want to call so bad".

Shen responded to Wu, 'Why not gamble together?' as he flipped over his A♣ 2♥.

Tan showed A♠ Q♦.

Shen in need of some help, but were the poker gods kind to the Taiwanese? The board ran out 3♠ 3♣ 6♦ 2♠ 9♦ and Shen got the help he need by hitting a deuce on the turn.

We arrived at the last level of the day for the Zodiac Classic.

The players have to battle for another 40 minutes before they can leave the Asia Poker Arena and join the APT Player's Party.

Hideaki Ohashi and Younghee Park were involved in the 3-bet pot. when we arrived at the table, Park was putting all his last 54,000 into the middle on a board of 7♠ 6♣ 5♠ 7♣. The action was back on Ohashi, who made the call to put Park at risk.

Park: K♠ K♦

Hideaki: T♥ T♣

The river came the Q♥, which meant Park successfully doubled up. Ohashi was left with less than 20 big blinds.

When we arrived at Table 34 and watched a hand unfold between Jack Salter and Hayato Kitajima, Zhonghuan Dai pointed out that a massive setup just occurred at this table.

The players went 4-way to a flop of A♦ 8♦ 5♠, and all the chips went into the middle during a 5-bet battle between Hon Cheong "Ivan" Lee and Yuichi Sumida.

Lee tabled pocket fives, while Sumida showed a set of eights. The board bricked out and Sumida is our Zodiac Classic chip leader.

When we got to the table, the only lady at the table, Carmen Ling, fired a bet of 15,000 into an 8,000 pot on a board of 3♥ 7♦ J♠ 5♠ 4♠ Bradley Ruben went deep into the tank. He clearly didn't believe Ling's story and was curious to find out. The four time WSOP bracelet winner tossed out calling chips, showdown.

Ling gave Ruben the bad news as she tabled A♥ 2♥ for a rivered straight.

The complete action was missed but we saw Ngoc Cao and Jaeki Choi get all the chips in the middle, and Chee Wee Soh was tanking. After tanking for 2 minutes Soh decided to call to put Cao and Choi at risk.

Cao: K♠ K♣

Choi: J♠ J♦

Soh: A♠ 7♠

Everyone was shocked when the flop came 7♥ 7♦ Q♣, Soh out flop two opponents and flopped the trips, but it was not ended yet when 7♣ landing on the turn which meant Choi and Cao were drawing dead and the river came 6♥ which meant Soh was going to steal the deal.