Latest Day 1A Post

Arthur Kocher has just lost a chunk of chips in a recent encounter with Kim Jong Sung of Korea. With blinds of 400/800, and a stack of just over 60,000 chips, Cocher raised in early position to 4000. It folded around to the big blind of Kim Jong Sung,...more

The stampede on the magnificent dinner buffet at Manila’s Hyatt Hotel and Casino doesn’t appear to have claimed any victims, ensuring 55 players have returned to the ballroom for the final two levels on day 1A of the PokerStars.net APPT Manila main event. It must have been mighty tasty...more

The runner-up of last year's APPT Manila event, Ira Blumenthal from the USA, took a big hit moments ago when he lost a 'coinflip' against Tsutomu Nagashima, of Japan With blinds at 300/600 (and antes of 75), Nagashima was under-the-gun and went all-in for 14,000 chips. Blumenthal, in late...more

Bryan Huang’s hopes of a record breaking fourth successive APPT cash have ended early in the seventh level of play on day 1A of the PokerStars.net APPT Manila main event. The mild-mannered but fiercely competitive Singaporean fell to a one-two combination when his pocket jacks were overtaken by A-J...more

Franco Mabanta left his position with the Filipino Poker Tour to turn his attention to playing poker full-time. With that decision comes the ups and downs experienced by every poker pro. Indeed, Mabanta has been through the emotional wringer in the past few minutes. First, the good. With a...more

PokerStars Qualifier Arthur Cocher has travelled to Manila from Switzerland, and landed next to experienced local player Vinny Quiason. Despite travelling different roads to get here, they both have their eyes on the same prize. When I spoke with the two players, their moods were a clear reflection of...more

David Saab is hungry, tired, a bit grumpy and nursing a hangover, but the booming laugh of the Aussie livewire can still be heard over the rattling of chips in the ballroom here at the Hyatt Hotel and Casino. Having established a solid reputation on home turf in both...more

“Yes, poker sure has come a long way.” So said Brad Daugherty as he surveyed the tournament area midway through day 1A in the PokerStars.net APPT Manila main event at the Hyatt Hotel and Casino. When Daugherty called Don Holt’s bluff to become the first player to win a...more

With the recent US elections, politics is a hot topic of conversation at the tables today. Political views are as common as bad beat stories - everyone has them, and everyone wants to share theirs with the table. Like a misplayed poker hand, many players are sagely offering their...more

It took Andrew Scott more than 12 months before he achieved the breakthrough result of his tournament poker career when he finished runner-up to Nam Le in the PokerStars.net APPT Macau High Roller event back in September. However, it looks unlikely that the Hong Kong-based Australian will improve his...more

Players here at the APPT Manila come from more than 40 different countries, with all shapes and sizes represented. We have experienced veterans, and newcomers to the world of high stakes live poker. One experienced veteran playing here at APPT Manila is Brad Daugherty, the 1991 World Series of...more

Asia is considered an emerging poker market, but a small band of pioneers have been spreading the gospel long before the APPT was founded. Two of those ‘founding fathers’ are in the room today. PokerStars Sponsored player Wally “The Dream” Sombrero is the spiritual head of Filipino poker and...more

Unless you’ve recently returned from a trip to Mars, you’ll be aware that the world is going through a bit of a financial “correction” at the moment. But the global cash crunch doesn’t appear to have had much of an impact on the size of the field for the...more

As part of PokerStars' effort to spread the enjoyment of poker, the local Filipino television station is covering the PokerStars.net APPT Manila event in great detail. The featured table has almost 30 cameras, allowing more people than ever before to enjoy watching the stars of poker, and watch them...more

name="flashvars" value="SMILURI=http://www.pokerstars.tv/movies/47F/appt-manila-08-a-taste-of-things-to-come.smil?from=embed&APIHOST=http://www.pokerstars.tv&ENABLEMENU=YES">Watch APPT Manila 08: A taste of things to come on PokerStars.tv The red carpet has been given a steam-clean in readiness for today’s opening session in the PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour Manila main event after receiving a torrid workout yesterday. Scores of local and international media...more