Kick Off

Kenzo Mendoza raises to 255,000, Ashley Patterson defends the big blind, the flop runs 4♠ 2♥ 8♠ both players check. Both also check the turn T♥ . On the river 4♣ , Mendoza bets 300,000, Patterson check-calls and exposes Mendoza’s 6♣ 5♣ bluff. Patterson wins the pot with A♣ Q♠ ace-high.

Cutoff Jerson Quiras raises to 300,000, Ashley Patterson shoves from the button, Quiras folds.

Roh Hyunseb continues to rake in the chips. On a raised pot preflop, Hyunseb c-bet 450,000 on a flop T♦ 8♦ 7♠ , Ashley Patterson check-folded.

From the button, Roh Hyunseb raises to 220,000, Ashley Patterson defends the big blind, the flop is 4♥ 7♦ 2♠ , Hyunseb c-bets 160,000 and is called. On the turn J♣ , Hyunseb bets 550,000 and this time Patterson gives up his stake on the pot.

Hijack Roh Hyunseb raises to 180,000 button Ashley Patterson calls, small blind Yoshiki Miura three-bets all in, Hyunseb folds, Patterson makes the call. Miura shows 9♠ 9♦ and dominates Patterson’s 8♣ 8♠ . The board ran out 7♠ 5♦ 2♣ 2♥ J♠ .

From cutoff, Ashley Patterson raises to 175,000, Kanai Daisuke defends the big blind. Both players check the flop J♣ 7♣ 2♦ to get a free turn 2♣ . Patterson bets 200,000, Daisuke check-calls, the river comes T♦ . Daisuke jumps out with 500,000 bet, Patterson calls. Daisuke opens 7♠ T♥ two pair, Patterson wins the pot with J♥ 8♥ higher two pair.

Ashley Patterson calls Kanai Daisuke’s 170,000 to see the flop K♣ 3♦ 7♠ . Utg Daisuke c-bets 175,000, button Patterson calls, the turn comes 9♥ . Daisuke checks, Patterson sends out 250,000, Daisuke folds.

From utg+1, Kiril Gelev raised to 125,000, button Kenzo Mendoza called, the flop ran Q♠ J♠ 4♥ . Gelev c-bet 235,000 and won it then and there.

Several hands later, Gelev was on the big blind and called small blind Ashley Patterson’s raise of 150,000 to see the flop Q♦ 3♣ 8♠ . Patterson checked, Gelev took a stab with a 150,000 bet and was called. Both players checked the turn Q♣ for a free river 4♦ . Gelev fired 375,000, Patterson check-raised a solid 1,000,000, Gelev called and mucked to Patterson’s K♠ Q♥ trips.

Hijack Li Oleg raises to 100,000, button Jerson Quiras and big blind call. At the flop 2♣ Q♣ 5♠ , Li announces all in, Quiras joins in, and bb folds. Li has A♦ 3♦ , Quiras with K♠ Q♦ top pair. The turn J♣ and river 5h} keep Quiras ahead.

Li is down to <1 bb and shoves with K♣ 9♥ , Ashley Patterson denies him the double up with T♣ T♠ spiking the river for a victorious set on a board 7♥ K♣ K♦ A♦ T♥ .

Button Roh Hyunseb raises to 60,000 then calls small blind Ashley Patterson’s three-bet to 110,000. At the flop 7♥ T♥ 3♠ , Hyunseb bets 105,000, Patterson check-raises to 500,000, Hyunseb folds.

Preflop action leads to a 250,000 pot and a flop of 6♠ 9♣ K♣ . Betting leads to both playerys all in. Valeriy Pak has A♥ A♠ and is behind Ashley Patterson’s 6♦ 6♣ set. The turn 2♦ and river K♠ are no help to Pak for a double up to Patterson.

Another all in preflop with Kenzo Mendoza calling Ashley Patterson’s three-bet shove. Mendoza A♠ J♠ , Patterson A♦ 8♣ , an eight finds the flop and holds to the end 8♥ 6♣ K♥ K♣ 6♥ for a double up to Patterson.

Button Ashley Patterson goes all in holding Q♣ 6♥ , big blind Jung Yonghwa calls with A♠ 7♥ , the board runs T♥ 6♦ 8♥ 8♦ 6♣ for a full house to Patterson to take the lead.

Button Jung Yonghwa limps, big blind Ashley Patterson raises to 800,000, Yonghwa three-bet shoves, Patterson folds.

Small blind Roh Hyunseb shoves his 7 bb stack with Q♦ 9♣ , big blind Ashley Patterson calls with K♠ J♣ . The board runs Q♣ 4♦ Q♥ 9♦ 6♦ for a full house to Hyunseb and a happy double up.

Yoshiki Miura shoved with 2♦ 2♣ , big blind Ashley Patterson dominated with Q♥ Q♠ , the board ran J♦ 4♠ A♦ 7♠ Q♦ . Miura was eliminated in 4th place.

APPT Manila Kick-Off ran for 8.5 hours at Okada Manila with 28 players out of 183 entries surviving Day 1A. Filipino James Moriles and Canada’s Kiril Alex Gelev bagged the largest stacks of 470,000 and 460,000 which were equivalent to over 90 bb each.

The APPT Manila Kick-Off event has always been a magnet for early birds, and this year’s edition proved no different. A♠ the cards were dealt and the chips flew, notable players graced the tables such as 2019 APPT Manila Main Event champion Florencio Campomanes, 2019 APPT Manila Kick-Off champion Jinlong Hu, WSOP bracelet winner Henrieto Acain, 2023 PSPC Main Event runner up Max Menzel, Henrik Tollefsen, Norbert Koh, John Tech, Mattias Schell, and Jenam Yu.

At the end of registration, 148 signed up with an added 35 re-entries for 183 entries in total. A further three hours later, the bubble burst with Xu Qiang outdrawing Albert Muir. 

Emerging as chip leader was Filipino James Moriles who charged up the ranks during the last two levels of play. Canada’s Kiril Alex Gelev was at his heels, just 2 bb behind. One of Gelev’s biggest pots was quads Fives just before the close of day.