APPT National (60,000 PHP)

Thomas Ward of New Zealand has the action folded to him on the HJ and raises to 20,000, but right beside him in the CO is Japan's Yashiro Naoki who 3-bets all-in for 131,000. It gets folded all the ay back to Ward who opts to call.

Naoki shows A♠ J♠ while Ward is in a flip with 3♠ 3♥ .

The flop practically shut the door on the Japanese player: K♣ 3♦ K♥ to give the Kiwi an near insurmountable lead. Naoki was drawing dead on the turn of 9♥ and the river of 6♦ made the elimination official.

Yashiro Naoki of Japan starts the action with a UTG raise for 18,000 and gets calls from Korea's Bae Wonchul and Kiwi Thomas Ward.

The flop comes T♠ 7♦ 9♦ . Ward checks, Naoki CBets to 20,000 and gets called by Bae. Ward steps aside. It is heads up to the turn: Q♣ . Naoki fires again, this time for 45,000 and the Korean still calls. The river is the 7♣ . This time, both check.

Naoki is first to show and he flips over A♦ K♠ for a bunch of missed draws while Bae shows 8♠ 8♦ for a missed gutshot but most importantly a pair that withstood the board and the bombardment from the Japanese player.

Raising from UTG, Japan's Yoshihiro Naoki raises to 13,000 and gets called by local bet Flo Campomanes in the D and Thomas Ward of New Zealand in the BB.

The flop comes 5♠ 4♣ A♥ . All check. The turn is the 4♥ as it is checked to Campomanes who leads out for 42,000. Ward calls and Naoki folds. It is heads up to the river of the 6♥ as both check.

Ward flips over A♦ 3♥ for top pair and a not so sexy kicker. Campomanes mucks.

Raising from early position, Korea's Hwang Seokchul makes it 10,000 to go, but is greeted with a 3-bet on the CO from Yashiro Naoki of Japan to 30,000. Then from the BB American Scott Black 4-bets to 75,000 and practically commits himself to the pot with more than half of his stack already in. Hwang opts to fold as Naoki 5-bet shoves. Black snap calls.

Naoki flips over A♠ K♣ while Black shows J♦ J♥.

Black falls behind on the flop as it comes K♠ K♦ 3♣ . That didn't last long as Black hits one of his two outs on the turn as the J♣ arrives. It's now the Japanese player in need of hitting one of his four remaining outs, but the river denies him with the 4♣ .

The American gets a much needed double-up.