Tsolmon-Erdene Ochir Claims First of Five APPT Manila Platinum Passes
The Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Manila kicked off this weekend as 844 entrants packed the PokerStars LIVE Manila for the ₱15,000 APPT Kickoff Event. That made it the largest field in the tournament’s history blowing past the previous record of 451 entries set last year.
Mongolia’s Tsolmon-Erdene Ochir, the 30-year-old director of the Mongolian Poker Team Training School, came out on top to win a ₱1,541,000 ($29,166) first-place prize and the first of five Platinum Passes that'll be given away at the nine-day festival.
"I’m so happy to win my first live tournament title, this is my biggest win ever and I cannot express my feelings, but I will do my best in the Player’s Championship also," Ochir said with the aid of a translator.
The final table of nine represented seven different countries, and after Japan’s Tamon Nakamura bowed out in third place for ₱883,000 ($16,712), Ochir struck a heads-up deal with Korea’s Gyeong Tae Yoo.
With the Platinum Pass a part of the negotiations, Yoo settled for second place but was awarded ₱2,200,000 ($41,638) in prize money while Ochir took less cash, the pass, and the title. Still, the ₱1,541,000 ($29,166) he won easily surpassed his previous best cash of $5,617 for finishing third in last month’s PokerStars LIVE Manila Super Series 8 Shot Clock Event.
Official Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize | USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tsolmon-Erdene Ochir | Mongolia | ₱1,541,000 | $29,166* |
| 2 | Gyeong Tae Yoo | Korea | ₱2,200,000 | $41,638* |
| 3 | Tamon Nakamura | Japan | ₱883,000 | $16,712 |
| 4 | Jesus Rivera | Philippines | ₱638,000 | $12,075 |
| 5 | Andrianto Wijaya Tan | Indonesia | ₱430,000 | $8,138 |
| 6 | Wei Cheng Yin | Taiwan | ₱330,000 | $6,246 |
| 7 | Xiaisheng Zheng | China | ₱254,000 | $4,807 |
| 8 | Liping Song | China | ₱220,000 | $4,164 |
| 9 | Jiankeng Pan | China | ₱187,000 | $3,539 |
*Denotes heads-up deal
More Action in Week Ahead
The APPT Manila runs through August 12 and will hold 22 Official Asia Player of the Year events offering more than $700K in guarantees. That includes a ₱55,000 ($1,050) buy-in Main Event boasting a ₱20 million ($380K) GTD prize pool.
Last year’s Main Event ended up being the largest tournament with a buy-in of ₱30,000 ($550) or more in the history of the Philippines, attracting 594 entrants and generating a ₱28.8 million ($545,300) prize pool.
During this year's series, five Platinum Passes will be awarded. Each is valued at $30,000 and include entry into the $25,000 buy-in event, accommodation at Atlantis Resort, and up to $2,000 in travel costs.
In addition to the one bestowed on Ochir, the winners of the following events will all win their way to the PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) in the Bahamas in January.
- APPT National (₱5,000,000 Guarantee): August 5-8 – ₱30,000
- Megastack (Shot Clock & Big Blind Ante): August 7-8 – ₱20,000
- APPT Main Event (₱20,000,000 Guarantee): August 9-12 – ₱55,000
- Saturday SuperStack (₱3,000,000 Guarantee): August 11-12 – ₱30,000
Another highlight on the schedule is the APPT Manila ₱200,000 ($4,000) High Roller event, which will allow for unlimited re-entries and use the big blind ante and 30-second shot clock formats. That tournament, which does not offer a Platinum Pass, will take place on Saturday, Aug. 11.
Furthermore, follow the Main Event and the High Roller right here on PokerNews through the live reporting page starting Aug. 9.
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