Mike Takayama has doubled up the hard way, winning several key pots.
First he called a three-bet from Michael Guzzardi, then check-raised big on a flop with two queens to take down a sizable pot. Then he floated a Guzzardi flop bet with ace high and managed to get to showdown and win.
A little later, he snatched a pot from Sameer Rattonsey with pocket fours and all told he's doubled his stack without having to get it all in.
Hiroshi Naito pushed it all in and Maria Bernadette Lina shoved behind for more. The rest of the table folded and it was Naito's against Lina's dominating .
The flop came and Naito picked up outs to a straight on the turn, but the river sent him home in 11th place. They are now five handed at both tables.
It all comes down to this: The final day of The PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Season 8 Manila main event.
What started with some 260 players over two starting flights inside the Metro Manila Card Club is now down to just 11 players with a shot at a PHP 3,472,000 first-place prize that includes an Asia Championship of Poker seat and a little slice of poker glory.
They're all in the money now, but none will be satisfied with anything but a win. Especially veteran Aussie grinder Michael Guzzardi.
He's been at this stage before - on the ANZPT, the APPT and at the World Series of Poker - and with a massive chip lead heading into the final day he'll be looking to bring his a-game to the tables today and close out the win.
Thanh Ha Duong will come into the day second in chips, although he holds just a little over half of Guzzardi's massive stack and a non-existent major tournament poker record that would suggest he's also at a disadvantage experience wise.
In fact, the other ten players total major poker tournament earnings combined don't add up to the $332,011 Guzzardi's resume boasts, with almost half recording their first cash in a major event right here, right now.
But as 2003 WSOP Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker is truly a testament to, in the game of poker, anything can happen.
And so Daniel Giang, Day 1a chip Leader Daniel Belov, Sameer Rattonsey, Mike Takayama, Andreas Rauh, Rajeev Kanjani, Hiroshi Naito, Bernardo Angeles and last woman standing Maria Bernadette Lina should not be counted out until the cards are on their backs and the final river revealed.
The action will commence at 2 p.m. Monday and play until there is a new APPT 8 Manila champion. Stay tuned, the PokerNews Live Reporting team promises to be here to capture it all.
![[user127999]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
against Lina's dominating 
.
and Naito picked up outs to a straight on the 
turn, but the 
river sent him home in 11th place. They are now five handed at both tables.
versus his 
and ace-high held on a 
board to give Lina the double up.