After eleven days of intense poker action that ran from May 5 to 15, 2023, the first Asia Pacific PokerTour (APPT) festival of the year concluded in Phnom Penh, Cambodia with over US$ 2 Million in cash paid out across 24 thrilling events. In partnership with boutique gaming company, Connaissance Management, the event took place at the luxurious NagaWorld Integrated Resorts. Here are the highlights.
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Festival highlights
Festival prize pool: US$ 2,049,969
Trophy Events: 24
Largest prize pool: US$ 623,322 (Main Event)
Most entries: 476 (Main Event)
Main Event champion: Chao Ting Cheng
Single largest earner: Junnie Pamplona – US$ 101,647 (Main Event – 2nd place)
Multiple wins: Hyunkyou Park – Win The Button and Superstack Single Re-Entry
Trophies: China (10), Korea (3), India (3), Taiwan (1), Singapore (1), Australia (1), Japan (1), Azerbaijan (1), Netherlands (1), Vietnam (1), France (1)
One of the most remarkable stories of the tournament was Main Event runner up Junnie Pamplona, who secured the only six figure payout of US$ 101,647 through a heads up ICM payout deal. What makes this even more impressive is that Pamplona qualified for the Main Event by winning a satellite tournament in Manila, Philippines for a mere PHP 6,000 (~US$ 110).
In an exciting finish, Taiwan’s Chao Ting Cheng clinched his first major title at the Main Event. The heads-up battle between Cheng and Pamplona culminated in a jaw-dropping final hand, where Cheng’s quads triumphed over Pamplona’s full house. Cheng secured an ICM deal payout of US$ 94,448.
The tournament saw an overwhelming influx of Chinese players, with approximately 100 nationals making their presence felt. It came as no surprise that they claimed an impressive ten trophies.
To close out the festival, Hyunkyou Park from Korea became the sole player to capture two titles. He shipped the Win The Button event and the Superstack Single Re-Entry.
Up next for APPT
The next stop for APPT is Manila, Philippines with games scheduled from July 27 to August 6 at Okada Manila. This is the tour’s longest running destination with events held in the country since 2008. In 2018, the tour attracted 1,364 Main Event entries for prize pool of over US$ 1.2 Million. The following year saw another seven figure prize pool. For the upcoming series, PHP 30,000,000 is guaranteed. Listed below are the key events.
| Event | Guarantee in PHP | Date | Buy in in PHP |
| APPT Kickoff | 3,000,000 | July 27-29 | 20,000 |
| APPT National | 5,000,000 | July 29-August 1 | 35,000 |
|
APPT Manila Super High Roller
|
August 1-2 | 500,000 | |
| APPT Main Event | 20,000,000 | August 3-6 | 65,000 |
| APPT Superstack | 2,000,000 | August 5-6 | 40,000 |
|
APPT High Roller
|
August 5-6 | 250,000 |
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