Jian Yang has been crowned Asian Championship of Poker Warm-Up champion 2013 following his impressive performance in the HKD$25,000 Warm-Up event which saw him lead from start to finish to claim the HKD$1,700,000 (USD$219,355) first place prize.
The ACOP Warm-Up saw a massive 338 players take to the tables generating a HKD$7,540,780 prize pool, easily surpassing the HKD$5,000,000 guarantee. Buy-In was set at HKD$25,000 (23,000 + 2,000) as some of the world’s most notable players ponied up and took their seats including; Billy “The Croc” Argyros, Terry Fan, Tom Alner and David Foran.
40 players took to the final days play with only two eliminations required to reach the magic 38, which would see each player walk away with a guaranteed HKD$45,000. The unlucky buddle buster was Aidan Tam who would shove all-in with 5-7 (Clubs) against Patrick Crivell who would call holding A-Q (Q-Clubs). The board would subsequently run 2-A-3-K-8 (all Clubs except the 3) giving Crivell the win and sending Tam home empty-handed.
Eliminations would quickly start as play began to loosen following the bubble bursting by Crivell. It would not take long for the final table to be set with the likes of Australia’s Billy Argyros and Paul Cheng the shortest stacks while Wei Hsiang Yeu and Jian Yang leading the way with over a million in front of them.
Final Table Line-up and Chip Counts
1- Billy “The Croc” Argyros – 162,000
2- Wei Hsiang Yeu – 1,257,000
3- Tom Alner – 374,000
4- Jian Yang – 2,614,000
5- Saehoon Lee – 668,500
6- Yibo Zhou – 619,000
7- Roger Spets – 432,000
8- David Foran – 501,000
9- Paul Cheng – 94,000
As expected Paul Cheng would be the first player to fall as Wei Hsiang Yeu and Tom Alner would call his pre-flop all-in. Alner and Cheng would check the board, which would run A-A-4-10-J with Cheng showing K-10 (Clubs).. Alner would muck his cards while Yeu would show J-7 (Clubs) to take down the pot and eliminate Cheng in Ninth place collecting HKD$170,000 (USD$21,935).
Saehoon Lee would be the next to hit the rail in Eight place collecting HKD$208,000 (USD$26,839) following a battle against Alner. Alner would fall next in Seventh after he called a pre-flop raise from Yeu to find himself backed into a corner he could not escape. The talented Brit would take home HKD$283,000 (USD$36,516) for his ACOP Warm-Up performance. Steven Yibo Zhou of China would be next to bow-out in Sixth place collecting HKD$358,000 (USD$46,194) after David Foran of Ireland finished him off.
Roger Spets was next to join the eliminated in Fifth place as he moved all-in against Foran. Foran held pocket jacks while Spets K-10 (off-Suit) were not enough as the board ran J-3-K-7-5 to give Foran back-to-back eliminations. Australia’s Billy “The Croc” Argyros would be the next to fall as he finishes in fourth place after Yeu flopped trip Jacks to send the Australian packing HKD$547,000 (USD$70,581) richer.
Ireland’s David Foran would be next to washout in third place collecting HKD$695,000 (USD$89,677) setting-up a Wei Hsiang Yeu and Jian Yang heads-up battle. Yang would have almost a 2-1 chip lead over Yeu but after a brief tournament photo with the director and a quick breather, Yang would open the betting with 150,000 which was called and then three-bet by Yeu to 350,000. Yang would slide in another raise which, after some three minutes of deliberation, Yeu would call all-in with Yang following suit.
Yang would hold A-4 (Clubs) against Yeu’s K-8 (Hearts) with the Flop bringing K-Q-3 , giving Yeu an early lead with a pair of Kings. Next to fall on the Turn would be 7 making Yeu’s pair of kings stronger and offering no help to Yang. The River would be an Ace, the only card that could beat Yeu, to give Yang the win sending him flying out of his chair in excitement and celebration. Yeu was left to hold his head in his hands, not quite believing he had just been riviered.
As a consolation the Malaysian would end up walking away with HKD$1,170,000 (USD$150,968) while Jian Yang would take home HKD$1,700,000 (USD$219,355) and the title of ACOP Warm-Up Champion 2013.
Event #5 Ladies Asia Championship
Attracting a poultry 21 players, the ladies Championship would generate a HKD$162,960 prize pool which would see only the top five players paid.
Asako Matsunga of Japan would manage to outlast 16 others to earn the minimum payout of HKD$12,960 (USD$1,672) coming in at fifth place. Not far in front was fellow Japanese player Mariko Kinoshita finishing in fourth place collecting HKD$19,600 (USD$2,529) for her days work.
Lacey Jones of the USA would come just short of the heads-up battle finishing in Third pocketing HKD$26,100 (USD$3,368). Jennette “Jey” Tan of Hong Kong and Xiao Peng of Canada would face-off in the heads-up fight with the lady from Hong Kong outlasting Peng to take home the crown.
Tan would collect HKD$65,200 (USD$8,413) for the win while Peng would walk away in second place with HKD$39,100 (USD$5,045).
Ladies Championship Final Pay-outs
1- Jennette “Jay” Tan – HKD$65,200 (USD$8,413)
2- Xiao Peng – HKD$39,100 (USD$5,045)
3- Lacey Jones – HKD$26,100 (USD$3,368)
4- Mariko Kinoshita – HKD$19,600 (USD$2,529)
5- Asako Matsunaga – HKD$12,960 (USD$1,672)
Event #6 PLO Championship
92 players ponied up HKD$15,000 (13,600 + 1,400) to enter the PLO Championship generating a HKD$1,213,664 prize pool which would see the top 10 players all paid the minimum HKD$36,364 (USD$4,692).
The events eventual winner, Australia’s Edison Minh Phuc Nguyen, would take home HKD$273,100 (USD$35,239) after he and Thailand’s Pakinai Lisawad made a deal to split the money evenly and play on for the title. Pakinai would take home HKD$237,100 (USD$35,239) as Sweden’s Carl Henric Olander and the USA’s Kevin Zhang would end-up finishing in Third and Fourth pocketing HKD$145,600 (USD$18,787) and HKD$121,400 (USD$15,665) respectively. Markus Garberg would end his PLO Championship in Fifth taking HKD$97,100 (USD$12,529) back home to Norway, which rounds-off the top five finishers.
PLO Championship Pay-outs
1- Edsiso Minh Phuc Nguyen – HKD$273,100 (USD$35,239)
2- Pakinai Lisawd – HKD$273,100 (USD$35,239)
3- Carl Henric Olander – HKD$145,600 (USD$18,787)
4- Kevin Zhang – HKD$121,400 (USD$15,665)
5- Markus Garberg – HKD$97,100 (USD$12,529)
6- Alexandre Chieng – HKD$85,000 (USD$10,968)
7- Raiden Kan – HKD$72,800 (USD$9,394)
8- Yuki Ko – HKD$60,700 (USD$7,832)
9- Tim Shun “Timpson” Luk – HKD$48,500 (USD$6,425)
10- Kilian Loeffler – HKD$36,364 (USD$4,692)
Event #7 KO Big Bounty
Saturday 26 saw the beginning of the KO Big Bounty: Buy-in HKD$11,000 (10,000 + 1,000) as 213 players took part in generating a HKD$1,652,880 + HKD$426,000 (awarded to bounties) prize pool. The top 25 would see themselves paid the minimum HKD$16,500 (USD$2,200) with additional money added for bounties (player eliminations).
Eventual winner, Ken Demlakian, made an ICM deal with Shivan Abdine, both of whom are Australian, to alter the payouts in accordance with chip stacks. Demlakian would finish with HKD$349,400 (USD$46,587) while his compatriot would take home HKD$320,000 (USD$42,667).
The remaining top five players would finish Kwok Chun Yip of Hong Kong in Third, Akira Ohyama, Japan, in Fourth and China’s Chenxiang Miao in Ffith.
Event #7: KO Big Bounty – Final Table Pay-outs
1- Ken Demlakian – HKD$349,400 (USD$46,587)
2- Shivan Abdine – HKD$320,000 (USD$42,667)
3- Kwok Chun Yip – HKD$165,300 (USD$22,040)
4- Akira Ohyama – HKD$124,000 (USD$16,533)
5- Chenxiang Miao – HKD$99,200 (USD$13,227)
6- Jan Eric – HKD$82,600 (USD$82,600 (USD$11,013)
7- Thomas Grigg – HKD$66,100 (USD$8,813)
8- Dennis Huntly – HKD$49,600 (USD$6,613)
9- Mingqin Liu – HKD$41,300 (USD$5,507)
Next up for the players is Day1 A of the ACOP Main Event (HKD$20,000,000 Guarantee) with qualifying events for the Main Event running in conjunction, which will see the winners take part in Day1 B along with two Main Event Satellites.
The next 48 hours at PokerStars Live at the City of Dreams, Macau is what the world has been waiting for as the Main Event is expected to break records and make history.
For more details on the Asian Championship of Poker visit Online or alternatively stay tuned to FTR for all the latest news and results from the ACOP 2013.