Chinese poker pro Guo Dong prevailed over a field of seasoned players to win the 2016 APT Macau HK$22,000 Main Event and scoop the first-place prize of HK$530,000, the tournament trophy, and the APT Championship Ring. Dong had previously cashed in major events, and has won some of them, but that was his first deep run into an APT tournament.
The Asian Poker Tour returned to Macau for the first time in three years. The popular Asian series had its Macau leg hosted by Crystal Palace at Casino Lisboa. The APT collaborated with the Poker King Club and casino operator SJM Holdings Ltd., the owner of the host venue.
The APT Macau Main Event attracted 108 entries and generated a prize pool of HK$2.07 million. The tournament was played over five days. The official final table featured eight players. Dong was in quite a good position at the beginning of eight-handed play. The player started the event’s final table with 850,000 in chips and Spain’s Sergio Aido being the only one standing ahead of him on the chip counts chart.
Dong gained further momentum and quickly passed the million mark by eliminating the first player of the final eight. He accumulated quite a stack by limping in pre-flop and then tanking opponents with multiple post-flop raises and re-raises.
Eventually, the Chinese poker pro faced start-of-the-day chip leader Sergio Aido heads-up. The match began with Dong holding almost two times more chips than his last surviving opponent. It took the player precisely two hands to finish off the Spaniard.
The moment of victory came when Aido limped in and Dong moved all in. The Spanish player called instantly tabling [Ad][Kd] against Dong’s [Ah][8s]. Although Aido had the better starting hand, what ran out on the board was of no help to him. The [3c][Qs][7d][8h][As] appeared to secure Dong with a two pair and the title. Aido collected a consolation prize of HK$310,000 for his efforts.
Winfred Yu from Hong Kong scooped a HK$215,000 payout for finishing 3rd. Lim Yo Hwan from South Korea took 4th place for HK$157,000. Daniel Tang from the UK was paid HK$130,000 for taking 5th place. Norway’s Henrik Tollefsen finished 6th, good for HK$107,000. Saul Oliver Fortea from Spain scooped HK$88,000 for taking 7th place. Kevin Tse from Hong Kong finished 8th for HK$74,000.
The next APT poker festival is set to take place at Casinos de Noumea in New Caledonia from November 15-24.
