Aaron Lim Takes out APPT Manila Main Event

Aaron Lim may not have been the chip leader when the final day of play at the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Manila got underway, but his experience certainly made him one of the players to watch.

The Australian has been a notable player on the Asian professional poker circuit for some time, and he established himself as a top player in the region when he took out the APPT Seoul Main Event back in 2013.

He has now added the APPT Manila Main Event to his poker accolades, as he played stellar game of poker on Day 3 to claim victory.

Lim topped a field of 585 entrants en route to winning the Main Event and the 6,016,250 Philippine peso (around US$131,275) cash prize for first place.

23 players made the cut to Day 3, but it did not take long for the chips to fall and for players to pack as a final table was quickly set.

Ying Lin Chua was the first player to be eliminated from the final table, after he came out second best in a showdown against Thomas Lee.

Next to go was Winifred Yu, who was extremely short stacked when he went all-in pre flop against Terry Fan. Fan won the hand to put Yu out of the event in eighth place.

Seventh place went to German player Iona Christopher Finkenrath, who was eliminated by eventual runner up, Douglas Olsson. Olssson hit a straight on the river to win him the hand and put the event down to six players.

Japanese player Hayato Kitayama settled for sixth place after his Pocket Eights were no match for the Pocket Kings of Jesse Leonarez.

Leonarez then claimed his second straight final table scalp when he eliminated Lee from the event in fifth spot.

It came as Lee went all-in pre flop with King Jack off suit, and was promptly called by Leonarez, who was waiting in the wings with Pocket Aces, which held on the board to win him the hand.

Olsson then claimed a second final table scalp of his own when he knocked Fan out of the event in fourth place.

The Swede went all-in pre flop with Pocket Sevens and was quickly called by Fan, who was slightly behind with Ace King.

However, The Swede hit Trips on the flop, which put him further ahead. Another Seven came on the turn to give Olsson Quads, and he chipped up in a big way as the tournament was knocked down to three.

Leonarez was then eliminated in third after Lim called the Filipino’s pre flop all-in with Pocket Tens.

That was ahead of Leonarez’s starting hand of Ace Three off suit, and it got stronger from there as Lim hit Trips on the flop, to eventually win the hand.

Leonarez’s elimination put Lim and Olsson in heads-up play, with Lim having held a little less than a 3 to 1 chip lead when play began.

Olsson showed some signs of competiveness over on, and briefly took the chip lead early on in play. Lim simply was not to be out done, though, and he eventually retook the lead.

In the last hand of the event, Olsson check-raised all-in on the turn with Jack Nine of Hearts, which gave him a number of draws going into the river.

Lim, on the other hand, has Pocket Aces, and he was hoping to avoid any Heart, Ten or Jack on the board’s final card.

The Queen of Clubs came on the river, which meant Lim won the hand, as well as the APPT Manila Main Event.