Xiong Cheng Clinches Record Breaking 2024 APPT Manila Main Event

Xiong Cheng at APPT Manila
Xiong Cheng – APPT Manila Main Event champion

On August 5, 2024, USA’s Xiong Cheng clinched the record breaking APPT Manila Main Event to be crowned this season’s champion. At the final table, Cheng eliminated the last three players that were blocking his path to glory to capture his first ever APPT shard trophy and a jaw-dropping poker career high payout of PHP 15,000,000 (~USD 259,246).

“It feels good! I came in to Day 2 as the shortest stack and I didn’t think I was gonna make the money and now I am here, I got first place and it’s really incredible! It’s mind-boggling, I can’t even believe it myself that I made it this far.”

Xiong Cheng Wins The 2024 APPT Manila Main Event
Xiong Cheng Wins 2024 APPT Manila Main Event

Cheng has attended several events in Manila this year with a couple of cashes at PokerStars events, though none that have even come close to this victory. He admitted that poker was just the secondary reason for attending this year’s APPT Manila Main Event.

“Honestly, I have a girlfriend and she can’t go to America, she’s from Laos. I can’t go to Laos either. So I always come to Cambodia or Philippines to play poker and have her stay with me. That’s really my biggest reason for coming to this event.”

2024 APPT Manila Main Event Final Table
2024 APPT Manila Main Event Final Table

Qualifying into Day 2 as one of the shortest stacks with just 15 bb in his arsenal, Cheng won all of his showdowns then went on to secure his seat at the final table.

“I had a plan that I would play the best hands I could play and tried not to make any mistakes. I got lucky too. All of my all-ins I won. Entering the final table I was going to sit tight and wait for a good hand to play. If I lose then so bet it. Then people kept on trying to bluff me. The Israeli player (Daniel Benor), he tried to bluff me and I knew he didn’t have anything, he lost three-quarters of his stack.”

Xiong Cheng and Maxwell Rosete at 2024 APPT Manila
Xiong Cheng and Maxwell Rosete at 2024 APPT Manila

While everyone posed a challenge for Cheng, he shared that Maxwell Rosete‘s rise was the most commendable. “For sure I thought he was going to go out soon but he outlasted the others so it was really amazing. He’s not so experienced yet so he was risky and dangerous.”

Congratulations to the new champion!

Final Table Results

Place Player Flag Payout in PHP Payout In USD
1 Xiong Cheng USA 15,000,000 259,246
2 John Matsuda Philippines 9,320,000 161,078
3 Maxwell Rosete Philippines 6,680,000 115,451
4 Shobu Oda Japan 5,140,000 88,835
5 Daniel Benor Israel 3,950,000 68,268
6 Vamerdino Magsakay Philippines 3,040,000 52,541
7 John Tech Philippines 2,340,000 40,442
8 Beng Hong Ker Singapore 1,790,000 30,937
9 Neo Zhi Han Singapore 1,384,360 23,926

2024 APPT Manila Main Event

The 2024 APPT Manila Main Event ran from August 1 to 5 at Southeast Asia’s grandest venue, Cove Manila at Okada Manila. With 1,304 entries across three starting days, it generated a record breaking prize pool of PHP 91,071,360 (~USD 1,575,790). The money flowed at Day 2 starting at 191st place then bagged up at the final 18 players.

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Final Day

APPT Manila Main Event
Jongbea Jang busts to Daniel Benor

18 players returned on the final day led by Daniel Benor with a towering stack. Leading up to the final table,  Benor continued his dominance, eliminating Mike Takayama (18th), Jongbea Jang (17th), and Takuya Morita (15th).

Others falling were James Dela Cruz (16th) to Xiong Cheng, Man Lok Chan (14th) to Shobu Oda, Tran Huy Hoang (12th) who bluffed all of his chips against Maxwell Rosete. The next two fell on a double bust with Rosete delivering the axe to Quang Huy Nguyen (11th) and Huu Dung Nguyen (10th) to form the final table.

Double Bust by Maxwell Rosete at APPT Manila Main Event
Double Bust by Maxwell Rosete

Rosete continued his knockout spree, eliminating Singaporean Neo Zhi Han (9th) then the lone Singaporean remaining, Beng Hong Ker (8th). was sent out next by Japan’s Shobu Oda. Prior to the next bust, Oda grinded to nearly reach Benor.

Cheng also put pressure on the leader dragging in a big pot without a showdown. This gave Oda the lead as Benor’s woes continued. For Filipino John Tech, his day ended in 7th place against Japan’s John Matsuda, fellow Filipino Vamerdino Magsakay also couldn’t keep up with the action to fall in 6th place to Oda.

Daniel Benor at APPT Manila
Daniel Benor – 5th place

The field trimmed to four when Matsuda put the brakes on Benor in 5th place with QsJh pairing the jack on the river to bust AsKs. The top two stacks went head to head in two hands. Cheng won both with the first hand taking the lead. On the next, Cheng shipped all of Oda’s stack in 4th place with AcJc over Kh10h.

Xiong Cheng versus John Matsuda at APPT Manila Main Event
Xiong Cheng versus John Matsuda at APPT Manila Main Event

With a massive stack at his disposal, Cheng continued to dominate, railing Rosete next in 3rd place to face Matsuda at heads up. Cheng entered with 80 bb, Matsuda with 18 bb.

APPT Manila 2024 Main Event Final Day 06324 1 APPT Manila 2024 - Main Event Final Day--8

Despite Matsuda’s efforts, he was unable to crack the big stack. The final hand was Cheng KsQh pairing both cards to dust Matsuda’s Ah8d.

Xiong Cheng Wins The 2024 APPT Manila Main Event
Xiong Cheng Wins The 2024 APPT Manila Main Event

 

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