in the Philippines since moving here in Sept of last year.
Sunday: Today was to be the first satellite tournament for the 3rd Philippine poker tour Million peso Philippine Championship (July 7/8). The tournament was to be held at the Casino Filipino in Angeles City, about a 3 hour drive from where i live.
Arrived at the casino just before midday, registration starting at 12.30 for a 2pm tournament start. I had NO what to expect as i had not witnessed any form of play since being here, but a game of poker is the same world over right?
Casino Filipino is a magnificent building, a casino housed on 3 floors, very spacious, immaculately clean and the staff very plesant and attentive. I duly registered and paid the entrance fee of 3,000 peso (£32) and made my way to the area cordoned off for the tournament.
Six tables had been set up so looked like they were hoping for a good turnout (151 played in the main event last year), there was a buffet laid on for the players and coffee and soft drinks also. I was introduced at this point to a young filipino guy by the name of Ed Bautista last years runner up and was generally made to feel very welcome by the organisers.
2pm arrived and staff moved in and started to break the tables, obviously not as many had turned up as they were hoping for. The guy with the computer was entering in the names of registered players and when it flashed up on the screen it transpired there were infact to be only THIRTEEN players!!!! I was informed by the organisers that this followed the trend of previous tournaments and most of the "province satellites" were poorly supported.
The tournament begins, and at this point we are playing for 1 seat into the main tournament, but its a rebuy for the 1st 4 levels (2 hours) i was interested to see how this panned out as 3,000 peso is a fair amont of money here.
We started with 5,000 chips and blinds were 100/200 DOUBLING every 30 minutes, seemed a bit harsh but they make the rules. The 4 levels passed nothing to exciting, a few rebuys ( not for me) i managed to finish with about 6,000 chips at this point. There was an add on allowed, for a further 3,000 peso you received another 7,000 chips, i duly took this.
3 players had dropped out so as level 5 began (freezeout proper) we were down to 1 table. We were now playing for TWO seats to the main event with a surplus of 20,000 pesos to be split between 1st and 2nd ,70/30 nothing here for 3rd.
With the blinds being high for the amount of chips in play it soon became evident that people were playing tight and waiting for big hands to move all in, so i took advantage of this and took down quite a few pots by just minimal raises. Down to 5 players and i am in the big blind for 4K. utg flat calls (with just over 5K left) evrybody folds round and i look at my cards to find AA so i raise him all in he calls revealing 88 flop comes rag rag rag, turn is an 8 this wont put me out but will leave me severley short, river is an A wow there is a poker god.
After 5 hours play there are TWO left and I am one of them, we agree to split the money (10,000 pesos each £100) and just play 1 hand to determine the outright winner, which the other player wins, but hey i am happy, i acheived what i set out to do, qualify for the main event which has a 33,000 peso buy in (350.00) and walk away from this tournament with a 4,000 peso profit.
All in all a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon an superb surroundings, a credit to the filipino people.
http://www.philippinepokertour.com/index.htmhttp://www.philippinepokertour.com/news031907.shtml
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