Yoshiro Tasaka(credit: Poker Stars Blog)
165 players entered the APPT Main Event in Seoul, South Korea. On the final day of play, 16 players returned. However, the short stacks quickly moved out of the way with Wooka Kim, the last lady standing, holding the title of final table bubble girl. This member of Everest Poker’s “Dream Team” finished in 10th place and netted $6,010.
With a strong Japanese contingent, the final table began with Brian Kang in the catbird seat. The 29 year old Canadian with Korean heritage is a financial analyst. Kang, who brought his father with him so he could see his homeland once again, had 394,000 chips as the action got underway. Despite playing strong poker, Kang couldn’t stand in Japan’s way. He was KO’d in third place as Hidenari Shiono.
Shiono, a 39 year old president of a hardware company who makes his home in Tokyo, trailed his countryman Yoshiro Tasaka as heads-up play got underway. Tasaka has been playing player for 30 of his 49 years on this Earth. The father of one, who is employed in the service industry, bought into this event, the first live one he has ever done so with his own money.
Due to an earlier call for exposing his cards during a ‘live hand’, Tasaka had to sit out the first two hands of heads up play. Regardless, he went on to win the match with his “favorite hand”, a 9h,2c. In the end, Tasaka took down $128,216 for the top spot.
These are the final results:
1) Yoshihiro Tasaka - $128,248.89
2) Hidenari Shiono - $80,155.56
3) Brian Kang - $44,085.56
4) Fam Yat - $32,062.22
5) Yuji Masaki - $$26,050.56
6) Dan Schrieber - $20,038.89
7) David Horvath - $16,031.11
8) Daniel Williams - $12,023.33
9) Sam Faqiryar - $8,015.56
Qualifiers for the APPT Auckland event, the next stop on the Asia Pacific Poker Tour are going on now at PokerStars. Head on over there now for more information!