Aaron Lim Wins APPT9 Manila to Become First Double Champion

Aaron Lim Wins APPT9 Manila to Become First Double Champion

Australia’s Aaron Lim has become the first player to win two Asia Pacific Poker Tour Main Event’s after securing the Manila title at PokerStars LIVE in the City of Dreams.

It took the European Poker Tour (EPT) 10-years to find a two-time Main Event champion, the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (AAPT) did it in nine. Aaron Lim following in the high heels of Victoria Coren Mitchell to take down the APPT9 Main Event in Manila two years after doing likewise in Seoul, South Korea.

Aaron Lim Wins APPT9 Manila to Become First Double Champion
[Image Credit: PokerNews & Long Guan]
The 29-year old Australian pro managed to come out on top of a scrap involving 585 entrants. He earned PHP6,016,250 (USD$131,780) and a seat in the 2015 Asia Poker Championships worth HK$100,000 for his hard work. He beat 222 entrants to take his first title, and $111,088 in prize money back in Season 7. The World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet holder has now earned $1.9m in live tournament earnings.

Other than Lim the final table contained two more well known players. Terry Fan, who finished fourth, is a former winner of the Macau Poker Cup, and a WSOP final tablist, and Winfred Yu, who finished eighth, is the CEO of the high stakes poker room organization Poker King Club. Johnny Chan, Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan are some of the club’s most famous fans.

The heads-up action would fall between Lim and the Swede Per Olsson. Lim would start the match with a 7.2m v 4.5m chip lead, and it was all over after a little over one hour of play.

In the final hand, Lim opened to 240,000; Olsson called. The flop was [Qs] [Jc] [6h], Olsson check-called a 260,000 Lim bet. The turn was the [8h] Olsson checked, Lim bet 480,000, Olsson moved all-in and Lim called. Lim showed pocket aces, and Olsson showed [Jh] [9h] for middle pair and flush draw. The [Qc] offered no help to Olsson and Lim was declared the winner.

Final Table Results

1st. Aaron Lim – $131,780

2nd. Per Olsson – $73,761

3rd. Jessie Leonarez – $45,626

4th. Terry Fan – $34,803

5th. Thomas Lee – $24,041

6th. Hayato Kitajima – $19,122

7th. Iona Finkenrath – $15,571

8th. Winfred Yu – $13,113

9th. Yin Lin Chua – $10,927

The next big event for PokerStars LIVE Manila is the 23rd iteration of the Macau Poker Cup Red Dragon August 28 – September 13.