Akshay Nasa

Day 2 of the Natural8 Cup Championship Freezeout delivered a full spectrum of tournament highlights at Red Space in Taipei City, from chip lead swings to marathon bubble play, including a one-chip survivor as the 71 remaining players inched closer to the coveted title.

Sponsored by Natural8, the event attracted 490 players to absolutely crush the TWD 31,000,000 guarantee and push the prize pool to TWD 39,372,480 (~USD 1,270,080). With the bubble now in the past, the remaining players are all secured a minimum payout of TWD 148,400 (~USD 4,790) while awaiting the champion is a top prize of TWD 7,538,480 (~USD 243,180) and an APT Main Event seat worth TWD 311,000 (~USD 10,000).

When all the excitement finally dissipated, it was deja vu for India's Akshay Nasa who once again finished on top of the leaderboard. Just days ago, Nasa bagged the chip lead at Day 1 of the 7-Max Championship before ultimately finishing in 20th place. This time, he stood alone as the only player to amass in the seven-digit range.

NATURAL8 CUP CHAMPIONSHIP DAY 2 TOP TEN STACKS

Day 2 Highlights

While most of the day’s dramatic moments came during the bubble round, several major stories unfolded beforehand. Adrian State dominated early, claiming the chip lead after running into the perfect cooler against Matthew Wakeman - turning his hidden hooks into a set to crush Wakeman’s cowboys.

Shiina Okamoto

Shiina Okamoto also made waves, knocking out Gerald Karlic with trips nines over two pair to vault into one of the biggest stacks at the time.

Other notables making the cut were Natural8 Ambassadors Kitty Kuo and Sparrow Cheung, PLO Championship winner Kok Wei Teoh, and APT Main Event title-holders Abraham Ceesvin, Mike Takayama, and Huu Dung Nguyen.

Bubble Round Highlights

Toby Joyce

There were countless showdowns during the two-hour hand-for-hand grind. Among the game-changers was Ireland’s Toby Joyce’s crucial showdown against long-time Day 2 leader Adrian State. The victory propelled him to second rank by day’s end with a stack of 916,000.

Another memorable moment saw Nasa push with rags, only to get caught red-handed by Teng Kuei Hsu. The crowd erupted in laughter when Nasa sheepishly revealed his cards.

Seungyeol Kim survives with one chip

While Nasa earned plenty of praise for his performance, it was the short-stacked Seungyeol Kim who stole the show. Not only did he survive a forced all-in, but he also navigated another orbit to finish the day with just a single 1,000-chip denomination — a classic chip-and-a-chair survival story.

On the flipside, among the Day 2 fallouts was Lester Edoc who entered running second-in-chips but plunged on a brutal beat against Kim Fernandez with aces cracked by queens. The night finally wrapped up with Wun Long Liu as the stone cold bubble whose overcards were unable to survive the flip.

When play resumes on Friday, November 21 at 11:15am, it will be another grueling race as they play down to the final table of nine players. The Final Day then follows where the action will be live-streamed on November 22 via the official APT YouTube channel until the champion is crowned.

For the Full Natural8 Cup Championship Freezeout Survivor List: Click here.

For the Payouts of the Natural8 Cup Championship Freezeout: Click here.

Be sure to tune back in for all the action throughout Day 3.

The remaining 71 players have now bagged for day 3. They will resume action tomorrow at 11.15am.

The full day recap will be posted shortly.

Wun Long Liu bubbles

Wun Long Liu was down to crumbs when he went all-in from under the gun and while everyone passed it up, big blind Teng Kuei Hsu called, barely causing a dent to his stack.

Liu had K T and was flipping against Hsu's 9 9 .

It was nearly all over for Liu at the flop 8 3 9 with Hsu improving to a set.

The turn card A sealed the elimination as the river completed the board with a 2 .

Everyone is now in the money. 71 players remain and they are bagging up for the night.

Following a min-raise from the early position player Po Lam Lun, cutoff player Robertus Hollink then pushed all of his chips out front for a total of 58,000. Action folded back to Lun, who called and told Hollink, "I don't have good cards. You are ahead."

When he finally showed, Hollink was indeed ahead with A K against Lun's 8 9 .

An ace at the flop A T 2 widened Hollink's lead but with an 8 on the turn, he wasn't out of the woods yet.

The river J kept his pair of aces in front, keeping him alive.

Zhan Xi Guo

Zhan Xi Guo made a pre-flop all-in shove for 240,000 and was called by Andrei Spataru.

There were two other tables with all-in situations as hand-for-hand play was being done to determine the bubble.

By the time the tournament director reached their table, there was already news that the bubble had burst, and the only thing needed to determine is if anyone would be part of the bubble.

Zhang Xi Guo: Q Q

Andrei Spataru: A J

Board ran T Q 8 6 T

Guo ended up with a full-house for a resolute double-up.

However, that wasn't the show-stopper.

Seungyeol Kim

Seungyeol Kim literally had a single 1,000 chip and was celebrating for surviving the bubble and making the money with just a solitary chip, giving testament to the saying "a chip and a chair."

"Final table here we go!" Kim shouted.

Also proudly celebrating on the same table, but not as loudly was Wai Kit Lo, who had only 4,000 left to close the night.

It was the stone money bubble and Suengyeol Kim was down to his last 5,000 and forced all-in in the big blind. Kim hadn't looked at his hand, and a crowd was drawing around the table.

The action slowly folded around, with hope of a walk getting stronger and stronger.

Suengyeol Kim

Kim was vocal and was stood at the table, talking to each player when the action went around to them. "We are family"... he cried, to the table.

His hopes of a walk faded when Andrei Spataru limped on the button for 8,000. Lillis Frank came along for the ride from the small blind and the players went three-ways to the flop.

The T 9 T flop was checked to see the K turn.

Murmers spread around the table from the rail, but with the other players giving nothing away, Kim was still in the dark about his fate.

A K river double paired the board, and it was time for showdown. Kim was fishing for an idea of how strong his opponents were, "Good, no good?". There was action on another table and Kim yelled "Someone else all-in?" he continued with "It's almost a champion feeling". Spataru replied "Enjoy it bro."

It was time for showdown and the floor asked the players to turn over their hands in order.

Andrei Spataru

Andrei Spataru: 2 3

Spataru was playing the board, and it was time to sweat the next hand.

Lillis Frank

Lillis Frank: 8 7

Frank had no better, and Kim's excitement showed. Kim peeled the seven-five offsuit over slowly, but it ended in a chop.

Suengyeol Kim: 7 5

Andrei Spataru, Lillis Frank and Suengyeol Kim

There were celebrations all around, with all three players up from their seats. Once the adrenaline wore off, Kim sat back with his original 5,000 stack and was forced to immediately surrender 4,000 for the small blind. Kim folded and claimed another lifeline and one more orbit.

Akshay Nasa

Akshay Nasa had been bullying the table with his million plus monster stack. In one of his all-in shoves, Vincent Salaun snap-called and risked his last 225,000.

When the cards were shown...

Akshay Nasa: K 9

Vincent Salaun: J J

Board ran J A 5 J K

Salaun made quads on the turn and, of course, proceeded to make a significant and timely double-up.

Toby Joyce

The bubble round continues with yet another double up for 72 players still on the hunt for a piece of the pot.

The latest to keep his fire burning was Toby Joyce who defended on the small blind after Dohang Na raised 16,000 from cutoff that was called by Adrian State on the button.

At the flop 7 8 2 , Na continued for 45,000, State called, then Joyce check-raised to 150,000. This was enough to push out Na while State made the call.

The battle intensified when the turn came T with Joyce announcing all in for 273,000. State counted out the chips and after spending a time-bank, State called, putting Joyce in danger of elimination.

Toby Joyce: 7 8

Adrian State: Q J

Joyce was ahead with a flopped two pair but needed to dodge a bunch outs. He did just that when an A showed up on the river.

Kuo Wei Kao

There was around 160,000 in the pot and a complete board that showed 8 2 2 J Q

Joel Singam fired 200,000, covering the stack of Kuo Wei Kao. Kao made the call, risking his last 180,000.

Singam jokingly begged, "Please, no pictures." as they waited for the tournament director to announce the hand.

When asked to show the cards, Singam sheepishly peeled over 9 7 for the bluff while Kao showed J J for a monster full house.

Hsuan-Yu Lai

Hsuan-Yu Lai went amost all-in for 47,000 leaving 1,000 behind, Andrei Spataru made the call on his big blind.

The flop arrived A 5 K

Spataru threw in the 1,000 and Lai risked his last.

Spataru opened T 8 and was way behind the A K of Lai.

The runout of 8 9 favored Lai and gave him a critical double up.