APPT Manila, The Hyatt Hotel, Manila, $2,080 No-limit Hold'em, 13th - 16th November 2008

Entrants: 285
Buy-in: $2,080

1. Van Marcus, Australia, $162,856
2. Noh Tae Jun, Korea, $103,142
3. Hyoung Jin Name, Korea, $54,285
4. Michael Chang, Korea, $37,999
5. Ramil Tandoc, Philippines, $29,314
6. Lee Nelson, New Zealand, $21,714
7. Manish Sansi, Hong Kong, $16,285
8. Benjie Lim, Philippines, $12,485
9. Ranier Aquino, Philippines, $9,228

Australian young gun Van Marcus has triumphed at the PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Manila tournament in spectacular fashion after a gruelling 16 hours of final table play – the longest final table in APPT history. He won USD $162,856.

The 25-year-old from Melbourne has an impressive track record when it comes to the APPT. This was his third APPT Final Table appearance in the last 15 months, including previously placing fifth in the 2007 APPT Manila, and ninth in the 2008 APPT Macau High Rollers Event. This year he returned to Manila determined to become a Champion and that became a reality after three days of solid play at the Hyatt Hotel when he made a straight on a turn to send runner-up Noh Tae Jun of Korea to the rail.

In a final table field that included three local Filipinos, three Koreans, a Kiwi and Hong Kong resident, Aussie Van warmed up after the first few hours and steamrolled the field. He outplayed 284 other competitors from 31 countries, including 65 players who qualified online at PokerStars. The Australian was ecstatic to take down his first APPT title.

“I guess it is third time lucky on this tour. I have now made three final tables on the APPT – it feels great to finally hold a title. And even better I get a ticket to the Sydney Grand Final. Hopefully I can replicate this week’s performance in front of a home crowd,” commented Van directly following his win.

Manila is the fourth stop on the second season of Asia and the Pacific’s largest and most successful poker tour, the PokerStars.net APPT, which in the last three months has also had major events in Macau, Seoul and Auckland. This year’s tour will culminate in a Grand Final at the beautiful Star City Casino in Sydney, Australia this December 2-7, when approximately 600 players, including Van, will battle for more than USD $2 million in prize money.

“We are thrilled to see an Australian champion on the APPT as we head into the Sydney Grand Final. It is great to see all final table players coming from countries across the Asia Pacific – to me this represents the significant impact PokerStars.net and the APPT have had on the development of poker across the region in the last year. The Philippines is the beating heart of poker in Asia today and so it was very fitting to have three locals included in the final nine today,” commented APPT President Jeffrey Haas.

Qualifier satellites are currently running for the APPT Sydney Grand Final both online at PokerStars and live at Star City Casino. For further details visit www.appt.com.