Aces versus kings on the stone bubble took an unexpected turn.
In a dramatic turn of events at the Asian Poker Tour (APT) Manila Classic, a player experienced a devastating bad beat on the bubble of the PHP 150,000 (approximately USD $2,600) High Roller event. The single-day no-limit hold’em tournament, held on February 13, attracted 85 participants and boasted a prize pool of PHP 11 million (around USD $190,000). Kunal Patni emerged victorious, securing just over $50,000—marking his second win and fourth cash of the series.
The pivotal hand occurred during hand-for-hand play, with 13 players remaining and only 12 slated to receive payouts. The action began with a middle-position player raising to 25,000, followed by a three-bet to 75,000 from the hijack. The small blind then moved all-in for 250,000, prompting folds from the initial raiser and the hijack, who called after some deliberation.
The small blind revealed A♠K♠, while the hijack held K♣K♦. The flop came A♦K♥7♠, giving the small blind top pair but the hijack a set of kings. The turn brought the A♣, improving the small blind to trip aces but granting the hijack a full house. The river delivered the final blow with the K♠, giving the hijack quads and eliminating the small blind on the bubble.
This hand underscores the unpredictable nature of poker tournaments, where fortunes can change in an instant, especially during critical bubble phases.
