Tan Tai Zheng Wins 2012 APT Cebu Main Event

Singapore’s Tan Tai Zheng has won the Asian Poker Tour (APT) Asian Series Cebu Main Event, after defeating a field of 251 players to claim the title, and collect the PHP 3,623,000 ($85,914) first place prize.
By the time the final table of the PHP 50,000 ($1,186) buy-in tournament at the ‘All In Poker Club in Cebu, Philippines had been reached, Tan Tai Zheng was way out in front as the chip leader (1.005m), followed by Bernie Ho on 885k. By contrast, third biggest stack Miika Viholainen (Finland) was  then down to 386k with the smallest stack at the table on just 49k.
Zheng (Ks-8s) then scored his first elimination at the 10 man final table by dispatching Alistair Duff  (Australia) with pocket nines in 8th for US$5,359, followed by a short-stacked Tan Gay Peng (Singapore) in 5th ($13,422).
Bjoern Wiesler (Q-Q) was then Zheng’s next victim, after calling the German’s
385k shove holding A-10. The board subsequently ran out A-A-K-6-4 and Bjoern Wiesler collected $16,101 for his 4th place finish.
With blinds at 25k/50k, UK pro Ramad Razavi then shoved from the button (Ac-4c) and was called by Miika Viholainen with K-J to take down the huge 2.065m pot against the Finn, who was out the very next hand in 3rd ($21,484).
As the heads-up battle commenced, Ramad Razavi had 2.005m chips to Zheng’s 1.76m and Razavi looked certain to then take the title after calling Zheng’s 6-4 all-in shove on a 8c-8s-9c-6c board. The UK player had already made a flush (Kc-3c) but another 8 on the river made Zheng a full-house, while reducing Razavi to a short-stack.
The next hand, Ramad Razavi (As-7d) was out after Zheng (Ad-8d) made a flush on a 9s-Qd-3d-Jd-6c board, pocketing US$45,649 for his runner-up finish.
Meanwhile, Tan Tai Zheng was crowned the champion and commenting on his win, said: “It has been a roller coaster. This APT has been far better than I expected. Obviously I am a fish but, thank you!”
Tan Tai Zheng has now made US$91,278 from live tournaments since his first cash in November 2008.