Last Pinoy standing Andrew Gaw makes it to final table

MANILA, Philippines -- From 27 to begin the day, the field of initially 385 runners has been reduced to six as the Main Event of the World Poker Tour (WPT) National Philippines Day 3 played out in the posh Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque City.

When the smoke cleared after a day of exhilarating poker, Andrew Gaw found himself as the only local bet remaining as the Final Table is set up for the live stream which begins at 4:00PM Monday.

Gaw, a Pangasinense now residing in Makati City, is the reigning Asian Poker Tour (APT) Head-Up champion and is looking to attain his biggest victory of his young professional career as the first place title also brings with it a whopping US$156,849 (approximately PhP6.9M).

Gaw is no stranger to major poker events but a WPT title albeit a National would surely look good on a résumé.

In 2011, he got the Philippine poker community buzzing when he finished fifth in the Bellagio Cup VII to claim the US$31,072 (approximately PhP1.4M). In 2012, Gaw got the biggest tournament payday of his career by crashing out at tenth place in the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Asia Championship of Poker (ACOP) and getting US$44,642 (approximately PhP2M).

Already guaranteed US$31,370 (approximately PhP1.4M), Gaw will be entering the Final Table fourth in chips with 1,515,000.

The overall chip lead belongs to Malaysia’s Min Fei Chow with a stack of 1,690,000 not too far ahead of Douglas Olsson of Sweden with 1,645,000.

Yuichi Sumida of Japan is third with 1,640,000 while fifth and sixth places are held by Sumida’s countryman Tetsuya Tsuchikawa with 805,000 and another Malaysian in Kevin Ang with 425,000.

The WPT’s legendary television commentator Mike Sexton busted out in tenth place while seven other Pinoy hopefuls fell short with Francis Villamar, Bernie Angeles, Joseph Sia, Dennis Gamboa, William Castro, Jun Te and Noel “Kid” Araniel falling by the wayside.

Sexton rejoins commentary partner Tony Dunst in the broadcast booth to deliver the blow-by-blow account of what transpires in the finale via www.wpt.com.