Sean Callander brings us the latest from the APPT in Macau...

After four days of competition, the 538 entrants in the PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Macau main event have been reduced to just 39.

In a dramatic day on the tournament floor at the Grand Waldo Hotel and Casino, the field was slashed from 208 to less than 40 after just seven one-hour levels, including one of the most exciting bubble periods ever played in a tournament of this stature and size.

The day started with five Team PokerStars Pros still in contention – 2005 WSOP main event winner Joe Hachem, Chad Brown, Isabelle “No Mercy” Mercier, Lee “Final Table” Nelson and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier – but all were eliminated over the course of the day. PokerStars Sponsored players Emad Tahtouh, Elton Tsang, Dan Schreiber, Terrence Chan and Men "The Master" Nguyen were also sent to the rail.

Play was fast and furious – in the first one-hour level, 47 players were eliminated (at a rate of one elimination every 90 seconds).

Team PokerStars Pro Joe Hachem doubled-up twice in the opening minutes of the day but was eliminated when Daisy Wain’s A-Q held up on a 10-high board against Hachem’s A-J. Wain has since been confirmed as the highest placed female player in the event, and is assured a finish in the money.

The other Team PokerStars Pros also fell by the wayside. Chad Brown was eliminated by day 1A chip leader Andre Wagner; Isabelle Mercier was taken out by Indonesia’s Steve Djingga; Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier was crippled by PokerStars Sponsored player Emad Tahtouh before bowing out two spots short of the money; and Lee “Final Table” Nelson secured his second APPT cash in finishing 42nd.

Javed Abrahams attacked once the bubble had burst

The drama that characterised day 2 continued well into the final level, with Javed Abrahams the big mover – he flopped a set of eights to KO John Dalessandri then took out Aditya Agarwal with a set of sixes to finish firmly inside the top five.

Ed Sabat: The man to chase on day 3

Despite Abrahams move late in the day, it was PokerStars player Edward Sabat who topped the chip count at the end of the day after taking down a big pot against former chip leader Yeongsok Choi with a modest 10-9 on a board of Q-3-10-Q-K.

Charles Chua: skill, but some good cards come in handy

Australia’s Charles Chua rode a wave of cards (he had quads twice, which were duly paid off) is in second chip position followed by Canadian PokerStars qualifier Keith Wintermans, Abrahams and Hong Kong-based Australian David Steicke, who took down a massive pot against former chip leader Kenny Hicks on the bubble.

Canadian Keith Wintermans is ideally placed for a shot at the final table

Chris Grigorian was the APPT Macau main event “bubble boy”, placing 57th. All players finishing 56th or better are assured a payout (see payouts and remaining structure below):

1 HKD $3,540,040 (USD $453,851.28)
2 HKD $2,275,740 (USD $291,761.54)
3 HKD $1,201,080 (USD $153,984.62)
4 HKD $847,080 (USD $108,600.00)
5 HKD $632,150 (USD $81,044.87)
6 HKD $442,500 (USD $56,730.77)
7 HKD $328,720 (USD $42,143.59)
8 HKD $240,220 (USD $30,797.44)
9 HKD $177,000 (USD $22,692.31)

10-12 HKD $126,430 (USD $16,208.97)
13-16 HKD $101,145 (USD $12,967.31)
17-24 HKD $75,860 (USD $9725.64)
25-32 HKD $63,215 (USD $8104.49)
33-40 HKD $50,570 (USD $6483.33)

40 Xinzheng Xu (China) HKD $50,570
41 Andrew Pantling (Canada) HKD $44,250
42 Lee Nelson (NZ) HKD $44,250
43 Hon Ming Kim Lee (Hong Kong) HKD $44,250
44 Aditya Agarwal (India) HKD $44,250
45 John Dalessandri (Australia) HKD $44,250
46 Marius Bobinas (Lithuania) HKD $44,250
47 David Ewing (Australia) HKD $44,250
48 Matt Lee (Hong Kong) HKD $44,250
49 Frank Bianco (Australia) HKD $37,930
50 Tyrone Kerrigan (UK) HKD $37,930
51 Manlee Wan (Macau) HKD $37,930
52 Elton Tsang (Hong Kong) HKD $37,930
53 Doron Tourgman (Germany) HKD $37,930
54 Emad Tahtouh (Australia) HKD $37,930
55 John Babatsikos (Australia) HKD $37,930
56 Chris Levick (Australia) HKD $37,930