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The tension mounted palpably as supporters from each camp, Malaysia and Singapore, gathered around the feature match table to witness the clash of two countries. More than a championship was at stake here. This game carried connotations of national pride. |
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Vincent Chan won last year’s $10K Kuala Lumpur and looks set on bringing home yet another trophy this year. |
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Jonathan frequently performs well at tournaments, but has yet to reach the finals of a $10K event. Emmanuel is the sole player from the Philippines still in contention, and carries the weight of the hopes of an entire nation on his shoulders. |
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It was a solemn group I encountered as I approached the table for the final pod of the event. Each player was lost in his own thoughts as he considered his plans for the draft. |
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Both players were at 7 wins, and this match was crucial for them to secure a spot in the Top 8. |
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I first interviewed Tze Hong at $10K Manila, where he made the semifinals. His performance ever since has consistently earned him a spot in the money at $10K events. |
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Emmanuel, as you should know by now, is one of the three players from the Philippines present today. At this point he was 4-2, and it seemed that he should make Day 2, but he was not yet assured a spot. |
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Emmanuel is a third of the trio of Filipino players who made the pilgrimage down to this $10K tournament. Though he had just dropped a match to Wilfred Lau, Day 2 remained well within his sights with a 4-1 record. |
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Emmanuel had traveled rather far from his native Philippines, and was doing very well at 4-0. His opponent also had a perfect score, and each player was looking to secure a spot in day 2. |
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Grey has just emerged from the first Sealed Pack of the day with a perfect record, defeating $10K Singapore semifinalist Benzie Dio enroute. I sat down with him to find out just what his secret is. |
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Both players were 2-0, and as this was the last round of the first Sealed Pack, both players were hoping to finish with a perfect record. Benzie is a Singaporean who made the semifinals at $10K Singapore, while Grey is Malaysian. |
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For Benzie, creativity is an important trait to have for Sealed Pack. He feels that creativity makes a difference, even when you get bad cards. |
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This was the semifinal match that did not happen at $10K Singapore. Benzie had something urgent to attend to last time, and scooped to Keng Yin into the finals. |
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By the end of the journey, the only concession we could wring from him was a cryptic, “I always choose consistency over quirky tricks.” |
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The Asian $10K Championship Circuit has come full circle here in Kuala Lumpur, as we kick-start a brand new year of competitive gaming. |
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