Van Marcus and Josh Pang Ang was swapping the chip lead quicker than you can spot a Jeepney on a Manila street. Marcus, who finished fourth in this event last year after taking the chip lead to the final table, has just taken down a massive pot to send fellow Australian James Broom and Japan’s Takaski Ogura to the rail.

The craziness started when Broom raised under-the-gun to 6000, Rudy Lim and June Caberoy called, Ogura shoved all-in for 16,000, Marcus popped to 100,000 from the big blind, Broom pushed all-in, Lim and Caberoy got out of the way and Marcus called.

Marcus showed 10h-10c, Ogura Ac-7h and Broom looked well placed with his Ks-Kd. There was something for everyone in the flop of Ad-10d-4d – top pair for Ogura, set for Marcus and a flush draw for Broom. But the turn (8c) and river (3c) bricked, and Marcus was up to 220,000.

That left Broom as the 30th place finisher and Ogura 31st, while Korea’s Kil Seok Yang (a PokerStars qualifier) was officially listed in 32nd place.

Now on the TV table, Pang Ang quickly countered to take his stack above 300,000. Marcus and Pang Ang share almost 20 per cent of the chips in play.

Some interesting facts about this year’s PokerStars.net APPT Manila event with 27 players remaining – there are still two players in contention for back-to-back final table appearances (Van Marcus and defending champion Brett Parise); 10 Filipinos are assured a cash in this year’s event (up from six last year); Team PokerStars Pro Lee Nelson and Van Marcus have joined David Steicke and Bryan Huang as the only players to have cashed in three APPT events; and Natasha Ellis becomes the first female player to have cashed in either APPT Manila event.

After a very tight bubble period in the PokerStars.net APPT Manila main event, we’re in the money after consecutive hands – one in the feature table and one in the main tournament area.

In the TV studio, PokerStars Sponsored player Celina Lin bowed out just two spots short of the money when she found her two-pair, jacks and nines had been behind all the way against Mike Marvanek’s flopped set of fours.

Not surprisingly, it was new chip leader Josh Pang Ang who delivered the final blow against Xiaogang Lin, who moved in his short stack with Ac-8c and found himself up against Pang Ang’s Ad-Jc, with the board running out Kc-3c-5s-7s-6s.

The Singaporean’s massive stack of almost 260,000 came mainly thanks to the UK’s Tony Phillips in two pivotal hands. The crunch hand started when Phillips pushed to 6200 pre-flop and Ang called in. The flop was Jh Qc Ac. Phillips checked, Ang bet 8800 and Phillips called. The turn was Jd, Phillips checked, Ang bet 19,000 and Phillips called.

The river was a seemingly innocuous 5h. Phillips again checked, Ang pushed all-in for 65,000 and Phillips eventually called and showed Kc Qh. But Ang had rivered a set of fives, sending Phillips into an obscenity-loaded rage.

To rub salt into the wound, Ang finished him off a few hands later when he made quad threes on a board 3s-3c-4h-4c-3d holding just Qh-3h against Phillips’ pocket kings.

During the past level (12), we’ve lost PokerStars Sponsored players Wally “The Dream” Sombero (pocket deuces against Tony Phillips’ A-9, ace in the window) and a gallant Priscilla Meirelles (whose run ended when Pang Ang’s A-Q held up against her A-8) while James Obst, who was crippled when Rudy Lim made a river-river flush with A-Q against Obst’s A-K), has also been eliminated just short of his first live tournament cash.

With just a few minutes remaining in level 13, blinds will soon be up to 1500/3000 with a 500 ante. Players who finish in positions 25-32 are assured a payout of PHP 160,740 (or USD 3257.14).

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Watch APPT Manila 08: Michael Shell and Lee Nelson on PokerStars.tv

Sparks are flying between mates Andrew Obst and PokerStars Sponsored Player Van Marcus. Minutes ago, Obst pushed all-in preflop, and Van insisted that he count it precisely, even instructing the dealer to not help count his chips.

The following hand, Van tried to call the clock on Obst as soon as Obst looked at his hand. But it's all in good fun, as Marcus has been showing the 18-year-old the ropes on his first trip to the Philippines.

Soon after, PokerStars Qualifier Patrick Carron from the USA pushed all-in for 12,900 with blinds of 1000/2000. Van Marcus called, and Obst pushed over the top from the big blind. Van Marcus then folded pocket sixes face-up.

Obst showed A-Q and Carron had A-8. The flop of 3c-8d-5d gives Carron the lead, with a Js on the turn. Fortunately for Obst, though, the Qc came on the river to give him a large pot of over 40,000 chips.

As the dealer cleaned up the cards, Van let out a exasperated plea to Obst, "Why you squeezing me, brother?" The mild-mannered man from Adelaide, Australia, didn't need to reply, and let his play do the talking as Obst stacked up his chips.

Just 10 players short of the bubble, the heat is about to be turned up on the short stacks in the day 2 field at the PokerStars.net APPT Manila main event.

With blinds at 1000/2000 and a 300 ante, the 14 players with fewer than 20,000 in their stack are desperately looking for a big hand to make a move. PokerStars Sponsored player Celina Lin, one of the players feeling the pressure, said she’d barely spotted a playable hand all day.

Finally, Celina found pocket sevens which was enough for her to commit her remaining chips. She received a call (Q-3) but her pocket pair held up and she’s up to 40,000.

The good fortune rubbed off on the player seated to her immediate left – PokerStars Sponsored player Priscilla Meirelles. She committed her last 14,000 chips with A-J and found herself in a tough spot against pocket kings. But an ace on the flop has rejuvenated the stack of the 2004 Miss Earth.

One player who looks set to cruise through the bubble period is crowd favourite Melvin “The Miracle” Matibag. The exuberant Matibag is the yin to James Obst’s yang – the young Aussie displaying calmness and maturity at the table well beyond his 18 years.

Matibag called Obst’s all-in on a flop of 2d-4h-8h, but was well behind Obst’s pocket queens holding only K-2. Sure enough, another deuce fell on the river to make him trips, and the chant of “Miracle, Miracle” was off and running once again. Obst managed a wry smile.

Despite running his stack down below 30,000, the online wunderkind has since KOed two players to recover nicely as his first live tournament cash looms.

The top five in the chip count (approximately) are PokerStars Sponsored player Van Marcus (185,000), Chang Yong Suk (160,000), Hyoungjin Nam (145,000), Michael Shell (135,000) and Josh Pang Ang (120,000).

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Watch APPT Manila 08: Miss Earth! on PokerStars.tv

Then there were two: only Brett Parise and Van Marcus remain in contention to make it back-to-back APPT Manila final tables after Ira Blumenthal was eliminated early on day 2 here at the Hyatt Hotel and Casino.

After Van Marcus KOed Daniel Nordstrom quads about an hour ago, this time James Andy McLEOD Obst used his Ad-10d to make quads on a board of 2d-Ac-7h-As-Ah to cripple Blumenthal (Q-7), who thought his full house was good. He was eliminated on the next hand.

In the past few minutes, we’ve also lost PokerStars Sponsored player Ivan Tan. After losing a significant number of chips (A-K versus K-8, with an eight landing on the turn), Tan’s last stand was also with A-K, but failed to hit against his opponent’s pocket pair.

There’s a palpable sense of pressure in the room just 16 spots short of the money. Team PokerStars Pro Lee Nelson and PokerStars Sponsored players Celina Lin, Wally Sombrero, Priscilla Meirelles and Van Marcus remain well positioned to cash – indeed, Van has just ascended to the top of the chip count on 180,000.

But it’s been a tough opening two sessions for the spiritual leader of Filipino Poker, Wally Sombrero. Fiercely determined to do well in this event, “The Dream” started the day just outside the top 10 chip counts on 60,100 but is now down to about 25,000. He’s getting plenty of support from the local fans who are spilling through the door out into the cash-game area to get a glimpse of the action.

Mixed fortunes for two players who’ve recorded excellent results on the Australian tournament scene this year. Michael Chrisanthopoulos (third at this year’s Aussie Millions main event) has just been KOed by Dane Jeppe Drivsholm after pushing his K-7 into a board of Kd-9h-3h only to find Drivsholm with a set of threes.

At an adjacent table, 2008 PokerNews Cup champion Nali “Iraqi Nick” Kaselias just sent Jong Sung Kim packing when his pocket kings held sway against Kim’s Ah-Qs. Kaselias is up to almost 50,000 in chips.

With blinds at 600/1200, and one limper, Team PokerStars Pro Lee Nelson raised in late position. Defending champion Brett Parise pushed all-in from the small blind for an additional 10,900 chips, and after the other player folded, Nelson was faced with a tough decision.

He calculated his pot odds in great detail, as the observers could virtually see his mind meticulously ticking over and calculating the correct move. Nelson decided to call, and revealed his 8h-6h, saying "I know I'm behind" and Parise revealed Ah-Qs.

The flop gave hope to both players, coming Ad-Jh-Qh, giving Parise top two-pair, but giving Nelson a flush draw. Ks on the turn and 8d on the river was no help to Nelson, however, and Parise doubled up to around 29,000.

The random table draw that somehow seated PokerStars Sponsored player Van Marcus next to David Saab promised fireworks, and it didn’t take long for someone at table 11 to light the wick early on day 2 in the PokerStars.net APPT Manila main event.

But before the two Aussie livewires butted heads, Marcus featured in one of the most remarkable hands in APPT history. Hang on, we’ve been covering these events since the tour’s inception, this was THE sickest hand we’ve ever seen on the APPT.

The board showed 7c-10h-Ah-3s when the money went in, with Daniel Nordstrom happy to see that his set of 10s had Marcus’ set of threes well under control. “Hit the one-outer, it’s that easy,” Saab chortled. Sure enough, the 3c sailed down the river to give Marcus runner-runner quads as the room erupted. To Nordstrom’s credit, he took the beat well, shook Van’s hand, and quietly left the tournament area.

The huge media contingent (that’s not an exaggeration, you can barely move between the tables) had barely left the area when the predicted showdown came against Marcus and Saab.

Frustrated by Saab’s willingness to raise most pots, Marcus made a stand at just the right time, with pocket kings dominating Saab’s Ad-Jc. “Get away from this table,” Marcus bellowed, only half-jokingly.

Steeled for a charge at the title after reaching two previous APPT final tables, Marcus is now in the driver’s seat with more than 150,000 in chips but still trails Chang Yong Suk, who has improved to 160,000 in the early going.

After a dramatic and utterly enthralling early afternoon session (players are taking their first 10-minute break for the day), 59 players remain of the 77 who started day 2. Michael Shell (125,000), Natasha Ellis (110,000) and Hyoungjin Nam (90,000) are also prominently placed.

Watch APPT Manila 08: Van Marcus on PokerStars.tv