Interview With Revo David On His PPT Main Event Takedown

Revo strikes again! Down to just 6 bb at one point at the final table, young gun Rene Mar David aka Revo overcame to clinch the Philippine Poker Tour Main Event. After an ICM heads up deal, Revo defeated the 2024 Metro Player of the Year, Lemmor Patulot. He locked up a cash prize of ₱709,614 (~US$ 12,600) plus a seat worth ₱55,000 to the upcoming Philippine Poker Millions. In a post-win interview with Revo, he shared some thoughts about his game,

How does it feel to be running this good?

Una nag focus muna ako sa Day 1 sabi ko sa sarili ko kailangan makapasok muna ng Day 2 ng maayos ang stack 20BB up ang target ko so naka Day 2 ako 23BB kako pwede na to basta ma manage ko lang hangang magkaron ako ng magandang spot para ma double up tapos ayun consistent lang hangang dulo as long as wala ka ginagawang mali mas malaki chance manalo ayun lang nasa isip ko palagi.

What would you say are the key reasons for you running this good for nearly 2 years?

Well sa tingin ko ang naging reasons yung pagiging masipag ko, tsaka pala tanong ako pag meron ako hindi sure na spot, kaya nalalaman ko kung tama or mali yung mga nangyayare sakin tapos ayun iniisa isa kong ayusin lahat ng mga mali ko tapos pinagaralan ko din kung pano maglaro yung magagaling na mga nakaka mesa ko tapos iniintindi ko kung bakit nila ginaganon ginaganyan so ayun nakaka pulot ako sakanila ng mga diko alam tapos ayun nga inimprove ko yung nga licks ko na alam kong mahina ako sa mga ganon tapos focus lang.

You folded pocket tens on three-bet from Lemmor, why did you make that decision?

Ayun nga tingin ko kasi wala na syang bluff sakin don, unang una yung big blind is short stack na, tsaka naisip ko 9BB pa naman matitira sakin pwede pako makahanap ng ibang spot, kasi pinaka worst na baraha nya na pwede kong talunin is AK so flip parin, tapos madami ng dominating hand sa tens ko kaya naisip ko nalang ifold wala na syang bluff talaga dun value hand nalang meron sya dun sa tingin ko kaya nag fold ako.

At three handed chips were swinging what was your strategy then?

Nung tatlo nalang kami ang naisip kong strategy dun is medjo mag agressive kasi nagaantay lang ng cards yung isa kaya si Lemmor nalang pwede kong ingatan dun kasi lagi nya ko hinahamon ng all in preflop pero nangibabaw parin pasensya ko kako sa heads up ko nalang sya babakbakin kasi andami ko na nakitang tell sa laro nya mula nagsimula yung FT so magagamit ko yun sa heads up kako. Kelangan lang muna ma out yung isa ayun ang ipepressure ko muna.

How did you feel coming up against Lemmor at the final table especially that he had position over you and he had been at the top of his game since the start?

Honestly nahirapan talaga ako sakanya kasi unang una nasa kaliwa ko sya, tsaka sya lang ang may experience enough para ma counter nya mga ginagawa ko tsaka lahat ng open ko sya karamihan sumupalpal, tapos nung na short ako lagi nya nirereaise blinds ko so tlagang nahirapan ako sakanya kaya yung galaw ko e pili nalang hindi talaga ako nakakilos nun dahil sakanya kasi napilay chips ko e nung na badbeat QQ ko topset so ayun na dun nagsimula. Pero nanatili parin akong kalmado at nagingat sabi ko sa sarili ko ma makakuha lang ako ng isang blinds sa isang ikot ok nako pwede ako maka survive hangang sa ma double up nga ako ayun na medjo nakahinga na at napaabot ko hangang dulo.

How about at heads up, what was your plan to keep your lead with average only 20BB?

So ayun nga ang plano ko sakanya is wag muna makipag lahatan preflop, hanggat maaari postflop ko sya lalaruin para di ako basta basta malalahat, trap, pabayad lang tapos alam kong may mga hero call sya kaya pag alam ko may value hand ko nagba value ako, tapos may mga trap ako na alam kong tataya sya imbis na mag value ako check call nalang ako sa bluff nya so ayun nga hangang sa naunti unti ko na sya kaya nilabanan ko na preflop yung last hand ko na AJ jam sya big blind K2. Saludo ako sakanya sobrang galing nya sakanya lang ako nahirapan dun sa FT sa totoo lang kasi beterano na un e madami na experience sa labanan tsaka table awareness nya same kami kaya kako sakanya lang ako mahihirapan ng sobra.

Congratulations to Revo for another Metro major takedown! This was Revo’s second Metro title having won the Metro Christmas Special last December.

You can watch the final table action via PPT Main Event Final Table

PPT Main Event – Numbers

Buy in: ₱6,500 (~US$ 115)
Guarantee: ₱4,000,000 (~US$ 71,000)
Entries: 934
Prize pool: ₱5,557,300 (~US$ 98,900)
ITM: 133 players

Final 9 Payouts

*In addition to the cash payout, the top 9 players received a seat worth ₱55,000 to the Philippine Poker Millions. 

The final day of the PPT Main Event saw the last 18 players return out of the 934 that entered the tournament. Rolando Estor carried in the torch however he missed the final table lineup finishing in  14th place. Big stacks Czardy Rivera  and Ricardo Singapan both had it rough, bowing out 11th and 12th respectively. Pre-Event winner Eugenio Bestil also failed in his bid, falling in 16th place. To form the final table, Raphael Bulaong was sent packing in 10th place.

Final Side Event Winners

Congratulations as well to the final side event winners. Michael De Leon (pictured above) championed the Bounty Event and Mark Joseph Bellin (pictured below) claimed the last trophy of the festival at The Closer event.