March 2010 Archives

PokerStars.net has been behind so many poker innovations in the past few years, it's tough to find something out there without PokerStars' fingerprints all over it. There was one thing, though, that PokerStars hadn't done. It had yet to introduce its own high stakes cash game that would be broadcast...more

We already liked this place before the final table began. But bias aside the PAGCOR Chairman's Cup got the final table it deserved today, and not only for the quality of its new champion. There was the local interest, local heroes and a last Filipino. There was the PokerStars...more

11.10pm: Binh Nguyen wins PAGOR Chairman's Cup and $260,700 A pre-flop all-in show-down has resulted in Binh Nguyen eliminating Scotsman Gordon Huntly to be crowned champion. The action started with a 250,000 raise from Nguyen on the button before Huntly three-bet to 600,000. Nguyen then moved all-in and after some...more

10pm: LEVEL UP The seventh level of the night begins with blinds at 40,000-80,000 with no ante. 9.55pm: Putting out the feelers Most pots so far have been limped pots with little action on the streets. Continuation bets are getting through and no pots have been bet on more...more

6.47pm: Break time That's the end of the level. Players are now on a 15 minutes break. 6.45pm: Got there on the river Terrence Chan raised from the button and was called by Gordon Huntly in the small blind. It was checked to the river where the board read 2♥A♣T♣4♦3♥....more

3.40pm: Break time Players are taking the first break of the day for 30 minutes. Time to go buy a slot machine at the expo. Play resumes at 4.10pm. 3.35pm: Huntly doubles house Gordon Huntly has doubled up to around 1.4 million through overnight chip leader Choon Kwang Lim. Huntly...more

The final table of the PAGCOR Chairman's Cup will be played out today. Nine players, one table, packed into the noisy and slightly surreal environment of a full on gaming expo. We can see the chips on the table, hear a racket coming from beyond the red curtains and...more

We've just about worked out the formula to this tournament. Written down it might involve brackets, squiggly lines and X=something, but it goes something like this: turn up, sit down and play like hell until someone tells you to stop. Don't get up and down from your table, don't...more

7.10pm: Day three done Day three of the PAGCOR Chairman's Cup is over and just a final table of nine players remain. It came after an all-in move by Jae Sin with Q♦T♣ for 131,000 who was then called by Gordon Huntly with K♠7♣. The board came 4♠5♠8♠4♥6♦. With that...more

5.03pm: BREAK TIME Back in ten minutes. 5pm: New poker term coined Bin Nguyen and Terrence Chan have coined a new poker term between them. Nguyen noticed that Chan had a 5,000 chip mixed in with a stack of 1,000 chips and informed him of his dirty stack. "It's a...more

2.40pm: Break time Break time on day three. Players take ten minutes and when they return will play blinds of 5,000-10,000 with a 1,000 ante. 2.35pm:This nut's been cracked Harold Louis Trinidad raised from the cut-off and then called when Almond Cabral pushed from the small blind. Cabral tabled 9♥9♦...more

After last night's closing stages it's hard to imagine how this day might top it. But the chances are that it will. At stake today is a place at the final table of the PAGCOR Chairman's Cup, but along the way everyone will be paid. Some 430 players came...more

In the last few minutes today this was not a poker tournament, it was a survival story, one of life and death and only a few would survive. It was not a matter of cards, it was like the sighting of a ship in the distance to a bunch...more

9.20pm: Double elimination bursts bubble and ends play for today The bubble just burst here amid scenes of pure pandemonium. Mishel Anunu was the first player to move all in for 47,000 from mid-position and he was flat called by Yong-suk Chang on the button before Mikael Rosen moved all...more

6.55pm: Time for tea Players are now on a 30 minute dinner break at the end of the sixth level of the day. 6.50pm: Croatian counterfeit Nikica Maric has doubled up the short stack of Mongolian player Oyunbaatar Tumendemberel. It all went in pre-flop with Maric holding 9♦9♣ to his...more

4.45pm: BREAK TIME Players off for a ten minute break. 4.45pm:Bashing the Coco Nikica Mavic has taken back-to-back pots at the expense of Franco Mabanta to go up to 140,000. In the first hand Mabanta raised from under-the-gun and was called by the Croatian in the big blind to see...more

2.35pm: Break time Players are taking a ten minute break. When they return blinds will be 800-1,600 with a 200 ante. 2.30pm: Hail Franco After some intricate pre-flop jousting Martin Gonzales got his chips into the middle with J♣T♣, called by Franco Mabanta who showed A♥Q♥. They each braced themselves...more

The old adage the final flight of day one is often the toughest is certainly something we've seen at poker tour's around the world. It turns out the PAGCOR Chairman's Cup is no different. After two previous editions of day one featured a combined 208 players, day 1C attracted...more

9pm: Play concludes The last of our day ones has come to an end. After a late surge our overnight but not overall chip leader is Victor Chang with 174,300. The official chip counts will appear here shortly and it won't be long too long before you can re-live the...more

5.05pm: Break time The second break of the day. When players return blinds will be up to 200-400 with a 50 ante. 5pm: Board doesn't reach the Rivera On a flop of 2♥K♣7♥ Mark Benasa in the big blind checked to Tony Rivera who bet 6,500 from the button. Benasa...more

3pm: BREAK TIME Two hours and two levels down; players go on a ten minute break. 2.45pm: All in but drawing dead Kelly Flynn has been eliminated by Alexander Ciruela. Flynn hit top pair on the turn with his holding of A♥J♦. The board read T♠9♣3♠A♠ and Flynn was soon...more

On our way out of the hotel this morning Tony Hachem was on his way in, looking slightly jet-lagged but chipper. He has reason to be happy, having just won ANZPT Perth and AUS$132,750. The jetlag look was because he did that yesterday, less than 18 hours ago. Hachem...more

After yesterday's performance of tinderbox poker, a day that reduced 99 players to 44, it was always a long shot to expect the same level of attrition today. But we weren't far off. With ten more players starting today, 109 were whittled down to 59 just without much of...more

9pm: Play concludes for day 1b The last six hands came and went with lots of shouts and screams (normal period of play then!) and all remaining players counted and bagged up their chips ready for play on Tuesday. 59 players made it through the day's mahem poker. Official chip...more

5.10pm: Break time Players are on the next ten minute break. When they return blinds will be 200-400 with a 50 ante. 5.05pm: The Bold Mundai On a flop of 9♣A♦6♥ Wilfredo Maliski checked to Bold Mundai from Mongolia on the button who made it 1,500. Mundai is a colourful...more

3pm: Break time Break time here in Manila. When players return in ten minutes time blinds will be 100-200 with a 25 ante. 2.55pm: To the river again There was 5,000 already in the pot and a flop of 9♥6♣J♦ on the board when Carlos Chang and Warren Kiamco went...more

We're all set for day 1B of the PAGCOR Chairman's Cup in downtown Manila. Well, we assume it's downtown. Manila can be disorientating to the first time visitor. Gridlock and dizzying heat during the taxi journey here, and back now we think of it, makes it a vibrant hodgepodge...more

Those of us who had never been to an APPT event before today didn't really know what to expect in the Coral Ballroom of the Manila Pavilion Hotel. We anticipated difficulties with names, directions, maybe even the stuffed fish for lunch, but what we didn't expect was a fuel-injected...more

9.45pm: Play concluded The last seven hands have come and gone and Day 1a has finished for today. Mark Takayama is runaway chip leader on 197,375. Official chip counts will appear here in an hour or so and a full wrap of the day's play will be up shortly. 9.30pm:...more

5.50pm: Break time Players are on another ten minute break at the end of level four. 5.40pm: Charlie finds his angels Don Carmona opened the pot with a limp before Chung Ng raised to 1,000. Charlie Co then moved all in for his last 2,200 and was called by Andrew...more

3.35pm: Break time Players are now taking a ten minute break before returning for level three. 3.25pm: Ace king? With a flop of 3♥J♥4♦ already on the table Dongmin Lee made it 900 before Sung Ho Kim raised to 2,600. Lee called for a K♦ on the turn. A check...more

Welcome to Manila for the first ever staging of the PAGCOR Chairman's Cup in the sunny, busy, affordable capital of the Philippines. We were supposed to be at EPT Snowfest, rolling down wet hills and experiencing shattered bones for ourselves, but we turned our back on all that, swapping...more

2.30pm: Hachem's kings rule Steicke Could he do it again? Tony Hachem has just doubled through David Steicke to take his stack north of 65,000 as he aims for an incredible sixth ANZPT cash in seven events. Steicke shoved all-in over the top of the PokerStars.net Team Australia pro's...more

In 1957, a prospector by the name of Stan Hilditch was picking around the Eastern Pilbara region of Western Australia, about 1200 kilometres north of Perth. One of the most isolated and inhospitable regions in the country, the Eastern Pilbara had little use except as marginal pasture until Hilditch...more

Seating draw for day 2 of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Perth Main Event at Burswood Casino, Perth, Western Australia Table 1 Seat 1: William Dunn (Australia) PokerStars Qualifier 46,250 Seat 2: Eoin Kennedy (Australia) 61,725 Seat 3: Adrienne Whareorere (Australia) PokerStars Qualifier 16,150 Seat 5: Aaron Benton (Australia) PokerStars Qualifier...more

A record-breaking prizepool for a Western Australian poker tournament has been established in the first PokerStars.net ANZPT Perth Main Event at Burswood Casino. After yesterday's modest entry list of 83, the main event field bumped up to 222 thanks to today's 1B field of 139. A total of 112...more

8pm: Eric cops a hit A little earlier we mentioned that PokerStars.net Team Australia Pro Eric Assadourian's day had been a case of "cruise control". Well, it's ended with the cart running off the road after Assadourian lost the bulk of his stack to Michael Vanderhorst. The money went...more

6.40pm: Triple triumph for Levy After being down to less than 4000, PokerStars.net Team Australia Pro Grant Levy has clawed back to almost 40,000 after a second triple-up. Levy's A♥ K♥ was up against the 6♥ 6♣ of 2009 APPT Grand Final third-place finisher Leo Boxell and K♠ 9♣...more

5.45pm: Krost's new quest The day 1B field has been reduced to 98 from the starting field of 139, leaving just three tables in the Burswood poker room. Quietly seated at one of those tables is an unassuming 23-year-old from Sydney by the name of Tyron Krost. But even...more

4.40pm: Player of the Year race is underway ANZPT Adelaide in-the-money finishers including Tony Hachem, Todd Butcher, Eric Assadourian and Bruno Da Silva are still in the hunt to add to their points tally in the race for the 2010 PokerStars.net ANZPT Player of the Year. Reigning ANZPT Player...more

3.40pm: Borg, Billy bow out Many of the big names are feeling the heat early on day 1B of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Perth Main Event. Players to have been sent to the rail so far today include David Borg and Billy "The Croc" Argyros, while 2009 APPT Auckland champ...more

2.40pm: Dodds sets up KO Players are slowly starting to make their way to the main tournament area as tables break in the Burswood poker room. Six of the 139 starters have hit the rail, the latest courtesy of the 2009 ANZPT Player of the Year third-place finisher Joel...more

1.20pm: Tahtouh on top Not for the first time on the ANZPT, PokerStars.net Team Australia's Emad Tahtouh is the early chip leader. New Zealand PokerStars Qualifier Linas Leonivas was lucky to escape with his tournament life when he found himself in a set over set confrontation with Tahtouh on...more

Despite a long day on the felt yesterday, there weren't too many long faces when the bus arrived to pick up players from Burswood for the 180-kilometre trip south from Perth to the regional centre of Bunbury for the ultimate poker tourism experience. Destination: the Dolphin Discovery Centre. Western...more

An historic day of poker has concluded at Burswood Casino with 46 players progressing to day two in the first PokerStars.net ANZPT event ever played in Perth, Western Australia. Appropriately, it was a local player, Nik Lackovic, who finished atop the chip count with 104,625. He leads Melbourne's Kelvin...more

8pm: Seven to go The announcement has just been made that there'll be another seven hands to end day 1A of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Perth Main Event. As the clock ticks past 8pm local time and the fiddler keeps a fiddlin', 48 of the 83 starters are hoping to...more

6.50pm: Oh really, O'Reilly? It was Andrew Hinrichsen versus Sean O'Reilly once again on table 16, and the sight of Hinrichsen smoking the rubber on his way out of the tournament area suggests it didn't end well for the 2009 ANZPT Queenstown second-place finisher. The hand was pretty straightforward...more

5.50pm: Rennie, O'Reilly on a roll After a fairly sedate fourth level, the action is coming thick and fast in the latter stages of level five on day 1A of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Perth Main Event here at Burswood. Fresh from his win in the ANZPT Adelaide Main Event,...more

5pm: Just like Steicke Sometimes, you have to bitch and scratch for every last chip in a pot. Then, there are hands like this. David Steicke has quickly made up for his late arrival after watching the action come raise to 600, re-raise to 2000, re-raise to 6000. Nice...more

3.40pm: Fairer sex well represented Today's 1A field in the ANZPT Perth Main Event features one of the largest line-ups of female players of any tour event in the past 14 months. The list includes local player Lynn Brooks, who won a Sapphire Series Main Event here two years...more

2.45pm: Smoke 'em if ya got 'em Players are just about to take their first break of the day with just the one elimination after the opening two hours of play. It looks to be a Lackovic one-two on the chip count with Nik (41,000) leading from Aleks (28,000)....more

1.30pm: Welcome to Australia Credit to our two international PokerStars Qualifiers playing today - Dutchman Onno Zwart and Slovenia's Molan Miroslav. The complaints of the players from Australia's east coast who've made the trek across the Nullarbor Plain won't get much sympathy from this duo, who've journeyed from the...more

There were some interesting options available for players preparing for the opening session of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Perth Main Event. Judging from the traffic on the running track that winds its way around the Burswood Entertainment Complex and along the Swan River, some opted for the healthier choice of...more

For those of us who make our home in the relatively populous regions of Australia's south-east, it's sometimes easy to forget that the bulk of the country is empty. The four-hour flight from Melbourne to Australia's western coastline provides a stark reminder. Watching from QF475, the conveyor belt of...more

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There are countless reasons why this week will live long in the memory of poker enthusiasts. This was the first EPT event to be hosted in Berlin and it was the first time there was a guaranteed €1m to the winner. And, of course, there was that incident. It happened,...more

Irony. That's what you could call the fact that only one player hailing from Latin America has won an event (out of the first seven) on the Latin American Poker Tour. The previous events at Punta del Este were dominated by Europeans. In Season 1, a Spaniard named Jose...more