Thursday, April 4, 2013 8:13 AM Local Time
With the clock ticking just past the 3:00 a.m. mark and the final hand of the eighth level being dealt, Day 1a of the World Series of Poker Asia Pacific Event 1: AU$1,100 No Limit Hold’em Accumulator has come to an end.
329 players took to the felt today with hopes of building a stack that could see them in a position to mount a charge at capturing a potential AU$1,000,000 prizepool, and with the chips being bagged as we speak, it appears as though roughly 50 players have survived into Day 2.
Dan Kelly is today’s chip leader with an impressive 66,250 in chips after winning a huge pot in the last few minutes. Alex Givotovsky (65,600), Jonathan Duhamel (41,850), Barry Greenstein (41,050) round out the top few counts while the ‘Poker Brat’ himself Phil Hellmuth battled throughout the day to bag 20,650 in chips. Andrew Hinrichsen, Mike Watson and Mike Leah are a few of those also surviving today's flight.
All of the surviving players can now take two days off before returning on Sunday, however the nature of this event allows them to re-enter both Friday and Saturday to accumulate more chips to add to their stack.
The PokerListings Live Reporting Team will be back in the Crown Poker Room tomorrow covering all of the Day 1b action live from 12:00 p.m. local time.
In the meantime check out our first daily video from WSOP APAC:
Thursday, April 4, 2013 8:05 AM Local Time
The clock has been paused and the call for six more hands has been made. Stay tuned to find out who survives the night and who has the most chips!
Thursday, April 4, 2013 8:02 AM Local Time
It is looking likely that Dan “djk123” Kelly will be the chip leader at the end of the night, courtesy of a massive late hand which Kelly recently scooped up.
It all started when a short-stacked player moved all in. Kelly was on the button and opted to flat the all in, at which point Didier Guerin three-bet out of the big blind. Back on Kelly and he shoved for 33,350. Guerin made the call, having Kelly covered by a small amount.
Kelly:
Guerin:
Other:
It wasn’t great news for Guerin and the all-in player and the news only got worse as a flop hit the felt. The turn and the river changed nothing and with that one player was eliminated, Guerin was left crippled and Kelly had a stack of around well over 70,000.
Interestingly, following the above hand, Guerin was eliminated a short while after, sending the remainder of his chips to none other than Kelly. Guerin’s last hand was an unlucky one, with his falling to Kelly’s when a board was spread on the felt.
Thursday, April 4, 2013 7:49 AM Local Time
The beauty of an event such as today's accumulator is that if you bust out, you can try again tomorrow and/or the next day. That's the silver lining for Team888 Pro Jake Balsiger anyway, as he was recently eliminated from the tournament. We didn't catch all the action, but we do know that Balsiger ran his A-J into the pocket aces of an opponent. That was all she wrote for Balsiger as he will surely be back in just a few hours for tomorrow's second Day 1 flight.
Thursday, April 4, 2013 7:48 AM Local Time
Mike Leah found himself all in for his last 6,800 holding a dominated against an opponent’s
Fortunately for Leah the flop would fall to give him a virtual lock on the hand, and when the turn and river didn’t fall running eights, Leah returned to his seat with a healthy 14,000 in chips.
Thursday, April 4, 2013 7:39 AM Local Time
Tom Grigg opened the action under the gun with a raise to 800 only to have an opponent move all in for 4,625. Once the big blind reluctantly mucked his hand, Grigg decided to make the call holding to be in a race against his opponent’s
Both players would see the in the window, but when the flopped filled out with the Grigg would slip into a huge disadvantage. The on the turn gave Grigg four additional outs to a straight, but when the landed on the river, Grigg was left with just 2,500 in chips.
Just a few hands later, Grigg would be sent home just a few orbits shy of closing out the day.
Thursday, April 4, 2013 7:28 AM Local Time
Team PokerStars Pro Chad Brown has just played out a big pot that has seen him left with less than 20 big blinds. We arrived at the hand in question with a board already out on the felt and with Brown and one opponent having already built the pot to well over 4,000. Brown was in the hi-jack position and checked to his opponent on the button, who bet 2,150. Back on Brown and he quickly check-raised to 5,500. The player on the button thought long and hard, eventually opting to make the call.
On the river, Brown once again checked and this time his opponent took his time before moving all in. Brown decided to let his hand go, leaving himself with just 7,000 in chips during this late stage of the night.
Thursday, April 4, 2013 6:59 AM Local Time
With a raise of 700 in front of him, ANZPT Darwin Champion Jack Drake moved all in from the big blind for his last 9,300.
Drake’s opponent deliberated for close to a minute before making the call with to be well ahead of Drake’s
The board ran out to see Drake make a quick exit to the rail.
Thursday, April 4, 2013 6:46 AM Local Time
There are 68 players remaining. A few of those players have prospered enough to see their stacks rise above the rest. Below is a little look at the current chip leaders in the room and their approximate chip stacks.
Alek Givotovsky - 50,000
Barry Greenstein - 45,000
Jonathan Duhamel - 44,000
Didier Guerin - 41,000
Dan Kelly - 38,000
As you can see, some of the most prominent players currently in Australia such as Barry Greenstein and Jonathan Duhamel are doing very well and are looking likely to finish among the chip leaders this evening.
Thursday, April 4, 2013 6:37 AM Local Time
Facing a raise to 700 from early position, Sam Higgs moved all in for 6,775 and was met with the lone call from the original raiser.
Higgs:
Opponent:
With Higgs racing for his tournament life, the board would seal his fate and see him sent to the rail.
Simultaneously two players were on the receiving end of a double up. Firstly Paul Birman tossed in his last 1,325 holding and was called by the big blind’s The board would see Birman spike Broadway and double through to roughly 10 big blinds.
Jim Sachinidis also found himself all in holding a dominating against an opponent’s The board blanked out and Sachinidis raked in the pot to move to over 7,000 in chips.
Thursday, April 4, 2013 6:28 AM Local Time
Team888 Pro Sam Holden has recently found the rail, with his last 20 big blinds going in the middle preflop holding K-J and running into the pocket kings of an opponent. No help came for Holden and the former ‘November Niner’ was sent packing.
Only one Team888 Pro now remains in tonight’s field, with last year’s ‘Octo-Nine’ member Jake Balsiger currently sitting with a stack of 17,000 in chips.
Thursday, April 4, 2013 6:13 AM Local Time
If you were in Melbourne in January for the Aussie Millions, you would have walked into the Crown Poker Room today and noticed a few things a little different.
Firstly, let’s talk about the carpet. We’ve been reliably informed that there’s a whole science to casino carpets. Some say it’s designed to keep punters focussed on gambling at the tables. Others have quipped that perhaps it’s to mask the aftermath of a drunken Saturday night crowd. Whatever the reasoning, we're sure it fully explains the bold explosions of bright red that are now scattered across the floor as a new addition to the poker room.
Moving up from the carpet, the players will be pleased to enjoy the comforts of new chairs throughout the entire poker room. Gone are the thin, old green-felted chairs, replaced by a new grey chair with red trim that feels as good as it looks. Quality back support and generous cushioning certainly make a difference for those long days on the felt.
And speaking of felt, the new poker felts on the tables shine around the Crown Poker Room. The blue felts look very slick, and with the WSOP APAC logo splashed across the middle, it certainly lets the players know that they are playing on the big stage.
The WSOP certainly know how to hype an event, with the blue theme extended to the pillars and rails throughout the Crown Poker Room. And watching over the top of the tables, splashed on the pillars, is none other than the 2005 World Champion Joe Hachem. Australia's most famous WSOP bracelet winner and a man who is right at home here in the Crown Poker Room, regardless of the colour of the carpet.
Thursday, April 4, 2013 6:01 AM Local Time
The players are back from their final break of the night and we are now just beginning the business end of Day 1a.
Time to see who can survive the night.
Thursday, April 4, 2013 5:47 AM Local Time
Approximately 80 players have been sent on their final 15-minute break.
Make sure to return soon to find out who survives the final two levels of the night!
Thursday, April 4, 2013 5:32 AM Local Time
2010 WSOP Main Event victor Jonathan Duhamel is having a field day late her the night’s action. We recently reported on Duhamel sending one opponent, and now the champ has added another two victims to his hit list.
We arrived at the hand in question with a flop out on the felt and with Duhamel, one other opponent and Michael Kanaan getting all the chips in the middle. Duhamel had both his opponents covered, with all three hands shown below.
Duhamel:
Kanaan:
Other:
Duhamel had a pair and a flush draw, but was drawing to a seven or a four, with Kanaan holding pocket kings and the other player having the nut-flush draw. Fortunately for Duhamel, and unfortunately for the other players, a hit the turn to give Duhamel the lead. The on the river changed nothing and with that, Kanaan and the other player involved in the hand made their way to the rail, while Duhamel now has a stack of 45,000.
Thursday, April 4, 2013 5:20 AM Local Time
Alex Givotovsky opened under the gun to 525 only to have Sam Holden move all in for 2,975 from the button. With the action on Mervin Chan in the small blind, he moved all in for roughly 7,000 and Givotovsky made the call.
Givotovsky:
Holden:
Chan:
With Chan and Holden both at risk, the flop changed little along with the on the turn. However it would be the on the river sending Chan to the rail while keeping both Holden and Givotovsky in the tournament.
Thursday, April 4, 2013 5:08 AM Local Time
Jim Collopy open-pushed his last 2,200 into the middle and Jacob Balsiger made the call from the button before the big blind moved all in for 7,550. Balsiger instantly made the call and the cards were tabled.
Collopy:
Big Blind:
Balsiger:
With Balsiger in great shape to eliminate two players and move his stack to one of the top few, the saw Balsiger now at a huge disadvantage – alongside Collopy – to win the hand.
The on the turn changed little, and when the completed the board on the river, Balsiger saw his stack slip down to roughly 10,000 in change as Collopy made his way to the rail.
Thursday, April 4, 2013 5:07 AM Local Time
Jonathan Duhamel not only knows what it takes to win a WSOP Gold Bracelet, he knows what it takes to win the biggest tournament in the world. Of course, we are referring to Duhamel’s victory in the 2010 WSOP Main Event. For that effort Duhamel solidified his name in the record books, oh, and he also won just shy of $9 million. Duhamel is one of the more notable players in tonight’s field and so far it’s been a good night for the champ.
We recently caught Duhamel involved in a big pot with one opponent. By the time we arrived at the table there was a board on the felt and Duhamel was busy leading out for 2,325 into a pot of well over 5,000 in chips. Duhamel’s opponent took his time before making the call, at which point the dealer turned over a on the river.
The action was yet again on Duhamel to act first and he promptly moved all in for around 5,000 – enough to have his opponent covered. The player was clearly pained by Duhamel’s move, squirming in his chair, and looking towards the tournament clock several times. Eventually the player opted to make the call, which he would immediately regret as he mucked at the sight of Duhamel’s With that, Duhamel has a towering stack of around 25,000 in chips.
Thursday, April 4, 2013 4:58 AM Local Time
Tom Wing has had to contend with a pretty tough table today, with a range of notable players rotating through his table throughout the evening. In the end, Wing wasn’t able to get much going and shoved his short stack with only to run into Chad Awerbuch’s
It was looking pretty bad for Wing, but when the first four cards were dealt he surprisingly found himself with a couple of outs on the river for a chop. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be, as the river bricked the to see Wing sent to the rail.
Thursday, April 4, 2013 4:55 AM Local Time
Jake Balsiger is no stranger to the World Series of Poker brand, finishing 3rd in the Main Event just last summer. That score netted Balsiger $3,799,073 and we are sure he will be looking to add more success here at the first ever WSOP APAC. He has certainly had a good start tonight.
We recently arrived at Balsiger’s table to find him and one opponent getting all the chips in on a flop. Balsiger held for two pair, while his opponent had a flush draw with Balsiger’s opponent was at risk and would quickly find the rail when a and a completed the board. With that, Balsiger now sits with a stack of around 17,000.