2008 PokerStars.net APPT Auckland

APPT Auckland Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info

2008 PokerStars.net APPT Auckland

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
22
Prize
$257,040
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,860
Entries
306
Level Info
Level
23
Blinds
12,000 / 24,000
Ante
4,000

APPT Auckland Main Event

Day 2 Completed

Final Chip Counts

Here's how the last 11 players stack up:

Luke Stanford - 529,000
Nathanael Seet - 468,000
Wang Che Jung - 404,000
Daniel Craker - 318,000
Edward Holdcroft - 297,000
Michael Mariakis - 233,000
Wai Yuen - 159,000
Eric Mutrie - 126,000
Matthew Konnecke - 117,000
Jani Karke - 70,000
Dan Sing - 57,000

Day 2 Comes To An End

Chip leader, Luke Stanford
Chip leader, Luke Stanford
With the end of level 16, that was the end of the night. The PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event is down to it's last 11 players. Once the money bubble burst wide open, the players were dropping out left and right. Although many of the hands took a while to be completed, there surely was no lack of action.

Notables such as Grant Levy, Tony Hachem, and Soren Eriksen all went deep in the event and cashed, but none of them are still left. Wai Yuen is the lone woman standing as the chips get bagged up. She's done quite while in maneuvering her way into the final group of players that will return tomorrow to play for the title.

Luke Stanford took down a huge pot towards the end of the night when he eliminated Sreten Cvetkovski and ended the day as the current chip leader. The seating assignments along with chip counts will be posted later on.

Play will resume tomorrow at 12:15 PM local time. We'll see you all then as we'll play down to a winner!

PokerNews TV

The day is just about finished, but during the down time you can head over to PokerNews TV and click on the APPT Auckland tab. That's where you'll find all the video updates, tournament tidbits, and player interviews, hosted by our own Gloria Balding.

A Diamond Flows Down the River for Karke

Jani Karke moved all in from middle position for 29,500. Eric Mutrie reraised all in for 157,000 total behind him. Wai Yuen went into the tank for a very long time. After about 12 minutes, she announced that she was making a very big fold and mucked her hand, but her cards were never revealed.

Karke turned up {7-Diamonds} {5-Hearts} and was way behind Mutrie's {K-Clubs} {K-Hearts}.

The flop was placed on the felt {Q-Diamonds} {4-Diamonds} {2-Clubs} and things looked grim for Karke. The turn brought the {K-Diamonds}, giving Mutrie a set. Karke needed a diamond and a diamond only on the river. But, when all seemed lost for Karke, the dealer slapped the {8-Diamonds} on the river, netting Karke his flush and the winning hand.

Karke doubled up to about 70,000 on the hand.

Tags: Eric MutrieJani Karke

Andrew Pantling Eliminated in 12th Place ($10,281)

Andrew Pantling - 12th Place
Andrew Pantling - 12th Place
Big preflop all in confrontations are the name of the game in the last two levels. Once more we find another hand headed that way. This time, it's Andrew Pantling and Edward Holdcroft tangling, with the latter having his man covered.

Pantling tabled {K-Clubs} {J-Spades} and was trailing, but live against Holdcroft's {A-Spades} {Q-Clubs}.

The flop came {A-Diamonds} {Q-Hearts} {6-Spades}. Pantling was looking for a ten to make a straight, but the {5-Diamonds} and {2-Hearts} on the river spelled the end for him. He moved up the payscale though, and will cash a check for $10,281.

Tags: Andrew PantlingEdward Holdcroft

Paul Pere Eliminated in 13th Place ($7,711)

Paul Pere - 13th Place
Paul Pere - 13th Place
Paul Pere moved all in before the flop for about 70,000 chips. Action passed to Edward Holdcroft and he went into the tank for several minutes before making the call.

Pere: {A-Diamonds} {10-Spades}
Holdcroft: {K-Clubs} {J-Clubs}

The community cards showed up {J-Hearts} {10-Diamonds} {5-Hearts} {K-Hearts} {6-Diamonds}. Holdcroft paired both of his hole cards to make the winning hand, knocking out Paul Pere in 13th place along the way. He'll take home more than $7,000 for his work over the last two days.

Tags: Edward HoldcroftPaul Pere

Sreten Cvetkovski Eliminated in 14th Place ($7,711)

Sreten Cvetkovski - 14th Place
Sreten Cvetkovski - 14th Place
In the biggest pot of the tournament so far, Luke Stanford moved all in holding {J-Hearts} {J-Diamonds} and was called by Sreten Cvetkovski holding {6-Hearts} {6-Clubs}.

The board ran dry for the young Cvetkovski, showing up {5-Hearts} {5-Clubs} {3-Diamonds} {K-Clubs} {Q-Spades}. Stanford rakes in a massive pot and is now the commanding chip leader.

Sreten Cvetkovski, meanwhile, is gone from the tournament after a compelling performance. In just his first major live tournament, he managed to outlast nearly 300 players and earn 14th place, good for $7,711 and a big ego boost for the young adoptive Kiwi.

Tags: Luke StanfordSreten Cvetkovski

Paul Pere Crippled

Paul Pere came into the hand raising to 22,000 from under the gun. In the small blind, Nathanael Seet reraised to 58,000, and Pere called.

The flop brought {Q-Hearts} {Q-Spades} {6-Clubs}, and both players checked.

Fourth street was the {2-Clubs}. Again, check-check.

The river came the {8-Hearts}. Seet led out with 50,000 chips, and Pere made the call. Seet didn't have a queen, but he tabled {A-Spades} {A-Hearts}. Pere double-checked his cards before slipping them into the muck. He shipped the vast majority of his chips across to Seet, and has just 16,000 left to play with.

Tags: Nathaniel SeetPaul Pere

Soren Eriksen Eliminated in 15th Place ($7,711)

Soren Eriksen - 15th Place
Soren Eriksen - 15th Place
Under the gun, Nathanael Seet opened the betting with a raise. Two players called down the line, and Soren Eriksen moved all in over top of the table. When action came back to Seet, he reraised all in, having everyone covered. The two players in the middle folded, and it was a heads up showdown for Eriksen's tournament life.

Seet: {A-Diamonds} {K-Spades}
Eriksen: {K-Clubs} {Q-Diamonds}

In bad shape, Eriksen needed to find a queen or some other help to stay alive. Much to his chagrin, the board ran {4-Clubs} {K-Diamonds} {8-Spades} {10-Hearts} {7-Hearts}, sealing his fate. Soren Eriksen quietly picked his way though the field over the past two days, and he'll pocket more than $7,000 for his work.

Tags: Nathaniel SeetSoren Eriksen