2012 PokerStars.net ANZPT Season 5 Auckland

Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info

2012 PokerStars.net ANZPT Season 5 Auckland

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
kj
Prize
80,502 NZD
Event Info
Buy-in
2,000 NZD
Entries
207
Level Info
Level
23
Blinds
12,000 / 24,000
Ante
4,000

Main Event

Day 3 Completed

Geoff Smith Crowned 2012 ANZPT Auckland Main Event Champion (NZ$80,502)

Level 23 : 12,000/24,000, 4,000 ante
2012 ANZPT Auckland Main Event Champion, Geoff Smith
2012 ANZPT Auckland Main Event Champion, Geoff Smith

After five days of tough poker, the 2012 PokerStars.net Australia New Zealand Poker Tour Auckland Main Event has come to a close. In the end, it was New Zealand’s very own Geoff Smith who took down the trophy, all the glory and the NZ$80,502 first-place prize.

Heading into the final day, it was Jamie Mulligan who held the chip lead, but he had eight formidable foes ready to play poker. One of the players who was surely going to give Mulligan a headache was Patrick Healy. Though one of the short stacks, his recent final-table finish at the 2012 Aussie Millions meant he had the experience to accumulate chips and make a deep run. However, his day ended quickly as he was eliminated in ninth place. Healy moved all in with the {7-Clubs}{7-Hearts} and was called by Pravin Harji’s {J-Clubs}{J-Hearts}. The board ran out {9-Spades}{9-Spades}{10-Spades}{Q-Diamonds}{Q-Hearts} to send Healy to the rail.

The next two players out were the short stacks, Graeme Putt and Xiaodong Xia. They were both eliminated before the end of the very first level. Putt would commit the remainder of his chips in with the {A-Clubs}{K-Diamonds}, but was unable to improve against Monica Eastick’s {8-Spades}{8-Hearts}. Xia then ran his {J-Hearts}{J-Diamonds} into Mulligan’s {A-Hearts}{A-Clubs}, and the field was down to just six.

The next to fall was Miroslav Sheynin. After starting the day as one of the larger stacks, and who some thought may walk away with the title, Sheynin was involved in a very big hand that almost crippled him. The action started with Geoff Smith opening to 35,000 before Sheynin reraised to 85,000 in chips, which was called. The flop came out {5-Diamonds}{9-Diamonds}{J-Hearts}, and Sheynin continued with a bet of 60,000 before Smith announced a raise, making it 140,000. Sheynin paused for a moment, then announced that he was all in for 600,000, which Smith snap-called. The cards were tabled, and Sheynin led with {Q-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds} against Smith’s {10-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds}. Smith was drawing dead to the flush, but had an up-and-down straight draw as well as a ten or eight to steal the win. The {10-Clubs} fell on the turn to give Smith the lead, and when the river produced the {Q-Hearts}, the straight rocketed Smith to over a million in chips, leaving Sheynin with just 180,000. A few hands later, his {A-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds} would be no match against Harji’s {A-Spades}{Q-Diamonds}.

Mulligan was a surprising elimination as he picked the wrong time to try and steal the big blind after losing a big pot. The table folded around to Mulligan in the small blind, and he open-shipped with the {K-Spades}{4-Spades} for around 600,000 in chips. Eastick snap-called and confidently tabled her {A-Hearts}{A-Diamonds}. She flopped a set, but the turn gave Mulligan a gut-shot straight draw. The river was a blank, and the youngest player was sent to to the rail. Mulligan also began the day as the big chip leader, but could only muster a fifth-place finish.

The remaining four players went on a break, and upon arriving back, informed the staff that they agreed on a chop. Per the agreement, each would take home NZ$55,000, and they would then play for the remaining NZ$25,502 that was left over and the bracelet.

The bracelet is what Eastick really wanted to win. As the only female to make a final table in an ANZPT event this year, her hopes were short lived as she committed all her chips in a raising war on an eight-high flop. She tabled her {10-Clubs}{10-Spades}, but was dominated by Smith’s {A-Hearts}{A-Clubs}. However, she wasn’t upset about being eliminated, as straight after that hand, she made her way over to cashier and asked if she was allowed to play in the deep-stack tournament.

“I really want to win a bracelet,” stated Eastick after her elimination, and she was right back into the mix to try and get that done.

With three players remaining it was Harji that would be eliminated in third place after he went all in pre-flop holding the {8-Diamonds}{8-Spades}, but ran into Smith’s {q-Spades}{q-Hearts}. This left Smith heads up with Martineau.

Smith held a more than a three-to-one chip lead heading into the heads-up battle, and it would take just under 20 minutes for him to eliminate Martineau in second place. On the final hand, Smith check-raised all in on the {J-Spades}{6-Hearts}{4-Diamonds}{3-Spades} board. Martineau called to put himself at risk holding the {J-Diamonds}{3-Clubs} for a turned two pair. Smith held a second-best {K-Hearts}{J-Clubs}, but when the {4-Hearts} paired the board on the river, it counterfeited Martineau's hand and left him felted. A gallant effort from Martineau sent him home with NZ$55,000 for his effort, and in just over three-hours of final table play, Smith was crowned the 2012 ANZPT Auckland Champion.

ANZPT Auckland Final Table Payouts

PlacePlayerPrize
1Geoff SmithNZ$80,502*
2Sebastian MartineauNZ$55,000*
3Pravin HarjiNZ$55,000*
4Monica EastickNZ$55,000*
5Jamie MulliganNZ$25,875
6Miroslav SheyninNZ$21,735
7Xiaodong XiaNZ$17,595
8Graeme PuttNZ$13,455
9Patrick HealyNZ$10,350

* - Denotes four-way chop.

That concludes the coverage here at SKYCITY Casino in Auckland. Thanks for joining us, and be sure to join the PokerNews Live Reporting Team when we head to Perth, Australia from February 20-24, 2013 for the next stop on the ANZPT calendar.

Sebastian Martineau Eliminated in 2nd Place (NZ$55,000)

The final hand of the day started with Sebastian Martineau opening with a bet of 60,000. Geoff Smith called, and both players saw the flop come {6-Hearts}{J-Spades}{4-Diamonds}. Smith check-called a bet of 80,000 from Martineau, before the turn dropped the {3-Spades}. Smith once again checked, and Martineau casually slid out 100,000 in chips. Smith instantly moved all in, and after a short pause, was called.

Martineau: {J-Diamonds}{3-Clubs}
Smith: {j-Clubs}{K-Hearts}

Smith was behind to the turned two-pair of Martineau.

"Any six or four," pleaded Smith, as he stood away from the table.

Just like that, the dealer rolled over the {4-Hearts} to improve Smith's hand. For his exceptional run through this main event, Martineau will go home NZ$55,000 richer.

Player Chips Progress
Geoff Smith nz
Geoff Smith
4,040,000 1,050,000
Sebastian Martineau
Sebastian Martineau
Busted

Tags: Geoff SmithSebastian Martineau

Level: 23

Blinds: 12,000/24,000

Ante: 4,000

First Big Hand

The hand started with Sebastian Martineau opening to 50,000. Geoff Smith called, and both players saw the flop fall {8-Hearts}{3-Clubs}{8-Diamonds}. They then checked it down, as the turn and river came the {9-Hearts} and {6-Hearts}.

Martineau showed his {K-Clubs}, before Smith showed his {K-Hearts}. Martineau then tabled the {4-Hearts}, which was out-kicked by Smith's {Q-Diamonds}.

Player Chips Progress
Geoff Smith nz
Geoff Smith
3,040,000 30,000
Sebastian Martineau
Sebastian Martineau
1,000,000 -30,000

Tags: Geoff SmithSebastian Martineau

Pravin Harji Eliminated in 3rd Place (NZ$55,000)

Pravin Harji - 3rd Place
Pravin Harji - 3rd Place

After Geoff Smith limped into the pot, Pravin Harji made a raise. Smith then announced all in and was snap-called by Harji. The two players tabled their cards.

Smith: {Q-Spades}{Q-Hearts}
Harji: {8-Diamonds}{8-Spades}

The board ran out {10-Clubs}{9-Clubs}{3-Clubs}{6-Spades}{10-Spades} to see Geoff Smith move to over 3-million in chips, as Pravin Harji was another happy recipient of a NZ$55,000 pay-day.

Player Chips Progress
Geoff Smith nz
Geoff Smith
3,010,000 910,000
Pravin Harji
Pravin Harji
Busted

Tags: Geoff SmithPravin Harji

Monica Eastick Eliminated in 4th Place (NZ$55,000)

Monica Eastick - 4th Place
Monica Eastick - 4th Place

The action was caught with the flop showing {8-Spades}{7-Clubs}{2-Clubs}. Monica Eastick and Geoff Smith had a raising war before both players committed all their chips.

Eastick: {10-Clubs}{10-Spades}
Smith: {A-Hearts}{A-Clubs}

The turn and river fell the {7-Diamonds}{k-Hearts}, to see Eastick finishing in 4th place. That finish equaled the best result by a female in any ANZPT in its history.

Player Chips Progress
Geoff Smith nz
Geoff Smith
2,100,000 920,000
Monica Eastick
Monica Eastick
Busted

Tags: Geoff SmithMonica Eastick

Martineau Wins Back-To-Back

After a slow start to the level, Sebastian Martineau has won two hands in row to almost take the chips lead.

In the first hand, Martineau opened from under-the-gun for 43,000 and was called by Geoff Smith in the blinds. The flop came {K-Clubs}{9-Hearts}{2-Hearts}, and Smith checked. Martineau bet out 60,000, and after a minute, Smith folded.

Martineau moved up to 820,000 as Smith dropped down to 1,180,000 in chips.

In the very next hand, three players limped into the pot, to the flop come {6-Hearts}{3-Spades}{3-Clubs}. Smith checked from the small blind, before Martineau bet out 25,000. Pravin Harji called, and Smith folded. The turn came the {7-Diamonds}, and Martineau bet out another 55,000, which was called. As the {a-Spades} fell on the river, Martineau slid out 100,000 in chips. Harji thought for a moment before making the call, only to muck his {5-Clubs}{5-Diamonds} as Martineau showed {4-Hearts}{5-Spades} for a straight.

Player Chips Progress
Geoff Smith nz
Geoff Smith
1,180,000 212,000
Sebastian Martineau
Sebastian Martineau
1,060,000 126,000
Pravin Harji
Pravin Harji
740,000 -240,000

Tags: Geoff SmithPravin HarjiSebastian Martineau