The tournament area here in the ANZPT Perth Main Event is currently split up in two halves. Dividing the two sections is Rapid Roulette! The furthest tables from us here at the media desk currently has four tables active. Below is how some of the notable players from that area are currently faring during these early stages of the night.
Tom Grigg raised from early position to 500 and found one caller sitting in the cutoff position. They took a flop and Grigg check-called for 800 as the appeared on the turn. It was a dangerous card with straight and flush possibilities out there, but Grigg stuck around to see a river card after checking dark and then calling his opponent's turn bet of 1,200.
The river was a relative blank and Grigg tapped the table for a third time. His opponent checked behind and opened for two pair, but Grigg's caught the bottom end of the straight which was enough for Grigg to take it down.
Over on Daniel Neilson's table, we watched the 2010 Western Classic Main Event champion open from under the gun to 550. Neilson found one caller from the small blind and the dealer flipped over a flop of . Action checked to Neilson who bet 650. His opponent then check-raised to 1,400 and Neilson made the call.
The turn brought the and it was again checked to Neilson. This time he tossed out 2,500, but once again was met with a check-raise, this time all in for another 6,275 on top.
Neilson looked pained over the decision but facing a double check-raise, he decided to make a reluctant fold to slip to 14,000 in chips.
Despite not having many live results on his record, Brad Bower is certainly one of the most feared players at any poker table in Australia. Playing under his screen name "BaZa88", Bower has more than 1.5 million in tournament results on PokerStars alone. Bower will be looking to add a large sum to his live record this week and if thing keep traveling the way today has started, then Bower has every chance to do just that.
We recently arrived at Bower's table on the turn of a board with Bower in a hand against Nino Marotta. There was a sizable pot building at this stage, with Bower leading out for 2,200. Marotta made the call and the dealer flipped over a river. This time Bower bet 6,500 and Marotta made a fairly quick call.
At showdown, Bower tabled for a full house and Marotta hesitated before mucking his cards. Bower asked Marotta if he had a flush and Marotta sort of nodded as he counted his chip stack.
The tournament clock is now telling us that 66 players have entered Day 1a of the ANZPT Perth Main Event. Of that amount, three have already hit the rail during the first level of play.
One of the interesting tables here in the early stages of Day 1a of the ANZPT Perth Main Event features two of Australia's prominent young players in Tom Grigg and Kristian Lunardi.
Both Lunardi and Grigg are well known around these parts for both their live and online play. Both of these players have also been at the same ANZPT final table. It was ANZPT Melbourne back in August and Lunardi would bow out in 7th place, collecting $45,300, while Grigg finished in 3rd place to take home $114,750. This rivalry will certainly be interesting to watch and we will be sure to keep an eye on all the action.
We recently caught the final stages of a hand between Grigg and Lunardi in which the two players went to the river on a board. There was well over 2,000 already in the pot at this point and Grigg was busy leading out for 1,500. Lunardi was on the button and thought long and hard before letting his hand go. Following the above hand Grigg has had a good start with around 24,500 in chips, while Lunardi has slipped below the starting stack.
More players are starting to take their seats in the ANZPT Perth Main Event, including two players who have recently found plenty of similar success here in Australia.
One is Aussie Poker Hall of Fame member Gary Benson, who recently took home an Aussie Millions Gold Ring, and the other is the UK's Rupert Elder, who also recently picked up an Aussie Millions Gold Ring. We don't generally see a prominent UK pro partake in any ANZPT, let alone in the far reaches of Western Australia, so lets see if Elder can take the title offshore.
As expected there are a huge amount of local players at the tables of the ANZPT Perth Main Event.
Among these Western Australian natives are the likes of Aussie Millions final tablist Patrick Healy, veteran poker players and a player who made a deep run int he WSOP Main Event last year Lawrie Gibson, 2010 ANZPT Perth and ANZPT Queenstown final tablist Vesko Zmukic and as alluded to earlier, recent Western Poker Classic Player of the Series, Dale Marsland.
A quick look around the tables and these are a few of the notable names we have found. Included in here is some of Australia's finest talents including WSOP Europe Gold Bracelet winner Andrew Hinrichsen, 2012 ANZPT Melbourne third-place finisher Tom Grigg, EPT San Remo third-place finisher Daniel Neilson and Aussie Millions Gold Ring winner Kristian Lunardi, among many others.
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flop and Grigg check-called for 800 as the 
appeared on the turn. It was a dangerous card with straight and flush possibilities out there, but Grigg stuck around to see a river card after checking dark and then calling his opponent's turn bet of 1,200.
river was a relative blank and Grigg tapped the table for a third time. His opponent checked behind and opened 
for two pair, but Grigg's 
caught the bottom end of the straight which was enough for Grigg to take it down.
. Action checked to Neilson who bet 650. His opponent then check-raised to 1,400 and Neilson made the call.
and it was again checked to Neilson. This time he tossed out 2,500, but once again was met with a check-raise, this time all in for another 6,275 on top.
board with Bower in a hand against Nino Marotta. There was a sizable pot building at this stage, with Bower leading out for 2,200. Marotta made the call and the dealer flipped over a 
river. This time Bower bet 6,500 and Marotta made a fairly quick call.
for a full house and Marotta hesitated before mucking his cards. Bower asked Marotta if he had a flush and Marotta sort of nodded as he counted his chip stack.
