APPT Macau Main Event Day 2 | 2008 PokerStars.net APPT Macau

09-04-2008 20:03 UTC+8

Tahtouh Surrenders

[user75032]

Now that we're through the bubble, we expect the pace of eliminations to pick up. Emad Tahtouh may be among the first to go after a recent pot with J Choi. Tahtouh made it 8,000 to go from middle position and only Choi called. The flop was {K-Diamonds}

, bringing a continuation bet of 13,000 from Tahtouh. Choi called. When the turn came {8-Diamonds}

, Tahtouh checked it over to Choi, who bet 13,000. Tahtouh then raised it up to 45,000, perhaps hoping to shake Choi. No dice, as Choi made the call.

When the river came {2-Clubs}

, it appeared that Tahtouh surrendered, realizing he could not win the hand. Choi checked behind and tabled {A-Diamonds}

for the nut flush. Tahtouh had a complete air ball with {A-Hearts}

and sinks in the chip counts to just 60,000.

Choi has 295,000.

Tags: Emad Tahtouh J Choi

09-04-2008 19:57 UTC+8

Clock Adjustment

[user75032]

Due to the fact that the bubble, and hand-for-hand play, lasted so long, the tournament staff have reset the clock to twenty-five minutes remaining in the level. At the end of the level, players will get their typical break and then we will play one more level before finishing for the day.

09-04-2008 19:56 UTC+8

The Armenian Express Bursts The Bubble

[user67765]

Chris Grigorian makes a hasty exit as bubble boy

Chris Grigorian was blinded down until he was all in for less than the big blind and four players limped in to attempt to burst the bubble.

They all checked down a board of {7-Hearts}

.

Grigorian showed {A-Diamonds}

but with four hearts on board it was the {A-Spades}

of a player in middle position which took down the pot.

Grigorian is our bubble boy and all remaining 56 players are now in the money!

Tags: Chris Grigorian

09-04-2008 19:53 UTC+8

Lights, Camera...

[user75032]

For play being on the bubble, there's been quite a bit of action the last few minutes. Tian Chen took a pot off Mikael Rosen by flopping an ace to go with his {A-Diamonds}

and overtake Chen's {2-Spades}

; with 75,000 chips in the pot, Charles Chua folded to a 40,000 river bet from J Choi with the board showing {A-Spades}

; and then Rosen and Chen went at it again, with Rosen emerging victorious by pairing the ace in his hand {A-Spades}

on the flop and then checking down the turn and river.

09-04-2008 19:44 UTC+8

Some Steicke Magic

[user67765]

An amazing hand has just taken place on the money bubble that stopped the room for many minutes. Chip leader Kenny Hicks opened with a raise from the button to 5,000 and David Steicke made the call from the small blind.

They saw a flop of {K-Diamonds}

and Steicke checked to Hicks who fired 9,000. Steicke then check-raised to 20,000 and Hicks made the call.

The turn was the {10-Clubs}

and Steicke checked to Hicks who slid another 30,000 into the middle. Steicke deliberated for a long time before making the call.

By this stage all of the other tables had finished and a massive crowd had gathered around table one as the river landed the {9-Hearts}

. Steicke checked to Hicks who quickly and quietly announced he was all in.

Steicke went into the tank. Steicke was already near the top of the chip count leaderboard and with so much in the pot already this was a make-or-break decision that took many minutes. Out of nowhere the murmurs of the crowded were broken by Steicke's voice declaring "I call!"

Hicks reluctantly flipped over {J-Clubs}

for nothing but imagination as remarkably Steicke tabled {A-Clubs}

. On a double-paired board, with straight and flush possibilities, on the tournament bubble, in a clash of the big stacks, David Steicke had made one of the most amazing calls you will see to collect the biggest pot of the tournament to claim the chip lead with over 300,000 chips.

Tags: David Steicke Kenny Hicks

09-04-2008 19:36 UTC+8

"Give Me the Money!"

[user75032]

Emad Tahtouh has picked up a nice pot on the bubble. He made it 7,000 to go preflop and was called by J Choi. Tahtouh checked the flop of {J-Clubs}

, then called a bet of 12,000 from Choi. It was "second verse, same as the first" on the {7-Hearts}

turn, only this time the bet was 22,000. Both players checked the river {K-Clubs}

, where Tahtouh turned over {K-Hearts}

for top two pair and the winner.

Tahtouh is up to 144,000; Choi is down to 160,000.

Tags: Emad Tahtouh J Choi

09-04-2008 19:25 UTC+8

ElkY Eliminated Just Out of the Money

[user75032]

Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier has gone out two off the money. After Charles Chua raised to 7,000, Grospellier shipped it all in, about 56,000. Emad Tahtouh then shipped behind him for 46,000, folding Chua.

Grospellier: {A-Clubs}

Tahtouh

The board ran out {4-Spades}

to make three kings for Tahtouh and cripple Grospellier to just 10,000 chips. "I get there," said Charles Chua dejectedly. "I make a flush."

Shortly thereafter, Grospellier was all in with {3-Diamonds}

. Chua called with {Q-Hearts}

. Grospellier had some outs on the {8-Clubs}

flop but missed them all with the {4-Diamonds}

turn and the {6-Diamonds}

river. He's out.

Tags: Bertrand Grospellier Charles Chua Elky Emad Tahtouh

09-04-2008 19:21 UTC+8

Gill Likes the River

[user67765]

With a raise and call in front of him, Carter Gill moved all in from the small blind, "With no fold equity on the bubble," as he put it. The original raiser made the call with {J-Spades}

to be racing against Gill's {A-Hearts}

.

The board fell {2-Diamonds}

giving Gill some life on the river as he doubles through to 50,000 in chips.

Tags: Carter Gill

09-04-2008 19:08 UTC+8

Hand-for-Hand Play Commences

[user67765]

Even though we are still two places away from the money, Tournament Director Danny McDonagh has announced that hand-for-hand play will commence from now until the money bubble bursts, because there are too many players stalling over their decision-making.

09-04-2008 19:01 UTC+8