PokerStars.net APPT Season 8 Auckland

Main Event
Day: 1c
Event Info

PokerStars.net APPT Season 8 Auckland

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
83
Prize
111,600 NZD
Event Info
Buy-in
2,250 NZD
Prize Pool
506,250 NZD
Entries
225
Level Info
Level
22
Blinds
10,000 / 200,000
Ante
3,000

Nguyen Takes One Out

Level 4 : 150/300, 25 ante

We recently walked past Table 3 and noticed Edison Nguyen take out a player to build his stack back up to 19,000.

He and a fellow short stack committed all their chips in pre flop. Nguyen was in great shape with his {a-Diamonds}{k-Diamonds} dominating his opponents {a-Spades}{q-Diamonds}.

The board ran out {j-Diamonds}{10-Clubs}{A-Hearts}{9-Clubs}{6-Spades} to see Nguyen take down the pot with the higher kicker.

Player Chips Progress
Edison Nguyen au
Edison Nguyen
19,000
-14,000
-14,000

Tags: Edison Nguyen

Brabin Has It

Level 4 : 150/300, 25 ante

Luke Brabin has had a big year. Most recently he won the $1,100 Accumulator Event at the WSOP APAC. He was also the runner-up in the ANZ Player of the Year race in 2013.

He’s started strongly at APPT Auckland too.

We picked up the action of a recent hand on the river of a {3-Spades}{q-Hearts}{6-Spades}{3-Hearts}{5-Hearts} board.

There was around 9,000 in the pot and Brabin’s one opponent checked it over to him. Brabin then moved all in for 10,300. This sent his opponent into the tank. The player thought for a long time. It looked like it was going to be a fold, with the cards moving forward.

But then at the last second the player jammed out the chips and announced the call.

Then Brabin showed {6-Diamonds}{3-Clubs} for a full house and scooped the pot, leaving one player crippled and seeing himself move up to just a little under 30,000.

Player Chips Progress
Luke Brabin au
Luke Brabin
28,500
14,800
14,800
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Luke Brabin

Spano Wins a Few

Level 4 : 150/300, 25 ante

Luke Spano will be doing his best to post a big result here at APPT Auckland. Not only is there huge money and a title on the line, he is also in with a chance to become the ANZ Player of the Year.

We recently watched Spano win a few chips against one opponent on the river of a {3-Clubs}{8-Clubs}{10-Clubs}{7-Clubs}{j-Clubs} board. There was around 4,000 in the pot at this point and it was checked to Spano. He bet 1,500 and his opponent made a fairly quick call.
At showdown, Spano tabled {q-Clubs}{j-Spades}, which was enough to scoop the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Luke Spano
Luke Spano
23,500
4,500
4,500

Tags: Luke Spano

Level: 4

Blinds: 150/300

Ante: 25

Gorr Falling

Level 4 : 150/300, 25 ante

2011 Aussie Millions champ David Gorr is down well under half the starting stack.

He lost plenty of those chips in a recent hand against Patrick Healy.

There was well over 15,000 in the pot when we arrived on the river of a {2-Hearts}{9-Diamonds}{10-Clubs}{4-Diamonds}{q-Clubs} board. Healy was first to act, from the big blind position, and led for 6,500. Gorr had just around 8,000 behind and went into the tank. Eventually he decided to fold and sent the pot to Healy.

Player Chips Progress
Patrick Healy
Patrick Healy
28,000
6,500
6,500
David Gorr au
David Gorr
8,000
-13,000
-13,000

Tags: David GorrPatrick Healy

All Aboard The Polar Express

Level 3 : 100/200, 25 ante

We arrived at Table 6 with the board reading {10-Diamonds}{3-Hearts}{9-Hearts}{3-Diamonds}.

The player under the gun checked his option before Chris Failimli bet out 600 from the hijack. Mayra Polar was the other player in the hand and she opted to move all in for her remaining 10,725 in chips.

The bet was met with one fold. After a short moment, Failimli made the call as both players tabled their cards.

Failimli: {a-Diamonds}{7-Diamonds}
Polar: {A-Clubs}{3-Clubs}

Polar had turned trip threes and was leading against Failimli turned flush draw. Polar would dodge a diamond on the river as the {7-Spades} completed the board leaving her with the best hand.

Player Chips Progress
Mayra Polar
Mayra Polar
24,000
24,000
24,000

Tags: Chris FailimliMayra Polar

Third Time Lucky For Portaro

Level 3 : 100/200, 25 ante

The action started with Bruno Portaro opening to 450 from under the gun and getting called by Ia Rimamaaki in the cut off and Danny Leaoasavaii in the blinds.

The flop came down {q-Diamonds}{a-Hearts}{k-Hearts} and Leaoasavaii checked. Rimamaaki bet out 1,100 which only interested Portaro as Leaoasavaii got out of the way.

Both players then checked the {k-Clubs} on the turn before the {5-Diamonds} completed the board. Portaro led out for 2,500 which sent Rimamaaki into the tank. A minute passed before he splashed out a raise to 7,600. Portaro then himself went into the tank before eventually picking up his entire stack and placing it out in front of him signifying he was all in.

The total was 14,725 which was called moments later by Rimamaaki. Portaro then tabled his {a-Clubs}{a-Spades} for the nut full house. Rimamaaki then rolled over his {k-Diamonds}{q-Clubs} for the lesser full house as he watched in disappointment as the pot was pushed over to Portaro.

After that hand Portaro moves up to 33,350 in chips. Rimamaaki drops down to 11,000 in chips.

Player Chips Progress
Bruno Portaro au
Bruno Portaro
33,350
16,350
16,350
Ia Rimamaaki
Ia Rimamaaki
11,000
-15,000
-15,000

Tags: Bruno PortaroDanny LeaoasavaiiIa Rimamaaki

Odds to Call?

Level 3 : 100/200, 25 ante

An interesting hand just played out over on Table 9.

There was a {6-Hearts}{10-Spades}{2-Spades} flop out on the felt. One player led for 1,500. Another flat-called and then James Smith raised to a massive 25,000. Robert Spano was next to act and he bombed it for 31,075. The first two players to act got out of the way and it was back on Smith.

This is when it got interesting because Spano showed his {a-Clubs}{a-Hearts} before Smith had called the extra 5,175. Seeing those two cards was enough to make Smith go into the tank, despite there already being around 60,000 in the pot and Smith had already committed 25,000.

Eventually Smith called and showed his {j-Clubs}{j-Diamonds}.

The turn was a {q-Diamonds} and the river was a {k-Hearts} and so the big pot went to Spano and he is now the chip leader!

Player Chips Progress
Robert Spano au
Robert Spano
65,000
65,000
65,000

Tags: Robert Spano