APT Macau Main Event Day 1a | 2009 Asian Poker Tour Macau

08-20-2009 13:02 UTC+8

Heart-Broken; Seal Doubles Up

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Emanuel "Curly" Seal is fortunate to still be alive in this tournament after a huge all-in clash saw ariver of dreams send the chips in his direction.

Seal opened to 250, before his opponent popped it to 1,000. The action folded back to Seal who made it 3,000 before his opponent moved all in. Seal made the call and tabled {K-Hearts}

but had run into pocket aces!

However the board was spread {Q-Hearts}

and with four hearts on board and the only heart belonging to Seal, the chips were pushed in his direction to leave his heart-broken opponent to tell his bad beat story to the rail.

Tags: Curly Emanuel Seal

Level: 2

Blinds: 50/100

Ante: 0

08-20-2009 13:18 UTC+8

The Champ Is Here

[user67765]

Yevgeniy Timoshenko - defending champion

Sporting a new rugged look, the baby-faced Yevgeniy Timoshenko of last has been replaced by the confident look of a defending champion as Timoshenko has recently taken his seat amongst today's field.

Timoshenko caught our eye very early in last year's event, and his dominant performance throughout the tournament stretched until the final card was dealt and the trophy and $500,000 prize was his.

Since that break-through, Timoshenko has turned 21 and gone from strength to strength to cement himself as one of the world's best players. A runner-up finish at the EPT in Barcelona and 3rd place at a WSOPE event, was followed up with a huge win in the season-ending WPT Championship where the young gun pocketed over $2 million. Another two WSOP cashes this summer and the Timoshenko train is full steam ahead for another huge Asian poker season.

Tags: Yevgeniy Timoshenko

08-20-2009 13:23 UTC+8

Batten Down the Hatches

[user75032]

With one hour under their belts, the players seem to have settled in for the long haul. We're seeing fewer big pots as players jockey for chips and seem content to stick around for a while. Some have even started to order lunch.

"Does anyone know what fried rice 'yang chow' style is?" Eddie Hearn asked his table. New table arrival David Steicke, a resident of Hong Kong, asked Hearn to pass the menu across the table and took a look. He was unable to figure it out.

"Ask a waiter," he suggested.

08-20-2009 13:32 UTC+8

Buchanan Stumbles Early

[user67765]

Shawn Buchanan has been spotted underneath his trademark hoodie, cap and sunglasses, as we caught him in the tank facing a 3,000-chip decision on a board of {3-Spades}

.

Buchanan thought for a few moments before tossing out calling chips. His opponent tabled {K-Spades}

which was good as Buchanan mucked to slip to 4,500 chips.

Tags: Shawn Buchanan

08-20-2009 13:42 UTC+8

Moments of Sheer Terror

[user75032]

We'd be better journalists if we could remember (or bothered to look up) who called no-limit hold'em "hours of boredom followed by moments of sheer terror". It's an apt description of what's going on here in the 8th floor ballroom of the Galaxy StarWorld hotel.

Over on Table 15, things had been progressing along quietly. Then a hand opened with a raise to 300 from early position, a call, a re-raise to 1,000 from the button and a third raise to 2,600 from the small blind. The button called, then bet 2,500 on an ace-high flop that the small blind checked. The small blind wasted no time in getting a check-raise to 8,500 into the middle, inducing a shaking fold from the button.

For what it's worth, starting stacks are 10,000 chips. Committing that many chips to a hand in Level 2 of a deep-stacked tournament is what provides the moments of sheer terror.

08-20-2009 13:52 UTC+8

Tran Eliminated

[user67765]

After Theo Tran was crippled after what his table mates described to us as "playing 80% of pots", we caught him all in for his last few hundred chips holding {7-Clubs}

against an opponent's {J-Hearts}

.

Tran caught a nice flop, but ultimately the board ran out {10-Clubs}

and Tran was sent to a quick exit.

Tags: Theo Tran

08-20-2009 14:02 UTC+8

Scott Folds to Pressure

[user75032]

A player opened the preflop action from late position to 300. Andrew Scott made it 800 to go as next to act. Only the open-raiser called. Both men checked a flop of {Q-Spades}

. Scott's opponent again checked the {J-Clubs}

turn, drawing a bet of 1,000 from Scott. He sighed and said, "OK," after his opponent check-raised to 2,500. Scott pitched his cards to the dealer and surrendered his claim on the pot, not wishing to go any further.

Tags: Andrew Scott

08-20-2009 14:03 UTC+8

Potter Chips Up

[user67765]

With a raise from the cutoff to 400, James Potter announced a re-raise to 1,350 from the small blind.

"I was going to make it one thousand more but I decided to give you a discount!" chirped Potter as his opponent made a quick call.

Potter checked in the dark as the flop came down {2-Diamonds}

. His opponent checked behind and the free card on the turn was the {7-Hearts}

.

"Now I have to bet because you checked..." said Potter and tossed out 1,100. His opponent called once again, and both players were content to check down the {3-Hearts}

river.

Potter flipped {J-Spades}

for jacks and fours which was good to take down the pot. He's chipped up nicely in the first two levels and will head to the break with around 18,000 chips.

Tags: James Potter

08-20-2009 14:04 UTC+8

Break Time

[user75032]

Players are filing out the door on a fifteen-minute break, the first of the day.