PokerNews is thrilled to add a special, made-for-television event to our Aussie Millions coverage. We'll be up in Studio 3, here at the Crown Casino starting at 2 p.m. local time to bring updates from the Full Tilt Poker $25,000 Invitational. The event will have three heats, featuring eight players each. The top two players will move on to the final table.
Here is how the tables stack up:
Heat 1 (Thursday, 2 p.m.)
Carlos Mortensen
Seat 1
Barny Boatman
Seat 2
David Oppenheim
Seat 3
James Akenhead
Seat 4
Tony G
Seat 5
Annette Obrestad
Seat 6
Mike Matusow
Seat 7
Gus Hansen
Seat 8
Heat 2 (Thursday 7 p.m.)
Andrew Feldman
Seat 1
James Bord
Seat 2
Jonathan Karamalikis
Seat 3
Billy Argyros
Seat 4
Phil Ivey
Seat 5
Nikolay Evdakov
Seat 6
Patrik Antonius
Seat 7
David Benyamine
Seat 8
Heat 3 (Friday 7 p.m.)
Eli Elezra
Seat 1
Erik Cajelas
Seat 2
Van Marcus
Seat 3
Erick Lindgren
Seat 4
Howard Lederer
Seat 5
Andy Bloch
Seat 6
John Juanda
Seat 7
Tom Dwan
Seat 8
Action is sure to be fast and furious, so be sure to keep your browsers locked right here to PokerNews for all the action.
We were unable to see or hear the announced action preflop, but there was a raise to 1,000 by one of the players. The flop came , and James Akenhead led out for 2,300. Annette Obrestad was the only caller, and the two saw the hit on the turn.
Akenhead checked over to Obrestad, and she bet what looked to be 5,000 in chips. Akenhead made the call and the two saw the on the river. Once again Akenhead checked things over to Obrestad, who bet what looked like 10,000. Akenhead thought for about a minute or two before folding.
Carlos Mortensen raised it to 1,000 and got calls from Annette Obrestad, Mike Matusow and Gus Hansen, who was in the big blind. The flop was all spades coming down , and both Matusow and Hansen checked the action over to Mortensen, who led out for 3,000. Obrestad and Matusow both folded, but Hansen, however decided to stick in a check-raise making it an additional 5,000 on top. Mortensen called, and the hit on the turn.
Hansen led out for 9,300 on the turn, and Mortensen studied and stacked before moving the rest of chips to the center of the pot. Hansen quickly made the call and the cards were on their backs. Mortensen had flopped top set with pocket tens, but would need help against the flopped flush of Hansen, who held .
The on the river was gin for Mortensen, filling him up and leaving Hansen with a paltry 3,500 in chips.
Carlos Mortensen made it 1,000 to go and found callers in David Oppenheim in the cutoff, James Akenhead on the button, and Tony G and Annette Obrestad in the small and big blinds respectively.
The flop came down and it was checked around.
The fell on the turn and Tony G led out for 2,500. Obrestad folded, as did Mortensen, and the action was on Oppenheim.
After some thought, Oppenheim reraised to 5,500 total. Akenhead tossed his cards toward the muck, Tony G followed suit, and Oppenheim raked in the pot.