PokerNews Cup Main Event, Day 2: David Gorr Heads Final
Day 2 of the 2008 PokerNews Cup Australia Main Event saw a bubble burst, a final table set, and dozens of top pros from around the world head to the rail as David Gorr finished the day with the big stack heading into Monday's finale. 123 runners returned to the Crown Casino on Sunday in Melbourne to play down to nine survivors in a 15-hour marathon. Notables in the field included Harry Ligos, Billy "The Croc" Argyros, defending champion Dory Zayneh, Lee "Final Table" Nelson, David Saab and APPT Sydney champ Grant Levy.
Lee Nelson lost a heartbreaker early to bust well outside the money. On a board of 9♥10♥6♠4♥, Nelson fired a bet and Jamil Tito moved all in over the top. Nelson called with K♥5♥ for the second-nut flush, but Tito tabled A♥6♥ for the one hand that had Nelson crushed. The irrelevant 3♥ came on the river as Nelson was drawing dead. Other early eliminations included Emad Tahtouh, Event #1 winner Ligos, and 2007 winner Zayneh.
Zayneh kicked off Day 2 near the top of the board, but ran into trouble early at the hands of Martin Comer. Zayneh raised preflop with 8♣9♣, and Comer called from the button. Zayneh led out at the 8♥A♦6♦ flop, and Comer called again. The 9♠ came on the turn, and this time Comer raised Zayneh's bet. Zayneh moved all in with two pair and found himself staring down the barrel at Comer's bullets as Comer tabled A♥A♣ for the flopped set. Zayneh was drawing dead and found himself crippled. He moved all in preflop with K♦8♦ and was called by Lance Patison with pocket kings. The board ran out 10♠9♦3♣Q♦Q♥, and Zayneh's chance at a repeat championship was over.
Midway through the day, the field had thinned and play had slowed as the remaining 41 players reached the money bubble. After a period of hand-for-hand play, John Pachos picked up the unwanted title of bubble boy in a showdown with big stack David Gorr. The flop came down J♥9♦8♥, and Pachos moved all in with 10♥10♦. Gorr called with A♥4♥ for the nut flush draw, and caught the A♦ on the turn to take the lead. The K♦ on the river was no help for Pachos, and the bubble was burst.
Action picked up soon after as the short stacks began to make their moves. Dennis Huntly finished in 33rd place ($4,920) when he moved all in from the small blind with A♣9♦. Sam Sayed found himself pot-committed after a steal attempt gone awry, and he called with K♥6♣. The K♦9♥7♦8♦6♥ board ran out in Sayed's favor to bust Huntly. As the evening wore on, more big names headed to the rail, as James Potter (29th, $5,740), Tino Lechich (22nd, $7,380) and Billy "The Croc" Argyros (17th, $7,380) all busted short of the final table.
Play slowed on the final-table bubble, as players went into lockdown mode to try for the big money, Sam Sayed was the exception, as he stole pots and built a stack through aggressive play. His aggressive image almost paid off, as he trapped Martin Comer into moving all in over the top of Sayed's raise from the small blind. Sayed quickly called with pocket queens, and Comer's K♦10♣ needed help. It came on the river as the board ran out 10♥A♠5♥8♠10♦ to give Comer trips and send Sayed packing in 12th place ($9,020).
David Saab busted in 11th place ($9,020), prompting the remaining ten players to consolidate to one table for the final elimination of the night. Just a few hands after consolidation, Peter Kaltzidis became the final-table bubble boy, collecting $9,020 for his tenth-place finish. Kaltzidis moved all in over the top of Nali Kaselias' preflop raise with A♥K♥, and Kaselias quickly called with K♦K♠. No ace showed on the board for Kaltzidis, as his exit marked the end of play for the night.
David Gorr made a late surge on Day 2 to finish the night with the chip lead, as the seating assignments and chip stacks for the final table looked like this:
Seat 1: Tim Heath - 566,000
Seat 2: David Gorr - 1,616,000
Seat 3: James Broom - 551,000
Seat 4: David Lee - 503,000
Seat 5: Nali Kaselias - 1,530,000
Seat 6: Grant Levy - 574,000
Seat 7: Kenneth Damm - 384,000
Seat 8: Martin Comer - 1,333,000
Seat 9: Ray Sukkar - 1,152,000
Join PokerNews at 2PM Melbourne time on Monday (late Sunday night in North America) for all the live updates as the final table of the 2008 PokerNews Cup Main Event plays out.
