The final level of the night has just begun. At this point in time it is still Yvo Molin who holds the largest chip stack in the room. In 60-minutes time we will know exactly how many players have made it through to Day 2.
Kristian Lunardi has just made a great call on the river to now sit with a very healthy stack heading into the final level of the night. The hand in question began with Lunardi opening the pot to 700 from middle position. Stewart Ballard made the call on his direct left, along with Yvo Molin in the big blind.
On the flop, Molin checked and Lunardi led for 1,400. Ballard made the call and Molin got out of the way as the dealer turned over a turn. This time both players checked and the dealer completed the board with a on the river.
When Lunardi checked here, Ballard would bet 2,300. Lunardi thought for quite some time, eventually asking Ballard something that we didn't quite hear. Whatever it was, it may have helped Lunardi make the call holding just - for nothing but king-high. Ballard tabled his , with his busted straight going into the muck and Lunardi raking in the handy pot.
Yvo Molin is now sitting behind the largest stack in the room, with plenty of those chips coming courtesy of David Zhao. We arrived at the table of a recent hand with a board already out on the felt and with over 8,000 in the middle. Zhao was first to act against Molin and opted to check. Molin then bet 2,200 and Zhao thought for a long time before calling.
When Molin tabled , for a rivered straight, Zhao frustratingly flung his cards into the muck and started playing with his chip stack which is now less than half the size it was just an hour ago.
Matty Yates, who readers may recall finished second in this event last year, has been sitting behind the shortest stack in the room for much of the last level. While that still may be the case, he is in a better position now than he was five minutes ago.
Yates was all in preflop for just over 2,000 and was holding against his opponent's . The flop was gin for Yates, and while the gave Yates the scare for a full house, a on the river sealed the deal as he doubled up to around 6,000.
The official numbers are finally in. A field of 149 players (51 from Day 1a; 49 from Day 1b; 49 from Day 1c) has created a NZD$402,300 prize pool - the largest in the history of ANZPT Queenstown. The top 15 players will earn at least a $7,050 min-cash, while the first-place prize is worth NZD$110,600. The final table payouts can be seen below.
Roy Bhasin is starting to make some noise after putting Jack Efaraimo to the ultimate test on one of the last hands before the previous break. The action went down on a flop of . Efaraimo checked from the small blind to Bhasin who bet 1,300. Sandy Retallick made the call before Efaraimo put in a big check-raise to 7,000 to send Bhasin into the tank.
“That’s a big bet,” Bhasin eventually muttered.
The two exchanged some inaudible barbs, but Efaraimo did say something about beating pocket kings. It was enough of a signal for Bhasin to move all in. Retallick quickly folded as it was another 9,650 to Efaraimo.
Efaraimo asked if there was a cash game seat open in case he busted, before declaring that Bhasin had a set as he tossed his cards into the muck.
“Good fold,” replied Bhasin as he raked in the pot to move up to 28,000.
The players are back from their final break of the day and are ready to play two more levels before bagging up the chips for the night. Will any of today's players catch the monster chip stack of Day 1a's David Allan? Only time will tell!
![[user162117]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop, Molin checked and Lunardi led for 1,400. Ballard made the call and Molin got out of the way as the dealer turned over a 
turn. This time both players checked and the dealer completed the board with a 
on the river.
- for nothing but king-high. Ballard tabled his 
, with his busted straight going into the muck and Lunardi raking in the handy pot.
board already out on the felt and with over 8,000 in the middle. Zhao was first to act against Molin and opted to check. Molin then bet 2,200 and Zhao thought for a long time before calling.
against his opponent's 
. The 
flop was gin for Yates, and while the 
gave Yates the scare for a full house, a 
on the river sealed the deal as he doubled up to around 6,000.
