The number of entrants for this year's ANZPT Perth Main Event has been made official, with 151 players from today, and 67 from yesterday creating a field of 218. That's a great result for all involved and will see the prize pool well over $400,000. We will post the official prize pool information as soon as it is made available.
The five tables closest to us here at the media desk is the largest section remaining in the tournament. Below is the current approximate chip stacks of some of the notable players in this section.
We recently caught the action in a hand that saw a big pot building by the time we arrived on the turn of a board. It was between Jesse McKenzie and Daniel Botta and McKenzie was busy checking to Botta, who bet 2,000. McKenzie made a fairly quick call and the dealer flipped over a on the river. Once again McKenzie checked and this time Botta bet 5,000. McKenzie wen't into the tank, asking Botta several questions before eventually letting go of his hand and flashing a as he did so.
With that, Botta is back over the starting stack, while McKenzie is watching his stack shrink after starting the day very strongly.
The eliminations seem to be flowing at a slower pace than yesterday, with quite a few tables still set up out in the poker room. The middle section is also still full of players and below is how a few of them are traveling. As you can see it is Tristan Bain who is prospering the most, with his stack likely the largest in the room.
Team PokerStars Pros Angel Guillen and Bryan Huang are two of the most recognisable players in the room. Guillen is currently travelling along quite well, while Huang is still healthy with just under the starting stack.
Milan Gurung, Michael Pedley and Dylan Honeyman all have plenty of experience on the poker table and all three of these players are on the same table in the Crown Perth poker room.
Gurung recently opened a hand to 625 from early position and Pedley called from the hijack, while Honeyman flicked out a call from the button.
On the flop, Gurung led for 1,125 and both Pedley and Honeyman made the call. The wouldn't slow Gurung down as he flicked out 2,000. Once again Pedley and Honeyman called and clearly a very large pot was brewing.
When the dealer turned over a on the river, Gurung quickly bet 5,500. Pedley looked at his stack, then Honeyman and decided to make the call upon seeing Honeyman only had around 7,000 remaining. Honeyman shook his head and folded.
At showdown, Gurung tabled for th eturned flush - enough to send Pedley's cards into the muck and scoop up the pot.
The notable players in the far reaches of the poker room are doing fine. Well, most of them are, while some of them like Didier Guerin and Anthony Aston are no longer in their seats.
Former ANZPT Adelaide second-place finisher Jesse McKenzie is currently sitting behind a very healthy stack. At one point McKenzie's stack was around 40,000, but he has since slipped down a little. We recently arrived at McKenzie's table to find McKenzie and one opponent playing out a hand on a board. McKenzie's opponent was first to act and fired out bets of 625 on the flop, 925 on the turn and 1,425 on the river. McKenzie opted to call both the flop and turn bets, but let his hand go on the river.
Despite losing the above hand, McKenzie still has well over 30,000 in chips.