2008 PokerStars.net APPT Auckland

APPT Auckland Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2008 PokerStars.net APPT Auckland

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
22
Prize
$257,040
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,860
Entries
306
Level Info
Level
23
Blinds
12,000 / 24,000
Ante
4,000

No River?

After some preflop action, Tony Hachem and his opponent saw the flop come down {A-Diamonds} {A-Clubs} {8-Diamonds}. Hachem checked and his opponent bet out 1,500. Hachem tanked for a while before saying, "I think my jacks are good." After some more thought, he finally called.

The turn brought the {7-Clubs} and Hachem quickly tossed out enough chips to put his opponent all in - 4,350 to be exact. His opponent quickly called.

"If you got the ace you win," said Hachem. His opponent said he had the ace and then Hachem quickly mucked his hand. The dealer announced that the other player had to show his hand and he turned up {A-Spades} {Q-Diamonds}. Hachem looked disgusted, but said "nice hand" as his opponent raked in the pot. No river card was shown.

Tags: Tony Hachem

Saab Gets a Flat Tire

We pick up the action on the flop in a growing pot between David Saab and Kevin Clark. The board shows {Q-Hearts} {Q-Spades} {3-Clubs}, and Clark puts out a bet of 4,300. Saab makes the flat call.

The turn comes the {2-Spades}, and Clark relinquishes control, checking over to Saab. Not one to take a check passively, Saab tosses a single orange T5,000 chips into the pot. Without hesitation, Clark moves all in. Saab asks for a count, and he learns that it is 8,325 more to call. He tanks for a few minutes before giving up his hand, sending a nice chunk of his stack over to his opponent.

After losing that pot, Saab has slipped back to 21,000 in chips.

Tags: David Saab

Break Time

Players are all on their last break of the day for 10 minutes. There is only one level left of play after this break.

Level: 7

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 75

Slow Going

Pace of play has slowed to a crawl as players keep one eye on the clock, less than an hour away from earning their spot in Day Two. Most of the pots right now are being won with a single raise preflop or a lone bet on the flop. It will be interesting to see if the short stacks sit on their chips or try to get them in and double up in the waning minutes of action today.

The Saab Out of Gas

David Saab - Eliminated
David Saab - Eliminated
On the river of a board reading {J-Hearts} {6-Clubs} {2-Hearts} {10-Diamonds} {10-Clubs}, David Saab elected to raise his opponent's, Nathanael Ren Hao Seet's, bet. After Saab made the raise, Seet moved all in. Saab tanked for a while and then said, "All right, show me your cards" and made the call.

Seet turned over {6-Spades} {6-Diamonds} for a full house on the river after flopping a set. Saab showed just the {J-Diamonds} and then mucked his hand. "It's a hand I'm destined to lose money on," commented Saab. "Our ranges are just so wide there."

Seet is by far the chip leader of the tournament with over 62,000 chips after eliminating Saab.

Tags: David SaabNathanael Ren Hao Seet

Raymer Persuades His Opponent to Fold

A player to Greg Raymer's immediate right made a raise to 1,200 preflop. Raymer then moved all in for his last 6,000 chips. Action folded back around to the original raiser and he tanked for a while before talking to Raymer. Raymer talked back and asked his opponent if it would be a big laydown. His opponent said yes and then asked if Raymer would show.

After a while of thought, Raymer's opponent made the fold, displaying {A-Spades} {J-Spades} to the table and saying, "This is a big laydown."

Raymer returned the favor and showed {Q-Hearts} {Q-Diamonds}. "In that case, I wanted a call because you only had one over. I thought I was getting you to fold ace king."

Tags: Greg Raymer

Celina Can't Get Called

Celina Lin hovered around her starting chip amount for a while and then dropped a few thousand chips. Since then, she's been trying to accumulate some chips by shoving around her shorter stack preflop. Her image must be extremely tight because every time she raises or moves in preflop, the entire table folds.

She has been collecting the blinds and antes along with coming over the top of some preflop raises to get her stack up to 16,000.

Tony Hachem just got moved to her table and he has a tendency to liven the table up. This may be a good thing for Lin.

Tags: Celina LinTony Hachem