High Rollers Event | 2008 PokerStars.net APPT Macau

09-09-2008 15:22 UTC+8

Big Stacks Tangle

On the fifth hand of the final table, we finally went to a flop, drawing sarcastic cheers from the players. Andrew Scott made it 9,000 to go preflop and was called by David "The Machine" Steicke in the big blind. After Steicke checked the {5-Diamonds}

flop, Scott fire a continuation bet of 14,000, which Steicke called. Both players checed the {9-Hearts}

turn. Steicke checked again when the river fell {10-Clubs}

. Scott took the opportunity to bet 50,000, which produced a winner when Steicke folded.

Tags: Andrew Scott David Steicke

09-09-2008 15:18 UTC+8

Marcus Starts Well

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Wei Will Ma opened with a raise from early position to 8,500 and the action folded to Van Marcus on the button who reraised to 23,000 -- committing over half of his chip stack. The blinds stepped out of the way and Ma took another look at his cards before tossing them into the muck.

Marcus, on the short stack, gets things moving in the right direction in the early goings.

Tags: Van Marcus Wei Will Ma

09-09-2008 15:12 UTC+8

First Pot to "Never Miss"

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Yesterday, the players gave David Steicke several nicknames: "The Machine"; "Never Miss"; "Always Hit"; and "The Gus Hansen of Asia." Steicke picked up where he left off yesterday, raising the first hand to 9,000 and winning the blinds and antes. After some goading from the table, he opened his hand and showed {A-?}

.

"Nothing changes," said Van Marcus.

Tags: David Steicke Van Marcus

09-09-2008 15:08 UTC+8

Shuffle Up and Deal!

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With all of the television spots completed, the cards are in the air. We have 30 minutes remaining in Level 13. The button will start where it ended last night, on Charles Chua.

Level: 13

Blinds: 1,500/3,000

Ante: 500

09-09-2008 14:57 UTC+8

We're Getting Close...

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After the expected delays due to the TV production crew setting up the final table and APPT hostess Erin McNaught filming her introduction pieces, the players have finally taken their seats to unbag their chips.

The official player introductions will commence shortly with the cards expected to be in the air in around 15-20 minutes' time.

Stay tuned to PokerNews.com for all the action as we look to crown the 2008 APPT High Rollers Champion!

09-09-2008 12:44 UTC+8

Seat 9: Van Marcus - 43,000 chips

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Van Marcus is one of four players with strong ties to Australia at today's final table. He has had as much poker success as any one of them. Marcus has four WSOP cashes to his credit, including a final table and third-place finish in the 2007 $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. He also has reached three final tables just this year -- two at the Aussie Millions in January and one at the Canadian Poker Open Championship in March -- and he final-tabled the APPT Manila event in 2007. The one thing that has eluded Marcus thus far in his illustrious poker career is a first-place finish in a major live event. Marcus will be looking to change that today, but he comes into the final table as the shortest stack.

Tags: Van Marcus

09-09-2008 12:43 UTC+8

Seat 8: Andrew Scott - 226,000 chips

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For Australian Andrew Scott, who now resides in nearby Hong Kong, this is his biggest live tournament result. Previously part of a successful blackjack team, he has now moved his attention onto poker, with his previous cashes coming at the Aussie Millions and WSOP worth close to $20,000.

Andrew came to our attention early in the tournament after winning a couple of races to eliminate Yevgeniy Timoshenko, and despite slipping to a short stack during Day Two, he played aggressively around the final table bubble to enter today with the second biggest chip stack.

An entertaining player to watch and one who isn't afraid to talk the talk, we'll soon see if he can walk the walk this evening.

Tags: Andrew Scott

09-09-2008 12:42 UTC+8

Seat 7: Ivan Tan - 61,000 chips

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Zhong Wei "Ivan" Tan is playing at his second APPT Macau final table in two years. Last year, during the inaugural season of the APPT, Tan made it to the final table of the Main Event, where he eventually finished in second place, winning about $130,000 in prize money. Originally from Singapore, Tan has played this tournament carefully, but without fear. He will start the day grouped at the bottom of the chip counts with a few other players, but don't count him out. Tan has shown the ability to rise quickly to the top throughout this tournament.

Tags: Ivan Tan

09-09-2008 12:38 UTC+8

Seat 6: Charles Chua - 47,000 chips

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Charles Chua is well known in Australian poker circles, after living in Melbourne for a number of years. He currently resides in Malaysia where he now embarks on a mission to earn a place in Asian poker history. He already has one APPT Macau cash to his credit, coming in second place at the 2008 APPT Macau Main Event and pocketing almost $300,000 in prize money. Chua has a major online tournament victory to his credit this year and should bring plenty of color and aggression to today's final table, although as the second-smallest stack he will need to pick his spots carefully.

Tags: Charles Chua