High Rollers Event Day 2 | 2008 PokerStars.net APPT Macau

09-09-2008 00:16 UTC+8

What Else Would You Do in China?

[user75032]

Edward Sabat, Matt Kay, Michael McDonald and a fourth person set up a game of Chinese Poker on a table adjacent to the tournament. When we asked them what the stakes were, Sabat said they were $10 a point.

"The real high rollers are over here," Kay added.

09-09-2008 00:13 UTC+8

A Collective Holding of Breath...

[user75032]

Johnny Chan moved all in for 27,500 after Wei Will Ma had opened for 12,000 on the button. Ma felt compelled to call due to the price he was getting, and everyone around the table held their breath.

Chan: {8-Hearts}

Ma:

The door card was the {3-Clubs}

, but the dealer spread the flop to reveal the {9-Spades}

and the

as well. Chan had flopped a set and would double up outside of running cards. The {5-Clubs}

on the turn killed the drama. The river was the {5-Hearts}

. Chan doubled up to about 60,000.

"Stay alive!" yelled Chan as he collected his chips. "Sorry guys."

Tags: Johnny Chan Wei Will Ma

09-09-2008 00:10 UTC+8

Getting Hungry?

[user67765]

As we tick into the 14th level of the tournament and 8th level of the day you would excuse the players for starting to feel a little hungry and in need of a decent break. With play starting at 2 p.m. today the players have not actually been given a proper dinner break today with the local time being just after midnight. Instead, we've only had ten-minute breaks every one and a half levels. Of course the players can grab a quick bite during that time, but they haven't really had a chance to escape the poker room for a proper meal.

Perhaps some hungry stomachs and tiring eyes might contribute to someone's demise here this evening.

09-09-2008 00:07 UTC+8

Chan, Assadourian and Marcus Have Company

[user75032]

It's getting crowded near the bottom. Nam Le raised to 12,000 on the button and was called by David Steicke. On an all-small flop of {3-Diamonds}

, Steicke opened for 12,000. Le quickly raised that bet to 29,500, prompting a reraise from Steicke to 70,000.

With only 62,000 left behind, it appeared that Le was going to put it all in, but at the last second he seemed to reconsider (or perhaps he was trying to get a read on Steicke).

"There's no shame in folding," said Steicke.

After two minutes in the tank, that is exactly what Le did, flicking his cards to the dealer. He retains 62,000 chips.

Tags: David Steicke Nam Le

09-08-2008 23:55 UTC+8

We Have a New Short Stack

[user75032]

Van Marcus and Johnny Chan, may we introduce you to Eric Assadourian. Assadourian called a raise to 9,000 from Quinn Do. When the flop came down {8-Diamonds}

, Assadourian checked it to Do, who bet 12,500. Assadourian then check-raised to 28,000, a move that backfired when Do moved all in for 72,000. Assadourian reluctantly folded.

Assadourian now has 46,000 chips. Do is up to 124,000.

Tags: Eric Assadourian Quinn Do

Level: 14

Blinds: 2,000/4,000

Ante: 500

09-08-2008 23:52 UTC+8

Johnny Getting Cranky

[user67765]

Johnny Chan was misdealt the {A-Hearts}

which had to be discarded and used as the burn card. He wasn't happy as he slammed the table and later said to Wei Will Ma that he was dealt {A-?}

.

A few moments later Ivan Tan wasn't dealt any cards which results in a misdeal. Chan flipped over another ace, the {A-Diamonds}

and flipped out yelling "Can we get a proper dealer in here?"

With ten players, lots of media and plenty of table talk we can appreciate that the dealers are under a lot of pressure here.

09-08-2008 23:49 UTC+8

Waiting for Godot

[user75032]

It's been an hour and a half since Steven Silverman busted in 11th place. There hasn't been much movement in anyone's stack since then -- not the tall stacks and certainly not the short stacks. The move to one ten-handed table may have eliminated the need for hand-for-hand play, but it has also allowed the short stacks the luxury of turtling up in a way they wouldn't have been able to do at five-handed tables. The chips are disbursed evenly enough that nobody is feeling too much pressure from the blinds.

That may change in two minutes, when we go to 2,000 / 4,000 / 500.

09-08-2008 23:40 UTC+8

Depends What the Dealer is Showing

[user75032]

Eric Assadourian raised from late position to 9,000. Nobody wanted to tangle with him. After the dealer pushed him the blinds and antes, Assadourian opened his hand: {8-Hearts}

"Look how desperate I'm getting," Assadourian joked.

Van Marcus saw Assadourian's cards and asked, "You double down, yeah?"

09-08-2008 23:35 UTC+8

A Six-Way Flop, But Still No Bustout

[user67765]

David Steicke started the limping from under the gun and was joined by Johnny Chan, Charles Chua, Van Marcus and the blinds in Nam Le and Quinn Do. For something different we were going to see a flop six ways!

It landed {2-Hearts}

, as Andrew Scott yelled out to Celina Lin on the rail that this was the same flop that cracked her pocket aces at the very start of this tournament.

The action checked around to Marcus who fired out 9,000. The table folded around and Marcus collected the pot without any resistance, flashing the {9-Spades}

as he raked in the pot.