[user75032]
The players at today's final table show far have shown no shyness about getting large amounts of chips into the pot. Timothy English led the way in a recent hand by raising to 52,000 preflop. Martin Rowe was the only caller.
The flop came . Rowe checked to English, who made a continuation bet of 80,000 that Rowe check-raised to 180,000. English asked how much Rowe was playing behind. When he was told "761,000," English moved all in. Rowe quickly folded.
[user75032]
Jason Gray isn't going so well in the first hour of this tournament. He raised to 55,000 from middle position and was called by Frank Saffioti. Saffioti bet into Gray for 55,000 on a flop of and won the pot when Gray mucked.
Despite the small size of the pot, Saffioti's supporters let loose a stream of cheering and applause. "Don't be afraid of them," joked Saffioti.
[user75032]
Jason Gray has raised three pots in a row. The first one he lost to Frank Saffioti on the flop; the second two netted Gray the blinds and the antes. Those were his first two pots of the day.
[user75032]
Since taking out Tom Rafferty, Antonio Fazzolari has been quiet. He finally got involved again by calling a raise to 62,000 from Timothy English.
English was first to act after the flop of and bet 82,000. Fazzolari raised that bet to 182,000. English mulled things over, then announced that he was all in for 1.3 million. He would be at risk of elimination if Fazzolari called, but there was no call. Fazzolari flashed the and folded.
[user75032]
Jason Gray has raised the last three pots, taking all of them without any resistance preflop. That seems to be the only way Gray can win chips so far today; any time Gray has taken a flop, the pot has been pushed away from him.
[user75032]
As the chips begin to aggregate in the stacks of Antonio Fazzolari and Timothy English, the other players are inching towards short stack status. Tony Basile reversed that trend for his stack by raising to 225,000 from the cutoff after Hai Bo Chu opened for 60,000 and was called by Martin Rowe. Neither Chu nor Rowe called the reraise.
On a side note, the heads-up tournament is taking place out on the main tournament floor. The most interesting of the Round 1 match-ups pitted the gregarious David Saab against the stalwart David Steicke. Steicke emerged victorious.
[user75032]
Daniel Kowalski is present but absent.
Daniel Kowalski is certainly sitting at the final table. We can see him from media row. He doesn't seem interested in playing, though. He finally played his first pot, after over an hour of play, by calling a raise to 65,000 made by Jason Gray. Kowalski then folded to a 95,000-chip bet on a flop of .
[user75032]
Hai Bo Chu - 8th Place
Beware the under-the-gun limper. Martin Rowe limped into the pot from under the gun and was joined by Antonio Fazzolari in the small blind and Hai Bo Chu in the big blind. The flop came down . Action checked to Rowe, who fired out for 80,000. That bet folded Fazzolari and brought the action to Chu, who asked how much Rowe was playing behind (590,0000). He then moved all in; Rowe snap-called.
Rowe:
Chu:
Rowe held the overpair of queens and was in great shape against Chu's naked gutshot draw. Chu hit a pair of eights with the turn, but the river fell to send him to the rail. He earned AU$53,200 for a spirited run through the tournament.
[user75032]
Antonio Fazzolari
Antonio Fazzolari's string bet may have cost him a pot. He opened preflop by putting 60,000 chips out in front of him, then reaching back to grab another 25,000. A player requested a ruling regarding a string bet; Tournament Director Danny McDonagh ruled that the raise was to 60,000 only. With that determined, Martin Rowe, Tony Basile and Frank Saffioti all made the call. On a flop of , action passed all the way to the last player to act, Martin Rowe, who took down the pot with a bet of 160,000.
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. Rowe checked to English, who made a continuation bet of 80,000 that Rowe check-raised to 180,000. English asked how much Rowe was playing behind. When he was told "761,000," English moved all in. Rowe quickly folded.
and won the pot when Gray mucked.
and folded.
.
. Action checked to Rowe, who fired out for 80,000. That bet folded Fazzolari and brought the action to Chu, who asked how much Rowe was playing behind (590,0000). He then moved all in; Rowe snap-called.
, action passed all the way to the last player to act, Martin Rowe, who took down the pot with a bet of 160,000.
