APPT Grand Final Day 1a | 2008 PokerStars.net APPT Grand Final - Sydney

12-02-2008 14:15 UTC+11

Why Don't You Guys Ever Bluff Me?

[user67765]

Vanessa Rousso is one of the higher profile players in today's field although her first significant confrontation hasn't gone her way.

Rousso opened with a limp from middle position before Alan Bustany made it 800 to go. The table folded around to Rousso who made the call.

The flop landed {3-Diamonds}

and both players checked. The turn was the {7-Diamonds}

and again it was checked through. The river landed the {5-Diamonds}

and Rousso led out with a 1,000 chip bet. Bustany then popped it up to 3,000, sending Rousso into the tank.

She asked her opponent how much he had behind before sighing "This is a tough call!" After a few moments of deliberation she made a reluctant call, only to see Bustany reveal {A-Diamonds}

for the ace-high flush.

Rousso mucked and exclaimed "Why don't you guys ever bluff me?" as she now sits with only 12,600 chips.

Tags: Alan Bustany Vanessa Rousso

12-02-2008 14:04 UTC+11

Ostergaard Rolls a Gutterball on Scekic

[user75032]

Generally speaking, moving all in with the third nuts on a board of {A-?}

is going to net you the pot more often than it doesn't. But that wasn't the case for Jovan Scekic. He showed pocket aces for a flopped set of aces and was dismayed to see his opponent, Ken Ostergaard, turn over pocket fives for a wheel and the second nuts. Scekic needed a board pair on the river and didn't get it when the river fell {9-?}

.

He's not eliminated though; Ostergaard had taken some early hits and as a result only had about 12,000 chips in his stack at the start of the hand. Ostergaard now has 24,000 and Scekic has slipped to 9,000.

Tags: Jovan Skekic Ken Ostergaard

Level: 2

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 0

12-02-2008 13:55 UTC+11

LeeWah Accumulating

[user67765]

A player limped in from middle position before David Lee popped it up to to 350 from the small blind. His opponent made the call and they took a heads-up flop of {6-Hearts}

.

Lee led out with a bet of 600 and his opponent made the call. The turn brought the {Q-Clubs}

and Lee fired a second barrel worth 1,200. Once again he was met with a call.

The river landed the {K-Diamonds}

and Lee fired again, this time for 2,300. His bet was good to take down the pot as his opponent gave it up. Lee is now up to 27,000 chips.

Tags: David Lee

12-02-2008 13:55 UTC+11

Two Pair No Good?

[user75032]

Chad Brown must have had a read on his opponent. After raising to 250 from the cutoff and being called by the big blind, both Brown and his opponent checked the {8-Hearts}

flop. When the turn came {A-Clubs}

, the big blind led out with a pot-sized bet of 500. Brown called to the {Q-Hearts}

river, where his opponent bet 2,000. Brown flashed the {A-Spades}

, said "Good bet," and mucked his hand.

Tags: Chad Brown

12-02-2008 13:51 UTC+11

Graham on Rush

[user67765]

Jarred Graham has been on a small rush, winning several recent pots to jump up to 37,100 chips.

In the first hand Graham raised to 300 from early position before the big blind made it 900 to go. Graham made the call. They took a flop of {2-Hearts}

and the big blind led out for 1,100. Graham made it 3,400 but the big blind made another raise, making it 8,000 to go as a big pot was developing. Graham put an end to that, by moving all in and forcing a fold from his opponent.

The next hand Graham raised from under the gun to 300 and found two callers. The flop was {Q-?}

and the player in the big blind led out for 1,100. Graham popped up to to 2,900 and the big blind was the lone caller. The turn was a {6-?}

and the big blind checked to Graham, who fired a bet of 4,000 to take it down.

Finally the table must of been sick of Graham's aggression, as finally a player made a stand on a {K-?}

flop. Graham had moved all in over the top of his opponent's flop bet, and was called. His opponent tabled {K-?}

for top pair, but Graham held the big guns -- pocket aces! The turn and river bricked and Graham eliminated an opponent, jumping up to 37,000 chips.

Tags: FlopNutsOnYou Jarred Graham

12-02-2008 13:50 UTC+11

Freerolling

[user75032]

One of the players we're keeping an eye on today is local Star City player Warwick Mirzikinian. Mirzikinian satellited into today's tournament three separate times. One seat he is using today; the other two seats he sold to other players who were not as fortunate or as skilled as Mirzikinian in winning their way into the tournament.

Mirzikinian's satellite success would suggest he has the chops to go deep in this tournament. The fact that he has already doubled up to roughly 42,000 chips merely bolsters his case.

Tags: Warwick Mirzikinian

12-02-2008 13:44 UTC+11

Saab Stays Active

[user75032]

David Saab is never at a loss for action or for words. He made a preflop raise to 250 and was called in one spot. The {9-Spades}

flop brought a bet from Saab of 300, which was again called by his lone opponent. When Saab bet 1,000 on the {3-Spades}

turn, his opponent finally folded.

"Trying to float me," chided Saab. "Tsk, tsk. Not on my watch."

The very next hand Saab again opened with a raise to 250. "I'm going to make this massive raise again," he announced before the chips went into the pot. He was called by Shane Dye and one other player. This time, however, Dye was the first one to stab at the pot on the {4-Diamonds}

flop. Everyone else folded.

Saab's stack currently sits at about 18,000.

Tags: David Saab Shane Dye

12-02-2008 13:35 UTC+11

Tables Rebalancing

[user67765]

The tables have been rebalanced to nine-handed tables with the dead stacks now removed from play. We have around 13 tables currently in action. Amongst the movements, a couple of interesting tables have emerged with Leo Boxell in for a tough time if he attempts to steal the blinds today with Chad Brown on his direct left in Seat 2, and Josh Pang Ang seated in Seat 4.

Meanwhile David Saab is tangling with Shane Dye and Jim Sachinidis, and they have been recently joined by Australian young gun Julian Powell.

12-02-2008 13:32 UTC+11

Dunst's River-Raise Produces a Winner

[user75032]

Tony Dunst is off to a good start today. He raised one limper preflop and found two callers. By the time the hand reached the river of a board showing {A-Hearts}

, only Dunst and the small blind remained in the hand. With 2,600 in the pot, the small blind bet 1,200, then folded when Dunst made the price of poker 3,500.

Dunst now has about 23,000.

Tags: Tony Dunst