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

12-04-2008 21:46 UTC+11

Play Resumes

[user75032]

Cards are back in the air. One more level until Day 1 is complete!

12-04-2008 21:34 UTC+11

Break Time

[user75032]

We're on the last ten-minute break of the day.

12-04-2008 21:33 UTC+11

Damelian Takes One From Trung

[user67765]

Trung Tran limped into the pot from middle position and Roberto Damelian checked his option in the big blind.

The flop came down {K-Spades}

and Damelian bet out 1,400. Trung made the call. The turn was the {J-Hearts}

and Damelian fired again for 3,000 with Trung making the call once more.

The river landed the {2-Spades}

and Damelian fired a third barrel worth 6,000. Trung call again but mucked his holding as Damelian revealed {K-?}

for two pair. Trung falls to 37,000 as Damelian is now up to 92,000.

Tags: Roberto Damelian Trung Tran

12-04-2008 21:32 UTC+11

We're having trouble holding onto past APPT champions. Van Marcus, the champion of APPT Manila, is the only defending APPT champion remaining in the field after the recent departure of 2008 APPT Macau champion Eddy Sabat. Sabat moved all in preflop with {8-Clubs}

and was called by a player who tabled {9-Diamonds}

. Neither player improved on a board of {K-Spades}

. Sabat battled all day, but was never able to make much headway. He's out.

Tags: Eddy Sabat

12-04-2008 21:31 UTC+11

A Player with a Purpose

[user75032]

Some players play tournament poker for money; some players play tournament poker for fame and glory. Trevor Saunders is playing today's tournament for charity.

Saunders, a successful Australian businessman, serves as one of ten directors for House With No Steps, a charity serving New South Wales and Queensland. The charity's mission is to "enhance the lives of people with disabilities" by assisting them in all aspects of their lives, from finding good homes and employment to assisting them with their health needs. Should Saunders cash in today's event, he has pledged to donate a portion of his winnings to House With No Steps.

"Twenty years ago I got a kidney transplant," Saunders said. "It was a second chance at life for me." Saunders has never forgotten all of the people that helped him out during his time of need. His work with House With No Steps is Saunders' way of giving back to the community.

Saunders has only been playing poker for three years, but he has a successful track record on the APPT. He cashed in 16th place at APPT Auckland and won a live satellite qualifier for this event at Sky City. His current stack is just below par, at about 30,000 chips, but he is confident that he will be able to chip up to around 70,000 before the end of the day. We wish him the best of luck, both in this tournament and with his work for House With No Steps.

Tags: Trevor Saunders

12-04-2008 21:25 UTC+11

Jomeen Sails Past Ali

[user67765]

In another battle of the Melbourne locals Karim Jomeen and Gursel Ali were just involved in a healthy pot. Jomeen had raised from the button with Ali making the call in the big blind.

They checked a {K-?}

flop before a repeat {K-?}

fell on the turn. Ali led with a 2,500 chip bet and Jomeen flat called. The river was a {9-?}

and Ali fired again for 5,000. Jomeen popped it up to 15,000 and Ali made the call.

Jomeen tabled pocket nines for a rivered full house as Ali was disgusted to see he'd been rivered as he tabled pocket sevens for a smaller boat.

Jomeen climbs to 71,000 chips with Ali now down to 38,000.

Tags: Gursel Ali Karim Jomeen

12-04-2008 21:22 UTC+11

Punty Plays Power Poker

[user75032]

Scott Smith hasn't been very active recently, but he has managed to maintain a chip count at around 31,000. He raised the last hand he played to 1,500 from late position and was called by a player with position on him. Smith fired out a bet of 2,200 on the {6-Spades}

flop. His opponent called to see the dealer place the {J-Spades}

as the turn card. Smith asked how much his opponent had left behind (12,300) and then bet 14,000. That bet produced a fold.

Tags: Scott Smith

12-04-2008 21:15 UTC+11

Friends Become Foes

[user67765]

Michael Guzzardi opened with a raise to 1,325 from under the gun and found one caller, before Nobbi Tanaka bumped it up to 5,000 from the button.

The blinds folded and the action was back with Guzzardi who moved all in. Both players folded and Guzzardi scoops a nice preflop pot against his good buddy Tanaka. Both Melbourne players are doing well with around 45,000 chips.

Tags: Michael Guzzardi Nobbi Tanaka

12-04-2008 21:04 UTC+11

Juanda's Aces Get No Customers

[user67765]

Three players limped into the pot as the action was with a short-stacked John Juanda who moved all in for 8,175. The table folded around and Juanda collected some much needed chips, although perhaps not as many as he hoped for as he flashed pocket aces!

Tags: John Juanda

12-04-2008 21:04 UTC+11

Another Champ Falls

[user75032]

Earlier in the day we lost APPT Seoul champion Yoshihiro Tasaka. Now we've lost APPT Auckland champion Daniel Craker. Craker was the aggressor preflop, raising to 1,300. Jason O'Brien called that bet and called again on a flop of {10-Spades}

. Both players checked when the turn came {A-Hearts}

. On the river {7-Spades}

, Craker bet 2,000. O'Brien raised that to 10,000, which brought an all in raise from Craker. O'Brien double-fist-pump-snap-called with {7-Clubs}

. Craker didn't even wait to see O'Brien's hand though; he knew he was beat and mucked.

While Craker was walking to the rail, O'Brien was involved in another all in, holding ace-king against pocket tens. Despite turning trips, O'Brien lost the hand when a ten spiked on the river. The chips he took from Craker went into his opponent's stack.

Tags: Daniel Craker Jason OBrien