Those over the Tasman at SKYCITY Auckland will be disappointed to hear that Brooke Howard Smith is a recent casualty from today's field.
Smith had raised from the cutoff to 4,200 with Brendan Edmonds making the call in the big blind. They saw a flop and Edmonds checked to Smith, who moved all in for 31,500. Edmonds made the call.
Edmonds tabled for just middle pair but it was a great call as Smith showed for a bare flush draw. The turn and river bricked , and Smith was sent to the rail as Edmonds climbs into the top five chip leaders with 184,500 chips.
Nobbi Tanaka has joined the dearly departed. He open-shoved for 17,000 with and was called by Antonis Kambouris with . Tanaka flopped top pair, , but Kambouris turned his gutshot draw, , leaving Tanaka drawing dead to a chop.
Carter Gill has also been eliminated. He shoved his last 57,000 into the middle over the 10,000-chip flop bet of George Kassis with the board showing . Kassis called with , giving himself two blockers against Gill's . The turn made two pair for Kassis, which were good after the river bricked .
Two happenings of note on the feature table. Petar Lackovic has eliminated an opponent and increased his chip stack to 82,000. A series of preflop raises ended with an all-in confrontation between Lackovic and his opponent. Lackovic showed , in front of his opponent's . Lackovic wound up with a full house on a board of .
A few minutes later, a player turned up at the feature table with AU$10,000 in cash. He was looking for a high-stakes cash game. "Wrong table," deadpanned TD Danny McDonagh.
Seal Busto
Emanuel Seal has been sent to the exit in unfortunate circumstances. He held as his opponent made a move with . All the chips were in preflop and Seal appeared to be in great shape for a double-up.
However the board fell cruelly for Seal, as it landed to make a straight for his opponent and eliminate "Curly" from the tournament.
Warwick Mirzikinian has been eliminated. After battling with a short stack for a long time he finally got his last few chips into the middle with against an opponent's .
The board was spread to end the day for Mirzikinian.
Alex Dickinson, during Day 1 action
Alex Dickinson has been eliminated after betting the whole way with a set of kings, only for his opponent to make a running flush. Dickinson thought he was value betting the river, but when his opponent check-raised all in, Dickinson made the call and his fate was sealed.
Vera Milinkovic has been eliminated
The elder Milinkovic, Vera, has been eliminated. She opened a pot for 4,000 from late position. Jay Huxley, the player who crippled Brad Milinkovic yesterday en route to Brad's elimination shortly thereafter, reraised from the button to 22,000. Action passed back to Vera, who called all in for 19,000 total. She showed ; Huxley had .
King-five was a monster on a flop of . It left Vera drawing at a ten and a few runner-runner combinations. The runner-runner options were off the table after the turn. Vera was off the table after the river.
"That's what happens when you have idiots playing poker," lamented a steaming Vera as she gathered herself and left the table. Huxley is up to 96,000.
With the departure of Milinkovic, each of the parent-sibling teams have lost their elder member. Eric Assadourian and Kristine Milinkovic are left to carry the standards for their respective families.
A new player was broken to Eric Assadourian and Scott Smith's table after the latest break. On his first hand at the table, he moved all in for 10,000. Assadourian called before Smith reraised to 35,000.
"I hope you've got better," said Assadourian as he open-mucked pocket jacks. Smith tabled , a hand that was favored over the new player's . The flop came . If Assadourian had called the raise, he would have caught the case jack against Smith's top pair, top kicker. Instead, Smith's hand was best, and stayed that way through the turn and river.
Assadourian has slipped down to 76,000 in chips. Smith keeps climbing -- he's now up to 184,000.
flop and Edmonds checked to Smith, who moved all in for 31,500. Edmonds made the call.
for just middle pair but it was a great call as Smith showed 
for a bare flush draw. The turn and river bricked 
, 
and Smith was sent to the rail as Edmonds climbs into the top five chip leaders with 184,500 chips.
, but Kambouris turned his gutshot draw, 
, leaving Tanaka drawing dead to a chop.
. Kassis called with 
. The turn 
.
. Sansi held 
for a pair and flush draw combo as Putt held the lead with 
for top pair.
to miss all of Sansi's outs and give Putt the double-up. Both players now sit with roughly 95,000.
, in front of his opponent's 
to make a straight for his opponent and eliminate "Curly" from the tournament.
turn. Vera was off the table after the 
