APPT Sydney Grand Final Main Event Day 3 | 2009 PokerStars.net APPT Sydney Grand Final

APPT Sydney Grand Final Main Event

Day 3 Completed

12-06-2009 02:19 UTC+11

Final Table Set...

donpeters

...after nearly 14 hours of play.

At 12:30 p.m. local time today, 66 players returned to the felt with the money in sight. It took a while, but the field has finally be widdled down to just nine players.

Team PokerStars Pros Grant Levy and Eric Assadourian both returned today and made it to the money. Levy went on to finish in 37th place after being eliminated by his good friend Assadourian shortly after being crippled down to just a few thousand chips. Assadourian lasted a bit longer, but saw his end run in 24th place.

Jarred "FlopNutsOnYou" Graham was the final-table bubble boy and capped off a great series here in Sydney with a 10th-place finish in the Main Event. Graham won the High Roller's event a few days ago.

The nine remaining players will reconvene tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. local time to finish things out. Ernst Hermans will be the chip leader with over two million chips, but Tom Grigg is hot on his heels.

Here's how the players will be seated for tomorrow's finale:

Seat 1: David Formosa - 956,000
Seat 2: Thomas Slifka - 758,000
Seat 3: Wayne Carlson - 1,114,000
Seat 4: Andrew Hiscox - 848,000
Seat 5: Leo Boxell - 1,236,000
Seat 6: Barry Forrester - 1,087,000
Seat 7: Aaron Benton - 1,790,000
Seat 8: Tom Grigg - 1,950,000
Seat 9: Ernst Hermans - 2,048,000

We'll see you right back here in just under 12 hours time for the final table of the 2009 PokerStars.net APPT Sydney Grand Final where the winner will take home nearly AUD$600,000!

12-06-2009 02:08 UTC+11

Jarred Graham Eliminated in 10th Place ($30,888)

[user38449]

Tough day at the office for Jarred Graham

In a shocking turn of events, crowd favorite Jarred Graham was just eliminated from the main event by Barry Forrester.

Forrester limped into the pot from the cutoff holding {Q-Diamonds}

and Tom Grigg completed the bet from the small blind. The action then fell to Graham in the big who raised it up to 100,000. Forrester then decided to move all in, prompting Grigg to fold and Graham to make the call with pocket tens.

The dealer then spread the community cards... {Q-Hearts}

giving Forrester a pot-clinching pair of queens to send Graham to the rail as the final table bubble boy.

Tags: Jarred Graham

12-06-2009 02:03 UTC+11

"Let's get this over with..."

[user38449]

So said Andrew Hiscox after moving all in for his last 350,000, over the top of a 50,000 preflop raise from Ernst Hermans. Barry Forrester had called Hermans' raise before Hiscox moved all in, and when Hermans folded to the reraise, Forrester made the call:

Hiscox: {6-Spades}

Forrester: {A-Hearts}

The ensuing board ran out {K-Diamonds}

giving Hiscox a pair of fives, which was all it took to steal the pot away from Forrester.

After the hand, Hiscox improved to 800,000 in chips while Forrester dropped to 550,000.

Tags: Andrew Hiscox

12-06-2009 01:51 UTC+11

Panayotis Flourentzou Eliminated in 11th Place ($30,888)

donpeters

Tom Grigg raised to 50,000 before Panayotis Flourentzou called. The flop came down {A-Spades}

and Flourentzou checked. Grigg bet 65,000 and Flourentzou called.

The turn was the {A-Clubs}

, adding another bullet to the board. Flourentzou checked over to the aggressor Grigg and he fired again, making it 135,000 this time. Flourentzou called.

The river was the {K-Clubs}

and there was now two pair on board. Flourentzou checked and Grigg fired 350,000. Flourentzou moved all in and Grigg called.

Grigg had the better full house with {A-Diamonds}

to Flourentzou's {K-Spades}

and Flourentzou was sent packing in 11th place. The players are now on two five-handed tables until we lose one more.

Tags: Panayotis Flourentzou Tom Grigg

12-06-2009 01:32 UTC+11

Graham Still Fighting

[user38449]

Although he's nowhere near as big a stack as he once was earlier in the day, Jarred Graham is still battling, floating around the 600,000 range.

Billy 'The Croc' Argyros, Grant Levy, Sam Youssef and Tony Hachem have all joined the rail near Graham's supporters. The room has emptied out a bit over the last hour or two, and there are even a few spectators asleep in their seats.

12-06-2009 01:30 UTC+11

Get the Coffee Ready

donpeters

It's nearing 2:00 a.m. here in Sydney for the PokerStars.net APPT Grand Final and it doesn't look like we'll be nearing an end anytime soon. The tournament staff has decided to play down to a final table of nine instead of eight. This could be a long night.

12-06-2009 01:20 UTC+11

By the Numbers

[user38449]

We've gone 70 minutes without losing a player.

The average chip stack is currently 1,062,000.

Chip leader Aaron Benton currently has 16% of the total chips in play.

12-06-2009 01:08 UTC+11

Railbirds

donpeters

Despite busting from the event, many players are sticking around to watch the action. Sander Aalders, Roel Pijpers, Ali Khalil, Matthew Pearson and Grant Levy have all been spotted on the rail checking out the action. All of them played the event, but were busted out. A few drinks and a high stakes poker tournament seem to be the way to go on a Saturday night here in Sydney.

12-06-2009 01:04 UTC+11

Carlson Doubles through Formosa

[user38449]

Wayne Carlson just earned a bit of extra breathing room after winning a race to double up, courtesy of former chip leader David Formosa.

Carlson opened the pot with a raise to 100,000 from the cutoff, Formosa reraised enough to put Carlson all in and a call was made:

Carlson: {K-Spades}

Formosa:

The board then filled out {Q-Diamonds}

and Carlson took down the pot with a pair of queens.

After the hand, Formosa dropped to right around one million in chips while Carlson improved to 650,000.

Tags: Wayne Carlson