APPT Macau Main Event | 2009 PokerStars.net APPT Macau

08-30-2009 13:28 UTC+8

Blain Takes One With A Three-Bet

Jicheng Su opened with a raise to 52,000, before Dermot Blain re-raised to 200,000 from the button. Mike Kim folded his small blind, before Daoxing Chen decided no one had been looking at him for a while, so he soaked up a few minutes of air time before folding. Su also folded and Blain collects a nice preflop pot to get himself off the short stack.

Tags: Dermot Blain

08-30-2009 13:24 UTC+8

Stefan Hjorthall Eliminated in 9th Place ($31,222)

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Having been whittled down to 250,000 chips by blinds, antes and lost pots, Stefan Hjorthall opted to open-raise all in. Action passed to fellow Swede Pontus Kers, who re-raised all in. His re-raise folded the blinds and took us to our first all in showdown of the day.

Hjorthall: {9-Diamonds}

Kers:

It was a flip, as s so often the case in tournament poker. Kers won the flip by pairing queens on the flop, {Q-Clubs}

, and having them hold on the {A-Clubs}

turn and

river. Stefan Hjorthall therefore became the first player eliminated from this final table.

Tags: Pontus Kers Stefan Hjorthall

08-30-2009 13:14 UTC+8

Su Not Afraid of Diamonds

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Dbinder Singh has shown some willingness to get involved in pots here in the first level. He raised his button to 50,000 and was called by big blind Jicheng Su. Su led into Singh for 40,000 on a flop of {9-Clubs}

. Singh called that bet to see a third diamond, {6-Diamonds}

hit the turn. Both players checked. Su again checked the river {5-Diamonds}

. Singh fired an even 100,000 chips into the pot. Su called after thirty seconds with {7-Hearts}

, a nine-high straight. Even one pair would have been fine when Singh showed an airball, {j-Spades}

.

At the conclusion of the hand Stefan Hjorthall was informed that he had to remove his headphones.

Tags: Dbinder Singh Jicheng Su

08-30-2009 13:08 UTC+8

Singh Wins Blind Battle

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Stefan Hjorthall limped in from the small blind and Dbinder Singh checked his option in the big blind.

The flop came down {J-Clubs}

and Hjorthall checked to Singh who fired 20,000. Hjorthall made the call. Both players checked the {A-Hearts}

on the turn before the {7-Hearts}

fell on the river. Hjorthall led for 30,000 and Singh made the call.

Hjorthall tabled {K-Hearts}

for a pair of tens but Singh flipped {J-Spades}

for a pair of jacks to collect the pot in a rare showdown.

Tags: Dbinder Singh Stefan Hjorthall

08-30-2009 13:04 UTC+8

Ye Olde Limp-Reraise

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Darkhan Botabayev may have thought he was being crafty. He limped into the pot from early position, encouraging a call from small blind Brandon Demes. Big blind Stefan Hjorthall then raised to 80,000 total. His trap spung, Botabayev re-raised to 250,000. It was a raise that got a quick fold from Demes and a somewhat more measured fold from Hjorthall.

As Botabayev dragged the pot, he flashed his hand to the table -- an unsuprisining {A-Spades}

.

Tags: Brandon Demes Darkhan Botabayev Stefan Hjorthall

08-30-2009 12:57 UTC+8

Kim Powers Pontus

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Pontus Kers is one of our short stacks and has been pretty quiet so far. So when the action folded to him on the button, he decided to raise it up to 50,000. Mike Kim re-raised from the big blind an additional 90,000, and Kers decided to lay his hand down.

Kim then flashed the {K-Spades}

!

Tags: Mike Kim Pontus Kers

08-30-2009 12:52 UTC+8

Botabayev Take Over Chip Lead

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Darkhan Botabayev had the button for the first flop of the day. He opened the preflop action to 80,000 and was called only by small blind Jicheng Su. Su checked a rainbow flop, {7-Diamonds}

, to Botabayev who followed up his preflop raise with a flop bet of 100,000. Su called.

The turn came {4-Clubs}

. Su took a bit more time to check this street. Botabayev, on the other hand, quickly moved all in. After a few glances Botabayev's way, Su surrendered his cards and his claim to the pot.

Botabayev now appears to be the chip leader.

Tags: Darkhan Botabayev Jicheng Su

08-30-2009 12:41 UTC+8

Ten Minutes, Two Hands

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After Mike Kim collected the first pot of the day uncontested, the second pot wasn't won quite as easily. Jichen Su opened with a raise to 60,000 before Daoxing Chen popped it up to 160,000 from the cutoff. Play then folded to Dbinder Singh in the big blind who announced he was all in to the excited murmurs of the audience in attendance.

Su folded and it was an additional 532,000 to Chen to make the call. Memories of yesterday returned as we had to wait all of two hands on this final table before Chen had entered the infamous "tank". With the attention of the lights, cameras and audience all upon him, Chen soaked it up and took his time with his apparent tough decision.

We timed it at five minutes before Chen decided that his {A-Hearts}

was no good as he flashed his cards on their way to the muck. Clearly the "one minute warning" from yesterday has not been carried across onto this final table.

Tags: Daoxing Chen

08-30-2009 12:30 UTC+8