2009 PokerStars.net APPT Macau

APPT Macau Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2009 PokerStars.net APPT Macau

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
10k
Prize
$541,089
Event Info
Buy-in
$5,000
Prize Pool
$2,081,000
Entries
429
Level Info
Level
27
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
5,000

Ace For Akerblom To Stay Alive

With a raise to 1,500 in front of him, Rasmus Akerblom moved all in for his last 7,150. A player in late position tanked before making the call as the original raisor flashed {9-Diamonds}{9-Hearts} and folded.

Akerblom: {A-Hearts}{J-Diamonds}
Opponent: {Q-Diamonds}{Q-Spades}

Akerblom was in some trouble but the board was kind to him as it fell {A-Diamonds}{5-Diamonds}{4-Spades}{8-Hearts}{10-Diamonds} to spike a pair of aces for Akerblom and he doubles up to 16,300.

Tags: Rasmus Akerblom

Assadourian Holds All The Aces

Eric Assadourian
Eric Assadourian
Wally Sombero limped into the pot before Eric Assadourian made it 1,500 to go as next to speak. The table folded back to Sombero who made the call.

We were looking for a big clash between two of Asian poker's biggest personalities on the {J-Hearts}{2-Hearts}{9-Hearts} flop but it wasn't to be as Sombero checked, Assadourian fired 2,400 and Sombero folded, flashing {A-Diamonds}{10-Hearts} as he desperately tried to rub the hearts from his ten onto his ace.

Assadourian also flashed his cards, and didn't have a heart but he had two aces with the {A-Clubs}{a-Spades}! Sombero is back to 38,000 with Assadourian up to 33,000.

Tags: Eric AssadourianWally Sombero

Scott's Lucky Day

A collective gasp brought us to Stewart Scott's table, where the 2009 Aussie Millions Main Event champion was counting down his stack so that the dealer could double it. Scott's {A-Spades} {A-Diamonds} made an ace-high straight on a board that came {J-Hearts} {K-Hearts} {9-Diamonds} {10-Spades} {Q-Spades}. We're not sure when the money went in, but we do know that Scott's opponent had {K-?} {J-?} and flopped two pair.

"It's my lucky day," said Scott as he stacked up 26,000 chips.

Tags: Stewart Scott

Ma Can't Overcome Domination

Vivek Rajkumar opened to 1,050 before a short-stacked player in the cutoff moved all in for his last 2,650. Will Ma then decided to raise it up again, making it 4,400 from the big blind to force Rajkumar out of the pot.

Ma flipped {A-Hearts}{Q-Spades} but found himself dominated by the {A-Clubs}{K-Clubs} of his opponent.

It got worse for Ma, when the board was spread {K-Spades}{3-Diamonds}{4-Diamonds}{7-Spades}{5-Clubs} to give his opponent a pair of kings and the double up. Ma slips to 27,000.

Tags: Vivek RajkumarWill Ma

Fourth Time Lucky For Schreiber

Dan Schreiber
Dan Schreiber
After opening three consecutive pots to 1,100 and losing them all, Dan Schreiber tried to make it fourth time lucky as he once again opened the action with a raise to find two callers including JP Kelly.

The flop fell {J-Clubs}{7-Clubs}{4-Diamonds} and Schreiber checked to a player in the hijack position who fired 2,500. JP Kelly made the call before Schreiber put in the check-raise to 8,500. Both opponents folded and Schreiber chips up to 44,000.

Tags: Dan SchreiberJP Kelly

Cornwell Plays It Safe

Mark Cornwell has had a good day so far, amassing chips with relative ease. Perhaps that's why he saw no need to get involved in a marginal spot. Cornwell was in late position and faced one opponent on a four-diamond board, {8-Diamonds} {Q-Diamonds} {4-Diamonds} {9-Diamonds}. That opponent, the small blind, fired out for 3,000 and Cornwell called.

The river was a fifth diamond, the {3-Diamonds}. Again the small blind bet, this time for 6,000. Cornwell leaned back in his chair, grimaced, thought things over and then folded. The small blind mimed severely shaking hands after the fold, perhaps trying to make Cornwell believe he had folded a chopped pot.

Cornwell didn't seem all that interested in his opponent's antics. He still has 44,000 chips.

Tags: Mark Cornwell

Steicke Takes the Lead

It appears David Steicke has been busy at the Table of Death. His count is up to a tournament-leading 65,500 after eliminating Rasmus Akerblom. The two got the chips in the middle on a flop of {8-Hearts} {A-Spades} {K-Hearts}, with Akerblom opening for 3,500 and then moving in for about 16,000 after Steicke raised to 13,500. Steicke made an easy call with the dead man's hand, aces and eights {A-Hearts} {8-Diamonds}. Akerblom had only a single pair of aces, {A-Clubs} {10-Hearts}. The turn and river bricked out babies, {3-Diamonds} and {2-Spades}, to give Steicke the pot.

Steicke, who finished first in a High Rollers event last week and fourth in a 326-player event that ended Sunday, seemed to take it all in stride. "It's an easy game, isn't it?"

Tags: David SteickeRasmus Akerblom

Kelly Over and Out

JP Kelly
JP Kelly
JP Kelly's day comes to an end as the clock ticks down on Level 5. He made the mistake of taking on Dan Schreiber. The two players got the chips in the middle on the turn of a {J-Diamonds} {6-Diamonds} {5-Hearts} {Q-Diamonds} board. Neither had even one diamond in his hand, never mind two. Kelly showed down {A-Hearts} {Q-Spades}, top pair top kicker, while Schreiber produced two of the other aces, {A-Clubs} {A-Spades}. That left Kelly looking for another queen on the river. The board did pair, but it paired fives with the {5-Diamonds}.

Kelly is out and Schreiber is up to 60,000 as a result of the hand.

Tags: Dan SchreiberJP Kelly

PokerStars Team Asia Pro-files: Jonathan Lin

Jonathan Lin
Jonathan Lin
A regular in the PokerStars Macau Poker Room since its inception in 2008, Jonathan Lin has fast made a name for himself in the Asian poker world. The 29-year-old pro resides in Taipei, R.O.C. and travels to tournaments all over the Asia-Pacific region.

Ironically enough, Lin learned to play Texas Hold'em in Texas, while studying abroad in the United States. He began playing micro stakes with friends in various home games and gradually evolved into a serious player.

His best result to date was a 2nd place finish at the 2008 Macau Poker Cup where he netted a USD $12,604 payday. Lin was also featured as both a player and tournament director on the celebrity poker TV show "Let's All In" in Taipei.

While he's not out smashing live cash games in and around Macau, Lin spends his free time reading, playing basketball and traveling the world with his friends.

Tags: Jonathan Lin

Ewing The Aggressor

Dave Ewing
Dave Ewing
David Ewing has two large towers of green 25-denomination chips in front of him which is usually a pretty good indicator of the most aggressive player at the table, as he's picked up plenty of blinds and antes today.

That theory was further proven by a recent hand where we caught him raise to 2,200 from middle position. The play folded to the big blind player who waved his arms and complained about a string bet.

"What? You're all in?" joked Ewing. "I can't hear you..." he commented pointing to his headphones.

The big blind player eventually folded and Ewing paused for a moment and flashed {2-Spades}{6-Diamonds} for the steal.

"One time I'll pick up a real hand in this tournament!" laughed Ewing as he added some more green antes to his impressive towers.

Tags: Dave Ewing