Ted Nguyen Leads After APPT Melbourne Day 1b

After seven levels of play on the second starting day in the PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Melbourne Main Event, the chip leader was Ted Nguyen with 144,425. A total of 159 players registered for Day 1b creating a 257-player field. Many pros competed, but not nearly all of the them will return tomorrow for the second day of play.

Team PokerStars was well represented on Day 1b with four players competing, but things didn't go their way.

Angel Guillen was one of the Team PokerStars Pros, and he's been travelling the international poker circuit for many years. Back in 2009 he managed to win a World Series of Poker bracelet, and added a second place finish that same summer. As of right now his live tournament earnings exceed $1.2 million.

Guillen was doing great, and at one point he managed to get his stack up to 50,000 chips. That was also the highest point he would reach, as an unfortunate hand got him knocked out. Vineet Jindal was the Team PokerStars Pro slayer' in today's field as he knocked out both Guillen and Bryan Huang.

Huang was among the early exits when he got involved in a crazy hand. The long-time professional min-raised preflop to 400 and Jindal made a huge three-bet to 6,000. The action came back to Huang who four-bet to 15,000. Jindal called, and the flop brought out {A-} {Q-} {8-} . For right around 11,000 chips Huang moved all in, and Jindal called with a pair of tens. Huang had {A-Hearts} {9-Hearts} and needed to dodge a ten and running spades. Unfortunately the river was a ten, and Jindal grabbed hold of a big stack early.

During the sixth level of play Jindal also ended Guillen's tournament. Guillen had flopped a set, and on the turn he got his chips into the pot against Jindal's flopped nut flush. No help for Guillen who headed for the exit.

Among some of the other famous faces that didn't survive the day we saw Jonathan Karamalikis, Lee Nelson and Irishman John O'Shea. Milan Gurung was the one who knocked out Nelson who got his money in drawing dead. Gurung had flopped a flush, and on the turn the money went in. Nelson mucked his cards upon seeing Gurung's flush, and the Australian Poker Hall of Fame made a quiet exit.

Many great names survived the day as well. David Gorr, the 2011 Aussie Millions Main Event champion, will come back tomorrow with 33,075, while WSOPE bracelet winner Andrew Hinrichsen bagged up 37,250. Team PokerStars Pro Celina Lin will have her work cut out for her as she made the second day with 27,850.

The remaining 106 players will return tomorrow at 12:30 PM local time to play another very interesting day of poker. Combined with yesterday's survivors there are still 168 players remaining. The final table will ultimately be played on Monday when another APPT champion will be crowned! Here's a look at the payouts for all the players.