Main Event
Day 1a Completed
PokerStars.net APPT Season 8 Auckland
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
PokerStars.net APPT Season 8 Auckland
Buy-in
2,250 NZD
Prize Pool
506,250 NZD
Entries
225
Level
22
Blinds
10,000 / 200,000
Ante
3,000
Rendall with Big Lead on Day 1a of APPT Auckland
![[user162117]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 8
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
It’s not often that Day 1 of a poker tournament finishes up with only 19 surviving players, but that’s exactly how Day 1a of the APPT Auckland Main Event turned out.
There were 53 total entrants on the opening day of the final stop on Season 8 of the Asia-Pacific Poker Tour. This is likely to be the smallest of the three Day 1 flights on offer, with the vast majority of the 74 total online qualifiers registered for Day 1b.
Plenty of recognizable players were at the felt today including Dean Francis, Lukas Byrns, Oliver Gill, Pravin Harji, and Australian Poker Hall of Fame member Leo Boxell. However, none of these players were still alive when the day was over.
Unlike the aforementioned players, Ben Rendall was able to survive the night and did so with the largest chip stack. He will begin Day 2 with 179,600 in chips, which is well ahead of his nearest competitor, Qiang Fu who has 114,600.
Some of the others who survived the eight 60-minute levels of Day 1a included Brett Unkovich, Ryan Shiffman, Daryl Hussey, and Dean Blatt. You can find all their chip counts, and all the other survivors’ stacks, in the live reporting blog below. That’s where you will also find play-by-play coverage for the entire day.
Those who made it through Day 1a will now have a few days of a break before returning for Day 2 on Saturday. Before then, two more batches of players will hit the felt of the SKYCITY Auckland Casino.
PokerNews will be back at it for Day 1b, which kicks off bright and early at 10:15 a.m. local time Thursday. Be sure to join us then as we continue to report on all the APPT Auckland action.
End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 8
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
179,600 | 19,600 |
|
114,600 | -10,400 |
|
|
83,000 | 83,000 |
|
|
75,900 | 5,900 |
|
|
72,100 | 72,100 |
|
|
65,600 | 65,600 |
|
64,500 | 64,500 |
|
|
56,100 | 31,100 |
|
|
52,200 | 52,200 |
|
|
44,600 | 44,600 |
|
38,900 | 38,900 |
|
|
33,600 | -30,450 |
|
|
31,900 | 31,900 |
|
|
31,000 | 31,000 |
|
|
28,900 | 28,900 |
|
|
27,400 | 27,400 |
|
|
26,000 | 26,000 |
|
23,800 | -1,200 |
|
|
20,800 | -4,200 |
Four More Hands
Level 8
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
The tournament clock has been paused and the call has been made to play just four more hands at each of the two tables before calling it a night.
Stay tuned to find out who survives through to Day 2!
Putt Home Late
Level 8
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
Jeff Putt hasn’t made it through the night.
He got the last of his chips in the middle towards the end of the final level of the night holding 
and despite catching an ace on a 
flop, his opponent Brett Unkovich had 
for a set of eights. No help on the 
turn or 
river and Putt was out the door.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
70,000 | 18,500 |
|
|
Busted |
Rendall Cracks the Lead
Level 8
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
Ben Rendall has been flirting with the chip lead for much of the day, but has never really managed to catapult into the lead. Until now.
It started with Rendall opening the cut off to 2,200. The player in the big blind made the call and the dealer flipped over a 
flop. It was checked to Rendall here and he bet 2,500. A check-raise to 7,000 was put in and Rendall made the call.
On the 
turn, Rendall called a bet of 10,000 and a 
completed the board on the river.
The aggression continued here with Rendall faced with a bet of 25,000. It took a long time, but eventually Rendall put in the chips. Randall’s opponent tabled 
for a pair of nines, but it was out-kicked by Rendall’s 
as he moved up to around 160,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
160,000 | 55,000 |
Two Ten-Handed Tables
Level 8
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
Another elimination has seen the field shrink to 20 players. There are now two ten-handed tables remaining on Day 1a of the APPT Auckland Main Event as around 40 minutes remain in the day.
The pace of the action seems to finally be slowing down, but it will still be very interesting to see how many survive the night.
Gill On The Rail
Level 8
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
Oliver Gill moved the last of his chips into the middle from the cut off and was called by Ben Rendall on the big blind.
“Can’t play scared,” said Gill as both players then tabled their cards.
Gill:
Rendall: 
“I feel an ace is coming, but so is a ten,” added Gill.
The dealer then produced the 
flop as Rendall took the lead with a full house.
“A ten is still coming,” hoped Gill, but it would matter as the fell on the turn securing Rendall another scalp in the tournament.
The completed the board and Gill was sent to the rail as Rendall moved back up to around 100,000 in chips after recently losing a substantial pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
105,000 | -15,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 8
Blinds: 500/1,000
Ante: 100
Rendall Takes Out Francis
Level 7
: 400/800, 100 ante
The action folded around to Dean Francis who moved all in for just over 5,000 in chips. The decision fell on Ben Rendall on the big blind who made the call as both players tabled their cards.
Rendall: 
Francis: 
The board ran out 
to see both players make top pair but Rendall’s kicker guaranteeing him the pot.
Rendall is making a late charge for end-of-day chip leader as he moves up to 120,000 in chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
120,000 | 73,000 |
|
Busted |