Main Event
Day 1a Started
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
Opening Day of APPT8 Auckland Set to Begin
![[user162117]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
It’s time for the final stop on Season 8 of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour to begin as players from all around the region descend upon New Zealand for APPT Auckland.
So far this season there have been massive events on the APPT like the Aussie Millions and the Asia Championship of Poker. There have also been lots of great tournaments on the APPT’s sister tour the ANZPT.
But APPT Auckland is where the season comes to an end.
The last time we were in Auckland, there were 213 runners in the NZ$2,200 buy-in ANZPT Auckland Main Event and it was David Lim who emerged victorious. This time around, it’s a NZ$2,500 buy-in APPT event and it’s looking set to be a great week of poker.
There will be three Day 1 flights beginning from today (Tuesday) at 10:15 a.m. local time. That’s an early start for a poker tournament, but we are sure the players will be eager enough to brave the tables well before noon.
Make sure to keep your eyes on PokerNews all week long as we track the journey of the eventual APPT Season 8 Auckland champion.
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
Cards Fly in the Morning
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Just a few dozen players have made their way into the SKYCITY Auckland Casino for the beginning of Day 1a of the APPT Auckland Main Event. We are sure there will be a few late entrants on account of the early (for poker players) start of 10:15 a.m. local time.
Plan For the Day
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
The first hands of the day are being dealt and so we thought now would be a great time to fill everyone in on how today will work.
Basically, players start with 20,000 in chips and the blinds start at 50/100. Full structure information can be found on the APPT website.
APPT President Danny McDonagh tells us that eight 60-minute levels will be played today with no dinner break. There will be 10-minute breaks after every two levels.
Players in the Room
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
There are currently six tables set up in the poker room and there are just a few gaps at each table. Some of the notable names in the field at the moment include Dean Francis, James Honeybone, Angie Fitzgerald, Lukas Byrns, Oliver Gill, Ben Rendall, Stanislav Chataline, Dean Blatt, Oliver Gill, Pravin Harji and Australian Poker Hall of Fame member Leo Boxell.
It’s looking like the Day 1a field is somewhere around 50 players so far. We will keep you updated on the progress of entries as the day goes on. Don’t forget, there are three Day 1 flights before the eventual survivors combine for Day 2 on Saturday.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,000 | 20,000 |
|
20,000 | 20,000 |
|
|
20,000 | |
|
20,000 | 20,000 |
|
20,000 | 20,000 |
|
20,000 | 20,000 |
|
|
20,000 | 20,000 |
|
|
20,000 | 20,000 |
More Tables Means More Poker
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
APPT President Danny McDonagh has just got on the microphone and let everyone know that the SKYCITY Auckland Casino has installed a couple of extra tables in the poker room. This is great news as there were concerns that there wouldn’t be enough room with the APPT Auckland Main Event on, along with side events and cash games.
Lou Takes Lead Early
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
We arrived at the table as Leo Boxell opened to 225 from under the gun. Jess Lou made the call from the hijack before the player in the cut off bumped it up to 625. Dean Francis made the call from the blinds as Boxell mucked his hand. Lou made the call.
Francis and Lou both checked the 
flop before their opponent threw out a continuation bet of 700. Both players made the call to see the 
fall on the turn.
Francis checked before Lou reached for his chips. He slid out a bet of 1,400 and watched as the player in the cut off raised it up to 4,000. Francis got out of the way as Lou sat motionless. After a moment he raised it up to 9,000 which was enough to take down the pot as his opponents cards flew into the muck.
Lou now sits on 27,000 in chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
27,000 | 7,000 |
Local Battle
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Ang Fitzgerald and Pravin Harji have played plenty of poker in their home country and will be looking to ensure the large contingent of Australian in New Zealand poker players don’t steal the title.
They can’t both win though and they won’t be taking it easy on each other.
We recently arrived at the table to find Fitzgerald and Harji on the river of a 
board. There was already quite a handy little pot in the middle and the action was on Fitzgerald. She quietly bet 700 and Harji took his time before opting to make the call.
At showdown, Fitzgerald tabled 
which was enough to send Harji’s cards into the muck. Harji took an early hit to his stack, now sitting with 17,000. Fitzgerald, meanwhile, it up to around 24,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
24,000 | |
|
17,000 |
Lots of Aces
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Local Dan Norman was under the gun plus one when he opened it up to 300. Oliver Gill was the lone caller three spots to his left and with the rest of the table out of the way, including the blinds, the dealer flipped over a 
flop.
Norman led for 700 here and Gill made a fairly quick call. Both players then checked the turn and the 
completed the board on the river. At this point, Norman led for 1,200.
“This is so tough because you could be value betting worse,” Gill sighed as he leaned back in his chair. “I can’t see a situation where I win though.”
Gill then folded his 
face up.
“Why didn’t you call!” Norman shouted, tabling his 
for quad aces.