Main Event
Day 2 Completed
PokerStars.net APPT Season 8 Auckland
Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
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
Final Table Set; Nguyen Crushing
Level 17
: 3,000/6,000, 1,000 ante
After nine full levels of play, the final table has been set for the 2014 Asia-Pacific Poker Tour Auckland Main Event.
Eighty players made their way to the SKYCITY Auckland Casino just after midday to battle down until only a final table of nine remained. With fifty six needing to fall until the field reached the money, action was relatively fast up until the bubble. There everyone would have to wait an hour to lose a player, with Robert Spano eventually being awarded the unwanted title of "bubble boy."
From then on, the eliminations happened very regularly. Matthew Yates (23rd), David Lim (21st), Matt Carter (18th), and Terangi Matenga (13th) all fought gallantly, but would end up on the rail. Then, Mehrdad Razmi’s hopes of making the final table fell short by just one, when he bubbled the final table in 10th place.
Australia’s Minh Nguyen finished atop the leaderboard after a great run of cards, aggression, and plenty of skill to amass a whopping 1.605 million in chips. Nearly 1 million chips behind in second place finished Sam Williams with 632,000, and Day 1b chip leader Ben Rendall rounded out the top three.
Throw in Australian poker pros Jesse McKenzie, Dean Blatt, and Michael Guzzardi, as well as local’s Thomas Ward, William Rogers, and Stephen Thompson, and picking the eventual winner is still anyone's guess at this point. They will all be fighting hard to capture the NZ$132,000 first prize and title of APPT Auckland champion.
The PokerNews Live Reporting team will be back in the SKYCITY Auckland poker room tomorrow from 12:30 p.m. local time (NZST) to provide detailed and comprehensive live coverage of all the final table action straight to you from the tournament floor.
While you wait for the final table to return, check out Sarah Herring getting some tips on how to rap with New Zealand's "Godfather of Rap" Brotha D:
PokerNews Podcast Ep. #260: 2014 WSOP Main Event Champ Martin Jacobson
Level 17
: 3,000/6,000, 1,000 ante
For Episode #260 of the PokerNews Podcast, Donnie and Rich are joined by none other than the new World Series of Poker Main Event champion, Martin Jacobson. Topics include Jacobson's final-table preparation, his big win, and the true pronunciation of his last name.
You can subscribe to the entire iBus Media Network on iTunes here, or you can access the RSS feed here. The PokerNews family of podcasts is now available on Stitcher.
Final Table Chip Counts and Draw
Level 17
: 3,000/6,000, 1,000 ante
Here is how the final nine stack up. They will return at 12:15pm local time tomorrow
| Seat | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Williams | 633,000 |
| 2 | Ben Rendall | 545,000 |
| 3 | Michael Guzzardi | 296,000 |
| 4 | Dean Blatt | 142,000 |
| 5 | Thomas Ward | 404,000 |
| 6 | Jesse McKenzie | 477,500 |
| 7 | Stephen Thompson | 32,500 |
| 8 | William Rogers | 238,000 |
| 9 | Minh Nguyen | 1,605,500 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,605,500 | 505,500 |
|
|
633,000 | 263,000 |
|
|
545,000 | 115,000 |
|
477,500 | 137,500 |
|
404,000 | -101,000 |
|
296,000 | -84,000 |
|
238,000 | 33,000 |
|
142,000 | -18,000 |
|
32,500 | -12,500 |
Carl Boag Eliminated in 11th Place (NZ$8,900); Mehrdad Razmi Eliminated in 10th Place (NZ$8,900)
Level 17
: 3,000/6,000, 1,000 ante
The final hand of the night saw Jesse McKenzie open to 16,000 from the cut off. Mehrdad Razmi then moved all in for around 100,000 from the small blind. Carl Boag was in the big blind and only had 5,000 behind which he committed. With the decision back on McKenzie he snap called and the cards were tabled.
McKenzie: 
Razmi: 
Boag: 
The flop came down 
keeping Razmi in the lead with the higher kicker. The 
on the turn however put McKenzie in the box seat to take out both opponents. The 
on the river was no help for either as they were eliminated just short of the final table.
With that the final table is set. The seat draw and recap will be up shortly.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted |
Ryan Shiffman Eliminated in 12th Place (NZ$8,900)
Level 17
: 3,000/6,000, 1,000 ante
Another one down, 11 remain!
This time it was Ryan Shiffman who hit the rail.
He moved his short stack all in from the small blind holding 
and Sam Williams called from the big blind with .
Shiffman was in trouble and the news didnt get any better as the board rolled out 
.
Shiffman pockets NZ$8,900 for that effort.
Two players off the final table.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Busted |
Terangi Matenga Eliminated in 13th Place (NZ$7,550)
Level 17
: 3,000/6,000, 1,000 ante
The action folded around to Sam Williams in the hijack who raised it up to 12,000. Terangi Matenga then moved all in for just under 100,000 from the small blind. Michael Guzzardi folded in the big blind and Williams made the call.
Williams: 
Matenga: 
Matenga was unable to improve as the board ran out 
to see him eliminated in 13th place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Busted |
Big Guzzardi Double
Level 17
: 3,000/6,000, 1,000 ante
Michael Guzzardi and Terangi Matenga just battled out in a blind versus blind situation, playing it down to the river of a 
board. There were already well over 100,000 in the pot when we picked up the action on the river and at this point Matenga checked to Guzzardi, who moved all in for 130,000.
Matenga tanked for a long time before calling.
Then Guzzardi tabled 
for a straight and Matenga's cards went into the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
380,000 | 145,000 |
|
|
90,000 | -210,000 |
Matt Wall Eliminated in 14th Place (NZ$7,550)
Level 17
: 3,000/6,000, 1,000 ante
Jesse McKenzie raised from late position before Matt Wall moved all in for his last 43,500 from the blinds. McKenzie made the call before both players tabled their cards.
McKenzie: 
Wall: 
The board ran out 
to see McKenzie hold with the over pair as another player hit the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Busted |
Thomas Peet Eliminated in 15th Place (NZ$7,550)
Level 17
: 3,000/6,000, 1,000 ante
The hand started with Thomas Ward opening to 12,000 from under the gun. Thomas Peet then moved all in for 103,500 from the hijack as the action folded around to Ben Rendall on the big blind. He made the call forcing Ward to fold.
Peet:
Rendall: 
Peet was unable to improve as the board ran out 
leaving him eliminated in 15th place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
430,000 | 140,000 |
|
|
Busted |