APT Macau Main Event Day 2 | 2009 Asian Poker Tour Macau

08-22-2009 13:55 UTC+8

Making Our Lives A Little More Difficult

[user67765]

Sometimes being in a foreign country can be tough on your hard-working tournament reporter as there are usually a lot of locals and unknown players in the field. However as the tournament develops we start to get to know the players a little better and identifying them becomes a lot easier.

That is, unless those players go home and come back the next day with their head shaved. We first met Rami Boukai last night when he surged to the top of the chip count leaderboard, but we admit we had some trouble spotting him this morning.

Then our photographer took a snap of a young man, and we all did a double take. The picture to the right says it all. Nice try Rami, but you can't hide from us that easily!

Tags: Rami Boukai

08-22-2009 14:01 UTC+8

Whither Teh?

[user75032]

In all the flurry of activity at David Steicke's table, we failed to notice that Eugene Teh, the chip leader from Day 1B who started Day 2 on Steicke's table, has been eliminated. We presume he was one of Steicke's victims.

Tags: Eugene Teh

08-22-2009 14:03 UTC+8

Demes Does It With Big Slick

[user67765]

Just prior to the break Tom Rafferty found his last chips in the middle with {A-Diamonds}

but was dominated by the {A-Hearts}

of Brandon Demes.

The board fell {4-Hearts}

to send Rafferty to the rail. Demes now has 130,000 chips.

Tags: Brandon Demes Tom Rafferty

08-22-2009 14:08 UTC+8

Break Time

[user75032]

Players are on a fifteen-minute break.

Level: 13

Blinds: 1,000/2,000

Ante: 300

08-22-2009 14:20 UTC+8

Play Resumes

[user75032]

We're down to 58 players. A long way to go yet. Cards are back in the air.

08-22-2009 14:29 UTC+8

New Leader

[user75032]

Sometimes if you're slow to the floor you miss out on some significant action. We dawdled just slightly as we finished our lunch before getting back out on the floor. As a result we can't tell you how Michael Woo increased his stack from 170,000 to 260,000 in the first five minutes of the level. It probably has something to do with the four eliminations we've had since then.

With David Steicke momentarily stalled around 210,000, Woo has taken over the chip lead.

Tags: Michael Woo

08-22-2009 14:49 UTC+8

Choi Cripples Carmona

[user75032]

We passed by Inwook Choi's table to see a big pot in progress preflop. It seemed that Choi opened first with a standard raise to 4,500. Action passed to the ebullient Don Carmona, who re-raised to 20,000. And that's where we picked up the hand, with Choi pushing all in.

"Does he have me covered?" Carmona asked. The answer was "not quite". Choi's raise represented another 49,400 back to Carmona. He cut 50,000 off his stack and saw he would be left with 12,000 if he lost the pot. After a two-minute tank, Carmona called.

Carmona: {A-Spades}

Choi:

Choi looked like he was praying to whatever poker gods he believes in as the dealer prepared to deal the flop. It missed Carmona's ace, {8-Clubs}

. Carmona shouted "ACE!" but both the turn and the river were kings.

"Ship it," Choi said with confidence. He's now up to 150,000 while Carmona is down to 12,000.

Tags: Don Carmona Inwook Choi

08-22-2009 14:50 UTC+8

Chan Chips Up

[user67765]

Johnny Chan limped under the gun and the blinds came along to see a flop of {A-Spades}

. The action checked to Chan who fired 3,500. The small blind player was the lone caller.

The turn brought the {Q-Diamonds}

and again it was checked to Chan who fired 9,000. Once again the SB player made the call.

The river was the {K-Clubs}

and following another check, Chan let rip with a third bullet worth 13,000. His opponent sat in the tank but released as Chan moves up to 60,000 chips.

Tags: Johnny Chan

08-22-2009 14:56 UTC+8

Exactly What I Put Him On!

[user67765]

We caught the end of a David Steicke hand where he'd made a call of 12,000 on the river and his opponent decided to muck rather than show. Nothing unusual. Except the table wanted to see what Steicke had called with and the floor was called. They ruled Steicke had to show his cards. The board was a pretty dangerous looking {Q-?}

rainbow and Steicke's cards - {3-Hearts}

for bottom pair.

"Exactly what I put him on!" said Casey Kastle with a wry grin.

Two hands later another small pot was sent the way of Steicke where he won at showdown with {Q-Hearts}

for just queen-high.

"Exactly what I put him on!" again chirped Kastle as Steicke continues to rake in chips. He's up to 245,000.

Tags: Casey Kastle David Steicke