Main Event Day 1a | 2009 Asian Poker Tour - Manila

Level: 5

Blinds: 150/300

Ante: 25

01-29-2009 16:21 UTC+8

Break Time

[user80015]

The remaining 50 players are heading on their second 15-minute break for the tournament.

01-29-2009 16:21 UTC+8

The Withering Gaze of Eddie Hearn

[user75032]

A name we haven't called yet today is Eddie Hearn. Hearn, a native of England, is a director of Matchroom Sports. He has had some previous poker success, with one small WSOP cash in a six-handed no-limit hold'em event in 2007. He's looking to add to his tournament record by besting this weekend's field.

Hearn took a step in the right direction in a recent three-way hand. Hyoungjin Nam raised the button and was called by the small blind and Hearn in the big blind. Action checked on a flop of {7-Clubs}

. On the turn {3-Hearts}

, the small blind took a stab at the pot with a bet of 1,600. Hearn called, then trained an intense stare on the small blind after Nam folded. The dealer burned and turned the river, but Hearn had no idea what it was. He refused to take his gaze off of the small blind, who finally checked. Hearn glanced at the board, saw the {5-Spades}

, and bet 1,000. His opponent folded.

Tags: Eddie Hearn

01-29-2009 16:15 UTC+8

Sombero Scoops

[user80015]

Six players limped in to see the flop of {3-Clubs}

with Wally Sombero leading out from early position to 2,500. Mark Cornwell was next to speak and moved all in for his last 5,625. He was cold-called by Simone Peri.

With the action folding back around to Sombero, he also moved all in for 12,225 total. After some hesitation, Peri made the call.

Sombero: {A-Clubs}

Cornwell:

Peri:

The turn didn't change anything when it peeled the {2-Hearts}

, but when the dealer planted the {4-Clubs}

on the river, it sent Sombero leaping into the air. The river sent Cornwell to the rail and it nearly trippled Sombero to up over 31,000 in chips.

Tags: Mark Cornwell Simone Peri Wally Sombero

01-29-2009 16:07 UTC+8

Diaz Takes It Away on the Turn

[user75032]

Julio Diaz was one of two people to call a 600-chip raise from an early position player. He was the only person to call a 1,200-chip continuation bet from that preflop raiser on a board of {4-Clubs}

.

The turn fell {2-Clubs}

. The preflop aggressor tanked for thirty seconds before checking over to Diaz, who fired out for 2,500. Was he floating on the flop? Did he hit something on the flop or turn? We'll never know. The early position player gave up his hand, allowing Diaz to take down the pot and increase his stack to 24,700.

Tags: Julio Diaz

01-29-2009 15:49 UTC+8

Living "the Dream"

[user75032]

Wally Sombero is well-known around Manila poker circles, having been playing hold'em since the day it first invaded this island nation. He's also a bit of a "card". Sombero was the button for a recent hand on Table 4. After one player limped in for 200 chips, Sombero also limped in. It seemed at first he had only thrown a single black-and-white (100) chip into the pot, but after a few seconds an additional chip fell onto the table, as if from above.

Sombero looked up at the ceiling a few times, as if to say, "Where'd that come from?" He then said, "My name's Spiderman."

01-29-2009 15:39 UTC+8

Derek Dispatches Another

[user80015]

Derek Hernandez has done something right to please the poker gods today after waking up with {A-?}

, following an opponent moving all in from under the gun with {A-?}

.

The board didn't scare Hernandez too much as he raked in the pot sending him to over 33,000 and becoming the tournament chip leader.

Tags: Derek Hernandez

01-29-2009 15:30 UTC+8

D-D-D-Damo Doubles

[user80015]

Damien Oborne limped from early position and was followed with a limper from middle-position and the blinds.

The flop fell down {10-Spades}

and the big blind led out for 700 with Oborne making the call, before the middle-position player made it 2,000 to go. The blinds passed and Oborne made the call.

When the {9-Hearts}

fell on the turn all the money went in with Oborne holding {6-Hearts}

against his opponent's {4-Spades}

for a turned double-gutshot straight.

The river bricked the {3-Diamonds}

for the Chip Me Up player, as he doubles to just over 18,000 in chips.

Tags: Damien Oborne

01-29-2009 15:25 UTC+8

Excitement for Dapena

[user75032]

Julian Dapena was down to 2,500 chips. He moved them in preflop with {K-?}

and was called by a player with {A-?}

. It was a king in the window for Dapena, giving him top pair. That held up on a board of {K-?}

. Dapena was so happy to win the hand and prolong his tournament that he banged the table in excitement, causing the four stacks of chips of the player to his left to fall all over the table.

"Sorry!" an embarassed Dapena said as he hastily attempted to help in the re-stacking process.

Tags: Julian Dapena

Level: 4

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 25