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

01-30-2009 21:47 UTC+8

[Removed:197] Eliminated

[user75032]

[Removed:197]'s tournament is over. Just before the break, he got his money in with the best possible starting hand -- pocket aces. He was called by Nik Lackovic with pocket nines, but couldn't fade the cards he needed to fade. He's out.

01-30-2009 22:02 UTC+8

Another Table Break

[user75032]

The tournament staff have broken another table. We're down to seven tables now. Play has correspondingly slowed down as the short stacks try to turtle their way to the double-up and the medium stacks start thinking about making tomorrow. There's an hour and a half left to go in the day. 63 players remain.

01-30-2009 22:13 UTC+8

Players Distracted?

[user80015]

Play has slowed down and it may be due to the Asian Poker Tour TV crew filming another video featuring the lovely Riza Santos.

Santos is stationed on a stage in the middle of the tournament floor in a stunning black dress. Along with the many APT models wondering the floor, Santos is doing a great job at distracting the 61 remaining males in the field.

Tags: Riza Santos

01-30-2009 22:19 UTC+8

Poker Pack Together

[user80015]

Poker Pack members Nam Le and David 'Chino' Rheem are both seated next to each other.

Le is sitting on 60,000 with Rheem on his immediate left with 71,000. They aren't alone though, as Singaporean Ivan Tan is seated on the left of both with 30,000 in chips.

Tags: David Rheem Ivan Tan Nam Le

01-30-2009 22:36 UTC+8

Judges Fines Rheem

[user75032]

Darren Judges of the United Kingdom may have been confused about the details of the hand after the fact, but he walked away with 13,000 of Chino Rheem's chips. Judges raised to 2,600 from under the gun, then called Rheem's late-position reraise to 7,700. He checked the {9-Hearts}

flop over to Rheem, who made it 5,500 to go. It took Judges a minute, but he did eventually ship 40,000 chips -- his whole stack -- into the middle. Rheem quickly surrendered.

"I'm guessing in the range of two kings," said Rheem.

"Nearly," Judges replied. "I was going to check-raise the flop."

"You did check-raise the flop."

"No, I check-raised the turn, didn't I?"

"We didn't see a turn, buddy," replied Rheem. The whole table laughed, but Judges got the last laugh -- his stack is now at 61,000.

Tags: Chino Rheem Darren Judges

01-30-2009 22:46 UTC+8

Another Victim for Le

[user75032]

Nam Le is gathering steam and chips. He's sent another player to the rail, this time with his pocket nines all in preflop against his opponent's ace-queen. The {2-?}

flop improved Le's opponent to a pair of queens, but nothing is ever settled in Texas Hold'em until the river card comes down. The turn {J-?}

gave Le a gutshot straight draw to go with his set draw; the {10-?}

that hit the river filled the gutshot.

Le's now on 87,000 in chips.

Tags: Nam Le

Level: 10

Blinds: 500/1,000

Ante: 100

01-30-2009 22:51 UTC+8

Saab's Middle Pair Holds Up

[user75032]

David Saab has never been accused of having a narrow range. He defended his big blind against a small blind raise to 2,000, then called another 3,000 on a flop of {5-Hearts}

. The small blind fired again for 4,000 when the turn fell {10-Hearts}

. Saab, always fearless, called that bet too.

Both players shut down on the {4-Hearts}

river. The small blind turned over an unimproved {K-Spades}

; Saab showed {J-Diamonds}

for two pair, tens and nines, and the winner. He's up to 53,500.

Tags: David Saab

01-30-2009 23:03 UTC+8

Tan Fights Fire with Fire

[user75032]

Nam Le is known as a very aggressive poker player. Ivan Tan fought that the only way he could -- with aggression of his own. With the board showing {5-Clubs}

and 8,500 in the pot, Tan moved all in for 14,200 more. Le thought it over for a while before reluctantly folding his hand.

Tan's up to 22,700.

Tags: Ivan Tan Nam Le

01-30-2009 23:15 UTC+8

Chasing Yea

[user80015]

From Macau to Manila . . . we've seen it all before!

Play has slowed down and players are chasing chipleader Steven Yea, who sits atop of the leaderboard with over 140,000 chips.

Yea can relax a little, as it looks like he'll head into Day 2 with the clear chip lead. Nam Le (88,000), John O'Shea (66,000), and Bryan Huang (62,000) are his closest counterparts.

Tags: Steven Yea