[user75032]
In a tournament of five different games, there can be only one winner
Welcome back to the Crown Poker Room for today's conclusion of Event #5 - AU$1,100 H.O.R.S.E. A field of 96 runners and two alternates created a prize pool of AU$98,000. Eight players remain in the hunt for first place and one of the newly-created Aussie Millions gold rings. They'll be playing out the final table on the secondary feature table, as the main side of the tournament floor is being used for Event #6 - AU$1,100 No-Limit Hold'em with Rebuys.
Chip Leader and 2008 APPT Manila champion Van Marcus is looking to take down his second live tournament title in as many months, but he faces no easy task. There are seven other competitors to swim through, and all have their eyes on the AU$30,380 first prize.
When play concluded last night, the players re-drew for seats. They'll start today arranged around the final table thusly:
Seat 1: Joe Meissner (43,000)
Seat 2: Jarred Solomon (65,000)
Seat 3: Van Marcus (123,500)
Seat 4: Leo Boxell (104,500)
Seat 5: David Morton (38,500)
Seat 6: Michael Guzzardi (98,000)
Seat 7: Kerry Stead (81,000)
Seat 8: Anthony McNamara (34,500)
Play kicks off in just over an hour. Roughly four hour later, we should have our champion. PokerNews will be there for every hand in between. Join us!
Van Marcus didn't waste any time increasing his chip lead. Sitting in the big blind, he called a preflop raise from Leo Boxell. Both players checked a flop of . On the turn , Marcus bet and was called. He checked the river , which also brought a check behind from Boxell. Marcus showed a lowly pair of fives, , but it was the winner. Boxell mucked his hand.
It's been quite a start for Van Marcus. He reraised from the cutoff after Kerry Stead opened from early position. Stead check-called a bet on the flop, then check-folded the turn. Marcus tabled for top set as he raked in his second pot and climbed to 162,500.
Is this final table going to the Van Marcus Show, Vol. 2? Few can forget the memorable performance he put on at APPT Manila. So far, today's final table is following suit. Marcus limped into the pot along with Leo Boxell, Joe Meissner, and Jarred Solomon. He was the first aggressor on a flop of and was called by Boxell and Meissner. Both men called again when Marcus bet the turn, but only Boxell called on the river. Marcus showed down for the nut low and an eight-high straight; Boxell tabled a spade flush, .
They wound up chopping Joe Meissner's chips, with Marcus increasing his count to 171,000 and Boxell up to 93,000. Meissner is now very short, with 17,000.
As much as he would probably like to, Van Marcus can't win every hand. He chose to pass preflop in a hand that saw Michael Guzzardi, Jarred Solomon, Leo Boxell and David Morton all pay one bet to see the flop. It came down . Morton dropped out, but the other two players called Guzzardi's bet. The turn was the . Solomon took the betting lead, getting a call from only Guzzardi. The two men checked the river. Guzzardi took the high with , two pair aces and fives; Solomon took the low with .
Anthony McNamara has the distinction of being the first player at the final table to move all in. He and Leo Boxell capped the action preflop. The remaining 8,500 in McNamara's stack was in on the flop.
McNamara:
Boxell:
Each player flopped the nut low. McNamara was in the lead for high with a pair of aces. They held as the turn and river came and , allowing McNamara to drag three-fourths of the pot. He remains in the tournament with 48,000. Boxell is down to 71,000.
Van Marcus hasn't yet found a game that he doesn't like at this final table. In back-to-back razz hands, Marcus showed the best board on fourth street and managed to fold two opponents with a single bet.
Michael Guzzardi, not to be outdone, has taken down four razz pots of his own. None of the hands went past fourth street.
![[user75032]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. On the turn 
, Marcus bet and was called. He checked the river 
, which also brought a check behind from Boxell. Marcus showed a lowly pair of fives, 
, but it was the winner. Boxell mucked his hand.
flop, then check-folded the 
turn. Marcus tabled 
for top set as he raked in his second pot and climbed to 162,500.
and was called by Boxell and Meissner. Both men called again when Marcus bet the 
turn, but only Boxell called on the 
for the nut low and an eight-high straight; Boxell tabled a spade flush, 
.
river. Guzzardi took the high with 
, two pair aces and fives; Solomon took the low with 
.
and 