Event 3: $1,100 Limit Hold'em Day 1 | 2010 Aussie Millions

01-18-2010 17:49 UTC+11

Hitting The Limit

[user67765]

Half way through the 8th level and five hours into play for the day and we've already lost over half the field, with the big screen in tournament area currently displaying 40 players remaining.

The structure of this tournament is pretty good, although with the smaller starting field, perhaps there are a few less chips in play than originally expected.

The goal this evening is to reach the final table, which will be played tomorrow at 4pm. At this rate we'll probably reach that point before midnight this evening. To put that into perspective, last year this was a one day event and play didn't finish until 5:15am local time!

01-18-2010 17:33 UTC+11

Sortino Gets Paid

[user67765]

Poker can be easy sometimes; when you have a good hand, hit the board, bet three streets and get paid off. Just ask Paolo Sortino who has taken down another nice pot.

Sortino held {A-Hearts}

and fired bets the whole way on the {A-Diamonds}

board against an opponent who called him down with {10-Hearts}

.

Sortino is up to 11,000.

Tags: Paolo Sortino

Level: 8

Blinds: 200/400

Ante: 0

01-18-2010 17:23 UTC+11

The Show Is Over

[user67765]

With a raise in front of him, Steve Topakas put in a three-bet for his last chips from the hijack position and his opponent made the call.

Topakas: {8-Hearts}

Opponent:

The board landed {9-Clubs}

to leave "Big Show" headed for the nearest exit.

Tags: Steve Topakas

01-18-2010 17:18 UTC+11

Runner-runner Double-up and We Ain't Joeking

[user38449]

Joe Cabret has just doubled up through Paolo Sortino to stay alive in the tournament.

Cabret check-called a bet from Sortino after the flop came {8-Hearts}

. Another check, bet, call sequence occurred after the turn brought the {A-Spades}

. On 5th Street, which delivered the {6-Spades}

, Cabret checked, Sortino bet, Cabret called and was all in.

At the showdown, Cabret tabled {Q-Spades}

for a runner-runner flush, besting Sortino's top two, {A-Clubs}

.

After the hand, Sortino was left with a still-manageable 11,500 in chips.

Tags: Joe Cabret Paul Sortino

01-18-2010 17:04 UTC+11

Scoreboard Update

[user38449]

Josh Field - 4,500
Annette Obrestad - 8,400
Barny Boatman - 10,500
Gary Benson - 9,500
David Steicke - 18,000
Steve Topakas - 3,200
Josh Wilson - 18,500

01-18-2010 16:52 UTC+11

Drama In Limit Town

[user38449]

It's rare that we have 'significant' action to report about in the early levels of most limit tournaments, so we're pleased to inform you that the following bit of drama took place just before the break:

In a three-way hand that was capped before the flop, Richard Holmes checked a {K-Diamonds}

flop to a player in the four seat who fired a bet. Amit Sheth made the call and when the action returned to Holmes, he check-raised. Both of his opponents called.

The turn brought the {J-Hearts}

and Holmes fired again prompting one opponent to fold, but Sheth stuck around to see the river, which brought the {K-Spades}

.

Holmes fired one last bet on the river and Sheth made the call, sending the hand to a showdown:

Sheth: {A-Hearts}

Holmes:

Upon seeing that he'd lost on the river, Holmes angrily shoved the rest of his chips into the middle -- about 1,000 worth that did not belong in the pot -- shouting, "Give him the rest," before storming away from the tournament area.

According to our trusty field reporter, the dealer counted down the pot, sending the correct amount over to Sheth and then stacked Holmes' leftover chips back in front of his empty chair.

We'll let you know if he decides to come back, but at the moment it appears as though he's content to let his remaining stack get blinded off.

Tags: Richard Holmes