$1,500 Platinum Player Championships
Day 1a Completed
2024 Australian Poker Open
$1,500 Platinum Player Championships
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2024 Australian Poker Open
Buy-in
1,500 AUD
Prize Pool
1,218,100 AUD
Entries
937
Level
31
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
400,000
Entries
148
Players Left
19
Fireworks Fly on Opening Day of $1,500 Platinum Player Championships
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
An exciting start to the $1,500 Platinum Player Championships at the beautiful Doltone House Western Sydney at Club Marconi saw 148 entrants take their shot at building a stack on Day 1a. It took almost 15 full levels to reach the money, with two players surpassing the million-chip mark. One built up steadily to take a commanding lead at the Australian Poker Open, while the other was the beneficiary of a brutal cooler on the bubble.
Minkyu Jun took control midway through the day and never looked back, bagging an impressive 1,521,000 and a big lead after the first of five opening flights. Greg Davison also crossed 1,000,000 chips, with more than half of them sitting in his stack after the final hand of the night.
That pair lead a group of 19 survivors who will return for Day 2, all in the money having earned at least AUD $2,300.
Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minkyu Jun | Australia | 1,521,000 |
| 2 | Greg Davison | Australia | 1,078,000 |
| 3 | Adrian Salter | Australia | 627,000 |
| 4 | Gavin Ogilvy | Australia | 541,000 |
| 5 | David Bowen | Australia | 518,000 |
| 6 | Michael Sleiman | Australia | 499,000 |
| 7 | Jesse Alati | Australia | 433,000 |
| 8 | Stylianos Makariou | Australia | 331,000 |
| 9 | Rehman Kassam | United Kingdom | 321,000 |
| 10 | Khanh Le | Australia | 288,000 |
There were fireworks throughout the day in the poker room at Club Marconi, including a flopped royal flush that resulted in a knockout. Lauchlan Swann not only flopped the best hand in poker, but was able to get all of Jarrod Thatcher’s chips after the latter went runner-runner to make a full house.
Day 1a saw a pair of Australian Poker Open Ambassadors hit the felt, each faring quite differently in the opening flight. Bert Perry busted twice after failing to find any momentum, while Rehman Kassam sat down just as late registration closed and amassed a top ten stack with 321,000 chips.
The final hand of the night was also one of the most dramatic, as Davison and Jason Lau got almost identical stacks into the middle with the ultimate preflop cooler – aces against kings. Davison had the aces and covered Lau by just two big blinds, sending Lau to the rail on the bubble.
Davison finished with the second-largest stack after managing to survive just a short time earlier, turning a flush to triple up and see several opponents at his table hit the rail.
The action will continue on Thursday, March 28 as players return for Day 1b at 3 p.m. local time. Another full day of 40-minute levels begins with blinds of 100/200 and a 200 big blind ante, with all players receiving a starting stack of 50,000 chips.
Breaks will again fall after every three levels of play, and late registration will close at the start of Level 10. Several players took full advantage of the unlimited reentry format on Day 1a, and more of the same is expected as the event continues.
Keep it locked to PokerNews for full coverage of this and other events here at the Australian Poker Open.
End of Day 1a Chip Counts (full)
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,521,000 | |
|
||
|
1,078,000 | |
|
627,000
520,000
|
520,000 |
|
541,000
267,000
|
267,000 |
|
518,000
-77,000
|
-77,000 |
|
499,000
499,000
|
499,000 |
|
433,000
210,000
|
210,000 |
|
331,000
-114,000
|
-114,000 |
|
321,000
321,000
|
321,000 |
|
288,000
288,000
|
288,000 |
|
251,000
251,000
|
251,000 |
|
236,000
-8,000
|
-8,000 |
|
180,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
|
166,000
112,000
|
112,000 |
|
|
134,000
134,000
|
134,000 |
|
129,000
-209,000
|
-209,000 |
|
76,000
-196,000
|
-196,000 |
|
|
63,000
-229,000
|
-229,000 |
|
|
58,000
-127,000
|
-127,000 |
End of Day 1a
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
19 players have advanced to Day 2, led by Jun Clark with 1,521,000 chips.
Stay tuned for full chip counts and a recap of the day.
Brutal Cooler Sees Lau Bubble Day 1a
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
On the stone bubble of Day 1a, Jason Lau and Greg Davison traded raises until both stacks were in the middle. Davison had Lau covered by just 17,000 chips as the cards were turned up.
Jason Lau: K♣K♦ 
Greg Davison: A♠A♥
Lau bowed his head as he saw Davison's aces, unable to catch a king on the 5♠Q♣5♦7♥J♥ runout to bust the bubble.
All remaining players bagged up for the night $2,300 richer.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,078,000
656,000
|
656,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Jun Keeps Climbing, Takes Out Derecho
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Emmanuel Derecho moved his short stack all in from the cutoff and found a call from chip leader Minkyu Jun in the big blind,
Emmanuel Derecho: A♠6♥
Minkyu Jun: 3♠3♣
Derecho was flipping but could not find help on the 4♥8♥9♠2♣2♦ runout, tapping the table and wishing everyone good luck on his way to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,280,000
160,000
|
160,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
Busted | |
Level: 15
Blinds: 5,000/10,000
Ante: 10,000
Bowen Makes the Call
Level 14
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Zac Vigar opened to 16,000 in early position and found a call from David Bowen in the cutoff.
Vigar led out for 25,000 after the 3♠10♦K♦ flop and Bowen made the call. The J♣ turn saw Vigar check-call a bet of 40,000 from Bowen before seeing the J♦ river.
Vigar then led out for 100,000 on the J♦ river, with Bowen taking some time before tossing in the call.
"Nice call," said Vigar as he showed Q♣7♥ for a bluff. Bowen turned over A♠A♣ to take down a sizeable pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
595,000
576,000
|
576,000 |
|
80,000
-172,000
|
-172,000 |
Davison Does Damage
Level 14
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Alex Le opened to 16,000 from the hijack and Greg Davison called in the cutoff. Bernie Stang then moved his short stack all in on the button, followed by Ray Badaoui in the big blind.
Le let his hand go before Davison made the call, leaving two players at risk.
Bernie Stang: K♣J♥
Greg Davison: K♥2♥
Ray Badaoui: J♠J♣
Badaoui was in great position to score the double knockout, but the 10♥5♥8♠ flop brought Davison a flush draw. The dealer then revealed the 8♥ turn, completing Davison's flush. The K♦ river was no help, as Davison scored the triple-up while knocking out Stang.
A short time later, both Le and Badaoui hit the rail as the field closed in on the money bubble.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
422,000
244,000
|
244,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Latest Eliminations
Level 14
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted |