The action folded around to Hai Kee on the button, who shoved in his own unique style.
"All in! No gamble, no future," shouted Kee, who put his stack of around 2,700,000 in the pot. Short-stacked Ehsan Amiri was in the big blind and with around 450,000 behind, he eventually put himself at risk.
Ehsan Amiri: A♣2♦
Hai Kee: A♠K♣
Amiri had just a few big blinds and needed to find a lot of help to stay alive. No deuce appeared on the 6♦4♣5♥ flop, but he did pick up a gutshot as any three would complete a straight. However, neither the 6♥ turn nor K♦ river could save Amiri, and he was out in 12th.
Zac Vigar made it 240,000 to go from under the gun and Anthony Xu called in the cutoff. Jason Brown also called from the big blind.
The trio saw a flop of 6♥3♦J♠ where Brown checked and Vigar fired 280,000. Xu and Brown both called.
A 5♥ hit the turn and again Brown checked, the Vigar shoved for 1,300,000. Xu quickly folded, and after some thinking, Brown called.
Zac Vigar: K♥K♦
Jason Brown: J♦4♦
Vigar was ahead with his kings but had to fade the river as any jack, seven, four, or deuce would see him eliminated. Fortunately for Vigar, the 10♣ bricked off, and Vigar's kings held on.
Daniel Klinger made it 240,000 from the cutoff and Jennifer Cassell defended her big blind.
On the Q♣5♠10♦ flop, Cassell check-called a bet of 150,000 from Klinger and the K♥ dropped on the turn. Again Cassell checked and Klinger kept firing with a size of 600,000. Cassell called.
A 10♣ landed on the river and Cassell lead-shoved, giving Klinger a decision for his remaining 635,000. Eventually, Klinger called.
Cassell then showed J♥10♠ for rivered trips, and Klinger's A♦K♦ went into the bin, ending his run in 11th.
Reece Bedot opened the button and Daniel Neilson defended his big blind to see the 4♥9♠Q♠ flop, where both checked,
The turn brought a 5♦ and Neilson elected to lead for 660,000, which Bedot called to see the J♥ drop on the river. Neilson again reached for chips, this time for 1,600,000, putting Bedot to the test. Bedot counted out his stack and then calling chips before he tossed in a call.
Neilson then showed Q♣8♣ for a pair of queens, and Bedot mucked.
After just losing a chunky pot, Reece Bedot opened the cutoff to 300,000 and Wai Au made it 1,500,000 from the big blind. Bedot shoved, and Au called off his last few chips.
Wai Au: A♠3♥
Reece Bedot: 5♣5♠
Bedot had the chance to end the night with nine players remaining and held onto his lead through the 3♠10♣J♥ flop, though Au did pick up a pair. The 4♣ turn and 9♥ river didn't help Au, and he was out in tenth.
Day 2 of the $1,500 Platinum Players Championship at the 2025 Australian Poker Open has officially spilled into overtime, with the final nine unable to close it out before the clock ran out. The action will now resume tomorrow for an unscheduled Day 3 inside Club Marconi at Doltone House Western Sydney at 3 p.m., where a champion will finally be crowned.
Leading the way is Jennifer Cassell, who bagged an imposing 11,225,000 to take the top spot heading into the finale. Cassell surged during the late stages of play and will return as the player to catch as the race for the Platinum trophy and top prize enters its final stretch.
Final Table Chip Counts
Place
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Jennifer Cassell
Australia
11,225,000
75
2
Daniel Neilson
Australia
10,675,000
71
3
Reece Bedot
Australia
7,000,000
47
4
Dustin Tran
Australia
4,685,000
31
5
Johan Lees
Australia
4,125,000
28
6
Hai Kee
Australia
3,585,000
24
7
Zac Vigar
Australia
3,310,000
22
8
Jason Brown
Australia
2,985,000
20
9
Anthony Xu
Australia
2,325,000
16
A total of 126 players had made it into Day 2 and the money, with a payday of A$2,650 already in the bank, but their targets set on the A$252,300 top prize. Chris Moussa and Justin Woo, who both made it to heads-up in last year's edition of the PPC, failed to make a final table encore and both busted early in the day.
As play got deeper, it was Reece Bedot who was running up a stack and he did so by sending Yuanting Wang, Fabian Gumz, Van Mai, Shayne Sim, and Wai Au—who was the final table bubble boy—to the rail.
Reece Bedot
Daniel Neilson, Dustin Tran, Johan Lees, and Zac Vigar are just a few more names that complete star-studded line and they'll be looking to use their experience to navigate their way up the payouts and contest for the trophy.
Each of the remaining nine players is now guaranteed A$16,600, but all eyes are on the A$252,300 top prize and the Platinum trophy. A runner-up finish will earn A$147,300, while third place will walk away with A$102,300, making the stakes on tomorrow’s unscheduled Day 3 as high as they come.
Remaining Payouts
Place
Prize (A$)
1
$252,300
2
$147,300
3
$102,300
4
$74,300
5
$57,800
6
$42,300
7
$28,300
8
$19,300
9
$16,600
The final table is set, the lights will be back on tomorrow, and PokerNews will be there to capture every card, call, and clash from start to finish.
