2016 Global Poker League Finals

Hong Kong Stars vs. Berlin Bears
Day: 1

Randy Lew Takes a Lead 16 Hands In

Sorel Mizzi and Randy Lew played 15 hands, and there neither of them could gain any traction until hand 16.

Lew got pocket aces and three-bet Mizzi preflop making it 14,870. Mizzi called in position and the flop came {k-Hearts}{k-Diamonds}{q-Diamonds}. Lew bet 6,880 and Mizzi called. The turn was the {j-Hearts} and both players checked. The river was the {6-Spades} and Lew bet 17,890. Mizzi talked his way through his decision, making what appeared to be a joke about the chances the two players had the same hand.

Player Chips Progress
Randy Lew us
Randy Lew
152,000 32,000
Sorel Mizzi ca
Sorel Mizzi
67,000 -43,000

Brian Rast Gives Berlin Bears 1-0 Series Lead

Guo Dong and Brian Rast kicked off things in the second matchup of the GPL Playoff Eurasia conference Playoff. Rast came out on top after he got all in preflop with pocket queens against the ace-ten of Guo Dong.

Rast lost a big pot early, but managed to move forward, giving his team a win in the first match of this best-of-seven series.

Player Chips Progress
Brian Rast us
Brian Rast
WSOP 6X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
230,000 145,000
Guo Dong cn
Guo Dong
Busted

Guo Dong Up Early

Guo Dong made trip fours on the turn against a pair of sevens for Brian Rast. Dong check-raised the turn when he hit the trips, making it 22,460 on a {7-Hearts}{6-Diamonds}{4-Clubs}{4-Hearts} board.

The river was the {10-Hearts} and Dong made a small bet. Rast folded.

Player Chips Progress
Guo Dong cn
Guo Dong
147,000 27,000
Brian Rast us
Brian Rast
WSOP 6X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
79,000 -31,000

The Eurasia Conference Playoffs Continue With the Hong Kong Stars Versus the Berlin Bears

Global Poker League Playoffs 2016
Global Poker League Playoffs 2016

The top seeded Moscow Wolverines defeated the London Royals in five games to be the first team through to the Eurasia Conference Championship. They will face the winner of the next match: Hong Kong Stars v. Berlin Bears.

This matchup has a good chance to be very entertaining of the Playoffs with Randy "Nanonoko" Lew and Bill Perkins on their way to the GPL Arena to play for their respective teams. Lew is the heads up gun for the Hong Kong Stars and team manager Celina Lin and fellow Star Guo Dong will join him to face Brian Rast, Sorel Mizzi, Perkins, and Bears alternate Daniel "Jungleman" Cates.

The Stars went from the expected last place finisher in the Eurasia division, to the second seed with a good chance to move through to face the Wolverines in the Conference final.

Yesterday's Americas Conference final featured the top two seeds from that conference, so perhaps the extra 10,000 chips the Stars will get can make the difference to put them through.

The Bears are no easy target. They finished third in the Eurasia division and feature a roster ranging from some of the best and most well know players in the poker world, to an amateur MMA fighter and a billionaire (both of whom are excellent poker players as well). It should be a blast when the GPL Playoffs continue.

Hong Kong Stars vs. Berlin Bears

Day 1 Started