2008 PokerNews Cup Championships - Australia

$550 NL Hold'em 6-handed
Day: 1
Event Info

2008 PokerNews Cup Championships - Australia

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
109
Prize
25,347 AUD
Event Info
Buy-in
500 AUD
Prize Pool
106,500 AUD
Entries
213
Level Info
Level
20
Blinds
12,000 / 24,000
Ante
2,000

Palti and Kia Swap

Michael Palti opened with a raise to 30,000. Farhad Kia called, and it was heads up to the flop.

The first three community cards came {10-Hearts} {4-Diamonds} {2-Clubs}. Kia led right out into Palti, sliding out 30,000 chips. Palti raised the minimum, and Kia called the additional 30,000.

The turn was the {4-Hearts}, and Kia fired the rest of his chips, moving all in. Palti thought for a few moments before letting his hand go. With that exchange, Farhad Kia has taken the chip lead from his opponent, and now sits tantilizingly close to 300,000.

Tags: Farhad KiaMichael Palti

The Hunter vs The Hawk

Kent Hunter
Kent Hunter
From the cutoff, Matt Hawker raised all in for 143,000. Fresh off doubling up Steve Goldwater, Kent Hunter made the call for his last 96,000.

Showdown:
Hawker: {9-Spades} {9-Diamonds}
Hunter: {A-Hearts} {K-Spades}

Hunter didn't get any help on the flop, {J-Hearts} {4-Hearts} {2-Spades}, but he did on the turn when the {K-Hearts} fell. The river completed the board with the {3-Diamonds} and Hawker doubled Hunter back up to 202,000.

Tags: Kent HunterMatt HawkerSteve Goldwater

Big Slick as Good as Gold

Kent Hunter raised to 45,000 from first position and then Steve Goldwater reraised all in for 79,000 total. Before action could get back over to Hunter, Michael Palti tanked in the big blind, but folded. Hunter made the call.

Hunter's {A-Hearts} {Q-Clubs} was behind Goldwater's {A-Diamonds} {K-Spades}. The board ran out {K-Diamonds} {8-Clubs} {5-Hearts} {K-Clubs} {2-Spades} and Goldwater was able to double through. He has 185,000 chips.

Tags: Kent HunterSteve Goldwater

'Unofficial' Final Table

The final seven players are seated as follows at the featured table here in the Crown Casino poker room.

Seat 1; Jacob Chen
Seat 2; Michael Palti
Seat 3: Kent Hunter
Seat 4: Farhad Kia
Seat 5: Steve Goldwater
Seat 6: Martin Cardno
Seat 7: Matt Hawker

Level: 17

Blinds: 6,000/12,000

Ante: 500

Dean Blatt Eliminated in 8th place ($2,663)

Dean Blatt - 8th Place
Dean Blatt - 8th Place
The button, Farhad Kia, raised to 20,000. The small blind mucked and Dean Blatt moved all in from the big blind for 45,000. Kia made the call for the extra 25,000 chips.

Kia held the lesser hand at the time with {K-Diamonds} {10-Hearts}. Blatt held {A-Hearts} {8-Clubs}, but when the flop came down {K-Spades} {4-Hearts} {3-Clubs}, things flip flopped and now Kia took the lead.

The turn was the {9-Hearts} and the river the {5-Diamonds} to make Blatt our eighth place finisher, taking home $2,663.

Tags: Dean Blattfarhad Kia

Hunter/Gatherer

Under the gun, Kent Hunter got things going with a raise to 22,000. The betting passed around to Matt Hawker who bumped it up to 65,000. Hunter thought for just a minute before moving all in, and Hawker snap-called, flipping over {9-Diamonds} {9-Clubs}. Hunter shrugged, opening up his {7-Clubs} {7-Hearts}.

Continuing the recent trend of game-changing window cards, the first thing off the deck was the {7-Diamonds}, ending up in a board of {7-Diamonds} {3-Clubs} {Q-Spades} {10-Hearts} {J-Hearts}. Kent Hunter comes from way behind to claim the pot, doubling his way up to 201,000. Matt Hawker, who has been riding a roller coaster in the last couple levels, has slipped once again to 110,000.

Tags: Kent HunterMatt Hawker

Daniel Neilson Eliminated in 9th Place ($2,663)

Daniel Neilson - 9th Place
Daniel Neilson - 9th Place
Moments after doubling up Kent Hunter, Daniel Neilson was involved in another big pot. This one ended his tournament life.

Action folded to Matt Hawker in the small blind and he moved in for 107,000 chips. Neilson went into the tank. He had 100,000 chips left. After a few minutes, Neilson made the call.

Showdown:
Neilson: {A-Diamonds} {8-Spades}
Hawker: {A-Hearts} {7-Spades}

Despite having a dominating hand, Neilson was smacked by two hockey sticks on the flop of {7-Hearts} {7-Clubs} {6-Spades}, giving Hawker trips. The turn was the {A-Clubs}, filling up Hawker, and then the {10-Spades} on the river finished things off. He was our ninth place finisher.

Tags: Daniel NeilsonMatt Hawker