SPT Main Event Day 1a | 2024 SunBet Time Square

08-07-2024 18:08 UTC+2

Ah-Nien Chops With Heather-Clark

Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

On the tail end of a A♠8♥3♠K♣10♣ board, chip leader Patrice Ah-Nien checked out of the big blind. Quintin Heather-Clark bet 10,500 from middle position and Ah-Nien called with the A♦6♦. The top pair was good enough for half the pot, as Heather-Clark had the equally strong A♣7♣.

Player	Chips	Progress
Patrice Ah-Nien	178,000 3,000	3,000
Banks Solomons	130,000 10,000	10,000
Quintin Heather-Clark	60,000 17,000	17,000
Joe Rahme	37,000 8,000	8,000
Tanith Rothman	15,000 8,000	8,000

Tags: Patrice Ah-Nien Quintin Heather-Clark

08-07-2024 18:19 UTC+2

Updated Counts in the Field

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

On a heads-up flop of 8♠7♦7♥, Vinay Lala checked and Wesley Wiegand bet 2,000. The check-raise to 10,100 by Lala followed and it won the pot, as Wiegand reluctantly folded.

Further assorted counts in the field can be found below.

Player	Chips	Progress
Wesley Blom	100,000 3,000	3,000
Hennie Appel	95,000 20,000	20,000
KM	90,000 5,000	5,000

Rajeev Poonhath	75,000 5,000	5,000
Harold Brooks	65,000 36,000	36,000
Wesley Wiegand	60,000 27,000	27,000
Vygandas Simuntis	55,000 13,000	13,000
Caleb October	52,000 23,000	23,000
Anders Hellstrom	50,000 8,000	8,000
Cliton Taliwanth	40,000 22,000	22,000
Vinay Lala	35,000 23,000	23,000

Tags: Wesley Wiegand Vinay Lala

08-07-2024 18:31 UTC+2

Ramnundlall Eliminated by Grove

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Dimitri Hadjipaschali raised to 2,200 and Teren Ramnundlall then pushed all-in for 17,700 on the button. Sheldon Grove called in the small blind and the initial raiser folded.

Teren Ramnundlall: Q♣10♠ All in
Sheldon Grove: K♣J♥

The 9♦6♣4♥ flop missed both players while Grove hit the K♥ turn to leave Ramnundlall with just three outs. None of them came on the 8♣ river to send Ramnundlall to the rail. Also no longer featured on the same table is Menesh Keshav, as his seat next to Grove is empty.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sheldon Grove	190,000 90,000	90,000
Okkie Fourie	110,000 58,000	58,000
Mariette Language	110,000 15,000	15,000
Dimitri Hadjipaschali	75,000 5,000	5,000
Shawn Smith (SA)	28,000 7,000	7,000
Teren Ramnundlall	Busted
Menesh Keshav	Busted

Tags: Dimitri Hadjipaschali Sheldon Grove Teren Ramnundlall Menesh Keshav

08-07-2024 18:38 UTC+2

Van Villing Takes From Rahme

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Kevin van Villing and Joe Rahme both invested 10,000 on the K♠7♦6♠J♦ turn and the former then checked the 8♥ river out of the big blind. "Check," Rahme declared and added "you missed your flush draw?!".

That was indeed the case, but the A♦6♦ of van Villing still won the pot as Rahme only had 6♥5♥.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kevin van Villing	75,000 35,000	35,000
Joe Rahme	20,000 17,000	17,000

Tags: Joe Rahme Kevin van Villing

08-07-2024 18:41 UTC+2

Dinner Break After Level 7

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

The first seven levels have come and gone, with a field of 60 entries thus far. Only 33 players remain and they are now on a 60-minute dinner break. The action will resume at approximately 7:37 p.m. local time with another three levels of late registration available.

08-07-2024 19:04 UTC+2

Life Outside Poker: Ian Simpson Thinks Science Can Save the World

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Life Outside Poker is a new podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level.

In the 13th episode, Connor speaks with 888poker ambassador and Twitch streamer Ian Simpson, who talked about first learning poker as a kid, getting a degree in biotechnology and becoming a biology teacher, poker streaming and his breakout year of live poker in 2013 that saw him winning the Irish Poker Open for $339,604.

Simpson also discussed the importance of being a responsible poker ambassador and how science can change the world for the better.

The Life Outside Poker podcast is available on major streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and iHeartRadio. You can also watch the interview with Ian Simpson by heading to the PokerNews YouTube channel.

Learn More About Life Outside Poker!

Tags: Connor Richards Ian Simpson Apple Podcasts

Level: 8

Blinds: 600/1,200

Ante: 1,200

08-07-2024 19:41 UTC+2

Rothman Gets a Shove Through

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 8 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Banks Solomons raised to 3,500 in the small blind and Tanith Rothman called from the big blind with a shorter stack behind. The 9♣6♥4♦ flop saw Solomons continue for 3,000 and Rothman jammed nearly instantly for around 12,900. Solomons gave it a few seconds of consideration and folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Banks Solomons	115,000 15,000	15,000
Tanith Rothman	23,000 8,000	8,000

Tags: Banks Solomons Tanith Rothman

08-07-2024 19:51 UTC+2

Van Blerk and Poonhath Eliminated

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 8 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Alvin Pillay raised to 3,400 in the hijack and called the shove by Kyle van Blerk in the big blind for 19,500 after short consideration.

Kyle van Blerk: K♦J♦ All in
Alvin Pillay: Q♥J♥

"You are ahead," Pillay had said when van Blerk got out of his seat immediately. That still remained to be the case on the 6♣4♠2♦ flop but Pillay took the lead with the Q♣ turn. The river was a blank A♠ and satellite qualifier van Blerk was eliminated.

At almost the same time one table over, Harold Brooks sent Rajeev Poonhath to the rail as well. Before the dinner break, Brooks had declared that they were playing "donkey poker" on the table. His 6♣5♥ had flopped an open-ender and turned a straight on K♠7♦4♥8♦ to crack the Q♠Q♣ of Poonhath to reduce the field by one more hopeful.

Player	Chips	Progress
Harold Brooks	135,000 70,000	70,000
Alvin Pillay	110,000 30,000	30,000
Rajeev Poonhath	Busted
Kyle van Blerk	Busted

Tags: Alvin Pillay Harold Brooks Kyle van Blerk Rajeev Poonhath

08-07-2024 19:57 UTC+2

Brooks Takes From Simuntis

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 8 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Harold Brooks raised to 2,800 and was called by Vygandas Simuntis as well as Quintin Heather-Clark in the big blind. On the A♠8♠5♠ flop, it checked to Simuntis and he bet 3,700. Heather-Clark folded whereas Brooks quickly called.

They checked the 9♠ turn and Brooks' bet of 11,500 on the 5♦ river forced a fold. He showed the 10♠ before raking in the pot.