SPT Main Event Day 1a | 2024 SunBet Time Square

03-06-2024 16:08 UTC+2

South Africa's Number One Rahme in the Mix

Christian Zetzsche

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

The second ever recorded live poker cash for Raymond Rahme was a third place in the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas. It came with a huge payday of $ 3,048,025 and this alone put him in first place for the all-time money list of South Africa according to the Hendon Mob.

He hasn't played much live poker since with the last cash dating back to 2016 at the WPT Emperors Palace National Poker Championship but Rahme has been spotted in the Day 1a field with more than the starting stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Raymond Rahme	55,000

Tags: Raymond Rahme

03-06-2024 16:15 UTC+2

Tebege Ousted by Khoury

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Down to the last 8,500 in chips. Samuel Tebege open-jammed from a late position. Chad Khoury went all-in over the top on the button and both blinds folded.

Samuel Tebege: 5♦5♥ All in
Chad Khoury: K♣K♠

After the 9♦3♠2♠ flop, Tebege asked for a "four for a sweat" but the 10♥ turn and 3♥ river sealed his fate on the first bullet.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chad Khoury	95,000 25,000	25,000
Samuel Tebege	Busted

Tags: Chad Khoury Samuel Tebege

03-06-2024 16:21 UTC+2

Three Tables Remain in the High Roller

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Day 1a of the Main Event is in Level 5 with 79 total entries and some 60 players remaining.

In the meantime, the ZAR50,000 High Roller is down to the final three tables. Only 27 players out of 72 entries remain to compete for the ZAR3,024,000 prize pool. It is a long way to the money as just the top seven spots will be paid. Whether or not the bubble will burst tonight remains to be seen, as the event plays down to a winner tomorrow.

03-06-2024 16:31 UTC+2

Poonhath Eliminated by van der Vyver

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Three ways to the 5♠4♦3♠ flop, Rajeev Poonhath was all-in for the last 6,400 after Raymond van der Vyver had already bet bigger. David Olivier was still in the tank and eventually folded.

"Only six thousand four hundred for you, Sir. You got a big pair over there?" Poonhath inquired before the cards were revealed.

Rajeev Poonhath: 10♠6♠ All in
Raymond van der Vyver: 5♦5♥

The open-ender and flush draw of Poonhath had some outs still but neither the 9♦ turn nor the 4♥ river were among them.

Player	Chips	Progress
Raymond van der Vyver	95,000 57,000	57,000
David Olivier	44,600 8,400	8,400
Rajeev Poonhath	Busted

Tags: David Olivier Raymond van der Vyver Rajeev Poonhath

03-06-2024 16:40 UTC+2

Elizabeth Continues to Add Chips

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Shannon Elizabeth in the big blind and Josh Liebenthal on the button headed to the Q♥Q♠10♥2♣Q♦ river with some 26,000 in the middle. The usually very talkative Liebenthal was quiet as he faced a bet worth 14,000 by Elizabeth, who stared at the middle of the table without saying a word, too.

Liebenthal used two time bank extensions and then folded.

"Give me a clou," Liebenthal asked and the player between them jokingly replied "you were beat".

Player	Chips	Progress
Shannon Elizabeth	120,000 37,000	37,000
Joshua Liebenthal	45,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Josh Liebenthal Shannon Elizabeth

Level: 6

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 800

03-06-2024 16:45 UTC+2

Showdown Pot for van der Vyver

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Three ways to the K♣5♠5♦2♦ turn, Kade Ollewagen checked and Marriette Language bet 8,000 from the very next seat in the big blind. Raymond van der Vyver then raised to 18,000 and Ollewagen folded while Language reluctantly called.

Language checked the 6♥ on the river and instantly sighed when van der Vyver bet just 8,000. The reluctant call followed and van der Vyver won the seizable pot with the 5♣4♣ for trips fives.

Player	Chips	Progress
Raymond van der Vyver	130,000 35,000	35,000
Kade Ollewagen	34,000 12,000	12,000
Marriette Language	25,100 29,400	29,400

Tags: Kade Ollewagen Raymond van der Vyver Marriette Language

03-06-2024 16:51 UTC+2

The Rich Get Richer

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Joining the action on the A♥5♣3♠ flop, Theuns Prinsloo checked out of the big blind. Gideon Scheepers bet 3,500 from middle position and the current table chip leader called. Prinsloo quickly checked again the 7♥ turn to then call another bet worth 5,100 before Scheepers checked behind the 4♠ on the river.

Prinsloo grinned and showed the 6♣3♣ for a pair on the flop that became a straight on the river, further boosting his wall of chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Theuns Prinsloo	165,000 24,500	24,500
Gideon Scheepers	92,000 6,000	6,000

Tags: Gideon Scheepers Theuns Prinsloo

03-06-2024 16:56 UTC+2

Ollewagen Flips to a Double

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

In a preflop all-in contest, Kade Ollewagen was the player at risk against the red-hot running Shannon Elizabeth and the following cards were revealed.

Kade Ollewagen: J♠J♦ All in
Shannon Elizabeth: A♥K♦

The 10♠10♥5♥10♣6♦ runout kept the pocket pair in the lead all the way and Ollewagen doubled for 25,200.

"What is happening, I am losing both ways? Can I ask for a new dealer?" Elizabeth said, clearly joking with a big smile on the face.

Player	Chips	Progress
Shannon Elizabeth	100,000 20,000	20,000
Kade Ollewagen	52,000 18,000	18,000

Tags: Shannon Elizabeth Kade Ollewagen

03-06-2024 17:05 UTC+2

Lipshitz Short; Citron Squeezed Out of Chips

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

There were two consecutive all-in showdowns over on table six and one of them left Yoni Lipshhitz while Gary Citron was sent to the rail.

Lipshitz's Q♥J♦ for flopped top pair ran into the 6♣6♦ of Chris Saraglis on J♣6♥4♣. The set became a flush on the K♣ turn and 7♣ river runout.

Right after, a preflop raising war brought the chips into the middle with Citron at risk for around 35,000.

Gary Citron: A♠Q♥ All in
Marvin Torres: J♠J♥

The K♥5♦3♦4♣7♦ runout kept pocket jacks in the lead for Citron to bust.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marvin Torres	145,000 33,150	33,150
Chris Saraglis	50,500 50,500	50,500
Yoni Lipshitz	10,000 62,000	62,000
Gary Citron	Busted

Tags: Chris Saraglis Gary Citron Marvin Torres Yoni Lipshhitz