2019 The Star Sydney Champs

$5K Challenge
Day: 1
Event Info

2019 The Star Sydney Champs

Final Results
Winner
Jason Gray
Winning Hand
aq
Prize
171,572 AUD
Event Info
Buy-in
5,000 AUD
Prize Pool
612,750 AUD
Entries
129
Level Info
Level
22
Blinds
20,000 / 40,000
Ante
40,000

Zhang Bests Boskovic

Level 3 : 200/400, 400 ante
Dejan Boskovic
Dejan Boskovic

"How do I hit so many fives in a row?" Dejan Boskovic said, grinned and put his cards right in front of the face after his bet of 1,200 on a four-way turn of {8-Diamonds}{8-Clubs}{5-Hearts}{q-Spades} went through without any action. As the cards were exposed, the dealer revealed {5-Clubs}{5-Diamonds} for the flopped full house.

One hand later, Boskovic was in the action once more and took on Yang Zhang, who bet the {j-Diamonds}{9-Spades}{9-Hearts}{3-Clubs} turn for 1,800. Boskovic called and the {8-Diamonds} river brought another bet of 3,000 by Zhang. This time Boskovic folded and Zhang claimed the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Dejan Boskovic au
Dejan Boskovic
54,000 17,000
Yang Zhang cn
Yang Zhang
27,000 27,000

Tags: Dejan BoskovicYang Zhang

Feature Table Action

Level 3 : 200/400, 400 ante

The table of Matthew Wakeman has been moved to the live stream feature and it also includes Peco Stojanovski, Robert Spano, and Sam Khoueis.

The biggest stack right now belongs to Stojanovski and Patrick Yazbeck with the latter picking up a pot against Andrew White. Three-way to the {j-Clubs}{6-Hearts}{6-Diamonds} flop, Yazbeck bet 1,200 and just White called, then check-folded the {q-Hearts} turn when facing another bet.

One hand later, Terence A Clee ended up all in preflop for fewer than half the starting stack with the {k-Diamonds}{j-Diamonds} and Michael Fenech looked him up with the {a-Spades}{j-Spades}. The board came {8-Diamonds}{8-Hearts}{2-Spades}{3-Clubs}{k-Hearts} and Clee binked the king on the river.

Player Chips Progress
Patrick Yazbeck au
Patrick Yazbeck
42,000
Peco Stojanovski au
Peco Stojanovski
40,500
Matthew Wakeman au
Matthew Wakeman
34,000
Michael Fenech au
Michael Fenech
29,500
Robert Spano au
Robert Spano
24,300
Sam Khoueis au
Sam Khoueis
23,000
Terence A Clee au
Terence A Clee
21,300
Andrew White au
Andrew White
14,500

Tags: Andrew WhiteMatthew WakemanPatrick YazbeckPeco StojanovskiRobert SpanoSam KhoueisTerence A Clee

Level: 3

Blinds: 200/400

Ante: 400

[Removed:458] Takes Pham Down

Level 2 : 200/300, 300 ante
Stan L
Stan L

[Removed:457] raised to 700 from mid-position and Dinh Pham three-bet to 2,200 from the cutoff. Action folded back to [Removed:458] who made the call.

The flop came {6-Diamonds}{7-Clubs}{7-Diamonds}, [Removed:458] check-raised the 2,800 bet of Pham to 6,500 which Pham called.

The turn brought them the {10-Diamonds}, [Removed:458] fired a bet of 8,000 over the line which sent Pham into the tank. After about two minutes, Pham decided to go all-in. [Removed:458] asked for a count and the dealer confirmed Pham had 13,300 behind. [Removed:458] called.

Dinh Pham: {a-Hearts}{10-Hearts}
[Removed:457]: {7-Hearts}{5-Hearts}

Pham got up from his chair when he saw [Removed:458]'s cards as he was drawing dead. The dealer completed the board with the {6-Clubs} for [Removed:458] to improve to a full house to send Pham to the rail or cashier as the reentry period is still open.

Player Chips Progress
[Removed:457] au
[Removed:457]
60,000 60,000
Dinh Pham au
Dinh Pham
Busted

Tags: Dinh Pham

Saab Wins Another Pot

Level 2 : 200/300, 300 ante

Joining the action on the three-way flop of {10-Spades}{8-Spades}{7-Clubs}, Sosia Jiang and Dylan Kehoe in the blinds checked and Majid Saab made it 900 to go. Both opponents check-called and the {k-Diamonds} fell on the turn. Jiang and Kehoe checked, Saab bet 2,600 and this time only Kehoe checked.

The {k-Spades} river was checked and Saab won the pot with {k-Clubs}{9-Diamonds} for trips nines, mentioning in table chat he put Kehoe on a flush draw.

Player Chips Progress
Majid Saab au
Majid Saab
40,000 10,000
Sosia Jiang nz
Sosia Jiang
28,000 3,000
Dylan Kehoe ie
Dylan Kehoe
22,500 -5,000

Tags: Dylan KehoeMajid SaabSosia Jiang

Assorted Counts

Level 2 : 200/300, 300 ante

Michael O'Grady was one of the early casualties and has not bought back in for the second bullet yet. Further assorted counts can be found below, including the one of Corey Kempson who had to re-enter already.

Kempson won a pot without showdown when he bet the {9-Spades}{8-Spades}{4-Hearts}{7-Hearts}{7-Diamonds} river for 4,500 into a pot of around that size. His sole remaining opponent reluctantly folded.

Player Chips Progress
Jarred Graham au
Jarred Graham
WSOP 1X Winner
48,000 -2,000
Shivan Abdine au
Shivan Abdine
44,000 15,000
Dejan Boskovic au
Dejan Boskovic
37,000 37,000
Corey Kempson au
Corey Kempson
31,000 6,000
Vincent Huang au
Vincent Huang
22,000 -3,000
Michael O'Grady au
Michael O'Grady
Busted

Tags: Corey KempsonMichael O'Grady

Endersby Folds to Bownds

Level 2 : 200/300, 300 ante

The board read {q-Hearts}{9-Spades}{3-Spades}{9-Clubs}{2-Diamonds} with 5,800 in the middle already.

Travis Endersby bet 2,300 from the big blind and Ryan Bownds took some time and raised to 7,000. This sent Endersby into the tank but he opted to reluctantly fold in the end.

Endersby won the Turbo earlier this week for A$22,303 when he outlasted a field of 223 players and will be looking to for another title in this event.

Player Chips Progress
Ryan Bownds au
Ryan Bownds
33,000
Travis Endersby au
Travis Endersby
22,500

Tags: Ryan BowndsTravis Endersby

Yazbeck Caught Bluffing

Level 2 : 200/300, 300 ante

With plenty of chips already in the middle and the turn reading {k-Diamonds}{9-Clubs}{8-Clubs}{2-Clubs}, Mark Yazbeck jammed for more than 12,000 and David Wang snap-called.

Wang tabled {9-Spades}{9-Hearts} for a set already and Yazbeck shook his head, flashed {5-Diamonds}{3-Diamonds} for a bluff gone wrong and was out of his seat by the time the {8-Spades} river further improved Wang to a full house.

Player Chips Progress
David Wang au
David Wang
39,000 14,000
Mark Yazbeck au
Mark Yazbeck
Busted

Tags: David WangMark Yazbeck

Gray With Double Stack; Pham Loses One

Level 2 : 200/300, 300 ante

Aussie Poker Hall of Fame member Jason Gray has started well into Day 1 and already doubled his stack. New faces in the field include Ashish Gupta, Martin Ward and Minh Nguyen.

Dinh Pham is also in the Day 1 field and just lost a pot to drop below the starting stack. Pham raised to 500 first to act just before the blinds went up and the big blind called. A continuation bet of 600 by Pham on the {7-Clubs}{6-Spades}{2-Hearts} flop was check-called and the {5-Hearts} turn and {k-Spades} river were checked. The big blind tabled {a-Hearts}{7-Hearts} and that won the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Jason Gray gb
Jason Gray
50,000 50,000
Martin Ward au
Martin Ward
25,000 25,000
Ashish Gupta au
Ashish Gupta
25,000 25,000
Minh Nguyen au
Minh Nguyen
25,000 25,000
Dinh Pham au
Dinh Pham
19,000 19,000

Tags: Ashish GuptaJason GrayMartin WardMinh Nguyen

Level: 2

Blinds: 200/300

Ante: 300