Brandon Shack-Harris and George Danzer are neck in neck for the 2014 World Series of Poker Player of the Year title, and the race has really taken center stage in Melbourne, Australia, during the 2014 WSOP Asia-Pacific.
Both players reached the money in the first event, but it was Danzer who got off to the better start with a very deep run to take the lead in the Player of the Year race. His lead was short-lived, though, as Shack-Harris retook the lead after making the final table in the fourth event. It was in that fourth event that Shack-Harris earned enough points to put himself back in front by 44.5 points, but Danzer wasn't done.
In the sixth event, Danzer reached the final table and took sixth place, good enough to earn 36.3 Player of the Year points and move to 798.5 overall. That moved him just 8.2 points behind Shack-Harris, but there's still a lot of points up for grabs in this AU$5,000 8-Game Mixed event — the eighth event of the festival.
Currently, Shack-Harris leads with 806.7 points to Danzer's 798.5.
In order to earn WSOP Player of the Year points, a player must reach the money of an event. In the case for the AU$5,000 8-Game Mixed event, that will be the top six. Just reaching the final six will earn Danzer a minimum of 41.25 points, and there are 125 points up top for the winner, which could really help to put some breathing room between Danzer and Shack-Harris with just two events left on the WSOP Asia-Pacific schedule.
Those two final events are the AU$10,000 Main Event and the AU$25,000 High Roller that will close out the series. With 150 points and 225 points going to the winner in each of those events, respectively, and plenty of other points to be won by finishing in the money, the race couldn't be more interesting. It's definitely the top story coming from inside Crown Melbourne, and it's getting hotter by the minute!
Brian Rast opened to 2,500 and both Bruno Portaro and George Danzer called before Jonathan Duhamel potted to 12,500. Only Rast called, and when Duhamel moved his last 2,800 into the middle on the flop, he called that also.
Duhamel:
Rast:
The turn and river landed the and and Duhamel doubled through to over 35,000 in chips.
George Danzer limped into the pot from under the gun followed by Brian Rast on the button. Richard Ashby was on the small blind and raised it up to 5,000. The other two made the call and the three watched the flop come .
The action then checked around to Rast who bet out 7,000. Both Ashby and Danzer called as the made its way on the turn. Another set of checks prompted Rast to bet out 22,000. This time he was met with two instant folds as he took down the pot.
Tino Lechich completed and Joe Hachem raised to 4,000. Ismael Bojang called, as did Lechich before he led for 2,000 on fourth street. Hachem called all in for 1,800 and Bojang called too before folding to a bet on fifth street as each player's boards ran out as follows:
Lechich: /
Hachem: /
Bojang: / (folded on fifth)
With Lechich finding the on seventh street, Hachem would only need a seven, six, four or three to stay alive.
Unfortunately for the 2005 World Champion, he could only squeeze out the , and consequently headed to the rail in 12th place.
Tino Lechich limped from under the gun before Joe Hachem raised from the cut off. Lechich called and the two watched the flop come down . Lechich check-raised a bet from Hachem and was called. The on the turn saw both players check as the completed the board.
Lechich threw out a bet and was snap called. Lechich then tabled his for a rivered full house. Hachem disappointingly mucked his as he drops down to just 3,500 in chips.
We arrived at the table with the flop reading . Mike Watson bet from the big blind and was called by Brian Rast in the hijack. Richard Ashby then raised it up from the button before Watson came back over the top with another raise. Rast folded and Ashby put in one final bet which had Watson covered. He called.
Watson:
Ashby:
The board ran out the and to see Ashby improve to a full house as he scooped the entire pot with only a high hand possible.
On a flop of , Richard Ashby led out for 1,500 from the small blind with Tino Lechich calling before Mike Watson raised all in for 2,500. Brian Rast raised to 4,000 and Ashby called before Lechich made it 5,500 with both players calling.
The turn landed the and Lechich bet out 3,000 with Rast raising to 6,000 to force Ashby out. Lechich called, and when the river landed the , he check-called a bet on the river.
Rast tabled his for the nut straight and a low as Lechich tabled his for the same straight.
Watson tabled his for the low to keep himself alive.
Joe Hachem limped in from the button and Bruno Portaro followed from the small blind. Ismael Bojang checked from the big blind and the three players watched the flop come down .
Portaro checked before Bojang bet out 2,400. Hachem mucked his hand and Portaro then instantly raised it up to 6,700. The bet caught Bojang off guard, but he made the call. The fell on the turn and Portaro led out for another 11,000 which was called.
The completed the board and both players checked. Portaro tabled his for a straight on the flop.
“I had a set and flush draw,” sighed Bojang, as his cards flew into the muck.
![[user80015]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
to be leading against Clements' 
on the river as Pickering doubled to over 16,000 in chips.
flop, he called that also.
and 
and Duhamel doubled through to over 35,000 in chips.
.
made its way on the turn. Another set of checks prompted Rast to bet out 22,000. This time he was met with two instant folds as he took down the pot.
/ 
(folded on fifth)
on seventh street, Hachem would only need a seven, six, four or three to stay alive.
, and consequently headed to the rail in 12th place.
completed the board.
as he drops down to just 3,500 in chips.
and 
for the nut straight and a low as Lechich tabled his 
fell on the turn and Portaro led out for another 11,000 which was called.