$5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
Day 2 Completed
2014 World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific
$5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2014 World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific
Buy-in
5,000 AUD
Prize Pool
376,000 AUD
Entries
80
Level
19
Blinds
4,000 / 8,000
Ante
0
Sam Higgs Holds Commanding Lead Among Final Six Players
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 0 ante
The halfway tournament of the 2014 World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific — Event #5 $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha – saw seven players take advantage of the late registration heading into Day 2, which along with the 73 players from Day 1 brought the total field to 80 players. That created a prize pool of AU$376,000 that was reserved for the top eight finishers.
With the late entrants, 26 players began Day 2, but after five and a half levels 20 of them had hit the rail. Leading the final table of six with a commanding 667,000 is Sam Higgs, but others with their eyes firmly fixed on the AU$127,843 first-place prize are Jonathan Duhamel, Jeff Rossiter, Mike Watson, Ismael Bojang and Jamie Pickering.
Dan Heimiller began the day on the extreme short stack, so it was no surprise to see him fall on one of the first hands of the day. One level later, an Australian legend joined him on the rail. It happened when Geoffrey Mooney opened the action with a raise to 4,200 and got called by Richard Ashby on the button as well as Billy “The Croc” Argyros in the small blind and John Dalessandri in the big blind. They all checked down the 
flop and the action was checked to Ashby on the 
turn.
The Brit bet 15,000 into a pot of 16,800 and Argyros eventually called all in for his last 4,900 whereas all other opponents folded.
Argyros: 
Ashby: 
The 
on the river completed the board and Argyros packed his belongings.
As the day wore on he was joined on the rail by the likes of former WSOP Main Event winners Ryan Riess and Greg Merson, who were actually eliminated on the same hand; reigning WSOP APAC champ Daniel Negreanu; 2 Months, 2 Million star Brian Roberts; and Australian Poker Hall of Famer Jason Gray, who exited in 11th place just one day after finishing runner-up to Jeff Lisandro in Event #3 AU$1,650 pot-limit Omaha.
With nine players remaining, the bubble was in full effect, though it didn’t take long to burst. In Level 15 (1,500/3,000) Nathan Pan limped from the hijack and then called when Higgs raised to 10,000 from the cutoff. Both players checked the 
flop, and then Pan bet 24,500 on the 
turn. Higgs raised it and Pan called off what little he had left.
Pan: 
Higgs: 
Both players had flopped trips, but Pan had kicker issues. They didn't get resolved either as the 
blanked on the river. With that, Pan finished as the bubble boy in ninth place while the remaining eight players are guaranteed a minimum AU$15,021 payday.
After the eliminations of Richard Johnston (8th – AU$15,021) and Kahle Burns (7th – AU$17,386), the players bagged and tagged for the night so the final six players could return for the live-streamed final table on Thursday.
Here’s a look at the 2014 WSOP APAC Event #5 final table:
| Seat | Player | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Watson | 145,000 |
| 2 | Ismael Bojang | 44,000 |
| 3 | Sam Higgs | 667,000 |
| 4 | Jeff Rossiter | 63,500 |
| 5 | Jonathan Duhamel | 153,000 |
| 6 | Jamie Pickering | 99,500 |
The finalists will return at 12:10 p.m. local time on Thursday to play down to a winner, and of course the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on hand to capture all the action from the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia.
End-of-Day 2 Chip Counts (full)
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 0 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
667,000 | 152,000 |
|
153,000 | -14,000 |
|
143,000 | -17,000 |
|
99,500 | -45,500 |
|
63,500 | -81,500 |
|
44,000 | -11,000 |
Kahle Burns Eliminated in 7th Place (AU$17,386)
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 0 ante
From the cutoff seat, Jonathan Duhamel raised to 10,000. Jamie Pickering called on the button, and then Kahle Burns reraised all in for 55,000 from the small blind. Mike Watson reraised the pot from the big blind, and that knocked Duhamel and Pickering out of the way.
Burns' tournament life was hanging in the balance as he held the 
with five community cards to come. He would need those community cards, too, as Watson held the better 
.
The 
board gave Watson the pot and sent Burns out the door in seventh place, earning AU$17,386.
With that, the final six players are wrapping up play for the night, and a recap will be posted shortly.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Double for Duhamel Through Burns
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 0 ante
On the button, 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Jonathan Duhamel raised to 10,000 to start the action. Kahle Burns reraised the pot to 32,000 from the big blind, and then Duhamel reraised all in for 82,500. Burns called with the 
, and Duhamel was at risk with the 
.
The flop, turn, and river ran out 
, and Duhamel doubled up to leave Burns with 55,000 in chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
167,000 | 72,000 |
|
|
55,000 | -19,000 |
Higgs Takes a Big One with Top Set Against Bojang
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 0 ante
Ismael Bojang limped in from under the gun, Sam Higgs called from the next seat, and then action folded over to Kahle Burns in the small blind. He completed the bet, and Mike Watson checked his option from the big blind to allow the four players to see the flop for the minimum.
On the flop, Burns, Watson, and Bojang all checked. Higgs fired 12,000, Burns called, Watson folded, and Bojang called to leave three players to the turn. It was there that Burns and Bojang checked, and Higgs fired the pot for 52,000. After Burns folded, Bojang made the call.
The river was the to complete the board, and Bojang checked. Higgs bet 125,000, and Bojang made the call.
Higgs showed the for top set of aces. Bojang mucked his hand, and Higgs was pushed the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
515,000 | 275,000 |
|
|
55,000 | -195,000 |
Level: 16
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 0
Richard Johnston Eliminated in 8th Place (AU$15,021)
Level 15
: 1,500/3,000, 0 ante
Sam Higgs limped from middle position, and that inspired Richard Johnston to three-bet to 13,500 from late position. Mike Watson flatted from the big blind, Higgs came along, and three players saw a flop of 
. Johnston checked, Watson bet 30,000, and Higgs got out of the way. Johnston called off his last 10,000 or so and the cards were turned on their backs.
Johnston:
Watson:
The 
turn gave Watson a straight, and that meant Johnston needed either an eight or seven on the river to stay alive. The dealer burned one last time and put out the 
. Johnston missed and had to settle for eighth place and AU$15,021 in prize money.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
160,000 | 63,000 |
|
Busted |
Pan Bubbles Event #5: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
Level 15
: 1,500/3,000, 0 ante
It didn't take long for the bubble to burst here in Event #5 $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha, and it happened over the course of back-to-back hands.
In the first, four players limped to see a flop of 
, and then three checks saw Sam Higgs bet 10,000. Only Nathan Pan called and then he check-called a bet of 17,000 on the 
turn. Both players proceeded to check the river, and Higgs tabled the 
for a straight. Pan mucked.
In the next hand, Pan limped from the hijack and then called when Higgs raised to 10,000 from the cutoff. Both players checked the flop, and then Pan bet 24,500 on the turn. Higgs raised it and Pan called off what little he had left.
Pan:
Higgs:
Both players had flopped trips, but Pan had kicker issues. They didn't get resolved either as the blanked on the river. With that, Pan finished as the bubble boy in ninth place while the remaining eight players are guaranteed a minimum AU$15,021 payday.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Ismael with the Old Check-Raise
Level 15
: 1,500/3,000, 0 ante
Mike Watson opened for 7,500 from the button and Ismael Bojang called from the small blind. Nathan Pan then three-bet to 30,000 from the big, Watson folded, and Bojang called to see a flop of , which both players checked.
After the dealer burned and turned the , Bojang checked and Pan bet 30,000. Bojang woke up with a check-raise to 65,000, and it did the trick as Pan released his cards.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
250,000 | 65,000 |
|
|
95,500 | -59,500 |