AU$20,000 High Roller
Day 2 Completed
2018 WSOP International Circuit The Star Sydney
AU$20,000 High Roller
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2018 WSOP International Circuit The Star Sydney
Buy-in
20,000 AUD
Entries
50
Level
20
Blinds
10,000 / 20,000
Ante
20,000
Luke Martinelli Takes Down the $20,000 High Roller at the World Series of Poker International Circuit The Star Sydney for $356,250
Level 20
: 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Luke Martinelli came into the final day of play as the chip leader in the $20,000 High Roller at the World Series of Poker International Circuit The Star Sydney and while he had an up and down battle, moving from the top to the bottom of the chip counts and back up, he was able to finish on top. In the end, Martinelli took down the 50 entry tournament and locked up the first place prize of $356,250.
"It's pretty good," Martinelli said about winning. "It's the highest buy-in I've ever played in my life so it's nice to win that one."
Martinelli sold a bit of action to his friends to get into this tournament and with just one bullet he was able to pull far and away from the pack on Day 1 and ride that to a victory on Day 2. Martinelli played a few satellites for the event as well, but couldn't find a seat in any of those either.
"It's a really good tournament," Martinelli explained, discussing why he tried so hard to get in. "I got to play with some really really good players."
Fighting For the Money:
Nine returned for Day 2 of this $20,000 High Roller but with only 5 making it into the cash, it was a mad dash for the money. Several short stacks returned for Day 2 with the shortest two being Robert Spano and Jason Pritchard. They would be the first two out on Day 2 as well. Spano got in trouble after calling down with a flush draw and missing. He would get his money in just a few hands later with queen-six suited in a multi-way pot, but Qiang Fu flopped two pair and would send Spano home as the first to go.
Pritchard fell not long after, dropping to Martinelli. Martinelli called a raised from Gautam Dhingra before Pritchard moved all in holding ace-queen from the cutoff. Dhingra got away quickly but Martinelli called with pocket eights. Pritchard couldn't catch up through the flop, turn or river, so he would be the eighth-place finisher, taking home no money.
Falling in seventh was Michael Egan. Egan found himself on the short stack and rode it for most of the day. In the hand where Egan lost most of his chips, Martinelli called down a big river bluff, holding top pair with a weak kicker against Egan's busted straight draw. Egan would be cut down to under 100,000 chips and he never really recovered from that mark. He busted after shoving his king-ten into Dhingra's ace-king and failing to catch up, putting the remaining six players on the stone bubble.
The remaining players battled it out for nearly a level without any bloodshed, but in the end it was Sosia Jiang who would be the last player out without taking home a cash. In her final hand, Jiang moved all in holding pocket tens over a raise from Ebon Bokody. Unfortunately for her, Bokody was holding pocket kings and he had her in a deep hole. He snap called and when she couldn't catch a ten, she was sent to the rail, putting the final five players into the money.
Final Table Results:
| Place | Player | Payout (in AUD) | Payout (in USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luke Martinelli | $356,250 | $257,675 |
| 2 | Ebon Bokody | $220,210 | $159,278 |
| 3 | Qiang Fu | $155,330 | $112,342 |
| 4 | Jan Suchanek | $118,845 | $85,955 |
| 5 | Gautam Dhingra | $110,365 | $79,821 |
From the Bottom to the Top for Luke Martinelli:
Once the money was reached, Martinelli found himself near the bottom of the chip counts, just ahead of Gautam Dhingra. He quickly found himself even closer to the bottom after Ebon Bokody cracked his kings and took a big pot off him holding jack-nine. But Martinelli quickly doubled back up through Dhingra with aces against king-nine then got paid with two pair against Bokody's top pair to move back to the middle of the pack. Martinelli then doubled through Jan Suchanek on a five-high board with a pair and flush draw against Suchanek's worse flush draw, putting him near the top, for a big swing.
"It was getting a bit dicey there especially when I was an equal short stack right on the direct bubble after being the chip leader for pretty much the whole day," Martinelli said. "But you can't really do much except play the cards in front of you. You can't worry about whether you're gonna bubble or not. I just tried to play the best that I could and it ended up working out."
The first to fall after the money would be Dhingra. Dhingra got it in with ace-ten, but Qiang Fu woke up with tens and when Dhingra couldn't catch up, he was sent to the rail. Suchanek would go next after four-bet bluffing all in with eight-seven suited into Bokody's kings. Suchanek flopped a pair but found nothing more and headed to the rail in fourth place.
Martinelli caught a big break when he called Qiang Fu's all in just a bit after. Fu shoved with pocket threes and Martinelli found the heart to call with king-queen suited for most of his stack. He flopped a flush draw then improved to a pair of kings on the river to bring himself into heads-up play.
"Obviously I ran pretty well through the whole tournament, like you need to win a tournament, especially one that's this tough," Martinelli explained. "But I think I just played my game and maybe the cards fell my way and I ended up winning."
While the two started relatively even, Martinelli pulled away quickly by calling down Bokody's bluff and just outflopping him in some big spots. In the final hand, Bokody moved all in with two pair on a ten-high turn, but Martinelli had flopped trip sixes and it was enough to earn him the victory when Bokody couldn't catch another seven on the river.
"He was a very aggressive opponent," Martinelli said of Bokody. "He wasn't afraid to pull the trigger. He was definitely putting me in some spots earlier on, but I pretty much had the nuts every time, so he kind of ran into it there. But I've seen him do it with other player and put them in the cage. So he's a very tricky opponent and it was good to battle him."
With that, Martinelli locked up the win, his first World Series of Poker Circuit ring, 50 points towards the race for Casino Champion, and $356,250.
That ends our coverage of the $20,000 High Roller at the WSOPC at The Star Sydney, but there is still plenty of action going on here with the Main Event Day 1C still in action. Martinelli bagged the third largest stack of his flight on Day 1A with 334,000 chips so he'll be back as well.
"Hopefully I can final table that and we can go back to back," Martinelli said with a smile.
Be sure to click over to see updates from that as our Main Event Coverage continues through the end of the night and for the next four days as well.
Ebon Bokody Eliminated in 2nd Place ($220,210)
Level 20
: 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Ebon Bokody opened with a raise to 40,000 holding 
on the button. Luke Martinelli called in the big blind with 
.
The flop was 
and Martinelli checked his option. Bokody continued for 45,000 and Martinelli then check-raised to 110,000, Bokody three-bet to 250,000. Martinelli just called with his trips.
The turn was the 
and Martinelli checked. Bokody moved all in for roughly 400,000 and Martinelli quickly called. Bokody needed just a seven to take the lead as his nine would make Martinelli a straight, but it was the 
instead, so with that, Martinelli took down the pot closing out a victory in the $20,000 High Roller.
For his victory, Martinelli will take home $356,250. Bokody took home $220,210 for his runner-up finish.
A full recap of this event will be posted shortly.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,500,000 | 600,000 |
|
Busted |
Big Swing For Martinelli
Level 20
: 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Catching action on the turn, Ebon Bokody bet a turn of 
making it 110,000. Bokody was holding 
for a gutshot. Luke Martinelli called holding 
for second pair.
The river was the 
and Bokody bet again, this time making it 250,000, bluffing with just jack high. Martinelli tanked it over for a bit but eventually called with his pair of queens. That allowed him to take down the big pot and move close to 2 million while Bokody was left with around 600,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,900,000 | 700,000 |
|
|
600,000 | -700,000 |
Ace-High is Good for Martinelli
Level 20
: 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Luke Martinelli opened with 
on the button to 40,000 and Ebon Bokody three-bet to 130,000 from the big blind with 
. Martinelli called.
The flop was 
and both players checked to see the 
on the turn. Bokody and Martinelli both checked again. The 
came on the river and both players checked once more so Martinelli took down the pot with ace-high.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,300,000 | -100,000 |
|
|
1,200,000 | 100,000 |
Bokody Shoves on Martinelli
Level 20
: 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
After a raise and a call preflop, Ebon Bokody put out a continuation bet of 40,000 on a flop of 
holding . Luke Martinelli then check-raised to 150,000 holding 
for a gutshot straight draw. Bokody called after giving it some thought with his middle pair.
The turn was the and Martinelli continued with a bet of 210,000. Bokody moved all in and Martinelli quickly folded so Bokody took down the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,400,000 | 300,000 |
|
|
1,100,000 | -300,000 |
Level: 20
Blinds: 10,000/20,000
Ante: 20,000
Martinelli Takes Round One With a Bluff
Level 19
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
Luke Martinelli was on the button and he raised to 40,000 holding 
. Ebon Bokody then three-bet to 145,000 with 
. Martinelli called.
The flop was and Bokody bet 125,000. Martinelli called.
The turn was the and Bokody slowed down with a check. Martinelli made it 240,000. Bokody took a look at his cards and let them go.
This gave Martinelli the pot and allowed him to take the chip lead in the match.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,400,000 | 400,000 |
|
|
1,100,000 | -400,000 |
Qiang Fu Eliminated in 3rd Place ($155,330)
Level 19
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
Qiang Fu raised to 33,000 on the button with 
. In the big blind Luke Martinelli three-bet to 135,000 with . Fu thought for a bit, then moved all in for 459,000. Martinelli dropped into the tank but eventually called it off with a slightly covering stack and it was off to the races.
The flop was 
bringing a flush draw for Martinelli but the was the turn changing nothing. The river was the though, pairing Martinelli and giving him the lead and that would be the end of Fu.
Fu hit the rail in third place and he’ll collect $155,330 for his run in the high roller.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,000,000 | 640,000 |
|
Busted |
Fu Shoves on Martinelli
Level 19
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
Qiang Fu opened with a raise to 35,000 with and he was called in the big blind by Luke Martinelli who was holding .
The flop came down 
and Martinelli checked. Fu continued with a bet of 35,000. Martinelli then check-raised to 80,000. Fu thought for a bit then moved all in. Martinelli quickly folded and Fu took down the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
460,000 | -28,000 |
|
|
450,000 | 37,000 |