AU$20,000 High Roller
Day 1 Completed
2018 WSOP International Circuit The Star Sydney
AU$20,000 High Roller
Day: 1
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 Leads as the Final Table is Reached on Day 1 of the $20,000 High Roller at WSOPC The Star Sydney
Level 14
: 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
The $20,000 High Roller drew out a total of 50 entrants and re-entrants over the first day of play, creating a prizepool just under $1,000,000. By the end of Day 1 that number was reduced to 9 players remaining and the final table was reached. The leader after the first day of play is Luke Martinelli who bagged up 570,000 chips.
Martinelli picked up the chip lead in the last few levels of play when he turned the nut straight on a queen-high board and Sam Higgs turned the second nut straight. Both players got the money all in and Martinelli walked away with a monster pot. From there, he didn't let off the gas and bagged the biggest stack in the tournament so far by a wide margin.
Also making it to the final table were Gautam Dhingra, who finished third in the $5,000 Challenge earlier this series, and Robert Spano who finished fifth in the same event. Michael Egan brings the second biggest stack into Day 2 with 381,500 and Jan Suchanek sits in third with 304,000.
Here's a look at how the rest of the final table stacks up:
| Seat | Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gautam Dhingra | 224,500 | 45 |
| 2 | Ebon Bakody | 291,500 | 58 |
| 3 | Sosia Jiang | 283,500 | 57 |
| 4 | Luke Martinelli | 570,000 | 114 |
| 5 | Jason Pritchard | 84,000 | 17 |
| 6 | Jan Suchanek | 304,000 | 61 |
| 7 | Robert Spano | 131,000 | 26 |
| 8 | Michael Egan | 381,500 | 76 |
| 9 | Qiang Fu | 280,000 | 56 |
Action kicked off just after 2 p.m. on December 12 bringing out three-tables worth of players. That number would expand as new players entered and busted players re-entered bringing the final count to 50 entries. The first to fall on Day 1 was Stevan Chew. Chew called a four-bet from Sosia Jiang holding aces. He attempted to trap Jiang on a seven high board, just calling her bets and he snapped her off on the turn. Jiang was holding kings and was in rough shape, but the river was a king, giving her the lead and sending Chew out as the first player to go. Chew would later re-enter but couldn't make much happen and was sent to the rail again.
Last year's champion, Andy Lee, also fell on Day 1. Lee fell at the hands of Suchanek just after the dinner break. Lee shoved 17 big blinds in preflop over a raise with ace-six of hearts, but Suchanek woke up behind with aces and snapped him off, sending the former champion to the rail. Others to hit the rail on Day 1 include the likes of Alex Lynskey, Kahle Burns, Michael O'Grady, Warwick Mirzikinian, Mladen Vukovic, and Jared Graham.
Only 5 of the final 9 players will be paid with the winner receiving $356,250, a World Series of Poker Circuit ring and 50 points towards the race for Casino Champion. A mincash in the event is worth $101,365.
Action kicks back off on Thursday, December 13th at 2:15 p.m. local time, but PokerNews' coverage of the event will be delayed by 90 minutes, so as to match with the live stream of the event. Be sure to tune back in so you can read all about it.
End of Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 14
: 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
| Seat | Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gautam Dhingra | 224,500 | 45 |
| 2 | Ebon Bakody | 291,500 | 58 |
| 3 | Sosia Jiang | 283,500 | 57 |
| 4 | Luke Martinelli | 570,000 | 114 |
| 5 | Jason Pritchard | 84,000 | 17 |
| 6 | Jan Suchanek | 304,000 | 61 |
| 7 | Robert Spano | 131,000 | 26 |
| 8 | Michael Egan | 381,500 | 76 |
| 9 | Qiang Fu | 280,000 | 56 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
570,000 | 20,000 |
|
381,500 | 1,500 |
|
304,000 | 7,500 |
|
291,500 | 133,100 |
|
283,500 | 103,500 |
|
280,000 | 15,000 |
|
224,500 | -141,500 |
|
131,000 | 21,800 |
|
84,000 | 14,000 |
Wakeman Eliminated by Egan; Final Table Set
Level 14
: 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
Matt Wakeman raised to 10,000 from under the gun and was called by Michael Egan on the button as well as Sosia Jiang and Qiang Fu in the blinds.
The flop came 
and the blinds checked. Wakeman continued for 15,000. Egan called. The blinds folded.
The turn brought the 
and Wakeman fired another 38,000. Egan called.
The 
completed the board and Wakeman moved all in for his last 80,000. Egan snap-called.
Wakeman turned over his 
for a set of jacks but it would fall short to Egan who tabled 
for the nut-flush and the winning hand.
With that the remaining nine have reached the final table. With just a few minutes left on the clock for the evening they will bag for the night and return tomorrow.
*Stay tuned for the full day's wrap coming up shortly.*
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
380,000 | 109,500 |
|
Busted |
Burns Eliminated by Fu
Level 14
: 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
Michael Egan raised to 12,000 from the hijack and was called by Qiang Fu on the button as well as Kahle Burns in the big blind.
The flop came 
and Burns moved all in for his remaining 19,000. Egan folded. Fu called.
Qiang Fu: 
Kahle Burns: 
Burns had flopped two pair and looked in great shape to double up.
However, the board ran out the 
then 
giving Fu running cards to a straight to take down the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
265,000 | 121,500 |
|
Busted |
Egan Doubles Through Burns
Level 14
: 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
Kahle Burns raised to 10,500 from the hijack before Michael Egan re-raised to 27,000 from the button. The action folded to Burns who moved all in for 175,000. Egan snap-called with a total of 129,000 behind and was covered.
Michael Egan: 
Kahle Burns: 
"You might be due to lose one," joked Egan, before the dealer spread out a board of 
.
Egan held with his pocket pair to double up before sending Burns below starting stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
270,500 | 23,500 |
|
|
46,000 | -131,000 |
Level: 14
Blinds: 2,500/5,000
Ante: 5,000
Burns Doubles Up Again
Level 13
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Sosia Jiang opened from the hijack with a raise to 9,000. Matt Wakeman called on the button before Kahle Burns called from the small blind. Jan Suchanek called form the big blind so it was four-way action to a flop.
On the 
flop, Burns checked. Suchanek then put out a bet of 25,000. Jiang called. Wakeman folded then Burns moved all in for 56,000. Suchanek folded but Jiang called after getting a count.
Sosia Jiang: 
Kahle Burns: 
Burns had flopped a flush but Jiang still had out to a flush as well. The turn was the 
though and the river was the 
so with that, Burns held on to double up while Jiang dropped to just under 200,000 chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
180,000 | -90,000 |
|
|
177,000 | 97,200 |
Graham Eliminated by Dhingra
Level 13
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Jarred Graham raised to 8,500 from the hijack before Gautam Dhingra raised to 23,000 from the cutoff. The action folded back to Graham who moved all in for around 100,000. Dhingra snap-called.
Jarred Graham:
Gautam Dhingra: 
Graham was in the perfect position to double up until the board ran out 
giving Dhingra the winning hand after flopping a set of nines.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
366,000 | 96,000 |
|
Busted |
Burns Triples; Hahn Eliminated
Level 13
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Qiang Fu raised to 8,500 from under the gun before Kahle Burns moved all in for 22,600 from the hijack. Michael Hahn followed from the button moving all in for 50,600. Fu called.
Kahle Burns: 
Qiang Fu: 
Michael Hahn:
The board ran out 
to see Burns make a flush on the turn to win the main pot and triple up. Fu had flopped two pair trumping Hahn for the side pot resulting in Hahn being eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
79,800 | 47,200 |
|
Busted |