AU$500 Opening Event Day 1c | 2018 WSOP International Circuit The Star Sydney

11-29-2018 20:46 UTC+10

Johnathan Hargrave Tops Day 1c of the Opening Event

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Level 12 : 1,000/2,000, 300 ante

Johnathan Hargrave Edged Pak Wong to Lead Day 1c

The WSOP International Circuit $500 Opening Event had an impressive 329 entries play Day 1c at The Star in Sydney. There were 63 runners who found a bag at the end of 12 levels and are moving on to Day 2. Jonathan Hargrave would end up being the biggest stack moving on from this flight.

Hargrave rode the momentum and accumulated all day, bagging an impressive 229,600 in chips. Other big chip stacks to end the day included Pak Wong (220,4000) who was the only other stack above 200,000, Mu-Sang Kim (189,000), James Pollifrone (186,000) and Pedro Ledesma (178,500) who rounded out the top five.

A few notables also moving on to Day 2 include Chad Awerbuch (175,500), Sam Capra (110,900), Johan Lees (104,700), Jesse McKenzie (67,300) and Daniel Laidlaw (26,600).

Lees is the defending champion of this event after besting a field of 1,357 players in 2017 to capture his first WSOP circuit ring. McKenzie was the feel-good story of the day. After losing to an opponent who had quads early in proceedings he was left with just 525 in chips, good for a couple of big blinds. He then went on a heater that would see him rise to a top of 130,000 in chips before settling for about half that when the day concluded.

There were several players that could not get anything going in this flight and busted throughout the day including Shivan Abdine, David Goldberg, Seve Jarvin, Wai Wong and father-and-son duo Michael and Travis O’Grady. These players as well as all the ones knocked out in the previous two flights have one more crack with Day 1d scheduled for Friday commencing at 12:30.

Stay tuned from Friday onwards as PokerNews brings you all the excitement as we play down to our first champion of the series.

Player	Chips	Progress
Johnathan Hargrave	229,600 49,600	49,600
Pak Wong	220,400
Mu-Sang Kim	189,000 189,000	189,000
James Pollifrone	186,000
Chad Awerbuch	175,500 35,500	35,500
Paul Issa	164,300 19,300	19,300
Wael Salloum	161,100
Gregg Russell	159,300
Dmitry Tymoshenko	139,000 -1,000	-1,000
Spencer Davies	132,300
Sam Capra	110,900 -1,100	-1,100
Johan Lees	104,700 -15,300	-15,300
Jesse McKenzie	67,300 -7,700	-7,700
Daniel Laidlaw	26,600 -27,400	-27,400

Tags: Johnathan Hargrave

11-29-2018 18:45 UTC+10

Awerbuch Squares it up Against Stojanovski

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Level 10 : 600/1,200, 200 ante

Chad Awerbuch raised to 2,700 from under the gun and was called by Peco Stojanovski in the small blind as well as the player in the big blind.

The flop came and the blinds checked to Awerbuch who continued with a bet worth 3,500. Only Stojanovski called.

Stojanovski then check-called a bet of 6,500 from Awerbuch when the fell on the turn before the completed the board. Stojanovski stared at Awerbuch then bet out 12,000. Awerbuch tanked for over a minute, constantly looking down at his cards, before finally opting to fold.

In the very next hand, two players limped into the pot before Stojanovski raised from the button. Awerbuch three-bet which only Stojanovski called.

Both players checked the flop before the dropped on the turn. Aewrbuch bet 9,000 and was matched instantly by Stojanovski.

The river produced the and Awerbuch reached for his chips and bet out 26,500. Stojanovski then deliberated for a minute.

"I saw the sun shine out of your arse when that second jack came. But then the third came and I don't know," joked Stojanovski.

He eventually called and watched as Awerbuch tabled for a full house. Stojanovski flipped over his for a lesser full house before tossing his cards in the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chad Awerbuch	140,000 87,000	87,000
Peco Stojanovski	42,000 -23,000	-23,000

Tags: Chad Awerbuch Peco Stojanovski

11-29-2018 17:55 UTC+10

Defending Champion Spotted

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Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

The defending champion of this event, Johan Lees, has been spotted in today's field - firing his third bullet of the event.

In a recent hand, Lees checked from the big blind as did the player under the gun. Sam Capra bet out 4,500 from middle position and was matched by the player in the hijack. The option was back on Lees who opted to move all in for his remaining 23,000 in chips.

The rest of the players folded and Lees was awarded the pot.

"Can I show the media guy my hand," Lees joked, before tossing his cards away and raking in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Johan Lees	42,000 42,000	42,000

Tags: Johan Lees

11-29-2018 14:20 UTC+10

McKenzie Back From the Brink

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Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

Six players including Jesse McKenzie called preflop and watched as the board came .

Both blinds checked to the player under the gun who bet 1,000. The player in middle position called forcing the player in the hijack out. McKenzie then moved all in for his last 2,400 from the button as the decision fell on the original better. She bumped it up to 5,000 sending her opponent into the tank.

"She took my stack with quads and now she's trying to finish me off," joked McKenzie, as he waited on the final player to act. He eventually folded and both live players then tabled their cards.

Jesse McKenzie:
Opponent:

The on the turn provided no help for McKenzie but the on the river did, improving his hand to a flush and awarding him the pot.

"I'm back from 525," rejoiced McKenzie, scooping in another double up to move to over 7,000 in chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jesse McKenzie	7,225 -7,775	-7,775

Tags: Jesse McKenzie

11-29-2018 10:38 UTC+10

Day 1c of the Opening Event is Set to Begin

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Who Will Emerge as the Chip Leader from Day 1c?

Day 1c of the WSOP International Circuit $500 Opening Event will begin play at 12:30pm and as always it will be held at The Star Sydney. The first two flights were held over the last two days and accumulated 597 runners with 112 players making it through so far. Michael Hala bagged 331,900 to end Day 1a as the overwhelming chip leader and Adam Ratten followed with 199,400 after he topped the field on Day 1b.

After today there is still one more starting flight before players return on Saturday for Day 2 were they will play down to a final table that will commence on Sunday.

Today’s players will start with 15,000 in chips and manoeuvre through 12 40-minute levels with three short breaks after each three levels before bagging for the evening.

The PokerNews team will be bringing you live updates during this event and for the remainder of the series so stay tuned.