AU$5,000 Challenge
Day 1 Completed
2018 WSOP International Circuit The Star Sydney
AU$5,000 Challenge
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2018 WSOP International Circuit The Star Sydney
Buy-in
5,000 AUD
Entries
205
Level
21
Blinds
20,000 / 40,000
Ante
40,000
Matt Wakeman Leads the $5K Challenge into Day 2 (full)
Level 14
: 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
After fourteen 45-minute levels were played out in the first day of the $5,000 Challenge Event, Matt Wakeman will return as the Day 2 chip leader after he bagged an impressive 981,000.
A field of 215 players came together, and 16 of them will return on Thursday, December 6, at 2:15 p.m. local time. The field surpassed the needed 211 to hit the $1,000,000 guarantee that was on offer.
A long way behind Wakeman are Robert Spano (505,000) and Dejan Boskovic (424,000) who round out the top three. Hannah Lee (382,000), Sam Khoueis (370,000),Gautam Dhingra (350,000), Shivan Abdine (206,000)[/B] and Australian Poker Hall-of-Famer Billy Argyros (204,000) all progressed through.
Big names to depart throughout the day and miss out on the top 24 and a payday included; defending champion of this event Brendon Rubie, 2011 WSOP Europe Main Event champion Andrew Hinrichsen, Tristan Bain, Jarred and Connie Graham, last year’s WSOP Circuit Main Event Sydney champion Michael Kanaan, Nurlan Boobekov, Graeme Putt, James Broom, Ash Gupta, Daniel Laidlaw, Stevan Chew, Jonathan Karamalikis, 2005 WSOP Main Event Champion Joe Hachem, Gary Benson and Dean Blatt.
Blatt would finish as the money bubble when he called Isaac Lau's shove holding pocket queens and found himself up against ace-nine. The flop would bring an ace and that would guarantee the remaining 24 players a $9,426 return.
Those to make the money but miss Day 2 include Julius Colman, Australian Poker Hall-of-Famer Jason Gray and Sam Higgs.
When play resumes the blinds will begin at 5,000/10,000/10,000 big blind ante. PokerNews will be back with all the $5K Challenge Day 2 action as the remaining 16 players battle for a place at the final table before playing down to an eventual champion.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
981,000 | 190,000 |
|
505,000 | 118,000 |
|
424,000 | 324,000 |
|
382,000 | -53,000 |
|
370,000 | 145,000 |
|
356,000 | 106,000 |
|
350,000 | 234,000 |
|
309,000 | 209,000 |
|
273,000 | -92,000 |
|
255,000 | -191,000 |
|
245,000 | 100,000 |
|
228,000 | -55,000 |
|
|
223,000 | -80,000 |
|
206,000 | -37,000 |
|
204,000 | 4,000 |
|
97,000 | -188,000 |
Final Three Hands
Level 14
: 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
With 16 players remaining, three more hands will be played to finish out the day.
Higgs Eliminated by Spano
Level 14
: 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Robert Spano raised to 16,000 from the cutoff before Sam Higgs moved all in for 155,000 from the button. The blinds folded before the action was back on Spano. He asked for a count but called before he was given the count.
Robert Spano: 
Sam Higgs: 
The board ran out 
to see Spano improve to a set of queens on the flop resulting in the demise of Higgs.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
387,000 | 332,000 |
|
Busted |
Stan L. Eliminated by Abdine
Level 14
: 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Stan L. moved all in for his last 88,000 before Shivan Abdine moved all in over the top for around 140,000 from the hijack. The rest of the table folded before the cards were tabled.
Shivan Abdine: 
Stan L.: 
The board ran out 
to see Abdine spike a jack on the river to give him the winning hand with a superior pair.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
243,000 | 63,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Te Ariki Eliminated by Vukovic
Level 14
: 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Richard Te Ariki moved all in for his last 80,000 and was quickly called by Mladen Vukovic who had him covered.
Mladen Vukovic: 
Richard Te Ariki: 
The board ran out 
to see Vukovic take down the pot with his pocket pair sending Te Ariki to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Busted |
Han Hits the Rail
Level 14
: 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Tommi Han moved all in for 42,000 from under the gun and was called by Jason Gray and Sam Khoueis in the blinds.
The two then checked down the 
board before Khoueis flipped over his 
for two-pair. Both players then mucked their hands before Han made his way to the cashiers.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Jason Gray Eliminated
Level 14
: 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Action folded around to the small blind where Hannah Lee moved all in with a covering stack for about 100,000. Jason Gray was in the big blind and he called putting himself at risk.
Jason Gray:
Hannah Lee: 
The board ran out 
and that would spell the end for Gray as Lee's fives held up to take down the pot and move her to over 400,000 chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
435,000 | 54,000 |
|
Busted |
Lee Almost Triples; Colman Eliminated
Level 14
: 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Isaac Lau raised to 16,000 from the hijack and was called by Julius Colman in the cutoff as well as Hannah Lee in the big blind.
The flop came 
and Lee checked. Lau bet 25,000. Colman then moved all in for 74,000. Lee came over the top and re-raised all-in to 125,000. Lau asked for a count, deliberated over his decision for a minute, and called.
Hannah Lee:
Isaac Lau: 
Julius Colman: 
Hannah Lee had flopped the best of it making two pair. Lau had an up-and-down straight draw and Colman had the over pair to the board.
Nothing would change as the 
then completed the board giving Lee the best hand and the entire pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
381,000 | 186,000 |
|
|
283,000 | -197,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 14
Blinds: 4,000/8,000
Ante: 8,000