AU$5,000 Challenge Day 1 | 2018 WSOP International Circuit The Star Sydney

12-05-2018 20:00 UTC+10

Player	Chips	Progress
Gautam Dhingra	203,000 131,000	131,000
Leigh Warne	125,000 52,000	52,000
Sam Khoueis	110,000 30,000	30,000
Billy Argyros	110,000 18,600	18,600
Shivan Abdine	90,000 73,800	73,800
Michael Seymour	83,000 50,000	50,000
Daniel Laidlaw	71,000 46,000	46,000
Jarred Graham	63,700 -14,300	-14,300

Chad Awerbuch	35,000 -33,000	-33,000
Michael O'Grady	30,000 5,800	5,800
Michael Asad	29,000 4,000	4,000
Najeem Ajez	26,000 7,500	7,500
Corey Kempson	25,000 -33,000	-33,000
Hassib Younan	Busted
Peco Stojanovski	Busted
Stevan Chew	Busted
Marc Seymour	Busted
George Mitri	Busted
Graeme Putt	Busted
James Broom	Busted
Pak Wong	Busted
Paul Issa	Busted
Jason Pritchard	Busted

Karamalikis Waits for the Win

Mateusz_Pater

Level 9 : 1,200/2,400, 2,400 ante

The player on the button raised to 5,100 and was called by Jonathan Karamalikis in the big blind.

The flop came and Karamalikis checked. His opponent continued with a bet totaling 5,700. Karamalikis then re-raised to 18,100. His opponent then went into the tank for several minutes. He agonized over his decision before making the call.

The turn brought the and Karamalikis moved all in for last 16,200. His opponent again pondered for a few minutes before finally releasing his hand.

It took almost eight minutes but Karamalikis earned himself the pot as he moves up the leaderboard.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jonathan Karamalikis	64,600 39,600	39,600

Tags: Jonathan Karamalikis

12-05-2018 19:47 UTC+10

Double KO for Benson

MrCleverFox

Level 9 : 1,200/2,400, 2,400 ante

Jun Wang was all in before the flop as was one other player and Gary Benson had called with his covering stack, putting both players at risk.

Gary Benson:
Jun Wang:
Opponent:

The flop came down and Benson stayed in the lead.

"Keep 'em low, keep 'em low," Benson said.

The turn wasn't as low but it kept Benson safe. The river was the and that would seal it. Benson scored the double knock out, chipping up to nearly 190,000 and sending Wang and one other player to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gary Benson	187,000 42,000	42,000

Jun Wang	Busted

Tags: Gary Benson Jun Wang

Level: 9

Blinds: 1,200/2,400

Ante: 2,400

12-05-2018 19:33 UTC+10

Updated Counts and Some Eliminations

MrCleverFox

Level 8 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Ash Gupta	198,000 51,000	51,000

Nathan Sawyers	197,000 133,000	133,000
Dejan Boskovic	180,000 152,500	152,500
Dean Blatt	175,000 83,000	83,000
Isaac Lau	171,000 11,000	11,000
Hannah Lee	150,000 109,000	109,000
Gary Benson	145,000 -10,000	-10,000

Heidi May	142,000 57,000	57,000

Jun Wang	45,000 -5,000	-5,000
Richard Kellett	41,000
Matthew Wakeman	40,000
Michael Kanaan	Busted
Noel Jaber	Busted
Nurlan Boobekov	Busted
Jinah Min	Busted
Connie Graham	Busted
Julius Colman	Busted
Sanjeev Joshi	Busted
Sam Simon	Busted

12-05-2018 19:17 UTC+10

River Bails Out Hachem While Higgs Triples

MrCleverFox

Level 8 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Sam Higgs moved all in before the flop for what looked like 14,500 over a raise from Joe Hachem and one call. Hachem eventually called and the other player in the hand called as well.

The flop was and after a check, Hachem, heads up for the side pot, put out a bet of 12,000. The other player called and the came on the turn. There, Hachem moved all in for roughly 27,500 effective after his opponent checked a second time. The player dropped deep into the tank and he thought for some time before eventually calling.

Sam Higgs:
Joe Hachem:
Opponent:

Hachem was in trouble with just middle pair while Higgs turned two pair and the other player in the hand had top pair. The river was the though and with that, Hachem made two pair to earn himself the big side pot while Higgs took down the main pot to triple up with a better two pair.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joe Hachem	90,000 42,000	42,000

Samuel Higgs	47,500 47,500	47,500

Tags: Joe Hachem Sam Higgs

12-05-2018 19:06 UTC+10

Blatt Gives Up on the River

Mateusz_Pater

Level 8 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

With around 12,000 in the pot and the flop showing Dean Blatt bet 3,500 from under the gun and was called by Stan L. in the hijack.

The turn brought the and Blatt bet out another 6,100. Stan L. thought for a minute and called.

Blatt gave up as the dropped on the river, checking his option. Stan L. checked behind and took down the pot holding for two pair after Blatt reluctantly tabled for a missed flush and straight.

Player	Chips	Progress
Stan L.	103,000 78,000	78,000
Dean Blatt	92,000 20,000	20,000

Tags: Dean Blatt Stan L.

12-05-2018 19:01 UTC+10

Benson Rising

MrCleverFox

Level 8 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Before this hand, Gary Benson appeared to have doubled through Jun Wang, as the once tall Wang was cut down to just over 50,000 chips and Benson was sitting with around 130,000.

In this hand, Benson opened in early position with a raise to 4,000. He was called by a player in the hijack, as well as on the button and Noel Jaber called from the big blind as well.

All four players checked around on the flop and the came on the turn. There, Benson put out a bet of 7,000 and only the player in the hijack seat called.

The river was the and now both players checked. Benson showed down his and that would be enough to earn him the pot as his opponent mucked. With that, Benson took down the pot and moved to right around 150,000 chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gary Benson	155,000 85,000	85,000

Jun Wang	50,000 -135,000	-135,000
Noel Jaber	32,000 -16,000	-16,000

Tags: Gary Benson Jun Wang Noel Jaber

Level: 8

Blinds: 1,000/2,000

Ante: 2,000

12-05-2018 18:47 UTC+10

Argyros Doubles Through Kellett

Mateusz_Pater

Level 7 : 800/1,600, 1,600 ante

Billy Argyros raised to 4,000 from the cutoff and was called by Marc Seymour on the button before Richard Kellett re-raised to 15,000 from the big blind. Argyros thought for a minute and called. Seymour got out of the way.

The flop came and Kellett bet out 25,000. Argyros sat watching the flop for a moment before moving all in for 27,600. Kellett called off the remaining 2,600 in chips.