Level: 15
Blinds: 4,000/8,000
Ante: 8,000
2019 WSOP International Circuit The Star Sydney
AU$5,000 Challenge
Day: 1
Double Bubble Bust Outs Bring in the Money
Level 14
: 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Two simultaneous bust outs on two separate tables have burst the bubble and brought the tournament straight through to the money.
Over on the live-streamed feature table, Emmanuel Seal moved all-in from under-the-gun for his last 67,000 and was looked up from one seat over by Tam Truong.
Emmanuel Seal: 
Tam Truong: 
The 
runout saw Truong's pocket nines hold, and Seal hit the rail just shy of the cash.
Over on the other table and ace-king also proved no good for Australian Poker Hall of Famer Gary Benson, who got his last 60,000 in pre-flop with 
and found a caller in Shivan Abdine holding 
so it was off to the races once more.
The 
runout again favoured the pocket pair and Abdine stacked up to 470,000 while Benson departed emptyhanded to guarantee the remaining 21 players an AU$11,080 payday.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
470,000 | 120,000 |
|
305,000 | |
|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Action Slows as Bubble Looms
Level 14
: 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Action has slowed to a crawl as the bubble approaches, with just two eliminations remaining between 21 players and a payday of at least AU$11,080 (~US$7,500).
We caught Shivan Abdine and Adrian Attenborough battling in a hand, but the action fizzled out on the river. With the community cards spread 
and roughly 30,000 in the pot, action on the turn had been checked.
Abdine took a stab for 6,000 from the small blind and after tanking for a minute or so, Attenborough (cutoff) pitched his cards into the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
460,000 | 45,000 |
|
|
350,000 | 175,000 |
Level: 14
Blinds: 3,000/6,000
Ante: 6,000
Attenborough Pushes Off Amiri
Level 13
: 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
A battle of the blinds saw a decent-sized pot play out between Ehsan Amiri and Adrian Attenborough. Amiri was the man first to act in the small blind, juicing it up to 17,500 with Attenborough giving him a big staredown before sliding out the call to take play heads-up to a flop of 
.
This brought checks from both players, with Amiri making a delayed continuation bet on the 
turn for 17,000. After a little more deliberation, Attenborough made the call once more and the dealer pitched the river off the top of the deck.
Amiri mulled it over, before electing to check, and Attenborough paid a lengthy visit to the think tank before reaching for a stack of green 25k chips and tossing out a bet of 130,000.
It was Amiri's turn to visit the thinktank, but he eventually found the fold.
"What did you have?" Amiri grilled Attenborough after the hand in tablechat.
"The nuts, always the nuts, good fold," said Attenborough flashing Amiri a grin that would put a Cheshire cat to shame as he raked in the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
415,000 | 85,000 |
|
400,000 | 30,000 |
Mitri Eliminates Crawshaw
Level 13
: 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
Hamish Crawshaw raised to 10,000 from under the gun before George Mitri re-raised to 23,000 from the hijack. The action folded back around to Crawshaw who called.
The flop came 
and Crawshaw checked. Mitri continued for 25,000. Crawshaw called.
The turn brought the 
and Crawshaw checked. Mitri tossed out 20,000. Crawshaw then moved all-in for 113,500. Mitri went into the tank for several minutes before reluctantly making the call with more behind.
Mitri: 
Crawshaw: 
Crawshaw had the lead with trip tens until the 
spiked on the river giving Mitri the winning hand with a flush.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
550,000 | 62,000 |
|
Busted |
Keeping it in the Family
Level 13
: 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
Sosia Jiang and brother Honglin Jiang are both still in the field and are seated at the same table, with the former kind enough to ship some chips the way of the latter.
It was Honglin the man to pull the trigger first, moving all-in from early position for 54,000 in total. After asking for a count, Sosia made the call from the big blind to put her sibling at risk.
Sosia Jiang: 
Honglin Jiang:
"I can't fold, I've got Chinese aces," said Sosia as the cards were revealed.
"Well, at least I'm drawing live and in decent shape," replied Honglin.
The 
flop saw Sosia maintain the lead in the hand, with the giving Honglin a few more outs. The river was just the card Honglin was looking for, and he celebrated with a fist pump and cry of 'Yes!', just as Sosia groaned 'Noooooo!'
That timely catch saw Honglin climb to 120,500 while Sosia still a very playable stack, dropping to 375,000 after the hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
375,000 | 120,000 |
|
120,500 |
Karamalikis Doubles Through Hanlon
Level 13
: 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
Jonathan Karamalikis has been nursing a short-stack for the last few levels but has earned a little breathing room with a timely double-up through tablemate David Hanlon.
Hanlon was the initial aggressor, making it 12,000 to go from the button. Karamalikis peeked at his cards in the small blind and then moved all-in for 47,000 in total, with Hanlon making a quick call.
Jonathan Karamalikis:
David Hanlon:
Karamalikis found himself in great shape, and the 
runout was just what the doctor ordered, with that pot bringing him up to 103,000 - just a double-up away from the average stack of 203k. Hanlon dropped to 163,000 after the hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
163,000 | 163,000 |
|
103,000 | 38,000 |
Edwards Eliminated by Jiang
Level 13
: 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
Sosia Jiang raised to 11,000 from the cutoff before Luke Edwards moved all-in for 110,500 from the button. The action folded back to Jiang, who asked for a count, then called with more behind.
Jiang:
Edwards: 
The board ran out 
, resulting in Jiang taking down the pot with her superior kicker, ending Edwards' night just short of the money.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
255,000 | 22,000 |
|
Busted |
Mooney Beats Abdine in Battle of Blinds
Level 13
: 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
Action folded around to Shivan Abdine in the small blind who completed and Geoff Mooney checked his option in the big blind, taking play heads-up to a flop of 
which was checked by both.
The turn saw Abdine take a stab for 10,000 with Mooney making the call to keep the duo in action to the river.
Abdine led for a tickly little 8,000 and after a little deliberation, Mooney made the call. Abdine revealed for a pair of sevens, but quickly mucked when Mooney rolled over 
for a pair of eights, which was good for the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
175,000 | -50,000 |
|
113,500 | 3,500 |