Level: 2
Blinds: 200/300
Ante: 300
2019 WSOP International Circuit The Star Sydney
AU$20,000 High Roller
Day: 1
Otto and Mitri Tangle
Level 2
: 200/300, 300 ante
The action folded around to George Mitri on the button, and he raised to 700. Small blind Ryan Otto three-bet to 3,100 and after squirming around in his chair to get comfy, Mitri flicked in the call to take the pair heads-up to a 
flop.
Otto checked the action over to Mitri, who looked a little surprised by this and, after a few seconds, checked it back. The 
turn saw Otto make a delayed continuation bet to 4,000 with Mitri making the call to keep the two in action to the 
river.
Otto fired again, this time for 6,000 and Mitri thought it over for a short while before shrugging and making the call. Otto revealed 
and Mitri mucked.
There was a new entry while this hand was playing out, with the recently arrived Brian Kim seated over on the feature table to bring the field up to 28 runners.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
61,500
11,500
|
11,500 |
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
35,300
-4,200
|
-4,200 |
Boost For Rafferty
Level 2
: 200/300, 300 ante
The board showed 
and 10,400 had accumulated in the pot.
Both Tom Rafferty and Alex Lynskey checked their options before the 
dropped on the river.
Rafferty checked. Lynskey bet 6,200. Rafferty paused for a moment then raised to 18,000. Lynskey mucked almost immediately.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
71,500
7,500
|
7,500 |
|
40,800
-9,200
|
-9,200 |
Abdine vs. Ragozzini
Level 2
: 200/300, 300 ante
The action folded around to Shivan Abdine in the small blind and he completed, with big blind Sean Ragozzini checking his option in the big blind.
It was all check on a flop of 
, and the 
double paired the board, with Abdine taking a stab for 300. Ragozzini made the call to keep the two in action to the river, which is when the hand got a little more interesting with Abdine checking and Ragozzini taking a stab for 700.
Abdine reached for raising chips, making it 1,600 to go and Ragozzini quickly mucked, leaving the former to rake in the pot and climb over the 50k start stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
51,000
3,500
|
3,500 |
|
48,200
-1,800
|
-1,800 |
Edwards Chips Back Up Through Vukovic
Level 2
: 200/300, 300 ante
Luke Edwards raised to 800 from the button and was called by Mladen Vukovic in the big blind.
Both players checked the 
flop before the 
dropped on the turn. Vukovic bet 700. Edwards called.
The 
completed the board and Vukovic tossed out 2,300. Edwards thought for a minute then raised to 10,000. Vukovic called shortly after.
Edwards tabled 
for top pair, and took down the pot, after Vukovic mucked his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
75,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
44,000
-6,000
|
-6,000 |
Level: 3
Blinds: 200/400
Ante: 400
Fu and Spano Join the Action
Level 3
: 200/400, 400 ante
The field has climbed to 30 entries, with registration remaining open for another six hours, closing at the end of level 9.
The two most recent arrivals are New Zealand's Qiang Fu and Australia's Robert Spano, the latter of whom will be looking to better his 17th place finish in the $5k Challenge, which was good for AU$13,060 (~$8,915).
Both are seated at the feature table, alongside Bernie Stang, Julien Sitbon, Vincent Huang, Tom Rafferty and Jarred Graham.
Ragozzini and Crawshaw Battle Over Blinds
Level 3
: 200/400, 400 ante
The action folded around to Sean Ragozzini in the small blind, who completed, and Hamish Crawshaw checked his option in the big blind with the dealer spreading a monochrome flop of 
.
Both players checked it through, with the dealer burning and turning the 
to bring four to a flush. Ragozzini took a stab for 500, with Crawshaw making the call and the 
completed the hand and the betting.
Crawshaw showed 
and his four-high flush was enough to take down the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
70,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
48,000
-200
|
-200 |
Maroulis The First to Fall; Re-Enters
Level 3
: 200/400, 400 ante
Spiros Maroulis committed the last of his 11,000-stack in preflop and was matched by David Wang.
Maroulis held and was at risk against Wang's 
.
The board ran out 
and Maroulis would be the first player eliminated after being unable to improve.
Moments later Maroulis would re-enter to bring the total number to 31 entrants for the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
95,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
|
Busted |
Hanlon Rising, Mitri Folds Out Suchanek
Level 3
: 200/400, 400 ante
David Hanlon was scooping in a pot when PokerNews arrived at the table and opened the action for 1,000 from under-the-gun plus one the very next hand after Ryan Otto limped. The recently re-entered Spiros Maroulis made the call on the button, before Otto limp-raised to 5,000, which was enough to end the hand on the spot.
The next hand saw Jan Suchanek make it 1,100 to go from the hijack, with big blind George Mitri the only caller. Following Mitri's check on the 
flop, Suchanek continuation bet 2,500 with Mitri making the call once more to bring the duo to the turn.
This saw Suchanek slow down and check, and Mitri claimed the pot with a bet of 3,500.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
75,000
13,500
|
13,500 |
|
|
62,000
26,700
|
26,700 |
|
53,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
|
28,500
-33,000
|
-33,000 |