AU$2,200 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2019 WSOP International Circuit The Star Sydney
AU$2,200 Main Event
Day: 1a
Day 1A of the Star Sydney WSOP Circuit $2,200 Main Event Ends With Diarmuid O’Kane Crushing the Field
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Day 1A of The Star Sydney World Series of Poker Circuit $2,200 Main Event brought out 232 entries but by the end of the day only 34 players had survived the first 14 levels of play. Plenty of notables made it out to play but at the end of the night, Diarmuid O’Kane was the most notable as he bagged the monstrous chip lead heading into Day 2 with 968,500. O’Kane won a massive pot in one of the last hands of the night when he doubled through then chip leader - Matt Pongrass - when his pocket aces trumped Pongrass’ pocket kings.
Not all were as lucky as O’Kane though. Among those who played on Day 1A but didn't survive were the likes of Jonathan Karamalikis, 6-time WSOP bracelet winner Jeff Lisandro, last night’s $5K Challenge winner Shivan Abdine, Jarred Graham, James Obst, Ehsan Amiri and Graeme Putt. Amiri and Putt would get crippled in only the second hand of the day, when they ran separate flush draws into Gaojie Xu’s already made straight, and never improved. They would both fall in the following hands.
Some notable survivors from Day 1A include Jethro Horowitz (379,000) Michael Dao (360,500), David Tang (339,000), and Sam Mrad (321,000) who most likely round out the top five. Ryan Bownds (288,000), Andrew White (231,000), Dean Blatt (182,000), Hari Varma (178,500), Sosia Jiang (164,000) and Tim English (61,000) also progressed.
The action continues on Sunday, December 1st at 12:30 p.m. with a brand new flight of players on Flight 1B, the second of four flights. Players who survived this flight will combine with the other survivors on, December 7th, where they will play down into the money and beyond. Be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews as we will continue with updates for the remaining days.
End of Day 1A Chip Counts (full)
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
968,000 | |
|
370,000 | |
|
|
360,500 | |
|
339,000 | |
|
321,000 | |
|
279,500 | -8,500 |
|
279,500 | |
|
253,500 | 43,500 |
|
240,000 | |
|
233,000 | |
|
231,000 | |
|
|
230,000 | 115,000 |
|
204,000 | |
|
|
201,000 | |
|
195,000 | -13,000 |
|
|
193,500 | |
|
183,500 | |
|
182,000 | |
|
|
178,500 | |
|
|
170,000 | |
|
164,000 | |
|
153,000 | 118,000 |
|
127,000 | |
|
120,000 | |
|
111,500 | -105,500 |
Scratch That - O'Kane Captures the Chip Lead
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Diarmuid O'Kane raised from the cutoff and was called by Matt Pongrass on the button.
The flop came 
and O'Kane continued with a bet. Pongrass called.
The turn brought the 
and O'Kane checked. Pongrass bet. O'Kane min-raised back. Pongrass called.
The 
completed the board and O'Kane immediately moved all in for 370,500 sending Pongrass into the tank.
"This is a fun one," announced Pongrass.
"Do you want me to call?" he added. O'Kane sat motionless and just smiled back.
"You went all in so quickly," continued Pongrass. "I just don't know my friend," finished Pongrass.
An additional minute passed before Pongrass made the call.
O'Kane confidently tabled 
, and took down the pot, after Pongrass mucked his hand.
"I had kings," confirmed Pongrass after the hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
968,000 | 938,000 |
|
|
183,500 | -491,500 |
Last Three Hands
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
The remaining players will play three more hands before bagging up for the night.
Pongrass Eliminates One Late to Confirm Chip Lead
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
The player in the cutoff raised to 10,000 before Matt Pongrass re-raised to 32,000 from the button. The action folded back to the original raiser who three-bet to 120,000. Pongrass four-bet shoved for approximately 400,000. His opponent snap-called with around 250,000 behind.
Pongrass revealed pocket aces and had his opponent's pocket jacks covered.
The board bricked out and Pongrass raked in a pot worth over 500,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
675,000 | 275,000 |
Tan Chips Up Late
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Jerome Tan raised to 8,000 from middle position and was called by Fidan Shevket in the cutoff and David Tang in the big blind.
The flop came 
and Tang checked. Tan continued for 8,000. Shevket snap-called. Tang mucked.
Both players checked the 
on the turn before the 
completed the board.
Tan fired out 15,500.
"Only out of curiosity," announced Shevket, before making the call.
Tan tabled 
for top pair and took down the pot after Shevket mucked her hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
230,000 | 45,000 |
|
138,500 | 86,500 |
|
|
115,000 | 85,000 |
Bownds Gives One Up
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Ryan Bownds raised to 9,000 from middle position and was called by the player on the button as well as Tim English in the big blind.
The flop came 
and English checked. Bownds continued for 10,000. The button called. English folded.
Both players then checked down the 
turn and 
river.
Bownds revealed for a pair, but would lose the hand, after his opponent tabled 
for two pair.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
241,000 | 16,000 |
Level: 14
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 4,000
Roy Forces a Fold From Hassan
Level 13
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Evelyne Roy raised to 8,000 from under the gun and was called by Huss Hassan in the big blind.
Both players checked the 
flop before the 
dropped on the turn.
Hassan bet out 20,000. Roy made the quick call.
The 
completed the board and Hassan checked. Roy reached for her 5,000-chips which forced a quick fold from Hassan even without her putting out a bet.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
217,000 | 97,000 |
|
|
208,000 | 63,000 |