Kamyar Ekrami Leads After Day 1 of the WSOPC Sydney Pot-Limit Omaha Event
Day 1 of the 6-max WSOPC Sydney Pot-Limit Omaha Event saw 177 entries (including re-entries) ante up the AU$1,650 buy-in and battle it out at the baize at the poker tables of The Star Sydney over eleven 45-minute levels.
With the format offering unlimited re-entry until the end of level 6, by the time registration closed the total prize pool came in at AU$265,500 (~$180,140), with the top 18 places paying and a min-cash good for AU$3,292 (~$2,230).
No one will be playing for that though, and all will have their eye on the AU$74,341 (~$50,440) top prize, which the eventual champion will take home, along with a coveted World Series Circuit Ring.
The man returning for Day 2 in the best of positions to win that all elusive jewellery and cold, hard cash is Australia's Kamyar Ekrami, who will be returning for the second and final day with the chip lead.
Ekrami made his play for the top of the table just past the midway point in the proceedings, clashing in a huge pot against Daniel Cohen. With blinds at 400/800, it was Cohen who was the architect of his own demise after opening the action from under-the-gun, with Ekrami defending his big blind.
The two became embroiled in a raising war on a jack-high double spade flop that saw all the chips go in, Ekrami holding the nut flush and gutshot straight draw, Cohen holding top set and a queen-high flush draw, which came in on the turn to leave the latter crippled and shoot Ekrami to the top of the counts, with Cohen departing shortly afterwards. Ekrami will be returning for Day 2 with a sizable 288,300 in chips.
A total of 41 players were successful in their quest to make Day 2, with Tam Truong (278,200), China's Jia Li Lie (205,500), and 2018 runner-up Ben Thurlow (202,000) the only other players to bag over 200k.
Other returning big stacks include Andrew Hindmarch (184,000), Jun Wang (181,100), Mustafa Haidary (172,500), Con Angelakis (160,000), Huss Hassan (150,800), Luke Edwards (149,000) and Dinh Pham (147,600) who, along with Truong, enjoyed stints near the top of the counts before Ekrami finished strongly to retake the lead at the close of play.
Other notables returning for Day 2 include Daniel Tan (94,600), Ash Gupta (60,700), Australia Poker Hall of Famer Gary Benson (42,800), Graeme Putt (24,000), and Jarred Graham (10,900).
Two Australian WSOP bracelet winners in the form of Jeff Lisandro and James Obst were just some of the notables unable to make the cut, with other familiar faces to bust including defending champion Danny Huynh, Hall of Famer Mel Judah, Corey Kempson, Daniel Laidlaw, Billy 'the croc' Argyros, Ryan Bownds, Andrew White, and $5k Challenge finalist Ehsan Amiri to name but a few.
The 41 survivors will return at 2:15pm on Tueday, December 3 where they will reach the hallowed cash spots and play down to a champion. PokerNews will be on hand to bring you all the action as it happens so join us then.
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on the turn giving Ekrami the lead. The 
river saw Cohen's stack reduced to 7,700 while Ekrami scooped a monster pot to climb to 260,000, which is good for the chip lead presently.
trailing to Hahn's double suited 
and failing to improve. Cohen hit the rail and Hahn stacked up to 53,000.
and the action checked to Huynh who continued for 1,000. Graham and Koopmann called. Ritson folded. 
and Koopmann checked. Huynh tossed out 5,000. Graham raised to 12,000. Koopmann folded. 
and Howearth's winning hand of 
and Pascoe checked. Bownds tossed out 1,300, and took down the pot, after Pascoe mucked her hand. 
and Trayner continued for 1,500. Horowitz called. 
