Macau and Melbourne seem to be the usual haunts of Charles Chua, and a pretty good run he's had of late, finishing 3rd in March's $2,500 Main Event at the APPT Macau for almost $100k while in 2008's event he finished second for $291,489. A good warm-up, consistency wise, for the WSOPE, and he's looking for his first cash in this series, or any World Series event for that matter.
A slight setback dropped him under his starting stack just now as he raised Hoi Wing Cheung on a flop of to 8,000 when Cheung bet out 3,000. Cheung tanked for a while, then tanked it in - at which Chua instantly threw his hand away and settled for keeping his 27,075 intact.
Players are starting to move around a bit more now. Two of last year's finalists are now seated opposite each other: Daniel Negreanu with 43,000, and Praz Bansi on 45,000.
Meanwhile, Neil Channing has joined forces with Phil Laak. I don't this will be a quiet table.
On the flop of , one player checked to Sam Trickett. He fired 4,700 and his opponent called. The turn brought the and the first player checked to Trickett again. Trickett fired 8,300 and his opponent min-raised to 16,600. Trickett called. The river then completed the board with the and Trickett's opponent fired 9,000. Trickett quickly made the call and his opponent tapped the table, flashing the . Trickett tabled the and won the pot to move to 112,000.
On the very next hand, the same opponent raised and Trickett three-bet to 3,300. The player called and the two were off to another flop together. The flop came down and action was checked to Trickett. He bet enough to put his opponent all in and the player called off his last 6,500 or so. Trickett held the and his all-in opponent the . The turn brought the and the river the to give Trickett the rest of his opponent's chips.
Trickett is now up to a whopping 124,000 in chips and is leading the way by a nice, fat margin.
Gabriel Alarie was second to act, and he opened the pot to 1,000. On the button, Max Pescatori made the call, but Carlos Mortensen was thinking sinister thoughts. From the small blind, he three-bet it to 3,200 total, and Alarie called the extra bit. This time, though, it was Pescatori with his brow furrowed. He snuck in another raise to 10,500, Mortensen called for about half his remaining stack, and Alarie frowned and ducked out of the way.
That left the two bracelet winners heads up to the flop. Mortensen moved all in for 14,700, and Pescatori called to put a big pot up for grabs. "The Matador" was first to show, tabling his . Pescatori, "The Italian Pirate" nodded knowingly and showed up , neither player with a heart.
The turn and river kept Mortensen's pair safe, earning him a big double up. He's all the way up to 54,000 now, while Pescatori has taken a big hit back to 12,000.
Max Pescatori had a potential all-in moment just now which he sneaked through having given an impression of worry which convinced at least one tablemate that he was at it...
On the turn of a board Pescatori took the initiative threeway betting 2,500 after a check to him. Button Ben Cherif called, as did the checker. The river was the . Check to Pescatori, who bet over half his stack in the form of one red 5k chip. Cherif declined to look him up, as did his other opponent and he was shipped the pot by the dealer.
Eli Elezra: "Anyone here believing him?"
To Pescatori: "You got no quads, you got sh*t."
Pescatori wordlessly turned over and got a "Wow," in return.
Four players in consecutive seats tangled in a pot that ultimately led to the double up of Phil Laak.
Benny Spindler lit the fuse, opening from middle-to-late position for 800. Laak called in the hjiack, only for the cut-off to raise it up to 2,400. After a brief pause, Bernard Lee cold-called on the button, and after initial aggressor Spindler had released his hand, Laak joined the party too.
On the flop, Laak announced check, triggering a bet of 3,300 from the button. Both opponents called.
The turn came the , and after the cut-off had led for 5,500 and Lee called, Laak moved all in for around 35,000 more. The cut-off immediately folded, but Lee made the call to bring us to a showdown.
With versus , Lee was drawing deader than Wild Bill, the academic river doing nothing but prolonging the pain.
After Lee had exited stage left, Laak collated his chips and referenced himself as a dinosaur, whilst musing with self-doubt: "I don't know what I'm going to do with all these chips."
Laak, who is inexplicably concealing his newly acquired red Mohawk, is now up to 95,000 and in upbeat mode.
Clint Coffee showed little hesitation moving all in on a flop of after he'd been raised (from 2,300 to 5,100) by left-hand-side neighbour Martin Kabrhel. His 24k or so over the line brought an immediate fold from Kabrhel, and one of those 'please show us, go on, go on, go on,' "Show the bluff!" requests which went sadly unanswered.
Three players were in action on the board of . Adam Levy was first and checked to the next opponent. He also checked and then Benjamin Statz bet 3,500. Levy called and the third player folded.
The river brought the and Levy checked. Statz fired 5,000 and after a minute in the tank, Levy paid it off. Statz tabled the for a full house and Levy was knocked down to 13,300 in chips.
to 8,000 when Cheung bet out 3,000. Cheung tanked for a while, then tanked it in - at which Chua instantly threw his hand away and settled for keeping his 27,075 intact.
, one player checked to Sam Trickett. He fired 4,700 and his opponent called. The turn brought the 
and the first player checked to Trickett again. Trickett fired 8,300 and his opponent min-raised to 16,600. Trickett called. The river then completed the board with the 
and Trickett's opponent fired 9,000. Trickett quickly made the call and his opponent tapped the table, flashing the 
. Trickett tabled the 
and won the pot to move to 112,000.
and action was checked to Trickett. He bet enough to put his opponent all in and the player called off his last 6,500 or so. Trickett held the 
. The turn brought the 
and the river the 
to give Trickett the rest of his opponent's chips.
flop. Mortensen moved all in for 14,700, and Pescatori called to put a big pot up for grabs. "The Matador" was first to show, tabling his 
. Pescatori, "The Italian Pirate" nodded knowingly and showed up 
, neither player with a heart.
and river 
kept Mortensen's pair safe, earning him a big double up. He's all the way up to 54,000 now, while Pescatori has taken a big hit back to 12,000.
, Lee was drawing deader than Wild Bill, the academic 
after he'd been raised (from 2,300 to 5,100) by left-hand-side neighbour Martin Kabrhel. His 24k or so over the line brought an immediate fold from Kabrhel, and one of those 'please show us, go on, go on, go on,' "Show the bluff!" requests which went sadly unanswered.
for a full house and Levy was knocked down to 13,300 in chips.
