There may be a bug in FeedWordPress. Please contact the author and paste the following information into your e-mail:
<![CDATA[Triggered at line # 578
FeedWordPress version: 2009.0707
MagpieRSS version: 2009.0618
WordPress version: 2.7.1
PHP version: 4.4.9
syndicatedpost::insert_new::_wp_id: array(3) {
["$this->_wp_id"]=>
int(0)
["$dbpost"]=>
array(17) {
["post_title"]=>
string(37) "Giacomo leads IPT Venice Day 1A field"
["post_content"]=>
string(1869) "<p><span class=\"mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image\" style=\"display: inline;\"><img alt=\"IPT_thn.jpg\" src=\"http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/IPT_thn.jpg\" width=\"130\" height=\"100\" class=\"mt-image-left\" style=\"float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;\" /></span>There are few better places in Europe to play poker than Venice. Character, history, beauty, water (plenty of that) and the weather make it very pleasant.</p>
<p>One man who enjoyed poker in the city more than anyone yesterday was PokerStars qualifier Loccarini Giacomo, chipleader of Day 1A of IPT Venice, the second stop of season 2 of the popular Italian Poker Tour.</p>
<p>An impressive 227 players from around Europe made the trek to the beautiful city of Venice for Day 1A and 35 of of those qualified online with PokerStars for a fraction of the €2,000 (+€200) tournament buy-in. Sixteen qualifiers ade it through to come back for Day 2 tomorrow (Saturday).</p>
<p>Giacome ended up with 175,000 chips after nine levels of play and is followed by Claudio Pagano with 145,000. The average is 44,950 and a total of 101 players made it throughl.</p>
<p><span class=\"mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image\" style=\"display: inline;\"><img alt=\"claudio_pagano_ipt_venice.JPG\" src=\"http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/claudio_pagano_ipt_venice.JPG\" width=\"299\" height=\"450\" class=\"mt-image-center\" style=\"text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;\" /></span><center><i>Claudio Pagano</center></i><p></p>
<p>Day 1B will kick off later today with another bumper field, including Italian Team PokerStars Pros Dario Minieri and Salvatore Bonavena, and IPT Leaderboard winner Giovanni Salvatore.</p>
<p>You can follow all the action as it happens over on our <a href=\"http://www.pokerstarsblog.it\">sister Italian blog</a>, where Matteo Viola would be delighted to have your company.</p>"
["post_excerpt"]=>
string(1869) "<p><span class=\"mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image\" style=\"display: inline;\"><img alt=\"IPT_thn.jpg\" src=\"http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/IPT_thn.jpg\" width=\"130\" height=\"100\" class=\"mt-image-left\" style=\"float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;\" /></span>There are few better places in Europe to play poker than Venice. Character, history, beauty, water (plenty of that) and the weather make it very pleasant.</p>
<p>One man who enjoyed poker in the city more than anyone yesterday was PokerStars qualifier Loccarini Giacomo, chipleader of Day 1A of IPT Venice, the second stop of season 2 of the popular Italian Poker Tour.</p>
<p>An impressive 227 players from around Europe made the trek to the beautiful city of Venice for Day 1A and 35 of of those qualified online with PokerStars for a fraction of the €2,000 (+€200) tournament buy-in. Sixteen qualifiers ade it through to come back for Day 2 tomorrow (Saturday).</p>
<p>Giacome ended up with 175,000 chips after nine levels of play and is followed by Claudio Pagano with 145,000. The average is 44,950 and a total of 101 players made it throughl.</p>
<p><span class=\"mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image\" style=\"display: inline;\"><img alt=\"claudio_pagano_ipt_venice.JPG\" src=\"http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/claudio_pagano_ipt_venice.JPG\" width=\"299\" height=\"450\" class=\"mt-image-center\" style=\"text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;\" /></span><center><i>Claudio Pagano</center></i><p></p>
<p>Day 1B will kick off later today with another bumper field, including Italian Team PokerStars Pros Dario Minieri and Salvatore Bonavena, and IPT Leaderboard winner Giovanni Salvatore.</p>
<p>You can follow all the action as it happens over on our <a href=\"http://www.pokerstarsblog.it\">sister Italian blog</a>, where Matteo Viola would be delighted to have your company.</p>"
["epoch"]=>
array(3) {
["issued"]=>
int(1280478499)
["created"]=>
NULL
["modified"]=>
int(1280478499)
}
["post_date"]=>
string(19) "2010-07-30 04:28:19"
["post_modified"]=>
string(19) "2010-07-30 04:28:19"
["post_date_gmt"]=>
string(19) "2010-07-30 08:28:19"
["post_modified_gmt"]=>
string(19) "2010-07-30 08:28:19"
["post_status"]=>
string(7) "publish"
["comment_status"]=>
string(6) "closed"
["ping_status"]=>
string(6) "closed"
["guid"]=>
string(84) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2010/giacomo-leads-ipt-venice-day-1a-field-071926.html"
["meta"]=>
array(6) {
["syndication_source"]=>
string(36) "PokerStars Poker Blog :: Tournaments"
["syndication_source_uri"]=>
string(30) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/"
["syndication_feed"]=>
string(45) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/tournaments.xml"
["syndication_feed_id"]=>
string(3) "114"
["syndication_permalink"]=>
string(84) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2010/giacomo-leads-ipt-venice-day-1a-field-071926.html"
["syndication_item_hash"]=>
string(32) "2dbbdf13ac196d2d46a2a1b0953c41d1"
}
["tags_input"]=>
array(0) {
}
["post_author"]=>
string(2) "90"
["post_category"]=>
array(1) {
[0]=>
int(1)
}
["post_pingback"]=>
bool(false)
}
["$this"]=>
object(syndicatedpost)(10) {
["item"]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(37) "Giacomo leads IPT Venice Day 1A field"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(1835) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IPT_thn.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/IPT_thn.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>There are few better places in Europe to play poker than Venice. Character, history, beauty, water (plenty of that) and the weather make it very pleasant.</p>
<p>One man who enjoyed poker in the city more than anyone yesterday was PokerStars qualifier Loccarini Giacomo, chipleader of Day 1A of IPT Venice, the second stop of season 2 of the popular Italian Poker Tour.</p>
<p>An impressive 227 players from around Europe made the trek to the beautiful city of Venice for Day 1A and 35 of of those qualified online with PokerStars for a fraction of the €2,000 (+€200) tournament buy-in. Sixteen qualifiers ade it through to come back for Day 2 tomorrow (Saturday).</p>
<p>Giacome ended up with 175,000 chips after nine levels of play and is followed by Claudio Pagano with 145,000. The average is 44,950 and a total of 101 players made it throughl.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="claudio_pagano_ipt_venice.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/claudio_pagano_ipt_venice.JPG" width="299" height="450" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><i>Claudio Pagano</center></i><p></p>
<p>Day 1B will kick off later today with another bumper field, including Italian Team PokerStars Pros Dario Minieri and Salvatore Bonavena, and IPT Leaderboard winner Giovanni Salvatore.</p>
<p>You can follow all the action as it happens over on our <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.it">sister Italian blog</a>, where Matteo Viola would be delighted to have your company.</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(84) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2010/giacomo-leads-ipt-venice-day-1a-field-071926.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(84) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2010/giacomo-leads-ipt-venice-day-1a-field-071926.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(18) "Italian Poker Tour"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:28:19 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(1835) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IPT_thn.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/IPT_thn.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>There are few better places in Europe to play poker than Venice. Character, history, beauty, water (plenty of that) and the weather make it very pleasant.</p>
<p>One man who enjoyed poker in the city more than anyone yesterday was PokerStars qualifier Loccarini Giacomo, chipleader of Day 1A of IPT Venice, the second stop of season 2 of the popular Italian Poker Tour.</p>
<p>An impressive 227 players from around Europe made the trek to the beautiful city of Venice for Day 1A and 35 of of those qualified online with PokerStars for a fraction of the €2,000 (+€200) tournament buy-in. Sixteen qualifiers ade it through to come back for Day 2 tomorrow (Saturday).</p>
<p>Giacome ended up with 175,000 chips after nine levels of play and is followed by Claudio Pagano with 145,000. The average is 44,950 and a total of 101 players made it throughl.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="claudio_pagano_ipt_venice.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/claudio_pagano_ipt_venice.JPG" width="299" height="450" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><i>Claudio Pagano</center></i><p></p>
<p>Day 1B will kick off later today with another bumper field, including Italian Team PokerStars Pros Dario Minieri and Salvatore Bonavena, and IPT Leaderboard winner Giovanni Salvatore.</p>
<p>You can follow all the action as it happens over on our <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.it">sister Italian blog</a>, where Matteo Viola would be delighted to have your company.</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(18) "Italian Poker Tour"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(18) "Italian Poker Tour"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280478499)
}
["link"]=>
&object(syndicatedlink)(4) {
["id"]=>
string(3) "114"
["link"]=>
object(stdClass)(23) {
["link_id"]=>
string(3) "114"
["link_url"]=>
string(30) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/"
["link_name"]=>
string(36) "PokerStars Poker Blog :: Tournaments"
["link_image"]=>
string(0) ""
["link_target"]=>
string(0) ""
["link_category"]=>
string(1) "0"
["link_description"]=>
string(146) "Poker blog offering poker tournament news for PokerStars events. Includes European Poker Tour, Asia Pacific Poker Tour, WCOOP, and WSOP coverage."
["link_visible"]=>
string(1) "Y"
["link_owner"]=>
string(1) "1"
["link_rating"]=>
string(1) "0"
["link_updated"]=>
string(19) "0000-00-00 00:00:00"
["link_rel"]=>
string(0) ""
["link_notes"]=>
string(2526) "feed/title#: 1
feed/title: PokerStars Poker Blog :: Tournaments
feed/link#: 1
feed/link: http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/
feed/description#: 1
feed/description: Poker blog offering poker tournament news for PokerStars events. Includes European Poker Tour, Asia Pacific Poker Tour, WCOOP, and WSOP coverage.
feed/language#: 1
feed/language: en
feed/copyright#: 1
feed/copyright: Copyright 2010
feed/lastbuilddate#: 1
feed/lastbuilddate: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:28:19 -0800
feed/generator#: 1
feed/generator: http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/
feed/docs#: 1
feed/docs: http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification
feed/tagline#: 1
feed/tagline: Poker blog offering poker tournament news for PokerStars events. Includes European Poker Tour, Asia Pacific Poker Tour, WCOOP, and WSOP coverage.
feed/subtitle#: 1
feed/subtitle: Poker blog offering poker tournament news for PokerStars events. Includes European Poker Tour, Asia Pacific Poker Tour, WCOOP, and WSOP coverage.
feed/id: http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/tournaments.xml
update/last: 1280497879
update/ttl: 50
update/timed: automatically
update/hold: scheduled
update/unfinished: yes
update/processed: http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/scoop/2010/scoop-is-here-scoop-is-here-069416.html\nhttp://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25k-high-roller-day-2-levels-16-17-b-069412.html\nhttp://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25k-high-roller-day-2-levels-14-15-b-069406.html\nhttp://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-monte-carlo-final-table-level-29-upd-069403.html\nhttp://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-monte-carlo-1-final-table-time-069393.html\nhttp://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25k-high-roller-day-2-levels-1213-069396.html\nhttp://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-monte-carlo-final-table-player-profi-1-069392.html\nhttp://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25k-high-roller-tobias-reinkemeier-c-069387.html\nhttp://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25k-high-roller-day-1-levels-9-10-bl-069381.html\nhttp://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-monte-carlo-day-4-level-27-updates-3-069373.html\nhttp://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25k-high-roller-day-1-levels-7-8-400-069371.html\nhttp://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25-high-roller-day-1-levels-5-6-200--069364.html\nhttp://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-monte-carlo-day-4-levels-25-26-20000-069359.html\nhttp://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25k-high-roller-day-1-levels-34-blin-069355.html\nhttp://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25k-high-roller-day-1-levels-12-blin-069351.html
"
["link_rss"]=>
string(45) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/tournaments.xml"
["object_id"]=>
string(3) "114"
["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
string(1) "3"
["term_order"]=>
string(1) "0"
["term_id"]=>
string(1) "3"
["taxonomy"]=>
string(13) "link_category"
["description"]=>
string(0) ""
["parent"]=>
string(1) "0"
["count"]=>
string(1) "4"
["recently_updated"]=>
string(1) "0"
}
["settings"]=>
array(31) {
["feed/title#"]=>
int(1)
["feed/title"]=>
string(36) "PokerStars Poker Blog :: Tournaments"
["feed/link#"]=>
int(1)
["feed/link"]=>
string(30) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/"
["feed/description#"]=>
int(1)
["feed/description"]=>
string(146) "Poker blog offering poker tournament news for PokerStars events. Includes European Poker Tour, Asia Pacific Poker Tour, WCOOP, and WSOP coverage."
["feed/language#"]=>
int(1)
["feed/language"]=>
string(2) "en"
["feed/copyright#"]=>
int(1)
["feed/copyright"]=>
string(14) "Copyright 2010"
["feed/lastbuilddate#"]=>
int(1)
["feed/lastbuilddate"]=>
string(31) "Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:03:36 -0800"
["feed/generator#"]=>
int(1)
["feed/generator"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/"
["feed/docs#"]=>
int(1)
["feed/docs"]=>
string(41) "http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification"
["feed/tagline#"]=>
int(1)
["feed/tagline"]=>
string(146) "Poker blog offering poker tournament news for PokerStars events. Includes European Poker Tour, Asia Pacific Poker Tour, WCOOP, and WSOP coverage."
["feed/subtitle#"]=>
int(1)
["feed/subtitle"]=>
string(146) "Poker blog offering poker tournament news for PokerStars events. Includes European Poker Tour, Asia Pacific Poker Tour, WCOOP, and WSOP coverage."
["feed/id"]=>
string(45) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/tournaments.xml"
["update/last"]=>
int(1280505769)
["update/ttl"]=>
int(39)
["update/timed"]=>
string(13) "automatically"
["update/hold"]=>
string(9) "scheduled"
["update/unfinished"]=>
string(3) "yes"
["update/processed"]=>
string(1361) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/scoop/2010/scoop-is-here-scoop-is-here-069416.html
http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25k-high-roller-day-2-levels-16-17-b-069412.html
http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25k-high-roller-day-2-levels-14-15-b-069406.html
http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-monte-carlo-final-table-level-29-upd-069403.html
http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-monte-carlo-1-final-table-time-069393.html
http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25k-high-roller-day-2-levels-1213-069396.html
http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-monte-carlo-final-table-player-profi-1-069392.html
http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25k-high-roller-tobias-reinkemeier-c-069387.html
http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25k-high-roller-day-1-levels-9-10-bl-069381.html
http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-monte-carlo-day-4-level-27-updates-3-069373.html
http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25k-high-roller-day-1-levels-7-8-400-069371.html
http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25-high-roller-day-1-levels-5-6-200--069364.html
http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-monte-carlo-day-4-levels-25-26-20000-069359.html
http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25k-high-roller-day-1-levels-34-blin-069355.html
http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/ept/2010/ept-25k-high-roller-day-1-levels-12-blin-069351.html"
["link/uri"]=>
string(45) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/tournaments.xml"
["link/name"]=>
string(36) "PokerStars Poker Blog :: Tournaments"
["link/id"]=>
string(3) "114"
["map authors"]=>
array(1) {
["name"]=>
array(1) {
["pokerstars poker blog :: tournaments"]=>
string(2) "90"
}
}
}
["magpie"]=>
object(magpierss)(32) {
["parser"]=>
resource(94) of type (Unknown)
["current_item"]=>
array(0) {
}
["items"]=>
array(15) {
[0]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(37) "Giacomo leads IPT Venice Day 1A field"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(1835) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IPT_thn.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/IPT_thn.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>There are few better places in Europe to play poker than Venice. Character, history, beauty, water (plenty of that) and the weather make it very pleasant.</p>
<p>One man who enjoyed poker in the city more than anyone yesterday was PokerStars qualifier Loccarini Giacomo, chipleader of Day 1A of IPT Venice, the second stop of season 2 of the popular Italian Poker Tour.</p>
<p>An impressive 227 players from around Europe made the trek to the beautiful city of Venice for Day 1A and 35 of of those qualified online with PokerStars for a fraction of the €2,000 (+€200) tournament buy-in. Sixteen qualifiers ade it through to come back for Day 2 tomorrow (Saturday).</p>
<p>Giacome ended up with 175,000 chips after nine levels of play and is followed by Claudio Pagano with 145,000. The average is 44,950 and a total of 101 players made it throughl.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="claudio_pagano_ipt_venice.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/claudio_pagano_ipt_venice.JPG" width="299" height="450" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><i>Claudio Pagano</center></i><p></p>
<p>Day 1B will kick off later today with another bumper field, including Italian Team PokerStars Pros Dario Minieri and Salvatore Bonavena, and IPT Leaderboard winner Giovanni Salvatore.</p>
<p>You can follow all the action as it happens over on our <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.it">sister Italian blog</a>, where Matteo Viola would be delighted to have your company.</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(84) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2010/giacomo-leads-ipt-venice-day-1a-field-071926.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(84) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2010/giacomo-leads-ipt-venice-day-1a-field-071926.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(18) "Italian Poker Tour"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:28:19 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(1835) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IPT_thn.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/IPT_thn.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>There are few better places in Europe to play poker than Venice. Character, history, beauty, water (plenty of that) and the weather make it very pleasant.</p>
<p>One man who enjoyed poker in the city more than anyone yesterday was PokerStars qualifier Loccarini Giacomo, chipleader of Day 1A of IPT Venice, the second stop of season 2 of the popular Italian Poker Tour.</p>
<p>An impressive 227 players from around Europe made the trek to the beautiful city of Venice for Day 1A and 35 of of those qualified online with PokerStars for a fraction of the €2,000 (+€200) tournament buy-in. Sixteen qualifiers ade it through to come back for Day 2 tomorrow (Saturday).</p>
<p>Giacome ended up with 175,000 chips after nine levels of play and is followed by Claudio Pagano with 145,000. The average is 44,950 and a total of 101 players made it throughl.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="claudio_pagano_ipt_venice.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/claudio_pagano_ipt_venice.JPG" width="299" height="450" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><i>Claudio Pagano</center></i><p></p>
<p>Day 1B will kick off later today with another bumper field, including Italian Team PokerStars Pros Dario Minieri and Salvatore Bonavena, and IPT Leaderboard winner Giovanni Salvatore.</p>
<p>You can follow all the action as it happens over on our <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.it">sister Italian blog</a>, where Matteo Viola would be delighted to have your company.</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(18) "Italian Poker Tour"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(18) "Italian Poker Tour"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280478499)
}
[1]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(45) "Venice hosts latest leg of Italian Poker Tour"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(1773) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IPT_thn.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/IPT_thn.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>It's hard to believe we're already well in to season two of the PokerStars Italian Poker Tour. This series has surpassed all expectations and is now one of the most hotly-contested events in the European poker calendar.</p>
<p>Tomorrow sees the start of IPT Venice, a €2,000 (+ €200) buy-in tournament held in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.</p>
<p>Casino Ca' Noghera is the place to be, but if you can't make it you can follow all the action on our <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.it/">sister Italian blog</a>. There you'll find Matteo Viola hard at work bringing you the words and photos. Don't read Italian? A small problem, you may think, but by using <a href="http://translate.google.com/?hl=en&sl=ru&tl=en#">Google's translation tool</a> you'll be up to speed in no time! Warning: the tool does not come with free arm-waving and wild Italian gesticulation.</p>
<p>Watch out for a host of big names in Venice, including the Italian faction of Team PokerStars Pro and Team PokerStars Online as they battle to repeat the trick pulled off by Luigi Pignataro, who won the title and €190,000 in the season's first event in San Marino in June.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="luigi_pignataro_ipt_winner.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/luigi_pignataro_ipt_winner.jpg" width="450" height="299" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><i>Luigi Pignataro</center></i><p></p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(87) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2010/venice-hosts-latest-leg-of-italian-poker-071880.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(87) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2010/venice-hosts-latest-leg-of-italian-poker-071880.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(18) "Italian Poker Tour"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:59:09 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(1773) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IPT_thn.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/IPT_thn.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>It's hard to believe we're already well in to season two of the PokerStars Italian Poker Tour. This series has surpassed all expectations and is now one of the most hotly-contested events in the European poker calendar.</p>
<p>Tomorrow sees the start of IPT Venice, a €2,000 (+ €200) buy-in tournament held in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.</p>
<p>Casino Ca' Noghera is the place to be, but if you can't make it you can follow all the action on our <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.it/">sister Italian blog</a>. There you'll find Matteo Viola hard at work bringing you the words and photos. Don't read Italian? A small problem, you may think, but by using <a href="http://translate.google.com/?hl=en&sl=ru&tl=en#">Google's translation tool</a> you'll be up to speed in no time! Warning: the tool does not come with free arm-waving and wild Italian gesticulation.</p>
<p>Watch out for a host of big names in Venice, including the Italian faction of Team PokerStars Pro and Team PokerStars Online as they battle to repeat the trick pulled off by Luigi Pignataro, who won the title and €190,000 in the season's first event in San Marino in June.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="luigi_pignataro_ipt_winner.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/luigi_pignataro_ipt_winner.jpg" width="450" height="299" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><i>Luigi Pignataro</center></i><p></p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(18) "Italian Poker Tour"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(18) "Italian Poker Tour"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280318349)
}
[2]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(63) "SHIP_IT.NET ships July 27 Super Tuesday after three-handed deal"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(7984) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Super Tuesday logo.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/Super%20Tuesday%20logo.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span> The final $1,000 + 50 Super Tuesday of July on PokerStars drew a field of 402 players, creating a $402,000 prize pool This was a slight increase from last week's 384 participants, with the final 45 making the money, with the winner expecting to take down the first prize of $77,787.</p>
<p>A handful of Team PokerStars players participated in the Super Tuesday tournament, however none lasted long enough to make the money. Team PokerStars PRO Veronica "princesa" Dabul was the last member of Team PokerStars with chips, eventually finishing 63rd, two tables short of the money. </p>
<p>The final table bubble was burst on in a hand between chip leader Peetoon and alwaysnice. Peetoon made a raise from UTG +1 to 12,500 as alwaysnice called from the big blind. The flop came down [8d][5c][4d] with alwaysnice check-raising Peetoon's 17,500 bet to 56,000 as Peetoon made the call. The [5h] on the turn had alwaysnice moving in for their final 152,653 with Peetoon making the call with [qh] [qd]. Alwaysnice wasn't feeling so nice, revealing [ad][8s], when the [Jh] came on the river meaning a 10th place finish, good for $6,030. The final table was at table 27 with play resuming at level 30, with blinds at 2,800/5,600 and a 700 ante:</p>
<p>Seat 1: anybodybut17 (102808 in chips) <br />
Seat 2: D0N4LdO (177436 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: thechips55 (97926 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: justcall6969 (282654 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: tonyton55 (84021 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: Peetoon (671915 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: SHIP_IT.NET (148609 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: Altrum Altus (366467 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: foolflash (78164 in chips) </p>
<p><br />
<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/Big%20Tuesday%2007272010.jpg"><img alt="Big Tuesday 07272010.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/Big Tuesday 07272010-thumb-450x318-105006.jpg" width="450" height="318" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p><strong>Justcall6969 eliminates two for Tuesday</strong></p>
<p>The final table went just five hands before the first elimination as D0N4LdO 4-bet all-in their last 112k with [9s][9d] with justcall6969 calling with [Ad][Kh]. The [Jc] [As] [Th} flop moved justcall6969 into the lead. D0N4ldO was unable to retake the lead as the turn and river went [2c][8c], earning $7,035 for a ninth place finish. A few hands later, justcall6969 added to their stack by calling thechips55's UTG shove with [Kc][Qc] with[As][Qd]. The board ran out [8d] [6s] [4d] [4h] [4c], leaving thechips55 without chips, collecting $9,648 for an eighth place finish.</p>
<p><strong>Three-way all-in, anybodybut17 sent packing </strong></p>
<p>Play had moved to level 31 with blinds at 3200/6400 with an 800 ante as the action at the Super Tuesday final table didn't slow down. as the three shortest stacks -- foolflash, anybodybut17 and tonyton55 put all of their chips in the middle before the flop. Tonyton55 had the other two players covered, as well as having the best hand: [kc][kd] with anybodybut17 holding [qc][qs] and foolflash holding [th][9s]. The [4s] [8d] [8c] flop was good for tonyton55, but the [7d] gave foolflash an open-ended straight draw. The [Jh] on the river moved foolflash from worst to first with a runner-runner straight, as Anybodybut17 was eliminated in seventh place for $13,668.</p>
<p><strong>Peetoon pockets pair of protagonists </strong></p>
<p>Play slowed down as the remaining six players stole blinds and antes for several hands. However, Peetoon would retake the chip lead from justcall6969, first disposing of tonyton55's stack when Peetoon's [7d][7h] held up against [As][Jc] as the board ran out [8h] [4s] [2h] [2s] [4d], leaving tonyton55 with a sixth place finish with $17,688 appearing in their account. On the very next hand with blinds now at 3,600/7,200 with a 900 ante, Peetoon opened with a raise, as foolflash moved in from the big blind for last 129,492 with [Ad][3c]. Peetoon made the call with a dominating [as][8s]. The flop was [9c] [Tc] [8d], the [Qh] gave foolflash hopes for a chop with a Jack, which disappeared when the [4c] appeared on the river instead. Foolflash finished in fifth place, earning $22,914 for the effort.</p>
<p><strong>Altrum Altus sent to rail by Ace</strong><br />
Altrum Altus started the final table second in chips, but the chip stack was moving in the wrong direction when their final hand happened. Altrum Altus made a raise to 14,600 with justcall6969 and Peetoon both calling from the blinds. The flop of [Ts][Qh][4h] had Peetoon bet 24,000, followed by Altrum Altus shoving for 161,458 holding [Ks][Kd]. Justcall6969 folded while Peetoon made the call with [ah][5h]. The call was rewarded when the turn brought the [Ad], with the [3d] river meant Altrum Altus leaving the virtual table in fourth place, cashing for $33,165.</p>
<p><strong>Fortunate five favors SHIP_IT.NET </strong></p>
<p>Play was now three-handed with Peetoon and justcall6969 holding most of the chips, while SHIP_IT.NET was down to just over 100,000 as the players wanted to discuss a deal. It took some time for someone to help with the numbers while play continued. SHIP_IT.NET moved in with [5d][5c] over justcall6969's raise, making the call with [Ac][9c]. The flop of [3s][ad][7d], along with the [2c] turn left few outs available. Fortunately, the river was the [5h] as SHIP_IT.NET doubled up to over 250,000 in chips, still in third, but hoping to make his move. </p>
<p><strong>A deal is made, a tournament is finished</strong></p>
<p>During the :55 minute hourly break, a PokerStars representative appeared at the table to negotiate a deal among the remaining players. Here's how the chip stacks looked, along with the adjusted figures if a deal was made:</p>
<p>Peetoon 877,266 $65,366.70 <br />
justcall6969 791,198 $62,615.89 <br />
SHIP_IT.NET 341,536 $52,314.40</p>
<p>SHIP_IT.NET stated he would rather have $55,000. Peetoon was reluctant to contribute, while justcall6969 countered to give $1,500. That wasn't enough for SHIP_IT.NET's needs, and after a few minutes, justcall6969 decided to give SHIP_IT.NET the $2,685.60 needed to complete the deal, and all three quickly agreed left to play for TLB points and bragging rights.</p>
<p>The trio played another 25 hands before deciding to end the tournament by going all-in every hand. On the first hand, SHIP_IT.NET won the first hand when his [kh][5d] outflopped Peetoon's [aC] [9h] and justcall6969's [8h][3h] to take the lead. The second hand saw Peetoon turn a straight, eliminating justcall6969 in third for $59,930.30. The final hand of the tournament had SHIP_IT.NET waking up with [jd][jc] while Peetoon held [Ah][3d]. The chance of a double-up didn't happen, with the final five cards dealt being [2h] [5s] [2d] [Kd] [Qd], giving Peetoon the second place finish, but pocketing the most money, $65,366.70. That leaves SHIP_IT.NET with the Super Tuesday victory, good for $55,000.</p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Super Tuesday Results for 07/27/10:</strong></p>
<p>1st place: SHIP_IT.NET (Norristown) - $55,000.00*<br />
2nd place: Peetoon (Minsk) - $65,366.70*<br />
3rd place: justcall6969 (Woodstock) - $59,930.30*<br />
4th place: Altrum Altus (Sioux City) - $33,165<br />
5th place: foolflash (The Zoo) - $22,914<br />
6th place: tonyton55 (Lansing) - $17,688<br />
7th place: anybodybuy17 (Charlotte) - $13,668<br />
8th place: thechips55 (Penn Valley) - $9,648<br />
9th place: D0N4LdO (Bookham) - $7,035</p>
<p>* Payouts adjusted for 3-way deal.<br />
</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(101) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/super_tuesday/2010/ship-itnet-ships-july-27-super-tuesday-a-071879.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(101) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/super_tuesday/2010/ship-itnet-ships-july-27-super-tuesday-a-071879.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(13) "Super Tuesday"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:59:00 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(7984) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Super Tuesday logo.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/Super%20Tuesday%20logo.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span> The final $1,000 + 50 Super Tuesday of July on PokerStars drew a field of 402 players, creating a $402,000 prize pool This was a slight increase from last week's 384 participants, with the final 45 making the money, with the winner expecting to take down the first prize of $77,787.</p>
<p>A handful of Team PokerStars players participated in the Super Tuesday tournament, however none lasted long enough to make the money. Team PokerStars PRO Veronica "princesa" Dabul was the last member of Team PokerStars with chips, eventually finishing 63rd, two tables short of the money. </p>
<p>The final table bubble was burst on in a hand between chip leader Peetoon and alwaysnice. Peetoon made a raise from UTG +1 to 12,500 as alwaysnice called from the big blind. The flop came down [8d][5c][4d] with alwaysnice check-raising Peetoon's 17,500 bet to 56,000 as Peetoon made the call. The [5h] on the turn had alwaysnice moving in for their final 152,653 with Peetoon making the call with [qh] [qd]. Alwaysnice wasn't feeling so nice, revealing [ad][8s], when the [Jh] came on the river meaning a 10th place finish, good for $6,030. The final table was at table 27 with play resuming at level 30, with blinds at 2,800/5,600 and a 700 ante:</p>
<p>Seat 1: anybodybut17 (102808 in chips) <br />
Seat 2: D0N4LdO (177436 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: thechips55 (97926 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: justcall6969 (282654 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: tonyton55 (84021 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: Peetoon (671915 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: SHIP_IT.NET (148609 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: Altrum Altus (366467 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: foolflash (78164 in chips) </p>
<p><br />
<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/Big%20Tuesday%2007272010.jpg"><img alt="Big Tuesday 07272010.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/Big Tuesday 07272010-thumb-450x318-105006.jpg" width="450" height="318" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p><strong>Justcall6969 eliminates two for Tuesday</strong></p>
<p>The final table went just five hands before the first elimination as D0N4LdO 4-bet all-in their last 112k with [9s][9d] with justcall6969 calling with [Ad][Kh]. The [Jc] [As] [Th} flop moved justcall6969 into the lead. D0N4ldO was unable to retake the lead as the turn and river went [2c][8c], earning $7,035 for a ninth place finish. A few hands later, justcall6969 added to their stack by calling thechips55's UTG shove with [Kc][Qc] with[As][Qd]. The board ran out [8d] [6s] [4d] [4h] [4c], leaving thechips55 without chips, collecting $9,648 for an eighth place finish.</p>
<p><strong>Three-way all-in, anybodybut17 sent packing </strong></p>
<p>Play had moved to level 31 with blinds at 3200/6400 with an 800 ante as the action at the Super Tuesday final table didn't slow down. as the three shortest stacks -- foolflash, anybodybut17 and tonyton55 put all of their chips in the middle before the flop. Tonyton55 had the other two players covered, as well as having the best hand: [kc][kd] with anybodybut17 holding [qc][qs] and foolflash holding [th][9s]. The [4s] [8d] [8c] flop was good for tonyton55, but the [7d] gave foolflash an open-ended straight draw. The [Jh] on the river moved foolflash from worst to first with a runner-runner straight, as Anybodybut17 was eliminated in seventh place for $13,668.</p>
<p><strong>Peetoon pockets pair of protagonists </strong></p>
<p>Play slowed down as the remaining six players stole blinds and antes for several hands. However, Peetoon would retake the chip lead from justcall6969, first disposing of tonyton55's stack when Peetoon's [7d][7h] held up against [As][Jc] as the board ran out [8h] [4s] [2h] [2s] [4d], leaving tonyton55 with a sixth place finish with $17,688 appearing in their account. On the very next hand with blinds now at 3,600/7,200 with a 900 ante, Peetoon opened with a raise, as foolflash moved in from the big blind for last 129,492 with [Ad][3c]. Peetoon made the call with a dominating [as][8s]. The flop was [9c] [Tc] [8d], the [Qh] gave foolflash hopes for a chop with a Jack, which disappeared when the [4c] appeared on the river instead. Foolflash finished in fifth place, earning $22,914 for the effort.</p>
<p><strong>Altrum Altus sent to rail by Ace</strong><br />
Altrum Altus started the final table second in chips, but the chip stack was moving in the wrong direction when their final hand happened. Altrum Altus made a raise to 14,600 with justcall6969 and Peetoon both calling from the blinds. The flop of [Ts][Qh][4h] had Peetoon bet 24,000, followed by Altrum Altus shoving for 161,458 holding [Ks][Kd]. Justcall6969 folded while Peetoon made the call with [ah][5h]. The call was rewarded when the turn brought the [Ad], with the [3d] river meant Altrum Altus leaving the virtual table in fourth place, cashing for $33,165.</p>
<p><strong>Fortunate five favors SHIP_IT.NET </strong></p>
<p>Play was now three-handed with Peetoon and justcall6969 holding most of the chips, while SHIP_IT.NET was down to just over 100,000 as the players wanted to discuss a deal. It took some time for someone to help with the numbers while play continued. SHIP_IT.NET moved in with [5d][5c] over justcall6969's raise, making the call with [Ac][9c]. The flop of [3s][ad][7d], along with the [2c] turn left few outs available. Fortunately, the river was the [5h] as SHIP_IT.NET doubled up to over 250,000 in chips, still in third, but hoping to make his move. </p>
<p><strong>A deal is made, a tournament is finished</strong></p>
<p>During the :55 minute hourly break, a PokerStars representative appeared at the table to negotiate a deal among the remaining players. Here's how the chip stacks looked, along with the adjusted figures if a deal was made:</p>
<p>Peetoon 877,266 $65,366.70 <br />
justcall6969 791,198 $62,615.89 <br />
SHIP_IT.NET 341,536 $52,314.40</p>
<p>SHIP_IT.NET stated he would rather have $55,000. Peetoon was reluctant to contribute, while justcall6969 countered to give $1,500. That wasn't enough for SHIP_IT.NET's needs, and after a few minutes, justcall6969 decided to give SHIP_IT.NET the $2,685.60 needed to complete the deal, and all three quickly agreed left to play for TLB points and bragging rights.</p>
<p>The trio played another 25 hands before deciding to end the tournament by going all-in every hand. On the first hand, SHIP_IT.NET won the first hand when his [kh][5d] outflopped Peetoon's [aC] [9h] and justcall6969's [8h][3h] to take the lead. The second hand saw Peetoon turn a straight, eliminating justcall6969 in third for $59,930.30. The final hand of the tournament had SHIP_IT.NET waking up with [jd][jc] while Peetoon held [Ah][3d]. The chance of a double-up didn't happen, with the final five cards dealt being [2h] [5s] [2d] [Kd] [Qd], giving Peetoon the second place finish, but pocketing the most money, $65,366.70. That leaves SHIP_IT.NET with the Super Tuesday victory, good for $55,000.</p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Super Tuesday Results for 07/27/10:</strong></p>
<p>1st place: SHIP_IT.NET (Norristown) - $55,000.00*<br />
2nd place: Peetoon (Minsk) - $65,366.70*<br />
3rd place: justcall6969 (Woodstock) - $59,930.30*<br />
4th place: Altrum Altus (Sioux City) - $33,165<br />
5th place: foolflash (The Zoo) - $22,914<br />
6th place: tonyton55 (Lansing) - $17,688<br />
7th place: anybodybuy17 (Charlotte) - $13,668<br />
8th place: thechips55 (Penn Valley) - $9,648<br />
9th place: D0N4LdO (Bookham) - $7,035</p>
<p>* Payouts adjusted for 3-way deal.<br />
</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(13) "Super Tuesday"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(13) "Super Tuesday"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280318340)
}
[3]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(50) "Qualify now for your shot at riches in The Bahamas"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(2943) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="PCA-2010-thumbnail.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/PCA-2010-thumbnail.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>Take a good look at the young gentleman in this photograph. This is Harrison Gimbel, who became the youngest ever PokerStars Caribbean Adventure winner in January. With victory came respect and admiration from the poker world. Oh, and the small matter of $2.2 million. That's a lot of money for a 19-year-old. His reaction at the time? "I feel like a rock star," he said.</p>
<p>Well, as you likely know by now the PCA, held at the luxurious Atlantis resort in The Bahamas, is a yearly affair and gives you the chance to follow in Gimbel's golden footsteps and make millions for yourself.</p>
<p>Even though the 2011 festival next January may seem far off, there are plenty of ways for you to win your seat on PokerStars right now. And already many of you have done just that.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="harrison_gimbel_pokerstars_pca.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/harrison_gimbel_pokerstars_pca.jpg" width="300" height="450" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><i>Harrison Gimbel</center></i><p></p>
<p>You can find full details about how to bag your seat on the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/caribbean-adventure/">PokerStars PCA page</a>, but here is a summary to start you on your way...</p>
<p><b>The PCA Mega Path</b><br />
Put your FPPs (Frequent Player Points) to work by using them to enter Mega Path satellites to win your trip of a lifetime to The Bahamas. Starting from just 5 FPPs, you can make your way through the rounds until you get to Round 9, where there are PCA prize packages up for grabs. You can also buy-in directly to any round at any time.</p>
<p>To register, open the PokerStars lobby and click 'Events' >> 'PCA'.</p>
<p><i>So far more than seven million FPPs (yes, you read that right) have been used by PokerStars players on the Mega Path.</i></p>
<p>There's only a month left until the Round 9 on August 29, so start planning your assault now.</p>
<p><b>Weekly $700 satellites</b><br />
These are running each Sunday at 6pm (ET) and offer a great way of securing your package (which includes Main Event entry, accommodation and more). Team PokerStars Pro Jude Ainsworth has won his seat this way already.</p>
<p><b>Step 6</b><br />
Enter the special $2,000 + $100 Step 6 qualifiers (again click on Events >> PCA in the PokerStars lobby).</p>
<p>Other routes to Bahamas glory will be announced soon, so keep an eye on the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/caribbean-adventure/">PCA page</a> for more announcements.</p>
<p>Good luck, and we look forward to welcoming you to The Bahamas!</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(91) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/pca/2010/qualify-now-for-your-shot-at-riches-in-t-071878.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(91) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/pca/2010/qualify-now-for-your-shot-at-riches-in-t-071878.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(30) "PokerStars Caribbean Adventure"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:48:04 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(2943) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="PCA-2010-thumbnail.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/PCA-2010-thumbnail.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>Take a good look at the young gentleman in this photograph. This is Harrison Gimbel, who became the youngest ever PokerStars Caribbean Adventure winner in January. With victory came respect and admiration from the poker world. Oh, and the small matter of $2.2 million. That's a lot of money for a 19-year-old. His reaction at the time? "I feel like a rock star," he said.</p>
<p>Well, as you likely know by now the PCA, held at the luxurious Atlantis resort in The Bahamas, is a yearly affair and gives you the chance to follow in Gimbel's golden footsteps and make millions for yourself.</p>
<p>Even though the 2011 festival next January may seem far off, there are plenty of ways for you to win your seat on PokerStars right now. And already many of you have done just that.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="harrison_gimbel_pokerstars_pca.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/harrison_gimbel_pokerstars_pca.jpg" width="300" height="450" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><i>Harrison Gimbel</center></i><p></p>
<p>You can find full details about how to bag your seat on the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/caribbean-adventure/">PokerStars PCA page</a>, but here is a summary to start you on your way...</p>
<p><b>The PCA Mega Path</b><br />
Put your FPPs (Frequent Player Points) to work by using them to enter Mega Path satellites to win your trip of a lifetime to The Bahamas. Starting from just 5 FPPs, you can make your way through the rounds until you get to Round 9, where there are PCA prize packages up for grabs. You can also buy-in directly to any round at any time.</p>
<p>To register, open the PokerStars lobby and click 'Events' >> 'PCA'.</p>
<p><i>So far more than seven million FPPs (yes, you read that right) have been used by PokerStars players on the Mega Path.</i></p>
<p>There's only a month left until the Round 9 on August 29, so start planning your assault now.</p>
<p><b>Weekly $700 satellites</b><br />
These are running each Sunday at 6pm (ET) and offer a great way of securing your package (which includes Main Event entry, accommodation and more). Team PokerStars Pro Jude Ainsworth has won his seat this way already.</p>
<p><b>Step 6</b><br />
Enter the special $2,000 + $100 Step 6 qualifiers (again click on Events >> PCA in the PokerStars lobby).</p>
<p>Other routes to Bahamas glory will be announced soon, so keep an eye on the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/caribbean-adventure/">PCA page</a> for more announcements.</p>
<p>Good luck, and we look forward to welcoming you to The Bahamas!</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(30) "PokerStars Caribbean Adventure"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(30) "PokerStars Caribbean Adventure"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280314084)
}
[4]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(71) "BarneyR2005 beats B Buddy to grab nearly $245K and Sunday Million title"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(10672) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Sunday Million logo.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/Sunday%20Million%20logo.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>The last Sunday of each month is special. Not only are the regular Sunday tournaments on tap for players looking for the biggest guarantees and best fields on the internet, but PokerStars hosts some special tournaments for its players. There is the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/botp/2010/battle-of-the-planets-chip-chop-for-fina-071830.html">Battle of the Planets</a>, a freeroll competition solely for the top players on the weekly sit-n-go leaderboards with a $50K prize pool. And there is the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/tt/2010/turbo-takedown-conning-to-victory-connbo-071832.html">$1,000,000 Turbo Takedown</a>, a stellar prize pool set up for anyone with 3,000 Frequent Player Points, and a tournament that puts bounties on PokerStars Team Pros as well as awards an Audi TT to the ultimate winner. So July 25 was kinda a big deal.</p>
<p>And then there was the Sunday Million, the biggest guarantee in online poker's weekly offerings. With its standard buy-in of $200 + $15, the guarantee was set at $1.5 million, and players couldn't have been more anxious to take a chance at it. That resulted in a registration number of 8,319, which prompted the prize pool to grow to $1,663,800.00. As the tournament moved forward, the top 1,260 players were paid for their efforts, and the final table neared after a few more hours.</p>
<p>Finally, it was during hand-for-hand action that marlin5555 put his tournament on the line with an all-in move for 2,703,411 chips. Original raiser B Buddy folded, but dehoo called from the big blind with [Ad][9d]. Marlin5555 showed [Ac][Tc] for the chance to double-up, but the [8c][Qs][Ah][9h][2c] board did not agree. The two pair eliminated marlin5555 in tenth place, for which he was awarded $8,818.14.</p>
<p><strong>B Buddy making no friends, only taking names</strong></p>
<p>It was about 15 minutes shy of the ten-hour mark of the tournament that the final table was set, and it happened in the middle of Level 35, with blinds at 200,000/400,000 and a 40,000 ante. The starting chip counts were as follows:</p>
<p>Seat 1: nenita02 (2,691,048 in chips)<br />
Seat 2: BarneyR2005 (12,323,682 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: BWFCLEE (3,469,267 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: Cukbandit (4,317,891 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: dehoo (17,750,105 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: RonaldKosh (13,404,071 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: bostero27 (5,798,694 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: kirbyi17 (2,479,980 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: B Buddy (20,955,262 in chips)</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/2010 Million final table 07.25.10-104939.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/2010 Million final table 07.25.10-104939.html','popup','width=633,height=460,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/2010 Million final table 07.25.10-thumb-450x327-104939.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="2010 Million final table 07.25.10.JPG" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p>B Buddy came on strong as action got underway, as it only took a few hands for the chip leader to grab another 15 million chips from dehoo. Soon after, B Buddy neared the 30 million chip range to solidify that lead.</p>
<p>But it was one of the shorter stacks who chose to get involved next. BWFCLEE made the decision to risk 2,809,267 chips with [Ac][Qc] preflop, and original raiser BarneyR2005 called with [Ts][Th]. The race was on until the [Tc][As][8s] flop hit to give BarneyR2005 the set of tens. The [7s] on the turn changed nothing, and the [Qd] on the river was too little too late for BWFCLEE, who finished the tournament in ninth place with $12,894.45.</p>
<p>A few rounds later, another battle between dehoo and B Buddy ensued, as the two got involved to see the flop of [8c][9c][5s]. Dehoo was the first to bet, and B Buddy check-raised. Dehoo responded with an all-in move for 9,513,105 chips, and B Buddy made the call with [Ah][9h] for top pair. Dehoo showed [Qc][Tc] for the flush draw, but the [5h] turn and [2d] left him still waiting. And the eighth place prize of $18,301.80 was awarded to dehoo.</p>
<p>One of the original short stacks, kirbyi17, saw his stack cut in half during the first few rounds of action, and the all-in move came for his remaining 1,079,980 chips from the small blind with [Kc][8d]. B Buddy was in the big blind and made the call with only [3s][2s], but the flop came [4d][5c][Ad] to give him the straight. The board completed with [Ac] and [Qs], and that eliminated kirbyi17 in seventh place with $33,276.00.</p>
<p>Play was moving along at a fairly rapid pace thus far, and it wasn't letting up. Bostero27 moved all-in preflop for just less than 2 million chips, and nenita02 called with [Ac][Tc], which dominated the [As][4d] of bostero27. The board was a rather uneventful [2d][8h][8s][7c][8d], and that sent bostero27 packing in sixth place, which was worth $49,914.00.</p>
<p><strong>No deal to see here, just keep it moving</strong></p>
<p>Talks of seeing chip-chop numbers were quickly squashed when B Buddy, who then had more than 40 million chips, explained succinctly that he was not interested in a deal. With that, they moved on.</p>
<p>But everyone didn't move on for long. Cukbandit was down to little more than 1 million chips and pushed it preflop with [As][4h]. BarneyR2005 called from the big blind with [7c][4c] and hit the flop immediately when it came [7d][Td][Jd]. That pair of sevens held as the [Jc] turned and the [3h] rivered to end the hand. Cukbandit was gone in fifth place with $66,552.00.</p>
<p>And in the time it took to write up the last hand, another all-in was in progress. RonaldKosh made a big push preflop with [Ac][9s] and 8,094,071 in chips. BarneyR2005 called from the big blind with [7d][7s]. Another race was on, but the [8s][3s][7c] put the kibosh on that by giving BarneyR2005 the set of sevens. The [5d] and [2s] completed the hand, and RonaldKosh was sent off in fourth place with $83,190.00.</p>
<p><strong>Striking distance</strong></p>
<p>The last hand put BarneyR2005 within close striking distance of B Buddy, and the gap quickly closed as the two battled for the chip lead. It was the first time during final table action that B Buddy had someone to worry about.</p>
<p>And a short while after, the following hand resulted in a change of the lead:</p>
<center><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53056_DE9E568D7D.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53056{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53056_DE9E568D7D.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53056{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></center>
<p><em><center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></em></p>
<p>Still in swift play mode, a big hand developed that started with B Buddy raising all-in and nenita02 calling all-in for 5,701,838 chips. B Buddy showed only [5d][3d], and nenita02 dominated with [Ks][Js]. But B Buddy caught a five on the [4c][8c][5s] flop, and the [Ac] turn and [9h] allowed that pair to stand. Nenita02 went out in third place with $124,785.00. </p>
<p><strong>How the table turns so quickly</strong></p>
<p>The two players were heads-up before the 10.5-hour mark, and it was BarneyR2005 on top as the chip counts showed:</p>
<p>Seat 2: BarneyR2005 (43,831,754 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: B Buddy (39,358,246 in chips)</p>
<p>The battle ensued and found both players taking the chip lead at various points during the match, but BarneyR2005 refused to let up on the aggression. Finally, with BarneyR2005 holding more than 70 million of the chips in play, B Buddy took a chance with [Ah][7s]. BarneyR2005 called with [9d][7d], and the board came [9h][Ks][7h][4d][4c] to give BarneyR2005 the best two pair. That left B Buddy eliminated in second place with $178,858.50.</p>
<p>BarneyR2005 claimed victory in the July 25th edition of the Sunday Million, and the reward was $244,749.39 and the coveted title.</p>
<p><strong>Sunday Million Results for 07/25/10:</strong></p>
<p>1st place: BarneyR2005 ($244,749.39)<br />
2nd place: B Buddy ($178,858.50)<br />
3rd place: nenita02 ($124,785.00)<br />
4th place: RonaldKosh ($83,190.00)<br />
5th place: Cukbandit ($66,552.00)<br />
6th place: bostero27 ($49.914.00)<br />
7th place: kirbyi17 ($33,276.00)<br />
8th place: dehoo ($18,301.80)<br />
9th place: BWFCLEE ($12,894.45)</p>
<p>For more information on ways to register and qualify for upcoming Sunday Million tournaments, visit the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/tournaments/sunday-million/">Sunday Million</a> page.</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(90) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sm/2010/barneyr2005-beats-b-buddy-to-grab-nearly-071833.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(90) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sm/2010/barneyr2005-beats-b-buddy-to-grab-nearly-071833.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(14) "Sunday Million"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:24:15 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(10672) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Sunday Million logo.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/Sunday%20Million%20logo.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>The last Sunday of each month is special. Not only are the regular Sunday tournaments on tap for players looking for the biggest guarantees and best fields on the internet, but PokerStars hosts some special tournaments for its players. There is the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/botp/2010/battle-of-the-planets-chip-chop-for-fina-071830.html">Battle of the Planets</a>, a freeroll competition solely for the top players on the weekly sit-n-go leaderboards with a $50K prize pool. And there is the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/tt/2010/turbo-takedown-conning-to-victory-connbo-071832.html">$1,000,000 Turbo Takedown</a>, a stellar prize pool set up for anyone with 3,000 Frequent Player Points, and a tournament that puts bounties on PokerStars Team Pros as well as awards an Audi TT to the ultimate winner. So July 25 was kinda a big deal.</p>
<p>And then there was the Sunday Million, the biggest guarantee in online poker's weekly offerings. With its standard buy-in of $200 + $15, the guarantee was set at $1.5 million, and players couldn't have been more anxious to take a chance at it. That resulted in a registration number of 8,319, which prompted the prize pool to grow to $1,663,800.00. As the tournament moved forward, the top 1,260 players were paid for their efforts, and the final table neared after a few more hours.</p>
<p>Finally, it was during hand-for-hand action that marlin5555 put his tournament on the line with an all-in move for 2,703,411 chips. Original raiser B Buddy folded, but dehoo called from the big blind with [Ad][9d]. Marlin5555 showed [Ac][Tc] for the chance to double-up, but the [8c][Qs][Ah][9h][2c] board did not agree. The two pair eliminated marlin5555 in tenth place, for which he was awarded $8,818.14.</p>
<p><strong>B Buddy making no friends, only taking names</strong></p>
<p>It was about 15 minutes shy of the ten-hour mark of the tournament that the final table was set, and it happened in the middle of Level 35, with blinds at 200,000/400,000 and a 40,000 ante. The starting chip counts were as follows:</p>
<p>Seat 1: nenita02 (2,691,048 in chips)<br />
Seat 2: BarneyR2005 (12,323,682 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: BWFCLEE (3,469,267 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: Cukbandit (4,317,891 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: dehoo (17,750,105 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: RonaldKosh (13,404,071 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: bostero27 (5,798,694 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: kirbyi17 (2,479,980 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: B Buddy (20,955,262 in chips)</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/2010 Million final table 07.25.10-104939.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/2010 Million final table 07.25.10-104939.html','popup','width=633,height=460,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/2010 Million final table 07.25.10-thumb-450x327-104939.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="2010 Million final table 07.25.10.JPG" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p>B Buddy came on strong as action got underway, as it only took a few hands for the chip leader to grab another 15 million chips from dehoo. Soon after, B Buddy neared the 30 million chip range to solidify that lead.</p>
<p>But it was one of the shorter stacks who chose to get involved next. BWFCLEE made the decision to risk 2,809,267 chips with [Ac][Qc] preflop, and original raiser BarneyR2005 called with [Ts][Th]. The race was on until the [Tc][As][8s] flop hit to give BarneyR2005 the set of tens. The [7s] on the turn changed nothing, and the [Qd] on the river was too little too late for BWFCLEE, who finished the tournament in ninth place with $12,894.45.</p>
<p>A few rounds later, another battle between dehoo and B Buddy ensued, as the two got involved to see the flop of [8c][9c][5s]. Dehoo was the first to bet, and B Buddy check-raised. Dehoo responded with an all-in move for 9,513,105 chips, and B Buddy made the call with [Ah][9h] for top pair. Dehoo showed [Qc][Tc] for the flush draw, but the [5h] turn and [2d] left him still waiting. And the eighth place prize of $18,301.80 was awarded to dehoo.</p>
<p>One of the original short stacks, kirbyi17, saw his stack cut in half during the first few rounds of action, and the all-in move came for his remaining 1,079,980 chips from the small blind with [Kc][8d]. B Buddy was in the big blind and made the call with only [3s][2s], but the flop came [4d][5c][Ad] to give him the straight. The board completed with [Ac] and [Qs], and that eliminated kirbyi17 in seventh place with $33,276.00.</p>
<p>Play was moving along at a fairly rapid pace thus far, and it wasn't letting up. Bostero27 moved all-in preflop for just less than 2 million chips, and nenita02 called with [Ac][Tc], which dominated the [As][4d] of bostero27. The board was a rather uneventful [2d][8h][8s][7c][8d], and that sent bostero27 packing in sixth place, which was worth $49,914.00.</p>
<p><strong>No deal to see here, just keep it moving</strong></p>
<p>Talks of seeing chip-chop numbers were quickly squashed when B Buddy, who then had more than 40 million chips, explained succinctly that he was not interested in a deal. With that, they moved on.</p>
<p>But everyone didn't move on for long. Cukbandit was down to little more than 1 million chips and pushed it preflop with [As][4h]. BarneyR2005 called from the big blind with [7c][4c] and hit the flop immediately when it came [7d][Td][Jd]. That pair of sevens held as the [Jc] turned and the [3h] rivered to end the hand. Cukbandit was gone in fifth place with $66,552.00.</p>
<p>And in the time it took to write up the last hand, another all-in was in progress. RonaldKosh made a big push preflop with [Ac][9s] and 8,094,071 in chips. BarneyR2005 called from the big blind with [7d][7s]. Another race was on, but the [8s][3s][7c] put the kibosh on that by giving BarneyR2005 the set of sevens. The [5d] and [2s] completed the hand, and RonaldKosh was sent off in fourth place with $83,190.00.</p>
<p><strong>Striking distance</strong></p>
<p>The last hand put BarneyR2005 within close striking distance of B Buddy, and the gap quickly closed as the two battled for the chip lead. It was the first time during final table action that B Buddy had someone to worry about.</p>
<p>And a short while after, the following hand resulted in a change of the lead:</p>
<center><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53056_DE9E568D7D.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53056{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53056_DE9E568D7D.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53056{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></center>
<p><em><center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></em></p>
<p>Still in swift play mode, a big hand developed that started with B Buddy raising all-in and nenita02 calling all-in for 5,701,838 chips. B Buddy showed only [5d][3d], and nenita02 dominated with [Ks][Js]. But B Buddy caught a five on the [4c][8c][5s] flop, and the [Ac] turn and [9h] allowed that pair to stand. Nenita02 went out in third place with $124,785.00. </p>
<p><strong>How the table turns so quickly</strong></p>
<p>The two players were heads-up before the 10.5-hour mark, and it was BarneyR2005 on top as the chip counts showed:</p>
<p>Seat 2: BarneyR2005 (43,831,754 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: B Buddy (39,358,246 in chips)</p>
<p>The battle ensued and found both players taking the chip lead at various points during the match, but BarneyR2005 refused to let up on the aggression. Finally, with BarneyR2005 holding more than 70 million of the chips in play, B Buddy took a chance with [Ah][7s]. BarneyR2005 called with [9d][7d], and the board came [9h][Ks][7h][4d][4c] to give BarneyR2005 the best two pair. That left B Buddy eliminated in second place with $178,858.50.</p>
<p>BarneyR2005 claimed victory in the July 25th edition of the Sunday Million, and the reward was $244,749.39 and the coveted title.</p>
<p><strong>Sunday Million Results for 07/25/10:</strong></p>
<p>1st place: BarneyR2005 ($244,749.39)<br />
2nd place: B Buddy ($178,858.50)<br />
3rd place: nenita02 ($124,785.00)<br />
4th place: RonaldKosh ($83,190.00)<br />
5th place: Cukbandit ($66,552.00)<br />
6th place: bostero27 ($49.914.00)<br />
7th place: kirbyi17 ($33,276.00)<br />
8th place: dehoo ($18,301.80)<br />
9th place: BWFCLEE ($12,894.45)</p>
<p>For more information on ways to register and qualify for upcoming Sunday Million tournaments, visit the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/tournaments/sunday-million/">Sunday Million</a> page.</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(14) "Sunday Million"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(14) "Sunday Million"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280132655)
}
[5]=>
array(25) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(77) "Turbo Takedown: Conning to victory, coNNBoyle takes down $60K and Audi in win"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(14359) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="turbo_takedown_thumb.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/turbo_takedown_thumb.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>Several <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/">Team PokerStars pros</a> tried their hand tonight at breaking thru the 17,281 player field of the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/promotions/turbo/">$1 Million Turbo Takedown</a> but only a handful would break into the top 5,000 to claim a little money. Anders "Donald" Berg (382nd Place - $260.00), <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/christophe-de-meulder/">Christophe "chrisdm" de Meulder</a> (216th place - $350.00), and <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/julian-thew/">Julian Thew</a> (212th place - $350.00) would all reach the final 500 but were unable to get within sniffing that great new car smell of the Audi TT and dropped off their $100 bounties before leaving.</p>
<p><strong>Task cracked</strong></p>
<p>Taska85 was sitting on the bubble with a comfortable 2.7 million in chips and facing a 345,000 raise from muezzo with the blinds at 80K/160K ante 16K. Looking down at ace-jack [Jh][Ac] and figuring muezzo for a button steal Taska85 would go all-in as muezzo had slightly less chips but a higher kicker [Qh][As] and made the call. An all low board drizzled out [5s] [6s] [7h] [2c] [8d] and Taska85 was chopped down to 111,122 chips. Those scraps were eaten up by APZ19 who's [8s][9d] would beat out the [Kh][6h] leaving Taska85 off the final table in tenth place ($8,000.00)</p>
<p><br />
<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/TurboTake072510-104936.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/TurboTake072510-104936.html','popup','width=634,height=462,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/TurboTake072510-thumb-450x327-104936.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="TurboTake072510.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p><br />
<em><div style="text-align: center;">Click image for larger picture</div></em></p>
<p><br />
Seat 1: muezzo (5345152 in chips) <br />
Seat 2: coNNBoyle (13838222 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: knif1807 (6463144 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: APZ19 (5896874 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: growby (10284413 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: sgc0458 (796679 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: naka34 (1937084 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: pain-bg (3366390 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: mossified84 (5535042 in chips)</p>
<p>mossifed84 got the race for the AudiTT going in a hurry by doubling-up off growby in the final table's very first hand for an 11.2 million chip pot with blinds starting off at 80K/160K ante 16K. </p>
<p><strong>Feeling the pain</strong></p>
<p>It would take two full levels (100K/200K ante 20K) before our first elimination which seemed to open the gates of several others wanting to leave quickly tonight. sgc0458 had only 706,716 chips in early position, made the most of them by open shoving with pocket eights [8c][8h]. pain-bg two seats over would re-shove and covered holding big slick [Kh][Ac]. A king on the door [Kc] [5h] [Qh] [6c] [7d] on sgc0458's night was over in ninth place ($10,000.00).</p>
<p><strong>And they all come tumbling down</strong></p>
<p>Four hands later muezzo was sitting UTG with just 1.1 million in chips holding a medium suited ace [Ah][8h] and shoved. Chip leader coNNBoyle was not make a big stack call here after matching the bet and turning over pocket rockets [Ad][Ac]. Slight scare on the [6h] [Ts] [Qh] flop gave muezzo some breath of life for the nut flush, [9s] on the turn opened up some straight outs. But the [5c] river was not the right five and muezzo buzzed off in eighth place ($12,500.00).</p>
<p><strong>You been... MOSS-IF-IED</strong></p>
<p>As a Minnesota Viking's fan my heart broke a little bit seeing number 84 get shuffled off to the New England Patriots but much like the talented wide receiver mossifed84 showed he can race with anyone. The very next hand after muezzo left, mossified84 re-shoved on the all-in bet of naka34 holding pocket jacks [Js][Jd]. naka34 could only turn up an over card [Kd][Ts] and was unable to connect at all with the [2c] [9h] [3d] [2s] [6d] board ending his night in seventh place ($15,000.00).</p>
<p><strong>Done with the all-in's? I think not</strong></p>
<p>Just another three hands later, and one hand after APZ19 doubled up off mossified84, knif1807 and pain-bg went toe-to-toe preflop for a 7.4 million chip pot. Watch the results below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53054_9C3DF95BF6.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53054{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53054_9C3DF95BF6.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53054{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></p>
<p><br />
Big slick [Ad][Kd] for knif1807 and pocket tens [Tc][Ts] for pain-bg. King on the flop and an unnecessary ace on the river [8h] [Jd] [Kc] [3d] [As] directed those 7.4 million chips to knif1807 as pain-bg limped from the final table with an extra $17,500.00 finishing in sixth place.</p>
<p><strong>Jackedy Jack Don't Talk Back</strong></p>
<p>On the very next hand, the biggest pot of the tournament played out with coNNBoyle and knif1807 both holding over 14 million in chips with blinds at 100K/200K ante 20K. Both would be all-in preflop with coNNBoyle just holding 300K more in chips. Watch the 29 million chip pot play out below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53055_D03ACAA4B3.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53055{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53055_D03ACAA4B3.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53055{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></p>
<p><br />
<em><strong>coNNBoyle</strong></em>: [Jd][Jc] <br />
<em><strong>knif1807</strong></em>:[Qc][Qs]</p>
<p>In one of those jaw-dropping flops BOTH coNNBoyle's outs would hit [Jh] [Js] [2s] [7d] [3s] giving him quad jacks as knif1807's 989:1 shot did not come with running queens and thus a very expensive bad beat story in fifth place ($20,000.00).</p>
<p><strong>A moment to exhale</strong></p>
<p>After that block of all-ins and eliminations, the final four would actually part thru three levels reaching the 175K/350K ante 35K before asking another person to leave the table. mossified84 would lose some steam four-handed and was down to 6.4 million chips while trying to make something happen with a three-bet shove in the big blind over growby's small blind raise to 1.05 million. growby with nine million chips called the massive raise with [Jd][8d] as mossified84 was slightly ahead holding [Ks][Tc], live cards for all until two jacks fell on the flop for growby [Jc] [Jh] [2s]. mossified84 could not find running cards on the [4s] turn and [Ac] river to catch up and the Randy Moss fan was out in fourth place ($25,000.00).</p>
<p><strong>Straight outta here</strong></p>
<p>We would move our three-handed table into the ninth hour of play and blinds at 200K/400K ante 40K with the chip stacks fairly even (coNNBoyle - 20.6 million, growby - 18.9 million, and APZ19 - 13.8 million). Chop talks started and stopped several times but never got enough legs to stop the tournament. growby would led out for a three time the BB raise from the button as APZ19 would call from the big blind. [Jh] [5h] [6s] flop and both players checked. APZ19 would check the turned [7s] as growby bet two million and was called. On the rivered [4s] completing a flush draw, APZ19 would shove for 10.6 million. After turning the nut straight [9c][8c] growby had a decision for a big chunk of his stack and made the right call as APZ19 turned up the [As] but the second card was a club [5c] finishing APZ19's day in third place ($30,000.00) as heads-up play would commence for the Audi TT. </p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Audi-TT-RS-19.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/Audi-TT-RS-19.jpg" width="450" height="318" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>This goes in the winner's garage</em></div></p>
<p><strong>Host YbrahimC here but not needed yet</strong></p>
<p>Heads-up play would start with connBoyle slightly down 20.4 million to growby's 33 million and blinds at 200K/400K ante 40K. The players would summon Host YbrahimC to the tables but were unable to get enough traction to stop the clocks for a deal. As the players moved through that level and the 225K/450K ante 45K level without a winner but the chip stacks becoming dead even for nearly the entire level.</p>
<p><strong>A new host, but old rules</strong></p>
<p>As the players tried to chop up the beautiful car you see above in to smaller pieces, Host Tanner came on to explain that the car cannot be a part of the chop talks and only the $100,000.00 left in the prize pool was open for discussion. They both agreed to a five-minute break as the cards went back into the air without a deal in place.</p>
<p><strong>Looked up and it was over</strong></p>
<p>growby was looking to take over the race to the Audi TT holding a sizable lead of 36.2 million to 17.2 million and the nug nuts holding the tires in place fell off. First, growby would raise to two million as the blinds were capped at 250K/500K ante 50K and coNNBoyle wasted no time in shoving for 17.1 million holding big slick [Ad][Kd]. growby thought for a few moments and made the call with a dominated [Kc][Qs]. They would both pair their king but the ace kicker played on the [2s] [2d] [Ks] [7c] [Tc] board and 34.4 million chips slid to coNNBoyle. Two hands later growby again led out for two million as coNNBoyle again shoved as growby made the call holding [Qh][8h]. Pocket tens for coNNBoyle was out in front and made a big leap when a third ten appeared on the flop [7c] [Td] [Kh]. No heart or potential straight card on the turn [8c] meant the Audi TT was going to be shipped to coNNBoyle along with the $60,000.00 first prize! </p>
<p>Congrats to all of our 5,000 cashers this evening and hope you will be back next month the next $1 Million Turbo Takedown.</p>
<p><br />
<u><strong>$1 Million Turbo Takedown Results (07-25-10)</strong></u><br />
1. coNNBoyle (Williamsburg) $60,000.00 + Audi TT<br />
2. growby (Burgas) $40,000.00<br />
3. APZ19 (Grimsby, UK) $30,000.00<br />
4. mossified84 (las vegas) $25,000.00<br />
5. knif1807 (Offenburg) $20,000.00<br />
6. pain-bg (Plovdiv) $17,500.00<br />
7. naka34 (spain) $15,000.00<br />
8. muezzo (Cumbria) $12,500.00<br />
9. sgc0458 (stoney creek) $10,000.00</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(90) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/tt/2010/turbo-takedown-conning-to-victory-connbo-071832.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(90) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/tt/2010/turbo-takedown-conning-to-victory-connbo-071832.html"
["category#"]=>
int(2)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(10) "Promotions"
["category#2@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category#2@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category#2"]=>
string(14) "Turbo Takedown"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:29:47 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(14359) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="turbo_takedown_thumb.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/turbo_takedown_thumb.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>Several <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/">Team PokerStars pros</a> tried their hand tonight at breaking thru the 17,281 player field of the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/promotions/turbo/">$1 Million Turbo Takedown</a> but only a handful would break into the top 5,000 to claim a little money. Anders "Donald" Berg (382nd Place - $260.00), <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/christophe-de-meulder/">Christophe "chrisdm" de Meulder</a> (216th place - $350.00), and <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/julian-thew/">Julian Thew</a> (212th place - $350.00) would all reach the final 500 but were unable to get within sniffing that great new car smell of the Audi TT and dropped off their $100 bounties before leaving.</p>
<p><strong>Task cracked</strong></p>
<p>Taska85 was sitting on the bubble with a comfortable 2.7 million in chips and facing a 345,000 raise from muezzo with the blinds at 80K/160K ante 16K. Looking down at ace-jack [Jh][Ac] and figuring muezzo for a button steal Taska85 would go all-in as muezzo had slightly less chips but a higher kicker [Qh][As] and made the call. An all low board drizzled out [5s] [6s] [7h] [2c] [8d] and Taska85 was chopped down to 111,122 chips. Those scraps were eaten up by APZ19 who's [8s][9d] would beat out the [Kh][6h] leaving Taska85 off the final table in tenth place ($8,000.00)</p>
<p><br />
<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/TurboTake072510-104936.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/TurboTake072510-104936.html','popup','width=634,height=462,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/TurboTake072510-thumb-450x327-104936.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="TurboTake072510.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p><br />
<em><div style="text-align: center;">Click image for larger picture</div></em></p>
<p><br />
Seat 1: muezzo (5345152 in chips) <br />
Seat 2: coNNBoyle (13838222 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: knif1807 (6463144 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: APZ19 (5896874 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: growby (10284413 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: sgc0458 (796679 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: naka34 (1937084 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: pain-bg (3366390 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: mossified84 (5535042 in chips)</p>
<p>mossifed84 got the race for the AudiTT going in a hurry by doubling-up off growby in the final table's very first hand for an 11.2 million chip pot with blinds starting off at 80K/160K ante 16K. </p>
<p><strong>Feeling the pain</strong></p>
<p>It would take two full levels (100K/200K ante 20K) before our first elimination which seemed to open the gates of several others wanting to leave quickly tonight. sgc0458 had only 706,716 chips in early position, made the most of them by open shoving with pocket eights [8c][8h]. pain-bg two seats over would re-shove and covered holding big slick [Kh][Ac]. A king on the door [Kc] [5h] [Qh] [6c] [7d] on sgc0458's night was over in ninth place ($10,000.00).</p>
<p><strong>And they all come tumbling down</strong></p>
<p>Four hands later muezzo was sitting UTG with just 1.1 million in chips holding a medium suited ace [Ah][8h] and shoved. Chip leader coNNBoyle was not make a big stack call here after matching the bet and turning over pocket rockets [Ad][Ac]. Slight scare on the [6h] [Ts] [Qh] flop gave muezzo some breath of life for the nut flush, [9s] on the turn opened up some straight outs. But the [5c] river was not the right five and muezzo buzzed off in eighth place ($12,500.00).</p>
<p><strong>You been... MOSS-IF-IED</strong></p>
<p>As a Minnesota Viking's fan my heart broke a little bit seeing number 84 get shuffled off to the New England Patriots but much like the talented wide receiver mossifed84 showed he can race with anyone. The very next hand after muezzo left, mossified84 re-shoved on the all-in bet of naka34 holding pocket jacks [Js][Jd]. naka34 could only turn up an over card [Kd][Ts] and was unable to connect at all with the [2c] [9h] [3d] [2s] [6d] board ending his night in seventh place ($15,000.00).</p>
<p><strong>Done with the all-in's? I think not</strong></p>
<p>Just another three hands later, and one hand after APZ19 doubled up off mossified84, knif1807 and pain-bg went toe-to-toe preflop for a 7.4 million chip pot. Watch the results below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53054_9C3DF95BF6.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53054{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53054_9C3DF95BF6.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53054{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></p>
<p><br />
Big slick [Ad][Kd] for knif1807 and pocket tens [Tc][Ts] for pain-bg. King on the flop and an unnecessary ace on the river [8h] [Jd] [Kc] [3d] [As] directed those 7.4 million chips to knif1807 as pain-bg limped from the final table with an extra $17,500.00 finishing in sixth place.</p>
<p><strong>Jackedy Jack Don't Talk Back</strong></p>
<p>On the very next hand, the biggest pot of the tournament played out with coNNBoyle and knif1807 both holding over 14 million in chips with blinds at 100K/200K ante 20K. Both would be all-in preflop with coNNBoyle just holding 300K more in chips. Watch the 29 million chip pot play out below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53055_D03ACAA4B3.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53055{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53055_D03ACAA4B3.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53055{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></p>
<p><br />
<em><strong>coNNBoyle</strong></em>: [Jd][Jc] <br />
<em><strong>knif1807</strong></em>:[Qc][Qs]</p>
<p>In one of those jaw-dropping flops BOTH coNNBoyle's outs would hit [Jh] [Js] [2s] [7d] [3s] giving him quad jacks as knif1807's 989:1 shot did not come with running queens and thus a very expensive bad beat story in fifth place ($20,000.00).</p>
<p><strong>A moment to exhale</strong></p>
<p>After that block of all-ins and eliminations, the final four would actually part thru three levels reaching the 175K/350K ante 35K before asking another person to leave the table. mossified84 would lose some steam four-handed and was down to 6.4 million chips while trying to make something happen with a three-bet shove in the big blind over growby's small blind raise to 1.05 million. growby with nine million chips called the massive raise with [Jd][8d] as mossified84 was slightly ahead holding [Ks][Tc], live cards for all until two jacks fell on the flop for growby [Jc] [Jh] [2s]. mossified84 could not find running cards on the [4s] turn and [Ac] river to catch up and the Randy Moss fan was out in fourth place ($25,000.00).</p>
<p><strong>Straight outta here</strong></p>
<p>We would move our three-handed table into the ninth hour of play and blinds at 200K/400K ante 40K with the chip stacks fairly even (coNNBoyle - 20.6 million, growby - 18.9 million, and APZ19 - 13.8 million). Chop talks started and stopped several times but never got enough legs to stop the tournament. growby would led out for a three time the BB raise from the button as APZ19 would call from the big blind. [Jh] [5h] [6s] flop and both players checked. APZ19 would check the turned [7s] as growby bet two million and was called. On the rivered [4s] completing a flush draw, APZ19 would shove for 10.6 million. After turning the nut straight [9c][8c] growby had a decision for a big chunk of his stack and made the right call as APZ19 turned up the [As] but the second card was a club [5c] finishing APZ19's day in third place ($30,000.00) as heads-up play would commence for the Audi TT. </p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Audi-TT-RS-19.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/Audi-TT-RS-19.jpg" width="450" height="318" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>This goes in the winner's garage</em></div></p>
<p><strong>Host YbrahimC here but not needed yet</strong></p>
<p>Heads-up play would start with connBoyle slightly down 20.4 million to growby's 33 million and blinds at 200K/400K ante 40K. The players would summon Host YbrahimC to the tables but were unable to get enough traction to stop the clocks for a deal. As the players moved through that level and the 225K/450K ante 45K level without a winner but the chip stacks becoming dead even for nearly the entire level.</p>
<p><strong>A new host, but old rules</strong></p>
<p>As the players tried to chop up the beautiful car you see above in to smaller pieces, Host Tanner came on to explain that the car cannot be a part of the chop talks and only the $100,000.00 left in the prize pool was open for discussion. They both agreed to a five-minute break as the cards went back into the air without a deal in place.</p>
<p><strong>Looked up and it was over</strong></p>
<p>growby was looking to take over the race to the Audi TT holding a sizable lead of 36.2 million to 17.2 million and the nug nuts holding the tires in place fell off. First, growby would raise to two million as the blinds were capped at 250K/500K ante 50K and coNNBoyle wasted no time in shoving for 17.1 million holding big slick [Ad][Kd]. growby thought for a few moments and made the call with a dominated [Kc][Qs]. They would both pair their king but the ace kicker played on the [2s] [2d] [Ks] [7c] [Tc] board and 34.4 million chips slid to coNNBoyle. Two hands later growby again led out for two million as coNNBoyle again shoved as growby made the call holding [Qh][8h]. Pocket tens for coNNBoyle was out in front and made a big leap when a third ten appeared on the flop [7c] [Td] [Kh]. No heart or potential straight card on the turn [8c] meant the Audi TT was going to be shipped to coNNBoyle along with the $60,000.00 first prize! </p>
<p>Congrats to all of our 5,000 cashers this evening and hope you will be back next month the next $1 Million Turbo Takedown.</p>
<p><br />
<u><strong>$1 Million Turbo Takedown Results (07-25-10)</strong></u><br />
1. coNNBoyle (Williamsburg) $60,000.00 + Audi TT<br />
2. growby (Burgas) $40,000.00<br />
3. APZ19 (Grimsby, UK) $30,000.00<br />
4. mossified84 (las vegas) $25,000.00<br />
5. knif1807 (Offenburg) $20,000.00<br />
6. pain-bg (Plovdiv) $17,500.00<br />
7. naka34 (spain) $15,000.00<br />
8. muezzo (Cumbria) $12,500.00<br />
9. sgc0458 (stoney creek) $10,000.00</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(3) {
["subject#"]=>
int(2)
["subject"]=>
string(10) "Promotions"
["subject#2"]=>
string(14) "Turbo Takedown"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(10) "Promotions"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category#2@term"]=>
string(14) "Turbo Takedown"
["category#2@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280122187)
}
[6]=>
array(25) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(48) "Sunday Warm-up: Big redemption for BigFlopper01 "
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(16093) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="sunday-warmup-thumb.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sunday-warmup-thumb.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>The fields for the Sunday Majors here at PokerStars continue to climb back to normal as one World Championship is firmly in the rear view mirror until November, and the other World Championship, as in the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/wcoop/">World Championship of Online Poker</a> (WCOOP) starts up in September. 4,265 players paid their $215 tonight cracking the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/tournaments/sunday-warmup/">$750,000 guarantee Sunday Warm-up</a> and creating a prize pool of $853,000.00 paid out to 630 places. Let's go to the felt!</p>
<p><strong>87 is 86'd</strong> </p>
<p>Bubble time and the difference between a potential six figure payday and a $5K consolation prize awaits. LVSEO would lead out UTG for 328,000 as the blinds just moved up to 80K/160K ante 16K, folded around to ATHIED87 on the low end of the chip count in the big blind holding [Ks][9c] he would shove for 1.7 million. Costing of the stack LVSEO would calm cut the chips out and made the call with big slick [Kc][Ah]. No nine for ATHIED87 came down the [4c] [Qs] [2c] [Qh] [7c] board and our final table was set as ATHIED87 took down $5,118.00 in tenth place.</p>
<p><br />
<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/SunWarmUp072510-104933.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/SunWarmUp072510-104933.html','popup','width=664,height=483,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/SunWarmUp072510-thumb-450x327-104933.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="SunWarmUp072510.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>Click image for larger picture</em></div></p>
<p></p>
<p>Seat 1: BigFlopper01 (9933184 in chips) <br />
Seat 2: BFGI800 (2620584 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: Ivan MC 2007 (4832073 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: AB1001 (3262380 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: Patonius2000 (6691895 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: LVSEO (5350831 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: strflushtome (3079193 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: drew5927 (4621150 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: Sick´nSocial (2258710 in chips)</p>
<p><strong>Not very social</strong></p>
<p>Sick' nSocial was sitting with the least amount of chips at tonight's Sunday Warm-up final table with just over ten big blinds as the first hand was folded to him in the cutoff holding a small suited ace [2d][Ad]. Sick' nSocial would shove those 2.2 million chips in as BigFlopper01 on the button held a big hand, pocket jacks [Jd][Js], and quickly made the call. No wheel and no diamonds found their way onto the [Ks] [Ts] [6h] [8s] [3h] board and Sick' nSocial left the table gracefully in ninth place ($6,824.00).</p>
<p><strong>We're going with grabbing a four-pack of Red Bull</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.pokerstars.net/team-pokerstars/barry-greenstein/">Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein</a> dropped by for hosting duties tonight and quipped during the hourly five minute break "I'm going to take a five minute break let me know what happens". Hour nine had eight players still vying for the six figure payday and BigFlopper01 holding a sizable lead as the table's only player over ten million in chips as Patonius2000 at eight million and drew5927 were the closest competitors.</p>
<p><strong>No straight, no flush, no chips</strong></p>
<p>Back from the break at blinds up to 100K/200K ante 20K, Patonius2000 led out from the cutoff for 442,568 as strflushtome would shove from the small blind holding [Ah][Td] for 1.9 million chips. drew5927 folded the big blind as Patonius2000 had a suited big slick [Ad][Kd] and eased by the five cards across the middle [3h] [2c] [9d] [7s] [Qs] and collected the 4.2 million chip pot without incident. strflushtome was unable to catch a ten and took home $10,662.50 in eighth place. </p>
<p><strong>Big Bully</strong></p>
<p>Crippled in a five million chip preflop coin flip against LVSEO, Ivan MC 2007 was down to just 806,534 chips in the small blind and facing a raise from BigFlopper01 that would but put him all-in. Holding [6c][Ac] Ivan MC 2007 would shove those chips into the middle as BigFlopper01 made the math call holding [7h][Js]. Watch the "I knew it would hit the river" video below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53051_76E1BF50B8.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53051{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53051_76E1BF50B8.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53051{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></p>
<p></p>
<p>The eight indeed would hit the [5d] [Th] [9d] [3h] [8c] river giving BigFlopper01 the straight, the two million chip pot, and forcing Ivan MC 2007 to take the party elsewhere in seventh place ($19,192.50).</p>
<p><strong>Nancy Drew Mystery Solved: BigFlopper01 did it</strong></p>
<p>The rich got richer as drew5927 with just 1.6 million chips, open shoved holding a modest [4s][Ks] but BigFlopper to the direct left held a not-so-modest [As][Jh] made the quick call. A trail of cards [Qs] [6c] [Td] [6d] [5c] led the chips to their rightful owner as BigFlopper acquired another pelt and drew5927 became the next victim of the seemingly unstoppable chip leader and left with hammerific score ($27,722.50) in sixth place. July has been good for drew5927 as just two weeks ago he notched together a final table at the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sm/2010/sunday-million-1-071327.html">Sunday Million finishing 5th for a $63,000.00 score</a>.</p>
<p><strong>We're still playing for $133,818.64 right?</strong></p>
<p>Just three hands later with the blinds moving up to 125K/250K ante 25K LVSEO and AB1001 would mix it up preflop. LVSEO spammed the five key for a 555,555 chip raise as it folded to AB1001 in the big blind who would shove for 1.8 million chips holding pocket nines [9h][9s]. LVSEO started the hand with over 11 million chips and had plenty to make the call holding pocket tens [Th][Td]. Lots of broadway cards found the [Ac] [4h] [Jh] [Kd] [As] board as LVSEO's tens held and AB1001 was done in fifth place ($36,252.50).</p>
<p><strong>Court Full of Kings</strong></p>
<p>As the blinds just moved up to 150K/300K ante 30K LVSEO would raise to 666,666 as BigFlopper01 bumped it to 1,555,555. Patonius2000, who was unable to gain traction tonight, was down to 5.9 million and shoved those chips in. LVSEO was undeterred and re-shoved for 15 million as BigFlopper01 left the tax for the re-steal on the felt and folded. Watch the video below for the results:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53052_D79541A608.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53052{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53052_D79541A608.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53052{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p></p>
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center>
<p></p>
<p><br />
Not needed LVSEO would hit the other two kings in the deck [2d] [2h] [Kh] [Ks] [7d] for quad kings [Kd][Kc] as pocket nines [9c][9d] were not lucky for the holder once again and Patonius2000's night ended in fourth place ($48,194.50). This was Patonius2000 second big score of 2010, after taking runner-up honors at the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/scoop/2010/scoop-astrolux85-86s-patonius2000-to-cap-069610.html">2010 SCOOP $2,100 PLO Event #11</a> and earned $75,000.00</p>
<p><strong>Squeezed out</strong></p>
<p>Sitting in-between two huge stacks, BFGI800 had nowhere to run and a shortened stack of just 1.6 million chips after paying the big blind and was facing a raise from BigFlopper01 for the remainder of his stack. Heads-up [Ah][3s] looked really good at that moment so BFGI800 would make the call and saw that [9d][Ad] twinkling above BigFlopper01's name. Neither player would match their kicker on the [Th] [Js] [5d] [2s] [8s] board and heads-up play was about to begin after BFGI800 received $70,372.50 in third place.</p>
<p><strong>Shotgun marriage of money</strong></p>
<p>Do you? I do.</p>
<p>Do you? I do.</p>
<p>And so it was done, no fuss as LVSEO gave up a little and the chop nuptials were signed. With LVSEO in a slight lead 25 million to BigFlopper01's 17 million, they both took six figure paydays shown below:</p>
<p><em><strong>LVSEO</strong> $113,192 <br />
<strong>BigFlopper01</strong> $110,000</em></p>
<p><strong>The wheels come off quickly</strong></p>
<p>On the seventh hand of heads-up play LVSEO opened up the lead to 27 million over BigFlopper01's 15 million as both would flip preflop for a 30.3 million chip pot. BigFlopper01's pocket fours [4h][4s] would survive on the [Qs] [9s] [5c] [3s] [Th] board over LVSEO's [Ad][6h] as LVSEO was knocked down to 12.3 million chips. Five hands later we would name this week's Sunday Warm-up champion and award the extra $10,000. With a flop of [2c][3c][2h] both players would get their chips in the middle, watch it play out below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53053_72A2DD8DF3.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53053{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53053_72A2DD8DF3.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53053{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></p>
<p></p>
<p><br />
LVSEO laid the trap perfectly with pocket rockets [Ah][Ad] as BigFlopper01's top pair [3d][7d] could only hope for one of two treys in the deck.</p>
<p><em>Turn card</em>: [3h]</p>
<p>Did not wait for a dramatic river as the three gave BigFlopper01 the lead and the resuck would not hit [9c] giving BigFlopper01 the final 24.6 million chips and the extra $10,000.00 as this week's Sunday Warm-up champion! BigFlopper01 laminated about being the chip leader of the Sunday Million two weeks ago on the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sm/2010/sunday-million-1-071327.html">same final table with 6th place drew5927</a> and finishing in 9th for $11,625.00, BigFlopper01 will not have to worry about that missed shot any longer after taking down $120,000 tonight.</p>
<p>Be sure to check out <a href="http://pokerstars.tv">PokerStars.TV</a> for the Sunday Wrap show later on this week for commentary and hole cards revealed from tonight's big hands.</p>
<p><u><strong>$750,000 Guarantee Sunday Warm-up Results (07-25-10)</strong></u><br />
<em>(* denotes part of two-way deal)</em><br />
1. BigFlopper01 (Vancouver) *$120,000.00<br />
2. LVSEO (Henderson) *$113,193.14<br />
3. BFGI800 (Karlovi -Vari) $70,372.50<br />
4. Patonius2000 (Las Vegas) $48,194.50<br />
5. AB1001 (Breda) $36,252.50<br />
6. drew5927 (stumptown) $27,722.50<br />
7. Ivan MC 2007 (Monaco) $19,192.50<br />
8. strflushtome (ENSCHEDE) $10,662.50<br />
9. Sick´nSocial (Leipzig) $6,824.00</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(90) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sw/2010/sunday-warm-up-big-redemption-for-bigflo-071831.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(90) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sw/2010/sunday-warm-up-big-redemption-for-bigflo-071831.html"
["category#"]=>
int(2)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(18) "Sunday Tournaments"
["category#2@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category#2@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category#2"]=>
string(14) "Sunday Warm-Up"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:05:59 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(16093) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="sunday-warmup-thumb.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sunday-warmup-thumb.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>The fields for the Sunday Majors here at PokerStars continue to climb back to normal as one World Championship is firmly in the rear view mirror until November, and the other World Championship, as in the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/wcoop/">World Championship of Online Poker</a> (WCOOP) starts up in September. 4,265 players paid their $215 tonight cracking the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/tournaments/sunday-warmup/">$750,000 guarantee Sunday Warm-up</a> and creating a prize pool of $853,000.00 paid out to 630 places. Let's go to the felt!</p>
<p><strong>87 is 86'd</strong> </p>
<p>Bubble time and the difference between a potential six figure payday and a $5K consolation prize awaits. LVSEO would lead out UTG for 328,000 as the blinds just moved up to 80K/160K ante 16K, folded around to ATHIED87 on the low end of the chip count in the big blind holding [Ks][9c] he would shove for 1.7 million. Costing of the stack LVSEO would calm cut the chips out and made the call with big slick [Kc][Ah]. No nine for ATHIED87 came down the [4c] [Qs] [2c] [Qh] [7c] board and our final table was set as ATHIED87 took down $5,118.00 in tenth place.</p>
<p><br />
<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/SunWarmUp072510-104933.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/SunWarmUp072510-104933.html','popup','width=664,height=483,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/SunWarmUp072510-thumb-450x327-104933.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="SunWarmUp072510.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>Click image for larger picture</em></div></p>
<p></p>
<p>Seat 1: BigFlopper01 (9933184 in chips) <br />
Seat 2: BFGI800 (2620584 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: Ivan MC 2007 (4832073 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: AB1001 (3262380 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: Patonius2000 (6691895 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: LVSEO (5350831 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: strflushtome (3079193 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: drew5927 (4621150 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: Sick´nSocial (2258710 in chips)</p>
<p><strong>Not very social</strong></p>
<p>Sick' nSocial was sitting with the least amount of chips at tonight's Sunday Warm-up final table with just over ten big blinds as the first hand was folded to him in the cutoff holding a small suited ace [2d][Ad]. Sick' nSocial would shove those 2.2 million chips in as BigFlopper01 on the button held a big hand, pocket jacks [Jd][Js], and quickly made the call. No wheel and no diamonds found their way onto the [Ks] [Ts] [6h] [8s] [3h] board and Sick' nSocial left the table gracefully in ninth place ($6,824.00).</p>
<p><strong>We're going with grabbing a four-pack of Red Bull</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.pokerstars.net/team-pokerstars/barry-greenstein/">Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein</a> dropped by for hosting duties tonight and quipped during the hourly five minute break "I'm going to take a five minute break let me know what happens". Hour nine had eight players still vying for the six figure payday and BigFlopper01 holding a sizable lead as the table's only player over ten million in chips as Patonius2000 at eight million and drew5927 were the closest competitors.</p>
<p><strong>No straight, no flush, no chips</strong></p>
<p>Back from the break at blinds up to 100K/200K ante 20K, Patonius2000 led out from the cutoff for 442,568 as strflushtome would shove from the small blind holding [Ah][Td] for 1.9 million chips. drew5927 folded the big blind as Patonius2000 had a suited big slick [Ad][Kd] and eased by the five cards across the middle [3h] [2c] [9d] [7s] [Qs] and collected the 4.2 million chip pot without incident. strflushtome was unable to catch a ten and took home $10,662.50 in eighth place. </p>
<p><strong>Big Bully</strong></p>
<p>Crippled in a five million chip preflop coin flip against LVSEO, Ivan MC 2007 was down to just 806,534 chips in the small blind and facing a raise from BigFlopper01 that would but put him all-in. Holding [6c][Ac] Ivan MC 2007 would shove those chips into the middle as BigFlopper01 made the math call holding [7h][Js]. Watch the "I knew it would hit the river" video below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53051_76E1BF50B8.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53051{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53051_76E1BF50B8.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53051{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></p>
<p></p>
<p>The eight indeed would hit the [5d] [Th] [9d] [3h] [8c] river giving BigFlopper01 the straight, the two million chip pot, and forcing Ivan MC 2007 to take the party elsewhere in seventh place ($19,192.50).</p>
<p><strong>Nancy Drew Mystery Solved: BigFlopper01 did it</strong></p>
<p>The rich got richer as drew5927 with just 1.6 million chips, open shoved holding a modest [4s][Ks] but BigFlopper to the direct left held a not-so-modest [As][Jh] made the quick call. A trail of cards [Qs] [6c] [Td] [6d] [5c] led the chips to their rightful owner as BigFlopper acquired another pelt and drew5927 became the next victim of the seemingly unstoppable chip leader and left with hammerific score ($27,722.50) in sixth place. July has been good for drew5927 as just two weeks ago he notched together a final table at the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sm/2010/sunday-million-1-071327.html">Sunday Million finishing 5th for a $63,000.00 score</a>.</p>
<p><strong>We're still playing for $133,818.64 right?</strong></p>
<p>Just three hands later with the blinds moving up to 125K/250K ante 25K LVSEO and AB1001 would mix it up preflop. LVSEO spammed the five key for a 555,555 chip raise as it folded to AB1001 in the big blind who would shove for 1.8 million chips holding pocket nines [9h][9s]. LVSEO started the hand with over 11 million chips and had plenty to make the call holding pocket tens [Th][Td]. Lots of broadway cards found the [Ac] [4h] [Jh] [Kd] [As] board as LVSEO's tens held and AB1001 was done in fifth place ($36,252.50).</p>
<p><strong>Court Full of Kings</strong></p>
<p>As the blinds just moved up to 150K/300K ante 30K LVSEO would raise to 666,666 as BigFlopper01 bumped it to 1,555,555. Patonius2000, who was unable to gain traction tonight, was down to 5.9 million and shoved those chips in. LVSEO was undeterred and re-shoved for 15 million as BigFlopper01 left the tax for the re-steal on the felt and folded. Watch the video below for the results:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53052_D79541A608.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53052{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53052_D79541A608.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53052{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p></p>
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center>
<p></p>
<p><br />
Not needed LVSEO would hit the other two kings in the deck [2d] [2h] [Kh] [Ks] [7d] for quad kings [Kd][Kc] as pocket nines [9c][9d] were not lucky for the holder once again and Patonius2000's night ended in fourth place ($48,194.50). This was Patonius2000 second big score of 2010, after taking runner-up honors at the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/scoop/2010/scoop-astrolux85-86s-patonius2000-to-cap-069610.html">2010 SCOOP $2,100 PLO Event #11</a> and earned $75,000.00</p>
<p><strong>Squeezed out</strong></p>
<p>Sitting in-between two huge stacks, BFGI800 had nowhere to run and a shortened stack of just 1.6 million chips after paying the big blind and was facing a raise from BigFlopper01 for the remainder of his stack. Heads-up [Ah][3s] looked really good at that moment so BFGI800 would make the call and saw that [9d][Ad] twinkling above BigFlopper01's name. Neither player would match their kicker on the [Th] [Js] [5d] [2s] [8s] board and heads-up play was about to begin after BFGI800 received $70,372.50 in third place.</p>
<p><strong>Shotgun marriage of money</strong></p>
<p>Do you? I do.</p>
<p>Do you? I do.</p>
<p>And so it was done, no fuss as LVSEO gave up a little and the chop nuptials were signed. With LVSEO in a slight lead 25 million to BigFlopper01's 17 million, they both took six figure paydays shown below:</p>
<p><em><strong>LVSEO</strong> $113,192 <br />
<strong>BigFlopper01</strong> $110,000</em></p>
<p><strong>The wheels come off quickly</strong></p>
<p>On the seventh hand of heads-up play LVSEO opened up the lead to 27 million over BigFlopper01's 15 million as both would flip preflop for a 30.3 million chip pot. BigFlopper01's pocket fours [4h][4s] would survive on the [Qs] [9s] [5c] [3s] [Th] board over LVSEO's [Ad][6h] as LVSEO was knocked down to 12.3 million chips. Five hands later we would name this week's Sunday Warm-up champion and award the extra $10,000. With a flop of [2c][3c][2h] both players would get their chips in the middle, watch it play out below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53053_72A2DD8DF3.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53053{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53053_72A2DD8DF3.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53053{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></p>
<p></p>
<p><br />
LVSEO laid the trap perfectly with pocket rockets [Ah][Ad] as BigFlopper01's top pair [3d][7d] could only hope for one of two treys in the deck.</p>
<p><em>Turn card</em>: [3h]</p>
<p>Did not wait for a dramatic river as the three gave BigFlopper01 the lead and the resuck would not hit [9c] giving BigFlopper01 the final 24.6 million chips and the extra $10,000.00 as this week's Sunday Warm-up champion! BigFlopper01 laminated about being the chip leader of the Sunday Million two weeks ago on the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sm/2010/sunday-million-1-071327.html">same final table with 6th place drew5927</a> and finishing in 9th for $11,625.00, BigFlopper01 will not have to worry about that missed shot any longer after taking down $120,000 tonight.</p>
<p>Be sure to check out <a href="http://pokerstars.tv">PokerStars.TV</a> for the Sunday Wrap show later on this week for commentary and hole cards revealed from tonight's big hands.</p>
<p><u><strong>$750,000 Guarantee Sunday Warm-up Results (07-25-10)</strong></u><br />
<em>(* denotes part of two-way deal)</em><br />
1. BigFlopper01 (Vancouver) *$120,000.00<br />
2. LVSEO (Henderson) *$113,193.14<br />
3. BFGI800 (Karlovi -Vari) $70,372.50<br />
4. Patonius2000 (Las Vegas) $48,194.50<br />
5. AB1001 (Breda) $36,252.50<br />
6. drew5927 (stumptown) $27,722.50<br />
7. Ivan MC 2007 (Monaco) $19,192.50<br />
8. strflushtome (ENSCHEDE) $10,662.50<br />
9. Sick´nSocial (Leipzig) $6,824.00</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(3) {
["subject#"]=>
int(2)
["subject"]=>
string(18) "Sunday Tournaments"
["subject#2"]=>
string(14) "Sunday Warm-Up"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(18) "Sunday Tournaments"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category#2@term"]=>
string(14) "Sunday Warm-Up"
["category#2@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280117159)
}
[7]=>
array(25) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(76) "Battle of the Planets: Chip chop for final nine as NeoNyx7 crowned the champ"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(11051) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="BOP_thumbnail.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/BOP_thumbnail.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>Hard play before a soft ending is one way to describe today's <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/promotions/battle/">$50,000 Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout Freeroll</a>. 438 players would start out on 81 tables to play down to a winner assuring themselves of at least $195.00. Each made their way here today thru a series of qualifiers while playing their favorite Sit and Go tournaments. </p>
<p>One Team PokerStars Pro and two Team PokerStars Online players were in action today. <a href="http://www.pokerstars.net/team-pokerstars/joep-van-den-bijgaart/">Joep "Pappe_Ruk" van den Bijgaart</a>, <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/team-online/grayson-physioc/">Grayson "spacegravy" Physioc</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/team-online/diego-brunelli/">Diego "vgreen22" Brunelli</a> all cashed in their tickets for their work on the SnG's this month. Bijgaart and Brunelli would both get down to heads-up play at their first table of five-handed play and both would fall just short of cashing. BcuziGotHiGh took out Brunelli with a 5,131 to 2,369 chip advantage and getting [Jd][Ad] to hold over the [9h][Kh] of the Team Online player, all-in preflop. Joep was all-in preflop at a bigger disadvantage holding [4d][As] to shturmanas' [9c][Ac] and watched two nines spill out on the [9s] [Jc] [Tc] [9d] [Ah] board to end his day.</p>
<p>Grayson had other ideas however as he would carry the Team Online flag forward to the next around after his heads-up opponent gustavctba tried to slow play aces after flat calling a min raise preflop with the two in a near dead heat in chips. After the coordinated [6s][9d][5d] flop gustavctba checked to trap as Physioc led out for 400. gustavctba would shove immediately and Physioc covered him by only a few chips and called just as quickly turning up the flopped straight [7h][8s] and after the [Ks] turn, 81 players would start up round two of the triple shootout.</p>
<p>simpledude16 would claim the first seat to the final table very quickly while Physioc got down to three-handed play with boobySMILES and ParalllyTisT. It took some short-stacked wizardry to get to that point as Grayson had only 600 chips with 75/150 blinds but managed to grind his way back over 2,000 when he caught pocket fours [4h][4d] on the button and shoved for 2,130 total. ParalllyTisT however was waiting in the big blind with jacks [Jh][Js] and quickly sent the Team PokerStars Online player home in 19th place ($195.00) after a [8d] [7h] [9d] [7c] [5d] paintless board came down.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="grayson_physioc_wsop.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/grayson_physioc_wsop.jpg" width="333" height="500" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>Grayon Physioc: in the money, out of the chop (19th place)</em></div><p>
<p>At Table One where the final nine would reconvene, reza_proton and zachfranks squared off for that final seat and a sizable difference in pay. It would take a nasty beat to determine the winner, watch it play out below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53049_7BE003171D.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53049{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53049_7BE003171D.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53049{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center><p></p>
<p>Cracked aces again, this time it was zachfranks' [Ad][As] going down to reza_proton's flopped set of nines [9d][9s] on the [5c] [2d] [9h] [6d] [Qs] board and our final table was set up below:</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/BattlePlanets072510-104930.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/BattlePlanets072510-104930.html','popup','width=649,height=472,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/BattlePlanets072510-thumb-450x327-104930.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="BattlePlanets072510.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>Click on image for larger picture</em></div><p></p>
<p>Seat 1: reza_proton (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 2: Wyldemavrick (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: simpledude16 (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: Bilesy (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: ParaIIIyTisT (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: eSPoNJa.WZ (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: buhtuk12 (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: NeoNyx7 (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: MarinaFrank (1500 in chips)</p>
<p><strong>Rome was built quicker than this</strong><br />
In one of the stranger deals seen at the Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout, the players decided to take a chip chop deal instead of dividing the remaining prize pool nine ways. reza_proton wanted a few extra hundred as the other eight finally found a way to give it to him after 15 minutes of negotiations. See the fruits of their labor below:</p>
<p><em><strong>simpledude16</strong> $5,258.78<br />
<strong>ParalllyTisT</strong> $4,285.41<br />
<strong>eSPoNJa.WZ</strong> $4,245.52<br />
<strong>MarinaFrank</strong> $3,931.14<br />
<strong>buhtuk12</strong> $3,901.14<br />
<strong>NeoNyx7</strong> $3,888.20<br />
<strong>Bilesy</strong> $3,555.41<br />
<strong>reza_proton</strong> $3,500.01<br />
<strong>Wyldemavrick</strong> $3,394.39</em></p>
<p>It would dissolve into a shove-fest as the other players slowly got the message that buhtuk12 was going to shove every hand as he would take out reza_proton, Wyldemavrick, and Bilesy on the first hand after the chop with an ace on the river [5h] [4s] [4d] [7d] [As] while holding [Ah][Js].</p>
<p>The skillful negotiator simpledude16 who got the largest piece of the pie exited in sixth shortly after as buhtak12's [9c][Jd] ran down his [9s][Ac] when a jack flopped and runners gave buhtak12 a boat [8s][Qs][Jc][9h][9d]. </p>
<p>NeoNyx7 would trim the party's field to one left after taking buhtuk12's chip lead after the hand below and constant shoving without losing until ParallyTisT, buhtuk12, and MarinaFrank finally raised the white flag and ended the all-in fest to its conclusion.</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53050_2C33D54F72.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53050{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53050_2C33D54F72.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53050{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center><p></p>
<p>Congrats to all our final table players in taking away something for nothing, and be sure to start the hunt for next month's Battle of the Planets Triple Shoot freeroll tickets!</p>
<p><u><strong>$50,000 Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout Freeroll Results</strong></u><br />
<em>(*All players were part of nine-way chip count chop)</em><br />
1. NeoNyx7 (Запорожье) *$3,888.20<br />
2. buhtuk12 (Riga) *$3,901.14<br />
3. MarinaFrank (Тверь) *$3,931.14<br />
4. ParaIIIyTisT (Омск) *$4,285.41<br />
5. eSPoNJa.WZ (Valparaiso) *$4,245.52<br />
6. simpledude16 (Abbotsford) *$5,258.78<br />
7. reza_proton (Tehran) *$3,500.01<br />
8. Wyldemavrick (Clarence Center) *$3,394.39<br />
9. Bilesy (Bournemouth) *$3,555.41</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(92) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/botp/2010/battle-of-the-planets-chip-chop-for-fina-071830.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(92) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/botp/2010/battle-of-the-planets-chip-chop-for-fina-071830.html"
["category#"]=>
int(2)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(21) "Battle of the Planets"
["category#2@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category#2@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category#2"]=>
string(10) "Promotions"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:48:13 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(11051) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="BOP_thumbnail.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/BOP_thumbnail.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>Hard play before a soft ending is one way to describe today's <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/promotions/battle/">$50,000 Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout Freeroll</a>. 438 players would start out on 81 tables to play down to a winner assuring themselves of at least $195.00. Each made their way here today thru a series of qualifiers while playing their favorite Sit and Go tournaments. </p>
<p>One Team PokerStars Pro and two Team PokerStars Online players were in action today. <a href="http://www.pokerstars.net/team-pokerstars/joep-van-den-bijgaart/">Joep "Pappe_Ruk" van den Bijgaart</a>, <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/team-online/grayson-physioc/">Grayson "spacegravy" Physioc</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/team-online/diego-brunelli/">Diego "vgreen22" Brunelli</a> all cashed in their tickets for their work on the SnG's this month. Bijgaart and Brunelli would both get down to heads-up play at their first table of five-handed play and both would fall just short of cashing. BcuziGotHiGh took out Brunelli with a 5,131 to 2,369 chip advantage and getting [Jd][Ad] to hold over the [9h][Kh] of the Team Online player, all-in preflop. Joep was all-in preflop at a bigger disadvantage holding [4d][As] to shturmanas' [9c][Ac] and watched two nines spill out on the [9s] [Jc] [Tc] [9d] [Ah] board to end his day.</p>
<p>Grayson had other ideas however as he would carry the Team Online flag forward to the next around after his heads-up opponent gustavctba tried to slow play aces after flat calling a min raise preflop with the two in a near dead heat in chips. After the coordinated [6s][9d][5d] flop gustavctba checked to trap as Physioc led out for 400. gustavctba would shove immediately and Physioc covered him by only a few chips and called just as quickly turning up the flopped straight [7h][8s] and after the [Ks] turn, 81 players would start up round two of the triple shootout.</p>
<p>simpledude16 would claim the first seat to the final table very quickly while Physioc got down to three-handed play with boobySMILES and ParalllyTisT. It took some short-stacked wizardry to get to that point as Grayson had only 600 chips with 75/150 blinds but managed to grind his way back over 2,000 when he caught pocket fours [4h][4d] on the button and shoved for 2,130 total. ParalllyTisT however was waiting in the big blind with jacks [Jh][Js] and quickly sent the Team PokerStars Online player home in 19th place ($195.00) after a [8d] [7h] [9d] [7c] [5d] paintless board came down.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="grayson_physioc_wsop.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/grayson_physioc_wsop.jpg" width="333" height="500" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>Grayon Physioc: in the money, out of the chop (19th place)</em></div><p>
<p>At Table One where the final nine would reconvene, reza_proton and zachfranks squared off for that final seat and a sizable difference in pay. It would take a nasty beat to determine the winner, watch it play out below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53049_7BE003171D.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53049{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53049_7BE003171D.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53049{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center><p></p>
<p>Cracked aces again, this time it was zachfranks' [Ad][As] going down to reza_proton's flopped set of nines [9d][9s] on the [5c] [2d] [9h] [6d] [Qs] board and our final table was set up below:</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/BattlePlanets072510-104930.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/BattlePlanets072510-104930.html','popup','width=649,height=472,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/BattlePlanets072510-thumb-450x327-104930.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="BattlePlanets072510.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>Click on image for larger picture</em></div><p></p>
<p>Seat 1: reza_proton (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 2: Wyldemavrick (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: simpledude16 (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: Bilesy (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: ParaIIIyTisT (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: eSPoNJa.WZ (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: buhtuk12 (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: NeoNyx7 (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: MarinaFrank (1500 in chips)</p>
<p><strong>Rome was built quicker than this</strong><br />
In one of the stranger deals seen at the Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout, the players decided to take a chip chop deal instead of dividing the remaining prize pool nine ways. reza_proton wanted a few extra hundred as the other eight finally found a way to give it to him after 15 minutes of negotiations. See the fruits of their labor below:</p>
<p><em><strong>simpledude16</strong> $5,258.78<br />
<strong>ParalllyTisT</strong> $4,285.41<br />
<strong>eSPoNJa.WZ</strong> $4,245.52<br />
<strong>MarinaFrank</strong> $3,931.14<br />
<strong>buhtuk12</strong> $3,901.14<br />
<strong>NeoNyx7</strong> $3,888.20<br />
<strong>Bilesy</strong> $3,555.41<br />
<strong>reza_proton</strong> $3,500.01<br />
<strong>Wyldemavrick</strong> $3,394.39</em></p>
<p>It would dissolve into a shove-fest as the other players slowly got the message that buhtuk12 was going to shove every hand as he would take out reza_proton, Wyldemavrick, and Bilesy on the first hand after the chop with an ace on the river [5h] [4s] [4d] [7d] [As] while holding [Ah][Js].</p>
<p>The skillful negotiator simpledude16 who got the largest piece of the pie exited in sixth shortly after as buhtak12's [9c][Jd] ran down his [9s][Ac] when a jack flopped and runners gave buhtak12 a boat [8s][Qs][Jc][9h][9d]. </p>
<p>NeoNyx7 would trim the party's field to one left after taking buhtuk12's chip lead after the hand below and constant shoving without losing until ParallyTisT, buhtuk12, and MarinaFrank finally raised the white flag and ended the all-in fest to its conclusion.</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53050_2C33D54F72.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53050{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53050_2C33D54F72.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53050{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center><p></p>
<p>Congrats to all our final table players in taking away something for nothing, and be sure to start the hunt for next month's Battle of the Planets Triple Shoot freeroll tickets!</p>
<p><u><strong>$50,000 Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout Freeroll Results</strong></u><br />
<em>(*All players were part of nine-way chip count chop)</em><br />
1. NeoNyx7 (Запорожье) *$3,888.20<br />
2. buhtuk12 (Riga) *$3,901.14<br />
3. MarinaFrank (Тверь) *$3,931.14<br />
4. ParaIIIyTisT (Омск) *$4,285.41<br />
5. eSPoNJa.WZ (Valparaiso) *$4,245.52<br />
6. simpledude16 (Abbotsford) *$5,258.78<br />
7. reza_proton (Tehran) *$3,500.01<br />
8. Wyldemavrick (Clarence Center) *$3,394.39<br />
9. Bilesy (Bournemouth) *$3,555.41</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(3) {
["subject#"]=>
int(2)
["subject"]=>
string(21) "Battle of the Planets"
["subject#2"]=>
string(10) "Promotions"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(21) "Battle of the Planets"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category#2@term"]=>
string(10) "Promotions"
["category#2@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280101693)
}
[8]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(53) "ANZPT Queenstown: Lucky coin carries Cohen to victory"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(5938) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>The writer in me loves a good storyline. When play kicked off today for Day 4 of the 2010 ANZPT Queenstown Main Event, several of those "good storylines" were in play. Could the overnight chip leader, Vesko Zmukic, go wire to wire? How would the Season 2 point races affect the play of Andrew Scarf and John Maklouf, a player looking for his third ANZPT final table in a row? Could one of the four remaining Kiwis take down the tournament for the home team? Would Tim Clarke, the bubble boy in 2009, exact his revenge upon the tournament by winning the whole thing? Or would Michael Spilkin's Tuesday "gift" from a local bluebird prove to be the best of good-luck charms?</p>
<p>While considering all of those good storylines, I overlooked the most obvious: recently graduated uni student and young gun rises to the top.</p>
<p>But we should start at the beginning.</p>
<p>15 players returned for Day 4. Within two hours six of them -- Andrew Scarf, Serge Mazza, Robert Wang, Jie Gao, Campbell Melville and Tim Macbeth -- were standing on the rail. Several of my "good storylines" were still in play. Then one by one they began to drop away until only the two young guns were left.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5781-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5781-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>The first to go was Team PokerStar Pro (Asia) Bryan Huang, who took some beats early in the day to limp into the final table 7th in chips. He was soon joined by Maklouf, who did indeed secure his third ANZPT final table in a row -- and precious leaderboard points -- but ultimately couldn't get much going when it mattered most. Jason Gray soon dropped out of contention after Cohen flipped a coin to decided whether or not call Gray's shove. Gray called it in the air, and called it wrong. Cohen called, then won another flip with [qh][10h] against Gray's pocket eights to knock Gray out. </p>
<p>Gray was followed shortly by the last Kiwi in the field, Emerson Rewi, and Clarke, the 2009 bubble boy. That left Spilkin, Zmukic, Watson and Cohen to battle it out for the trophy.</p>
<p>Spilkin was the player who was the recipient of a nasty gift from a bluebird upon arriving in Queenstown on Tuesday. He rode that "good fortune" all the way to four-handed play, then made a daring all-in call against Watson with [as][2d] after Watson raised all in on a board of [2c][9d][9h][jh][3d]. It turned out to be the wrong move, as Watson tabled [10c][9c] to knock Spilkin out of the running.</p>
<p>Zmukic exited in 3rd place. He lost a flip to Andrew Watson after seeing his own stack decimated by doubling Cohen up. That left only two players -- the two youngsters, Watson and Cohen. </p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5845-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5845-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>Cohen, you might remember, finished Day 2 by making a royal flush and started Day 3 by flopping quad sixes. He had definitely found some run-good in the early stages. He was going to need it in the late stages as well, as Watson started with a 3-to-1 chip lead. Cohen quickly whittled that down to even by winning a flip and then winning a few pots in succession, but a series of mis-fired bluffs allowed Watson to climb right back up to his 3-to-1 perch. Cohen was actually all in a second time, with [10d][9d] against Watson's [ks][qs] but survived again by flopping a pair and rivering a straight.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5861-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5861-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>After that second all in, Cohen re-grouped and kept firing away at Watson. A critical hand that pushed Watson firmly underwater occurred when, for the second time of the evening, Cohen flipped a coin to determine whether to call or fold. The coin told him to call and it was the correct decision. After losing that pot, Watson's stack trended steadily downwards until he finally moved in with [kh][10d]. Cohen was there to greet Watson with [ad][10c], a hand which held up to end the tournament in Watson's favor.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5896-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5896-1.JPG" width="256" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>For his four days of tournament glory, Cohen will receive $73,630. He's also jumped to 12th in the Season 2 points standings. Those standings are still led by Tony Hachem, but today's results have considerably narrowed Hachem's lead. His 171.65 points are trailed closely by John Maklouf (161.00), Andrew Scarf (154.50) and Rennie Carnevale (139.55). With three more events yet to be played, the points championship is far from decided.</p>
<p>That concludes our coverage from Queenstown. I hope you've enjoyed following along as much as I've enjoyed being here. This is truly an amazing little town set in the midst of some majestic wilderness. Put it on your list of can't-miss tour stops for next season -- and maybe your name will be one of those good storylines at the end of the week.<br />
</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-lucky-coin-carries-cohe-071826.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-lucky-coin-carries-cohe-071826.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sun, 25 Jul 2010 04:51:54 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(5938) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>The writer in me loves a good storyline. When play kicked off today for Day 4 of the 2010 ANZPT Queenstown Main Event, several of those "good storylines" were in play. Could the overnight chip leader, Vesko Zmukic, go wire to wire? How would the Season 2 point races affect the play of Andrew Scarf and John Maklouf, a player looking for his third ANZPT final table in a row? Could one of the four remaining Kiwis take down the tournament for the home team? Would Tim Clarke, the bubble boy in 2009, exact his revenge upon the tournament by winning the whole thing? Or would Michael Spilkin's Tuesday "gift" from a local bluebird prove to be the best of good-luck charms?</p>
<p>While considering all of those good storylines, I overlooked the most obvious: recently graduated uni student and young gun rises to the top.</p>
<p>But we should start at the beginning.</p>
<p>15 players returned for Day 4. Within two hours six of them -- Andrew Scarf, Serge Mazza, Robert Wang, Jie Gao, Campbell Melville and Tim Macbeth -- were standing on the rail. Several of my "good storylines" were still in play. Then one by one they began to drop away until only the two young guns were left.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5781-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5781-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>The first to go was Team PokerStar Pro (Asia) Bryan Huang, who took some beats early in the day to limp into the final table 7th in chips. He was soon joined by Maklouf, who did indeed secure his third ANZPT final table in a row -- and precious leaderboard points -- but ultimately couldn't get much going when it mattered most. Jason Gray soon dropped out of contention after Cohen flipped a coin to decided whether or not call Gray's shove. Gray called it in the air, and called it wrong. Cohen called, then won another flip with [qh][10h] against Gray's pocket eights to knock Gray out. </p>
<p>Gray was followed shortly by the last Kiwi in the field, Emerson Rewi, and Clarke, the 2009 bubble boy. That left Spilkin, Zmukic, Watson and Cohen to battle it out for the trophy.</p>
<p>Spilkin was the player who was the recipient of a nasty gift from a bluebird upon arriving in Queenstown on Tuesday. He rode that "good fortune" all the way to four-handed play, then made a daring all-in call against Watson with [as][2d] after Watson raised all in on a board of [2c][9d][9h][jh][3d]. It turned out to be the wrong move, as Watson tabled [10c][9c] to knock Spilkin out of the running.</p>
<p>Zmukic exited in 3rd place. He lost a flip to Andrew Watson after seeing his own stack decimated by doubling Cohen up. That left only two players -- the two youngsters, Watson and Cohen. </p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5845-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5845-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>Cohen, you might remember, finished Day 2 by making a royal flush and started Day 3 by flopping quad sixes. He had definitely found some run-good in the early stages. He was going to need it in the late stages as well, as Watson started with a 3-to-1 chip lead. Cohen quickly whittled that down to even by winning a flip and then winning a few pots in succession, but a series of mis-fired bluffs allowed Watson to climb right back up to his 3-to-1 perch. Cohen was actually all in a second time, with [10d][9d] against Watson's [ks][qs] but survived again by flopping a pair and rivering a straight.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5861-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5861-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>After that second all in, Cohen re-grouped and kept firing away at Watson. A critical hand that pushed Watson firmly underwater occurred when, for the second time of the evening, Cohen flipped a coin to determine whether to call or fold. The coin told him to call and it was the correct decision. After losing that pot, Watson's stack trended steadily downwards until he finally moved in with [kh][10d]. Cohen was there to greet Watson with [ad][10c], a hand which held up to end the tournament in Watson's favor.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5896-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5896-1.JPG" width="256" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>For his four days of tournament glory, Cohen will receive $73,630. He's also jumped to 12th in the Season 2 points standings. Those standings are still led by Tony Hachem, but today's results have considerably narrowed Hachem's lead. His 171.65 points are trailed closely by John Maklouf (161.00), Andrew Scarf (154.50) and Rennie Carnevale (139.55). With three more events yet to be played, the points championship is far from decided.</p>
<p>That concludes our coverage from Queenstown. I hope you've enjoyed following along as much as I've enjoyed being here. This is truly an amazing little town set in the midst of some majestic wilderness. Put it on your list of can't-miss tour stops for next season -- and maybe your name will be one of those good storylines at the end of the week.<br />
</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280062314)
}
[9]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(78) "ANZPT Queenstown: Final table, levels 21&22&23 (blinds 8000-16000, ante 2000)"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(10970) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><strong>9:51pm: Andrew Watson eliminated in 2nd place -- Julian Cohen wins ANZPT Queenstown Main Event!</strong></p>
<p>After Andrew Watson started trending downwards, he didn't seem to be able to stop. On the final hand of the tournament, Watson opened all in from the button for about 450,000. Julian Cohen snap-called with [ad][10c] and was the dominating favorite over Watson's [kh][10d] to end the tournament. There wasn't much sweat as the board developed [4s][jc][4h][7c][9s]. That ended Watson's run in 2nd place and crowned Cohen the champion.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="JulianCohen-Queenstown-win.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6160-1.JPG" width="297" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>Executive Director of SKYCITY Queenstown Michelle Baillie gave a few very brief remarks and then presented Cohen with his trophy. </p>
<p>We'll have a complete recap of the day later this evening, but for now offer our congratulations to Cohen on his accomplishment.</p>
<p><strong>9:45pm: Watson trending downwards</strong></p>
<p>On an all-broadway flop of [ah][js][10s], Andrew Watson checked and then called a bet of 100,000 from Julian Cohen. Cohen fired another 125,000 after Watson checked the [qc] turn. Again Watson called. Both players checked the [10h] river, at which point Cohen turned over [as][ks] for a Broadway straight. He collected the pot after Watson mucked.</p>
<p>Watson is down to about 650,000.</p>
<p><strong>9:40pm: Cohen flips with the best of them</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen's lucky coin was out again as he contemplated calling a river bet from Andrew Watson. Cohen flipped and did what the coin told him to do -- call. It turned out to be the correct decision, earning Cohen another pot. He now has the chip lead again, with about 1.5 million to Andrew Watson's 900,000.</p>
<p><strong>9:37pm: Level 23 begins (blinds 12000-24000, ante 3000)</strong></p>
<p><strong>9:35pm: Cohen doubles again</strong></p>
<p>After being ground down to 445,000, suddenly the chips were all in the middle. Andrew Watson limped his button, Julian Cohen shoved all in, and Watson snap-called.</p>
<p>"Uh oh. I'm in trouble," said Cohen. But it wasn't quite as bad as he had feared. His [10d][9d] was lived against Watson's [ks][qs]. Cohen paired nines on the flop, [9c][8s][7d], then had to hang on for a sweat after the [3s] turn. The river was a face card, but it was a [jd] to give Cohen a jack-high straight. He now has bout 900,000 in chips and so we play on.</p>
<p><strong>9:22pm: Back to square one</strong></p>
<p>The chip counts have been restored to what they were at the start of heads-up play -- a roughly 3-to-1 chip lead for Andrew Watson -- after a failed bluff by Julian Cohen. Cohen called a pre-flop raise to 45,000, then led out for 65,000 on a flop of [jc][2c][9s]. Watson called to the [2h] turn, a card both players checked. Cohen took another stab with a bet of 130,000 on the [6s] river, but he couldn't shake Watson. Watson called with a pair of nines, [10d][9c], which was better than Cohen's busted straight draw, [qh][10s].</p>
<p><strong>9:13pm: Watson comes storming back</strong></p>
<p>No sooner had Julian Cohen evened the chip counts then Andrew Watson came back with a vengeance to relieve Cohen of 400,000 chips in one shot. Cohen opened his button to 40,000, then called a three-bet to 120,000 from the out-of-position Watson. Watson bet 130,000 on a king-high flop, [5h][2d][kh]. The words were barely out of his mouth when Cohen had already called. Watson checked the [js] turn to Cohen, who bet 160,000. Cohen snap-folded to Watson's check-raise to 400,000.</p>
<p><strong>9:09pm: Cohen evens the score</strong></p>
<p>The last two players are virtually dead even in chips after Julian Cohen won another two pots. First, on a flop of [kc][as][5c], Cohen check and called a bet of 57,000 from Andrew Watson. Both players checked the [js] turn. Cohen's bet of 100,000 on the [8d] went uncalled.</p>
<p>The next hand Cohen opened for 40,000. Andrew Watson re-raised to 120,000, but folded when Cohen four-bet to 250,000. Cohen flashed pocket aces. </p>
<p><strong>9:01pm: Julian Cohen doubles up</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen opened his button with a minimum-raise to 40,000 and then was faced with a huge decision after Andrew Watson moved all in. After thirty seconds Cohen called all in for 480,000 total, putting himself at risk of elimination. He had to win a race with [ac][9c] against Watson's [6s][6c] in order to remain in the tournament. Win it he did, making a full house on a board of [jd][9h][10h][9d][10s]. Cohen now has about 1.0 million in chips to Watson's 1.3. Game on!</p>
<p><strong>8:53pm: Vesko Zmukic eliminated in 3rd place</strong></p>
<p>In the end, Vesko Zmukic couldn't avoid the inevitable flip. He moved all in from the big blind after Andrew Watson opened for 50,000 from the button. Watson quickly called with [6h][6s], and the race was on against Zmukic's [kh][10h]. A six in the window was pretty much all she wrote. The board came [6d][jd][7c][3d][ad] to eliminate Zmukic.</p>
<p>Watson and Julian Cohen are now heads-up for the championship. Watson has a 3-to-1 advantage, but Cohen has approximately 30 big blinds. There's plenty of time.</p>
<p><strong>8:50pm: Zmukic makes an eyebrow-raising fold</strong></p>
<p>There was some hushed murmuring on the rail after a recent pot between Vesko Zmukic and Andrew Watson. Zmukic opened his button for 67,000, leaving himself about 200,000 behind. Andrew Watson was next to speak and pushed all in, folding big blind Julian Cohen. Zmukic tanked for about a minute, then open-folded [8d][8c]. </p>
<p><strong>8:43pm: Zmukic teetering</strong></p>
<p>With the limits up, Vesko Zmukic is now right on the edge of being classically short-stacked. He did just manage to pick up 45,000 chips from Andrew Watson to increase his count to about 300,000. Watson opened pre-flop for 45,000 and Zmukic called from the blind. Both men checked to the river, [2c][as][10d][ks][jc]. That's where Zmukic's bet of 100,000 took down the pot.</p>
<p><strong>8:33pm: Level 22 begins (blinds 10000-20000, ante 2000)</strong></p>
<p><strong>8:25pm: Watson starting to pull away</strong></p>
<p>Chalk up another pot for Andrew Watson. He and Vesko Zmukic took a limped flop of [8d][7c][7h]. Zmukic led out for 30,000 and Watson called. Both players checked the [3h] turn. When the river came the [as], Zmukic checked again. He started shaking his head when Watson bet 42,000 but called anyway. Sure enough, Watson turned up [ad][4c] for a rivered two pair, aces and seven. Zmukic flashed queen-eight as he mucked.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_6106-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6106-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>8:13pm: Michael Spilkin eliminated in 4th place</strong></p>
<p>With Michael Spilkin playing so many post-dinner pots, he seemed assured of either amassing a massive stack or busting out. It turned out to be the latter. He and Andrew Watson took a raised flop of [2c][9d][9h]. Spilkin was first to speak and made it 70,000 to go. Watson called.</p>
<p>When the turn came [jh], Spilkin quickly slid a stack of orange chips (100,000 total) into the pot. Again Watson called. Spilkin repeated the same action on the river [3d], betting a quick 100,000. Watson then raised all in. He had Spilkin covered. The raise was 240,000 back to Spilkin.</p>
<p>"I don't think I can fold," said Spilkin. After another thirty seconds, he called with [as][2d], nines and deuces. Watson was pumped, popping out of his chair and pumping his fist as he showed [10c][9s] for trip nines. The two men shook hands and then Spilkin beat a hasty exit.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="MichaelSpilkin-QT-FT-4.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6095-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Michael Spilkin has been eliminated</em></center></p>
<p><strong>8:07pm: Cohen and Spilkin again</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin and Julian Cohen are tangling quite a bit here in the post-dinner play. They played another raised pot, this one with Cohen in position. On a flop of [6s][5c][5h], Spilkin opened for 60,000. Cohen put in a raise that was just bigger than the minimum, making it 130,000 to go. Spilking tanked for several minutes, staring Cohen down, before he finally mucked his cards.</p>
<p><strong>8:01pm: Cohen returns the favor</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin tried opening a pot pre-flop to 35,000. He was called by small blind Andrew Watson, prompting Julian Cohen to three-bet the big blind to 130,000. Both of his opponents quickly folded, allowing Cohen to flash [10h][6h].</p>
<p>"Now we're even," he told Spilkin.</p>
<p><strong>7:57pm: Spilkin bluffs Cohen out</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen started things pre-flop by raising his button, but it was the big blind Michael Spilkin who finished them off. Both players checked a [7h][5s][5d] flop. When the turn came a jack, [js], Spilkin led out for 45,000. Cohen considered that bet briefly and then called. At the river [5c], Spilkin tried another bet of 55,000. This one induced a fold from Cohen, who claimed to have folded ace-high after Spilkin showed [qc][10s].</p>
<p><strong>7:53pm: Zmukic can't get action from Spilkin</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin opened from under the gun for 36,000 and was called only by big blind Vesko Zmukic. Zmukic led out for 70,000 on a flop of [jd][4s][8d], then showed unimproved [ah][ks] after Spilkin folded.</p>
<p><strong>7:45pm: Watson hits the river</strong></p>
<p>The small-ball style that characterized pre-dinner play has returned after dinner. Andrew Watson opened for 36,000 pre-flop and was called by Vesko Zmukic. Both players checked the [3d][3h][4h] flop. Zmukic also checked the [9h] turn, then called a bet of 41,000 from Watson. The action was similar on the [ks] river, where Watson opened [kc][8c] for a pair of kings after Zmukic called one last bet. Zmukic tapped the table "good hand" and mucked his hand.</p>
<p><strong>7:35pm: Play resumes</strong></p>
<p>Players have returned from dinner and cards are back in the air.<br />
</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-final-table-levels-2122-071820.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-final-table-levels-2122-071820.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sun, 25 Jul 2010 00:39:14 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(10970) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><strong>9:51pm: Andrew Watson eliminated in 2nd place -- Julian Cohen wins ANZPT Queenstown Main Event!</strong></p>
<p>After Andrew Watson started trending downwards, he didn't seem to be able to stop. On the final hand of the tournament, Watson opened all in from the button for about 450,000. Julian Cohen snap-called with [ad][10c] and was the dominating favorite over Watson's [kh][10d] to end the tournament. There wasn't much sweat as the board developed [4s][jc][4h][7c][9s]. That ended Watson's run in 2nd place and crowned Cohen the champion.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="JulianCohen-Queenstown-win.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6160-1.JPG" width="297" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>Executive Director of SKYCITY Queenstown Michelle Baillie gave a few very brief remarks and then presented Cohen with his trophy. </p>
<p>We'll have a complete recap of the day later this evening, but for now offer our congratulations to Cohen on his accomplishment.</p>
<p><strong>9:45pm: Watson trending downwards</strong></p>
<p>On an all-broadway flop of [ah][js][10s], Andrew Watson checked and then called a bet of 100,000 from Julian Cohen. Cohen fired another 125,000 after Watson checked the [qc] turn. Again Watson called. Both players checked the [10h] river, at which point Cohen turned over [as][ks] for a Broadway straight. He collected the pot after Watson mucked.</p>
<p>Watson is down to about 650,000.</p>
<p><strong>9:40pm: Cohen flips with the best of them</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen's lucky coin was out again as he contemplated calling a river bet from Andrew Watson. Cohen flipped and did what the coin told him to do -- call. It turned out to be the correct decision, earning Cohen another pot. He now has the chip lead again, with about 1.5 million to Andrew Watson's 900,000.</p>
<p><strong>9:37pm: Level 23 begins (blinds 12000-24000, ante 3000)</strong></p>
<p><strong>9:35pm: Cohen doubles again</strong></p>
<p>After being ground down to 445,000, suddenly the chips were all in the middle. Andrew Watson limped his button, Julian Cohen shoved all in, and Watson snap-called.</p>
<p>"Uh oh. I'm in trouble," said Cohen. But it wasn't quite as bad as he had feared. His [10d][9d] was lived against Watson's [ks][qs]. Cohen paired nines on the flop, [9c][8s][7d], then had to hang on for a sweat after the [3s] turn. The river was a face card, but it was a [jd] to give Cohen a jack-high straight. He now has bout 900,000 in chips and so we play on.</p>
<p><strong>9:22pm: Back to square one</strong></p>
<p>The chip counts have been restored to what they were at the start of heads-up play -- a roughly 3-to-1 chip lead for Andrew Watson -- after a failed bluff by Julian Cohen. Cohen called a pre-flop raise to 45,000, then led out for 65,000 on a flop of [jc][2c][9s]. Watson called to the [2h] turn, a card both players checked. Cohen took another stab with a bet of 130,000 on the [6s] river, but he couldn't shake Watson. Watson called with a pair of nines, [10d][9c], which was better than Cohen's busted straight draw, [qh][10s].</p>
<p><strong>9:13pm: Watson comes storming back</strong></p>
<p>No sooner had Julian Cohen evened the chip counts then Andrew Watson came back with a vengeance to relieve Cohen of 400,000 chips in one shot. Cohen opened his button to 40,000, then called a three-bet to 120,000 from the out-of-position Watson. Watson bet 130,000 on a king-high flop, [5h][2d][kh]. The words were barely out of his mouth when Cohen had already called. Watson checked the [js] turn to Cohen, who bet 160,000. Cohen snap-folded to Watson's check-raise to 400,000.</p>
<p><strong>9:09pm: Cohen evens the score</strong></p>
<p>The last two players are virtually dead even in chips after Julian Cohen won another two pots. First, on a flop of [kc][as][5c], Cohen check and called a bet of 57,000 from Andrew Watson. Both players checked the [js] turn. Cohen's bet of 100,000 on the [8d] went uncalled.</p>
<p>The next hand Cohen opened for 40,000. Andrew Watson re-raised to 120,000, but folded when Cohen four-bet to 250,000. Cohen flashed pocket aces. </p>
<p><strong>9:01pm: Julian Cohen doubles up</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen opened his button with a minimum-raise to 40,000 and then was faced with a huge decision after Andrew Watson moved all in. After thirty seconds Cohen called all in for 480,000 total, putting himself at risk of elimination. He had to win a race with [ac][9c] against Watson's [6s][6c] in order to remain in the tournament. Win it he did, making a full house on a board of [jd][9h][10h][9d][10s]. Cohen now has about 1.0 million in chips to Watson's 1.3. Game on!</p>
<p><strong>8:53pm: Vesko Zmukic eliminated in 3rd place</strong></p>
<p>In the end, Vesko Zmukic couldn't avoid the inevitable flip. He moved all in from the big blind after Andrew Watson opened for 50,000 from the button. Watson quickly called with [6h][6s], and the race was on against Zmukic's [kh][10h]. A six in the window was pretty much all she wrote. The board came [6d][jd][7c][3d][ad] to eliminate Zmukic.</p>
<p>Watson and Julian Cohen are now heads-up for the championship. Watson has a 3-to-1 advantage, but Cohen has approximately 30 big blinds. There's plenty of time.</p>
<p><strong>8:50pm: Zmukic makes an eyebrow-raising fold</strong></p>
<p>There was some hushed murmuring on the rail after a recent pot between Vesko Zmukic and Andrew Watson. Zmukic opened his button for 67,000, leaving himself about 200,000 behind. Andrew Watson was next to speak and pushed all in, folding big blind Julian Cohen. Zmukic tanked for about a minute, then open-folded [8d][8c]. </p>
<p><strong>8:43pm: Zmukic teetering</strong></p>
<p>With the limits up, Vesko Zmukic is now right on the edge of being classically short-stacked. He did just manage to pick up 45,000 chips from Andrew Watson to increase his count to about 300,000. Watson opened pre-flop for 45,000 and Zmukic called from the blind. Both men checked to the river, [2c][as][10d][ks][jc]. That's where Zmukic's bet of 100,000 took down the pot.</p>
<p><strong>8:33pm: Level 22 begins (blinds 10000-20000, ante 2000)</strong></p>
<p><strong>8:25pm: Watson starting to pull away</strong></p>
<p>Chalk up another pot for Andrew Watson. He and Vesko Zmukic took a limped flop of [8d][7c][7h]. Zmukic led out for 30,000 and Watson called. Both players checked the [3h] turn. When the river came the [as], Zmukic checked again. He started shaking his head when Watson bet 42,000 but called anyway. Sure enough, Watson turned up [ad][4c] for a rivered two pair, aces and seven. Zmukic flashed queen-eight as he mucked.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_6106-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6106-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>8:13pm: Michael Spilkin eliminated in 4th place</strong></p>
<p>With Michael Spilkin playing so many post-dinner pots, he seemed assured of either amassing a massive stack or busting out. It turned out to be the latter. He and Andrew Watson took a raised flop of [2c][9d][9h]. Spilkin was first to speak and made it 70,000 to go. Watson called.</p>
<p>When the turn came [jh], Spilkin quickly slid a stack of orange chips (100,000 total) into the pot. Again Watson called. Spilkin repeated the same action on the river [3d], betting a quick 100,000. Watson then raised all in. He had Spilkin covered. The raise was 240,000 back to Spilkin.</p>
<p>"I don't think I can fold," said Spilkin. After another thirty seconds, he called with [as][2d], nines and deuces. Watson was pumped, popping out of his chair and pumping his fist as he showed [10c][9s] for trip nines. The two men shook hands and then Spilkin beat a hasty exit.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="MichaelSpilkin-QT-FT-4.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6095-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Michael Spilkin has been eliminated</em></center></p>
<p><strong>8:07pm: Cohen and Spilkin again</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin and Julian Cohen are tangling quite a bit here in the post-dinner play. They played another raised pot, this one with Cohen in position. On a flop of [6s][5c][5h], Spilkin opened for 60,000. Cohen put in a raise that was just bigger than the minimum, making it 130,000 to go. Spilking tanked for several minutes, staring Cohen down, before he finally mucked his cards.</p>
<p><strong>8:01pm: Cohen returns the favor</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin tried opening a pot pre-flop to 35,000. He was called by small blind Andrew Watson, prompting Julian Cohen to three-bet the big blind to 130,000. Both of his opponents quickly folded, allowing Cohen to flash [10h][6h].</p>
<p>"Now we're even," he told Spilkin.</p>
<p><strong>7:57pm: Spilkin bluffs Cohen out</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen started things pre-flop by raising his button, but it was the big blind Michael Spilkin who finished them off. Both players checked a [7h][5s][5d] flop. When the turn came a jack, [js], Spilkin led out for 45,000. Cohen considered that bet briefly and then called. At the river [5c], Spilkin tried another bet of 55,000. This one induced a fold from Cohen, who claimed to have folded ace-high after Spilkin showed [qc][10s].</p>
<p><strong>7:53pm: Zmukic can't get action from Spilkin</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin opened from under the gun for 36,000 and was called only by big blind Vesko Zmukic. Zmukic led out for 70,000 on a flop of [jd][4s][8d], then showed unimproved [ah][ks] after Spilkin folded.</p>
<p><strong>7:45pm: Watson hits the river</strong></p>
<p>The small-ball style that characterized pre-dinner play has returned after dinner. Andrew Watson opened for 36,000 pre-flop and was called by Vesko Zmukic. Both players checked the [3d][3h][4h] flop. Zmukic also checked the [9h] turn, then called a bet of 41,000 from Watson. The action was similar on the [ks] river, where Watson opened [kc][8c] for a pair of kings after Zmukic called one last bet. Zmukic tapped the table "good hand" and mucked his hand.</p>
<p><strong>7:35pm: Play resumes</strong></p>
<p>Players have returned from dinner and cards are back in the air.<br />
</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280047154)
}
[10]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(74) "ANZPT Queenstown: Final table, levels 19&20 (blinds 5000-10000, ante 1000)"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(7561) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><strong>7:01pm: Short dinner break</strong></p>
<p>The last four players, who have been at it for almost seven hours now, have been given 30 minutes to find something to eat.</p>
<p><strong>6:54pm: Spilkin's check-raise doesn't get the desired result</strong></p>
<p>On a paired flop of [8h][10d][8d], Michael Spilkin checked to the pre-flop raiser, Andrew Watson, who made a continuation bet. Spilkin then check-raised that bet, making it an extra 31,000 to go. Watson called. When the turn came a seeming blank [3s], Spilkin checked again. Watson took the bait and fired out a bet of 93,000. Spilkin thought it over for about a minute and a half before flicking his cards into the muck.</p>
<p><strong>6:46pm: The smallest of pots to Spilkin</strong></p>
<p>There's still not a ton of action at our four-handed final table. As an example, consider a recent pot that was opened by Vesko Zmukic to 36,000. Michael Spilkin called from the button. Both players checked all the way to showdown, [qh][10d][ah][9c][kh]. At showdown Spilkin's pair of aces, [ac][4c], took down the pot.</p>
<p><strong>6:34pm: Cohen finds his double-up</strong></p>
<p>For a while now Julian Cohen has been the shortest of the four remaining stacks. He just leveled the playing field by doubling through Andrew Watson in a blind-on-blind battle. Watson shoved from the small blind into Cohen. Cohen snap-called with [10c][10s] and needed to fade only one overcard as Watson showed [ah][8h]. Cohen wound up turning a full house, [qh][5c][5s][10h], a hand he needed after Watson rivered the nut flush with the [6h].</p>
<p>Cohen is still the shortest stack but now has about 350,000 in chips. Watson is down to roughly 500,000. Michael Spilkin is in second with 680,000, while Vesko Zmukic has reclaimed the lead with 850,000.</p>
<p><strong>6:22pm: Cohen a little frustrated</strong></p>
<p>Several times today, Julian Cohen has opened pre-flop as the first in. Several time today, Vesko Zmukic has popped him back with a re-raise. Each time Cohen folded and flashed an ace, with Zmukic responding by showing ace-king. It just happened again, and left Cohen shaking his head.</p>
<p><strong>6:11pm: Watson pressures Zmukic out</strong></p>
<p>As soon as we mentioned small-ball poker, the players played a reasonably large pot. Vesko Zmukic opened pre-flop for 36,000 as t he first player to act. Small blind Andrew Watson re-raised to 116,000. Zmukic called to a flop of [8h][2c][ks], but then folded to a bet of 127,000.</p>
<p><strong>6:03pm: Small ball taking hold</strong></p>
<p>Over the course of the last hour, there has been a subtle shift towards more of a "small ball" approach to this final table. The last four players are playing very cautiously, trying to minimize their investment of chips with speculative holdings. This isn't unexpected, especially since the average stack at this point is 50 big blinds deep.</p>
<p><strong>6:00pm: Level 20 begins (blinds 6000-12000, ante 1000)</strong></p>
<p><strong>5:52pm: Spilkin gets paid with the nuts</strong></p>
<p>Making the best hand is (sometimes) only half of the battle. The other half is figuring out how to get paid. Michael Spilkin decided to try a bet of 100,000 against Andrew Watson on a board of [ah][qh][10c][jc][8s]. Watson opted to call, then quickly mucked as Spilkin announced the nuts and showed [kh][7h].</p>
<p>The final table seems to be turning into a two-horse race between Spilkin and Watson. Although Vesko Zmukic and Julian Cohen aren't short by any stretch, they're not playing nearly as many pots.</p>
<p><strong>5:43pm: Zmukic gets a small victory against Spilkin</strong></p>
<p>A three-way limped pot by Michael Spilkin, Andrew Watson and Vesko Zmukic produced a flop of [qd][jd][ah]. Spilkin had first action and made it 35,000 to go. Watson folded, but Zmukic called. The turn came [2c] and was checked by both remaining player. Spilking also checked the [5s] river, then called a bet of 50,000 by Zmukic. Zmukic showed a pair of aces, [ad][6h], good enough against Spilkin's pair of queens, [qh][10d].</p>
<p><strong>5:28pm: Zmukic and Watson chop after a good sweat</strong></p>
<p>Vesko Zmukic raised first to 30,000. Then Andrew Watson re-raised to 112,000. Zmukic responded by moving all in and Watson quickly called. Zmukic showed [as][kd] against Watson's [ac][kc]. A chop was likely, but an all-black flop of [9s][8c][2s] raised eyebrows. Any black card on the turn would give one player or the other a freeroll heading into the river. It was Watson who picked up that freeroll with the [7c] turn. Although the river was also black, the [ks] did not give Watson a club flush. Chop it up.</p>
<p><strong>5:26pm: Tim Clarke eliminated in 5th place</strong></p>
<p>When action came to Tim Clarke in the small blind and nobody had yet entered the pot, he moved all in for 122,000. Michael Spilkin thought for about a minute before calling with [ah][7s]. It was a flip against Clarke's pocket deuces. Spilkin won this flip, [6c][7h][10s][10d][4h]. Spilkin's tens and sevens sent Clarke -- last year's bubble finisher in this event -- to the rail in 5th place.</p>
<p><strong>5:20pm: Watson playing loosey-goosey</strong></p>
<p>After seeing Michael Spilkin lay down pocket queens earlier, Andrew Watson may have thought he could push Spilkin around. The two got a bunch of chips in the pot pre-flop and took a flop of [4s][qh][5d]. Spilkin led out for 35,000, then snap-called after Watson raised to 84,000. When the turn came the [10h], Spilkin led out again, this time for 100,000. Watson called.</p>
<p>The river came a threatening [ad]. "How much do you have left?" Spilkin asked Watson. Each player had more than 500,000 behind and opted to check the river. Spilkin showed pocket nines; Watson showed a lot of imagination with a [10s][2s] that turned a pair of tens.</p>
<p><strong>5:13pm: Spilkin makes a big fold</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin opened with a standard pre-flop raise to 25,000. Andrew Watson was next to speak and made it 100,000 straight. Spilkin didn't take long to make his decision.</p>
<p>"I will fold my pocket queens. This time." True to his word, Spilkin open-mucked two queens.</p>
<p><strong>5:06pm: Emerson Rewi eliminated in 6th place</strong></p>
<p>Somehow, despite his short stack, Emerson Rewi found himself involved in a three-way flop, out of position, with chips behind. He opted to lead out with an all-in bet on the [4d][5s][9d], making it 31,000 to go. Julian Cohen folded, but Michael Spilkin couldn't do it.</p>
<p>"I'm behind, but I have to call," said Spilkin. It turned out his [ac][7c] was actually ahead of Rewi's total airball, [6h][2d]. Rewi did no improve with the [9s] turn or [7s] river and thus is the 6th-place finisher.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="EmersonRewi-Queenstown-4.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6065-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Emerson Rewi was the last kiwi in the field</em></center></p>
<p><strong>5:00pm: Play resumes</strong></p>
<p>Cards are back in the air.</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-final-table-levels-1920-071818.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-final-table-levels-1920-071818.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sat, 24 Jul 2010 22:03:28 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(7561) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><strong>7:01pm: Short dinner break</strong></p>
<p>The last four players, who have been at it for almost seven hours now, have been given 30 minutes to find something to eat.</p>
<p><strong>6:54pm: Spilkin's check-raise doesn't get the desired result</strong></p>
<p>On a paired flop of [8h][10d][8d], Michael Spilkin checked to the pre-flop raiser, Andrew Watson, who made a continuation bet. Spilkin then check-raised that bet, making it an extra 31,000 to go. Watson called. When the turn came a seeming blank [3s], Spilkin checked again. Watson took the bait and fired out a bet of 93,000. Spilkin thought it over for about a minute and a half before flicking his cards into the muck.</p>
<p><strong>6:46pm: The smallest of pots to Spilkin</strong></p>
<p>There's still not a ton of action at our four-handed final table. As an example, consider a recent pot that was opened by Vesko Zmukic to 36,000. Michael Spilkin called from the button. Both players checked all the way to showdown, [qh][10d][ah][9c][kh]. At showdown Spilkin's pair of aces, [ac][4c], took down the pot.</p>
<p><strong>6:34pm: Cohen finds his double-up</strong></p>
<p>For a while now Julian Cohen has been the shortest of the four remaining stacks. He just leveled the playing field by doubling through Andrew Watson in a blind-on-blind battle. Watson shoved from the small blind into Cohen. Cohen snap-called with [10c][10s] and needed to fade only one overcard as Watson showed [ah][8h]. Cohen wound up turning a full house, [qh][5c][5s][10h], a hand he needed after Watson rivered the nut flush with the [6h].</p>
<p>Cohen is still the shortest stack but now has about 350,000 in chips. Watson is down to roughly 500,000. Michael Spilkin is in second with 680,000, while Vesko Zmukic has reclaimed the lead with 850,000.</p>
<p><strong>6:22pm: Cohen a little frustrated</strong></p>
<p>Several times today, Julian Cohen has opened pre-flop as the first in. Several time today, Vesko Zmukic has popped him back with a re-raise. Each time Cohen folded and flashed an ace, with Zmukic responding by showing ace-king. It just happened again, and left Cohen shaking his head.</p>
<p><strong>6:11pm: Watson pressures Zmukic out</strong></p>
<p>As soon as we mentioned small-ball poker, the players played a reasonably large pot. Vesko Zmukic opened pre-flop for 36,000 as t he first player to act. Small blind Andrew Watson re-raised to 116,000. Zmukic called to a flop of [8h][2c][ks], but then folded to a bet of 127,000.</p>
<p><strong>6:03pm: Small ball taking hold</strong></p>
<p>Over the course of the last hour, there has been a subtle shift towards more of a "small ball" approach to this final table. The last four players are playing very cautiously, trying to minimize their investment of chips with speculative holdings. This isn't unexpected, especially since the average stack at this point is 50 big blinds deep.</p>
<p><strong>6:00pm: Level 20 begins (blinds 6000-12000, ante 1000)</strong></p>
<p><strong>5:52pm: Spilkin gets paid with the nuts</strong></p>
<p>Making the best hand is (sometimes) only half of the battle. The other half is figuring out how to get paid. Michael Spilkin decided to try a bet of 100,000 against Andrew Watson on a board of [ah][qh][10c][jc][8s]. Watson opted to call, then quickly mucked as Spilkin announced the nuts and showed [kh][7h].</p>
<p>The final table seems to be turning into a two-horse race between Spilkin and Watson. Although Vesko Zmukic and Julian Cohen aren't short by any stretch, they're not playing nearly as many pots.</p>
<p><strong>5:43pm: Zmukic gets a small victory against Spilkin</strong></p>
<p>A three-way limped pot by Michael Spilkin, Andrew Watson and Vesko Zmukic produced a flop of [qd][jd][ah]. Spilkin had first action and made it 35,000 to go. Watson folded, but Zmukic called. The turn came [2c] and was checked by both remaining player. Spilking also checked the [5s] river, then called a bet of 50,000 by Zmukic. Zmukic showed a pair of aces, [ad][6h], good enough against Spilkin's pair of queens, [qh][10d].</p>
<p><strong>5:28pm: Zmukic and Watson chop after a good sweat</strong></p>
<p>Vesko Zmukic raised first to 30,000. Then Andrew Watson re-raised to 112,000. Zmukic responded by moving all in and Watson quickly called. Zmukic showed [as][kd] against Watson's [ac][kc]. A chop was likely, but an all-black flop of [9s][8c][2s] raised eyebrows. Any black card on the turn would give one player or the other a freeroll heading into the river. It was Watson who picked up that freeroll with the [7c] turn. Although the river was also black, the [ks] did not give Watson a club flush. Chop it up.</p>
<p><strong>5:26pm: Tim Clarke eliminated in 5th place</strong></p>
<p>When action came to Tim Clarke in the small blind and nobody had yet entered the pot, he moved all in for 122,000. Michael Spilkin thought for about a minute before calling with [ah][7s]. It was a flip against Clarke's pocket deuces. Spilkin won this flip, [6c][7h][10s][10d][4h]. Spilkin's tens and sevens sent Clarke -- last year's bubble finisher in this event -- to the rail in 5th place.</p>
<p><strong>5:20pm: Watson playing loosey-goosey</strong></p>
<p>After seeing Michael Spilkin lay down pocket queens earlier, Andrew Watson may have thought he could push Spilkin around. The two got a bunch of chips in the pot pre-flop and took a flop of [4s][qh][5d]. Spilkin led out for 35,000, then snap-called after Watson raised to 84,000. When the turn came the [10h], Spilkin led out again, this time for 100,000. Watson called.</p>
<p>The river came a threatening [ad]. "How much do you have left?" Spilkin asked Watson. Each player had more than 500,000 behind and opted to check the river. Spilkin showed pocket nines; Watson showed a lot of imagination with a [10s][2s] that turned a pair of tens.</p>
<p><strong>5:13pm: Spilkin makes a big fold</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin opened with a standard pre-flop raise to 25,000. Andrew Watson was next to speak and made it 100,000 straight. Spilkin didn't take long to make his decision.</p>
<p>"I will fold my pocket queens. This time." True to his word, Spilkin open-mucked two queens.</p>
<p><strong>5:06pm: Emerson Rewi eliminated in 6th place</strong></p>
<p>Somehow, despite his short stack, Emerson Rewi found himself involved in a three-way flop, out of position, with chips behind. He opted to lead out with an all-in bet on the [4d][5s][9d], making it 31,000 to go. Julian Cohen folded, but Michael Spilkin couldn't do it.</p>
<p>"I'm behind, but I have to call," said Spilkin. It turned out his [ac][7c] was actually ahead of Rewi's total airball, [6h][2d]. Rewi did no improve with the [9s] turn or [7s] river and thus is the 6th-place finisher.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="EmersonRewi-Queenstown-4.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6065-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Emerson Rewi was the last kiwi in the field</em></center></p>
<p><strong>5:00pm: Play resumes</strong></p>
<p>Cards are back in the air.</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280037808)
}
[11]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(72) "ANZPT Queenstown: Final table, levels 17&18 (blinds 3000-6000, ante 500)"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(9125) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><strong>4:50pm: Break time</strong></p>
<p>The remaining six players are on a ten-minute break.</p>
<p><strong>4:48pm: Rewi hanging around</strong></p>
<p>The last kiwi in the field, Emmerson Rewi, has been on the short stack all day. When action folded to his small blind, he moved in for about 35,000. Julian Cohen called with [ac][6c], in the lead against Rewi's [8h][7s].</p>
<p>Rewi went to shake Cohen's hand on a board of [as][kd][jh], but Cohen pointed out the possibility of runners. The furst runner came with the [10c] turn. "Queen!" called out Cohen, pointing out the possibility of a chop. Rewi did him one better by calling for, and receiving, a [9h] to make a jack-high straight and double up.</p>
<p><strong>4:45pm: Spilkin gets Clarke back </strong></p>
<p>After a brief lull in the action, Vesko Zmukic opened a pot for 20,000. Tim Clarke had the button and was next to act. He made it 61,000 to go. Michael Spilkin, in the small blind, peeked at his cards and then moved all in for 242,000. Zmukic quickly folded.</p>
<p>Clarke debated several minutes, got an exact count, and then called with [ad][kc]. Spilkin showed [ah][ac] and doubled up on a board of [10s][8h][6s][7d][4h].</p>
<p>"I liked that hand better than the other one," said Spilkin, referring to his earlier confrontation with Clarke. Spilkin now has about 520,000, while Clarke is down to 185,000.</p>
<p><strong>4:29pm: Watson floats and gets a fold</strong></p>
<p>Andrew Watson has the biggest stack on the final table and is using it to great effect. He opened a recent pot for 19,000, then called after Tim Clarke re-raised the big blind to 52,000. Clarke continued for 66,000 on a flop of [8c][3c][kh]. Watson was undeterred and, with position, called to the [2s] turn. Clarke checked that card and then folded to a bet of 115,000. Watson showed [ad][4d].</p>
<p><strong>4:18pm: Clarke flushes to double through Spilkin</strong></p>
<p>In no-limit hold'em, everything can change in an instant. Tim Clarke looked to be struggling and Michael Spilkin looked to be in control. They've reversed roles after a huge pot that started with a raise to 20,000 pre-flop by Spilkin. Clarke called out of the big blind to a flop of [8h][7h][qc] and checked. A series of raises quickly got the chips all in. Spilkin's [ac][qh] made top pair and was ahead of Clark's flush draw, [ah][10h]. Spilkin dodged eight hearts on the turn [4c], but the river [2h] brought in Clarke's draw and doubled him up.</p>
<p><strong>4:15pm: Watson puts Clarke to the test</strong></p>
<p>Tim Clarke opened pre-flop for 20,000 and was called by Andrew Watson out of the big blind. Watson checked an ace-high flop, [jh][ad][7d], inducing a bet of 27,500 from Clarke. Watson then check-raised to 72,500. Clarke wanted nothing further to do with the pot and surrendered his hand.</p>
<p><strong>4:03pm: Jason Gray eliminated in 7th place</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen had such a tough decision that he decided to let random chance make it for him. Cohen opened pre-flop to 17,500 in front of Jason Gray, who moved all in for 73,500 total. Cohen agonized over his decision for several minutes before asking TD Toni Quedley if he could flip a coin to decide.</p>
<p>"Of course!" Quedley replied.</p>
<p>Cohen then fished a coin out of his wallet and asked Gray to call it in the air. If Gray called correctly, Cohen would fold. If not he'd call. Gray called heads but the coin came up tails. Cohen, true to his word, called with [qh][10h]. Gray, fittingly enough, showed [8h][8d] for a coin-flip situation. Gray lost his second flip of the hand as the board came [qs][2c][5c][as][jh] to give Cohen a pair of queens. Gray's tournament is finished in 7th place.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="JasonGray-Queenstown-FT.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5802-1.JPG" width="247" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Jason Gray is out</em></center></p>
<p><strong>3:56pm: John Maklouf eliminated in 8th place</strong></p>
<p>John Maklouf is the first player in ANZPT history to make three consecutive final tables. But he's out of today's event after running into the buzz-saw that is Michael Spilkin. On the turn of a [qc][qs][9h][kh] board, Spilkin fired a bet of 55,000 chips into an already sizable pot. Maklouf tanked for more than a minute before raising all in for about 160,000. Spilkin snap-called with [as][qd], trip queens. Maklouf winced as he showed down [ah][kd], two pair kings and queens. There was no savior for Maklouf as the river fell [7c] to knock him out.</p>
<p>Spilkin now has about 570,000 and appears to be closing in on chip leader Andrew Watson.</p>
<p><strong>3:51pm: Level 18 begins (blinds 4000-8000, ante 500)</strong></p>
<p><strong>3:50pm: Gray doubles through Cohen</strong></p>
<p>The last hand of Level 17 produced yet another all-in confrontation. Jason Gray put himself at risk as he moved all 31,000 of his chips into the pot after an opening raise to 14,000 by Julian Cohen. Cohen called with [ac][10c], dominated by Gray's [ad][kh]. The board completely bricked out, [jd][5c][4s][2d][7c], allowing Gray's king kicker to play for a double-up.</p>
<p><strong>3:48pm: Bottom pair good enough for Zmukic</strong></p>
<p>On the penultimate hand of Level 17, Vesko Zmukic and Andrew Watson took a heads-up flop of [jc][8s][ad]. Zmukic checked and then called a bet of 22,000 from Watson. Neither player made any additional aggressive actions, checking the action down all the way. Zmukic took the pot with a pair of eights, [8d][7d].</p>
<p><strong>3:37pm: Big pockets abound</strong></p>
<p>The big pocket pairs have been all over the place today. Most recently it was Andrew Watson's turn. After Tim Clarke opened for 14,00 from under the gun, Andrew Watson re-raised to 39,500. Clarke called to a flop of [10c][7h][8h] but checked out to a single bet of 53,000.</p>
<p><strong>3:28pm: Rewi doubles up</strong></p>
<p>Down to 38,500, Emmerson Rewi put all his chips at risk with [3h][3d] after John Maklouf opened for 15,000. Maklouf called with [ac][9c] but whiffed on a boar of [jc][7d][4d][qs][4s]. Rewi is still short, but in slightly better condition with about 88,000.</p>
<p><strong>3:24pm: Zmukic's aces go down in flames</strong></p>
<p>The action was heavy pre-flop between under-the-gun player Michael Spilkin and small blind Vesko Zmukic. Zmukic led out for 35,000 on a flop of [10c][7d][10s] and was raised by Spilkin to 95,000. Zmukic did not hesitate long in calling, but thought much longer and harder on the [ks] turn. He checked that card, prompting Spilkin to quickly lead out for 60,000, about 40% of his remaining stack. Zmukic eventually open-folded [ad][ah], and it was a good fold. Spilkin showed [kh][10d] for a full house.</p>
<p><strong>3:13pm: Clarke fires three times</strong></p>
<p>A most unusual four-way pot took place at our final table. Each player was in for the minimum of 6,000 before the flop. On an all-diamond flop of [2d][9d][8d], action checked all the way to Tim Clarke. His bet of 16,000 was called only by Michael Spilkin. Spilkin check-called another 43,500 after the turn fell [kc] and then checked the [jc] river. Clarke didn't slow down. He fired another 70,000. Spilkin tanked for several minutes, leaning back in his seat with his arms folded across his chest, before finally folding.</p>
<p><strong>3:02pm: Bryan Huang eliminated in 9th place</strong></p>
<p>Bryan Huang knew he was going to have to make some strong moves if he wanted to take down this tournament. After Andrew Watson opened to 14,000 from late position, Huang moved all in for a total of 81,500. Watson called with [ad][10h]. Huang tabled [kh][qc] and did a little shimmy in his chair, perhaps to try to bring some good flop mojo, It had the opposite effect, as a flop of [ah][as][7s] made trip aces for Watson and left Huang looking for runners that never came. He leaves the final table as the 9th-place finisher.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="BryanHuang-Queenstown-FT.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6082-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Bryan Huang</em></center></p>
<p><strong>2:50pm: Level 17 begins (blinds 3000-6000, ante 500)</strong></p>
<p><strong>2:40pm: Shuffle up and deal</strong></p>
<p>After an extended pause to set the tournament floor up for the final table and to collect biographical information from the final nine players, cards are back in the air. Ten minutes remain in Level 16.</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-final-table-levels-1718-071812.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-final-table-levels-1718-071812.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sat, 24 Jul 2010 19:57:29 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(9125) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><strong>4:50pm: Break time</strong></p>
<p>The remaining six players are on a ten-minute break.</p>
<p><strong>4:48pm: Rewi hanging around</strong></p>
<p>The last kiwi in the field, Emmerson Rewi, has been on the short stack all day. When action folded to his small blind, he moved in for about 35,000. Julian Cohen called with [ac][6c], in the lead against Rewi's [8h][7s].</p>
<p>Rewi went to shake Cohen's hand on a board of [as][kd][jh], but Cohen pointed out the possibility of runners. The furst runner came with the [10c] turn. "Queen!" called out Cohen, pointing out the possibility of a chop. Rewi did him one better by calling for, and receiving, a [9h] to make a jack-high straight and double up.</p>
<p><strong>4:45pm: Spilkin gets Clarke back </strong></p>
<p>After a brief lull in the action, Vesko Zmukic opened a pot for 20,000. Tim Clarke had the button and was next to act. He made it 61,000 to go. Michael Spilkin, in the small blind, peeked at his cards and then moved all in for 242,000. Zmukic quickly folded.</p>
<p>Clarke debated several minutes, got an exact count, and then called with [ad][kc]. Spilkin showed [ah][ac] and doubled up on a board of [10s][8h][6s][7d][4h].</p>
<p>"I liked that hand better than the other one," said Spilkin, referring to his earlier confrontation with Clarke. Spilkin now has about 520,000, while Clarke is down to 185,000.</p>
<p><strong>4:29pm: Watson floats and gets a fold</strong></p>
<p>Andrew Watson has the biggest stack on the final table and is using it to great effect. He opened a recent pot for 19,000, then called after Tim Clarke re-raised the big blind to 52,000. Clarke continued for 66,000 on a flop of [8c][3c][kh]. Watson was undeterred and, with position, called to the [2s] turn. Clarke checked that card and then folded to a bet of 115,000. Watson showed [ad][4d].</p>
<p><strong>4:18pm: Clarke flushes to double through Spilkin</strong></p>
<p>In no-limit hold'em, everything can change in an instant. Tim Clarke looked to be struggling and Michael Spilkin looked to be in control. They've reversed roles after a huge pot that started with a raise to 20,000 pre-flop by Spilkin. Clarke called out of the big blind to a flop of [8h][7h][qc] and checked. A series of raises quickly got the chips all in. Spilkin's [ac][qh] made top pair and was ahead of Clark's flush draw, [ah][10h]. Spilkin dodged eight hearts on the turn [4c], but the river [2h] brought in Clarke's draw and doubled him up.</p>
<p><strong>4:15pm: Watson puts Clarke to the test</strong></p>
<p>Tim Clarke opened pre-flop for 20,000 and was called by Andrew Watson out of the big blind. Watson checked an ace-high flop, [jh][ad][7d], inducing a bet of 27,500 from Clarke. Watson then check-raised to 72,500. Clarke wanted nothing further to do with the pot and surrendered his hand.</p>
<p><strong>4:03pm: Jason Gray eliminated in 7th place</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen had such a tough decision that he decided to let random chance make it for him. Cohen opened pre-flop to 17,500 in front of Jason Gray, who moved all in for 73,500 total. Cohen agonized over his decision for several minutes before asking TD Toni Quedley if he could flip a coin to decide.</p>
<p>"Of course!" Quedley replied.</p>
<p>Cohen then fished a coin out of his wallet and asked Gray to call it in the air. If Gray called correctly, Cohen would fold. If not he'd call. Gray called heads but the coin came up tails. Cohen, true to his word, called with [qh][10h]. Gray, fittingly enough, showed [8h][8d] for a coin-flip situation. Gray lost his second flip of the hand as the board came [qs][2c][5c][as][jh] to give Cohen a pair of queens. Gray's tournament is finished in 7th place.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="JasonGray-Queenstown-FT.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5802-1.JPG" width="247" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Jason Gray is out</em></center></p>
<p><strong>3:56pm: John Maklouf eliminated in 8th place</strong></p>
<p>John Maklouf is the first player in ANZPT history to make three consecutive final tables. But he's out of today's event after running into the buzz-saw that is Michael Spilkin. On the turn of a [qc][qs][9h][kh] board, Spilkin fired a bet of 55,000 chips into an already sizable pot. Maklouf tanked for more than a minute before raising all in for about 160,000. Spilkin snap-called with [as][qd], trip queens. Maklouf winced as he showed down [ah][kd], two pair kings and queens. There was no savior for Maklouf as the river fell [7c] to knock him out.</p>
<p>Spilkin now has about 570,000 and appears to be closing in on chip leader Andrew Watson.</p>
<p><strong>3:51pm: Level 18 begins (blinds 4000-8000, ante 500)</strong></p>
<p><strong>3:50pm: Gray doubles through Cohen</strong></p>
<p>The last hand of Level 17 produced yet another all-in confrontation. Jason Gray put himself at risk as he moved all 31,000 of his chips into the pot after an opening raise to 14,000 by Julian Cohen. Cohen called with [ac][10c], dominated by Gray's [ad][kh]. The board completely bricked out, [jd][5c][4s][2d][7c], allowing Gray's king kicker to play for a double-up.</p>
<p><strong>3:48pm: Bottom pair good enough for Zmukic</strong></p>
<p>On the penultimate hand of Level 17, Vesko Zmukic and Andrew Watson took a heads-up flop of [jc][8s][ad]. Zmukic checked and then called a bet of 22,000 from Watson. Neither player made any additional aggressive actions, checking the action down all the way. Zmukic took the pot with a pair of eights, [8d][7d].</p>
<p><strong>3:37pm: Big pockets abound</strong></p>
<p>The big pocket pairs have been all over the place today. Most recently it was Andrew Watson's turn. After Tim Clarke opened for 14,00 from under the gun, Andrew Watson re-raised to 39,500. Clarke called to a flop of [10c][7h][8h] but checked out to a single bet of 53,000.</p>
<p><strong>3:28pm: Rewi doubles up</strong></p>
<p>Down to 38,500, Emmerson Rewi put all his chips at risk with [3h][3d] after John Maklouf opened for 15,000. Maklouf called with [ac][9c] but whiffed on a boar of [jc][7d][4d][qs][4s]. Rewi is still short, but in slightly better condition with about 88,000.</p>
<p><strong>3:24pm: Zmukic's aces go down in flames</strong></p>
<p>The action was heavy pre-flop between under-the-gun player Michael Spilkin and small blind Vesko Zmukic. Zmukic led out for 35,000 on a flop of [10c][7d][10s] and was raised by Spilkin to 95,000. Zmukic did not hesitate long in calling, but thought much longer and harder on the [ks] turn. He checked that card, prompting Spilkin to quickly lead out for 60,000, about 40% of his remaining stack. Zmukic eventually open-folded [ad][ah], and it was a good fold. Spilkin showed [kh][10d] for a full house.</p>
<p><strong>3:13pm: Clarke fires three times</strong></p>
<p>A most unusual four-way pot took place at our final table. Each player was in for the minimum of 6,000 before the flop. On an all-diamond flop of [2d][9d][8d], action checked all the way to Tim Clarke. His bet of 16,000 was called only by Michael Spilkin. Spilkin check-called another 43,500 after the turn fell [kc] and then checked the [jc] river. Clarke didn't slow down. He fired another 70,000. Spilkin tanked for several minutes, leaning back in his seat with his arms folded across his chest, before finally folding.</p>
<p><strong>3:02pm: Bryan Huang eliminated in 9th place</strong></p>
<p>Bryan Huang knew he was going to have to make some strong moves if he wanted to take down this tournament. After Andrew Watson opened to 14,000 from late position, Huang moved all in for a total of 81,500. Watson called with [ad][10h]. Huang tabled [kh][qc] and did a little shimmy in his chair, perhaps to try to bring some good flop mojo, It had the opposite effect, as a flop of [ah][as][7s] made trip aces for Watson and left Huang looking for runners that never came. He leaves the final table as the 9th-place finisher.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="BryanHuang-Queenstown-FT.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6082-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Bryan Huang</em></center></p>
<p><strong>2:50pm: Level 17 begins (blinds 3000-6000, ante 500)</strong></p>
<p><strong>2:40pm: Shuffle up and deal</strong></p>
<p>After an extended pause to set the tournament floor up for the final table and to collect biographical information from the final nine players, cards are back in the air. Ten minutes remain in Level 16.</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280030249)
}
[12]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(38) "ANZPT Queenstown: Final table profiles"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(7749) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><em>The 2010 ANZPT Queenstown Main Event final table has been decided. The nine players are chasing a first prize of AUD $73,630 and the title of ANZPT Queenstown champion. Play will continue at level 16 (blinds 2500-5000 with an ante of 500) for ten more minutes. From that point we will resume the normal one-hour levels start with Level 17 (blinds 3000-6000 with an ante of 500) until one player has all the chips!</em></p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5781-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5781-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 1 - John Maklouf, Sydney, NSW, PokerStars Qualifier (175,000 in chips): </strong></p>
<p>A 31-year-old manager with six years of online and live experience, this Star City regular qualified for the ANZPT Queenstown Main Event via a PokerStars satellite. This is his third ANZPT final table in a row, an unprecedented feat. He's had a bit of luck today to make it through this far but his results speak for themselves.</p>
<p><strong>Seat 2 - Andrew Watson, Wollongong, NSW, (450,000 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>Andrew is a 23-year-old student studying Commerce at University of Wollongong. He's been playing poker for three years and now mainly plays online. Any result today of fifth place or better would eclipse Andrew's previous biggest score, an online score of $17,000. Starting the final table 2nd in chips will give Andrew an excellent opportunity to set a new personal best.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5751-2.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5751-2.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 3 - Emmerson Rewi, Rotorua, NZ, (80,000 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>The lone Kiwi at the final table, Emmerson can normally be found working at the Department of Justice. He's 35 years old, is married and has one child. His best previous finish in a live tournament was 4th place at the 2008 Auckland Championships.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5759-2.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5759-2.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 4 - Julian Cohen, Melbourne, Victoria, PokerStars Qualifier (377,000 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen will start today's final table third in chips. He'll be looking to improve upon a 4th-place finish at the 2009 Victoria Championships. Cohen has been playing poker for three years and recently completed a program in commerce arts at Deakin University. </p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5748-2.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5748-2.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 5 - Bryan Huang, Singapore, Team PokerStars Pro (Asia) (97,500 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>Hailing from Singapore, Bryan Huang is one of Asia's rising poker talents. He took up the game while serving in the military, and his interest continued as he went on to study accountancy. While working towards his degree he began to take poker more seriously, by reading up on the game and trying to understand its complexities. That effort has paid off, and he's now one of the toughest players on the circuit, and one of highest earning Singaporeans of all time. His work is cut out for him at this final table as he is ranked 7th in chips.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5753-2.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5753-2.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 6 - Jason Gray, Sydney, NSW (71,500 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>Don't let the unassuming demeanour of this poker pro fool you. He's one of the nation's most respected players and has featured in Australia's (and the world's) biggest cash games for more than two decades. His best tournament results have come in recent years - he won the $15,000 buy-in event at the 2007 Victorian Championships, then placed third in the $10,000 Omaha Hi/Lo Split World Championship at the 2008 WSOP for more than USD $200,000 and was runner-up to Martin Rowe in the 2008 APPT Grand Final. He also won ANZPT Canberra last month to pad his poker resume. Today Jason starts in the "Dank Position", 9th in chips.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5766-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5766-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 7 - Vesko Zmukic, Perth, Western Australia (575,000 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>Many argue that poker is a sport, and no-one is better qualified to make a call on this vexing question than this 42-year-old former professional soccer player. Indeed, his PokerStars ID sutjeska refers to the Montenegrin football club with which he made his professional debut (he now coaches in the top tier of WA soccer). The father of two is among the most respected players on this side of the country, having captured the Western Classic title late in 2009. He enters the final table as chip leader.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5770-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5770-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 8 - Tim Clarke, Melbourne, Victoria, (292,000 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>It's been a better return engagement for Tim in the 2010 installment of ANZPT Queenstown than it was in 2009. Last year Tim was the bubble boy of the Queenstown Main Event. This year he comes to the final table ranked 4th in chips. Tim is 21 years old and is currently studying Business and IT at Swinburne University. In his spare time he works for plumbing company.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5742-2.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5742-2.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 9 - Michael Spilkin, Melbourne, Victoria (275,000 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>In a different life Michael Spilkin is a trader. In his poker life he continues to post sustained, impressive results. He has been playing for two years, primarily as a cash game player. But he also has a few tournament final tables to his credit. He finished 4th in the Melbourne Championships, and 8th in a recent Joe Hachem Deep Stack event.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5762-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5762-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(92) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-final-table-profiles-2-071811.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(92) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-final-table-profiles-2-071811.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sat, 24 Jul 2010 19:13:34 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(7749) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><em>The 2010 ANZPT Queenstown Main Event final table has been decided. The nine players are chasing a first prize of AUD $73,630 and the title of ANZPT Queenstown champion. Play will continue at level 16 (blinds 2500-5000 with an ante of 500) for ten more minutes. From that point we will resume the normal one-hour levels start with Level 17 (blinds 3000-6000 with an ante of 500) until one player has all the chips!</em></p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5781-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5781-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 1 - John Maklouf, Sydney, NSW, PokerStars Qualifier (175,000 in chips): </strong></p>
<p>A 31-year-old manager with six years of online and live experience, this Star City regular qualified for the ANZPT Queenstown Main Event via a PokerStars satellite. This is his third ANZPT final table in a row, an unprecedented feat. He's had a bit of luck today to make it through this far but his results speak for themselves.</p>
<p><strong>Seat 2 - Andrew Watson, Wollongong, NSW, (450,000 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>Andrew is a 23-year-old student studying Commerce at University of Wollongong. He's been playing poker for three years and now mainly plays online. Any result today of fifth place or better would eclipse Andrew's previous biggest score, an online score of $17,000. Starting the final table 2nd in chips will give Andrew an excellent opportunity to set a new personal best.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5751-2.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5751-2.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 3 - Emmerson Rewi, Rotorua, NZ, (80,000 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>The lone Kiwi at the final table, Emmerson can normally be found working at the Department of Justice. He's 35 years old, is married and has one child. His best previous finish in a live tournament was 4th place at the 2008 Auckland Championships.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5759-2.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5759-2.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 4 - Julian Cohen, Melbourne, Victoria, PokerStars Qualifier (377,000 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen will start today's final table third in chips. He'll be looking to improve upon a 4th-place finish at the 2009 Victoria Championships. Cohen has been playing poker for three years and recently completed a program in commerce arts at Deakin University. </p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5748-2.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5748-2.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 5 - Bryan Huang, Singapore, Team PokerStars Pro (Asia) (97,500 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>Hailing from Singapore, Bryan Huang is one of Asia's rising poker talents. He took up the game while serving in the military, and his interest continued as he went on to study accountancy. While working towards his degree he began to take poker more seriously, by reading up on the game and trying to understand its complexities. That effort has paid off, and he's now one of the toughest players on the circuit, and one of highest earning Singaporeans of all time. His work is cut out for him at this final table as he is ranked 7th in chips.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5753-2.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5753-2.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 6 - Jason Gray, Sydney, NSW (71,500 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>Don't let the unassuming demeanour of this poker pro fool you. He's one of the nation's most respected players and has featured in Australia's (and the world's) biggest cash games for more than two decades. His best tournament results have come in recent years - he won the $15,000 buy-in event at the 2007 Victorian Championships, then placed third in the $10,000 Omaha Hi/Lo Split World Championship at the 2008 WSOP for more than USD $200,000 and was runner-up to Martin Rowe in the 2008 APPT Grand Final. He also won ANZPT Canberra last month to pad his poker resume. Today Jason starts in the "Dank Position", 9th in chips.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5766-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5766-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 7 - Vesko Zmukic, Perth, Western Australia (575,000 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>Many argue that poker is a sport, and no-one is better qualified to make a call on this vexing question than this 42-year-old former professional soccer player. Indeed, his PokerStars ID sutjeska refers to the Montenegrin football club with which he made his professional debut (he now coaches in the top tier of WA soccer). The father of two is among the most respected players on this side of the country, having captured the Western Classic title late in 2009. He enters the final table as chip leader.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5770-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5770-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 8 - Tim Clarke, Melbourne, Victoria, (292,000 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>It's been a better return engagement for Tim in the 2010 installment of ANZPT Queenstown than it was in 2009. Last year Tim was the bubble boy of the Queenstown Main Event. This year he comes to the final table ranked 4th in chips. Tim is 21 years old and is currently studying Business and IT at Swinburne University. In his spare time he works for plumbing company.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5742-2.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5742-2.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 9 - Michael Spilkin, Melbourne, Victoria (275,000 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>In a different life Michael Spilkin is a trader. In his poker life he continues to post sustained, impressive results. He has been playing for two years, primarily as a cash game player. But he also has a few tournament final tables to his credit. He finished 4th in the Melbourne Championships, and 8th in a recent Joe Hachem Deep Stack event.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5762-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5762-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280027614)
}
[13]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(66) "ANZPT Queenstown: Day 4, levels 15&16 (blinds 2000-4000, ante 400)"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(9487) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><strong>2:06pm: Macbeth out (damned spot)</strong></p>
<p>Although he managed to triple up to about 10 big blinds, Tim Macbeth ultimately couldn't out-run the reaper. He was all in again, with the best of it again. His [kh][10s] was looking good to double through Julian Cohen's [kc][4c], but it just wasn't Macbeth's day. Cohen was all over a flop of [7c][9c][4s], making a pair and a flush draw. Macbeth couldn't pull of the suckout as the turn came [qd] and river fell [as]. Macbeth exits in 10th place.</p>
<p>The tournament is now on a short break to prepare for the final table.</p>
<p><strong>1:58pm: Tim Macbeth crippled</strong></p>
<p>"Not jack-five. Please not jack-five," Tim Macbeth begged the dealer. He had opened with a standard raise from the button, then called John Maklouf's all-in re-raise from the big blind for roughly 70,000. Macbeth had [ah][qs] and was up against Macbeth's [jh][5h]. Macbeth's worst fairs were realized as the flop came jack-high, [2c][jd][6c]. Macbeth picked up outs with the [10s], but the river blanked out [4d].</p>
<p><strong>1:49pm: Campbell Melville eliminated in 11th place</strong></p>
<p>Campbell Melville sucked out on Julian Cohen one time. He couldn't do it a second. Melville wound up all in before the flop with [as][2d] and this time Cohen was there to greet him with the pre-flop nuts, [ad][ac]. The board was an uneventful [9h][3d][10s][6c][jh] to send Melville to the rail in 11th place.</p>
<p>We're down to two five-handed tables. Because the pay jump to 9th place is relatively small, the tables are not playing hand-for-hand. The final table will be played 9-handed.</p>
<p><strong>1:46pm: The charmed life of Jason Gray</strong></p>
<p>Jason Gray opened all in from the button with [ac][6s]. Bryan Huang was there to meet him with [jc][jd]. Once again Gray was all in and behind, but this time he eked out a win, [ad][qh][qd][kh][9s]. Gray's aces and queens doubled him up to about 105,000 and put a signficant dent in Huang's stack.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="GrayHuang.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5722-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Jason Gray and Bryan Huang</em></center></p>
<p><strong>1:39pm: Cohen's kings cracked </strong></p>
<p>Campbell Melville open-shoved his button and knew he was in trouble when Julian Cohen snap-called from the small blind. Melville grimaced to see Cohen turn up [kc][ks]. Melville could only muster [jh][10c].</p>
<p>"Good luck," Cohen told Melville. Melville took that to heart, flopping trip jacks [jd][5s][js]. Cohen couldn't find a third king as the board ran out [qd] and [5d].</p>
<p>"F*** my life," said Cohen. The silver lining for Melville was that Cohen had only 37,900 in chips.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5739-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5739-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Campbell Melville cracks Julian Cohen's kings</em></center></p>
<p><strong>1:28pm: Jason Gray NOT eliminated</strong></p>
<p>Vesko Zmukic, active with his big stack, opened the button with a standard raise. Jason Gray then moved in from the small blind for about 70,000 and Zmukic had a decision. He opted to call with [ac][10h], in great shape against Gray's [ah][3s]. The board rolled out [4c][jc][kh][8d][8h], no help to either player. Jason stood up and shook Zmukic's hand, preparing to leave, until TD Toni Queadley and ANZPT Commissioner Danny McDonagh pointed out the two players were chopping. Each played four board cards, 8-8-K-J, with an ace.</p>
<p>"You're welcome to go, Jason," called Andrew Watson from the neighboring table.</p>
<p><strong>1:24pm: Jie Gao eliminated in 12th place</strong></p>
<p>Short-stacked Gao was going to need a lot of help to re-build after his devestating loss to Tim Clarke. Gao moved in for the second time and was called by Vesko Zmukic. Gao had the best hand with [kd][jh], but Zmukic's paired one of his "two live cards", [9h][6d], on a flop of [3d][qc][6h]. Gao didn't pair on the turn [ac] or river [7c] and is now out.</p>
<p><strong>1:16pm: Clarke cracks aces</strong></p>
<p>For the fourth or fifth time in the last twenty minutes, Tim Clarke opened all in, this time for about 80,000 Jie Gao quickly called with [ah][ad], bad news for Clarke's [kh][ks]. The flop changed nothing, [3d][5d][3c], but Clarke spiked a lucky [kd] on the turn to take the lead. He kept it with the [2c] river to double up to about 155,000.</p>
<p>The next hand Gao moved in with [jd][8d]. Clarke tried to finish him off with [ad][7d] but it was Gao's turn to spike a card on fourth street. He paired jacks and remains alive.</p>
<p><strong>1:14pm: Level 16 begins (blinds 2500-5000, ante 500)</strong></p>
<p><strong>1:11pm: Zmukic's stack gets bigger</strong></p>
<p>Vesko Zmukic started Day 4 with about 480,000 in chips. He's up to about 540,000 after winning a small pot against Jason Gray. Zmukic limped his button, with Gray calling in the small blind and Bryan Huang checking the big blind. On a flop of [kd][qd][3h], Gray had first action and bet 8,000. Only Zmukic called. Gray tried another 16,000 on the [3s] turn and again Zmukic called. Both players checked the [9s] river. Gray showed down a pair of queens, [qh][6h], but conceded the pot to Zmukic's pair of kings, [ks][7h].</p>
<p><strong>1:00pm: Keeping it friendly</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin has been rock-steady throughout the four days of this event. He opened a pot a few moments ago to 13,000 from middle position and was called by big blind Bryan Huang. The two players checked all the way to the river, [8c][4c][5h][4s][10c]. Huang also checked that street, then called a bet of 16,000 from Spilkin. Spilkin showed down [as][10s], having rivered tens and fours. His hand was good.</p>
<p><strong>12:51pm: Robert Wang eliminated in 13th place </strong></p>
<p>John Maklouf found himself a little caught. He opened his button with a standard raise, then saw Robert Wang shove in for about 15,000 more. Maklouf thought things through, then called with [7d][5h]. He was live against Wang's [ah][4d]. It was Maklouf who connected with the board, making trip sevens, [kd][10c][7h][8d][7c]. Wang stood up, shook Maklouf's hand, and quickly left the tournament area.</p>
<p><strong>12:48pm: Kiwis sticking around </strong></p>
<p>Tim Clarke leaned back in his seat a few moments ago to get a look at Robert Wang's stack on Table 1. Clark, Wang, Emmerson Rewi and Tim Macbeth are the only Kiwis left in the field. Clarke's continued presence in the tournament was at risk after he opened all in with [ks][jh] and was called by Jason Gray's [ac][qh]. Clarke flopped two pair, [kh][5h][jc], then ducked any improvement by Gray on the [2c] turn and [5c] river. Each player now has roughly 80,000 in chips.</p>
<p><strong>12:42pm: Emmerson Rewi flops good</strong></p>
<p>Robert Wang opened from early position all in for about 80,000. Action passed all the way to big blind Emmerson Rewi, ho called all in for less -- 52,800 total. Rewi opened [8c][8s] and was in bad shape against Wang's [qs][qd]. But the flop bailed Rewi out with a beautiful eight -- [8d][3h][jh]. Running hearts, [5h] and [kh], didn't improve Wang. He dropped to less than 30,000, while Rewi is now up to about 110,000.</p>
<p><strong>12:29pm: Serge Mazza eliminated in 14th place</strong></p>
<p>We've lost another player on Table 2. Team PokerStars Pro Bryan Huang opened pre-flop with a raise to 10,200. Serge Mazza was next to act and moved all in. Action passed to Michael Spilkin. He called the all-in re-raise, chasing everyone else from the pot. Spilkin's [jd][js] had the better side of a flip against Mazza's [as][qc]. Jacks were best on a board of [4h][10c][6h][5s][kd].</p>
<p>"Jacks held up for me," mused Spilkin. "What's going on boys? Good fold Mr. Huang."</p>
<p>"Bad fold for me," Huang replied.</p>
<p><strong>12:18pm: Andrew Scarf eliminated in 15th place</strong></p>
<p>On the second hand of the day, Andrew Scarf open-raised all in for 15,200. Action passed to big blind (and chip leader) Vesko Zmukic, who called with [7c][7d]. Scarf opened [ac][jd] and the raise was on. This one went to Zmukic on a board [ks][8c][8d][qc][7h]. Scarf then announced that he'd be willing to pair with the next player out for the teams event.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Vesko-Queenstown-4.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSCN0240-1.JPG" width="269" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Vesko Zmukic</em></center></p>
<p><strong>12:15pm: Shuffle up and deal</strong></p>
<p>We're on the main gaming floor for the final two tables today. We're missing one player -- Tim Macbeth hasn't arrived yet.<br />
</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-day-3-levels-1415-blind-071809.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-day-3-levels-1415-blind-071809.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:07:00 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(9487) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><strong>2:06pm: Macbeth out (damned spot)</strong></p>
<p>Although he managed to triple up to about 10 big blinds, Tim Macbeth ultimately couldn't out-run the reaper. He was all in again, with the best of it again. His [kh][10s] was looking good to double through Julian Cohen's [kc][4c], but it just wasn't Macbeth's day. Cohen was all over a flop of [7c][9c][4s], making a pair and a flush draw. Macbeth couldn't pull of the suckout as the turn came [qd] and river fell [as]. Macbeth exits in 10th place.</p>
<p>The tournament is now on a short break to prepare for the final table.</p>
<p><strong>1:58pm: Tim Macbeth crippled</strong></p>
<p>"Not jack-five. Please not jack-five," Tim Macbeth begged the dealer. He had opened with a standard raise from the button, then called John Maklouf's all-in re-raise from the big blind for roughly 70,000. Macbeth had [ah][qs] and was up against Macbeth's [jh][5h]. Macbeth's worst fairs were realized as the flop came jack-high, [2c][jd][6c]. Macbeth picked up outs with the [10s], but the river blanked out [4d].</p>
<p><strong>1:49pm: Campbell Melville eliminated in 11th place</strong></p>
<p>Campbell Melville sucked out on Julian Cohen one time. He couldn't do it a second. Melville wound up all in before the flop with [as][2d] and this time Cohen was there to greet him with the pre-flop nuts, [ad][ac]. The board was an uneventful [9h][3d][10s][6c][jh] to send Melville to the rail in 11th place.</p>
<p>We're down to two five-handed tables. Because the pay jump to 9th place is relatively small, the tables are not playing hand-for-hand. The final table will be played 9-handed.</p>
<p><strong>1:46pm: The charmed life of Jason Gray</strong></p>
<p>Jason Gray opened all in from the button with [ac][6s]. Bryan Huang was there to meet him with [jc][jd]. Once again Gray was all in and behind, but this time he eked out a win, [ad][qh][qd][kh][9s]. Gray's aces and queens doubled him up to about 105,000 and put a signficant dent in Huang's stack.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="GrayHuang.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5722-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Jason Gray and Bryan Huang</em></center></p>
<p><strong>1:39pm: Cohen's kings cracked </strong></p>
<p>Campbell Melville open-shoved his button and knew he was in trouble when Julian Cohen snap-called from the small blind. Melville grimaced to see Cohen turn up [kc][ks]. Melville could only muster [jh][10c].</p>
<p>"Good luck," Cohen told Melville. Melville took that to heart, flopping trip jacks [jd][5s][js]. Cohen couldn't find a third king as the board ran out [qd] and [5d].</p>
<p>"F*** my life," said Cohen. The silver lining for Melville was that Cohen had only 37,900 in chips.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5739-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5739-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Campbell Melville cracks Julian Cohen's kings</em></center></p>
<p><strong>1:28pm: Jason Gray NOT eliminated</strong></p>
<p>Vesko Zmukic, active with his big stack, opened the button with a standard raise. Jason Gray then moved in from the small blind for about 70,000 and Zmukic had a decision. He opted to call with [ac][10h], in great shape against Gray's [ah][3s]. The board rolled out [4c][jc][kh][8d][8h], no help to either player. Jason stood up and shook Zmukic's hand, preparing to leave, until TD Toni Queadley and ANZPT Commissioner Danny McDonagh pointed out the two players were chopping. Each played four board cards, 8-8-K-J, with an ace.</p>
<p>"You're welcome to go, Jason," called Andrew Watson from the neighboring table.</p>
<p><strong>1:24pm: Jie Gao eliminated in 12th place</strong></p>
<p>Short-stacked Gao was going to need a lot of help to re-build after his devestating loss to Tim Clarke. Gao moved in for the second time and was called by Vesko Zmukic. Gao had the best hand with [kd][jh], but Zmukic's paired one of his "two live cards", [9h][6d], on a flop of [3d][qc][6h]. Gao didn't pair on the turn [ac] or river [7c] and is now out.</p>
<p><strong>1:16pm: Clarke cracks aces</strong></p>
<p>For the fourth or fifth time in the last twenty minutes, Tim Clarke opened all in, this time for about 80,000 Jie Gao quickly called with [ah][ad], bad news for Clarke's [kh][ks]. The flop changed nothing, [3d][5d][3c], but Clarke spiked a lucky [kd] on the turn to take the lead. He kept it with the [2c] river to double up to about 155,000.</p>
<p>The next hand Gao moved in with [jd][8d]. Clarke tried to finish him off with [ad][7d] but it was Gao's turn to spike a card on fourth street. He paired jacks and remains alive.</p>
<p><strong>1:14pm: Level 16 begins (blinds 2500-5000, ante 500)</strong></p>
<p><strong>1:11pm: Zmukic's stack gets bigger</strong></p>
<p>Vesko Zmukic started Day 4 with about 480,000 in chips. He's up to about 540,000 after winning a small pot against Jason Gray. Zmukic limped his button, with Gray calling in the small blind and Bryan Huang checking the big blind. On a flop of [kd][qd][3h], Gray had first action and bet 8,000. Only Zmukic called. Gray tried another 16,000 on the [3s] turn and again Zmukic called. Both players checked the [9s] river. Gray showed down a pair of queens, [qh][6h], but conceded the pot to Zmukic's pair of kings, [ks][7h].</p>
<p><strong>1:00pm: Keeping it friendly</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin has been rock-steady throughout the four days of this event. He opened a pot a few moments ago to 13,000 from middle position and was called by big blind Bryan Huang. The two players checked all the way to the river, [8c][4c][5h][4s][10c]. Huang also checked that street, then called a bet of 16,000 from Spilkin. Spilkin showed down [as][10s], having rivered tens and fours. His hand was good.</p>
<p><strong>12:51pm: Robert Wang eliminated in 13th place </strong></p>
<p>John Maklouf found himself a little caught. He opened his button with a standard raise, then saw Robert Wang shove in for about 15,000 more. Maklouf thought things through, then called with [7d][5h]. He was live against Wang's [ah][4d]. It was Maklouf who connected with the board, making trip sevens, [kd][10c][7h][8d][7c]. Wang stood up, shook Maklouf's hand, and quickly left the tournament area.</p>
<p><strong>12:48pm: Kiwis sticking around </strong></p>
<p>Tim Clarke leaned back in his seat a few moments ago to get a look at Robert Wang's stack on Table 1. Clark, Wang, Emmerson Rewi and Tim Macbeth are the only Kiwis left in the field. Clarke's continued presence in the tournament was at risk after he opened all in with [ks][jh] and was called by Jason Gray's [ac][qh]. Clarke flopped two pair, [kh][5h][jc], then ducked any improvement by Gray on the [2c] turn and [5c] river. Each player now has roughly 80,000 in chips.</p>
<p><strong>12:42pm: Emmerson Rewi flops good</strong></p>
<p>Robert Wang opened from early position all in for about 80,000. Action passed all the way to big blind Emmerson Rewi, ho called all in for less -- 52,800 total. Rewi opened [8c][8s] and was in bad shape against Wang's [qs][qd]. But the flop bailed Rewi out with a beautiful eight -- [8d][3h][jh]. Running hearts, [5h] and [kh], didn't improve Wang. He dropped to less than 30,000, while Rewi is now up to about 110,000.</p>
<p><strong>12:29pm: Serge Mazza eliminated in 14th place</strong></p>
<p>We've lost another player on Table 2. Team PokerStars Pro Bryan Huang opened pre-flop with a raise to 10,200. Serge Mazza was next to act and moved all in. Action passed to Michael Spilkin. He called the all-in re-raise, chasing everyone else from the pot. Spilkin's [jd][js] had the better side of a flip against Mazza's [as][qc]. Jacks were best on a board of [4h][10c][6h][5s][kd].</p>
<p>"Jacks held up for me," mused Spilkin. "What's going on boys? Good fold Mr. Huang."</p>
<p>"Bad fold for me," Huang replied.</p>
<p><strong>12:18pm: Andrew Scarf eliminated in 15th place</strong></p>
<p>On the second hand of the day, Andrew Scarf open-raised all in for 15,200. Action passed to big blind (and chip leader) Vesko Zmukic, who called with [7c][7d]. Scarf opened [ac][jd] and the raise was on. This one went to Zmukic on a board [ks][8c][8d][qc][7h]. Scarf then announced that he'd be willing to pair with the next player out for the teams event.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Vesko-Queenstown-4.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSCN0240-1.JPG" width="269" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Vesko Zmukic</em></center></p>
<p><strong>12:15pm: Shuffle up and deal</strong></p>
<p>We're on the main gaming floor for the final two tables today. We're missing one player -- Tim Macbeth hasn't arrived yet.<br />
</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280020020)
}
[14]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(51) "ANZPT Queenstown: One last push for the finish line"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(2118) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>Last night we reached the money at the 2010 ANZPT Queenstown Main Event. Today the players will decide amongst themselves who will get the lion's share of the prize pool -- the $73,630 first-place prize.</p>
<p>The 3rd-place and 4th-place players on the ANZPT Season 2 points leaderboard, Andrew Scarf and John Maklouf, have each secured themselves 26 points and the assurance that they'll leap-frog 2nd-place player Rennie Carnevale. If either Scarf or Maklouf finishes in 1st or 2nd place, they will also overtake leader Tony Hachem for the overall points lead. Maklouf, by the way, is gunning for an unprecedented third straight ANZPT final table.</p>
<p>The remainder of the 15 players that have come through the field of 119 are an interesting mix of young and old, Aussies and Kiwis (with a few interlopers), and professionals and recreationals. As a generalization, the players with the most experience seem to be concentrated in the top half of the chip counts. The field would be wise to be wary of Team PokerStars Pro Bryan Huang and Jason Gray. But it's too easy to count out a skilled player solely due to a lack of results. We won't make that mistake, especially since the two biggest stacks in the field belong to Vesko Zmukic and Andrew Watson, players with limited previous results. </p>
<p>As it has every day since Tuesday, play will get started today at 12:15pm local time. Tonight, however, there's no stopping until someone has all the chips.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="BryanHuang-Queenstown.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSCN0224-1.JPG" width="250" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Team PokerStars Pro Bryan Huang will start 4th in chips</em></center></p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-one-last-push-for-the-f-071807.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-one-last-push-for-the-f-071807.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sat, 24 Jul 2010 14:51:08 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(2118) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>Last night we reached the money at the 2010 ANZPT Queenstown Main Event. Today the players will decide amongst themselves who will get the lion's share of the prize pool -- the $73,630 first-place prize.</p>
<p>The 3rd-place and 4th-place players on the ANZPT Season 2 points leaderboard, Andrew Scarf and John Maklouf, have each secured themselves 26 points and the assurance that they'll leap-frog 2nd-place player Rennie Carnevale. If either Scarf or Maklouf finishes in 1st or 2nd place, they will also overtake leader Tony Hachem for the overall points lead. Maklouf, by the way, is gunning for an unprecedented third straight ANZPT final table.</p>
<p>The remainder of the 15 players that have come through the field of 119 are an interesting mix of young and old, Aussies and Kiwis (with a few interlopers), and professionals and recreationals. As a generalization, the players with the most experience seem to be concentrated in the top half of the chip counts. The field would be wise to be wary of Team PokerStars Pro Bryan Huang and Jason Gray. But it's too easy to count out a skilled player solely due to a lack of results. We won't make that mistake, especially since the two biggest stacks in the field belong to Vesko Zmukic and Andrew Watson, players with limited previous results. </p>
<p>As it has every day since Tuesday, play will get started today at 12:15pm local time. Tonight, however, there's no stopping until someone has all the chips.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="BryanHuang-Queenstown.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSCN0224-1.JPG" width="250" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Team PokerStars Pro Bryan Huang will start 4th in chips</em></center></p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280011868)
}
}
["channel"]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(36) "PokerStars Poker Blog :: Tournaments"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(30) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(146) "Poker blog offering poker tournament news for PokerStars events. Includes European Poker Tour, Asia Pacific Poker Tour, WCOOP, and WSOP coverage."
["language#"]=>
int(1)
["language"]=>
string(2) "en"
["copyright#"]=>
int(1)
["copyright"]=>
string(14) "Copyright 2010"
["lastbuilddate#"]=>
int(1)
["lastbuilddate"]=>
string(31) "Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:03:36 -0800"
["generator#"]=>
int(1)
["generator"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/"
["docs#"]=>
int(1)
["docs"]=>
string(41) "http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification"
["tagline#"]=>
int(1)
["tagline"]=>
string(146) "Poker blog offering poker tournament news for PokerStars events. Includes European Poker Tour, Asia Pacific Poker Tour, WCOOP, and WSOP coverage."
["subtitle#"]=>
int(1)
["subtitle"]=>
string(146) "Poker blog offering poker tournament news for PokerStars events. Includes European Poker Tour, Asia Pacific Poker Tour, WCOOP, and WSOP coverage."
}
["textinput"]=>
array(0) {
}
["image"]=>
array(0) {
}
["feed_type"]=>
string(3) "RSS"
["feed_version"]=>
string(3) "2.0"
["encoding"]=>
string(5) "UTF-8"
["_source_encoding"]=>
string(0) ""
["ERROR"]=>
string(0) ""
["WARNING"]=>
string(0) ""
["_XMLNS_FAMILIAR"]=>
array(19) {
["http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"]=>
string(4) "atom"
["http://purl.org/atom/ns#"]=>
string(4) "atom"
["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/"]=>
string(3) "rss"
["http://backend.userland.com/RSS2"]=>
string(3) "rss"
["http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"]=>
string(3) "rdf"
["http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"]=>
string(5) "xhtml"
["http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"]=>
string(2) "dc"
["http://purl.org/dc/terms/"]=>
string(7) "dcterms"
["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"]=>
string(7) "content"
["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"]=>
string(2) "sy"
["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/taxonomy/"]=>
string(4) "taxo"
["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/dc/"]=>
string(2) "dc"
["http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"]=>
string(3) "wfw"
["http://webns.net/mvcb/"]=>
string(5) "admin"
["http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/annotate/"]=>
string(8) "annotate"
["http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/"]=>
string(4) "foaf"
["http://madskills.com/public/xml/rss/module/trackback/"]=>
string(9) "trackback"
["http://web.resource.org/cc/"]=>
string(2) "cc"
["http://search.yahoo.com/mrss"]=>
string(5) "media"
}
["_XMLBASE_RESOLVE"]=>
array(2) {
["atom"]=>
array(14) {
["link"]=>
array(1) {
["href"]=>
bool(true)
}
["content"]=>
array(3) {
["src"]=>
bool(true)
["*xml"]=>
bool(true)
["*html"]=>
bool(true)
}
["summary"]=>
array(2) {
["*xml"]=>
bool(true)
["*html"]=>
bool(true)
}
["title"]=>
array(2) {
["*xml"]=>
bool(true)
["*html"]=>
bool(true)
}
["rights"]=>
array(2) {
["*xml"]=>
bool(true)
["*html"]=>
bool(true)
}
["subtitle"]=>
array(2) {
["*xml"]=>
bool(true)
["*html"]=>
bool(true)
}
["info"]=>
array(2) {
["*xml"]=>
bool(true)
["*html"]=>
bool(true)
}
["tagline"]=>
array(2) {
["*xml"]=>
bool(true)
["*html"]=>
bool(true)
}
["copyright"]=>
array(2) {
["*xml"]=>
bool(true)
["*html"]=>
bool(true)
}
["generator"]=>
array(2) {
["uri"]=>
bool(true)
["url"]=>
bool(true)
}
["uri"]=>
array(1) {
["*content"]=>
bool(true)
}
["url"]=>
array(1) {
["*content"]=>
bool(true)
}
["icon"]=>
array(1) {
["*content"]=>
bool(true)
}
["logo"]=>
array(1) {
["*content"]=>
bool(true)
}
}
["xhtml"]=>
array(17) {
["a"]=>
array(1) {
["href"]=>
bool(true)
}
["applet"]=>
array(1) {
["codebase"]=>
bool(true)
}
["area"]=>
array(1) {
["href"]=>
bool(true)
}
["blockquote"]=>
array(1) {
["cite"]=>
bool(true)
}
["body"]=>
array(1) {
["background"]=>
bool(true)
}
["del"]=>
array(1) {
["cite"]=>
bool(true)
}
["form"]=>
array(1) {
["action"]=>
bool(true)
}
["frame"]=>
array(2) {
["longdesc"]=>
bool(true)
["src"]=>
bool(true)
}
["iframe"]=>
array(3) {
["longdesc"]=>
bool(true)
["iframe"]=>
bool(true)
["src"]=>
bool(true)
}
["head"]=>
array(1) {
["profile"]=>
bool(true)
}
["img"]=>
array(3) {
["longdesc"]=>
bool(true)
["src"]=>
bool(true)
["usemap"]=>
bool(true)
}
["input"]=>
array(2) {
["src"]=>
bool(true)
["usemap"]=>
bool(true)
}
["ins"]=>
array(1) {
["cite"]=>
bool(true)
}
["link"]=>
array(1) {
["href"]=>
bool(true)
}
["object"]=>
array(4) {
["classid"]=>
bool(true)
["codebase"]=>
bool(true)
["data"]=>
bool(true)
["usemap"]=>
bool(true)
}
["q"]=>
array(1) {
["cite"]=>
bool(true)
}
["script"]=>
array(1) {
["src"]=>
bool(true)
}
}
}
["_ATOM_CONTENT_CONSTRUCTS"]=>
array(8) {
[0]=>
string(7) "content"
[1]=>
string(7) "summary"
[2]=>
string(5) "title"
[3]=>
string(4) "info"
[4]=>
string(7) "tagline"
[5]=>
string(9) "copyright"
[6]=>
string(6) "rights"
[7]=>
string(8) "subtitle"
}
["_XHTML_CONTENT_CONSTRUCTS"]=>
array(2) {
[0]=>
string(4) "body"
[1]=>
string(3) "div"
}
["_KNOWN_ENCODINGS"]=>
array(3) {
[0]=>
string(5) "UTF-8"
[1]=>
string(8) "US-ASCII"
[2]=>
string(10) "ISO-8859-1"
}
["stack"]=>
array(4) {
["element"]=>
array(0) {
}
["ns"]=>
array(0) {
}
["xmlns"]=>
array(0) {
}
["xml:base"]=>
array(1) {
[0]=>
string(45) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/tournaments.xml"
}
}
["inchannel"]=>
bool(false)
["initem"]=>
bool(false)
["incontent"]=>
array(0) {
}
["xml_escape"]=>
bool(false)
["exclude_top"]=>
bool(false)
["intextinput"]=>
bool(false)
["inimage"]=>
bool(false)
["root_namespaces"]=>
array(1) {
[0]=>
string(3) "rss"
}
["current_namespace"]=>
string(0) ""
["working_namespace_table"]=>
array(0) {
}
["source_encoding"]=>
string(5) "UTF-8"
["current_category"]=>
int(0)
["http_status"]=>
int(200)
["header"]=>
array(8) {
["Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:02:48 GMT"]=>
string(0) ""
["Apache"]=>
string(0) ""
["Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:15:58 GMT"]=>
string(0) ""
[""1fab4-7d5e6380""]=>
string(0) ""
["bytes"]=>
string(0) ""
[129716]=>
string(0) ""
["close"]=>
string(0) ""
["application/xml"]=>
string(0) ""
}
}
}
["feed"]=>
&object(magpierss)(32) {
["parser"]=>
resource(94) of type (Unknown)
["current_item"]=>
array(0) {
}
["items"]=>
array(15) {
[0]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(37) "Giacomo leads IPT Venice Day 1A field"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(1835) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IPT_thn.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/IPT_thn.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>There are few better places in Europe to play poker than Venice. Character, history, beauty, water (plenty of that) and the weather make it very pleasant.</p>
<p>One man who enjoyed poker in the city more than anyone yesterday was PokerStars qualifier Loccarini Giacomo, chipleader of Day 1A of IPT Venice, the second stop of season 2 of the popular Italian Poker Tour.</p>
<p>An impressive 227 players from around Europe made the trek to the beautiful city of Venice for Day 1A and 35 of of those qualified online with PokerStars for a fraction of the €2,000 (+€200) tournament buy-in. Sixteen qualifiers ade it through to come back for Day 2 tomorrow (Saturday).</p>
<p>Giacome ended up with 175,000 chips after nine levels of play and is followed by Claudio Pagano with 145,000. The average is 44,950 and a total of 101 players made it throughl.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="claudio_pagano_ipt_venice.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/claudio_pagano_ipt_venice.JPG" width="299" height="450" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><i>Claudio Pagano</center></i><p></p>
<p>Day 1B will kick off later today with another bumper field, including Italian Team PokerStars Pros Dario Minieri and Salvatore Bonavena, and IPT Leaderboard winner Giovanni Salvatore.</p>
<p>You can follow all the action as it happens over on our <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.it">sister Italian blog</a>, where Matteo Viola would be delighted to have your company.</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(84) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2010/giacomo-leads-ipt-venice-day-1a-field-071926.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(84) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2010/giacomo-leads-ipt-venice-day-1a-field-071926.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(18) "Italian Poker Tour"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:28:19 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(1835) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IPT_thn.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/IPT_thn.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>There are few better places in Europe to play poker than Venice. Character, history, beauty, water (plenty of that) and the weather make it very pleasant.</p>
<p>One man who enjoyed poker in the city more than anyone yesterday was PokerStars qualifier Loccarini Giacomo, chipleader of Day 1A of IPT Venice, the second stop of season 2 of the popular Italian Poker Tour.</p>
<p>An impressive 227 players from around Europe made the trek to the beautiful city of Venice for Day 1A and 35 of of those qualified online with PokerStars for a fraction of the €2,000 (+€200) tournament buy-in. Sixteen qualifiers ade it through to come back for Day 2 tomorrow (Saturday).</p>
<p>Giacome ended up with 175,000 chips after nine levels of play and is followed by Claudio Pagano with 145,000. The average is 44,950 and a total of 101 players made it throughl.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="claudio_pagano_ipt_venice.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/claudio_pagano_ipt_venice.JPG" width="299" height="450" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><i>Claudio Pagano</center></i><p></p>
<p>Day 1B will kick off later today with another bumper field, including Italian Team PokerStars Pros Dario Minieri and Salvatore Bonavena, and IPT Leaderboard winner Giovanni Salvatore.</p>
<p>You can follow all the action as it happens over on our <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.it">sister Italian blog</a>, where Matteo Viola would be delighted to have your company.</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(18) "Italian Poker Tour"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(18) "Italian Poker Tour"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280478499)
}
[1]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(45) "Venice hosts latest leg of Italian Poker Tour"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(1773) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IPT_thn.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/IPT_thn.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>It's hard to believe we're already well in to season two of the PokerStars Italian Poker Tour. This series has surpassed all expectations and is now one of the most hotly-contested events in the European poker calendar.</p>
<p>Tomorrow sees the start of IPT Venice, a €2,000 (+ €200) buy-in tournament held in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.</p>
<p>Casino Ca' Noghera is the place to be, but if you can't make it you can follow all the action on our <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.it/">sister Italian blog</a>. There you'll find Matteo Viola hard at work bringing you the words and photos. Don't read Italian? A small problem, you may think, but by using <a href="http://translate.google.com/?hl=en&sl=ru&tl=en#">Google's translation tool</a> you'll be up to speed in no time! Warning: the tool does not come with free arm-waving and wild Italian gesticulation.</p>
<p>Watch out for a host of big names in Venice, including the Italian faction of Team PokerStars Pro and Team PokerStars Online as they battle to repeat the trick pulled off by Luigi Pignataro, who won the title and €190,000 in the season's first event in San Marino in June.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="luigi_pignataro_ipt_winner.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/luigi_pignataro_ipt_winner.jpg" width="450" height="299" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><i>Luigi Pignataro</center></i><p></p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(87) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2010/venice-hosts-latest-leg-of-italian-poker-071880.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(87) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2010/venice-hosts-latest-leg-of-italian-poker-071880.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(18) "Italian Poker Tour"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:59:09 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(1773) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IPT_thn.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/IPT_thn.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>It's hard to believe we're already well in to season two of the PokerStars Italian Poker Tour. This series has surpassed all expectations and is now one of the most hotly-contested events in the European poker calendar.</p>
<p>Tomorrow sees the start of IPT Venice, a €2,000 (+ €200) buy-in tournament held in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.</p>
<p>Casino Ca' Noghera is the place to be, but if you can't make it you can follow all the action on our <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.it/">sister Italian blog</a>. There you'll find Matteo Viola hard at work bringing you the words and photos. Don't read Italian? A small problem, you may think, but by using <a href="http://translate.google.com/?hl=en&sl=ru&tl=en#">Google's translation tool</a> you'll be up to speed in no time! Warning: the tool does not come with free arm-waving and wild Italian gesticulation.</p>
<p>Watch out for a host of big names in Venice, including the Italian faction of Team PokerStars Pro and Team PokerStars Online as they battle to repeat the trick pulled off by Luigi Pignataro, who won the title and €190,000 in the season's first event in San Marino in June.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="luigi_pignataro_ipt_winner.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/luigi_pignataro_ipt_winner.jpg" width="450" height="299" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><i>Luigi Pignataro</center></i><p></p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(18) "Italian Poker Tour"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(18) "Italian Poker Tour"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280318349)
}
[2]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(63) "SHIP_IT.NET ships July 27 Super Tuesday after three-handed deal"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(7984) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Super Tuesday logo.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/Super%20Tuesday%20logo.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span> The final $1,000 + 50 Super Tuesday of July on PokerStars drew a field of 402 players, creating a $402,000 prize pool This was a slight increase from last week's 384 participants, with the final 45 making the money, with the winner expecting to take down the first prize of $77,787.</p>
<p>A handful of Team PokerStars players participated in the Super Tuesday tournament, however none lasted long enough to make the money. Team PokerStars PRO Veronica "princesa" Dabul was the last member of Team PokerStars with chips, eventually finishing 63rd, two tables short of the money. </p>
<p>The final table bubble was burst on in a hand between chip leader Peetoon and alwaysnice. Peetoon made a raise from UTG +1 to 12,500 as alwaysnice called from the big blind. The flop came down [8d][5c][4d] with alwaysnice check-raising Peetoon's 17,500 bet to 56,000 as Peetoon made the call. The [5h] on the turn had alwaysnice moving in for their final 152,653 with Peetoon making the call with [qh] [qd]. Alwaysnice wasn't feeling so nice, revealing [ad][8s], when the [Jh] came on the river meaning a 10th place finish, good for $6,030. The final table was at table 27 with play resuming at level 30, with blinds at 2,800/5,600 and a 700 ante:</p>
<p>Seat 1: anybodybut17 (102808 in chips) <br />
Seat 2: D0N4LdO (177436 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: thechips55 (97926 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: justcall6969 (282654 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: tonyton55 (84021 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: Peetoon (671915 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: SHIP_IT.NET (148609 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: Altrum Altus (366467 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: foolflash (78164 in chips) </p>
<p><br />
<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/Big%20Tuesday%2007272010.jpg"><img alt="Big Tuesday 07272010.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/Big Tuesday 07272010-thumb-450x318-105006.jpg" width="450" height="318" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p><strong>Justcall6969 eliminates two for Tuesday</strong></p>
<p>The final table went just five hands before the first elimination as D0N4LdO 4-bet all-in their last 112k with [9s][9d] with justcall6969 calling with [Ad][Kh]. The [Jc] [As] [Th} flop moved justcall6969 into the lead. D0N4ldO was unable to retake the lead as the turn and river went [2c][8c], earning $7,035 for a ninth place finish. A few hands later, justcall6969 added to their stack by calling thechips55's UTG shove with [Kc][Qc] with[As][Qd]. The board ran out [8d] [6s] [4d] [4h] [4c], leaving thechips55 without chips, collecting $9,648 for an eighth place finish.</p>
<p><strong>Three-way all-in, anybodybut17 sent packing </strong></p>
<p>Play had moved to level 31 with blinds at 3200/6400 with an 800 ante as the action at the Super Tuesday final table didn't slow down. as the three shortest stacks -- foolflash, anybodybut17 and tonyton55 put all of their chips in the middle before the flop. Tonyton55 had the other two players covered, as well as having the best hand: [kc][kd] with anybodybut17 holding [qc][qs] and foolflash holding [th][9s]. The [4s] [8d] [8c] flop was good for tonyton55, but the [7d] gave foolflash an open-ended straight draw. The [Jh] on the river moved foolflash from worst to first with a runner-runner straight, as Anybodybut17 was eliminated in seventh place for $13,668.</p>
<p><strong>Peetoon pockets pair of protagonists </strong></p>
<p>Play slowed down as the remaining six players stole blinds and antes for several hands. However, Peetoon would retake the chip lead from justcall6969, first disposing of tonyton55's stack when Peetoon's [7d][7h] held up against [As][Jc] as the board ran out [8h] [4s] [2h] [2s] [4d], leaving tonyton55 with a sixth place finish with $17,688 appearing in their account. On the very next hand with blinds now at 3,600/7,200 with a 900 ante, Peetoon opened with a raise, as foolflash moved in from the big blind for last 129,492 with [Ad][3c]. Peetoon made the call with a dominating [as][8s]. The flop was [9c] [Tc] [8d], the [Qh] gave foolflash hopes for a chop with a Jack, which disappeared when the [4c] appeared on the river instead. Foolflash finished in fifth place, earning $22,914 for the effort.</p>
<p><strong>Altrum Altus sent to rail by Ace</strong><br />
Altrum Altus started the final table second in chips, but the chip stack was moving in the wrong direction when their final hand happened. Altrum Altus made a raise to 14,600 with justcall6969 and Peetoon both calling from the blinds. The flop of [Ts][Qh][4h] had Peetoon bet 24,000, followed by Altrum Altus shoving for 161,458 holding [Ks][Kd]. Justcall6969 folded while Peetoon made the call with [ah][5h]. The call was rewarded when the turn brought the [Ad], with the [3d] river meant Altrum Altus leaving the virtual table in fourth place, cashing for $33,165.</p>
<p><strong>Fortunate five favors SHIP_IT.NET </strong></p>
<p>Play was now three-handed with Peetoon and justcall6969 holding most of the chips, while SHIP_IT.NET was down to just over 100,000 as the players wanted to discuss a deal. It took some time for someone to help with the numbers while play continued. SHIP_IT.NET moved in with [5d][5c] over justcall6969's raise, making the call with [Ac][9c]. The flop of [3s][ad][7d], along with the [2c] turn left few outs available. Fortunately, the river was the [5h] as SHIP_IT.NET doubled up to over 250,000 in chips, still in third, but hoping to make his move. </p>
<p><strong>A deal is made, a tournament is finished</strong></p>
<p>During the :55 minute hourly break, a PokerStars representative appeared at the table to negotiate a deal among the remaining players. Here's how the chip stacks looked, along with the adjusted figures if a deal was made:</p>
<p>Peetoon 877,266 $65,366.70 <br />
justcall6969 791,198 $62,615.89 <br />
SHIP_IT.NET 341,536 $52,314.40</p>
<p>SHIP_IT.NET stated he would rather have $55,000. Peetoon was reluctant to contribute, while justcall6969 countered to give $1,500. That wasn't enough for SHIP_IT.NET's needs, and after a few minutes, justcall6969 decided to give SHIP_IT.NET the $2,685.60 needed to complete the deal, and all three quickly agreed left to play for TLB points and bragging rights.</p>
<p>The trio played another 25 hands before deciding to end the tournament by going all-in every hand. On the first hand, SHIP_IT.NET won the first hand when his [kh][5d] outflopped Peetoon's [aC] [9h] and justcall6969's [8h][3h] to take the lead. The second hand saw Peetoon turn a straight, eliminating justcall6969 in third for $59,930.30. The final hand of the tournament had SHIP_IT.NET waking up with [jd][jc] while Peetoon held [Ah][3d]. The chance of a double-up didn't happen, with the final five cards dealt being [2h] [5s] [2d] [Kd] [Qd], giving Peetoon the second place finish, but pocketing the most money, $65,366.70. That leaves SHIP_IT.NET with the Super Tuesday victory, good for $55,000.</p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Super Tuesday Results for 07/27/10:</strong></p>
<p>1st place: SHIP_IT.NET (Norristown) - $55,000.00*<br />
2nd place: Peetoon (Minsk) - $65,366.70*<br />
3rd place: justcall6969 (Woodstock) - $59,930.30*<br />
4th place: Altrum Altus (Sioux City) - $33,165<br />
5th place: foolflash (The Zoo) - $22,914<br />
6th place: tonyton55 (Lansing) - $17,688<br />
7th place: anybodybuy17 (Charlotte) - $13,668<br />
8th place: thechips55 (Penn Valley) - $9,648<br />
9th place: D0N4LdO (Bookham) - $7,035</p>
<p>* Payouts adjusted for 3-way deal.<br />
</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(101) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/super_tuesday/2010/ship-itnet-ships-july-27-super-tuesday-a-071879.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(101) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/super_tuesday/2010/ship-itnet-ships-july-27-super-tuesday-a-071879.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(13) "Super Tuesday"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:59:00 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(7984) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Super Tuesday logo.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/Super%20Tuesday%20logo.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span> The final $1,000 + 50 Super Tuesday of July on PokerStars drew a field of 402 players, creating a $402,000 prize pool This was a slight increase from last week's 384 participants, with the final 45 making the money, with the winner expecting to take down the first prize of $77,787.</p>
<p>A handful of Team PokerStars players participated in the Super Tuesday tournament, however none lasted long enough to make the money. Team PokerStars PRO Veronica "princesa" Dabul was the last member of Team PokerStars with chips, eventually finishing 63rd, two tables short of the money. </p>
<p>The final table bubble was burst on in a hand between chip leader Peetoon and alwaysnice. Peetoon made a raise from UTG +1 to 12,500 as alwaysnice called from the big blind. The flop came down [8d][5c][4d] with alwaysnice check-raising Peetoon's 17,500 bet to 56,000 as Peetoon made the call. The [5h] on the turn had alwaysnice moving in for their final 152,653 with Peetoon making the call with [qh] [qd]. Alwaysnice wasn't feeling so nice, revealing [ad][8s], when the [Jh] came on the river meaning a 10th place finish, good for $6,030. The final table was at table 27 with play resuming at level 30, with blinds at 2,800/5,600 and a 700 ante:</p>
<p>Seat 1: anybodybut17 (102808 in chips) <br />
Seat 2: D0N4LdO (177436 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: thechips55 (97926 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: justcall6969 (282654 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: tonyton55 (84021 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: Peetoon (671915 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: SHIP_IT.NET (148609 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: Altrum Altus (366467 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: foolflash (78164 in chips) </p>
<p><br />
<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/Big%20Tuesday%2007272010.jpg"><img alt="Big Tuesday 07272010.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/Big Tuesday 07272010-thumb-450x318-105006.jpg" width="450" height="318" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p><strong>Justcall6969 eliminates two for Tuesday</strong></p>
<p>The final table went just five hands before the first elimination as D0N4LdO 4-bet all-in their last 112k with [9s][9d] with justcall6969 calling with [Ad][Kh]. The [Jc] [As] [Th} flop moved justcall6969 into the lead. D0N4ldO was unable to retake the lead as the turn and river went [2c][8c], earning $7,035 for a ninth place finish. A few hands later, justcall6969 added to their stack by calling thechips55's UTG shove with [Kc][Qc] with[As][Qd]. The board ran out [8d] [6s] [4d] [4h] [4c], leaving thechips55 without chips, collecting $9,648 for an eighth place finish.</p>
<p><strong>Three-way all-in, anybodybut17 sent packing </strong></p>
<p>Play had moved to level 31 with blinds at 3200/6400 with an 800 ante as the action at the Super Tuesday final table didn't slow down. as the three shortest stacks -- foolflash, anybodybut17 and tonyton55 put all of their chips in the middle before the flop. Tonyton55 had the other two players covered, as well as having the best hand: [kc][kd] with anybodybut17 holding [qc][qs] and foolflash holding [th][9s]. The [4s] [8d] [8c] flop was good for tonyton55, but the [7d] gave foolflash an open-ended straight draw. The [Jh] on the river moved foolflash from worst to first with a runner-runner straight, as Anybodybut17 was eliminated in seventh place for $13,668.</p>
<p><strong>Peetoon pockets pair of protagonists </strong></p>
<p>Play slowed down as the remaining six players stole blinds and antes for several hands. However, Peetoon would retake the chip lead from justcall6969, first disposing of tonyton55's stack when Peetoon's [7d][7h] held up against [As][Jc] as the board ran out [8h] [4s] [2h] [2s] [4d], leaving tonyton55 with a sixth place finish with $17,688 appearing in their account. On the very next hand with blinds now at 3,600/7,200 with a 900 ante, Peetoon opened with a raise, as foolflash moved in from the big blind for last 129,492 with [Ad][3c]. Peetoon made the call with a dominating [as][8s]. The flop was [9c] [Tc] [8d], the [Qh] gave foolflash hopes for a chop with a Jack, which disappeared when the [4c] appeared on the river instead. Foolflash finished in fifth place, earning $22,914 for the effort.</p>
<p><strong>Altrum Altus sent to rail by Ace</strong><br />
Altrum Altus started the final table second in chips, but the chip stack was moving in the wrong direction when their final hand happened. Altrum Altus made a raise to 14,600 with justcall6969 and Peetoon both calling from the blinds. The flop of [Ts][Qh][4h] had Peetoon bet 24,000, followed by Altrum Altus shoving for 161,458 holding [Ks][Kd]. Justcall6969 folded while Peetoon made the call with [ah][5h]. The call was rewarded when the turn brought the [Ad], with the [3d] river meant Altrum Altus leaving the virtual table in fourth place, cashing for $33,165.</p>
<p><strong>Fortunate five favors SHIP_IT.NET </strong></p>
<p>Play was now three-handed with Peetoon and justcall6969 holding most of the chips, while SHIP_IT.NET was down to just over 100,000 as the players wanted to discuss a deal. It took some time for someone to help with the numbers while play continued. SHIP_IT.NET moved in with [5d][5c] over justcall6969's raise, making the call with [Ac][9c]. The flop of [3s][ad][7d], along with the [2c] turn left few outs available. Fortunately, the river was the [5h] as SHIP_IT.NET doubled up to over 250,000 in chips, still in third, but hoping to make his move. </p>
<p><strong>A deal is made, a tournament is finished</strong></p>
<p>During the :55 minute hourly break, a PokerStars representative appeared at the table to negotiate a deal among the remaining players. Here's how the chip stacks looked, along with the adjusted figures if a deal was made:</p>
<p>Peetoon 877,266 $65,366.70 <br />
justcall6969 791,198 $62,615.89 <br />
SHIP_IT.NET 341,536 $52,314.40</p>
<p>SHIP_IT.NET stated he would rather have $55,000. Peetoon was reluctant to contribute, while justcall6969 countered to give $1,500. That wasn't enough for SHIP_IT.NET's needs, and after a few minutes, justcall6969 decided to give SHIP_IT.NET the $2,685.60 needed to complete the deal, and all three quickly agreed left to play for TLB points and bragging rights.</p>
<p>The trio played another 25 hands before deciding to end the tournament by going all-in every hand. On the first hand, SHIP_IT.NET won the first hand when his [kh][5d] outflopped Peetoon's [aC] [9h] and justcall6969's [8h][3h] to take the lead. The second hand saw Peetoon turn a straight, eliminating justcall6969 in third for $59,930.30. The final hand of the tournament had SHIP_IT.NET waking up with [jd][jc] while Peetoon held [Ah][3d]. The chance of a double-up didn't happen, with the final five cards dealt being [2h] [5s] [2d] [Kd] [Qd], giving Peetoon the second place finish, but pocketing the most money, $65,366.70. That leaves SHIP_IT.NET with the Super Tuesday victory, good for $55,000.</p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Super Tuesday Results for 07/27/10:</strong></p>
<p>1st place: SHIP_IT.NET (Norristown) - $55,000.00*<br />
2nd place: Peetoon (Minsk) - $65,366.70*<br />
3rd place: justcall6969 (Woodstock) - $59,930.30*<br />
4th place: Altrum Altus (Sioux City) - $33,165<br />
5th place: foolflash (The Zoo) - $22,914<br />
6th place: tonyton55 (Lansing) - $17,688<br />
7th place: anybodybuy17 (Charlotte) - $13,668<br />
8th place: thechips55 (Penn Valley) - $9,648<br />
9th place: D0N4LdO (Bookham) - $7,035</p>
<p>* Payouts adjusted for 3-way deal.<br />
</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(13) "Super Tuesday"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(13) "Super Tuesday"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280318340)
}
[3]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(50) "Qualify now for your shot at riches in The Bahamas"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(2943) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="PCA-2010-thumbnail.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/PCA-2010-thumbnail.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>Take a good look at the young gentleman in this photograph. This is Harrison Gimbel, who became the youngest ever PokerStars Caribbean Adventure winner in January. With victory came respect and admiration from the poker world. Oh, and the small matter of $2.2 million. That's a lot of money for a 19-year-old. His reaction at the time? "I feel like a rock star," he said.</p>
<p>Well, as you likely know by now the PCA, held at the luxurious Atlantis resort in The Bahamas, is a yearly affair and gives you the chance to follow in Gimbel's golden footsteps and make millions for yourself.</p>
<p>Even though the 2011 festival next January may seem far off, there are plenty of ways for you to win your seat on PokerStars right now. And already many of you have done just that.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="harrison_gimbel_pokerstars_pca.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/harrison_gimbel_pokerstars_pca.jpg" width="300" height="450" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><i>Harrison Gimbel</center></i><p></p>
<p>You can find full details about how to bag your seat on the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/caribbean-adventure/">PokerStars PCA page</a>, but here is a summary to start you on your way...</p>
<p><b>The PCA Mega Path</b><br />
Put your FPPs (Frequent Player Points) to work by using them to enter Mega Path satellites to win your trip of a lifetime to The Bahamas. Starting from just 5 FPPs, you can make your way through the rounds until you get to Round 9, where there are PCA prize packages up for grabs. You can also buy-in directly to any round at any time.</p>
<p>To register, open the PokerStars lobby and click 'Events' >> 'PCA'.</p>
<p><i>So far more than seven million FPPs (yes, you read that right) have been used by PokerStars players on the Mega Path.</i></p>
<p>There's only a month left until the Round 9 on August 29, so start planning your assault now.</p>
<p><b>Weekly $700 satellites</b><br />
These are running each Sunday at 6pm (ET) and offer a great way of securing your package (which includes Main Event entry, accommodation and more). Team PokerStars Pro Jude Ainsworth has won his seat this way already.</p>
<p><b>Step 6</b><br />
Enter the special $2,000 + $100 Step 6 qualifiers (again click on Events >> PCA in the PokerStars lobby).</p>
<p>Other routes to Bahamas glory will be announced soon, so keep an eye on the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/caribbean-adventure/">PCA page</a> for more announcements.</p>
<p>Good luck, and we look forward to welcoming you to The Bahamas!</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(91) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/pca/2010/qualify-now-for-your-shot-at-riches-in-t-071878.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(91) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/pca/2010/qualify-now-for-your-shot-at-riches-in-t-071878.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(30) "PokerStars Caribbean Adventure"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:48:04 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(2943) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="PCA-2010-thumbnail.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/PCA-2010-thumbnail.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>Take a good look at the young gentleman in this photograph. This is Harrison Gimbel, who became the youngest ever PokerStars Caribbean Adventure winner in January. With victory came respect and admiration from the poker world. Oh, and the small matter of $2.2 million. That's a lot of money for a 19-year-old. His reaction at the time? "I feel like a rock star," he said.</p>
<p>Well, as you likely know by now the PCA, held at the luxurious Atlantis resort in The Bahamas, is a yearly affair and gives you the chance to follow in Gimbel's golden footsteps and make millions for yourself.</p>
<p>Even though the 2011 festival next January may seem far off, there are plenty of ways for you to win your seat on PokerStars right now. And already many of you have done just that.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="harrison_gimbel_pokerstars_pca.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/harrison_gimbel_pokerstars_pca.jpg" width="300" height="450" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><i>Harrison Gimbel</center></i><p></p>
<p>You can find full details about how to bag your seat on the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/caribbean-adventure/">PokerStars PCA page</a>, but here is a summary to start you on your way...</p>
<p><b>The PCA Mega Path</b><br />
Put your FPPs (Frequent Player Points) to work by using them to enter Mega Path satellites to win your trip of a lifetime to The Bahamas. Starting from just 5 FPPs, you can make your way through the rounds until you get to Round 9, where there are PCA prize packages up for grabs. You can also buy-in directly to any round at any time.</p>
<p>To register, open the PokerStars lobby and click 'Events' >> 'PCA'.</p>
<p><i>So far more than seven million FPPs (yes, you read that right) have been used by PokerStars players on the Mega Path.</i></p>
<p>There's only a month left until the Round 9 on August 29, so start planning your assault now.</p>
<p><b>Weekly $700 satellites</b><br />
These are running each Sunday at 6pm (ET) and offer a great way of securing your package (which includes Main Event entry, accommodation and more). Team PokerStars Pro Jude Ainsworth has won his seat this way already.</p>
<p><b>Step 6</b><br />
Enter the special $2,000 + $100 Step 6 qualifiers (again click on Events >> PCA in the PokerStars lobby).</p>
<p>Other routes to Bahamas glory will be announced soon, so keep an eye on the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/caribbean-adventure/">PCA page</a> for more announcements.</p>
<p>Good luck, and we look forward to welcoming you to The Bahamas!</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(30) "PokerStars Caribbean Adventure"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(30) "PokerStars Caribbean Adventure"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280314084)
}
[4]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(71) "BarneyR2005 beats B Buddy to grab nearly $245K and Sunday Million title"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(10672) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Sunday Million logo.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/Sunday%20Million%20logo.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>The last Sunday of each month is special. Not only are the regular Sunday tournaments on tap for players looking for the biggest guarantees and best fields on the internet, but PokerStars hosts some special tournaments for its players. There is the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/botp/2010/battle-of-the-planets-chip-chop-for-fina-071830.html">Battle of the Planets</a>, a freeroll competition solely for the top players on the weekly sit-n-go leaderboards with a $50K prize pool. And there is the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/tt/2010/turbo-takedown-conning-to-victory-connbo-071832.html">$1,000,000 Turbo Takedown</a>, a stellar prize pool set up for anyone with 3,000 Frequent Player Points, and a tournament that puts bounties on PokerStars Team Pros as well as awards an Audi TT to the ultimate winner. So July 25 was kinda a big deal.</p>
<p>And then there was the Sunday Million, the biggest guarantee in online poker's weekly offerings. With its standard buy-in of $200 + $15, the guarantee was set at $1.5 million, and players couldn't have been more anxious to take a chance at it. That resulted in a registration number of 8,319, which prompted the prize pool to grow to $1,663,800.00. As the tournament moved forward, the top 1,260 players were paid for their efforts, and the final table neared after a few more hours.</p>
<p>Finally, it was during hand-for-hand action that marlin5555 put his tournament on the line with an all-in move for 2,703,411 chips. Original raiser B Buddy folded, but dehoo called from the big blind with [Ad][9d]. Marlin5555 showed [Ac][Tc] for the chance to double-up, but the [8c][Qs][Ah][9h][2c] board did not agree. The two pair eliminated marlin5555 in tenth place, for which he was awarded $8,818.14.</p>
<p><strong>B Buddy making no friends, only taking names</strong></p>
<p>It was about 15 minutes shy of the ten-hour mark of the tournament that the final table was set, and it happened in the middle of Level 35, with blinds at 200,000/400,000 and a 40,000 ante. The starting chip counts were as follows:</p>
<p>Seat 1: nenita02 (2,691,048 in chips)<br />
Seat 2: BarneyR2005 (12,323,682 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: BWFCLEE (3,469,267 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: Cukbandit (4,317,891 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: dehoo (17,750,105 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: RonaldKosh (13,404,071 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: bostero27 (5,798,694 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: kirbyi17 (2,479,980 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: B Buddy (20,955,262 in chips)</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/2010 Million final table 07.25.10-104939.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/2010 Million final table 07.25.10-104939.html','popup','width=633,height=460,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/2010 Million final table 07.25.10-thumb-450x327-104939.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="2010 Million final table 07.25.10.JPG" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p>B Buddy came on strong as action got underway, as it only took a few hands for the chip leader to grab another 15 million chips from dehoo. Soon after, B Buddy neared the 30 million chip range to solidify that lead.</p>
<p>But it was one of the shorter stacks who chose to get involved next. BWFCLEE made the decision to risk 2,809,267 chips with [Ac][Qc] preflop, and original raiser BarneyR2005 called with [Ts][Th]. The race was on until the [Tc][As][8s] flop hit to give BarneyR2005 the set of tens. The [7s] on the turn changed nothing, and the [Qd] on the river was too little too late for BWFCLEE, who finished the tournament in ninth place with $12,894.45.</p>
<p>A few rounds later, another battle between dehoo and B Buddy ensued, as the two got involved to see the flop of [8c][9c][5s]. Dehoo was the first to bet, and B Buddy check-raised. Dehoo responded with an all-in move for 9,513,105 chips, and B Buddy made the call with [Ah][9h] for top pair. Dehoo showed [Qc][Tc] for the flush draw, but the [5h] turn and [2d] left him still waiting. And the eighth place prize of $18,301.80 was awarded to dehoo.</p>
<p>One of the original short stacks, kirbyi17, saw his stack cut in half during the first few rounds of action, and the all-in move came for his remaining 1,079,980 chips from the small blind with [Kc][8d]. B Buddy was in the big blind and made the call with only [3s][2s], but the flop came [4d][5c][Ad] to give him the straight. The board completed with [Ac] and [Qs], and that eliminated kirbyi17 in seventh place with $33,276.00.</p>
<p>Play was moving along at a fairly rapid pace thus far, and it wasn't letting up. Bostero27 moved all-in preflop for just less than 2 million chips, and nenita02 called with [Ac][Tc], which dominated the [As][4d] of bostero27. The board was a rather uneventful [2d][8h][8s][7c][8d], and that sent bostero27 packing in sixth place, which was worth $49,914.00.</p>
<p><strong>No deal to see here, just keep it moving</strong></p>
<p>Talks of seeing chip-chop numbers were quickly squashed when B Buddy, who then had more than 40 million chips, explained succinctly that he was not interested in a deal. With that, they moved on.</p>
<p>But everyone didn't move on for long. Cukbandit was down to little more than 1 million chips and pushed it preflop with [As][4h]. BarneyR2005 called from the big blind with [7c][4c] and hit the flop immediately when it came [7d][Td][Jd]. That pair of sevens held as the [Jc] turned and the [3h] rivered to end the hand. Cukbandit was gone in fifth place with $66,552.00.</p>
<p>And in the time it took to write up the last hand, another all-in was in progress. RonaldKosh made a big push preflop with [Ac][9s] and 8,094,071 in chips. BarneyR2005 called from the big blind with [7d][7s]. Another race was on, but the [8s][3s][7c] put the kibosh on that by giving BarneyR2005 the set of sevens. The [5d] and [2s] completed the hand, and RonaldKosh was sent off in fourth place with $83,190.00.</p>
<p><strong>Striking distance</strong></p>
<p>The last hand put BarneyR2005 within close striking distance of B Buddy, and the gap quickly closed as the two battled for the chip lead. It was the first time during final table action that B Buddy had someone to worry about.</p>
<p>And a short while after, the following hand resulted in a change of the lead:</p>
<center><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53056_DE9E568D7D.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53056{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53056_DE9E568D7D.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53056{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></center>
<p><em><center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></em></p>
<p>Still in swift play mode, a big hand developed that started with B Buddy raising all-in and nenita02 calling all-in for 5,701,838 chips. B Buddy showed only [5d][3d], and nenita02 dominated with [Ks][Js]. But B Buddy caught a five on the [4c][8c][5s] flop, and the [Ac] turn and [9h] allowed that pair to stand. Nenita02 went out in third place with $124,785.00. </p>
<p><strong>How the table turns so quickly</strong></p>
<p>The two players were heads-up before the 10.5-hour mark, and it was BarneyR2005 on top as the chip counts showed:</p>
<p>Seat 2: BarneyR2005 (43,831,754 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: B Buddy (39,358,246 in chips)</p>
<p>The battle ensued and found both players taking the chip lead at various points during the match, but BarneyR2005 refused to let up on the aggression. Finally, with BarneyR2005 holding more than 70 million of the chips in play, B Buddy took a chance with [Ah][7s]. BarneyR2005 called with [9d][7d], and the board came [9h][Ks][7h][4d][4c] to give BarneyR2005 the best two pair. That left B Buddy eliminated in second place with $178,858.50.</p>
<p>BarneyR2005 claimed victory in the July 25th edition of the Sunday Million, and the reward was $244,749.39 and the coveted title.</p>
<p><strong>Sunday Million Results for 07/25/10:</strong></p>
<p>1st place: BarneyR2005 ($244,749.39)<br />
2nd place: B Buddy ($178,858.50)<br />
3rd place: nenita02 ($124,785.00)<br />
4th place: RonaldKosh ($83,190.00)<br />
5th place: Cukbandit ($66,552.00)<br />
6th place: bostero27 ($49.914.00)<br />
7th place: kirbyi17 ($33,276.00)<br />
8th place: dehoo ($18,301.80)<br />
9th place: BWFCLEE ($12,894.45)</p>
<p>For more information on ways to register and qualify for upcoming Sunday Million tournaments, visit the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/tournaments/sunday-million/">Sunday Million</a> page.</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(90) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sm/2010/barneyr2005-beats-b-buddy-to-grab-nearly-071833.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(90) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sm/2010/barneyr2005-beats-b-buddy-to-grab-nearly-071833.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(14) "Sunday Million"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:24:15 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(10672) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Sunday Million logo.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/Sunday%20Million%20logo.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>The last Sunday of each month is special. Not only are the regular Sunday tournaments on tap for players looking for the biggest guarantees and best fields on the internet, but PokerStars hosts some special tournaments for its players. There is the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/botp/2010/battle-of-the-planets-chip-chop-for-fina-071830.html">Battle of the Planets</a>, a freeroll competition solely for the top players on the weekly sit-n-go leaderboards with a $50K prize pool. And there is the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/tt/2010/turbo-takedown-conning-to-victory-connbo-071832.html">$1,000,000 Turbo Takedown</a>, a stellar prize pool set up for anyone with 3,000 Frequent Player Points, and a tournament that puts bounties on PokerStars Team Pros as well as awards an Audi TT to the ultimate winner. So July 25 was kinda a big deal.</p>
<p>And then there was the Sunday Million, the biggest guarantee in online poker's weekly offerings. With its standard buy-in of $200 + $15, the guarantee was set at $1.5 million, and players couldn't have been more anxious to take a chance at it. That resulted in a registration number of 8,319, which prompted the prize pool to grow to $1,663,800.00. As the tournament moved forward, the top 1,260 players were paid for their efforts, and the final table neared after a few more hours.</p>
<p>Finally, it was during hand-for-hand action that marlin5555 put his tournament on the line with an all-in move for 2,703,411 chips. Original raiser B Buddy folded, but dehoo called from the big blind with [Ad][9d]. Marlin5555 showed [Ac][Tc] for the chance to double-up, but the [8c][Qs][Ah][9h][2c] board did not agree. The two pair eliminated marlin5555 in tenth place, for which he was awarded $8,818.14.</p>
<p><strong>B Buddy making no friends, only taking names</strong></p>
<p>It was about 15 minutes shy of the ten-hour mark of the tournament that the final table was set, and it happened in the middle of Level 35, with blinds at 200,000/400,000 and a 40,000 ante. The starting chip counts were as follows:</p>
<p>Seat 1: nenita02 (2,691,048 in chips)<br />
Seat 2: BarneyR2005 (12,323,682 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: BWFCLEE (3,469,267 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: Cukbandit (4,317,891 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: dehoo (17,750,105 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: RonaldKosh (13,404,071 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: bostero27 (5,798,694 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: kirbyi17 (2,479,980 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: B Buddy (20,955,262 in chips)</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/2010 Million final table 07.25.10-104939.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/2010 Million final table 07.25.10-104939.html','popup','width=633,height=460,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/2010 Million final table 07.25.10-thumb-450x327-104939.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="2010 Million final table 07.25.10.JPG" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p>B Buddy came on strong as action got underway, as it only took a few hands for the chip leader to grab another 15 million chips from dehoo. Soon after, B Buddy neared the 30 million chip range to solidify that lead.</p>
<p>But it was one of the shorter stacks who chose to get involved next. BWFCLEE made the decision to risk 2,809,267 chips with [Ac][Qc] preflop, and original raiser BarneyR2005 called with [Ts][Th]. The race was on until the [Tc][As][8s] flop hit to give BarneyR2005 the set of tens. The [7s] on the turn changed nothing, and the [Qd] on the river was too little too late for BWFCLEE, who finished the tournament in ninth place with $12,894.45.</p>
<p>A few rounds later, another battle between dehoo and B Buddy ensued, as the two got involved to see the flop of [8c][9c][5s]. Dehoo was the first to bet, and B Buddy check-raised. Dehoo responded with an all-in move for 9,513,105 chips, and B Buddy made the call with [Ah][9h] for top pair. Dehoo showed [Qc][Tc] for the flush draw, but the [5h] turn and [2d] left him still waiting. And the eighth place prize of $18,301.80 was awarded to dehoo.</p>
<p>One of the original short stacks, kirbyi17, saw his stack cut in half during the first few rounds of action, and the all-in move came for his remaining 1,079,980 chips from the small blind with [Kc][8d]. B Buddy was in the big blind and made the call with only [3s][2s], but the flop came [4d][5c][Ad] to give him the straight. The board completed with [Ac] and [Qs], and that eliminated kirbyi17 in seventh place with $33,276.00.</p>
<p>Play was moving along at a fairly rapid pace thus far, and it wasn't letting up. Bostero27 moved all-in preflop for just less than 2 million chips, and nenita02 called with [Ac][Tc], which dominated the [As][4d] of bostero27. The board was a rather uneventful [2d][8h][8s][7c][8d], and that sent bostero27 packing in sixth place, which was worth $49,914.00.</p>
<p><strong>No deal to see here, just keep it moving</strong></p>
<p>Talks of seeing chip-chop numbers were quickly squashed when B Buddy, who then had more than 40 million chips, explained succinctly that he was not interested in a deal. With that, they moved on.</p>
<p>But everyone didn't move on for long. Cukbandit was down to little more than 1 million chips and pushed it preflop with [As][4h]. BarneyR2005 called from the big blind with [7c][4c] and hit the flop immediately when it came [7d][Td][Jd]. That pair of sevens held as the [Jc] turned and the [3h] rivered to end the hand. Cukbandit was gone in fifth place with $66,552.00.</p>
<p>And in the time it took to write up the last hand, another all-in was in progress. RonaldKosh made a big push preflop with [Ac][9s] and 8,094,071 in chips. BarneyR2005 called from the big blind with [7d][7s]. Another race was on, but the [8s][3s][7c] put the kibosh on that by giving BarneyR2005 the set of sevens. The [5d] and [2s] completed the hand, and RonaldKosh was sent off in fourth place with $83,190.00.</p>
<p><strong>Striking distance</strong></p>
<p>The last hand put BarneyR2005 within close striking distance of B Buddy, and the gap quickly closed as the two battled for the chip lead. It was the first time during final table action that B Buddy had someone to worry about.</p>
<p>And a short while after, the following hand resulted in a change of the lead:</p>
<center><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53056_DE9E568D7D.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53056{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53056_DE9E568D7D.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53056{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></center>
<p><em><center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></em></p>
<p>Still in swift play mode, a big hand developed that started with B Buddy raising all-in and nenita02 calling all-in for 5,701,838 chips. B Buddy showed only [5d][3d], and nenita02 dominated with [Ks][Js]. But B Buddy caught a five on the [4c][8c][5s] flop, and the [Ac] turn and [9h] allowed that pair to stand. Nenita02 went out in third place with $124,785.00. </p>
<p><strong>How the table turns so quickly</strong></p>
<p>The two players were heads-up before the 10.5-hour mark, and it was BarneyR2005 on top as the chip counts showed:</p>
<p>Seat 2: BarneyR2005 (43,831,754 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: B Buddy (39,358,246 in chips)</p>
<p>The battle ensued and found both players taking the chip lead at various points during the match, but BarneyR2005 refused to let up on the aggression. Finally, with BarneyR2005 holding more than 70 million of the chips in play, B Buddy took a chance with [Ah][7s]. BarneyR2005 called with [9d][7d], and the board came [9h][Ks][7h][4d][4c] to give BarneyR2005 the best two pair. That left B Buddy eliminated in second place with $178,858.50.</p>
<p>BarneyR2005 claimed victory in the July 25th edition of the Sunday Million, and the reward was $244,749.39 and the coveted title.</p>
<p><strong>Sunday Million Results for 07/25/10:</strong></p>
<p>1st place: BarneyR2005 ($244,749.39)<br />
2nd place: B Buddy ($178,858.50)<br />
3rd place: nenita02 ($124,785.00)<br />
4th place: RonaldKosh ($83,190.00)<br />
5th place: Cukbandit ($66,552.00)<br />
6th place: bostero27 ($49.914.00)<br />
7th place: kirbyi17 ($33,276.00)<br />
8th place: dehoo ($18,301.80)<br />
9th place: BWFCLEE ($12,894.45)</p>
<p>For more information on ways to register and qualify for upcoming Sunday Million tournaments, visit the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/tournaments/sunday-million/">Sunday Million</a> page.</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(14) "Sunday Million"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(14) "Sunday Million"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280132655)
}
[5]=>
array(25) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(77) "Turbo Takedown: Conning to victory, coNNBoyle takes down $60K and Audi in win"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(14359) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="turbo_takedown_thumb.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/turbo_takedown_thumb.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>Several <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/">Team PokerStars pros</a> tried their hand tonight at breaking thru the 17,281 player field of the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/promotions/turbo/">$1 Million Turbo Takedown</a> but only a handful would break into the top 5,000 to claim a little money. Anders "Donald" Berg (382nd Place - $260.00), <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/christophe-de-meulder/">Christophe "chrisdm" de Meulder</a> (216th place - $350.00), and <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/julian-thew/">Julian Thew</a> (212th place - $350.00) would all reach the final 500 but were unable to get within sniffing that great new car smell of the Audi TT and dropped off their $100 bounties before leaving.</p>
<p><strong>Task cracked</strong></p>
<p>Taska85 was sitting on the bubble with a comfortable 2.7 million in chips and facing a 345,000 raise from muezzo with the blinds at 80K/160K ante 16K. Looking down at ace-jack [Jh][Ac] and figuring muezzo for a button steal Taska85 would go all-in as muezzo had slightly less chips but a higher kicker [Qh][As] and made the call. An all low board drizzled out [5s] [6s] [7h] [2c] [8d] and Taska85 was chopped down to 111,122 chips. Those scraps were eaten up by APZ19 who's [8s][9d] would beat out the [Kh][6h] leaving Taska85 off the final table in tenth place ($8,000.00)</p>
<p><br />
<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/TurboTake072510-104936.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/TurboTake072510-104936.html','popup','width=634,height=462,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/TurboTake072510-thumb-450x327-104936.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="TurboTake072510.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p><br />
<em><div style="text-align: center;">Click image for larger picture</div></em></p>
<p><br />
Seat 1: muezzo (5345152 in chips) <br />
Seat 2: coNNBoyle (13838222 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: knif1807 (6463144 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: APZ19 (5896874 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: growby (10284413 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: sgc0458 (796679 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: naka34 (1937084 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: pain-bg (3366390 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: mossified84 (5535042 in chips)</p>
<p>mossifed84 got the race for the AudiTT going in a hurry by doubling-up off growby in the final table's very first hand for an 11.2 million chip pot with blinds starting off at 80K/160K ante 16K. </p>
<p><strong>Feeling the pain</strong></p>
<p>It would take two full levels (100K/200K ante 20K) before our first elimination which seemed to open the gates of several others wanting to leave quickly tonight. sgc0458 had only 706,716 chips in early position, made the most of them by open shoving with pocket eights [8c][8h]. pain-bg two seats over would re-shove and covered holding big slick [Kh][Ac]. A king on the door [Kc] [5h] [Qh] [6c] [7d] on sgc0458's night was over in ninth place ($10,000.00).</p>
<p><strong>And they all come tumbling down</strong></p>
<p>Four hands later muezzo was sitting UTG with just 1.1 million in chips holding a medium suited ace [Ah][8h] and shoved. Chip leader coNNBoyle was not make a big stack call here after matching the bet and turning over pocket rockets [Ad][Ac]. Slight scare on the [6h] [Ts] [Qh] flop gave muezzo some breath of life for the nut flush, [9s] on the turn opened up some straight outs. But the [5c] river was not the right five and muezzo buzzed off in eighth place ($12,500.00).</p>
<p><strong>You been... MOSS-IF-IED</strong></p>
<p>As a Minnesota Viking's fan my heart broke a little bit seeing number 84 get shuffled off to the New England Patriots but much like the talented wide receiver mossifed84 showed he can race with anyone. The very next hand after muezzo left, mossified84 re-shoved on the all-in bet of naka34 holding pocket jacks [Js][Jd]. naka34 could only turn up an over card [Kd][Ts] and was unable to connect at all with the [2c] [9h] [3d] [2s] [6d] board ending his night in seventh place ($15,000.00).</p>
<p><strong>Done with the all-in's? I think not</strong></p>
<p>Just another three hands later, and one hand after APZ19 doubled up off mossified84, knif1807 and pain-bg went toe-to-toe preflop for a 7.4 million chip pot. Watch the results below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53054_9C3DF95BF6.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53054{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53054_9C3DF95BF6.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53054{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></p>
<p><br />
Big slick [Ad][Kd] for knif1807 and pocket tens [Tc][Ts] for pain-bg. King on the flop and an unnecessary ace on the river [8h] [Jd] [Kc] [3d] [As] directed those 7.4 million chips to knif1807 as pain-bg limped from the final table with an extra $17,500.00 finishing in sixth place.</p>
<p><strong>Jackedy Jack Don't Talk Back</strong></p>
<p>On the very next hand, the biggest pot of the tournament played out with coNNBoyle and knif1807 both holding over 14 million in chips with blinds at 100K/200K ante 20K. Both would be all-in preflop with coNNBoyle just holding 300K more in chips. Watch the 29 million chip pot play out below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53055_D03ACAA4B3.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53055{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53055_D03ACAA4B3.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53055{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></p>
<p><br />
<em><strong>coNNBoyle</strong></em>: [Jd][Jc] <br />
<em><strong>knif1807</strong></em>:[Qc][Qs]</p>
<p>In one of those jaw-dropping flops BOTH coNNBoyle's outs would hit [Jh] [Js] [2s] [7d] [3s] giving him quad jacks as knif1807's 989:1 shot did not come with running queens and thus a very expensive bad beat story in fifth place ($20,000.00).</p>
<p><strong>A moment to exhale</strong></p>
<p>After that block of all-ins and eliminations, the final four would actually part thru three levels reaching the 175K/350K ante 35K before asking another person to leave the table. mossified84 would lose some steam four-handed and was down to 6.4 million chips while trying to make something happen with a three-bet shove in the big blind over growby's small blind raise to 1.05 million. growby with nine million chips called the massive raise with [Jd][8d] as mossified84 was slightly ahead holding [Ks][Tc], live cards for all until two jacks fell on the flop for growby [Jc] [Jh] [2s]. mossified84 could not find running cards on the [4s] turn and [Ac] river to catch up and the Randy Moss fan was out in fourth place ($25,000.00).</p>
<p><strong>Straight outta here</strong></p>
<p>We would move our three-handed table into the ninth hour of play and blinds at 200K/400K ante 40K with the chip stacks fairly even (coNNBoyle - 20.6 million, growby - 18.9 million, and APZ19 - 13.8 million). Chop talks started and stopped several times but never got enough legs to stop the tournament. growby would led out for a three time the BB raise from the button as APZ19 would call from the big blind. [Jh] [5h] [6s] flop and both players checked. APZ19 would check the turned [7s] as growby bet two million and was called. On the rivered [4s] completing a flush draw, APZ19 would shove for 10.6 million. After turning the nut straight [9c][8c] growby had a decision for a big chunk of his stack and made the right call as APZ19 turned up the [As] but the second card was a club [5c] finishing APZ19's day in third place ($30,000.00) as heads-up play would commence for the Audi TT. </p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Audi-TT-RS-19.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/Audi-TT-RS-19.jpg" width="450" height="318" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>This goes in the winner's garage</em></div></p>
<p><strong>Host YbrahimC here but not needed yet</strong></p>
<p>Heads-up play would start with connBoyle slightly down 20.4 million to growby's 33 million and blinds at 200K/400K ante 40K. The players would summon Host YbrahimC to the tables but were unable to get enough traction to stop the clocks for a deal. As the players moved through that level and the 225K/450K ante 45K level without a winner but the chip stacks becoming dead even for nearly the entire level.</p>
<p><strong>A new host, but old rules</strong></p>
<p>As the players tried to chop up the beautiful car you see above in to smaller pieces, Host Tanner came on to explain that the car cannot be a part of the chop talks and only the $100,000.00 left in the prize pool was open for discussion. They both agreed to a five-minute break as the cards went back into the air without a deal in place.</p>
<p><strong>Looked up and it was over</strong></p>
<p>growby was looking to take over the race to the Audi TT holding a sizable lead of 36.2 million to 17.2 million and the nug nuts holding the tires in place fell off. First, growby would raise to two million as the blinds were capped at 250K/500K ante 50K and coNNBoyle wasted no time in shoving for 17.1 million holding big slick [Ad][Kd]. growby thought for a few moments and made the call with a dominated [Kc][Qs]. They would both pair their king but the ace kicker played on the [2s] [2d] [Ks] [7c] [Tc] board and 34.4 million chips slid to coNNBoyle. Two hands later growby again led out for two million as coNNBoyle again shoved as growby made the call holding [Qh][8h]. Pocket tens for coNNBoyle was out in front and made a big leap when a third ten appeared on the flop [7c] [Td] [Kh]. No heart or potential straight card on the turn [8c] meant the Audi TT was going to be shipped to coNNBoyle along with the $60,000.00 first prize! </p>
<p>Congrats to all of our 5,000 cashers this evening and hope you will be back next month the next $1 Million Turbo Takedown.</p>
<p><br />
<u><strong>$1 Million Turbo Takedown Results (07-25-10)</strong></u><br />
1. coNNBoyle (Williamsburg) $60,000.00 + Audi TT<br />
2. growby (Burgas) $40,000.00<br />
3. APZ19 (Grimsby, UK) $30,000.00<br />
4. mossified84 (las vegas) $25,000.00<br />
5. knif1807 (Offenburg) $20,000.00<br />
6. pain-bg (Plovdiv) $17,500.00<br />
7. naka34 (spain) $15,000.00<br />
8. muezzo (Cumbria) $12,500.00<br />
9. sgc0458 (stoney creek) $10,000.00</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(90) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/tt/2010/turbo-takedown-conning-to-victory-connbo-071832.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(90) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/tt/2010/turbo-takedown-conning-to-victory-connbo-071832.html"
["category#"]=>
int(2)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(10) "Promotions"
["category#2@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category#2@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category#2"]=>
string(14) "Turbo Takedown"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:29:47 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(14359) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="turbo_takedown_thumb.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/turbo_takedown_thumb.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>Several <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/">Team PokerStars pros</a> tried their hand tonight at breaking thru the 17,281 player field of the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/promotions/turbo/">$1 Million Turbo Takedown</a> but only a handful would break into the top 5,000 to claim a little money. Anders "Donald" Berg (382nd Place - $260.00), <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/christophe-de-meulder/">Christophe "chrisdm" de Meulder</a> (216th place - $350.00), and <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/julian-thew/">Julian Thew</a> (212th place - $350.00) would all reach the final 500 but were unable to get within sniffing that great new car smell of the Audi TT and dropped off their $100 bounties before leaving.</p>
<p><strong>Task cracked</strong></p>
<p>Taska85 was sitting on the bubble with a comfortable 2.7 million in chips and facing a 345,000 raise from muezzo with the blinds at 80K/160K ante 16K. Looking down at ace-jack [Jh][Ac] and figuring muezzo for a button steal Taska85 would go all-in as muezzo had slightly less chips but a higher kicker [Qh][As] and made the call. An all low board drizzled out [5s] [6s] [7h] [2c] [8d] and Taska85 was chopped down to 111,122 chips. Those scraps were eaten up by APZ19 who's [8s][9d] would beat out the [Kh][6h] leaving Taska85 off the final table in tenth place ($8,000.00)</p>
<p><br />
<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/TurboTake072510-104936.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/TurboTake072510-104936.html','popup','width=634,height=462,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/TurboTake072510-thumb-450x327-104936.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="TurboTake072510.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p><br />
<em><div style="text-align: center;">Click image for larger picture</div></em></p>
<p><br />
Seat 1: muezzo (5345152 in chips) <br />
Seat 2: coNNBoyle (13838222 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: knif1807 (6463144 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: APZ19 (5896874 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: growby (10284413 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: sgc0458 (796679 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: naka34 (1937084 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: pain-bg (3366390 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: mossified84 (5535042 in chips)</p>
<p>mossifed84 got the race for the AudiTT going in a hurry by doubling-up off growby in the final table's very first hand for an 11.2 million chip pot with blinds starting off at 80K/160K ante 16K. </p>
<p><strong>Feeling the pain</strong></p>
<p>It would take two full levels (100K/200K ante 20K) before our first elimination which seemed to open the gates of several others wanting to leave quickly tonight. sgc0458 had only 706,716 chips in early position, made the most of them by open shoving with pocket eights [8c][8h]. pain-bg two seats over would re-shove and covered holding big slick [Kh][Ac]. A king on the door [Kc] [5h] [Qh] [6c] [7d] on sgc0458's night was over in ninth place ($10,000.00).</p>
<p><strong>And they all come tumbling down</strong></p>
<p>Four hands later muezzo was sitting UTG with just 1.1 million in chips holding a medium suited ace [Ah][8h] and shoved. Chip leader coNNBoyle was not make a big stack call here after matching the bet and turning over pocket rockets [Ad][Ac]. Slight scare on the [6h] [Ts] [Qh] flop gave muezzo some breath of life for the nut flush, [9s] on the turn opened up some straight outs. But the [5c] river was not the right five and muezzo buzzed off in eighth place ($12,500.00).</p>
<p><strong>You been... MOSS-IF-IED</strong></p>
<p>As a Minnesota Viking's fan my heart broke a little bit seeing number 84 get shuffled off to the New England Patriots but much like the talented wide receiver mossifed84 showed he can race with anyone. The very next hand after muezzo left, mossified84 re-shoved on the all-in bet of naka34 holding pocket jacks [Js][Jd]. naka34 could only turn up an over card [Kd][Ts] and was unable to connect at all with the [2c] [9h] [3d] [2s] [6d] board ending his night in seventh place ($15,000.00).</p>
<p><strong>Done with the all-in's? I think not</strong></p>
<p>Just another three hands later, and one hand after APZ19 doubled up off mossified84, knif1807 and pain-bg went toe-to-toe preflop for a 7.4 million chip pot. Watch the results below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53054_9C3DF95BF6.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53054{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53054_9C3DF95BF6.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53054{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></p>
<p><br />
Big slick [Ad][Kd] for knif1807 and pocket tens [Tc][Ts] for pain-bg. King on the flop and an unnecessary ace on the river [8h] [Jd] [Kc] [3d] [As] directed those 7.4 million chips to knif1807 as pain-bg limped from the final table with an extra $17,500.00 finishing in sixth place.</p>
<p><strong>Jackedy Jack Don't Talk Back</strong></p>
<p>On the very next hand, the biggest pot of the tournament played out with coNNBoyle and knif1807 both holding over 14 million in chips with blinds at 100K/200K ante 20K. Both would be all-in preflop with coNNBoyle just holding 300K more in chips. Watch the 29 million chip pot play out below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53055_D03ACAA4B3.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53055{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53055_D03ACAA4B3.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53055{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></p>
<p><br />
<em><strong>coNNBoyle</strong></em>: [Jd][Jc] <br />
<em><strong>knif1807</strong></em>:[Qc][Qs]</p>
<p>In one of those jaw-dropping flops BOTH coNNBoyle's outs would hit [Jh] [Js] [2s] [7d] [3s] giving him quad jacks as knif1807's 989:1 shot did not come with running queens and thus a very expensive bad beat story in fifth place ($20,000.00).</p>
<p><strong>A moment to exhale</strong></p>
<p>After that block of all-ins and eliminations, the final four would actually part thru three levels reaching the 175K/350K ante 35K before asking another person to leave the table. mossified84 would lose some steam four-handed and was down to 6.4 million chips while trying to make something happen with a three-bet shove in the big blind over growby's small blind raise to 1.05 million. growby with nine million chips called the massive raise with [Jd][8d] as mossified84 was slightly ahead holding [Ks][Tc], live cards for all until two jacks fell on the flop for growby [Jc] [Jh] [2s]. mossified84 could not find running cards on the [4s] turn and [Ac] river to catch up and the Randy Moss fan was out in fourth place ($25,000.00).</p>
<p><strong>Straight outta here</strong></p>
<p>We would move our three-handed table into the ninth hour of play and blinds at 200K/400K ante 40K with the chip stacks fairly even (coNNBoyle - 20.6 million, growby - 18.9 million, and APZ19 - 13.8 million). Chop talks started and stopped several times but never got enough legs to stop the tournament. growby would led out for a three time the BB raise from the button as APZ19 would call from the big blind. [Jh] [5h] [6s] flop and both players checked. APZ19 would check the turned [7s] as growby bet two million and was called. On the rivered [4s] completing a flush draw, APZ19 would shove for 10.6 million. After turning the nut straight [9c][8c] growby had a decision for a big chunk of his stack and made the right call as APZ19 turned up the [As] but the second card was a club [5c] finishing APZ19's day in third place ($30,000.00) as heads-up play would commence for the Audi TT. </p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Audi-TT-RS-19.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/Audi-TT-RS-19.jpg" width="450" height="318" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>This goes in the winner's garage</em></div></p>
<p><strong>Host YbrahimC here but not needed yet</strong></p>
<p>Heads-up play would start with connBoyle slightly down 20.4 million to growby's 33 million and blinds at 200K/400K ante 40K. The players would summon Host YbrahimC to the tables but were unable to get enough traction to stop the clocks for a deal. As the players moved through that level and the 225K/450K ante 45K level without a winner but the chip stacks becoming dead even for nearly the entire level.</p>
<p><strong>A new host, but old rules</strong></p>
<p>As the players tried to chop up the beautiful car you see above in to smaller pieces, Host Tanner came on to explain that the car cannot be a part of the chop talks and only the $100,000.00 left in the prize pool was open for discussion. They both agreed to a five-minute break as the cards went back into the air without a deal in place.</p>
<p><strong>Looked up and it was over</strong></p>
<p>growby was looking to take over the race to the Audi TT holding a sizable lead of 36.2 million to 17.2 million and the nug nuts holding the tires in place fell off. First, growby would raise to two million as the blinds were capped at 250K/500K ante 50K and coNNBoyle wasted no time in shoving for 17.1 million holding big slick [Ad][Kd]. growby thought for a few moments and made the call with a dominated [Kc][Qs]. They would both pair their king but the ace kicker played on the [2s] [2d] [Ks] [7c] [Tc] board and 34.4 million chips slid to coNNBoyle. Two hands later growby again led out for two million as coNNBoyle again shoved as growby made the call holding [Qh][8h]. Pocket tens for coNNBoyle was out in front and made a big leap when a third ten appeared on the flop [7c] [Td] [Kh]. No heart or potential straight card on the turn [8c] meant the Audi TT was going to be shipped to coNNBoyle along with the $60,000.00 first prize! </p>
<p>Congrats to all of our 5,000 cashers this evening and hope you will be back next month the next $1 Million Turbo Takedown.</p>
<p><br />
<u><strong>$1 Million Turbo Takedown Results (07-25-10)</strong></u><br />
1. coNNBoyle (Williamsburg) $60,000.00 + Audi TT<br />
2. growby (Burgas) $40,000.00<br />
3. APZ19 (Grimsby, UK) $30,000.00<br />
4. mossified84 (las vegas) $25,000.00<br />
5. knif1807 (Offenburg) $20,000.00<br />
6. pain-bg (Plovdiv) $17,500.00<br />
7. naka34 (spain) $15,000.00<br />
8. muezzo (Cumbria) $12,500.00<br />
9. sgc0458 (stoney creek) $10,000.00</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(3) {
["subject#"]=>
int(2)
["subject"]=>
string(10) "Promotions"
["subject#2"]=>
string(14) "Turbo Takedown"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(10) "Promotions"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category#2@term"]=>
string(14) "Turbo Takedown"
["category#2@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280122187)
}
[6]=>
array(25) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(48) "Sunday Warm-up: Big redemption for BigFlopper01 "
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(16093) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="sunday-warmup-thumb.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sunday-warmup-thumb.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>The fields for the Sunday Majors here at PokerStars continue to climb back to normal as one World Championship is firmly in the rear view mirror until November, and the other World Championship, as in the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/wcoop/">World Championship of Online Poker</a> (WCOOP) starts up in September. 4,265 players paid their $215 tonight cracking the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/tournaments/sunday-warmup/">$750,000 guarantee Sunday Warm-up</a> and creating a prize pool of $853,000.00 paid out to 630 places. Let's go to the felt!</p>
<p><strong>87 is 86'd</strong> </p>
<p>Bubble time and the difference between a potential six figure payday and a $5K consolation prize awaits. LVSEO would lead out UTG for 328,000 as the blinds just moved up to 80K/160K ante 16K, folded around to ATHIED87 on the low end of the chip count in the big blind holding [Ks][9c] he would shove for 1.7 million. Costing of the stack LVSEO would calm cut the chips out and made the call with big slick [Kc][Ah]. No nine for ATHIED87 came down the [4c] [Qs] [2c] [Qh] [7c] board and our final table was set as ATHIED87 took down $5,118.00 in tenth place.</p>
<p><br />
<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/SunWarmUp072510-104933.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/SunWarmUp072510-104933.html','popup','width=664,height=483,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/SunWarmUp072510-thumb-450x327-104933.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="SunWarmUp072510.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>Click image for larger picture</em></div></p>
<p></p>
<p>Seat 1: BigFlopper01 (9933184 in chips) <br />
Seat 2: BFGI800 (2620584 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: Ivan MC 2007 (4832073 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: AB1001 (3262380 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: Patonius2000 (6691895 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: LVSEO (5350831 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: strflushtome (3079193 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: drew5927 (4621150 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: Sick´nSocial (2258710 in chips)</p>
<p><strong>Not very social</strong></p>
<p>Sick' nSocial was sitting with the least amount of chips at tonight's Sunday Warm-up final table with just over ten big blinds as the first hand was folded to him in the cutoff holding a small suited ace [2d][Ad]. Sick' nSocial would shove those 2.2 million chips in as BigFlopper01 on the button held a big hand, pocket jacks [Jd][Js], and quickly made the call. No wheel and no diamonds found their way onto the [Ks] [Ts] [6h] [8s] [3h] board and Sick' nSocial left the table gracefully in ninth place ($6,824.00).</p>
<p><strong>We're going with grabbing a four-pack of Red Bull</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.pokerstars.net/team-pokerstars/barry-greenstein/">Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein</a> dropped by for hosting duties tonight and quipped during the hourly five minute break "I'm going to take a five minute break let me know what happens". Hour nine had eight players still vying for the six figure payday and BigFlopper01 holding a sizable lead as the table's only player over ten million in chips as Patonius2000 at eight million and drew5927 were the closest competitors.</p>
<p><strong>No straight, no flush, no chips</strong></p>
<p>Back from the break at blinds up to 100K/200K ante 20K, Patonius2000 led out from the cutoff for 442,568 as strflushtome would shove from the small blind holding [Ah][Td] for 1.9 million chips. drew5927 folded the big blind as Patonius2000 had a suited big slick [Ad][Kd] and eased by the five cards across the middle [3h] [2c] [9d] [7s] [Qs] and collected the 4.2 million chip pot without incident. strflushtome was unable to catch a ten and took home $10,662.50 in eighth place. </p>
<p><strong>Big Bully</strong></p>
<p>Crippled in a five million chip preflop coin flip against LVSEO, Ivan MC 2007 was down to just 806,534 chips in the small blind and facing a raise from BigFlopper01 that would but put him all-in. Holding [6c][Ac] Ivan MC 2007 would shove those chips into the middle as BigFlopper01 made the math call holding [7h][Js]. Watch the "I knew it would hit the river" video below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53051_76E1BF50B8.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53051{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53051_76E1BF50B8.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53051{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></p>
<p></p>
<p>The eight indeed would hit the [5d] [Th] [9d] [3h] [8c] river giving BigFlopper01 the straight, the two million chip pot, and forcing Ivan MC 2007 to take the party elsewhere in seventh place ($19,192.50).</p>
<p><strong>Nancy Drew Mystery Solved: BigFlopper01 did it</strong></p>
<p>The rich got richer as drew5927 with just 1.6 million chips, open shoved holding a modest [4s][Ks] but BigFlopper to the direct left held a not-so-modest [As][Jh] made the quick call. A trail of cards [Qs] [6c] [Td] [6d] [5c] led the chips to their rightful owner as BigFlopper acquired another pelt and drew5927 became the next victim of the seemingly unstoppable chip leader and left with hammerific score ($27,722.50) in sixth place. July has been good for drew5927 as just two weeks ago he notched together a final table at the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sm/2010/sunday-million-1-071327.html">Sunday Million finishing 5th for a $63,000.00 score</a>.</p>
<p><strong>We're still playing for $133,818.64 right?</strong></p>
<p>Just three hands later with the blinds moving up to 125K/250K ante 25K LVSEO and AB1001 would mix it up preflop. LVSEO spammed the five key for a 555,555 chip raise as it folded to AB1001 in the big blind who would shove for 1.8 million chips holding pocket nines [9h][9s]. LVSEO started the hand with over 11 million chips and had plenty to make the call holding pocket tens [Th][Td]. Lots of broadway cards found the [Ac] [4h] [Jh] [Kd] [As] board as LVSEO's tens held and AB1001 was done in fifth place ($36,252.50).</p>
<p><strong>Court Full of Kings</strong></p>
<p>As the blinds just moved up to 150K/300K ante 30K LVSEO would raise to 666,666 as BigFlopper01 bumped it to 1,555,555. Patonius2000, who was unable to gain traction tonight, was down to 5.9 million and shoved those chips in. LVSEO was undeterred and re-shoved for 15 million as BigFlopper01 left the tax for the re-steal on the felt and folded. Watch the video below for the results:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53052_D79541A608.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53052{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53052_D79541A608.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53052{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p></p>
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center>
<p></p>
<p><br />
Not needed LVSEO would hit the other two kings in the deck [2d] [2h] [Kh] [Ks] [7d] for quad kings [Kd][Kc] as pocket nines [9c][9d] were not lucky for the holder once again and Patonius2000's night ended in fourth place ($48,194.50). This was Patonius2000 second big score of 2010, after taking runner-up honors at the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/scoop/2010/scoop-astrolux85-86s-patonius2000-to-cap-069610.html">2010 SCOOP $2,100 PLO Event #11</a> and earned $75,000.00</p>
<p><strong>Squeezed out</strong></p>
<p>Sitting in-between two huge stacks, BFGI800 had nowhere to run and a shortened stack of just 1.6 million chips after paying the big blind and was facing a raise from BigFlopper01 for the remainder of his stack. Heads-up [Ah][3s] looked really good at that moment so BFGI800 would make the call and saw that [9d][Ad] twinkling above BigFlopper01's name. Neither player would match their kicker on the [Th] [Js] [5d] [2s] [8s] board and heads-up play was about to begin after BFGI800 received $70,372.50 in third place.</p>
<p><strong>Shotgun marriage of money</strong></p>
<p>Do you? I do.</p>
<p>Do you? I do.</p>
<p>And so it was done, no fuss as LVSEO gave up a little and the chop nuptials were signed. With LVSEO in a slight lead 25 million to BigFlopper01's 17 million, they both took six figure paydays shown below:</p>
<p><em><strong>LVSEO</strong> $113,192 <br />
<strong>BigFlopper01</strong> $110,000</em></p>
<p><strong>The wheels come off quickly</strong></p>
<p>On the seventh hand of heads-up play LVSEO opened up the lead to 27 million over BigFlopper01's 15 million as both would flip preflop for a 30.3 million chip pot. BigFlopper01's pocket fours [4h][4s] would survive on the [Qs] [9s] [5c] [3s] [Th] board over LVSEO's [Ad][6h] as LVSEO was knocked down to 12.3 million chips. Five hands later we would name this week's Sunday Warm-up champion and award the extra $10,000. With a flop of [2c][3c][2h] both players would get their chips in the middle, watch it play out below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53053_72A2DD8DF3.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53053{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53053_72A2DD8DF3.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53053{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></p>
<p></p>
<p><br />
LVSEO laid the trap perfectly with pocket rockets [Ah][Ad] as BigFlopper01's top pair [3d][7d] could only hope for one of two treys in the deck.</p>
<p><em>Turn card</em>: [3h]</p>
<p>Did not wait for a dramatic river as the three gave BigFlopper01 the lead and the resuck would not hit [9c] giving BigFlopper01 the final 24.6 million chips and the extra $10,000.00 as this week's Sunday Warm-up champion! BigFlopper01 laminated about being the chip leader of the Sunday Million two weeks ago on the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sm/2010/sunday-million-1-071327.html">same final table with 6th place drew5927</a> and finishing in 9th for $11,625.00, BigFlopper01 will not have to worry about that missed shot any longer after taking down $120,000 tonight.</p>
<p>Be sure to check out <a href="http://pokerstars.tv">PokerStars.TV</a> for the Sunday Wrap show later on this week for commentary and hole cards revealed from tonight's big hands.</p>
<p><u><strong>$750,000 Guarantee Sunday Warm-up Results (07-25-10)</strong></u><br />
<em>(* denotes part of two-way deal)</em><br />
1. BigFlopper01 (Vancouver) *$120,000.00<br />
2. LVSEO (Henderson) *$113,193.14<br />
3. BFGI800 (Karlovi -Vari) $70,372.50<br />
4. Patonius2000 (Las Vegas) $48,194.50<br />
5. AB1001 (Breda) $36,252.50<br />
6. drew5927 (stumptown) $27,722.50<br />
7. Ivan MC 2007 (Monaco) $19,192.50<br />
8. strflushtome (ENSCHEDE) $10,662.50<br />
9. Sick´nSocial (Leipzig) $6,824.00</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(90) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sw/2010/sunday-warm-up-big-redemption-for-bigflo-071831.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(90) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sw/2010/sunday-warm-up-big-redemption-for-bigflo-071831.html"
["category#"]=>
int(2)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(18) "Sunday Tournaments"
["category#2@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category#2@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category#2"]=>
string(14) "Sunday Warm-Up"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:05:59 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(16093) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="sunday-warmup-thumb.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sunday-warmup-thumb.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>The fields for the Sunday Majors here at PokerStars continue to climb back to normal as one World Championship is firmly in the rear view mirror until November, and the other World Championship, as in the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/wcoop/">World Championship of Online Poker</a> (WCOOP) starts up in September. 4,265 players paid their $215 tonight cracking the <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/tournaments/sunday-warmup/">$750,000 guarantee Sunday Warm-up</a> and creating a prize pool of $853,000.00 paid out to 630 places. Let's go to the felt!</p>
<p><strong>87 is 86'd</strong> </p>
<p>Bubble time and the difference between a potential six figure payday and a $5K consolation prize awaits. LVSEO would lead out UTG for 328,000 as the blinds just moved up to 80K/160K ante 16K, folded around to ATHIED87 on the low end of the chip count in the big blind holding [Ks][9c] he would shove for 1.7 million. Costing of the stack LVSEO would calm cut the chips out and made the call with big slick [Kc][Ah]. No nine for ATHIED87 came down the [4c] [Qs] [2c] [Qh] [7c] board and our final table was set as ATHIED87 took down $5,118.00 in tenth place.</p>
<p><br />
<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/SunWarmUp072510-104933.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/SunWarmUp072510-104933.html','popup','width=664,height=483,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/SunWarmUp072510-thumb-450x327-104933.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="SunWarmUp072510.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>Click image for larger picture</em></div></p>
<p></p>
<p>Seat 1: BigFlopper01 (9933184 in chips) <br />
Seat 2: BFGI800 (2620584 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: Ivan MC 2007 (4832073 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: AB1001 (3262380 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: Patonius2000 (6691895 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: LVSEO (5350831 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: strflushtome (3079193 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: drew5927 (4621150 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: Sick´nSocial (2258710 in chips)</p>
<p><strong>Not very social</strong></p>
<p>Sick' nSocial was sitting with the least amount of chips at tonight's Sunday Warm-up final table with just over ten big blinds as the first hand was folded to him in the cutoff holding a small suited ace [2d][Ad]. Sick' nSocial would shove those 2.2 million chips in as BigFlopper01 on the button held a big hand, pocket jacks [Jd][Js], and quickly made the call. No wheel and no diamonds found their way onto the [Ks] [Ts] [6h] [8s] [3h] board and Sick' nSocial left the table gracefully in ninth place ($6,824.00).</p>
<p><strong>We're going with grabbing a four-pack of Red Bull</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.pokerstars.net/team-pokerstars/barry-greenstein/">Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein</a> dropped by for hosting duties tonight and quipped during the hourly five minute break "I'm going to take a five minute break let me know what happens". Hour nine had eight players still vying for the six figure payday and BigFlopper01 holding a sizable lead as the table's only player over ten million in chips as Patonius2000 at eight million and drew5927 were the closest competitors.</p>
<p><strong>No straight, no flush, no chips</strong></p>
<p>Back from the break at blinds up to 100K/200K ante 20K, Patonius2000 led out from the cutoff for 442,568 as strflushtome would shove from the small blind holding [Ah][Td] for 1.9 million chips. drew5927 folded the big blind as Patonius2000 had a suited big slick [Ad][Kd] and eased by the five cards across the middle [3h] [2c] [9d] [7s] [Qs] and collected the 4.2 million chip pot without incident. strflushtome was unable to catch a ten and took home $10,662.50 in eighth place. </p>
<p><strong>Big Bully</strong></p>
<p>Crippled in a five million chip preflop coin flip against LVSEO, Ivan MC 2007 was down to just 806,534 chips in the small blind and facing a raise from BigFlopper01 that would but put him all-in. Holding [6c][Ac] Ivan MC 2007 would shove those chips into the middle as BigFlopper01 made the math call holding [7h][Js]. Watch the "I knew it would hit the river" video below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53051_76E1BF50B8.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53051{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53051_76E1BF50B8.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53051{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></p>
<p></p>
<p>The eight indeed would hit the [5d] [Th] [9d] [3h] [8c] river giving BigFlopper01 the straight, the two million chip pot, and forcing Ivan MC 2007 to take the party elsewhere in seventh place ($19,192.50).</p>
<p><strong>Nancy Drew Mystery Solved: BigFlopper01 did it</strong></p>
<p>The rich got richer as drew5927 with just 1.6 million chips, open shoved holding a modest [4s][Ks] but BigFlopper to the direct left held a not-so-modest [As][Jh] made the quick call. A trail of cards [Qs] [6c] [Td] [6d] [5c] led the chips to their rightful owner as BigFlopper acquired another pelt and drew5927 became the next victim of the seemingly unstoppable chip leader and left with hammerific score ($27,722.50) in sixth place. July has been good for drew5927 as just two weeks ago he notched together a final table at the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sm/2010/sunday-million-1-071327.html">Sunday Million finishing 5th for a $63,000.00 score</a>.</p>
<p><strong>We're still playing for $133,818.64 right?</strong></p>
<p>Just three hands later with the blinds moving up to 125K/250K ante 25K LVSEO and AB1001 would mix it up preflop. LVSEO spammed the five key for a 555,555 chip raise as it folded to AB1001 in the big blind who would shove for 1.8 million chips holding pocket nines [9h][9s]. LVSEO started the hand with over 11 million chips and had plenty to make the call holding pocket tens [Th][Td]. Lots of broadway cards found the [Ac] [4h] [Jh] [Kd] [As] board as LVSEO's tens held and AB1001 was done in fifth place ($36,252.50).</p>
<p><strong>Court Full of Kings</strong></p>
<p>As the blinds just moved up to 150K/300K ante 30K LVSEO would raise to 666,666 as BigFlopper01 bumped it to 1,555,555. Patonius2000, who was unable to gain traction tonight, was down to 5.9 million and shoved those chips in. LVSEO was undeterred and re-shoved for 15 million as BigFlopper01 left the tax for the re-steal on the felt and folded. Watch the video below for the results:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53052_D79541A608.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53052{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53052_D79541A608.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53052{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p></p>
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center>
<p></p>
<p><br />
Not needed LVSEO would hit the other two kings in the deck [2d] [2h] [Kh] [Ks] [7d] for quad kings [Kd][Kc] as pocket nines [9c][9d] were not lucky for the holder once again and Patonius2000's night ended in fourth place ($48,194.50). This was Patonius2000 second big score of 2010, after taking runner-up honors at the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/scoop/2010/scoop-astrolux85-86s-patonius2000-to-cap-069610.html">2010 SCOOP $2,100 PLO Event #11</a> and earned $75,000.00</p>
<p><strong>Squeezed out</strong></p>
<p>Sitting in-between two huge stacks, BFGI800 had nowhere to run and a shortened stack of just 1.6 million chips after paying the big blind and was facing a raise from BigFlopper01 for the remainder of his stack. Heads-up [Ah][3s] looked really good at that moment so BFGI800 would make the call and saw that [9d][Ad] twinkling above BigFlopper01's name. Neither player would match their kicker on the [Th] [Js] [5d] [2s] [8s] board and heads-up play was about to begin after BFGI800 received $70,372.50 in third place.</p>
<p><strong>Shotgun marriage of money</strong></p>
<p>Do you? I do.</p>
<p>Do you? I do.</p>
<p>And so it was done, no fuss as LVSEO gave up a little and the chop nuptials were signed. With LVSEO in a slight lead 25 million to BigFlopper01's 17 million, they both took six figure paydays shown below:</p>
<p><em><strong>LVSEO</strong> $113,192 <br />
<strong>BigFlopper01</strong> $110,000</em></p>
<p><strong>The wheels come off quickly</strong></p>
<p>On the seventh hand of heads-up play LVSEO opened up the lead to 27 million over BigFlopper01's 15 million as both would flip preflop for a 30.3 million chip pot. BigFlopper01's pocket fours [4h][4s] would survive on the [Qs] [9s] [5c] [3s] [Th] board over LVSEO's [Ad][6h] as LVSEO was knocked down to 12.3 million chips. Five hands later we would name this week's Sunday Warm-up champion and award the extra $10,000. With a flop of [2c][3c][2h] both players would get their chips in the middle, watch it play out below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53053_72A2DD8DF3.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53053{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53053_72A2DD8DF3.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53053{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center></p>
<p></p>
<p><br />
LVSEO laid the trap perfectly with pocket rockets [Ah][Ad] as BigFlopper01's top pair [3d][7d] could only hope for one of two treys in the deck.</p>
<p><em>Turn card</em>: [3h]</p>
<p>Did not wait for a dramatic river as the three gave BigFlopper01 the lead and the resuck would not hit [9c] giving BigFlopper01 the final 24.6 million chips and the extra $10,000.00 as this week's Sunday Warm-up champion! BigFlopper01 laminated about being the chip leader of the Sunday Million two weeks ago on the <a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/sm/2010/sunday-million-1-071327.html">same final table with 6th place drew5927</a> and finishing in 9th for $11,625.00, BigFlopper01 will not have to worry about that missed shot any longer after taking down $120,000 tonight.</p>
<p>Be sure to check out <a href="http://pokerstars.tv">PokerStars.TV</a> for the Sunday Wrap show later on this week for commentary and hole cards revealed from tonight's big hands.</p>
<p><u><strong>$750,000 Guarantee Sunday Warm-up Results (07-25-10)</strong></u><br />
<em>(* denotes part of two-way deal)</em><br />
1. BigFlopper01 (Vancouver) *$120,000.00<br />
2. LVSEO (Henderson) *$113,193.14<br />
3. BFGI800 (Karlovi -Vari) $70,372.50<br />
4. Patonius2000 (Las Vegas) $48,194.50<br />
5. AB1001 (Breda) $36,252.50<br />
6. drew5927 (stumptown) $27,722.50<br />
7. Ivan MC 2007 (Monaco) $19,192.50<br />
8. strflushtome (ENSCHEDE) $10,662.50<br />
9. Sick´nSocial (Leipzig) $6,824.00</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(3) {
["subject#"]=>
int(2)
["subject"]=>
string(18) "Sunday Tournaments"
["subject#2"]=>
string(14) "Sunday Warm-Up"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(18) "Sunday Tournaments"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category#2@term"]=>
string(14) "Sunday Warm-Up"
["category#2@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280117159)
}
[7]=>
array(25) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(76) "Battle of the Planets: Chip chop for final nine as NeoNyx7 crowned the champ"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(11051) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="BOP_thumbnail.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/BOP_thumbnail.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>Hard play before a soft ending is one way to describe today's <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/promotions/battle/">$50,000 Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout Freeroll</a>. 438 players would start out on 81 tables to play down to a winner assuring themselves of at least $195.00. Each made their way here today thru a series of qualifiers while playing their favorite Sit and Go tournaments. </p>
<p>One Team PokerStars Pro and two Team PokerStars Online players were in action today. <a href="http://www.pokerstars.net/team-pokerstars/joep-van-den-bijgaart/">Joep "Pappe_Ruk" van den Bijgaart</a>, <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/team-online/grayson-physioc/">Grayson "spacegravy" Physioc</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/team-online/diego-brunelli/">Diego "vgreen22" Brunelli</a> all cashed in their tickets for their work on the SnG's this month. Bijgaart and Brunelli would both get down to heads-up play at their first table of five-handed play and both would fall just short of cashing. BcuziGotHiGh took out Brunelli with a 5,131 to 2,369 chip advantage and getting [Jd][Ad] to hold over the [9h][Kh] of the Team Online player, all-in preflop. Joep was all-in preflop at a bigger disadvantage holding [4d][As] to shturmanas' [9c][Ac] and watched two nines spill out on the [9s] [Jc] [Tc] [9d] [Ah] board to end his day.</p>
<p>Grayson had other ideas however as he would carry the Team Online flag forward to the next around after his heads-up opponent gustavctba tried to slow play aces after flat calling a min raise preflop with the two in a near dead heat in chips. After the coordinated [6s][9d][5d] flop gustavctba checked to trap as Physioc led out for 400. gustavctba would shove immediately and Physioc covered him by only a few chips and called just as quickly turning up the flopped straight [7h][8s] and after the [Ks] turn, 81 players would start up round two of the triple shootout.</p>
<p>simpledude16 would claim the first seat to the final table very quickly while Physioc got down to three-handed play with boobySMILES and ParalllyTisT. It took some short-stacked wizardry to get to that point as Grayson had only 600 chips with 75/150 blinds but managed to grind his way back over 2,000 when he caught pocket fours [4h][4d] on the button and shoved for 2,130 total. ParalllyTisT however was waiting in the big blind with jacks [Jh][Js] and quickly sent the Team PokerStars Online player home in 19th place ($195.00) after a [8d] [7h] [9d] [7c] [5d] paintless board came down.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="grayson_physioc_wsop.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/grayson_physioc_wsop.jpg" width="333" height="500" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>Grayon Physioc: in the money, out of the chop (19th place)</em></div><p>
<p>At Table One where the final nine would reconvene, reza_proton and zachfranks squared off for that final seat and a sizable difference in pay. It would take a nasty beat to determine the winner, watch it play out below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53049_7BE003171D.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53049{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53049_7BE003171D.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53049{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center><p></p>
<p>Cracked aces again, this time it was zachfranks' [Ad][As] going down to reza_proton's flopped set of nines [9d][9s] on the [5c] [2d] [9h] [6d] [Qs] board and our final table was set up below:</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/BattlePlanets072510-104930.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/BattlePlanets072510-104930.html','popup','width=649,height=472,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/BattlePlanets072510-thumb-450x327-104930.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="BattlePlanets072510.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>Click on image for larger picture</em></div><p></p>
<p>Seat 1: reza_proton (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 2: Wyldemavrick (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: simpledude16 (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: Bilesy (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: ParaIIIyTisT (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: eSPoNJa.WZ (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: buhtuk12 (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: NeoNyx7 (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: MarinaFrank (1500 in chips)</p>
<p><strong>Rome was built quicker than this</strong><br />
In one of the stranger deals seen at the Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout, the players decided to take a chip chop deal instead of dividing the remaining prize pool nine ways. reza_proton wanted a few extra hundred as the other eight finally found a way to give it to him after 15 minutes of negotiations. See the fruits of their labor below:</p>
<p><em><strong>simpledude16</strong> $5,258.78<br />
<strong>ParalllyTisT</strong> $4,285.41<br />
<strong>eSPoNJa.WZ</strong> $4,245.52<br />
<strong>MarinaFrank</strong> $3,931.14<br />
<strong>buhtuk12</strong> $3,901.14<br />
<strong>NeoNyx7</strong> $3,888.20<br />
<strong>Bilesy</strong> $3,555.41<br />
<strong>reza_proton</strong> $3,500.01<br />
<strong>Wyldemavrick</strong> $3,394.39</em></p>
<p>It would dissolve into a shove-fest as the other players slowly got the message that buhtuk12 was going to shove every hand as he would take out reza_proton, Wyldemavrick, and Bilesy on the first hand after the chop with an ace on the river [5h] [4s] [4d] [7d] [As] while holding [Ah][Js].</p>
<p>The skillful negotiator simpledude16 who got the largest piece of the pie exited in sixth shortly after as buhtak12's [9c][Jd] ran down his [9s][Ac] when a jack flopped and runners gave buhtak12 a boat [8s][Qs][Jc][9h][9d]. </p>
<p>NeoNyx7 would trim the party's field to one left after taking buhtuk12's chip lead after the hand below and constant shoving without losing until ParallyTisT, buhtuk12, and MarinaFrank finally raised the white flag and ended the all-in fest to its conclusion.</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53050_2C33D54F72.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53050{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53050_2C33D54F72.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53050{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center><p></p>
<p>Congrats to all our final table players in taking away something for nothing, and be sure to start the hunt for next month's Battle of the Planets Triple Shoot freeroll tickets!</p>
<p><u><strong>$50,000 Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout Freeroll Results</strong></u><br />
<em>(*All players were part of nine-way chip count chop)</em><br />
1. NeoNyx7 (Запорожье) *$3,888.20<br />
2. buhtuk12 (Riga) *$3,901.14<br />
3. MarinaFrank (Тверь) *$3,931.14<br />
4. ParaIIIyTisT (Омск) *$4,285.41<br />
5. eSPoNJa.WZ (Valparaiso) *$4,245.52<br />
6. simpledude16 (Abbotsford) *$5,258.78<br />
7. reza_proton (Tehran) *$3,500.01<br />
8. Wyldemavrick (Clarence Center) *$3,394.39<br />
9. Bilesy (Bournemouth) *$3,555.41</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(92) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/botp/2010/battle-of-the-planets-chip-chop-for-fina-071830.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(92) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/botp/2010/battle-of-the-planets-chip-chop-for-fina-071830.html"
["category#"]=>
int(2)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(21) "Battle of the Planets"
["category#2@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category#2@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category#2"]=>
string(10) "Promotions"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:48:13 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(11051) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="BOP_thumbnail.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/BOP_thumbnail.jpg" width="130" height="100" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>Hard play before a soft ending is one way to describe today's <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/promotions/battle/">$50,000 Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout Freeroll</a>. 438 players would start out on 81 tables to play down to a winner assuring themselves of at least $195.00. Each made their way here today thru a series of qualifiers while playing their favorite Sit and Go tournaments. </p>
<p>One Team PokerStars Pro and two Team PokerStars Online players were in action today. <a href="http://www.pokerstars.net/team-pokerstars/joep-van-den-bijgaart/">Joep "Pappe_Ruk" van den Bijgaart</a>, <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/team-online/grayson-physioc/">Grayson "spacegravy" Physioc</a>, and <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/team-pokerstars/team-online/diego-brunelli/">Diego "vgreen22" Brunelli</a> all cashed in their tickets for their work on the SnG's this month. Bijgaart and Brunelli would both get down to heads-up play at their first table of five-handed play and both would fall just short of cashing. BcuziGotHiGh took out Brunelli with a 5,131 to 2,369 chip advantage and getting [Jd][Ad] to hold over the [9h][Kh] of the Team Online player, all-in preflop. Joep was all-in preflop at a bigger disadvantage holding [4d][As] to shturmanas' [9c][Ac] and watched two nines spill out on the [9s] [Jc] [Tc] [9d] [Ah] board to end his day.</p>
<p>Grayson had other ideas however as he would carry the Team Online flag forward to the next around after his heads-up opponent gustavctba tried to slow play aces after flat calling a min raise preflop with the two in a near dead heat in chips. After the coordinated [6s][9d][5d] flop gustavctba checked to trap as Physioc led out for 400. gustavctba would shove immediately and Physioc covered him by only a few chips and called just as quickly turning up the flopped straight [7h][8s] and after the [Ks] turn, 81 players would start up round two of the triple shootout.</p>
<p>simpledude16 would claim the first seat to the final table very quickly while Physioc got down to three-handed play with boobySMILES and ParalllyTisT. It took some short-stacked wizardry to get to that point as Grayson had only 600 chips with 75/150 blinds but managed to grind his way back over 2,000 when he caught pocket fours [4h][4d] on the button and shoved for 2,130 total. ParalllyTisT however was waiting in the big blind with jacks [Jh][Js] and quickly sent the Team PokerStars Online player home in 19th place ($195.00) after a [8d] [7h] [9d] [7c] [5d] paintless board came down.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="grayson_physioc_wsop.jpg" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/grayson_physioc_wsop.jpg" width="333" height="500" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>Grayon Physioc: in the money, out of the chop (19th place)</em></div><p>
<p>At Table One where the final nine would reconvene, reza_proton and zachfranks squared off for that final seat and a sizable difference in pay. It would take a nasty beat to determine the winner, watch it play out below:</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53049_7BE003171D.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53049{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53049_7BE003171D.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53049{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center><p></p>
<p>Cracked aces again, this time it was zachfranks' [Ad][As] going down to reza_proton's flopped set of nines [9d][9s] on the [5c] [2d] [9h] [6d] [Qs] board and our final table was set up below:</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/BattlePlanets072510-104930.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/BattlePlanets072510-104930.html','popup','width=649,height=472,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/assets_c/2010/07/BattlePlanets072510-thumb-450x327-104930.jpg" width="450" height="327" alt="BattlePlanets072510.jpg" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></a></span></p>
<p><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>Click on image for larger picture</em></div><p></p>
<p>Seat 1: reza_proton (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 2: Wyldemavrick (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 3: simpledude16 (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 4: Bilesy (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 5: ParaIIIyTisT (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 6: eSPoNJa.WZ (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 7: buhtuk12 (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 8: NeoNyx7 (1500 in chips) <br />
Seat 9: MarinaFrank (1500 in chips)</p>
<p><strong>Rome was built quicker than this</strong><br />
In one of the stranger deals seen at the Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout, the players decided to take a chip chop deal instead of dividing the remaining prize pool nine ways. reza_proton wanted a few extra hundred as the other eight finally found a way to give it to him after 15 minutes of negotiations. See the fruits of their labor below:</p>
<p><em><strong>simpledude16</strong> $5,258.78<br />
<strong>ParalllyTisT</strong> $4,285.41<br />
<strong>eSPoNJa.WZ</strong> $4,245.52<br />
<strong>MarinaFrank</strong> $3,931.14<br />
<strong>buhtuk12</strong> $3,901.14<br />
<strong>NeoNyx7</strong> $3,888.20<br />
<strong>Bilesy</strong> $3,555.41<br />
<strong>reza_proton</strong> $3,500.01<br />
<strong>Wyldemavrick</strong> $3,394.39</em></p>
<p>It would dissolve into a shove-fest as the other players slowly got the message that buhtuk12 was going to shove every hand as he would take out reza_proton, Wyldemavrick, and Bilesy on the first hand after the chop with an ace on the river [5h] [4s] [4d] [7d] [As] while holding [Ah][Js].</p>
<p>The skillful negotiator simpledude16 who got the largest piece of the pie exited in sixth shortly after as buhtak12's [9c][Jd] ran down his [9s][Ac] when a jack flopped and runners gave buhtak12 a boat [8s][Qs][Jc][9h][9d]. </p>
<p>NeoNyx7 would trim the party's field to one left after taking buhtuk12's chip lead after the hand below and constant shoving without losing until ParallyTisT, buhtuk12, and MarinaFrank finally raised the white flag and ended the all-in fest to its conclusion.</p>
<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" width="475" height="327" id="handplayer" align="top"><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="FlashVars" value="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53050_2C33D54F72.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53050{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/"/><embed src="http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/_swf/hr.swf" FlashVars="configUrl=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/config/PS/small_475x327.xml&handListPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/handList/0/53/handList_53050_2C33D54F72.xml&handPath=http://replayer.intellipoker.com/replayer/pCodeCache/0/53/hand_53050{PCODE_HASH}.xml&showOddscalc=0&showControls=1&showLog=1&showActiveButtons=0&title_id=2&lang=en&playerMode=hrp&themePath=http://media.intellipoker.com/replayer/themes/table_PS_475x327.jpg&calcPath=http://www.intellipoker.de/tools/oddsCalc/" menu="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" width="475" height="327" name="handplayer" align="top" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></object></p>
<p><br />
<center>RSS readers click through to see replay</center><p></p>
<p>Congrats to all our final table players in taking away something for nothing, and be sure to start the hunt for next month's Battle of the Planets Triple Shoot freeroll tickets!</p>
<p><u><strong>$50,000 Battle of the Planets Triple Shootout Freeroll Results</strong></u><br />
<em>(*All players were part of nine-way chip count chop)</em><br />
1. NeoNyx7 (Запорожье) *$3,888.20<br />
2. buhtuk12 (Riga) *$3,901.14<br />
3. MarinaFrank (Тверь) *$3,931.14<br />
4. ParaIIIyTisT (Омск) *$4,285.41<br />
5. eSPoNJa.WZ (Valparaiso) *$4,245.52<br />
6. simpledude16 (Abbotsford) *$5,258.78<br />
7. reza_proton (Tehran) *$3,500.01<br />
8. Wyldemavrick (Clarence Center) *$3,394.39<br />
9. Bilesy (Bournemouth) *$3,555.41</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(3) {
["subject#"]=>
int(2)
["subject"]=>
string(21) "Battle of the Planets"
["subject#2"]=>
string(10) "Promotions"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(21) "Battle of the Planets"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category#2@term"]=>
string(10) "Promotions"
["category#2@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280101693)
}
[8]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(53) "ANZPT Queenstown: Lucky coin carries Cohen to victory"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(5938) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>The writer in me loves a good storyline. When play kicked off today for Day 4 of the 2010 ANZPT Queenstown Main Event, several of those "good storylines" were in play. Could the overnight chip leader, Vesko Zmukic, go wire to wire? How would the Season 2 point races affect the play of Andrew Scarf and John Maklouf, a player looking for his third ANZPT final table in a row? Could one of the four remaining Kiwis take down the tournament for the home team? Would Tim Clarke, the bubble boy in 2009, exact his revenge upon the tournament by winning the whole thing? Or would Michael Spilkin's Tuesday "gift" from a local bluebird prove to be the best of good-luck charms?</p>
<p>While considering all of those good storylines, I overlooked the most obvious: recently graduated uni student and young gun rises to the top.</p>
<p>But we should start at the beginning.</p>
<p>15 players returned for Day 4. Within two hours six of them -- Andrew Scarf, Serge Mazza, Robert Wang, Jie Gao, Campbell Melville and Tim Macbeth -- were standing on the rail. Several of my "good storylines" were still in play. Then one by one they began to drop away until only the two young guns were left.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5781-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5781-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>The first to go was Team PokerStar Pro (Asia) Bryan Huang, who took some beats early in the day to limp into the final table 7th in chips. He was soon joined by Maklouf, who did indeed secure his third ANZPT final table in a row -- and precious leaderboard points -- but ultimately couldn't get much going when it mattered most. Jason Gray soon dropped out of contention after Cohen flipped a coin to decided whether or not call Gray's shove. Gray called it in the air, and called it wrong. Cohen called, then won another flip with [qh][10h] against Gray's pocket eights to knock Gray out. </p>
<p>Gray was followed shortly by the last Kiwi in the field, Emerson Rewi, and Clarke, the 2009 bubble boy. That left Spilkin, Zmukic, Watson and Cohen to battle it out for the trophy.</p>
<p>Spilkin was the player who was the recipient of a nasty gift from a bluebird upon arriving in Queenstown on Tuesday. He rode that "good fortune" all the way to four-handed play, then made a daring all-in call against Watson with [as][2d] after Watson raised all in on a board of [2c][9d][9h][jh][3d]. It turned out to be the wrong move, as Watson tabled [10c][9c] to knock Spilkin out of the running.</p>
<p>Zmukic exited in 3rd place. He lost a flip to Andrew Watson after seeing his own stack decimated by doubling Cohen up. That left only two players -- the two youngsters, Watson and Cohen. </p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5845-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5845-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>Cohen, you might remember, finished Day 2 by making a royal flush and started Day 3 by flopping quad sixes. He had definitely found some run-good in the early stages. He was going to need it in the late stages as well, as Watson started with a 3-to-1 chip lead. Cohen quickly whittled that down to even by winning a flip and then winning a few pots in succession, but a series of mis-fired bluffs allowed Watson to climb right back up to his 3-to-1 perch. Cohen was actually all in a second time, with [10d][9d] against Watson's [ks][qs] but survived again by flopping a pair and rivering a straight.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5861-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5861-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>After that second all in, Cohen re-grouped and kept firing away at Watson. A critical hand that pushed Watson firmly underwater occurred when, for the second time of the evening, Cohen flipped a coin to determine whether to call or fold. The coin told him to call and it was the correct decision. After losing that pot, Watson's stack trended steadily downwards until he finally moved in with [kh][10d]. Cohen was there to greet Watson with [ad][10c], a hand which held up to end the tournament in Watson's favor.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5896-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5896-1.JPG" width="256" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>For his four days of tournament glory, Cohen will receive $73,630. He's also jumped to 12th in the Season 2 points standings. Those standings are still led by Tony Hachem, but today's results have considerably narrowed Hachem's lead. His 171.65 points are trailed closely by John Maklouf (161.00), Andrew Scarf (154.50) and Rennie Carnevale (139.55). With three more events yet to be played, the points championship is far from decided.</p>
<p>That concludes our coverage from Queenstown. I hope you've enjoyed following along as much as I've enjoyed being here. This is truly an amazing little town set in the midst of some majestic wilderness. Put it on your list of can't-miss tour stops for next season -- and maybe your name will be one of those good storylines at the end of the week.<br />
</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-lucky-coin-carries-cohe-071826.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-lucky-coin-carries-cohe-071826.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sun, 25 Jul 2010 04:51:54 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(5938) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span>The writer in me loves a good storyline. When play kicked off today for Day 4 of the 2010 ANZPT Queenstown Main Event, several of those "good storylines" were in play. Could the overnight chip leader, Vesko Zmukic, go wire to wire? How would the Season 2 point races affect the play of Andrew Scarf and John Maklouf, a player looking for his third ANZPT final table in a row? Could one of the four remaining Kiwis take down the tournament for the home team? Would Tim Clarke, the bubble boy in 2009, exact his revenge upon the tournament by winning the whole thing? Or would Michael Spilkin's Tuesday "gift" from a local bluebird prove to be the best of good-luck charms?</p>
<p>While considering all of those good storylines, I overlooked the most obvious: recently graduated uni student and young gun rises to the top.</p>
<p>But we should start at the beginning.</p>
<p>15 players returned for Day 4. Within two hours six of them -- Andrew Scarf, Serge Mazza, Robert Wang, Jie Gao, Campbell Melville and Tim Macbeth -- were standing on the rail. Several of my "good storylines" were still in play. Then one by one they began to drop away until only the two young guns were left.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5781-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5781-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>The first to go was Team PokerStar Pro (Asia) Bryan Huang, who took some beats early in the day to limp into the final table 7th in chips. He was soon joined by Maklouf, who did indeed secure his third ANZPT final table in a row -- and precious leaderboard points -- but ultimately couldn't get much going when it mattered most. Jason Gray soon dropped out of contention after Cohen flipped a coin to decided whether or not call Gray's shove. Gray called it in the air, and called it wrong. Cohen called, then won another flip with [qh][10h] against Gray's pocket eights to knock Gray out. </p>
<p>Gray was followed shortly by the last Kiwi in the field, Emerson Rewi, and Clarke, the 2009 bubble boy. That left Spilkin, Zmukic, Watson and Cohen to battle it out for the trophy.</p>
<p>Spilkin was the player who was the recipient of a nasty gift from a bluebird upon arriving in Queenstown on Tuesday. He rode that "good fortune" all the way to four-handed play, then made a daring all-in call against Watson with [as][2d] after Watson raised all in on a board of [2c][9d][9h][jh][3d]. It turned out to be the wrong move, as Watson tabled [10c][9c] to knock Spilkin out of the running.</p>
<p>Zmukic exited in 3rd place. He lost a flip to Andrew Watson after seeing his own stack decimated by doubling Cohen up. That left only two players -- the two youngsters, Watson and Cohen. </p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5845-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5845-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>Cohen, you might remember, finished Day 2 by making a royal flush and started Day 3 by flopping quad sixes. He had definitely found some run-good in the early stages. He was going to need it in the late stages as well, as Watson started with a 3-to-1 chip lead. Cohen quickly whittled that down to even by winning a flip and then winning a few pots in succession, but a series of mis-fired bluffs allowed Watson to climb right back up to his 3-to-1 perch. Cohen was actually all in a second time, with [10d][9d] against Watson's [ks][qs] but survived again by flopping a pair and rivering a straight.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5861-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5861-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>After that second all in, Cohen re-grouped and kept firing away at Watson. A critical hand that pushed Watson firmly underwater occurred when, for the second time of the evening, Cohen flipped a coin to determine whether to call or fold. The coin told him to call and it was the correct decision. After losing that pot, Watson's stack trended steadily downwards until he finally moved in with [kh][10d]. Cohen was there to greet Watson with [ad][10c], a hand which held up to end the tournament in Watson's favor.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5896-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5896-1.JPG" width="256" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>For his four days of tournament glory, Cohen will receive $73,630. He's also jumped to 12th in the Season 2 points standings. Those standings are still led by Tony Hachem, but today's results have considerably narrowed Hachem's lead. His 171.65 points are trailed closely by John Maklouf (161.00), Andrew Scarf (154.50) and Rennie Carnevale (139.55). With three more events yet to be played, the points championship is far from decided.</p>
<p>That concludes our coverage from Queenstown. I hope you've enjoyed following along as much as I've enjoyed being here. This is truly an amazing little town set in the midst of some majestic wilderness. Put it on your list of can't-miss tour stops for next season -- and maybe your name will be one of those good storylines at the end of the week.<br />
</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280062314)
}
[9]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(78) "ANZPT Queenstown: Final table, levels 21&22&23 (blinds 8000-16000, ante 2000)"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(10970) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><strong>9:51pm: Andrew Watson eliminated in 2nd place -- Julian Cohen wins ANZPT Queenstown Main Event!</strong></p>
<p>After Andrew Watson started trending downwards, he didn't seem to be able to stop. On the final hand of the tournament, Watson opened all in from the button for about 450,000. Julian Cohen snap-called with [ad][10c] and was the dominating favorite over Watson's [kh][10d] to end the tournament. There wasn't much sweat as the board developed [4s][jc][4h][7c][9s]. That ended Watson's run in 2nd place and crowned Cohen the champion.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="JulianCohen-Queenstown-win.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6160-1.JPG" width="297" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>Executive Director of SKYCITY Queenstown Michelle Baillie gave a few very brief remarks and then presented Cohen with his trophy. </p>
<p>We'll have a complete recap of the day later this evening, but for now offer our congratulations to Cohen on his accomplishment.</p>
<p><strong>9:45pm: Watson trending downwards</strong></p>
<p>On an all-broadway flop of [ah][js][10s], Andrew Watson checked and then called a bet of 100,000 from Julian Cohen. Cohen fired another 125,000 after Watson checked the [qc] turn. Again Watson called. Both players checked the [10h] river, at which point Cohen turned over [as][ks] for a Broadway straight. He collected the pot after Watson mucked.</p>
<p>Watson is down to about 650,000.</p>
<p><strong>9:40pm: Cohen flips with the best of them</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen's lucky coin was out again as he contemplated calling a river bet from Andrew Watson. Cohen flipped and did what the coin told him to do -- call. It turned out to be the correct decision, earning Cohen another pot. He now has the chip lead again, with about 1.5 million to Andrew Watson's 900,000.</p>
<p><strong>9:37pm: Level 23 begins (blinds 12000-24000, ante 3000)</strong></p>
<p><strong>9:35pm: Cohen doubles again</strong></p>
<p>After being ground down to 445,000, suddenly the chips were all in the middle. Andrew Watson limped his button, Julian Cohen shoved all in, and Watson snap-called.</p>
<p>"Uh oh. I'm in trouble," said Cohen. But it wasn't quite as bad as he had feared. His [10d][9d] was lived against Watson's [ks][qs]. Cohen paired nines on the flop, [9c][8s][7d], then had to hang on for a sweat after the [3s] turn. The river was a face card, but it was a [jd] to give Cohen a jack-high straight. He now has bout 900,000 in chips and so we play on.</p>
<p><strong>9:22pm: Back to square one</strong></p>
<p>The chip counts have been restored to what they were at the start of heads-up play -- a roughly 3-to-1 chip lead for Andrew Watson -- after a failed bluff by Julian Cohen. Cohen called a pre-flop raise to 45,000, then led out for 65,000 on a flop of [jc][2c][9s]. Watson called to the [2h] turn, a card both players checked. Cohen took another stab with a bet of 130,000 on the [6s] river, but he couldn't shake Watson. Watson called with a pair of nines, [10d][9c], which was better than Cohen's busted straight draw, [qh][10s].</p>
<p><strong>9:13pm: Watson comes storming back</strong></p>
<p>No sooner had Julian Cohen evened the chip counts then Andrew Watson came back with a vengeance to relieve Cohen of 400,000 chips in one shot. Cohen opened his button to 40,000, then called a three-bet to 120,000 from the out-of-position Watson. Watson bet 130,000 on a king-high flop, [5h][2d][kh]. The words were barely out of his mouth when Cohen had already called. Watson checked the [js] turn to Cohen, who bet 160,000. Cohen snap-folded to Watson's check-raise to 400,000.</p>
<p><strong>9:09pm: Cohen evens the score</strong></p>
<p>The last two players are virtually dead even in chips after Julian Cohen won another two pots. First, on a flop of [kc][as][5c], Cohen check and called a bet of 57,000 from Andrew Watson. Both players checked the [js] turn. Cohen's bet of 100,000 on the [8d] went uncalled.</p>
<p>The next hand Cohen opened for 40,000. Andrew Watson re-raised to 120,000, but folded when Cohen four-bet to 250,000. Cohen flashed pocket aces. </p>
<p><strong>9:01pm: Julian Cohen doubles up</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen opened his button with a minimum-raise to 40,000 and then was faced with a huge decision after Andrew Watson moved all in. After thirty seconds Cohen called all in for 480,000 total, putting himself at risk of elimination. He had to win a race with [ac][9c] against Watson's [6s][6c] in order to remain in the tournament. Win it he did, making a full house on a board of [jd][9h][10h][9d][10s]. Cohen now has about 1.0 million in chips to Watson's 1.3. Game on!</p>
<p><strong>8:53pm: Vesko Zmukic eliminated in 3rd place</strong></p>
<p>In the end, Vesko Zmukic couldn't avoid the inevitable flip. He moved all in from the big blind after Andrew Watson opened for 50,000 from the button. Watson quickly called with [6h][6s], and the race was on against Zmukic's [kh][10h]. A six in the window was pretty much all she wrote. The board came [6d][jd][7c][3d][ad] to eliminate Zmukic.</p>
<p>Watson and Julian Cohen are now heads-up for the championship. Watson has a 3-to-1 advantage, but Cohen has approximately 30 big blinds. There's plenty of time.</p>
<p><strong>8:50pm: Zmukic makes an eyebrow-raising fold</strong></p>
<p>There was some hushed murmuring on the rail after a recent pot between Vesko Zmukic and Andrew Watson. Zmukic opened his button for 67,000, leaving himself about 200,000 behind. Andrew Watson was next to speak and pushed all in, folding big blind Julian Cohen. Zmukic tanked for about a minute, then open-folded [8d][8c]. </p>
<p><strong>8:43pm: Zmukic teetering</strong></p>
<p>With the limits up, Vesko Zmukic is now right on the edge of being classically short-stacked. He did just manage to pick up 45,000 chips from Andrew Watson to increase his count to about 300,000. Watson opened pre-flop for 45,000 and Zmukic called from the blind. Both men checked to the river, [2c][as][10d][ks][jc]. That's where Zmukic's bet of 100,000 took down the pot.</p>
<p><strong>8:33pm: Level 22 begins (blinds 10000-20000, ante 2000)</strong></p>
<p><strong>8:25pm: Watson starting to pull away</strong></p>
<p>Chalk up another pot for Andrew Watson. He and Vesko Zmukic took a limped flop of [8d][7c][7h]. Zmukic led out for 30,000 and Watson called. Both players checked the [3h] turn. When the river came the [as], Zmukic checked again. He started shaking his head when Watson bet 42,000 but called anyway. Sure enough, Watson turned up [ad][4c] for a rivered two pair, aces and seven. Zmukic flashed queen-eight as he mucked.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_6106-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6106-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>8:13pm: Michael Spilkin eliminated in 4th place</strong></p>
<p>With Michael Spilkin playing so many post-dinner pots, he seemed assured of either amassing a massive stack or busting out. It turned out to be the latter. He and Andrew Watson took a raised flop of [2c][9d][9h]. Spilkin was first to speak and made it 70,000 to go. Watson called.</p>
<p>When the turn came [jh], Spilkin quickly slid a stack of orange chips (100,000 total) into the pot. Again Watson called. Spilkin repeated the same action on the river [3d], betting a quick 100,000. Watson then raised all in. He had Spilkin covered. The raise was 240,000 back to Spilkin.</p>
<p>"I don't think I can fold," said Spilkin. After another thirty seconds, he called with [as][2d], nines and deuces. Watson was pumped, popping out of his chair and pumping his fist as he showed [10c][9s] for trip nines. The two men shook hands and then Spilkin beat a hasty exit.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="MichaelSpilkin-QT-FT-4.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6095-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Michael Spilkin has been eliminated</em></center></p>
<p><strong>8:07pm: Cohen and Spilkin again</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin and Julian Cohen are tangling quite a bit here in the post-dinner play. They played another raised pot, this one with Cohen in position. On a flop of [6s][5c][5h], Spilkin opened for 60,000. Cohen put in a raise that was just bigger than the minimum, making it 130,000 to go. Spilking tanked for several minutes, staring Cohen down, before he finally mucked his cards.</p>
<p><strong>8:01pm: Cohen returns the favor</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin tried opening a pot pre-flop to 35,000. He was called by small blind Andrew Watson, prompting Julian Cohen to three-bet the big blind to 130,000. Both of his opponents quickly folded, allowing Cohen to flash [10h][6h].</p>
<p>"Now we're even," he told Spilkin.</p>
<p><strong>7:57pm: Spilkin bluffs Cohen out</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen started things pre-flop by raising his button, but it was the big blind Michael Spilkin who finished them off. Both players checked a [7h][5s][5d] flop. When the turn came a jack, [js], Spilkin led out for 45,000. Cohen considered that bet briefly and then called. At the river [5c], Spilkin tried another bet of 55,000. This one induced a fold from Cohen, who claimed to have folded ace-high after Spilkin showed [qc][10s].</p>
<p><strong>7:53pm: Zmukic can't get action from Spilkin</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin opened from under the gun for 36,000 and was called only by big blind Vesko Zmukic. Zmukic led out for 70,000 on a flop of [jd][4s][8d], then showed unimproved [ah][ks] after Spilkin folded.</p>
<p><strong>7:45pm: Watson hits the river</strong></p>
<p>The small-ball style that characterized pre-dinner play has returned after dinner. Andrew Watson opened for 36,000 pre-flop and was called by Vesko Zmukic. Both players checked the [3d][3h][4h] flop. Zmukic also checked the [9h] turn, then called a bet of 41,000 from Watson. The action was similar on the [ks] river, where Watson opened [kc][8c] for a pair of kings after Zmukic called one last bet. Zmukic tapped the table "good hand" and mucked his hand.</p>
<p><strong>7:35pm: Play resumes</strong></p>
<p>Players have returned from dinner and cards are back in the air.<br />
</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-final-table-levels-2122-071820.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-final-table-levels-2122-071820.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sun, 25 Jul 2010 00:39:14 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(10970) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><strong>9:51pm: Andrew Watson eliminated in 2nd place -- Julian Cohen wins ANZPT Queenstown Main Event!</strong></p>
<p>After Andrew Watson started trending downwards, he didn't seem to be able to stop. On the final hand of the tournament, Watson opened all in from the button for about 450,000. Julian Cohen snap-called with [ad][10c] and was the dominating favorite over Watson's [kh][10d] to end the tournament. There wasn't much sweat as the board developed [4s][jc][4h][7c][9s]. That ended Watson's run in 2nd place and crowned Cohen the champion.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="JulianCohen-Queenstown-win.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6160-1.JPG" width="297" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p>Executive Director of SKYCITY Queenstown Michelle Baillie gave a few very brief remarks and then presented Cohen with his trophy. </p>
<p>We'll have a complete recap of the day later this evening, but for now offer our congratulations to Cohen on his accomplishment.</p>
<p><strong>9:45pm: Watson trending downwards</strong></p>
<p>On an all-broadway flop of [ah][js][10s], Andrew Watson checked and then called a bet of 100,000 from Julian Cohen. Cohen fired another 125,000 after Watson checked the [qc] turn. Again Watson called. Both players checked the [10h] river, at which point Cohen turned over [as][ks] for a Broadway straight. He collected the pot after Watson mucked.</p>
<p>Watson is down to about 650,000.</p>
<p><strong>9:40pm: Cohen flips with the best of them</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen's lucky coin was out again as he contemplated calling a river bet from Andrew Watson. Cohen flipped and did what the coin told him to do -- call. It turned out to be the correct decision, earning Cohen another pot. He now has the chip lead again, with about 1.5 million to Andrew Watson's 900,000.</p>
<p><strong>9:37pm: Level 23 begins (blinds 12000-24000, ante 3000)</strong></p>
<p><strong>9:35pm: Cohen doubles again</strong></p>
<p>After being ground down to 445,000, suddenly the chips were all in the middle. Andrew Watson limped his button, Julian Cohen shoved all in, and Watson snap-called.</p>
<p>"Uh oh. I'm in trouble," said Cohen. But it wasn't quite as bad as he had feared. His [10d][9d] was lived against Watson's [ks][qs]. Cohen paired nines on the flop, [9c][8s][7d], then had to hang on for a sweat after the [3s] turn. The river was a face card, but it was a [jd] to give Cohen a jack-high straight. He now has bout 900,000 in chips and so we play on.</p>
<p><strong>9:22pm: Back to square one</strong></p>
<p>The chip counts have been restored to what they were at the start of heads-up play -- a roughly 3-to-1 chip lead for Andrew Watson -- after a failed bluff by Julian Cohen. Cohen called a pre-flop raise to 45,000, then led out for 65,000 on a flop of [jc][2c][9s]. Watson called to the [2h] turn, a card both players checked. Cohen took another stab with a bet of 130,000 on the [6s] river, but he couldn't shake Watson. Watson called with a pair of nines, [10d][9c], which was better than Cohen's busted straight draw, [qh][10s].</p>
<p><strong>9:13pm: Watson comes storming back</strong></p>
<p>No sooner had Julian Cohen evened the chip counts then Andrew Watson came back with a vengeance to relieve Cohen of 400,000 chips in one shot. Cohen opened his button to 40,000, then called a three-bet to 120,000 from the out-of-position Watson. Watson bet 130,000 on a king-high flop, [5h][2d][kh]. The words were barely out of his mouth when Cohen had already called. Watson checked the [js] turn to Cohen, who bet 160,000. Cohen snap-folded to Watson's check-raise to 400,000.</p>
<p><strong>9:09pm: Cohen evens the score</strong></p>
<p>The last two players are virtually dead even in chips after Julian Cohen won another two pots. First, on a flop of [kc][as][5c], Cohen check and called a bet of 57,000 from Andrew Watson. Both players checked the [js] turn. Cohen's bet of 100,000 on the [8d] went uncalled.</p>
<p>The next hand Cohen opened for 40,000. Andrew Watson re-raised to 120,000, but folded when Cohen four-bet to 250,000. Cohen flashed pocket aces. </p>
<p><strong>9:01pm: Julian Cohen doubles up</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen opened his button with a minimum-raise to 40,000 and then was faced with a huge decision after Andrew Watson moved all in. After thirty seconds Cohen called all in for 480,000 total, putting himself at risk of elimination. He had to win a race with [ac][9c] against Watson's [6s][6c] in order to remain in the tournament. Win it he did, making a full house on a board of [jd][9h][10h][9d][10s]. Cohen now has about 1.0 million in chips to Watson's 1.3. Game on!</p>
<p><strong>8:53pm: Vesko Zmukic eliminated in 3rd place</strong></p>
<p>In the end, Vesko Zmukic couldn't avoid the inevitable flip. He moved all in from the big blind after Andrew Watson opened for 50,000 from the button. Watson quickly called with [6h][6s], and the race was on against Zmukic's [kh][10h]. A six in the window was pretty much all she wrote. The board came [6d][jd][7c][3d][ad] to eliminate Zmukic.</p>
<p>Watson and Julian Cohen are now heads-up for the championship. Watson has a 3-to-1 advantage, but Cohen has approximately 30 big blinds. There's plenty of time.</p>
<p><strong>8:50pm: Zmukic makes an eyebrow-raising fold</strong></p>
<p>There was some hushed murmuring on the rail after a recent pot between Vesko Zmukic and Andrew Watson. Zmukic opened his button for 67,000, leaving himself about 200,000 behind. Andrew Watson was next to speak and pushed all in, folding big blind Julian Cohen. Zmukic tanked for about a minute, then open-folded [8d][8c]. </p>
<p><strong>8:43pm: Zmukic teetering</strong></p>
<p>With the limits up, Vesko Zmukic is now right on the edge of being classically short-stacked. He did just manage to pick up 45,000 chips from Andrew Watson to increase his count to about 300,000. Watson opened pre-flop for 45,000 and Zmukic called from the blind. Both men checked to the river, [2c][as][10d][ks][jc]. That's where Zmukic's bet of 100,000 took down the pot.</p>
<p><strong>8:33pm: Level 22 begins (blinds 10000-20000, ante 2000)</strong></p>
<p><strong>8:25pm: Watson starting to pull away</strong></p>
<p>Chalk up another pot for Andrew Watson. He and Vesko Zmukic took a limped flop of [8d][7c][7h]. Zmukic led out for 30,000 and Watson called. Both players checked the [3h] turn. When the river came the [as], Zmukic checked again. He started shaking his head when Watson bet 42,000 but called anyway. Sure enough, Watson turned up [ad][4c] for a rivered two pair, aces and seven. Zmukic flashed queen-eight as he mucked.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_6106-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6106-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>8:13pm: Michael Spilkin eliminated in 4th place</strong></p>
<p>With Michael Spilkin playing so many post-dinner pots, he seemed assured of either amassing a massive stack or busting out. It turned out to be the latter. He and Andrew Watson took a raised flop of [2c][9d][9h]. Spilkin was first to speak and made it 70,000 to go. Watson called.</p>
<p>When the turn came [jh], Spilkin quickly slid a stack of orange chips (100,000 total) into the pot. Again Watson called. Spilkin repeated the same action on the river [3d], betting a quick 100,000. Watson then raised all in. He had Spilkin covered. The raise was 240,000 back to Spilkin.</p>
<p>"I don't think I can fold," said Spilkin. After another thirty seconds, he called with [as][2d], nines and deuces. Watson was pumped, popping out of his chair and pumping his fist as he showed [10c][9s] for trip nines. The two men shook hands and then Spilkin beat a hasty exit.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="MichaelSpilkin-QT-FT-4.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6095-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Michael Spilkin has been eliminated</em></center></p>
<p><strong>8:07pm: Cohen and Spilkin again</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin and Julian Cohen are tangling quite a bit here in the post-dinner play. They played another raised pot, this one with Cohen in position. On a flop of [6s][5c][5h], Spilkin opened for 60,000. Cohen put in a raise that was just bigger than the minimum, making it 130,000 to go. Spilking tanked for several minutes, staring Cohen down, before he finally mucked his cards.</p>
<p><strong>8:01pm: Cohen returns the favor</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin tried opening a pot pre-flop to 35,000. He was called by small blind Andrew Watson, prompting Julian Cohen to three-bet the big blind to 130,000. Both of his opponents quickly folded, allowing Cohen to flash [10h][6h].</p>
<p>"Now we're even," he told Spilkin.</p>
<p><strong>7:57pm: Spilkin bluffs Cohen out</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen started things pre-flop by raising his button, but it was the big blind Michael Spilkin who finished them off. Both players checked a [7h][5s][5d] flop. When the turn came a jack, [js], Spilkin led out for 45,000. Cohen considered that bet briefly and then called. At the river [5c], Spilkin tried another bet of 55,000. This one induced a fold from Cohen, who claimed to have folded ace-high after Spilkin showed [qc][10s].</p>
<p><strong>7:53pm: Zmukic can't get action from Spilkin</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin opened from under the gun for 36,000 and was called only by big blind Vesko Zmukic. Zmukic led out for 70,000 on a flop of [jd][4s][8d], then showed unimproved [ah][ks] after Spilkin folded.</p>
<p><strong>7:45pm: Watson hits the river</strong></p>
<p>The small-ball style that characterized pre-dinner play has returned after dinner. Andrew Watson opened for 36,000 pre-flop and was called by Vesko Zmukic. Both players checked the [3d][3h][4h] flop. Zmukic also checked the [9h] turn, then called a bet of 41,000 from Watson. The action was similar on the [ks] river, where Watson opened [kc][8c] for a pair of kings after Zmukic called one last bet. Zmukic tapped the table "good hand" and mucked his hand.</p>
<p><strong>7:35pm: Play resumes</strong></p>
<p>Players have returned from dinner and cards are back in the air.<br />
</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280047154)
}
[10]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(74) "ANZPT Queenstown: Final table, levels 19&20 (blinds 5000-10000, ante 1000)"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(7561) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><strong>7:01pm: Short dinner break</strong></p>
<p>The last four players, who have been at it for almost seven hours now, have been given 30 minutes to find something to eat.</p>
<p><strong>6:54pm: Spilkin's check-raise doesn't get the desired result</strong></p>
<p>On a paired flop of [8h][10d][8d], Michael Spilkin checked to the pre-flop raiser, Andrew Watson, who made a continuation bet. Spilkin then check-raised that bet, making it an extra 31,000 to go. Watson called. When the turn came a seeming blank [3s], Spilkin checked again. Watson took the bait and fired out a bet of 93,000. Spilkin thought it over for about a minute and a half before flicking his cards into the muck.</p>
<p><strong>6:46pm: The smallest of pots to Spilkin</strong></p>
<p>There's still not a ton of action at our four-handed final table. As an example, consider a recent pot that was opened by Vesko Zmukic to 36,000. Michael Spilkin called from the button. Both players checked all the way to showdown, [qh][10d][ah][9c][kh]. At showdown Spilkin's pair of aces, [ac][4c], took down the pot.</p>
<p><strong>6:34pm: Cohen finds his double-up</strong></p>
<p>For a while now Julian Cohen has been the shortest of the four remaining stacks. He just leveled the playing field by doubling through Andrew Watson in a blind-on-blind battle. Watson shoved from the small blind into Cohen. Cohen snap-called with [10c][10s] and needed to fade only one overcard as Watson showed [ah][8h]. Cohen wound up turning a full house, [qh][5c][5s][10h], a hand he needed after Watson rivered the nut flush with the [6h].</p>
<p>Cohen is still the shortest stack but now has about 350,000 in chips. Watson is down to roughly 500,000. Michael Spilkin is in second with 680,000, while Vesko Zmukic has reclaimed the lead with 850,000.</p>
<p><strong>6:22pm: Cohen a little frustrated</strong></p>
<p>Several times today, Julian Cohen has opened pre-flop as the first in. Several time today, Vesko Zmukic has popped him back with a re-raise. Each time Cohen folded and flashed an ace, with Zmukic responding by showing ace-king. It just happened again, and left Cohen shaking his head.</p>
<p><strong>6:11pm: Watson pressures Zmukic out</strong></p>
<p>As soon as we mentioned small-ball poker, the players played a reasonably large pot. Vesko Zmukic opened pre-flop for 36,000 as t he first player to act. Small blind Andrew Watson re-raised to 116,000. Zmukic called to a flop of [8h][2c][ks], but then folded to a bet of 127,000.</p>
<p><strong>6:03pm: Small ball taking hold</strong></p>
<p>Over the course of the last hour, there has been a subtle shift towards more of a "small ball" approach to this final table. The last four players are playing very cautiously, trying to minimize their investment of chips with speculative holdings. This isn't unexpected, especially since the average stack at this point is 50 big blinds deep.</p>
<p><strong>6:00pm: Level 20 begins (blinds 6000-12000, ante 1000)</strong></p>
<p><strong>5:52pm: Spilkin gets paid with the nuts</strong></p>
<p>Making the best hand is (sometimes) only half of the battle. The other half is figuring out how to get paid. Michael Spilkin decided to try a bet of 100,000 against Andrew Watson on a board of [ah][qh][10c][jc][8s]. Watson opted to call, then quickly mucked as Spilkin announced the nuts and showed [kh][7h].</p>
<p>The final table seems to be turning into a two-horse race between Spilkin and Watson. Although Vesko Zmukic and Julian Cohen aren't short by any stretch, they're not playing nearly as many pots.</p>
<p><strong>5:43pm: Zmukic gets a small victory against Spilkin</strong></p>
<p>A three-way limped pot by Michael Spilkin, Andrew Watson and Vesko Zmukic produced a flop of [qd][jd][ah]. Spilkin had first action and made it 35,000 to go. Watson folded, but Zmukic called. The turn came [2c] and was checked by both remaining player. Spilking also checked the [5s] river, then called a bet of 50,000 by Zmukic. Zmukic showed a pair of aces, [ad][6h], good enough against Spilkin's pair of queens, [qh][10d].</p>
<p><strong>5:28pm: Zmukic and Watson chop after a good sweat</strong></p>
<p>Vesko Zmukic raised first to 30,000. Then Andrew Watson re-raised to 112,000. Zmukic responded by moving all in and Watson quickly called. Zmukic showed [as][kd] against Watson's [ac][kc]. A chop was likely, but an all-black flop of [9s][8c][2s] raised eyebrows. Any black card on the turn would give one player or the other a freeroll heading into the river. It was Watson who picked up that freeroll with the [7c] turn. Although the river was also black, the [ks] did not give Watson a club flush. Chop it up.</p>
<p><strong>5:26pm: Tim Clarke eliminated in 5th place</strong></p>
<p>When action came to Tim Clarke in the small blind and nobody had yet entered the pot, he moved all in for 122,000. Michael Spilkin thought for about a minute before calling with [ah][7s]. It was a flip against Clarke's pocket deuces. Spilkin won this flip, [6c][7h][10s][10d][4h]. Spilkin's tens and sevens sent Clarke -- last year's bubble finisher in this event -- to the rail in 5th place.</p>
<p><strong>5:20pm: Watson playing loosey-goosey</strong></p>
<p>After seeing Michael Spilkin lay down pocket queens earlier, Andrew Watson may have thought he could push Spilkin around. The two got a bunch of chips in the pot pre-flop and took a flop of [4s][qh][5d]. Spilkin led out for 35,000, then snap-called after Watson raised to 84,000. When the turn came the [10h], Spilkin led out again, this time for 100,000. Watson called.</p>
<p>The river came a threatening [ad]. "How much do you have left?" Spilkin asked Watson. Each player had more than 500,000 behind and opted to check the river. Spilkin showed pocket nines; Watson showed a lot of imagination with a [10s][2s] that turned a pair of tens.</p>
<p><strong>5:13pm: Spilkin makes a big fold</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin opened with a standard pre-flop raise to 25,000. Andrew Watson was next to speak and made it 100,000 straight. Spilkin didn't take long to make his decision.</p>
<p>"I will fold my pocket queens. This time." True to his word, Spilkin open-mucked two queens.</p>
<p><strong>5:06pm: Emerson Rewi eliminated in 6th place</strong></p>
<p>Somehow, despite his short stack, Emerson Rewi found himself involved in a three-way flop, out of position, with chips behind. He opted to lead out with an all-in bet on the [4d][5s][9d], making it 31,000 to go. Julian Cohen folded, but Michael Spilkin couldn't do it.</p>
<p>"I'm behind, but I have to call," said Spilkin. It turned out his [ac][7c] was actually ahead of Rewi's total airball, [6h][2d]. Rewi did no improve with the [9s] turn or [7s] river and thus is the 6th-place finisher.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="EmersonRewi-Queenstown-4.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6065-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Emerson Rewi was the last kiwi in the field</em></center></p>
<p><strong>5:00pm: Play resumes</strong></p>
<p>Cards are back in the air.</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-final-table-levels-1920-071818.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-final-table-levels-1920-071818.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sat, 24 Jul 2010 22:03:28 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(7561) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><strong>7:01pm: Short dinner break</strong></p>
<p>The last four players, who have been at it for almost seven hours now, have been given 30 minutes to find something to eat.</p>
<p><strong>6:54pm: Spilkin's check-raise doesn't get the desired result</strong></p>
<p>On a paired flop of [8h][10d][8d], Michael Spilkin checked to the pre-flop raiser, Andrew Watson, who made a continuation bet. Spilkin then check-raised that bet, making it an extra 31,000 to go. Watson called. When the turn came a seeming blank [3s], Spilkin checked again. Watson took the bait and fired out a bet of 93,000. Spilkin thought it over for about a minute and a half before flicking his cards into the muck.</p>
<p><strong>6:46pm: The smallest of pots to Spilkin</strong></p>
<p>There's still not a ton of action at our four-handed final table. As an example, consider a recent pot that was opened by Vesko Zmukic to 36,000. Michael Spilkin called from the button. Both players checked all the way to showdown, [qh][10d][ah][9c][kh]. At showdown Spilkin's pair of aces, [ac][4c], took down the pot.</p>
<p><strong>6:34pm: Cohen finds his double-up</strong></p>
<p>For a while now Julian Cohen has been the shortest of the four remaining stacks. He just leveled the playing field by doubling through Andrew Watson in a blind-on-blind battle. Watson shoved from the small blind into Cohen. Cohen snap-called with [10c][10s] and needed to fade only one overcard as Watson showed [ah][8h]. Cohen wound up turning a full house, [qh][5c][5s][10h], a hand he needed after Watson rivered the nut flush with the [6h].</p>
<p>Cohen is still the shortest stack but now has about 350,000 in chips. Watson is down to roughly 500,000. Michael Spilkin is in second with 680,000, while Vesko Zmukic has reclaimed the lead with 850,000.</p>
<p><strong>6:22pm: Cohen a little frustrated</strong></p>
<p>Several times today, Julian Cohen has opened pre-flop as the first in. Several time today, Vesko Zmukic has popped him back with a re-raise. Each time Cohen folded and flashed an ace, with Zmukic responding by showing ace-king. It just happened again, and left Cohen shaking his head.</p>
<p><strong>6:11pm: Watson pressures Zmukic out</strong></p>
<p>As soon as we mentioned small-ball poker, the players played a reasonably large pot. Vesko Zmukic opened pre-flop for 36,000 as t he first player to act. Small blind Andrew Watson re-raised to 116,000. Zmukic called to a flop of [8h][2c][ks], but then folded to a bet of 127,000.</p>
<p><strong>6:03pm: Small ball taking hold</strong></p>
<p>Over the course of the last hour, there has been a subtle shift towards more of a "small ball" approach to this final table. The last four players are playing very cautiously, trying to minimize their investment of chips with speculative holdings. This isn't unexpected, especially since the average stack at this point is 50 big blinds deep.</p>
<p><strong>6:00pm: Level 20 begins (blinds 6000-12000, ante 1000)</strong></p>
<p><strong>5:52pm: Spilkin gets paid with the nuts</strong></p>
<p>Making the best hand is (sometimes) only half of the battle. The other half is figuring out how to get paid. Michael Spilkin decided to try a bet of 100,000 against Andrew Watson on a board of [ah][qh][10c][jc][8s]. Watson opted to call, then quickly mucked as Spilkin announced the nuts and showed [kh][7h].</p>
<p>The final table seems to be turning into a two-horse race between Spilkin and Watson. Although Vesko Zmukic and Julian Cohen aren't short by any stretch, they're not playing nearly as many pots.</p>
<p><strong>5:43pm: Zmukic gets a small victory against Spilkin</strong></p>
<p>A three-way limped pot by Michael Spilkin, Andrew Watson and Vesko Zmukic produced a flop of [qd][jd][ah]. Spilkin had first action and made it 35,000 to go. Watson folded, but Zmukic called. The turn came [2c] and was checked by both remaining player. Spilking also checked the [5s] river, then called a bet of 50,000 by Zmukic. Zmukic showed a pair of aces, [ad][6h], good enough against Spilkin's pair of queens, [qh][10d].</p>
<p><strong>5:28pm: Zmukic and Watson chop after a good sweat</strong></p>
<p>Vesko Zmukic raised first to 30,000. Then Andrew Watson re-raised to 112,000. Zmukic responded by moving all in and Watson quickly called. Zmukic showed [as][kd] against Watson's [ac][kc]. A chop was likely, but an all-black flop of [9s][8c][2s] raised eyebrows. Any black card on the turn would give one player or the other a freeroll heading into the river. It was Watson who picked up that freeroll with the [7c] turn. Although the river was also black, the [ks] did not give Watson a club flush. Chop it up.</p>
<p><strong>5:26pm: Tim Clarke eliminated in 5th place</strong></p>
<p>When action came to Tim Clarke in the small blind and nobody had yet entered the pot, he moved all in for 122,000. Michael Spilkin thought for about a minute before calling with [ah][7s]. It was a flip against Clarke's pocket deuces. Spilkin won this flip, [6c][7h][10s][10d][4h]. Spilkin's tens and sevens sent Clarke -- last year's bubble finisher in this event -- to the rail in 5th place.</p>
<p><strong>5:20pm: Watson playing loosey-goosey</strong></p>
<p>After seeing Michael Spilkin lay down pocket queens earlier, Andrew Watson may have thought he could push Spilkin around. The two got a bunch of chips in the pot pre-flop and took a flop of [4s][qh][5d]. Spilkin led out for 35,000, then snap-called after Watson raised to 84,000. When the turn came the [10h], Spilkin led out again, this time for 100,000. Watson called.</p>
<p>The river came a threatening [ad]. "How much do you have left?" Spilkin asked Watson. Each player had more than 500,000 behind and opted to check the river. Spilkin showed pocket nines; Watson showed a lot of imagination with a [10s][2s] that turned a pair of tens.</p>
<p><strong>5:13pm: Spilkin makes a big fold</strong></p>
<p>Michael Spilkin opened with a standard pre-flop raise to 25,000. Andrew Watson was next to speak and made it 100,000 straight. Spilkin didn't take long to make his decision.</p>
<p>"I will fold my pocket queens. This time." True to his word, Spilkin open-mucked two queens.</p>
<p><strong>5:06pm: Emerson Rewi eliminated in 6th place</strong></p>
<p>Somehow, despite his short stack, Emerson Rewi found himself involved in a three-way flop, out of position, with chips behind. He opted to lead out with an all-in bet on the [4d][5s][9d], making it 31,000 to go. Julian Cohen folded, but Michael Spilkin couldn't do it.</p>
<p>"I'm behind, but I have to call," said Spilkin. It turned out his [ac][7c] was actually ahead of Rewi's total airball, [6h][2d]. Rewi did no improve with the [9s] turn or [7s] river and thus is the 6th-place finisher.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="EmersonRewi-Queenstown-4.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6065-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Emerson Rewi was the last kiwi in the field</em></center></p>
<p><strong>5:00pm: Play resumes</strong></p>
<p>Cards are back in the air.</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280037808)
}
[11]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(72) "ANZPT Queenstown: Final table, levels 17&18 (blinds 3000-6000, ante 500)"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(9125) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><strong>4:50pm: Break time</strong></p>
<p>The remaining six players are on a ten-minute break.</p>
<p><strong>4:48pm: Rewi hanging around</strong></p>
<p>The last kiwi in the field, Emmerson Rewi, has been on the short stack all day. When action folded to his small blind, he moved in for about 35,000. Julian Cohen called with [ac][6c], in the lead against Rewi's [8h][7s].</p>
<p>Rewi went to shake Cohen's hand on a board of [as][kd][jh], but Cohen pointed out the possibility of runners. The furst runner came with the [10c] turn. "Queen!" called out Cohen, pointing out the possibility of a chop. Rewi did him one better by calling for, and receiving, a [9h] to make a jack-high straight and double up.</p>
<p><strong>4:45pm: Spilkin gets Clarke back </strong></p>
<p>After a brief lull in the action, Vesko Zmukic opened a pot for 20,000. Tim Clarke had the button and was next to act. He made it 61,000 to go. Michael Spilkin, in the small blind, peeked at his cards and then moved all in for 242,000. Zmukic quickly folded.</p>
<p>Clarke debated several minutes, got an exact count, and then called with [ad][kc]. Spilkin showed [ah][ac] and doubled up on a board of [10s][8h][6s][7d][4h].</p>
<p>"I liked that hand better than the other one," said Spilkin, referring to his earlier confrontation with Clarke. Spilkin now has about 520,000, while Clarke is down to 185,000.</p>
<p><strong>4:29pm: Watson floats and gets a fold</strong></p>
<p>Andrew Watson has the biggest stack on the final table and is using it to great effect. He opened a recent pot for 19,000, then called after Tim Clarke re-raised the big blind to 52,000. Clarke continued for 66,000 on a flop of [8c][3c][kh]. Watson was undeterred and, with position, called to the [2s] turn. Clarke checked that card and then folded to a bet of 115,000. Watson showed [ad][4d].</p>
<p><strong>4:18pm: Clarke flushes to double through Spilkin</strong></p>
<p>In no-limit hold'em, everything can change in an instant. Tim Clarke looked to be struggling and Michael Spilkin looked to be in control. They've reversed roles after a huge pot that started with a raise to 20,000 pre-flop by Spilkin. Clarke called out of the big blind to a flop of [8h][7h][qc] and checked. A series of raises quickly got the chips all in. Spilkin's [ac][qh] made top pair and was ahead of Clark's flush draw, [ah][10h]. Spilkin dodged eight hearts on the turn [4c], but the river [2h] brought in Clarke's draw and doubled him up.</p>
<p><strong>4:15pm: Watson puts Clarke to the test</strong></p>
<p>Tim Clarke opened pre-flop for 20,000 and was called by Andrew Watson out of the big blind. Watson checked an ace-high flop, [jh][ad][7d], inducing a bet of 27,500 from Clarke. Watson then check-raised to 72,500. Clarke wanted nothing further to do with the pot and surrendered his hand.</p>
<p><strong>4:03pm: Jason Gray eliminated in 7th place</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen had such a tough decision that he decided to let random chance make it for him. Cohen opened pre-flop to 17,500 in front of Jason Gray, who moved all in for 73,500 total. Cohen agonized over his decision for several minutes before asking TD Toni Quedley if he could flip a coin to decide.</p>
<p>"Of course!" Quedley replied.</p>
<p>Cohen then fished a coin out of his wallet and asked Gray to call it in the air. If Gray called correctly, Cohen would fold. If not he'd call. Gray called heads but the coin came up tails. Cohen, true to his word, called with [qh][10h]. Gray, fittingly enough, showed [8h][8d] for a coin-flip situation. Gray lost his second flip of the hand as the board came [qs][2c][5c][as][jh] to give Cohen a pair of queens. Gray's tournament is finished in 7th place.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="JasonGray-Queenstown-FT.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5802-1.JPG" width="247" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Jason Gray is out</em></center></p>
<p><strong>3:56pm: John Maklouf eliminated in 8th place</strong></p>
<p>John Maklouf is the first player in ANZPT history to make three consecutive final tables. But he's out of today's event after running into the buzz-saw that is Michael Spilkin. On the turn of a [qc][qs][9h][kh] board, Spilkin fired a bet of 55,000 chips into an already sizable pot. Maklouf tanked for more than a minute before raising all in for about 160,000. Spilkin snap-called with [as][qd], trip queens. Maklouf winced as he showed down [ah][kd], two pair kings and queens. There was no savior for Maklouf as the river fell [7c] to knock him out.</p>
<p>Spilkin now has about 570,000 and appears to be closing in on chip leader Andrew Watson.</p>
<p><strong>3:51pm: Level 18 begins (blinds 4000-8000, ante 500)</strong></p>
<p><strong>3:50pm: Gray doubles through Cohen</strong></p>
<p>The last hand of Level 17 produced yet another all-in confrontation. Jason Gray put himself at risk as he moved all 31,000 of his chips into the pot after an opening raise to 14,000 by Julian Cohen. Cohen called with [ac][10c], dominated by Gray's [ad][kh]. The board completely bricked out, [jd][5c][4s][2d][7c], allowing Gray's king kicker to play for a double-up.</p>
<p><strong>3:48pm: Bottom pair good enough for Zmukic</strong></p>
<p>On the penultimate hand of Level 17, Vesko Zmukic and Andrew Watson took a heads-up flop of [jc][8s][ad]. Zmukic checked and then called a bet of 22,000 from Watson. Neither player made any additional aggressive actions, checking the action down all the way. Zmukic took the pot with a pair of eights, [8d][7d].</p>
<p><strong>3:37pm: Big pockets abound</strong></p>
<p>The big pocket pairs have been all over the place today. Most recently it was Andrew Watson's turn. After Tim Clarke opened for 14,00 from under the gun, Andrew Watson re-raised to 39,500. Clarke called to a flop of [10c][7h][8h] but checked out to a single bet of 53,000.</p>
<p><strong>3:28pm: Rewi doubles up</strong></p>
<p>Down to 38,500, Emmerson Rewi put all his chips at risk with [3h][3d] after John Maklouf opened for 15,000. Maklouf called with [ac][9c] but whiffed on a boar of [jc][7d][4d][qs][4s]. Rewi is still short, but in slightly better condition with about 88,000.</p>
<p><strong>3:24pm: Zmukic's aces go down in flames</strong></p>
<p>The action was heavy pre-flop between under-the-gun player Michael Spilkin and small blind Vesko Zmukic. Zmukic led out for 35,000 on a flop of [10c][7d][10s] and was raised by Spilkin to 95,000. Zmukic did not hesitate long in calling, but thought much longer and harder on the [ks] turn. He checked that card, prompting Spilkin to quickly lead out for 60,000, about 40% of his remaining stack. Zmukic eventually open-folded [ad][ah], and it was a good fold. Spilkin showed [kh][10d] for a full house.</p>
<p><strong>3:13pm: Clarke fires three times</strong></p>
<p>A most unusual four-way pot took place at our final table. Each player was in for the minimum of 6,000 before the flop. On an all-diamond flop of [2d][9d][8d], action checked all the way to Tim Clarke. His bet of 16,000 was called only by Michael Spilkin. Spilkin check-called another 43,500 after the turn fell [kc] and then checked the [jc] river. Clarke didn't slow down. He fired another 70,000. Spilkin tanked for several minutes, leaning back in his seat with his arms folded across his chest, before finally folding.</p>
<p><strong>3:02pm: Bryan Huang eliminated in 9th place</strong></p>
<p>Bryan Huang knew he was going to have to make some strong moves if he wanted to take down this tournament. After Andrew Watson opened to 14,000 from late position, Huang moved all in for a total of 81,500. Watson called with [ad][10h]. Huang tabled [kh][qc] and did a little shimmy in his chair, perhaps to try to bring some good flop mojo, It had the opposite effect, as a flop of [ah][as][7s] made trip aces for Watson and left Huang looking for runners that never came. He leaves the final table as the 9th-place finisher.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="BryanHuang-Queenstown-FT.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6082-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Bryan Huang</em></center></p>
<p><strong>2:50pm: Level 17 begins (blinds 3000-6000, ante 500)</strong></p>
<p><strong>2:40pm: Shuffle up and deal</strong></p>
<p>After an extended pause to set the tournament floor up for the final table and to collect biographical information from the final nine players, cards are back in the air. Ten minutes remain in Level 16.</p>"
["link#"]=>
int(1)
["link"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-final-table-levels-1718-071812.html"
["guid#"]=>
int(1)
["guid"]=>
string(93) "http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/anzpt/2010/anzpt-queenstown-final-table-levels-1718-071812.html"
["category#"]=>
int(1)
["category@"]=>
string(6) "domain"
["category@domain"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["category"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["pubdate#"]=>
int(1)
["pubdate"]=>
string(31) "Sat, 24 Jul 2010 19:57:29 -0800"
["summary#"]=>
int(1)
["summary"]=>
string(9125) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><strong>4:50pm: Break time</strong></p>
<p>The remaining six players are on a ten-minute break.</p>
<p><strong>4:48pm: Rewi hanging around</strong></p>
<p>The last kiwi in the field, Emmerson Rewi, has been on the short stack all day. When action folded to his small blind, he moved in for about 35,000. Julian Cohen called with [ac][6c], in the lead against Rewi's [8h][7s].</p>
<p>Rewi went to shake Cohen's hand on a board of [as][kd][jh], but Cohen pointed out the possibility of runners. The furst runner came with the [10c] turn. "Queen!" called out Cohen, pointing out the possibility of a chop. Rewi did him one better by calling for, and receiving, a [9h] to make a jack-high straight and double up.</p>
<p><strong>4:45pm: Spilkin gets Clarke back </strong></p>
<p>After a brief lull in the action, Vesko Zmukic opened a pot for 20,000. Tim Clarke had the button and was next to act. He made it 61,000 to go. Michael Spilkin, in the small blind, peeked at his cards and then moved all in for 242,000. Zmukic quickly folded.</p>
<p>Clarke debated several minutes, got an exact count, and then called with [ad][kc]. Spilkin showed [ah][ac] and doubled up on a board of [10s][8h][6s][7d][4h].</p>
<p>"I liked that hand better than the other one," said Spilkin, referring to his earlier confrontation with Clarke. Spilkin now has about 520,000, while Clarke is down to 185,000.</p>
<p><strong>4:29pm: Watson floats and gets a fold</strong></p>
<p>Andrew Watson has the biggest stack on the final table and is using it to great effect. He opened a recent pot for 19,000, then called after Tim Clarke re-raised the big blind to 52,000. Clarke continued for 66,000 on a flop of [8c][3c][kh]. Watson was undeterred and, with position, called to the [2s] turn. Clarke checked that card and then folded to a bet of 115,000. Watson showed [ad][4d].</p>
<p><strong>4:18pm: Clarke flushes to double through Spilkin</strong></p>
<p>In no-limit hold'em, everything can change in an instant. Tim Clarke looked to be struggling and Michael Spilkin looked to be in control. They've reversed roles after a huge pot that started with a raise to 20,000 pre-flop by Spilkin. Clarke called out of the big blind to a flop of [8h][7h][qc] and checked. A series of raises quickly got the chips all in. Spilkin's [ac][qh] made top pair and was ahead of Clark's flush draw, [ah][10h]. Spilkin dodged eight hearts on the turn [4c], but the river [2h] brought in Clarke's draw and doubled him up.</p>
<p><strong>4:15pm: Watson puts Clarke to the test</strong></p>
<p>Tim Clarke opened pre-flop for 20,000 and was called by Andrew Watson out of the big blind. Watson checked an ace-high flop, [jh][ad][7d], inducing a bet of 27,500 from Clarke. Watson then check-raised to 72,500. Clarke wanted nothing further to do with the pot and surrendered his hand.</p>
<p><strong>4:03pm: Jason Gray eliminated in 7th place</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen had such a tough decision that he decided to let random chance make it for him. Cohen opened pre-flop to 17,500 in front of Jason Gray, who moved all in for 73,500 total. Cohen agonized over his decision for several minutes before asking TD Toni Quedley if he could flip a coin to decide.</p>
<p>"Of course!" Quedley replied.</p>
<p>Cohen then fished a coin out of his wallet and asked Gray to call it in the air. If Gray called correctly, Cohen would fold. If not he'd call. Gray called heads but the coin came up tails. Cohen, true to his word, called with [qh][10h]. Gray, fittingly enough, showed [8h][8d] for a coin-flip situation. Gray lost his second flip of the hand as the board came [qs][2c][5c][as][jh] to give Cohen a pair of queens. Gray's tournament is finished in 7th place.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="JasonGray-Queenstown-FT.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5802-1.JPG" width="247" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Jason Gray is out</em></center></p>
<p><strong>3:56pm: John Maklouf eliminated in 8th place</strong></p>
<p>John Maklouf is the first player in ANZPT history to make three consecutive final tables. But he's out of today's event after running into the buzz-saw that is Michael Spilkin. On the turn of a [qc][qs][9h][kh] board, Spilkin fired a bet of 55,000 chips into an already sizable pot. Maklouf tanked for more than a minute before raising all in for about 160,000. Spilkin snap-called with [as][qd], trip queens. Maklouf winced as he showed down [ah][kd], two pair kings and queens. There was no savior for Maklouf as the river fell [7c] to knock him out.</p>
<p>Spilkin now has about 570,000 and appears to be closing in on chip leader Andrew Watson.</p>
<p><strong>3:51pm: Level 18 begins (blinds 4000-8000, ante 500)</strong></p>
<p><strong>3:50pm: Gray doubles through Cohen</strong></p>
<p>The last hand of Level 17 produced yet another all-in confrontation. Jason Gray put himself at risk as he moved all 31,000 of his chips into the pot after an opening raise to 14,000 by Julian Cohen. Cohen called with [ac][10c], dominated by Gray's [ad][kh]. The board completely bricked out, [jd][5c][4s][2d][7c], allowing Gray's king kicker to play for a double-up.</p>
<p><strong>3:48pm: Bottom pair good enough for Zmukic</strong></p>
<p>On the penultimate hand of Level 17, Vesko Zmukic and Andrew Watson took a heads-up flop of [jc][8s][ad]. Zmukic checked and then called a bet of 22,000 from Watson. Neither player made any additional aggressive actions, checking the action down all the way. Zmukic took the pot with a pair of eights, [8d][7d].</p>
<p><strong>3:37pm: Big pockets abound</strong></p>
<p>The big pocket pairs have been all over the place today. Most recently it was Andrew Watson's turn. After Tim Clarke opened for 14,00 from under the gun, Andrew Watson re-raised to 39,500. Clarke called to a flop of [10c][7h][8h] but checked out to a single bet of 53,000.</p>
<p><strong>3:28pm: Rewi doubles up</strong></p>
<p>Down to 38,500, Emmerson Rewi put all his chips at risk with [3h][3d] after John Maklouf opened for 15,000. Maklouf called with [ac][9c] but whiffed on a boar of [jc][7d][4d][qs][4s]. Rewi is still short, but in slightly better condition with about 88,000.</p>
<p><strong>3:24pm: Zmukic's aces go down in flames</strong></p>
<p>The action was heavy pre-flop between under-the-gun player Michael Spilkin and small blind Vesko Zmukic. Zmukic led out for 35,000 on a flop of [10c][7d][10s] and was raised by Spilkin to 95,000. Zmukic did not hesitate long in calling, but thought much longer and harder on the [ks] turn. He checked that card, prompting Spilkin to quickly lead out for 60,000, about 40% of his remaining stack. Zmukic eventually open-folded [ad][ah], and it was a good fold. Spilkin showed [kh][10d] for a full house.</p>
<p><strong>3:13pm: Clarke fires three times</strong></p>
<p>A most unusual four-way pot took place at our final table. Each player was in for the minimum of 6,000 before the flop. On an all-diamond flop of [2d][9d][8d], action checked all the way to Tim Clarke. His bet of 16,000 was called only by Michael Spilkin. Spilkin check-called another 43,500 after the turn fell [kc] and then checked the [jc] river. Clarke didn't slow down. He fired another 70,000. Spilkin tanked for several minutes, leaning back in his seat with his arms folded across his chest, before finally folding.</p>
<p><strong>3:02pm: Bryan Huang eliminated in 9th place</strong></p>
<p>Bryan Huang knew he was going to have to make some strong moves if he wanted to take down this tournament. After Andrew Watson opened to 14,000 from late position, Huang moved all in for a total of 81,500. Watson called with [ad][10h]. Huang tabled [kh][qc] and did a little shimmy in his chair, perhaps to try to bring some good flop mojo, It had the opposite effect, as a flop of [ah][as][7s] made trip aces for Watson and left Huang looking for runners that never came. He leaves the final table as the 9th-place finisher.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="BryanHuang-Queenstown-FT.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_6082-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span><center><em>Bryan Huang</em></center></p>
<p><strong>2:50pm: Level 17 begins (blinds 3000-6000, ante 500)</strong></p>
<p><strong>2:40pm: Shuffle up and deal</strong></p>
<p>After an extended pause to set the tournament floor up for the final table and to collect biographical information from the final nine players, cards are back in the air. Ten minutes remain in Level 16.</p>"
["dc"]=>
array(2) {
["subject#"]=>
int(1)
["subject"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
}
["category@term"]=>
string(5) "ANZPT"
["category@scheme"]=>
string(36) "http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag"
["date_timestamp"]=>
int(1280030249)
}
[12]=>
array(20) {
["title#"]=>
int(1)
["title"]=>
string(38) "ANZPT Queenstown: Final table profiles"
["description#"]=>
int(1)
["description"]=>
string(7749) "<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="australia_poker_tour.png" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/australia_poker_tour.png" width="120" height="92" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><em>The 2010 ANZPT Queenstown Main Event final table has been decided. The nine players are chasing a first prize of AUD $73,630 and the title of ANZPT Queenstown champion. Play will continue at level 16 (blinds 2500-5000 with an ante of 500) for ten more minutes. From that point we will resume the normal one-hour levels start with Level 17 (blinds 3000-6000 with an ante of 500) until one player has all the chips!</em></p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5781-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5781-1.JPG" width="450" height="300" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 1 - John Maklouf, Sydney, NSW, PokerStars Qualifier (175,000 in chips): </strong></p>
<p>A 31-year-old manager with six years of online and live experience, this Star City regular qualified for the ANZPT Queenstown Main Event via a PokerStars satellite. This is his third ANZPT final table in a row, an unprecedented feat. He's had a bit of luck today to make it through this far but his results speak for themselves.</p>
<p><strong>Seat 2 - Andrew Watson, Wollongong, NSW, (450,000 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>Andrew is a 23-year-old student studying Commerce at University of Wollongong. He's been playing poker for three years and now mainly plays online. Any result today of fifth place or better would eclipse Andrew's previous biggest score, an online score of $17,000. Starting the final table 2nd in chips will give Andrew an excellent opportunity to set a new personal best.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5751-2.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5751-2.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 3 - Emmerson Rewi, Rotorua, NZ, (80,000 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>The lone Kiwi at the final table, Emmerson can normally be found working at the Department of Justice. He's 35 years old, is married and has one child. His best previous finish in a live tournament was 4th place at the 2008 Auckland Championships.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5759-2.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5759-2.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 4 - Julian Cohen, Melbourne, Victoria, PokerStars Qualifier (377,000 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>Julian Cohen will start today's final table third in chips. He'll be looking to improve upon a 4th-place finish at the 2009 Victoria Championships. Cohen has been playing poker for three years and recently completed a program in commerce arts at Deakin University. </p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5748-2.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5748-2.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 5 - Bryan Huang, Singapore, Team PokerStars Pro (Asia) (97,500 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>Hailing from Singapore, Bryan Huang is one of Asia's rising poker talents. He took up the game while serving in the military, and his interest continued as he went on to study accountancy. While working towards his degree he began to take poker more seriously, by reading up on the game and trying to understand its complexities. That effort has paid off, and he's now one of the toughest players on the circuit, and one of highest earning Singaporeans of all time. His work is cut out for him at this final table as he is ranked 7th in chips.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5753-2.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5753-2.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 6 - Jason Gray, Sydney, NSW (71,500 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>Don't let the unassuming demeanour of this poker pro fool you. He's one of the nation's most respected players and has featured in Australia's (and the world's) biggest cash games for more than two decades. His best tournament results have come in recent years - he won the $15,000 buy-in event at the 2007 Victorian Championships, then placed third in the $10,000 Omaha Hi/Lo Split World Championship at the 2008 WSOP for more than USD $200,000 and was runner-up to Martin Rowe in the 2008 APPT Grand Final. He also won ANZPT Canberra last month to pad his poker resume. Today Jason starts in the "Dank Position", 9th in chips.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5766-1.JPG" src="http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/DSC_5766-1.JPG" width="222" height="333" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></p>
<p><strong>Seat 7 - Vesko Zmukic, Perth, Western Australia (575,000 in chips):</strong></p>
<p>Many argue that poker is a sport, and no-one is better qualified to make a call on this vexing question than this 42-year-old former professional soccer player. Indeed, his PokerStars ID sutjeska refers to the Montenegrin football club with which he made his professional debut (he now coaches in the top tier of WA soccer). The father of two is among the most respected players on this side of the country, having captured the Western Classic title late in 2009. He enters the final table as chip leader.</p>
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="DSC_5]]></plaintext></div></div>