$1,100 No-Limit Hold'em Accumulator Dia 1a | 2014 World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific

2014-10-02 09:24 UTC+10

The 2014 WSOP Asia-Pacific Kicks Off Today!

[user68268]

Welcome to the 2014 World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific. The PokerNews Live Reporting team is back in beautiful Melbourne, Australia, for the second installment of this magnificent poker festival from Crown Casino.

This year, 10 gold bracelets will be awarded — up from five that were given out in 2013 — but the big story will be the WSOP Player of the Year race that takes front and center. Brandon Shack-Harris currently leads that fight with 752 points, but George Danzer is nipping at his heals with 745.2 points. Daniel Negreanu, last year's WSOP Asia-Pacific Main Event champion, sits fourth with 519.08 and is also the reigning WSOP Player of the Year. Those three are for sure going to be in attendance playing anything and everything, so look for the battle to go right down to the wire.

Kicking off the festivities will be the AU$1,100 No-Limit Hold'em Accumulator. Last year, the event attracted 1,085 entries and generated a prize pool of AU$1,085,000. Walking away with the title and his first gold bracelet was American Bryan Piccioli. He defeated Australian tournament star Jonathan Karamalikis heads up to win the AU$211,575 first-place prize.

Others winning bracelets in Australia during last year's inaugural festival were James Collopy, Phil Ivey, Aaron Lim, and the aforementioned Negreanu.

With three starting days in this opening tournament and the "accumulator" format in play, competitors will be allowed to enter anywhere from one to three starting days. For Day 2, a player will combined all chips accumulated from the Day 1s that were survived to take the combined stack into Day 2. For example, if Negreanu bags up 50,000 in chips on Day 1a, 25,000 in chips on Day 1b, and 25,000 in chips on Day 1c, he will take 100,000 into Day 2.

Day 1a action will kick off later today at 6:10 p.m. local time with players beginning the tournament with 3,000 in tournament chips and the blinds at 25/25. The plan is to play eight one-hour levels, with a 15-minute break after every two levels.

While you wait, check out the following articles:

For now, we're going to grab some breakfast and take to the streets of Melbourne to see the sights. We'll see you back here later on!

2014-10-02 21:02 UTC+10

It's Good To Be the Champ

[user68268]

Nível 3 : 50/100, 0 ante

Ryan Riess, winner of the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event, just busted a payer to move to 6,100 in chips, but he didn't do so without coming from behind.

When the money went in preflop, Riess had the worst of it. His opponent had the to Riess' . The flop, turn, and river ran out to give Riess the victory with a set of sevens.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Ryan Riess	6,100 1,550	1,550

2014-10-02 21:20 UTC+10

2014 WSOP November Nine Profile: Felix Stephensen

[user68268]

Nível 3 : 50/100, 0 ante

Back on July 14, the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event final table was set. The players in this year's "November Nine" are set to resume play on November 10, and it is a globally diverse group of young players who will be battling it out for the $10 million top prize.

Sitting in second place with 32.775 million in chips heading into the final table, Norway's Felix Stephensen aims to not only win the greatest prize in all of poker, but he also hopes to be a great ambassador for the game.

"I really hope I can make poker a more accepted sport or profession in Norway, and I’d like to be a good ambassador for the sport," said Stephensen in an interview with PokerNews. "I’ve been doing this for a living for years, so people will see that it’s not all luck, it’s actually something you can be pretty good at and you’ll get results if you work hard."

Stephensen is originally from Osla, Norway, and is 24 years old. He's known as "FallAtyourFeet" in the online realm and is good friends with fellow Norwegian online pro Ola "no_Ola" Amundsgard. Like chip leader Jorryt van Hoof, Stephensen prefers playing pot-limit Omaha cash games online.

To read more about Stephensen, his road to the final table, and hopes for Norwegian poker, check out this PokerNews 2014 WSOP November Nine profile.

Tags: Felix Stephensen Jorryt van Hoof

2014-10-02 22:12 UTC+10

2014 WSOP November Nine Profile: Mark Newhouse

[user68268]

Nível 4 : 75/150, 0 ante

Back on July 14, the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event final table was set. The players in this year's "November Nine" are set to resume play on November 10, and it is a globally diverse group of young players who will be battling it out for the $10 million top prize.

In a recent Five Thoughts piece, Rich Ryan put the odds of Mark Newhouse making back-to-back WSOP Main Event final tables at 524,558-1. Last year, Newhouse made the November Nine, but bowed out in ninth place. This year, he plans to improve upon that finish, but he has already defied the odds and made poker history by becoming the first player since Dan Harrington to make back-to-back WSOP Main Event final tables (Ryan put Harrington's odds of doing so in 2003 and 2004 at 26,312-1).

Newhouse will enter the final table in November third in chips with 26 million.

To read more about Newhouse's back-to-back run, check out this PokerNews 2014 WSOP November Nine profile.

Tags: Dan Harrington Mark Newhouse

2014-10-02 23:44 UTC+10

Benson Busts Barer

[user38873]

Nível 5 : 100/200, 0 ante

Ami Barer raised to 400 and found three caller in Gary Benson and the two players in the blinds. On the flop, Barer bet 575 after the action was checked to him and only Benson called.

The turn provided the and Barer moved all in for 2,475. Benson called with pocket sevens and faced , somehow dodging all outs of his opponent thanks to the river.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Gary Benson	10,500 4,700	4,700

Ami Barer	Eliminado

Tags: Ami Barer Gary Benson

2014-10-02 23:48 UTC+10

2014 WSOP November Nine Profile: Bruno Politano

[user68268]

Nível 5 : 100/200, 0 ante

Back on July 14, the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event final table was set. The players in this year's "November Nine" are set to resume play on November 10, and it is a globally diverse group of young players who will be battling it out for the $10 million top prize.

Bruno Politano became the first Brazilian player to reach the WSOP November Nine, albeit with the shortest stack of 12.125 million. Despite his lack of chips heading into the final table, Politano's stack is the "biggest" short stack since the November Nine was established in 2008.

On the final table bubble in July, the Brazilian rail supporting Politano was one for the ages. They were loud and cheerful, they brought confetti cannons, and they even had one person donning a Scooby Doo costume. Come November 10, you can expect much more of that.

"My rail will support me," said Politano to PokerNews in an interview. "Brazilian rail is everything. When they are screaming, and sending me energy, good vibrations, I see and I smile for everybody. It’s so powerful. It’s not my dream come true, it’s my country’s dream come true."

To read more about Politano's amazing run to November and learn more about the player representing the green, blue, and yellow, check out this PokerNews 2014 WSOP November Nine profile.

Tags: Bruno Politano

2014-10-03 00:33 UTC+10

Hellmuth Enters the 2014 WSOP APAC

[user153638]

Nível 6 : 100/200, 25 ante

Phil Hellmuth, the World Series of Poker's most decorated player with 13 gold bracelets, is known for making late entrances, and the WSOP Asia-Pacific is no exception. The "Poker Brat," who flew into Melbourne earlier this afternoon, has waited until Level 6 to make his entrance.

He folded the first hand he was dealt, but in the second he opened to 400 from middle position. The button called, as did both blinds, and four players took a flop of . Two checks saw Hellmuth continue for 400, and that cleared two of the players out of the way. However, the third proved tougher to shake as the big blind check-raised to 1,250.

"I might last two hands," Hellmuth said with a smile. "I have two queens already."

Sure enough, Hellmuth showed the and then sent them to the muck.

"Alright, I'm easy," Hellmuth said before taking inventory of his remaining chips. "That hurt."

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Phil Hellmuth	2,200 2,200	2,200

Tags: Phil Hellmuth

2014-10-03 00:47 UTC+10

2014 WSOP November Nine Profile: Martin Jacobson

[user68268]

Nível 6 : 100/200, 25 ante

Back on July 14, the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event final table was set. The players in this year's "November Nine" are set to resume play on November 10, and it is a globally diverse group of young players who will be battling it out for the $10 million top prize.

Martin Jacobson will certainly be a favorite amongst poker pro circles around the world. The Swede has plenty of respect and a hard-earned reputation as one of the best and consistent tournament players in the game. When the lights turn on in November, it'll true be his time to shine and put his experience to work.

After finishing with the Day 1a chip lead, Jacobson will enter the final table eighth in chips with 14.9 million, second to last, and knows how much this final table means to him. "It feels incredible to make it this far in such a big and prestigious tournament," Jacobson told PokerNews. "This is probably my biggest achievement so far."

To read more about Jacobson and what makes him the pro's pro, check out this PokerNews 2014 WSOP November Nine profile.

Tags: Martin Jacobson

2014-10-03 00:58 UTC+10

Karamalikis Sends Reigning WSOP Main Event Champ to the Rail

[user153638]

Nível 6 : 100/200, 25 ante

At the tail end of Level 6, action folded to 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event champ Ryan Riess in the small blind. The Michigan native raised to 600, and Australia's Jonathan "xMONSTERxDONGx" Karamalikis pushed back with a three-bet to 1,400 from the big blind. Riess responded by four-betting all in for right around 5,000, and Karamalikis wasted little time in making the call.

Karamalikis:
Riess:

It was a classic flip, but Riess needed to improve to stay alive. The flop did little for him, while the delivered him a gutshot straight draw. The dealer burned one last time and put out the , a blank for Riess.

"Good luck guys," the champ offered before taking his leave from the Day 1a field.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Jonathan Karamalikis	18,000 6,800	6,800
Ryan Riess	Eliminado

Tags: Jonathan Karamalikis Ryan Riess

2014-10-03 01:46 UTC+10

Hellmuth Strikes Out

[user153638]

Nível 7 : 150/300, 25 ante

Phil Hellmuth and PokerNews' Chad Holloway

Gary Benson opened for 600 and action folded to 13-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, who was already all in from the big blind for his last 275.

"I haven't looked," Hellmuth said before revealing his hand.

Hellmuth:
Benson:

Hellmuth seemed delighted to be in a race situation, but his enthusiasm dampened when the flop came down .

"Oh, that's not good," Hellmuth said. The turn left him drawing dead, and as the dealer put out the on the river, Hellmuth was already busy shaking hands with everyone at the table.

"What time do we start tomorrow? I should probably show up before 15 bigs," Hellmuth said before departing. For what it's worth, Day 1b will kick off at 12:10 p.m. local time on Friday, with Day 1c following later that evening at 6:10 p.m.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Gary Benson	18,000 2,000	2,000

Phil Hellmuth	Eliminado

Tags: Phil Hellmuth Gary Benson