ANZPT Main Event Recap

We started Day 1 with 20,000 in chips at 50/100.

I had a fairly soft table, with the only player of note Emad Tahtouh opposite me. Emad lost most of his chips really early, but managed to grind his stack for quite a few hours.

Anyway, nothing happened in the early going, I won and lost a few small pots and was sitting around 24k when the first really meaninful hand happened.

My first meaningful hand came at 100/200 where I opened to 600 with 67ss from the cutoff and was flatted by a solid Canadian player in the BB.

The flop came 9s9c2s

The BB checked and I bet 1100. BB called.

The turn was a red 10.

BB checked, I bet 1900 (I wouldn't hate checking back here with a good draw, but I bet because if I miss I know I have to fire a 3rd bullet on the river to win). BB calls the 1900.

River is a really good card without being THAT good for me - Kd.

Once again the BB checks, and I'm pretty certain he has JJ - and figure that I absolutely have to bet again here so I make it 3100. The BB tanks forever and seems to want to call, so I start talking to him and figure he is curious and might just call, so I offer to show him my hand either way and he snap folds.

I showed my hand and after exclaiming "GOD WHO FIRES 3 BULLETS THESE DAYS??" told me he had Jacks.

The next hand comes up at 200/400 - 25. A new player limps UTG and I overlimp AJcc. I guess I could raise here, but I'm happy to play smallish pots. Anyway, Emad jams about 6500 total, and after a bit of thought I call and hold against his A5. This takes me up to about 30,000.

Very next hand I play a somewhat interesting pot.

At 200/400 - 25a I open AQhh to 1150 utg and the button flats. My read on the button is that he is very tight, but in the last 30 minutes or so he seems to have lost his patience / focus and is seeming a bit down on his current situation.

The flop comes K93r with 1 heart. I bet 1800 and villain flats.

The turn is the As completing the rainbow. I check and the button bets 3k which I elect to flat.

The river is the Kc and I'm pretty sure my hand is good, but I'm happy to just show it down or call a small bet. Well the button decides to jam for about 1.25x pot.

I really think his range is pretty much 9s full or air so I call and my hand is good.

After this I get moved tables to what looks like a fantastic table with 2 big stacks on my right. Unfortunately I don't pick up any hands and soon have Andrew Jeffreys (Adgee) moved to my right who opens a ton of hands.

After the dinner break I spew off 20k of my 45k with 57cc on a Kc8c5d board to some old guy's AK and although I manage to open a few pots and win a few with 3 bets my stack hovers in the 20ks until we bag up at the end of Day 1 - me with $26,200 chips.

Day 2:

I know with my short stack I need to mix it up early and hope to run good. Sadly I don't and within the first 20 minutes with my stack already down to under 20k I jam 77 on Jai Kemp's BB but unfortunately Khac Trung Tran wakes up with JJ in the SB and flops a set to bust me.

In happier news though, I want to congratulate some friends of mine!

Firstly and most importantly to Paren "Puzz" Arzoomanian who won the ANZPT Main Event for $200,000 !! Well done mate.

Secondly to Daniel Neillson for shipping the $10,000 Hi Rollers event for over $100k

Importantly both Puzz and Daniel are staked by the same guy who stakes me - so great result !!

Lastly to Majed Haddad who just last month won $50,000 for his 2nd place at the APL Poker Classic following it up with 5th at the ANZPT Main Event for another $55,000 !!!

Can't wait to hang out with Majed in Vegas in a few weeks as he takes the USA by storm.