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Watch APPT Macau 08: Day 3 Update on PokerStars.tv

The final table for the PokerStars.net APPT Macau main event has been decided, with a Macanese local set to take on players from around Asia, Europe and the US in the final chase for the HKD $3,540,040 (USD $453,851.28) first prize.

The big story is Kuok Wai “Will” Cheong’s qualification for the final table in the biggest poker tournament ever played on Asian soil.

“I’m still pinching myself, it’s a miracle,” he said as the reality began to sink in for the 28-year-old, who works in the local casino industry.

Despite having plenty of chips and a generous structure, players continued to commit their chips with gusto, and the 39 players who started day three were whittled down to the final nine in less than six levels.

The three ‘notable’ players who started day three were all eliminated – 2008 WPT Championship winner David Chiu lasted the longest, finishing 11th, while Quinn Do (the short stack entering the day) and John Juanda finished 25th and 26th respectively.

Three of the four chip leaders at the start of day three – Eddie Sabat, Charles Chua and Javed Abrahams – all reached the final nine, but PokerStars qualifier Keith Wintermans (third at the start of play) and David Steicke (who’d led at numerous stages of the tournament) both fell short. Steicke was the final-table bubble finisher, after being eliminated by Tian Chen on the final hand of the day.

The final table kicks-off at 1.30pm local time, but allowing for TV commitments, play should be underway around 2.15pm.

PokerStars.net APPT Macau final table

Seat 1: Eddie Sabat, Lancaster, CA, USA (1,001,000 in chips): The youngest player at the APPT Macau final table brings arguably the best resume to the line-up. PokerStars qualifier Eddie Sabat has enjoyed a successful year on the live circuit, with a best finish of third in the WSOP Circuit Series event at Harrah’s Rincon in San Diego, worth $70,680, back in February. He also cashed in the PokerStars.net LAPT event in Brazil last month, and finished in the money twice at the 2008 WSOP. The 22-year-old recently completed his accountancy studies at USC but considers his new classroom the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles where he is a regular in the cash games.

Watch APPT Macau 08: Edward Sabbat Makes Final on PokerStars.tv

Seat 2: So Myung Sim, Seoul, South Korea (118,000 in chips): The connection between the electronic game Starcraft and poker is firmly established in Korea thanks to ex-pats like Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier. But when it comes to Starcraft celebs, there are few bigger in Korea than So Myung Sim, who shocked the gaming community when he announced his retirement last year at the ripe old age of 23. He has now turned his full-time focus to poker and in just his second major tournament start, So Myung Sim has reached the final table. He will start as the short stack.

Seat 3: Tian Chen, Beijing, China (768,000 in chips): Players like this 31-year-old have played a pivotal role in establishing a poker culture in Asia. Two or three times a week over the past four years, he has played a “home” game in a Beijing coffee shop with some friends. They then travelled to Macau together for this event, with three making the money. A software engineer, he spent 10 years in the US and started playing in cardrooms around Seattle, Washington before returning to China in 2004. One of the short stacks when play reached the final three tables, he rebounded to take the fourth biggest stack to the final table.

Seat 4: Kuok Wai Will Cheong, Macau (334,000 in chips): What a story for the growth of poker in Asia to have a Macanese local at the final table of the biggest tournament ever played in Asia. What’s more, he was down to less than 15,000 in chips on day two before clawing his way back into contention? Having honed his skills in live games at PokerStars Macau in recent months, this 28-year-old who works in casino administration has been playing poker for about two years but has never scaled such heights prior to this event. So how does he feel about representing the world’s biggest gaming destination in the continent’s biggest ever poker tournament? “It’s a miracle!”

Seat 5: Jeppe Drivsholm, Aalborg, Denmark (863,000 in chips): Don’t let the gentle façade and quietly-spoken nature of this 24-year-old student deceive you – he brings a fierce determination to the game as shown by his third-place finish in the charity event played at the Macau Cup here back in May. A specialist live cash-game player, he has already sampled big fields in Asia and was part of poker history at last year’s inaugural APPT event in Manila. With more than three years’ experience, expect the young Scandinavian to make his mark at the APPT Macau final table when he starts from third chip position.

Seat 6: Mikael Rosen, Karlskrona, Sweden (361,000 in chips): Karlskrona is home to the Swedish navy but might have a more notable claim to fame if this man follows the rich tradition of poker-playing Swedes (like Team PokerStars Pro William Thorson) when the APPT Macau main event final table kicks-off. This 31-year-old software engineer (he actually earned a Masters in software engineering) didn’t create many waves during the APPT Macau main event, steadily picking his way through the field and taking down a big pot when required to secure his first major live tournament final table.

Seat 7: Javed Abrahams, London, UK (215,000 in chips): fresh from an eighth place finish in the 2008 WPT Bellagio Cup (worth more than USD $100,000, this polished 23-year-old from London has also cashed in three PokerStars EPT events over the past three years, including 19th in the 2007 EPT Barcelona main event. He entered day three of the APPT Macau main event in fourth chip position but faces a tough challenge as the second shortest stack at the final table. Away from the poker table, he’s preparing to commence studies for a Masters in Latin American Studies. So having experienced EPT and APPT events, look out LAPT!

Seat 8: Diwei “Bryan” Huang, Singapore (1,046,000 in chips): This accountancy student (scheduled to graduate later this year) has already lived out one of his poker dreams after freerolling onto a poker cruise in 2006, where he won almost USD $80,000 in a preliminary event. Since then, poker has been a “serious hobby” for this 23-year-old – from home games to regular online sessions. No player experienced such wild swings of fortune on day three – he lost a big pot on the first hand of the day to be down to just 40,000 in chips but less than three hours later, his stack was above 800,000 and he finished the day in the box seat as chip leader heading into the final table.

Seat 9: Charles Chua, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (617,000 in chips): One of the crowd favourites after his amazing run on day two, this 31-year-old’s tournament record might be modest but he’s one of the better known players in Melbourne, Australia where he lived before returning home to Malaysia recently. “Chucky” might play the clown at the table, but it’s all for show – this law graduate brings plenty of smarts to the table as shown by his ability to stay out of too many big pots on day three after building a big stack on day two. He enters the final table in fifth chip position.

All photography © Joe Giron/IMPDI

The PokerStars.net APPT Macau main event bubble has burst, with our unfortunate bubble-boy being Hong Kong trader, David Steicke. On a board of 7c-6c-Tc-As, Steicke found himself pot-committed and all-in with Jc7s; up against Tian Chen’s Ad3d. When the board blanked out with a 2h, Steicke became the 10th placed finisher, and elicited a collective sigh of relief from the remaining nine players, all of whom are guaranteed a payout of at least HKD $177,000 (USD $22,692.31).

The frenetic pace of eliminations we have seen all day had barely slowed before the final table bubble, as the number of runners was reduced from 39 to 9 in just under five and a half hours; a very short day indeed!

Our 12th place finisher, Taneli Tiikkaja, a PokerStars qualifier from Finland, pushed his remaining 140,000 chips across the line with pocket tens, was called by the similarly short-stacked Mikael Rosen, who held A9 offsuit, and an ace on the flop put paid to Tiikkaja’s Chinese holiday.

In 11th position, four-time WSOP bracelet-winner, David Chiu, took a stand with QcJd on a flop of J-8-5 rainbow, but Kuok Cheong had Chiu reverse-dominated with Js8s. A seven on the turn and a three on the river, left Chiu two places short of the final table.

The remaining nine players are:

Diwei “Bryan” Huang, Singapore (1,046,000 in chips)
Eddie Sabat, Lancaster, CA, USA (1,001,000 in chips)
Tian Chen, Beijing, China (768,000 in chips)
Jeppe Drivsholm, Aalborg, Denmark (863,000 in chips)
Charles Chua, Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia (617,000 in chips)
Mikael Rosen, Karlskrona, Sweden (361,000 in chips)
Kuok Wai Will Cheong, Macau (334,000 in chips)
Javed Abrahams, London, UK (215,000 in chips)
So Myung Sim, Seoul, South Korea (118,000 in chips)

Recent eliminations and payouts:

10 David Steicke (Hong Kong) HKD $126,430 (USD $16,208.97)
11 David Chiu (USA) HKD $126,430 (USD $16,208.97)
12 Taneli Tiikkaja (Finland) HKD $126,430 (USD $16,208.97)

Joel Dodds nickname is “Strong Play”. However, the Sydneysider adopted a far more conservative approach than his nickname would indicate to claw his way to 14th place in the PokerStars.net APPT Macau main event. How’s this for a world-class piece of trivia – Dodds finished 14th in this very event last year!

After Kuok Wai Will Cheong raised to 20,000 under-the-gun, Dodds pushed all-in for 108,000 then Cheong beat him into the pot with pocket kings. Dodds rolled his eyes as he showed pocket queens, which stayed behind.

Watch APPT Macau 08: Mark Walsh on PokerStars.tv

Soon after, former chip leader Mark Walsh decided it was time to make a stand with his last 77,000 in chips. It was race between the pocket eights of the PokerStars qualifier and Diwei Huang’s As-Js, and although neither player connected, it was the Singaporean who broke the tape when his ace played on a board (10d-6d-Qs-Qc-10h). Huang becomes the first player to break the one-million chip mark.

The dwindling stack of Taneli Tiikkaja received a much-needed boost when he picked off Ed Sabat’s bluff with 10h-8h on a board of 8c-2h-10c-3s against the Californian’s Kc-Qc. The Jh was no help, and the Finn was above 300,000 again.

The biggest hand of the past level was played out on the cusp of the last break between David Chiu and Denmark’s Jeppe Drivsholm in a battle of the blinds.

After a flop of 9h-6s-7h, Chiu bet 62,000, Drivsholm pushed all-in for 220,000 and Chiu called after several minutes in the tank. He showed black 10s, while the Dane had two-pair nines and sevens. The board ran out Ks-3d taking Drivsholm to more than 800,000 in chips while Chiu was down to less than 250,000.

Play is into level 19 (5000/10,000 and a 1000 ante) with Huang leading from Drivsholm, Sabat (620,000), David Steicke (440,000) and Charles Chua (410,000).

Recent eliminations and payouts

13 Mark Walsh (Ireland) HKD $101,145
14 Joel Dodds (Australia) HKD $101,145

After three days of seemingly non-stop eliminations, play has slowed for the first time as we reach the business end of the PokerStars.net APPT Macau main event.

At the end of level 16, two players were eliminated on the same hand, which allowed Ed Sabat to close on chip leader Diwei Huang.

On a flop of 8c-6c-Qd, Sabat bet, 30,000, Carter Gill moved all-in for almost 190,000, Charles Lam also moved in for 96,000 and Sabat called.

Gill showed Kc-Qh for top pair, Lam held Qc-3d for top pair with a worse kicker but Sabat’s pocket aces were well ahead, and with 4d-4c filling the board, Sabat now sits behind a stack that resembles the Great Wall of China.

Watch APPT Macau 08: Carter Gill Early Day 3 on PokerStars.tv

It took 40 minutes of level 17 until another player was sent to the rail. David Chiu’s raise to 18,000 was greeted with an all-in from Kenny Hicks for 90,000. Chiu called and showed Kc-Qc, but Hicks had his nose in front holding Ac-7h. But Chiu connected on the flop (8c-10d-Qd) to end the roller-coaster ride of Hicks.

Blinds are now up to 4000/8000 with a 1000 ante, with an early victim of the new level being PokerStars qualifier Adrian Mills from Ireland. The money was in before the flop, with Mills’ As-7s trailing the Ad-Ks of So Myung Kim. Both players improved to a pair of aces on the flop, but there was no more help for Mills who left the tournament in 15th place on the next hand after being left with just 4000 in chips.

Huang leads on 910,000, followed by Sabat (730,000), Chua (700,000), Chiu (550,000) and Steicke (430,000). Joel Dodds is the short stack on 125,000. There are three PokerStars qualifiers still in the field – Sabat, Mark Walsh and Taneli Tiikkaja.

Recent eliminations and payouts

15 Adrian Mills (Ireland) HKD $101,145
16 Kenny Hicks (USA) HKD $101,145
17 Carter Gill (USA) HKD $75,860
18 Charles Lam (Hong Kong) HKD $75,860

Watch APPT Macau 08: Charles Lam (English) on PokerStars.tv

With the TV cameras rolling, the big personalities are coming to the fore in the PokerStars.net APPT Macau main event.

Carter Gill has adopted a monkey as a ventriloquist dummy, and is taking advice from the soft toy. But after showing aces to take down a big pot just before the last break, APPT tournament director Danny McDonagh warned that Carter was sailing close to the wind in terms of declaring his hand. The monkey has since gone quiet.

Watch APPT Macau 08: Monkey Man (Carter Gill) on PokerStars.tv

Gill’s good friend and PokerStars qualifier Kevin MacPhee has also just put on a show for the 441 TV crew when he slammed a water bottle to the floor.

That came after a massive three-way pot between MacPhee and all-in players Mudasser Khan and Kenny Hicks. MacPhee held pocket aces, Hicks pocket eights and Khan K-6. The board came down 3d-6s-4c-5c-7c, giving Hicks a straight on the river. After yesterday’s blow-up on the bubble, the resurrection of Kenny Hicks is well underway.

There have been some big movers in the past hour, with 2008 WPT Championship winner David Chiu among them. Norway’s Ole Steinvik moved all-in on a flop of Kc-Jh-6h with 8h-7h but Chiu was chasing the nut flush (Ah-9h). Neither player connected on the turn (Qs) or river (6d), sending Steinvik out in 23rd place.

So Myung Sim has also rocketed up the chip count and claimed another pile of chips when he KOed Eugene Borukhov of the USA. It was the A-K of Borukhov against Sim’s pocket kings, which played on a board of 3-5-3-5-5

But the big story of the day has been Singapore’s Diwei Huang. After losing a big pot on the first orbit of the day to John Juanda, Huang has shot to more than 850,000 in chips after eliminating Korea’s Jung Hyun Choi. After a flop of Jh-5s-9c, the money went in with Choi holding 10s-7s and Huang Ah-Jd but running fives eliminated Choi.

Recent eliminations and payouts

19 Jung Hyun Choi (Korea) HKD $75,860
20 Kevin MacPhee (USA) HKD $75,860
21 Mudasser Khan (USA) HKD $75,860
22 Eugene Borukhov (USA) HKD $75,860
23 Ole Steinvik (Norway) HKD $75,860

The redraw for the top 23 players in the PokerStars.net APPT Macau main event after the elimination of 15 players in less than 90 minutes of play early on day 3. The short stacks were on the move early, but now some of the more fancied chances are starting to feel the pressure.

After reaching the final table of the APPT High Roller event here last year, John Juanda has bowed out in 26th spot after he made a stand with K-5 only to find David Steicke ready for the race with pocket jacks. The board (10-10-6-6-2) brought no help for the three-time WSOP bracelet winner.

Finnish PokerStars qualifier Taneli Tiikkaja continues his charge, and just took out overall day one chip leader Andre Wagner. After a miserable start to the day, Wagner was short-stacked and committed the last of his chips with Ad-Jd on a flop of 6c-10d-3d, drawing against Tiikkaja’s pocket queens. There was no ace or diamond to save Wagner as his APPT Macau dreams became an unfinished symphony.

Another of the chip leaders entering day three, Canadian PokerStars qualifier Keith Wintermans, has also just been taken out. The money went in on the river after the board came 2h-4s-As-Ad-7s, with Wintermans showing Qs-6s for a flush but Huang’s Ks-10s allowed the Singaporean to rake in a massive pot.

Simon Greene had patiently waited for more than an hour for a hand with which to bet the last of his chips and woke up early in level 12 to find pocket aces. He was happy to see Diwei Huang call with pocket fives, but Simon turned green when a five landed on the flop.

The short-stack entering today, Quinn Do hung on until his Ad-Qs met Mudasser Khan’s pocket sevens, with the 10-high board enough fore the Dane to take the pot and send Do to the rail.

Table redraw (23 players remaining)

Table 1

Seat 1: Eugene Borukhov
Seat 2: Charles Chua
Seat 3: David Steicke
Seat 4: Tian Chen
Seat 5: Mark Walsh
Seat 6: Joel Dodds
Seat 7: So Myung Sim
Seat 8: Mikael Rosen

Table 2

Seat 1: David Chiu
Seat 2: Jeppe Drusholm
Seat 3: Ole Steinvik
Seat 4: Kenny Hicks
Seat 5: Javed Abrahams
Seat 6: Mudasser Khan
Seat 7: Kevin MacPhee
Seat 8: Kuok Wai Will Cheong

Table 3

Seat 1: Charles Lam
Seat 2: Adrian Mills
Seat 3: Edward Sabat
Seat 4: Taneli Tiikkaja
Seat 5: Diwei Huang
Seat 6: Carter Gill
Seat 7: Jung Hyun Choi

Top 5 chip counts (approximate)

Charles Chua 550,000
Edward Sabat 470,000
Diwei Huang 450,000
Jung Hyun Choi 450,000
David Steicke 360,000

Recent eliminations and payouts

24 Keith Wintermans (Canada) HKD $75,860
25 Quinn Do (Korea) HKD $63,215
26 John Juanda (USA) HKD $63,215
27 Kejing Tang (China) HKD $63,215
28 Andre Wagner (Germany) HKD $63,215
29 Simon Greene (UK) HKD $63,215

After about an hour of play on Day 3 here at the PokerStars.net APPT Macau, we have already seen “12” players eliminated from the 39 who started the day. One of those players is the highest-placed female finisher in the event, Daisy “Chain” Wain. Wain finished in 35th position, earning $50,570 Hong Kong dollars (or $6,433.83 US dollars) for her time here at the Grand Waldo casino.

Talking to Wain while waiting in the cashout line, we learned she heard about the Macau tournament and decided to give it a try, having no previous live tournament experience. That’s not to say she doesn’t know what she’s doing, Wain is a Filipino born American who calls Palm Desert, California, home, and spends much of her time playing $2/$5 No-Limit with her friends at the many casinos in the area.

A self-made businesswoman, Wain owns an import-export business which trades in Chinese marble statues. She also owns a long-haul semi-trailer trucking company in Manila. During the APPT Macau, Wain has taken some impressive scalps with her willingness to call all-in bets with almost any two high or connected cards. The most notable of these was of 2005 WSOP Main Event winner, and Team PokerStars Pro member, Joe Hachem. However, Wain was elimintated herself in similar circumstances calling an all-in with A9 of spades. She turned an ace, but her opponent rivered a set of sevens to end her time here in Macau. Undeterred however, Wain now has a taste for APPT tournament poker, and intends to travel to Korea and the Philippines for the events in those countries. Good luck Daisy; your willingness to gamble will certainly keep opponents on their toes.

Plenty of chips, generous structure, no pressure … but players still can’t wait to get their chips into the pot as the eliminations continue early on day 3 of the PokerStars.net APPT Macau main event.

PokerStars qualifier Tom Carter from the US chased an early double-up to energise his short stack and got it in ahead with K-Q against Jung Hyun Choi’s J-10, but a jack on the turn sent Carter packing.

Swedish PokerStars qualifier Olle Lindberg followed soon after – again, he was ahead pre-flop with As-Jh against the Qh-5h of Irishman Mark Walsh but the board (3s-Ah-2c-4h-10d) gave Walsh the wheel and the pot.

The tournament of Denmark’s Michael Lindstrom ended when Adrian Mills’ A-K stayed in front of Lindstrom’s A-10 on a board of 8-2-5-Q-Q, while the last remaining female player Daisy Wain was scored in 35th position after Charles Chua made a set of sevens on the river to overtake Wain’s two-pair, aces and deuces.

Tyler Cornell’s elimination was soon followed by George Vassilopoulos after Carter Gill improved his pocket aces to a set against the Aussie’s two-pair nines and fours.

We can still hear PokerStars qualifier Michael Doodson bemoaning his poor fortune from the next level of the Grand Waldo Casino after he committed his short stack with pocket kings against Taneli Tiikkaja’s Qc-Jd. Doodson watched in horror as the flop came Qd-Qh-10h, with the board running out 9d-Ad. Yes Dorothy, they have bad beats in Macau too!

The Finn Tiikkaja just added another scalp to his belt when his nines won the race against Ming Chak Phil Lau’s K-J, the board falling 7s-10d-6d-Ah-6h.

With the clock ticking down to the end of level 15, already 10 of the 39 players have been eliminated. There will be a re-draw when 24 players remain.

Recent eliminations & payouts

30 James Bunner (Canada) HKD $63,215
31 Ming Lau (Hong Kong) HKD $63,215
32 Michael Doodson (Australia) HKD $63,215
33 George Vassilopoulos (Australia) HKD $50,570
34 Tyler Cornell (USA) HKD $50,570
35 Daisy Wain (USA) HKD $50,570
36 Michael Lindstrom (Denmark) HKD $50,570
37 Olle Lindberg Sweden) HKD $50,570
38 Tom Carter (USA) HKD $50,570
39 Ricky Lui (Australia) HKD $50,570

Watch APPT Macau 08: Day 3 Intro on PokerStars.tv

Players have taken their seats in the tournament area at the Grand Waldo Hotel and Casino for day 3 of the PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour main event.

The 39 remaining players are seated in one corner of the tournament area, allowing family, friends and more than a few interested spectators the best opportunity to see the players in action.

Our chip leader, PokerStars qualifier Ed Sabat, looked very relaxed as he took his seat on table one, where his stack dwarfs those of the other six players.

Sabat has enjoyed a successful year on the live circuit, with a best finish of third in the WSOP Circuit Series event at Harrah’s Rincon in San Diego, worth $70,680, back in February. He also cashed in the PokerStars.net LAPT event in Brazil last month, and finished in-the-money twice at the 2008 WSOP.

He recently completed his accountancy studies at USC but considers his new classroom the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles where he is a regular in the cash games.

With a chip average heading into day 3 of 136,538 and an average of 34 big blinds per player, Sabat and the other 38 players have plenty of chips and time to pick their spots. The structure for today’s play is:

Level 15: 2000/4000 (500 ante)
Level 16: 2500/5000 (500 ante)
Level 17: 3000/6000 (500 ante)
Level 18: 4000/8000 (1000 ante)
Level 19: 5000/10,000 (1000 ante)
Level 20: 6000/12,000 (2000 ante)
Level 21: 800/16,000 (2000 ante)

Table 1

Seat 1: Kenneth Hicks (USA) 131,000
Seat 2: Ricky Lui (Australia) 49,000
Seat 3: Edward Sabat (USA) 379,500
Seat 4: Jeppe Drivsholm (Denmark) 115,500
Seat 5: Mikael Rosen (Sweden) 174,000
Seat 6: So Myung Sim (South Korea) 79,500
Seat 7: Joel Dodds (Australia) 58,000

Table 2

Seat 1: Mark Walsh (Ireland) 129,000
Seat 2: Tyler Cornell (USA) 49,500
Seat 3: Olle Lindberg (Sweden) 40,000
Seat 4: Eugene BorUKhov (USA) 80,000
Seat 5: Kevin Macphee (USA) 20,650
Seat 6: Charles Chua (Malaysia) 369,500
Seat 7: Mudasser Khan (Denmark) 107,000
Seat 8: Daisy Cupino Wain (USA) 66,500

Table 3

Seat 1: Tom Carter (USA) 36,500
Seat 2: John Juanda (USA) 170,500
Seat 3: Andre Wagner (Germany) 183,500
Seat 4: Junghyun Choi (Korea) 275,000
Seat 5: Ming Chak Phil Lau (Hong Kong) 41,000
Seat 6: Taneli Tiikkaja (Finland) 117,500
Seat 7: Kejing Tang (China) 42,500
Seat 8: Michael Doodson (Australia) 42,500

Table 7

Seat 1: Chung Yiu Charles Lam (HK) 80,500
Seat 2: Keith Wintermans (Canada) 358,000
Seat 3: Javed Abrahams (England) 351,000
Seat 4: Diwei Huang (Singapore) 123,500
Seat 5: Jamie Bunner (Canada) 114,500
Seat 6: Kuok Wai Will Cheong (Macau) 86,500
Seat 7: Tian Chen (USA) 248,000
Seat 8: Simon Greene (UK) 53,500

Table 13

Seat 1: George Vassilopoulos (Australia) 55,000
Seat 2: David Chiu (USA) 193,500
Seat 3: Adrian Mills (Ireland) 65,000
Seat 4: Carter Gill (USA) 178,000
Seat 5: Quinn Do (USA) 31,000
Seat 6: David Steicke (Hong Kong) 316,000
Seat 7: Michael Lindstrom (Denmark) 43,000
Seat 8: Ole Johan Steinvik (Norway) 84,500