Latest Day 2 Post

The nerves have well and truly set in for the remaining 56 players in the PokerStars.net APPT Grand Final with the bubble just spots away. Frustrations are boiling over as players strive to protect their short stacks long enough to ensure a minimum payout of AUD $8400. The atmosphere...more

We get used to seeing quads in the early stages of tournaments when the tables are packed and the action thick and fast. But with 24 players to go before the money kicks-in at the PokerStars.net APPT Grand Final, we’ve seen quads twice in the past five minutes. Hong...more

Here’s the scenario: there’s 15 minutes to go at level 13 (1200/2400 with a 400 ante), the average stack is 116,000, you lose a big pot and get left with 4500. Limp out? Not Petar Lackovic, who has staged an amazing comeback since his pair of kings was overtaken...more

Less than 100 players – 97 to be exact – have returned after the dinner break as the race for the money starts in earnest on day 2 of the PokerStars.net APPT Grand Final. Apparently a handful of players wanted to extend their meal break judging from the frenzied activity...more

It’s like 100 buses just pulled up at Star City Casino and unloaded their contents in the past hour. With the teams’ event about to kick off, many players have returned to the poker room, joining the scores of railbirds and players still chasing glory in the PokerStars.net APPT...more

If there’s a cult figure in today’s event, it’s Scott “Punty” Smith. He has fans following online and a big contingent on the rail, and they’ve had plenty to cheer about today. He’s been a steady climber all day and recently took out another player when his opponent pushed...more

Aside from the scores of PokerStars qualifiers we’ve been featuring over the past four days, many players in the APPT Grand Final field are doing so after qualifying through satellites at the host venue, Star City. One of those is David Sanis, who we recently featured after he KOed...more

Marlon Goonawardana is aiming to book-end 2008 with another big result on home soil. The Melbourne-based player, who won AUD $155,000 in the $1500 Bounty event at the 2008 Aussie Millions has been the big mover in the second session of day 2. On a flop of 4h-6h-8h, Goonawardana...more

We’ve mentioned several family combinations over the past two days – brothers Joe and Tony Hachem (both eliminated); father and son Eric and Assadour Assadourian (both still in contention) – but it’s not everyday you come across a mother and daughter combination in a poker tournament of this stature....more

One up, one out – that’s the story so far today for Team PokerStars with Lee Nelson doubling up and Chris Moneymaker eliminated. The New Zealander Nelson (can you believe he lives near a town called Nelson) took control with A-K against Justin Cleary’s K-J, and the paint-free board...more

Sydney’s most famous amusement park (indeed only amusement park) sits just over the Harbour Bridge. Known as Luna Park, it features all the usual carnival fare, including roller coasters, ferris wheel, dodgem cars, etc. Best of all is the giant maniacal clown face that greets patrons on arrival. Team...more

It might be just after noon on a Friday, but the Star City Casino is heaving – the tables and slots are packed and 219 anxious poker players have started to assemble for day 2 in the PokerStars.net APPT Grand Final. With the top 48 players paid, we should...more