Team PokerStars Pro Asia is made up of four incredibly friendly faces and talented poker players: Bryan Huang, Vivian Im, Celina Lin and Raymond Wu. All four came to Cebu for this year’s Main Event. Bryan didn’t manage to make it out of Day 1 after losing with queens to aces and jacks to ace-king, but he took a positive outlook to his elimination.
“Managed to min cash PLO. 6hr nap and off to dive! Why can’t all events be like this?” he wrote on Twitter.
Vivian is in the same boat as Brian (maybe quite literally, although I couldn’t say for sure). She had a lot of work to do at the start of Day 2, with just 9,400 in chips to her name. She bowed out within the first hour, her quest to repeat as champion at an end. We’re sure she doesn’t mind spending a few quiet, free days in the sun and relative inexpense of Cebu.
PokerStars player liaison Garry Gates is thinking the same thing. He’s currently in Monaco for the EPT Grand Final and offered this morning to trade events straight up. Nice try, Garry.
“You’re going to have to sweeten the pot considerably,” I told him. He laughed and replied, “Yeah, that’s what I figured. Well, I’m off to breakfast. Bracing myself for another 40-euro plate of eggs!”
But other two Team Pros don’t have dives to schedule or 40-euro egg plates to ponder or even mango shakes to spike with double shots of vodka. They’re both still in the Main Event.
Celina started the day with 18,000 and has been agonizingly grinding her way upwards. At last check, she was sitting behind 34,000 chips, still well below the current par of 73,000. She looked like she’s been having a slog of it, but nonetheless offered a charismatic smile as she saw me eyeing her. Stack.
Just one table away, Raymond Wu is faring slightly better. He brought 24,100 chips into Day 2 and has climbed all the way to 61,000. He suffered a minor setback a few moments ago with what was likely ace-king, as he checked all the way against one opponent on a 7♦ 8♥ 7♠7♣ 3♣ board. The other player bet 5,000 at the river. Raymond called and then flicked his cards away after being shown two sixes, 6♣ 6♦ .
We’re about halfway through the day at this point. Celina and Raymond still have four hours to go if they want to spend another day in this Main Event. And we know they do. But if they didn’t, or if they managed to bust before the end of the day, nobody would blame them.
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