Thursday, 28th March 2024 11:15
Home / Uncategorized / PAGCOR Chairman’s Cup: Day 1C, level 3 and 4 updates (150-300, 25 ante)

5.05pm: Break time
The second break of the day. When players return blinds will be up to 200-400 with a 50 ante.

5pm: Board doesn’t reach the Rivera
On a flop of 2♥ K♣ 7♥ Mark Benasa in the big blind checked to Tony Rivera who bet 6,500 from the button. Benasa then called for a 6♦ on the turn. Both checked that for a J♥ river card. There was roughly 25,000 in the middle by this stage and Benasa bet 18,000, a long line of chips stretching into the middle. Too rich for Rivera. Benasa now up to 55,000.

4.50pm: Double-ups
Patrick Garcia’s got back into the game with a double-up to 14,000. He found pocket kings in the small blind and the big blind was happy to “give him a spin” with pocket sevens. The board came Q♣ 9â™  5♥ A♥ 5♦ .

Australian Michael Spilkin recently joined the table after fairing very well at his last table. He’s up to 55,000 and most of that was due to a slightly fortunate double-up. He got it all in with a set on the flop but his opponent had flopped a flush. The board paired-up on the river though to send the pot his way.

4.35pm: Kim bashes Sparrow then breaks Lim
Joseph Kim was all-in and waiting long before Choon Kwang Lim and Sparrow Park Yu Cheung agonised over the board, which begun with a flop of 10♣ 10♥ 5♣ . Lim bet and Cheung called for a 3♦ turn. When Lim bounced out a bet of 11,000 everything stopped as Cheung went into the tank.

Cheung started by asking how much Lim had left. Lim unpacked his stack and pointed at it, his chips adding up to around 14,000. Meanwhile Kim was leaning on the table, an expression that said he was demanding answers.

Time was called, prompting Lim to laugh and Cheung to pass. It was showdown time for Kim who turned over 7♣ 3♣ and began shouting out “flush”. Lim showed J♥ 10♦ and waited for the river. Kim carried on calling for a club and, so enthralled as he was, almost cheered the 3♥ on the river, a brief happy scream before he realised it was of absolutely no use to him at all. Blast.

Kim out, while Lim is up to around 45,000.

4.25pm: Noh saved by Choi
Team PokerStars Asia Tae Jun Noh’s day has just got a little better due to more than doubling-up but he was oh so close to going out. Byung Kyoo Choi raised from the cut-off and was called by PokerStars Qualifier Paul Foltyn in the small blind before Noh moved all in for 7,025. Choi then re-shipped for over 10,000 and this forced the Brit to fold his pocket tens. Showdown:

Noh: A♠ J♣
Choi: K♦ Q♦

The board ran 9â™  4♦ 5â™  7♣ 9♦ to send the pot the Noh’s way. Foltyn informed Noh that Choi had saved him as he would’ve called if Choi hadn’t pushed.

4.15pm: LEVEL UP
The dawn of level four has arrived. Blinds are 150/300 with 25 for the running ante.

4.10pm: Noh going to plan
Tae Jun Noh’s day has been -EV so far. He just lost another pot to drop to 7,050. His raise from under-the-gun was called by Denis Nojkin in the cut-off to go to a 6♦ K♦ 9♣ flop. Noh check-called a 1,200 bet before the A♥ turn and 2♥ river were checked down. Nojkin tabled K♥ Q♥ and took the pot as Noh folded.

4.03pm: Record breaker
TD Danny has informed the PokerStars Blog that the 430 runners for this tournament has made it the largest field ever assembled for a major tournament in the Philippines and the second largest in the whole of Asia. It’s also the richest tournament in terms of prize pool ever accumulated in this fine country. A great effort by all parties involved, especially as the planning has only been going on for the last two months.

3.55pm: Scratch another
It’s the end of the tournament for another player. Didier Cicurel got his chip into the middle behind a raise from Garrick Gabionza. Gabionza called, showing Q♦ Qâ™  to Cicurel’s A♦ Kâ™  .

The board came 10♥ 7♣ 5♠ 6♥ 9♣ sending Cicurel to the rail while his 15,000 worth of chips were sent the opposite direction to Gabionza, who now has around 33,000.

3.45pm: Yet more action from that table
Bad news and good news for PokerStars Qualifier Aaron Benton. I-pod in hand and standing next to Tony Hachem having a chat was not what he was supposed to be doing. “I’m out” he informed us. “I jammed on a flush draw” he explained further. He’s not too upset though as he can go and join fellow Australian Eric Assadourian in bed for a well needed sleep. Note: Benton and Assadourian have their own hotel rooms and will be sleeping in their own beds.

3.30pm: More from table Wu
This time the Team PokerStars Pro took on Daoxing “Bobo” Chen. Wu was in the cut off and on a flop of Kâ™  7♥ J♥ made it 1,000 which Chen called. PokerStars qualifier Roel Pijpers passed on the big blind before the turn card A♦ . Wu then bet 2,200. Chen passed, tapping the table. Wu up to 35,000 which Chen slips further down to roughly 5,000.

3.20pm: Ferdandez bets out PokerStars players
Jonel Fernandez just bet two PokerStars players out of a pot. It was Team PokerStars Asia’s Raymond Wu who started proceedings with a raise pre-flop that was called by APPT grand final winner Aaron Benton on the button, and Fernandez in the small blind.

The flop came 3♥ 2♣ 5♥ and Wu’s 1,000 c-bet was called by both players. The turn came 10â™  and it was Fernandez who picked up the reins with a 1,500 bet. Wu stepped out of the way but Benton called to go to the 6♦ river. Fernandez bet 5,000 but it was too much for Benton who folded. Wu on 30,500 and Benton’s on 12,600.

3.10pm: Play resumes
Players are back from the break and we’re off again with blinds at 100-200 with a 25 ante.

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The Coral ballroom at the Manila Pavilion hotel

PokerStars Blog reporting team in Manila: Stephen Bartley and Marc Convey.

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