Thursday, 28th March 2024 08:58
Home / Uncategorized / PAGCOR Chairman’s Cup: Level 1 and 2 updates (100-200)

3.35pm: Break time
Players are now taking a ten minute break before returning for level three.

3.25pm: Ace king?
With a flop of 3♥ J♥ 4♦ already on the table Dongmin Lee made it 900 before Sung Ho Kim raised to 2,600. Lee called for a K♦ on the turn.

A check this time from Lee before Kim tossed in 4,000. Lee immediately moved all-in for around 25,000, covering Kim. The dealer put a triangular “all-in” button in front of Lee and waited for Kim to act.

At this point Seong Sou Jeon sitting between them counts the chips himself, despite not being in the hand, before the dealer suggests she should do it and that there was no need to fiddle with adjust the stacks.

“Ace king?” asks Kim, causing Lee to burst into laughter. Kim asked again with the same response until Lee said an emphatic “no,” leaning back in his chair, legs bouncing up and down like pistons in a two stroke engine. Then, all of a sudden, he got up and walked away, leaving Kim to it. He folded.

When Lee returned he mucked his cards without showing. I’m not sure what Kim asked Lee but when he was answered he looked mildly disgusted.

3.10pm: Speaking the truth
“This is already the best tournament I’ve ever covered.”*

We’ve quickly picked up on the style of local players, it being one of speed and fun. No point hanging around if you’ve got a good hand, showdown please gentlemen.

Ordinarily you might think big hands take a little longer to strike. Not here. Another “whoa!” hand just took place between Edguardo Lopez and Ronald Kluber of the United States.

Lopez had turned over A♥ Aâ™  to Kluber’s 10♣ 10â™  . The flop had come 5♥ Q♥ 3♦ . Then the 10♥ turn flipped things in Kluber’s favour.

“No heart!” he cried, asking for nothing compassionate on the river. Needless to say the 4♥ hit, sending a mass of chips to Lopez and sending Kluber to the rail with handshakes and what appeared to be good cheer.

* An impartial, but also entirely accurate, Marc Convey

3.05pm: No AC needed after this cooler
Loud “oohs” and “aahs” were hear coming from table 7 and a quick dash there explained why. Mike Takayama had just eliminated PokerStars qualifier Giacomo Magno Alonso in very unfortunate circumstances for the latter. All the chips went in on the A♥ A♦ 2â™  flop with Takayama holding A♣ J♥ for trips to Alonso’s 2♥ 2♣ for a full-house. Takayama needed help to get out of this one and he duly got it when the board finished with running sixes to make him a bigger full-house.

2.55pm: Big, slightly weird hand
Stick around a minute and something interesting comes along. Take this hand for instance, between Bercenio Ferdinand and Alexandria Paolo Maligad.

With a board already showing 2♥ A♦ 9♦ 3♦ 4♣ Ferdinand bet 6,900 into a pot already big, a mess of chips worth around 15,000 in the middle.

Maligad was in the seat immediately on his left and announced all-in. This immediately turned Ferdinand into a fidgeting mess. He stood up, as did Maligad, arms leaning on the table.

Then Ferdinand picked up his cards, exposing them to anyone to his right, then turned them over fully onto the table, 5♦ 2♦ . A flush. Then he turned them face down again, sat himself down and starting thinking some more, eventually folding. It was a good fold, Maligad showing a better flush with J♦ 10♦ .

2.35pm:Blinds up
We’re in to level two now. Blinds up to 100/200.

2.25pm:Kick in the shin for Gi Youn
Jerome Lazaro Delos Santos, Gi Youn Shin and Frederick Leano all saw a K♦ 10♥ Q♥ flop before the action went a little crazy. Delos Santos led for 300 and was called by Shin before Leano raised to 1,025. Delos Santos quickly moved all-in for 9,400 and received a quick call from Shin. Leano jumped out of his chair saying he had a big hand and it would be a big lay-down. He did fold and showed king-jack.

Delos Santon: A♦ J♣ for the nut straight.
Shin: 10♣ 10♠ for bottom set.

The turn 4♠ and river 3♥ failed to pair the board and Delos Santos now has more than his starting stack.

2.10pm: Moving fast
No time to lose in level one as players race to get their chips in before the blinds go up.
Gi Youn Shin moved all-in on a king-high flop, forcing Frederick Leano to proclaim “I fold my pocket aces.”

Shin then wagged his finger, chiding Leano, before raking in his chips.

The news was not so good for Sabono Cocos. He leaves the tournament as one of the first eliminations (we’re informed he’s not actually the first) after his pocket jacks were beaten by Anatacio Custodio’s king-queen. Custodio hit his king on the turn.
94 remaining.

1.55pm: One good, one bad
Mark Kohner Jr has had a mixed start to the day resulting in him dropping down to 16,000 chips after back-to-back hands. The good hand started with him raising up from mid position, called by Renante Ramirez in the small blind for a J♠ 8♣ 5♦ flop. Then Ramirez led for 300. Call.

The turn came 3♦ and once again the Ramirez led out for 300 once more. Call. The river 3♣ didn’t slow Ramirez down who fired 500 into the middle, getting a quick call. The small blind could only show K♥ Q♦ and lost the pot to Kohner Jr who tabled Aâ™  K♣ .

The very next hand Kohner Jr raised it up to 300 before Leonard Lacson re-raised to 1,500. The action folded back around to Kohner Jr who thought for a while and made it 4,800. Lacson made the call for a 7♥ Q♥ J♥ flop. Kohner Jr checked and then called Lacson’s 1,000 bet before the 2♦ turn and 10♦ river were checked through. Kohner Jr tabled K♥ K♦ but was rivered by Lacson’s 10â™  10♥ . That helped Lacson up to 26,000 chips.

1.40pm: Early growling from the bear
Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein has made a good start to the day’s play. In the first hand he played he raised it up and was called by the big blind before taking the pot down with a continuation bet on the flop.

The next hand he played started when he raised to 300 from under-the-gun and was called by both blinds. The flop came Kâ™  9â™  Q♣ and this time Greenstein found resistance after his 500 bet. The small blind raised it to 1,500 but Greenstein called after the big blind moved out of the way. The turn came J♥ and that was enough to scare off the small blind as he check-folded to a 2,000 bet from Greenstein. He’s up to 23,000.

1.31pm: the details
Starting stacks today are 20,000. Seven one hour levels and opening blinds of 50-100.

1.30pm: Shuffle up and deal
We’re off, bang on time thanks to the careful marshalling of players by Tournament Director Danny McDonagh. Time to rail Barry Greenstein.

1.15pm: Let me introduce you to…
Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein has been introduced in the tournament room, to great applause. It’s the warmest reception he’s ever had at an event, he says, to another warm round of applause.

barry_greenstein_not_manila.jpg

Barry Greenstein, at the NAPT Venetian earlier this year

1pm: Hold on
There’s a slight dealy to the start today. Kick off is now 1.30pm.

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

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