Home / Poker News October 2008 / APPT Auckland Main Event: Day 1A report
APPT Auckland Main Event: Day 1A report
Posted by: James Carter. - Fri, 2008-10-10 04:45
The APPT’s Auckland Main Event marked the biggest live poker event ever to hit the SkyCity Hotel and Casino in New Zealand’s capitol.
164 players bellied up to the tables on Day 1A alone, among whom there were some well known names such as Greg Raymer, Tony Hachem, and the APPT’s Macau winner Edward Sabat. About a third of the field was made up of online qualifiers who won their seats through
PokerStars.
The action began on a cautious note, as many of the online players were taking it slow in their first ever live event. Generally speaking, play on Day 1A was tight as the pressure of the blinds was not yet threatening and nobody was in a hurry to put his/her tournament life on the line. Emad Tahtouh was one of the first “name” pros to head to the rail, after he got into a tussle with Greg Raymer. His A,2 didn’t exactly hit the flop which fell K,10,2 but he decided to attempt a defense of his preflop raise when Greg Raymer checked the flop. He bet and Raymer went all-in in response, holding a K,J in the pocket. Being trapped like that, Tahtouh had to make the call. The turn and the river both failed to come through for him though, and thus he was eliminated. David Saab also found himself in a tight spot later on, as his J,x ran into a set of 6s which Nathanael Seet had hit on the flop of J,6,2. Saab’s misfortune was that he hit top pair on the flop. The turn and the river fell 10,10, and Seet bet out, only to be raised by Saab. Sensing the opportunity, Seet moved all in and Saab called him.
Greg Raymer found the rail too by the end of the day when he tangled with Jeff Dunbar and came up short. Dunbar’s preflop raise got raised by Raymer who went all-in on a pair of 10s. Unfortunately for him though, Dunbar held a pair of Js and the board failed to improve either of the involved starting hands.
A few hands later, Dunbar disposed of Edward Sabat too.
Nathanael Seet finished the day in the chip lead, followed up close by Jeff Dunbar and Andrew Pantling.
