The final table of Event 6: AU$1,650 8-Game Dealer's Choice has been reached with Rory Young leading the final six players.
What started yesterday afternoon with 89 players and a AU$133,500 prizepool, just 19 players reached the penultimate day with the aim of reaching an elusive World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific final table.
Although play started slowly, it quickly picked up once Stephen Woodhead reduced the field to just three tables. Michael Guzzardi, overnight chip leader Gary Benson, Stuart Rutter and Jeff Madsen all fell to the rail before the two-table redraw before Jeff Gross lost a big flip against his buddy and new chip leader Brian Rast. Frank Kassela then found himself in a world of pain against Jason Gray to be eliminated next before hand-for-hand play began.
Lasting into the next level, eventually it would be local player Srdjan Brkic becoming the bubble boy when Sam Khouiss rivered two-pair in Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo to guarantee the final nine to be in-the-money. Shivan Abdine (9th), Michael Wang (8th) and Samuel Ngai (7th) all then found themselves watching from the rail to leave the final table as follows:
With Young holding the chip lead with 102,300, he still has some work to do as this final table is filled with talented players. WSOP bracelet winner Brian Rast sits in second with 96,400 while youngster David Zhao sits with 89,000 as Australian poker stalwarts Sam Khouiss and Jason Gray also remain.
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on hand to provide continuos hand-for-hand live updates of the final table once it recommences at 12:10 p.m. local time on Friday from Crown Melbourne's Studio 3. Make sure to stay locked to PokerNews.com as we crown the Event 6: AU$1,650 8-Game Dealer's Choice Champion!
David Zhao raised the hijack to 4,000 and Samuel Ngai called all-in for 4,000 in the cutoff. Brian Rast also called in the big blind and drew two as Ngai asked for three and Zhao drew one. Zhao bet and Rast check-called before drawing two along with Ngai while Zhao asked for just one.
Again Zhao bet out, but on this occasion Rast folded and Ngai stood pat as Zhao asked for one more.
Ngai:
Zhao:
With Ngai needing to fade any jack, ten, nine, eight, six or three, Zhao squeezed out the and slammed it on the table to eliminate Ngai in 7th place for an AU$5,934 payday.
With George Danzer now reaching the money and on the verge of making the final table here in Event 6, it's time to take a closer look at how the WSOP Player of the Year race is faring.
Brandon Shack-Harris currently sits with 806.7 points and is 44.5 points ahead of Danzer who sits with 762.2 points.
Although there are several big events on the schedule, this is probably the best chance for Danzer to capture the lead back if he can finish fourth or better.
However, any result by Danzer that isn't a top four finish will close the gap significantly as the following table shows:
George Danzer had the bring-in and Michael Wang completed with Danzer calling. Wang bet fourth, fifth and sixth until he was all in with Danzer calling each time.
Danzer: /
Wang: /
With Wang trailing, he would need to find an ace, nine or three to stay alive, and once Danzer peeled the , all of Wang's outs were live.
Unfortunately for Wang, he could only peel the on the river, and was eliminated in 8th place leaving the final seven players to redraw to the unofficial final table.
On a flop, Brian Rast checked from the small blind before Frank Kassela bet pot of 6,000. Jason Gray raised all in for 14,600 and Rast folded before Kassela called all in for his last 11,700.
Kassela:
Gray:
With Kassela trailing, the on the turn rendered him drawing dead as the completed the board on the river to end the two-time WSOP bracelet winners run in 11th place.
Brian Rast opened to 1,400 from the hijack and Jeff Gross three-bet to 5,000 from the button. Rast called as the flop landed and Gross proceeded to find himself all in with Rast calling.
Gross:
Rast:
With both players holding flush and straight draws, it would be Rast striking the turn when the landed, and when Gross failed to improve with the on the river, he hit the rail as Rast soared to 118,000 in chips.
Rich Ryan and Donnie Peters break down all of the latest stories in the poker world, including the start of the 2014 World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific and the WSOP Player of the Year race, and Phil Hellmuth joins the program to talk about chasing bracelets, ambassadorship, and more.
Don't forget the NJOY November Nine Preview, where the crew discusses the only member of the final table who's Down Under: Bruno Politano.
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/ 
/ 
, all of Wang's outs were live.
on the river, and was eliminated in 8th place leaving the final seven players to redraw to the unofficial final table.
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
flop, Brian Rast checked from the small blind before Frank Kassela bet pot of 6,000. Jason Gray raised all in for 14,600 and Rast folded before Kassela called all in for his last 11,700.
on the turn rendered him drawing dead as the 
on the river, he hit the rail as Rast soared to 118,000 in chips.
