Day 2 of Event 2: AU$2,200 No-Limit Hold'em has come to an end at the 2014 World Series of Poker Asia Pacific with 10 players still eyeing their shot at capturing the second gold bracelet of the series.
31 players began the day with just a few eliminations needed until 24 players were guaranteed a AU$3,969 payday. Andrew Hinrichsen, Jeff Gross and Kitty Kuo all found themselves on the rail before Steven Zhou moved all in holding and was called by Aik-Chuan Nee and his . Unfortunately for Zhou, the board ran out to ensure Zhou earned the title of bubble boy.
From there, Russell Thomas (24th), Najeem Ajez (21st), Tien Pham (14th), Tim O'Shea (13th) and Dan Heimiller (11th) all fell short of reaching the unofficial final table of 10 before the health concern of Nee would halt play for the evening with the final 10 sitting as follows:
Seat
Player
Chip Count
1
Peco Stojanovski
102,500
2
Michael O'Grady
44,500
3
Martin Kozlov
155,000
4
Sam Ruha
103,000
5
Samuel Ngai
153,000
6
Luke Spano
106,000
7
Junzhong Loo
205,500
8
Feng Zhou
241,500
9
Fred Chaptini
18,000
10
Aik-Chuan Nee
149,500
Play will resume Monday at 12:10 p.m. local time upstairs in Studio 3 with the PokerNews Live Reporting Team providing continuous live updates of all the final table action as we play down until the Event 2: AU$2,200 No-Limit Hold'em Champion is crowned live from Crown Melbourne and the 2014 WSOP Asia-Pacific.
After finishing 22nd in the first event of the 2014 World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific, George Danzer overtook Brandon Shack-Harris as the WSOP Player of the Year leader. Shack-Harris also finished in the money in that event, but he only managed a min-cash and is currently 1.7 points behind Danzer.
Daniel Negreanu currently sits fourth with 519.08 points, but he hasn't been able to put anything together through three events so far. Fortunately for him, there's still seven events to go, plus some bigger buy-ins that the reigning Player of the Year could make some noise in.
Last year, Negreanu became the first player to win the WSOP Player of the Year award twice, and he could make it a three-time accomplishment if he goes back to back this year.
Other notables who have made the trip Down Under that could factor into the race are Richard Ashby (413.55 points), Ismael Bojang (354.53 points), Phil Hellmuth (330.1 points), and Jeff Madsen (228.1 points).
Bruno Politano, who made this year's WSOP November Nine, has also made the trip and he has the potential to make things very interesting if he's able to put together a couple of results here in Melbourne. You see, the winner of the WSOP Main Event will earn 500 Player of the Year points, so if somehow Politano were to rack up 300 or so at this festival, the race could really come down to the wire.
The winner will receive a $10,000 seat into the 2015 WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas, and that's a prize that could potentially be worth millions of dollars.
From under the gun, Dan Heimiller moved all in for 33,000, and with the action on Martin Kozlov next to act, he announced he was all in for roughly 110,000.
Heimiller:
Kozlov:
With Heimiller racing for his tournament life, the flop put Kozlov in front but gave Heimiller outs to a jack, ten or heart.
Unfortunately for the two-time WSOP bracelet winner, the turn and river landed the and to end his tournament in 11th place.
With Eric Sclavos all in for just 1,400 on the big blind, several players limped into the pot. The flop came down and Sam Ruha checked from the small blind. Peco Stojanovski followed suit from the hijack before Dan Heimiller threw out 6,500 from the cut off. Martin Kozlov mucked from the button, followed then by Ruha.
“You better not be making that bet with a draw,” said Stojanovski, before mucking his face up.
Heimeller then turned over his and was in front, after Sclavos showed his . No help came for Sclavos as the board ran out the and .
Tim O'Shea limped in from the cutoff, as did Feng Zhou and Junzhong Loo from the button and small blind before Michael O'Grady checked his option.
On the flop, O'Shea moved all in for 30,500 and Zhou was the only caller.
O'Shea:
Zhou:
With O'Shea at risk and in the lead, the on the turn changed little, but when the landed on the river O'Shea would hit the rail in 13th place as Zhou climbed to over 180,000 in chips.
The hand started with Tien Pham moving all in from under the gun for his last 24,900 in chips. Michael O’Grady was on the small blind and made the call after thinking over his decision. The big blind folded and both players tabled their cards.
Pham:
O’Grady:
Pham was in great shape to double up as the flop came down . However, the on the turn put O’Grady in the lead and that’s how it would stay when the fell on the river.
Pham walks away with AU$6,609 for his efforts today.
In the first hand back from the break, Rodoljub Batoz moved all in for his last 25,200 in chips. The action folded around to Feng Zhou in the small blind who made the call. The big blind folded and both players tabled their cards.
Zhou:
Batoz:
The board ran out to see Zhou take down the pot with a higher two pair.
Action folded around to Martin Kozlov in late position who slid out 4,000. Michael Subacius then moved all in for 27,800 from the cut off. The button and blinds got out of the way before Kozlov made the call.
Kozlov:
Subacius:
Subacius received some extra outs when the dealer spread out , but was unable to improve as the completed the board.
Martin Kozlov opened to 3,200 only to have Michael Kyriakou move all in from the button for roughly 42,000. With the action on Aik-Chuan Nee in the big blind, he moved all in for slightly more and Kozlov folded.
Kyriakou:
Nee:
The board ran out and Kyriakou was eliminated in 17th place as Nee climbed to 100,000 in chips.
In the space of two hands, William Zaharis has hit the rail.
In the first hand, Michael Kyriakou moved all in for 25,100 from late position. Zaharis was on the small blind and moved all in for 30,000 forcing a fold from the big blind.
Zaharis:
Kyriakou:
The board of was no help for Zaharis as he dropped down to 4,900 in chips.
In the very next hand, Eric Sclavos moved all in for his last 11,900 from late position. Zaharis committed his remaining 4,700 from the button and both players then tabled their cards.
Zaharis:
Sclavos:
Zaharis would again find no help as the board ran out to see him eliminated in 18th place.
![[user80015]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and was called by Aik-Chuan Nee and his 
. Unfortunately for Zhou, the board ran out 
to ensure Zhou earned the title of bubble boy.
flop put Kozlov in front but gave Heimiller outs to a jack, ten or heart.
and 
to end his tournament in 11th place.
face up.
. No help came for Sclavos as the board ran out the 
.
flop, O'Shea moved all in for 30,500 and Zhou was the only caller.
landed on the river O'Shea would hit the rail in 13th place as Zhou climbed to over 180,000 in chips.
and Kyriakou was eliminated in 17th place as Nee climbed to 100,000 in chips.
