2014 PokerStars.net ANZPT Melbourne Main Event Day 2: Chua Maintains Lead with 34 Left
Nine 60-minute levels, dozens of bust outs, and plenty of cash later has cut the field down to the final 34 players in the 2014 Australia New Zealand Poker Tour Melbourne Main Event from Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia.
The last level of the day was hectic as there were several players vying for the chip lead, but in the end, Day 1b chip leader Vincent Chua once again bagged up the heftiest stack. Chua will start the final day with 684,000 in chips.
Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vincent Chua | 684,000 |
| 2 | Joe Reina | 665,000 |
| 3 | Dennis Huntly | 643,000 |
| 4 | Corey Kempson | 637,000 |
| 5 | Dylan Honeyman | 498,000 |
| 6 | Adrian Bolzonello | 427,000 |
| 7 | Anthony Legg | 392,000 |
| 8 | Lloyd Godsland | 383,000 |
| 9 | Gabriel Messo | 368,000 |
| 10 | Robert Salter | 347,000 |
Three other players completed Day 2 with over 600,000 in chips — Joe Reina (665,000), Dennis Huntly (643,000), and Corey Kempson (637,000). The story of Kempson’s stack is a fun one as he made a massive call for his tournament life while on the bubble.
With around 150,000 in chips in the middle on the final board of J♦7♥3♦2♥2♠, Kempson was facing a shove against Chua, who had him covered. After several minutes ticked off the clock, Kempson made the call with the 9♠7♠ for two pair, sevens and deuces. Chua showed a beaten 10♠8♠ for a busted straight draw, and Kempson successfully doubled up.
These above three players, along with Chua, are well ahead of the next largest chip stack in Dylan Honeyman (498,000). Some of the others who will also be at the felt on the final day include Anthony Legg (392,00), Luke Spano (318,000), Edison Nguyen (203,000), and former APPT Melbourne runner-up Phillip Willcocks (200,000).
While 34 players have made it through to Day 3, exactly 144 players had to hit the rail, and most of those failed to make the money. Some of those who were eliminated well before the bubble include Kahle Burns, 2012 Aussie Millions champ David Gorr, Sam Rotar, Oliver Gill, Aaron Benton, Michael Pedley, Jackie Glazier, and Team PokerStars Pro Bryan Huang.
The one player who made it very close to the money, but ultimately ended up as the official bubble was Michael Fraser. It was a brutal exit for Fraser as his pocket aces fell to the A♥Q♥ of Michael Chrisanthopoulos after the latter rivered a straight.
Following Fraser’s elimination, the 63 remaining players had all made it into the money, but of course, were hoping to survive through the night. Unfortunately not everyone could do that, as Brett Chalhoub (61st - $3,100), Aleks Brkovic (60th - $3,100), Matt Wakeman (59th - $3,100), Matthew Edwards (55th - $3,100), Fabian Craib (47th - $3,600), and Nam Le (41st - $4,100) all hit the rail with a small consolation prize for their time.
Full ANZPT Melbourne results so far can be found on the PokerNews payout page.
The final elimination of the night saw Dean Francis fall in 35th place. With that, 34 players had secured a place on the final day. Those players have now locked up at least AU$4,600, but more importantly they have ensured they remain in contention for the AU$253,000 top prize!
The third and final day of action is set to begin at 12:30 p.m local time and PokerNews will once again be in the Crown Poker Room providing live updates until a champion is crowned. Be sure to join us, and we'll see you then.
*Lead photo courtesy of Poker Asia Pacific.
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