Level: 2
Blinds: 75/150
Ante: 0
2011 PokerStars.net APPT Queenstown Snowfest
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2011 PokerStars.net APPT Queenstown Snowfest
Buy-in
2,700 NZD
Entries
127
Level
26
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
5,000
![[user162117]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Another player has joined Stephen Moon on the rail, with Shai Lanuel the latest victim in this first level of play.
We caught the action with a board showing 
and Lanuel going up against Joseph Allis. After a slew of raises and re-raises on both turn and when the 
hit the river, all the chips would go in the middle and the players would turn their hands over.
Lanuel: 
Allis: 
Another set for one player would see the demise of another, as we have already lost two players in the first level of action.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
42,000
22,000
|
22,000 |
|
||
|
|
Busted | |
Jackson Zheng has already primed himself for a run at a victory on home turf, with Zheng forcing the early elimination of Stephen Moon.
Zheng would make the call from the small blind when faced with a raise from Koray Turker on the button. Moon was in the big blind, where he raised it up to 800. Turker got out of the way, while Zheng made the call.
Flop: 
Zheng check-raised to 2,600 at which point Moon shoved his entire stack in the middle. Zheng made the call and the two turned their hands over.
Moon turned over 
, holding one of the nicest looking hands in the deck with the two red aces. That is, they looked nice before Zheng tabled his 
for a flopped set.
When the turn and river bricked it was an early finish and the title of first elimination for Moon who can now enjoy all the this fine city has to offer, while Zheng moves to 43,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
43,000
23,000
|
23,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
Busted | |
Only a few minutes into Day 1a and David McBrien is sitting pretty with around 28,500 in chips. Of course, the very nature of poker means that for McBrien to have won so many chips there has to have been a loser.
Semesa Brown opened to 250 from late position and received a call from McBrien on the button. The small blind got out of the way, whereby Cole Swannack three-bet to 950 in the big blind. Brown would get out of the way, while McBrien made the call.
The flop landed with 
and Swannack led for 1,300 which McBrien quickly raised to 4,500. Swannack called and check-called a 4,000 chip bet from McBrien as the 
hit the turn.
When the 
landed on the river both players opted to check and turn their cards over. Swannack revealed his 
and they were forced into the muck as McBrien tabled his 
, the bluffs on the flop and turn coming good on the river when McBrien made his pair.
Swannack now sits with only 11,000 while McBrien has made his fantastic start to the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
28,500
8,500
|
8,500 |
|
11,000
-9,000
|
-9,000 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,000 | |
|
|
||
|
20,000 | |
|
20,000 | |
|
|
||
|
20,000 | |
|
|
||
|
20,000 | |
|
|
20,000 | |
|
|
||
|
20,000 | |
|
20,000 | |
|
|
20,000 | |
|
|
20,000 | |
|
|
20,000 | |
|
|
20,000 | |
|
|
20,000 | |
|
|
||
|
|
20,000 | |
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
While there are only a few tables kicking off the action here at the Queenstown APPT there certainly isnt a shortage in famaliar faces.
Over on Table 1, Joel Feldman sits in the first seat with Luke Edwards on his left, while down the other end of the tables sits Brett Chalhoub.
Table 3 features New Zealand local Koray Turker, sitting side-by-side with fellow kiwi Jackson Zheng, while Aaron Benton sits just a couple of seats to Zheng's left.
Some other famaliar faces around the room include Jacky Wang, John Maklouf, Trung Tran and Cole Swannack.
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
A total of 38 players have taken their seats at the table at the start of Day 1a, but this number could of course increase with late registration, as more players get out of the cold and into the warmth of the Summit Room.
There will be six 1-hour levels played today, with blinds kicking off at 50/100. The players sit in front of a hefty 20,000 chip-stack, so will have plenty of time to choose their spots carefully.
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
The players are in their seats in the Summit Room at the Sky City Casino, where Casino Shift Manager Andrew Gray has welcomed the players and sent out the call for the dealers to throw the cards in the air!
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
Ready your snowboards, skis, warm clothes and, of course your poker-face, as the second event of the PokerStars.net 2011 Asia Pacific Poker Tour is set to begin in the stunning city of Queenstown, New Zealand.
The beautiful snow-tipped mountains and picturesque lakes of Queenstown have replaced the hustle and bustle of the big city lights of the first stop on the APPT, and the feeling around town is that it’s a welcomed change, as players from all around the world marvel at the beautiful location.
It’s hard to imagine the days of seedy back room poker club situated in dark alleyways when you first lay eyes on the remarkable New Zealand location, with only the second APPT event of the year setting a high benchmark for the rest of the tour.
All the players have been arriving over the last couple of days and getting involved in the plethora of adventure activities on offer in Queenstown, including white water rafting, skydiving, jet boating, paragliding and bungie jumping. Apparently, playing in big poker tournaments and risking thousands of dollars against the best players in the world isn’t enough excitement for some!
Expected to hit the felt over the next couple of days and representing their home country include New Zealand’s only WSOP bracelet holder Simon Watt, APPT Melbourne runner-up finisher Phillip Willcocks and last year’s APPT Auckland champion Danny "Brotha D" Leaosavaii.
If the above players want to keep the title on New Zealand soil they will have to get through a tough field of international players including the likes of 2005 World Series of Poker Champion and PokerStars Team Pro Joe Hachem, while players like Jesse McKenzie and Ricky Kroesen will be looking to utilize this tournament to capitalize on their positions on the Australia New Zealand Player of the Year leaderboard as they trail 2011 Melbourne APPT champ, Leo Boxell.
While Queenstown is no stranger to a championship tournament, it is the first time the city has been home to an APPT event and the atmosphere couldn’t be one of more excitement, as teeth chatter and bodies shake- not only because it’s cold in this side of the world- but because of the anticipation as the start of the of the $2,700 APPT Queenstown Main Event is finally upon us!
Join the PokerNews Live Reporting Team from 12.30 pm local time, for all the bad-beats, good reads, sick bluffs and even sicker suck-outs, as Queenstown becomes ‘Pokertown’.