$1,500 Platinum Player Championships
Day 1c Completed
2024 Australian Poker Open
$1,500 Platinum Player Championships
Day: 1c
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1c
2024 Australian Poker Open
Buy-in
1,500 AUD
Prize Pool
1,218,100 AUD
Entries
937
Level
31
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
400,000
Entries
164
Players Left
20
Guarantee Surpassed on Day 1c of $1,500 Platinum Player Championships
Level 16
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
The busiest day of the Australian Poker Open thus far saw 164 entries in the $1,500 Platinum Player Championships, bringing the overall tournament total to 455 with two more opening flights to be played.
It was a celebratory mood inside the beautiful Doltone House Western Sydney at Club Marconi, as tournament officials announced that the first three events of the festival all surpassed their advertised guarantees, including the AUD $500,000 on this event. That mark was passed on Level 5, and grew to $591,500 by the time late registration closed.
Leading the way is Justin Woo, who became the fourth member of the 1,000,000 chip club overall in the event when he finished the night on the number exactly.
Another 20 players filled a bag at the end of night, joining 37 from the first two flights of the tournament. All of them have earned a minimum of AUD $2,300, looking for much more when they return on Monday, April 1. That bubble number was originally set at 21, but a pair of knockouts on the bubble left the final cash of the night split between two players.
Day 1c Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justin Woo | Australia | 1,000,000 |
| 2 | Shane Pearce | Australia | 916,000 |
| 3 | Matt Rolfe | Australia | 773,000 |
| 4 | Erden Ibrahim | Australia | 757,000 |
| 5 | Nicholas Wright | Australia | 715,000 |
| 6 | Alex Lynskey | Australia | 697,000 |
| 7 | Amin Riyazati | Australia | 525,000 |
| 8 | Andreas Vasiliou | Australia | 509,000 |
| 9 | Liam Murray | Australia | 377,000 |
| 10 | Wei Chin Huang | Taiwan | 339,000 |
Woo was no the only player to hit the million-chip mark on Friday. Shane Pearce held the chip lead with a seven-figure stack, but lost a bit of ground to sit in second spot. Erden Ibrahim built a stack with kings after the final break of the night, also giving back some of those chips before finishing inside the top five.
Another notable name with a big stack in Alex Lynskey, who finished seventh in the 2018 WSOP Main Event. Lynskey also captured a WSOP Circuit Main Event title that year, one of several wins he has registered in Australia. The veteran sits sixth after Day 1c, looking to make another deep run in his home country.
The real fireworks came on the very last action of the night, as both Ken Demlakian and Steffan Thomas busted during hand-for-hand play on the direct money bubble. Woo was responsible for one of those knockouts, finding pocket kings to finish off Thomas while Demlakian was the shortest stack remaining at that point. The two split the minimum cash of $2,300 as the rest of the players bagged for the night.
There are just two more starting flights to be played, beginning with Day 1d on Saturday, March 30 at 11 a.m. local time. The tournament prize pool will grow even further as players return with a starting stack of 50,000 chips, with unlimited reentries still in play.
Blind levels continue to be 40 minutes length, starting with blinds of 100/200 and a 200 big blind ante. Scheduled breaks will occur after every three levels, and the field will play down to the top 12.5% remaining. Late registration is open until end of Level 9.
Don’t miss any of the action, as the PokerNews team has you covered with live reporting from the floor here in Sydney.
End of Day 1c Chip Counts (full)
Level 16
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,000,000 | |
|
||
|
916,000
-119,000
|
-119,000 |
|
773,000
138,000
|
138,000 |
|
757,000
92,000
|
92,000 |
|
715,000
520,000
|
520,000 |
|
697,000
272,000
|
272,000 |
|
525,000
120,000
|
120,000 |
|
509,000
85,000
|
85,000 |
|
377,000
377,000
|
377,000 |
|
339,000
209,000
|
209,000 |
|
330,000
-44,000
|
-44,000 |
|
209,000
97,000
|
97,000 |
|
208,000 | |
|
204,000
-86,000
|
-86,000 |
|
179,000
179,000
|
179,000 |
|
|
174,000
174,000
|
174,000 |
|
170,000
-188,000
|
-188,000 |
|
151,000
151,000
|
151,000 |
|
146,000
-166,000
|
-166,000 |
|
75,000
-73,000
|
-73,000 |
Double Bubble To End Day 1c
Level 16
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Sitting just one elimination away from the money, players watched two all-ins called on adjoining tables.
Table 17
Justin Woo raised from under the gun and made the call after Steffan Thomas moved all in.
Steffan Thomas: A♣K♠ 
Justin Woo: K♣K♥
Thomas could not find an ace to crack Woo's pocket kings on the 10♦3♠5♦8♣9♦ runout. "You're welcome, everyone," said Woo as players then turned their attention to the other table.
Table 13
Ken Demlakian called an open to 25,000 from early position and called the rest of his short stack when Mitch Webster moved all in on the button.
Ken Demlakian: 6♠5♠
Mitch Webster: 9♣9♥
Webster's nines were never in danger on the K♥4♦4♥8♠2♦ board, ending Demlakian's run on the bubble.
Demlakian and Thomas were eliminated together, and split the $2,300 min cash. The remaining 20 players then bagged up for the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,000,000
458,000
|
458,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
208,000
83,000
|
83,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Webster Stays Alive, Leaves Demlakian Short
Level 16
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Mitch Webster moved all in for his last 50,000 from under the gun and was at risk when Ken Demlakian shoved in the small blind.
Mitch Webster: K♠10♠
Ken Demlakian: A♥6♣
Webster got up and prepared to exit on the bubble, but the 10♥2♣3♠7♦2♦ runout left him with the only pair. Demlakian was left with crumbs while Webster doubled up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
125,000
-5,000
|
-5,000 |
|
|
46,000
-152,000
|
-152,000 |
|
|
||
Level: 16
Blinds: 6,000/12,000
Ante: 12,000
Hand-For-Hand Play Begins
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
With 22 players remaining, hand-for-hand play has started.
The next elimination will bring Day 1c to a close.
More For Rolfe
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Ken Demlakian opened to 20,000 from under the gun and was immediately met with a three-bet to 50,000 from Matt Rolfe on his left.
Demlakian checked the 4♣5♣K♣ flop, calling after Rolfe continued for 15,000.
Both players checked the 9♣ turn, and again on the 5♠ river.
Demlakian said "Ace-high" before Rolfe showed A♦5♦ for trip fives to take another pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
635,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
|
|
198,000
-64,000
|
-64,000 |
|
|
||
Rolfe Catches a King
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Matt Rolfe moved all in on the button and Nelson Dong took a moment to check the tournament clock before making the call in the big blind.
Nelson Dong: 10♠10♣
Matt Rolfe: K♥9♥
Dong's pocket tens were unable to hold, as Rolfe caught a king in the window of the K♣5♠7♥4♣3♣ runout. Dong wished the table good luck on his way to the exit.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
590,000
254,000
|
254,000 |
|
Busted |
Pearce Crosses the Million Mark
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,035,000
495,000
|
495,000 |
|
|
665,000
-230,000
|
-230,000 |
|
|
542,000
492,000
|
492,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
425,000
140,000
|
140,000 |
|
|
424,000
69,000
|
69,000 |
|
|
405,000
264,000
|
264,000 |
|
|
374,000
196,000
|
196,000 |
|
|
336,000
286,000
|
286,000 |