SPT Main Event Day 1a | 2024 SunBet Time Square

08-07-2024 19:04 UTC+2

Life Outside Poker: Ian Simpson Thinks Science Can Save the World

Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Life Outside Poker is a new podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level.

In the 13th episode, Connor speaks with 888poker ambassador and Twitch streamer Ian Simpson, who talked about first learning poker as a kid, getting a degree in biotechnology and becoming a biology teacher, poker streaming and his breakout year of live poker in 2013 that saw him winning the Irish Poker Open for $339,604.

Simpson also discussed the importance of being a responsible poker ambassador and how science can change the world for the better.

The Life Outside Poker podcast is available on major streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and iHeartRadio. You can also watch the interview with Ian Simpson by heading to the PokerNews YouTube channel.

Learn More About Life Outside Poker!

Tags: Connor Richards Ian Simpson Apple Podcasts

08-07-2024 18:31 UTC+2

Ramnundlall Eliminated by Grove

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Dimitri Hadjipaschali raised to 2,200 and Teren Ramnundlall then pushed all-in for 17,700 on the button. Sheldon Grove called in the small blind and the initial raiser folded.

Teren Ramnundlall: Q♣10♠ All in
Sheldon Grove: K♣J♥

The 9♦6♣4♥ flop missed both players while Grove hit the K♥ turn to leave Ramnundlall with just three outs. None of them came on the 8♣ river to send Ramnundlall to the rail. Also no longer featured on the same table is Menesh Keshav, as his seat next to Grove is empty.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sheldon Grove	190,000 90,000	90,000
Okkie Fourie	110,000 58,000	58,000
Mariette Language	110,000 15,000	15,000
Dimitri Hadjipaschali	75,000 -5,000	-5,000
Shawn Smith (SA)	28,000 -7,000	-7,000
Teren Ramnundlall	Busted
Menesh Keshav	Busted

Tags: Dimitri Hadjipaschali Sheldon Grove Teren Ramnundlall Menesh Keshav

08-07-2024 17:55 UTC+2

Maroun Eliminated by Ah-Nien

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Martin Maroun raised to 3,000 and was called by Patrice Ah-Nien. On a flop of A♣J♣6♦, Ah-Nien check-called for 8,000 and checked the Q♦ on the turn. Maroun jammed for around 23,000 and was snap-called.

Martin Maroun: 7♥7♠ All in
Patrice Ah-Nien: A♠Q♣

Maroun was caught with the fingers in the cookie jar and found no two-outer, as the 10♣ river ended his run. "See you later Martin," another player at the table remarked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Patrice Ah-Nien	175,000 45,000	45,000
Martin Maroun	Busted

Tags: Martin Maroun Patrice Ah-Nien

08-07-2024 17:15 UTC+2

Flashback: Sugen Singh Takes the Trophy in Sunbet Poker Tour Time Square Main Event

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 6 : 400/800, 800 ante

The 2024 SunBet Poker Tour visited Time Square Casino in March, where Sugen Singh claimed the trophy of Main Event after a three-way deal.

The tournament drew a total of 418 entries across four starting days to surpass the ZAR5,000,000 guarantee, attracting many notables of the close-knit South African poker community. Singh took home the trophy along with ZAR707,675 ($38,214).

Final Table Result

Rank	Player	Country	Prize (ZAR)	Prize (USD)
1	Sugen Singh	South Africa	707,675	$38,214*
2	SM	South Africa	1,000,000	$54,000*
3	MAJ	South Africa	600,000	$32,400*
4	Jarred Solomon	South Africa	323,910	$17,491
5	Danny Dayani	South Africa	249,120	$13,452
6	David Ng	Mauritius	206,460	$11,149
7	Norman Cherry	South Africa	173,280	$9,357
8	Gareth Kalil	South Africa	140,200	$7,571
9	Gavin Sardini	South Africa	107,285	$5,793

* Denotes three-way deal

08-07-2024 16:30 UTC+2

Become a Bigger Part of the Action With MyStack by PokerNews

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Have you heard about MyStack by PokerNews? It is a free-to-use tool built into the PokerNews website that puts you in control of your chip counts on our live reporting pages. MyStack directly connects you to PokerNews' live reporting pages, making you an even bigger part of the action in the events you play.

MyStack is a free poker tool and PokerNews activates MyStack for every event it is live reporting from, regardless of that tournament's buy-in. Once you have created a free PokerNews account, you can use MyStack to update your chip counts in real time; hopefully, your stack will continue increasing throughout the event!

Click Here to Set Up Your Account

08-07-2024 16:11 UTC+2

Taliwanth Doubles Through Blom

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

On a three-way flop of 9♣5♠3♣, Cliton Taliwanth had bet and then jammed over the top of a raise by table chip leader Wesley Blom while Vygandas Simuntis got out of the way. Blom called and they turned them over.

Cliton Taliwanth: 8♣7♣ All in
Wesley Blom: 9♦8♦

The 10♠ turn and J♥ river gave Taliwanth the bottom end of the straight for a double worth 27,700. Simuntis needed a while to figure out what had won the pot, while Blom was slightly annoyed by the "luckbox" next to him.

Player	Chips	Progress
Wesley Blom	100,000 -25,000	-25,000
Cliton Taliwanth	62,000 32,000	32,000
Vygandas Simuntis	30,000 -5,000	-5,000

Tags: Cliton Taliwanth Vygandas Simuntis Wesley Blom

08-07-2024 14:55 UTC+2

Heather-Clark Eliminated by October

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Having won the first hand of the day, things went downhill from there for Quintin Heather-Clark. He just ended up all-in and at risk for around 14,000 and was dominated by Caleb October in the following preflop contest.

Quintin Heather-Clark: A♦Q♠
Caleb October: A♥K♣

Both players hit their kicker on the K♥Q♦10♦8♠2♣ runout and that spelled the end for Heather-Clark.

Player	Chips	Progress
Caleb October	55,000 55,000	55,000
Quintin Heather-Clark	Busted

Tags: Caleb October Quintin Heather-Clark

08-07-2024 14:38 UTC+2

Singh Flops a Set

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Sugen Singh in the small blind wanted to raise but didn't announce it and thus overcalled an opening raise to 1,000, which brought along five players in total to the 6♥5♥3♠ flop. Table chip leader Sheldon Grove in the big blind bet 1,000 and Stephen Courtney raised to 2,500, forcing out the other two players.

Singh then reraised to 5,000 and Grove folded, as did Courtney.

Before collecting the pot, Singh wanted the others to guess his hand and eventually revealed the 3♥3♦ for flopped bottom set.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sheldon Grove	115,000
Sugen Singh	92,000 54,000	54,000
Mariette Language	30,000 30,000	30,000
Stephen Courtney	20,000 -7,000	-7,000

Tags: Sheldon Grove Stephen Courtney Sugen Singh

08-07-2024 14:21 UTC+2

Steenkamp Cracks Ghoorbin's Aces

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Three ways to the K♦5♥5♠9♠ turn, it checked to Vishal Ghoorbin and he bet 4,500. One caller later, Derrick Steenkamp then check-raised to 10,000 and Ghoorbin was the only caller. Steenkamp led the 8♠ river for 10,000 and Ghoorbin sigh-called to get shown the 6♣5♣ for flopped trips fives.

"You play so bad," Wesley Blom joked as Ghoorbin smacked his A♦A♠ on the felt. The hand left Ghoorbin very short and he bowed out right after.

New in the field are Hennie Appel on the second bullet and Minesh Keshav.

Player	Chips	Progress
Wesley Blom	80,000 25,000	25,000
Darick Steenkamp	70,000 70,000	70,000
Hennie Appel	40,000 40,000	40,000
Menesh Keshav	40,000 40,000	40,000
Vishal Ghoorbin	Busted

Tags: Derrick Steenkamp Hennie Appel Vishal Ghoorbin Wesley Blom

08-07-2024 13:24 UTC+2

Language First to Fall on Day 1a

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Mariette Language limped in and then faced a raise to 1,500 and the squeeze to 3,700 by Kyle van Blerk. She moved all-in with a shorter stack and van Blerk snap-called.

Mariette Language: 6♥6♠
Kyle van Blerk: A♦A♠

There was no miracle escape on the 7♠4♣2♠J♥5♣ runout and Language became the first casualty on Day 1a. Soon after, Darryll Shaff was also sent to the rail as 37 players out of 39 entries remain.

Player	Chips	Progress
Pravir Rama	80,000 15,000	15,000
Kyle van Blerk	50,000 15,000	15,000
Mariette Language	Busted
Darryl Shaff	Busted

Tags: Darryll Shaff Kyle van Blerk Mariette Language