2014 World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific

$10,000 Main Event
Day: 5
Event Info

2014 World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
66
Prize
850,136 AUD
Event Info
Buy-in
10,000 AUD
Prize Pool
3,125,000 AUD
Entries
329
Level Info
Level
26
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
5,000

Frank Kassela Elimiated in 5th Place (AU$164,089)

Level 24 : 15,000/30,000, 5,000 ante
Frank Kassela - 5th Place
Frank Kassela - 5th Place

Hand #21: Jack Salter had the button and action folded to him. He raised to 65,000, and then Frank Kassela, who made this final table looking for a third gold bracelet, reraised to 100,000 out of the small blind. Play got back to Salter, and he made it 240,000 to go with a four-bet. Kassela didn't back down and reraised to 525,000 with around 600,000-700,000 behind. Salter just called, and the two were going to a flop with over a million chips in the middle.

On the {7-Diamonds}{6-Hearts}{5-Clubs} flop, Kassela moved all in almost immediately. Salter double checked his hand and then quickly called. Kassela showed the {A-Hearts}{Q-Spades}, and Salter had the {A-Clubs}{A-Diamonds}.

The turn was the {7-Spades}, the {10-Clubs} landed on the river, and Kassela was off to the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jack Salter gb
Jack Salter
4,300,000
1,045,000
1,045,000
Profile photo of Frank Kassela us
Frank Kassela
Busted
WSOP 3X Winner

Tags: Frank KasselaJack Salter

Massive Double for Davies

Level 24 : 15,000/30,000, 5,000 ante

Hand #15: Jack Salter limped from the small blind and then folded when Frank Kassela exercised his option from the big with a raise to 70,000 total.

Hand #16: Salter raised to 65,000 from the button, Scott Davies defended from the big blind, and the flop came down {5-Spades}{6-Spades}{8-Hearts}. Davies led out for 80,000 and Salter folded.

Hand #17: Kassela raised to 65,000 from the button and won the blinds and antes.

Hand #18: Kyle Montgomery shoved all in from the small blind and Henry Wang folded the big.

Hand #19: Davies raised to 60,000 from the cutoff, Wang called from the small blind, and Salter came along from the big to see a flop {a-Diamonds}{j-Diamonds}{3-Diamonds}, which they all checked. When the {6-Spades} appeared on the turn, Wang checked, Salter bet 220,000, and both his opponents folded.

Hand #20: Davies raised to 60,000 under the gun and Wang called from the button. Kassela then three-bet to 180,000 from the big, Davies four-bet to 365,000, and Wang got out of the way. Kassela pushed back with a five-bet to right around 800,000, and Davies thought for well over a minute before six-bet shoving for 1.87 million. Kassela made a quick call and discovered the bad news.

Kasslea: {a-Diamonds}{k-Hearts}
Davies: {a-Hearts}{a-Spades}

Kassela paid the price with "Big Slick" as the board ran out a clean {j-Clubs}{7-Clubs}{2-Hearts}{4-Clubs}{q-Spades}.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Scott Davies us
Scott Davies
3,800,000
1,590,000
1,590,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of Frank Kassela us
Frank Kassela
1,225,000
-1,825,000
-1,825,000
WSOP 3X Winner

Tags: Frank KasselaScott Davies

Ang Italiano Eliminated in 6th Place (AU$118,769)

Level 24 : 15,000/30,000, 5,000 ante
Ang Italiano - 6th Place
Ang Italiano - 6th Place

Hand #13: Kyle Montgomery had the button to start the hand, and Jack Salter opened from under the gun to 65,000. Henry Wang called from the small blind, and then checked the {10-Clubs}{6-Hearts}{5-Hearts} flop to the preflop raiser. Salter bet 130,000, and Wang folded.

hand #14: From under the gun, Frank Kassela raised to 90,000. Action folded to Ang Italiano in the small blind, and she took some time to think over her decision before making the call. Jack Salter folded from the big blind, and the flop came down {Q-Clubs}{4-Clubs}{2-Diamonds}.

Italiano quickly moved all in on the flop, and Kassela snapped her off with the {Q-Hearts}{10-Clubs} for top pair. Italiano was caught with her hand in the cookie jar holding the {A-Diamonds}{10-Diamonds}.

The turn brought the {K-Diamonds}, and that gave Italiano an entire new world of hope as she picked up straight and flush draws to go along with her over card ace. Her rail of supporters cheered profusely for Italiano to hit, but all the deck could produce was the {K-Hearts} on the river and she was done.

Italiano was certainly the true "feel good" story of this final table, having won her seat into this event for just AU$130. She played two "Phase One" AU$65 satellites and won her second to earn entry into an AU$250 "Phase Two." She won that before winning a AU$1,100 "Phase Three" to win her seat in this Main Event. That means she saw a 91,260% increase on her original investment after walking away with a payday of AU$118,769.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Frank Kassela us
Frank Kassela
3,050,000
1,800,000
1,800,000
WSOP 3X Winner
Profile photo of Ang Italiano au
Ang Italiano
Busted

Tags: Ang ItalianoAngela ItalianoFrank KasselaHenry WangJack SalterKyle Montgomery

Kassela Shaking the Salter

Level 24 : 15,000/30,000, 5,000 ante

Hand #9: Kyle Montgomery opened for 60,000 from early position and Frank Kassela called from the big blind. Both players checked the {9-Hearts}{10-Hearts}{4-Diamonds} flop, and then Kassela led out for 85,000 on the {9-Spades} turn. Montgomery called and then called a bet of 225,000 from Kassela on the {7-Clubs} river. Kassela rolled over the {9-Diamonds}{q-Clubs} for trips, and it was good as Montgomery mucked.

Hand #10: Jack Salter raised to 65,000 from the button and took down the blinds and antes.

Hand #11: Salter raised to 65,000 from the cutoff and then called when Kassela three-bet to 125,000 from the button. Salter check-called a bet of 200,000 on the {k-Hearts}{3-Clubs}{5-Diamonds} and then check-folded to a big bet of 500,000 on the {8-Hearts} turn.

Hand #12: Salter raised to 65,000 from the hijack, Kassela three-bet to 125,000 from the cutoff, and the rest of the players folded. Salter checked the {6-Spades}{4-Spades}{k-Hearts} flop and then folded when Kassela bet 200,000.

Tags: Frank KasselaJack Salter

Italiano Shoves Over Salter

Level 24 : 15,000/30,000, 5,000 ante

Hand #6: Scott Davies had the button, and Frank Kassela opened with a raise to 65,000 from the hijack seat. Henry Wang called from the big blind, and the flop came down {K-Clubs}{J-Hearts}{3-Hearts}. After Wang checked, Kassela bet 95,000, and Wang folded.

Hand #7: Kyle Montgomery had the button, and Jack Salter opened to 65,000 from under the gun. Play folded to Ang Italiano in the big blind, and she reraised all in for around 500,000. Salter folded, and Italiano won the pot.

Hand #8: Henry Wang began the hand with the button. Frank Kassela opened the action from under the gun with a raise to 65,000. Everyone folded, and he won the pot.

Tags: Ang ItalianoAngela ItalianoFrank KasselaHenry WangJack SalterKyle MontgomeryScott Davies

First Blood to Henry

Level 24 : 15,000/30,000, 5,000 ante

Hand #1: Scott Davies opened for 60,000 from the cutoff and Henry Wang called from the small blind. Wang then checked the {9-Clubs}{q-Spades}{2-Spades} flop and Davies continued for 60,000. Wang woke up with a check-raise to 140,000 and Davies folded his hand.

"Never bluff the bluffer," said Tran, who seems to be the life of the final table.

Hand #2: Frank Kassela opened for 60,000 under the gun and won the blinds and antes.

"You make it too easy for him," Wang joked with Ang Intaliano in the small blind. "Shove all in and he fold."

Hand #3: Davies raised to 60,000 from under the gun and folded to a three-bet to 130,000 by Kassela in the big blind.

Hand #4: Kyle Montgomery raised to 60,000 under the gun, Kassela called from the small blind, and the two saw a flop of {4-Spades}{9-Clubs}{7-Hearts}. Kassela checked and then folded when Montgomery bet 80,000.

Hand #5: Jack Salter raised to 65,000 from the cutoff and Montgomery defended from the big blind. Both players checked the {a-Clubs}{8-Diamonds}{9-Hearts} flop and then Salter folded when Montgomery bet 85,000 on the {3-Diamonds} turn.

Tags: Frank KasselaHenry WangJack SalterKyle MontgomeryScott Davies

Level: 24

Blinds: 15,000/30,000

Ante: 5,000

Seat 1: Frank Kassela -- 1,250,000

Frank Kassela
Frank Kassela

Frank Kassela has been recording cashes in live poker tournaments for over a decade, but it wasn't until 2010 that he truly emerged onto the scene thanks to an excellent performance at the World Series of Poker.

It was that year that Kassela won two gold bracelets, finished third in the $25,000 Six-Max No-Limit Hold'em event, and cashed three other times to earn the honor of the 2010 WSOP Player of the Year. For that performance, Kassela's banner will forever hang on the walls during the summer, and he'll be looking to add to his story with a win here in the 2014 WSOP Asia-Pacific Main Event.

Outside of his great 2010 WSOP, Kassela made the final table of the $50,000 Poker Players' Championship this year, placing sixth for $212,829, and he cashed in the $40,000 No-Limit Hold'em 40th Anniversary Event in 2009 for $71,858.

Kassela is married, 46 years old, and has five children. He also has $2,638,222 in live tournament earnings and will be adding at least AU$118,769 to that total today. He is a small business owner and resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Coming into this final table, Kassela is fourth in chips with 1,250,000.

Tags: Frank Kassela

Seat 2: Scott Davies -- 2,210,000

Scott Davies
Scott Davies

In the first four years of his live tournament endeavors, Scott Davies hadn't earned more than $70,300 in a single year. He's going to top that just from this result alone and will add to the $218,829 he's earned in 2014 having a career year.

He also has the chance to earn his largest live tournament score ever if he can finish in fifth place or higher. Given that Davies will enter Day 5 with the second most chips, we like his chances to do just that.

Davies is originally from New Jersey in the US, but he now resides in Vancouver, Canada. He attended the University of Miami, and the Miami Hurricanes are his favorite sports team. He's 33 years old and has both graduated law school and passed the bar exam.

Davies is making his eighth World Series of Poker cash of the year in this event. His best came in the $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em during the summer where he finished in fourth place for $111,942.

Tags: Scott Davies