January Queensland Full Tilt Poker.org State Finals wrap!
2009-01-19 APL Team
On an overcast and surprisingly cool January morning, 508 of Queensland's finest APL players flocked to Kedron Wavell Services Club to do battle to crown the January 2009 Full Tilt Poker . ORG Queensland State Champion! With 68 tables dressed to perfection and a special events team eager and excited, the players were going to be given a spectacular event. That is just what they got as a sea of colours representing regions far and wide entered the playing arena.
With $30,000 in cash and prizes including 12 seats into the upcoming Wild Turkey Poker Classic players roared when host Martin Harvey bellowed those words; " Shuffle Up And Deal".
One player Sharon Woods had traveled 2000 kms from the middle of the Simpson Desert as she has moved since qualifying for this spectacular event and wasn't going to miss it for the world. Laif Jackson was celebrating his 36th birthday and was hoping to repeat his qualification of last years TOC.
The women dominated early as Vicky Pasensky and Sue Davies alongside Ramona Helstead chipped up early. Sue Davies doubled through when her river bet of all in was called and her full house crushed the rivered straight of her male opponent.
One hand that is worth reporting occurred on Table 43 when two players exchanged re-raises until they were all in on the turn. Players revealed a king high flush and unbelievably the nut Ace high flush. The hand wasn't over, as the King high flush still had just one out. The fist pumped the table the river-card was snapped and BANG out it came in the cruelest of fashions. The king high flush had improved to a straight flush and the unlucky player from South Brisbane hit the rail to gasps from the remaining players.
As we headed for the dinner break with less than 150 players remaining, Laif Jackson, the birthday boy, three bet under the gun only to be put all in by a player in the cut off. Action folded round to Laif who snapped called, Helmuth style and turned over AA to be miles in front of his opponent's q/kos. It was left to Laif to deal the flop and it could not get any worse when he revealed in sequence 9c 10s Jd. The turn repeated the 9 but a rag 3 on the river sent Laif to the rail.
With four tables left the ladies had a horrific run when six of them busted in a row, leaving just Wendy Winton representing the only chance of a female player to become the first State Final Champion. Brisbane City Player Luke Stanaway was committed on his BB when two players shoved in front of him. He made the call with Q/10 and was live against pocket 5's and A/10suited. Luke hit the front when the Q hit the turn but was knocked out when the 5% two outer Ac hit the river.
Play was tight when the final 16 players hit the two staff dealt final tables as we had 10 WTPC seats on offer in the main event. It seemed a player busted in every hand and we were down to 12 when our last female player Wendy was forced all in on her BB. She turned over 4/2os and needed a miracle when her opponent hit his Ace on the flop. She didn't get it but received a massive round of applause for her 12 place effort.
It was the very next hand when the bubble burst. Action folded round to Jeff Thompson who called and peeled a flop against BB Luke Pringle. It came down 8/9/10 rainbow and Jeff shoved all in. Luke Pringle snap called and tables J/Qos for the nut straight. Jeff had a pair and a straight draw but couldn't improve to hit the rail in the WTPC bubble.
The top 10 erupted as they realized they would playing at the famous Crown Casino Melbourne in just four weeks time for a massive prize pool in another spectacular APL event. Host Martin Harvey introduced them in reverse chip order and was impressed when four of the final table advised they were playing in their first State Finals!
Peter Bonarrigo from QBC was short stacked with just $60k and despite surviving a rotation was the first final table player to bust. Tony Sheeham from Gold Coast was desperately to run his JJ into QQ leaving him short stacked only to bust in a creditable 9th. Neil Bramley, Ben Aidons and Andrew Ross followed in quick succession and amazingly the top 5 players included two from Townsville, one from the Gold Coast, one from the Whitsunday's and one from the Sunshine Coast. Could Townsville take back to back State Finals? It seemed that James Hemphill was running over things with raise after raise, but his stack then went into rollercoaster mode. Chris Parry raised and Geoffrey Baker shoved giving our BB James "Get me Beer" Hemphill an awkward decision with A/Qhrts. He amazingly layed it down only to let Chris Parry call with A/5os. The ace hit the flop and Geoffrey went to the rail in 5th in a pot that moved the chip lead to Chris Parry with over 1.5 million. Had James "where is that beer?" Hemphill called he would have eliminated both players and taken a massive stack three handed.
Like Pringle player a TAG (tight aggressive) game and he really will be a massive danger in the WTPC. His cards deserted him and he hit the rail in 4th. James "The Mouth" Treanor was unlucky to tangle with James Hemphill but he did Townsville proud and took home $1500 as well as his Wild Turkey prizes and the WTPC seat. This left Gold Coast and Whitsunday's to fight it out and what a heads up battle we had. In just 7 hands the chip lead changed 4 times and when James Hemphill shoved in the small blind Chris Parry trusted his reading ability and called with 8/9os. James had 6/8 suited but when the 9 hit the turn James run came to an end and we had a deserving champion in Whitsunday's Chris Parry.
Congratulations to all the qualifying players in the Jan 2009 State Final and we look forward to seeing you in just three month's time!
On an overcast and surprisingly cool January morning, 508 of Queensland's finest APL players flocked to Kedron Wavell Services Club to do battle to crown the January 2009 Full Tilt Poker . ORG Queensland State Champion! With 68 tables dressed to perfection and a special events team eager and excited, the players were going to be given a spectacular event. That is just what they got as a sea of colours representing regions far and wide entered the playing arena.
