346 players made the trip to Club Menai on Sunday March 9 for APL's biggest monthly tournament, the Pro Series Open. With over $20,000 in cash plus 8 seats to the APL Tournament of Champions up for grabs, tension mounting and excitement building, players took to their seats for the first and second heat sessions of the day with the pressure on to make the cut.
The top 80 runners from each heat returned at 4.30pm for the final session of play, each with the goal of reaching the final table and securing a seat at the illustrious APL Tournament of Champions to be held later this year, where the winner will receive a guaranteed first prize of $250,000.00.
There were many familiar faces in the crowd, with a few local favourites speckled throughout the finalist field, not to mention 2007 APL Player of the Year John Icaca in amongst the action along with his team, the Poker Machinez.
Sydney South local Anthony Costa ensured a minimum top five table finish when he eliminated well known Pro Open heavyweight Emmanuel Sheeba from the South West in 40th place whilst holding pocket aces. Sheeba left the tournament with a Pro Series Tick valued at $110, as given to all finishers 40th-25th.
As we moved closer to the cash payouts, Kevin Donaldson from the Blue Mountains assumed the role of chip leader with over 125,000 in chips at the 2000/4000 blind level.
Leo Gasparet from Outer West was unlucky to finish on the bubble, busting in 25th place when his As9h ran into John Bakirtzidis' 10sJd on a board of 9QKJ5. John's middle pair was strong enough to send Leo to the rail, narrowly missing out on the cash prizes.
Things heated up at the final 24 mark, with all players now competing for their share in the prize pool. 24th-17th place were set to walk away with $196, and it was Des Clark from Taree who became our 17th place finisher. His Q9 fell to the K7 hand of Salie Christian from the Outer West region on a board of 67287.
Local favourite Anthony Costa was the first casualty of the final two tables when his pocket threes couldn't win against six two offsuit and was sent crashing to the rail with a cash prize of $491 – a cash prize awarded to all 16th-9th place finishers.
We were down to our final 8 after Newcastle's Phil Baker pushed all-in with K8 and was called down by George Maamary from City South holding pocket 6's. When Phil's hand failed to improve on a board of blank cards, our final table was set.
The final table commenced at 7:30pm:
Ruth Jones Sydney South 125,000
Salie Christian Outer West 280,000
Kevin Donaldson Blue Mountains 125,000
Wayne Hopkins South West 310,000
John Bakirtzidis South West 90,000
Kevin Gardener Sydney South 50,000
Steve Maddock Blue Mountains 190,000
George Maamary City South 145,000
At this point each player on the final table had secured their seat at the 2008 APL Tournament of Champions. The Pro Open had now become a race for glory and cold hard cash.
The first hand of the final table saw two players being bite the dust. Kevin Donaldson holding KJ suited in spades called two all-ins from Kevin Gardener holding 1010 and John Bakirtzidis holding KQ. With the board dropping 3c7s9sAh, the 4s on the river was enough to give Donaldson the flush and saw the final table shrink to only six.
Donaldson's luck was shortlived, however. He re-raised an initial raise from local Ruth Jones and pushed all in with his JJ. Ruth made an instant call with AsKd. In one of the most exciting flops of the day, the board fell Qs5sJs to give Kevin a set of Jacks and Ruth the nut flush and straight draws. Ruth took down the pot when the 10d fell on the turn and Kevin's tournament came to an end when a blank 8c fell on the river, the mountaineer exiting the tournament in 6th place and walking away with $982 in cash.
George Maamary was the next to hit the rail in 5th place for a cash prize of $1178 after Steve Maddock's pocket kings were enough to take down the all in pot against George's showed KQ.
Salie Christian exited the tournament in fourth place making an all-in call holding A6 against Wayne Hopkin's AQ. Salie gained no help from a board of 9AQ2Q with Wayne hitting a full-house on the river. Christian left the tournament with $1375.
Ruth's continuous post-flop raises allowed her to build a healthy chip stack, playing a little looser in the latter stages of the tournament to knock out Hopkins in 3rd place with a cash prize of $1964, leaving the remaining two players to fight it out, heads up for the Pro Series Open crown.
The turning point of the heads up battle came when Steve Maddock, chip leader, pushed all his chips in pre-flop holding A4. Ruth, surveying the prizes and eyeing off her second APL Tournament of Champions seat, made the call with QJ. Steve's lead was short lived with a flop of Q64 pushing the hometown hero in front. With no help on the turn and river, Steve was left crippled with Ruth holding an overwhelming chip lead.
The next had was dealt open, with Steve unable to post the big blind. Steve was dealt 94 against Ruth's A8.The board came K66. Steve took the lead when a 4 fell on the turn. However, Ruth sealed the tournament win with an 8 on the river.
Steve's second place finish was rewarded with a cash prize of $2946, whilst Ruth, this month's APL Pro Series Open Champion, walked away with the Title, an APL Tournament of Champions Seat and a cash prize of $4320.
The APL would like to thank all those players that took part in the March Pro Series Open
We look forward to doing it all again in April at the Campbelltown Catholic Club!
Stay tuned to APL News hosted by Pokernews.com for more information!
