Cabra-Vale Diggers Club had the scene set for an epic and emotional event last Saturday 10 February, as players prepared themselves for the APL's biggest monthly tournament – the APL Pro Series Open. With 8 tickets to the exclusive 2008 APL Tournament of Champions up for grabs it was little wonder why close to 300 players had assembled to take their shot at the TOC, and a share in a Pro Series prize pool of over $19,000 in cash and prizes.
The earlier part of the tournament was conducted as 2 heats of 146, with each heat playing down to the top 80 before amalgamating for the evening's Final Session in which the remaining 160 players would make their dash for the cash.
The tournament took on an almost 'professional feel', with players making moves with steady hands and nerves of steel as we moved into our top 40 and into the prizes. With some stacks towering whilst others seemed to dwindle, the sometimes cruel nature of tournament poker saw 40th-25th bow out of the February Pro Series – but not without a ticket to the next Pro Open!
It was Emmanuel Sheeba from the South West region who led the tournament when we finally made our way into the top 24 and into the money, sitting on roughly 180,000 as our players buckled down to see who would take out the Pro Open Title for February 2008.
The 'business end' of the tournament seemed to spark a rollercoaster of emotion throughout the field, with the river card all too often seeming to play the star role in making or breaking our final 24's hopes of a Pro Open victory.
Old Bar's Sue Hunt was one such player who met the end of her tournament life when her were crushed by the river card when the hit the felt to pull Karel Pietronice's out in front, and push Hunt out of the tournament with $175.00 in cash.
But it wasn't all calculated calls and fastidious folds – Danny Bryant pushed all in following a raise from the small blind who made the call with , forcing Wellington's Bryant to turn over . Danny looked to be in some trouble when the flop fell , but managed to catch perfect running cards in a on turn and on the river to make his straight and eliminate another player out of the Open.
South West veterans Dave Stevenson and Vannack Ngan went head to head soon after to decide who would be taking their tournament campaign to the final two tables when Stevenson pushed all in from the small blind. Ngan was quick to call but was in trouble with against his home region rival's until a rouge on the turn sent Stevenson spiralling out of the tournament and brought Ngan one step closer to victory.
All the luck seemed to be in Danny Bryant's corner as he continued to build an impressive stack, cracking Inner West card shark Daniel Ascic's with . Ascic left the Open with a bitter taste in his mouth, but a cool $436 in his hand.
Warragambah's Sue Johnson, who seemed to have been switched on from the first hand took down a handy pot against Ramin Khan when she made the read of the day to call down a flop and turn bet with nothing but Ace high, which proved to be enough.
It was still Sheeba with all the chips as we made our way into the final 16 - APL Cruise Runner Up Elena Sgourous looked to be the one to change all that when she flopped the nut flush against the big stack whilst holding , whilst also managing to pull Rick Wickramasena into the hand. Sheeba's looked to be useless until a pairing of the board on the turn followed by a to complete Emmanuel's full house and send Elena and Rick spiralling out of the tournament, and the chip leader on his way to the final table.
The final table recommenced at 6.30pm;
Seat 1: Sergio Zdanowicz – Penrith/Blacktown/Hawkesbury
Seat 2: Jason Lay – South West
Seat 3: Sue Johnson – Warragamba
Seat 4: John Bell – Penrith/Blacktown/Hawkesbury
Seat 5: Jerry Buraja – South West
Seat 6: Danny Bryant – Wellington
Seat 7: Vannack Ngan – South West
Seat 8: Emmanuel Sheeba – South West
All members of the final table had guaranteed their place at the 2008 APL Tournament of Champions, now the tournament became a race for cold, hard cash.
It was Jason 'Boy Wonder' Lay who drew the first blood at the final table, pushing all in against a raise from John Bell. Bell made the call with to force Lay to flip over his . On a board that saw no card but the Ace hit, Jason took down the pot before proceeding to push all in on 'blind' for the next 5 consecutive hands.
Lay was finally called by Jerry Buraja on the big blind and John Bell on the button. Jerry flipped over , and John Js}. Boy Wonder showed and looked to be heavily dominated until the flop produced a and to give Jason an open-ended straight draw. Lay hit his straight, turning a to send Buraja to the rail with $524 in cash.
Lay's luck ran out when his ran up against Bryant holding . Finishing in 7th place, Lay took $698 home along with his TOC seat.
From here, Bryant seemed to dominate, getting involved in the biggest pot of the night with chip leader Sheeba when he made a call against the South Westerner's all in, whilst holding . Sheeba produced but was unable to catch a second runner-runner full house with the hand after Bryant hit his on the flop.
From here it was all Bryant, taking over the duties of elimination, seeing a now short-stacked Sheeba in 6th place before removing John Bell and Vannack Ngan from the tournament in 5th and 4th respectively.
It wasn't until the final three that Sue Johnson stepped in to eliminate Sergio Zdanowicz who pushed all in on the big blind whilst short-stacked. Johnson's was all that was needed to stand up to Sergio's and send him home with $1746 in cash and a TOC seat.
The February Pro Open was now down to its final two players, with Danny Bryant holding a 3:1 chip lead over Sue Johnson. Bryant showed no signs of hesitation, raising Johnson all in on the first hand of heads up play. After a few moments of thought, Johnson made the call and tabled before Bryant stood up and flipped over his Neither player managed to improve on the flop of , although three clubs manage to give Sue a flush draw against Danny's two red Kings. Danny's tournament luck had seemed to run out as Sue turned the to complete her flush and pull even with Bryant's stack.
Pushing all in on the next hand, again with no hesitation, Bryant pushed all in with and was called instantly by Sue, sensing weakness, holding . Both players missed on the flop, but Sue managed to turn an before the river failed to produce a meaningful card. Danny Bryant was eliminated in 2nd place managing to secure himself a TOC seat and $2619 in cold, hard cash!
Sue Johnson – our latest Pro Series Open Champion also took her seat at the 2008 TOC to battle it out against the best of the best for a guaranteed first prize of $250,000 and managed to pocket a cool $3841! Congratulations Sue!
APL would like to thank all those who came down to Cabra-Vale Diggers for the February Pro Series Open. We look forward to seeing you all again next month when we get together to do it all again and give YOU the opportunity to win some fantastic cash and prizes!
Cabra-Vale Diggers Club had the scene set for an epic and emotional event last Saturday 10 February, as players prepared themselves for the APL's biggest monthly tournament – the APL Pro Series Open. With 8 tickets to the exclusive 2008 APL Tournament of Champions up for grabs it was little wonder why close to 300 players had assembled to take their shot at the TOC, and a share in a Pro Series prize pool of over $19,000 in cash and prizes.
were crushed by the river card when the 
hit the felt to pull Karel Pietronice's 
out in front, and push Hunt out of the tournament with $175.00 in cash.
, forcing Wellington's Bryant to turn over 
. Danny looked to be in some trouble when the flop fell 
, but managed to catch perfect running cards in a 
on turn and 
on the river to make his straight and eliminate another player out of the Open.
against his home region rival's 
on the turn sent Stevenson spiralling out of the tournament and brought Ngan one step closer to victory.
with 
looked to be useless until a pairing of the board on the turn followed by a
to force Lay to flip over his 
. On a board that saw no card but the Ace hit, Jason took down the pot before proceeding to push all in on 'blind' for the next 5 consecutive hands.
, and John 
Js}. Boy Wonder showed 
and looked to be heavily dominated until the flop produced a 
to give Jason an open-ended straight draw. Lay hit his straight, turning a 
ran up against Bryant holding 
. Finishing in 7th place, Lay took $698 home along with his TOC seat.
. Sheeba produced 
but was unable to catch a second runner-runner full house with the hand after Bryant hit his 
was all that was needed to stand up to Sergio's 
and send him home with $1746 in cash and a TOC seat.
to complete her flush and pull even with Bryant's stack.
