billbones had some good runs early but as the day rolled on the poker gods weren’t quite as kind. He stayed alive late with a great laydown when he couldn’t shake a caller on the flop and the turn got nasty on him. He took a hit in that hand, and with his stack dwindling he moved all-in with pocket 7′s, unfortunately he ran into pocket 10′s and his tournament was done.

The latest chip counts look something like this:

bradfish 50,000
dannyboy904 50,000
Halo77 45,000
BatataSC 31,000

Shane @ APPT Sydney

With the players all on the first break we did the rounds to get some rough chip counts. The great news is that every single player is up on their starting 20,000, our Brazilian friend BatataSC leads the way with 42,000. He may not speak much english but it was easy to tell he was pleased with doubling up before the first break.

Here is how everyone is sitting:

BatataSC 42,000
billbones 29,000
bradfish 28,000
Halo77 28,000
Barcajuve 28,000
dannyboy904 21,000

Shane @ APPT Sydney

After months of anticipation and a great deal of hard work, the lucky winners of our $50,000 Super Seat Freeroll and recent APPT package winners have finally touched down in Sydney, Australia.

Despite feeling jet lagged, our eight players and one blogger were all in high spirits and eager to see what their week down under had in store.

To help get things started, Shane and I prepared an authentic Australian bbq at one of our best known beaches, Coogee Beach. At first some of the team were a little unsure if they should be munching down on one of this country’s national emblem, but once the juicy tenderloins were simmering…. the poor kangaroo stood no chance!

BBQ Menu:

• Wagyu Steak
• Kangaroo Steaks
• King Prawns
• Lamb cutlets
• And plenty of beer for all!

It was a fantastic evening and the perfect way for all our players to put faces to nicknames and share a few stories. This might surprise you, but it didn’t take long for everyone to start swapping their bad beat stories….

After much eating and drinking we packed up for the night and headed back to the casino for a quick nightcap and some much needed rest.

I would have to say that of all the live events I’ve attended with numerous seat winners, that this particular group seem to have all bonded and become a supportive team, quicker than any before… I’m hoping that this vibe can carry on into the tournament and help keep our players positive when they battle for that million $$$ payday.

Stay tuned for details as Shane and I report on the team’s progress.