2012 PokerStars.net APPT/ANZPT Melbourne

Main Event
Day: 4
Event Info

2012 PokerStars.net APPT/ANZPT Melbourne

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
k10
Prize
326,125 AUD
Event Info
Buy-in
4,700 AUD
Entries
257
Level Info
Level
27
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
5,000

Main Event

Day 4 Completed

Congratulations to Sam Razavi, Winner of the 2012 PokerStars.net APPT Melbourne Main Event ($326,125)

Level 27 : 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
APPT Melbourne winner Sam Razavi
APPT Melbourne winner Sam Razavi

After five days of tough poker, the 2012 PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Melbourne Main Event has come to a close. In the end it was Britain's Sam Razavi who took down the trophy, all the glory and the $326,125 first-place prize.

Heading into the final day it was Tom Grigg who held the chip lead, but he had eight formidable foes ready to play poker. One of the players who was surely going to give Grigg a headache was Brendon Rubie, but in a surprising turn of events, Rubie would be eliminated in ninth place.

Rubie started the day with the fourth largest chip stack, but proved to be his own worst enemy. The beginning of the end saw Rubie move all in on the river of a {10-Spades}{8-Diamonds}{5-Clubs}{3-Clubs}{5-Spades} board after calling bets from Wayne Bentley on the flop and turn. Bentley called Rubie’s shove and showed {a-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}, enough to send Rubie’s cards into the muck, leaving Rubie as one of the short stacks. Shortly after the above hand, Rubie was all in holding {k-Clubs}{9-Clubs} against Kristian Lunardi’s {q-Clubs}{q-Spades} and couldn’t catch up, leaving himself with less than two big blinds. From there, it was a quick death for Rubie as Razavi dealt the final blow to his tournament life.

With Rubie out of the way, the short-stacked Nigel Andrews had managed a pay jump, but this is when his day would end. Andrews’ last hand saw him all in holding {7-Clubs}{7-Diamonds} and running into Lunardi’s {k-Diamonds}{k-Clubs}. No help came for Andrews and it was all over in eighth place.

Following Andrews’ elimination, the bust-outs flew fast and fierce as Lunardi would find the door in seventh place, followed by James Bills in sixth. Lunardi’s elimination saw him three-bet to 165,000 holding {a-Hearts}{q-Hearts} from the small blind, after Bentley opened the pot to 60,000 from the button. Back on Bentley and he moved all in holding {7-Diamonds}{7-Hearts}. Lunardi made the call and then made his way to the rail when no help came on the board. Bills’ last hand saw him open shove holding {a-Clubs}{j-Clubs} and he received the call from Bentley in the big blind, who held {k-Spades}{q-Hearts}. A devastating {k-Hearts}{k-Diamonds}{6-Spades} flop all but sealed Bills’ fate and with bricks on the turn and river, Bills was sent out the door.

Within an hour, three players had already been eliminated and one more would join Lunardi, Bills and Andrews on the rail. This time it was Australian Poker Hall of Fame member Gary Benson who would make his way to the exit. Benson’s bust-out hand saw him get all his chips in holding {q-Diamonds}{q-Hearts} against Keith Walker’s {3-Clubs}{2-Clubs} on the river of a {j-Diamonds}{3-Spades}{7-Clubs}{3-Hearts}{9-Spades} board. Walker held {3-Clubs}{2-Clubs}, with the turned trips good enough to send Benson home in fifth place.

Eventually the action had to slow down and that happened during four-handed play. Grigg was still the table captain at this stage, managing to hold almost half the chips in play for a short period. Play continued to slow to crawl, but eventually, after more than two hours, another player hit the rail. The fourth-place elimination began when the action was folded to Bentley in the small blind and he raised it up to 120,000. Grigg called out of the big blind and both players checked the {5-Hearts}{3-Spades}{5-Clubs} flop. On the {8-Clubs} turn, Bentley check-raised all in after Grigg bet 130,000. Grigg made the call and turned over {8-Spades}{7-Spades}, which was ahead of Bentley’s {q-Clubs}{7-Clubs}. The {4-Diamonds} on the river wasn’t what Bentley was looking for and he was sent to the rail in fourth place.

The chips were relatively even during three-handed play, with all three players holding a slight chip lead at least once. Then, Grigg surged away, building his stack to well over half the chips in play. However, it just wasn’t Grigg’s day as two hands would see Razavi deal the fatal blow to Grigg in third place. The first hand saw Grigg make a big river call when he ran into Razavi’s full house and the last hand of Grigg’s night would see him run into yet another full house, details of which can be seen below.

Razavi held a more than 3-1 chip lead heading into the heads-up battle and it would take under ten minutes for him to eliminate Keith Walker in second place. A gallant effort from Walker sent him home with $205,345 for his effort. With that, Razavi was crowned the 2012 APPT Melbourne Champion!

2012 APPT Melbourne Results

1Sam Razavi$326,125
2Keith Walker$205,345
3Tom Grigg$114,750
4Wayne Bentley$87,575
5Gary Benson$72,475
6James Bills$57,375
7Kristian Lunardi$45,300
8Nigel Andrews$36,240
9Brendon Rubie$27,175


That wraps up PokerNews' coverage of the APPT Melbourne Main Event. A big congratulations to Razavi and to all the other winners. It was another world-class event run by PokerStars and the staff here in the Crown Poker Room. Until next time, poker fans!

Tags: Sam Razavi

Keith Walker Eliminated in 2nd Place ($205,345)

Keith Walker
Keith Walker

On one of the first hands of heads-up play it was all over! Sam Razavi raised to 100,000 and Keith Walker moved all in. Razavi called immediately, and it was time for the final showdown!

Sam Razavi: {K-Spades}{10-Spades}
Keith Walker: {J-Diamonds}{J-Clubs}

The flop brought {A-Spades}{2-Diamonds}{5-Spades}, and Razavi picked up a flush draw to go along with his overcard. When the turn brought the {8-Spades} Razavi exploded as Walker was drawing dead. Razavi's flush was the winning hand, and the Brit clapped his hands while meaningless river brought out the {J-Spades}.

Walker walks home with $205,345 for his second place finish, but the biggest prize will go to Razavi who will add $326,125 to his impressive poker resumé!

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Sam Razavi gb
Sam Razavi
7,710,000
1,810,000
1,810,000
Profile photo of Keith Walker
Keith Walker
Busted

Tags: Keith WalkerSam Razavi

Tom Grigg Eliminated in 3rd Place ($114,750)

Tom Grigg
Tom Grigg

For the most part Tom Grigg was in full control at this final table. But his steam ran out, as he was just eliminated in third place. Grigg started the last hand by raising to 100,000 from the small blind. Razavi called from the big blind.

The flop came down {7-Clubs}{7-Hearts}{5-Spades}, and Grigg bet 105,000. Razavi called.

On the turn the {Q-Hearts} hit, and Grigg continued betting by throwing in 215,000. Razavi took his time and called creating river action.

The river was the {3-Diamonds}, and Grigg decided to check.

"I'm all in," Razavi announced shortly after Grigg had checked.

"Really?" Grigg replied after a few seconds, confused by what had just happend.

"I must be winning," said the smiling Razavi after about a minute, while the Aussie kept pondering his decision. Razavi eventually called the clock on Grigg who made up his mind shortly after that.

"Call," Grigg said, and Razavi immediately turned over his {5-Diamonds}{5-Hearts}.

"Yes!" Razavi shouted as he clapped his hands. Grigg sighed, mucked his cards and left his seat. Grigg's run was impressive, but the heads up will be between Keith Walker and Razavi.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Tom Grigg au
Tom Grigg
Busted

Tags: Keith WalkerSam RazaviTom Grigg

Razavi Takes the Lead From Grigg

One of the larger pots of the evening has just taken place, with Sam Razavi now the chip leader, while Tom Grigg has fallen to the lowest stack he has sat behind all afternoon.

It all began with Grigg opening the small blind to 105,000. Razavi called in the big blind and the dealer turned over a {k-Spades}{10-Hearts}{10-Diamonds} flop. Grigg led for 105,000 here and Razavi called.

Both players checked the {4-Diamonds} turn and it was on to the {3-Clubs} river. This time when Grigg checked, Razavi would bet 500,000. This sent Grigg deep into the tank. Thinking. Thinking. Thinking. Staring. Staring. Staring.

"Pretty big bet, huh?" Grigg said to Razavi.

Eventually Grigg decided to go with the call, prompting Razavi to immediately table {3-Diamonds}{3-Hearts}, for a rivered full house.

"Makes sense," quipped Grigg as he handed over a large portion of his chips.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Sam Razavi gb
Sam Razavi
3,650,000
950,000
950,000
Profile photo of Tom Grigg au
Tom Grigg
2,050,000
-750,000
-750,000

Tags: Tom GriggSam Razavi

Walker Gets Some Back

Keith Walker just limped from the small blind, and Tom Grigg kept the initiative by raising it up to 150,000. Walker called.

The flop came out {P10h}{8-Clubs}{7-Spades} and Walker check-called 150,000. On the turn the {10-Spades} hit, and Walker checked again. Grigg bet 265,000 and Walker moved all in for a total off 1,1250,000. Grigg snap-folded, giving Walker some very valuable chips in the three-handed battle.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Tom Grigg au
Tom Grigg
2,800,000
-800,000
-800,000
Profile photo of Keith Walker
Keith Walker
2,000,000
800,000
800,000

Tags: Keith WalkerTom Grigg