Hometown hero Simon Watt bested Frenchman Gerome Guitteau in the finale of the Asian Pacific Poker Tour’s (APPT) Auckland Main Event. Watt banked NZ $209,000 for his efforts, or US $156,000 at current exchange rates.
Michael Shinzak hit the rail in ninth place, earning NZ $14,000. He pushed all-in pre-flop over the top of a raise by Guitteau, who promptly called and flipped up A-J. Shinzak showed just K-5 and the board ran out 7-A-10-9-K, giving Guitteau top pair. Lance Climo was sent packing in eighth place after his chips hit the middle pre-flop with A-10. However, he picked an inopportune time to put his tournament life on the line, as Watt tabled A-K. The turn was a king, sealing Watt’s win in the hand, and Climo earned NZ $18,000.
Assadour Assadourian, who finished 31st in APPT Auckland last year, was up to his winning ways once again in 2009 and claimed seventh place for NZ $23,000. The Aussie shoved after a flop of 7-8-J with two hearts holding Q-J for top pair. However, Guitteau held 8-7 for bottom two pair. The turn came a deuce and, needing a two, jack, or queen on the river to draw out, Assadourian saw the four of spades hit the board. Jens Walther was then bumped in sixth place after losing a race with A-Q against Guitteau’s pocket fives.
The next to go was Richard Lancaster, a Kiwi who pushed pre-flop with A-K and was called by Guitteau, who turned over A-Q. The flop came a seemingly benign 3-J-8, but a 10 on the turn gave Guitteau a gutshot straight draw if a king hit. The river – you guessed it – the king of diamonds, giving Guitteau a runner-runner straight for the win.
Chinese poker player Ke Sijia hit the skids in fourth place in APPT Auckland. Sijia called all-in after a board of J-2-10-3 with two diamonds and two hearts holding 9-10 of hearts for second pair and a flush draw. He was up against Guitteau, who held J-7 of diamonds for top pair and a flush draw of his own. The river came the queen of diamonds, filling Guitteau’s flush and lining Sijia’s pockets with NZ $55,000 for his fourth place showing. The pot gave Guitteau the chip lead three-handed.
Jason Brown saw his bankroll grow by NZ $82,000 for finishing third in Auckland. Brown ran pocket fives into Watt’s pocket kings and watched the board come 4-K-A-6-6, giving Watt a boat. The misfire left Brown crippled and he pushed on the next hand with K-4, up against Guitteau’s J-9. The flop came nine-high and Brown could never catch up. Watt and Guitteau were nearly even in chips entering heads-up play.
In the final hand of the APPT Auckland feature tournament, Guitteau’s tournament life was on the line with K-7 of clubs against Watt’s wired pair of fives. The flop came Q-6-J, which was no help to either player, and the board filled out 9-J. Guitteau earned NZ $142,000 for his runner-up showing. Here were the final table results from APPT Auckland:
1. Simon Watt (New Zealand) – NZ $209,085
2. Gerome Guitteau (France) – NZ $142,020
3. Jason Brown (New Zealand) – NZ $82,845
4. Ke Sijia (China) – NZ $55,230
5. Richard Lancaster (New Zealand) – NZ $42,606
6. Jens Walther (Germany) – NZ $31,560
7. Assadour Assadourian (Australia) – NZ $23,670
8. Lance Climo (New Zealand) – NZ $18,936
9. Michael Shinzaki (United States) – NZ $14,202
All but three of the final nine runners in the event were PokerStars qualifiers. The world’s largest online poker site serves as the presenting sponsor of the APPT circuit, which now heads to Cebu in the Philippines on November 11th. The PHP 100,000 buy-in tournament (approximately $2,150) will be held at the Shangri-la Mactan Resort.