tilted behaviour

Baccarat . . . Spas . . . Saunas . . . it must be Macau, and with it, two Champions have been crowned with Dermot Blain taking out the Main Event and Vladimir Geshkenbein victorious in the High Rollers Event.

With Macau being the first stop for season three on the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) it will be setting the precedent for the upcoming five-stop season, and consequently, we’ll kick it off with The Eight Points of Enlightenment: APPT Macau.

1 – Location: After being based at the Grand Waldo, the APPT moved to the Grand Lisboa for season three. Not only is it based on the main island of Macau instead of the very quiet island of Taipa, but it is also nestled amongst the bustling nightlife, shopping and gambling district. The Grand Lisboa is also a magnificent hotel and casino; from its 58-floor lotus leaf design to the hundreds of tables in play for any novice or gambler to lay a bet or two.

2 – It’s A Little Packed Isn’t It?: The Grand Lisboa poker room was packed with 33-tables for both the tournament and all night cash games. The one problem with this was the way they actually laid out the tables in the room. Not entirely cramped for space, although you would believe so, every table in the tournament area had less than a metre between the next meaning that passing between each table was a little more than difficult. With the journey from the media desk to the tournament needing to be taken between and around tables, it made it difficult for both us and the players as we were often sliding between their chairs or asking them to move slightly. In the future, if the Grand Lisboa staff took a good look at the table layout, they could definitely re-arrange the tables so that everyone involved is at ease.

3 – Media Considerations: Whenever we travel to a poker tournament the most important and first thing on our list is the combination of internet and suitable space to work. Arriving at the Grand Lisboa we were informed of no wireless connection and that we would have to set up our own broadband modem connection with a few boxes and cords supplied. To make things worse they also gave us a small desk to accommodate our team of seven, which not only made it uncomfortable to work but also added to the awkwardness of the space between us and the poker tables.
There was a positive side to the event for us as the PokerStars team gave us a handful of HK$50 and HK$100 vouchers to keep us very happy during breaks as we made the most of the cafe downstairs.

4 – Gorgeous Models : In Macau last year the Asian Poker Tour set the standard for absolutely stunning girls floating around the tournament floor doing absolutely nothing apart from looking good. APPT didn’t replicate, but after the Asian Poker Tour repeated their feats with success, the APPT followed suit. Not only did they bring some gorgeous girls along for the tournament but they were also (semi) local being from Malaysia – thanks to the Malaysian tournament directors. Another plus to these girls was that they actually were productive by carrying bottles of water and handing them out to both player and media all day and every day.
For those that need some visual stimulation . . . no need to ask . . . Tilted Behaviour understands completely!

5 – Plenty Of Side Events: The APPT packed its schedule full of fifteen events along with some great value satellites to make anyone here in Macau poised with a decision of a variety of tournaments differing in both game type and price. To me, this is one of the most important aspects of a tournament series, because a schedule that provides a good range of events will always be successful.

6 – Great Numbers: When the APPT upped the buy-in of the Main Event from HK$25,000 to HK$40,000, there was always a fear of a steep decline in the numbers. Once the dust had settled, the 538 runners from last year had been trimmed to 429, but a substantially larger prizepool had been created with a near US$90,000 increase in first place.
For the High Rollers Event the number of players only increased by a few; and I think this was mainly due to the fact that the event was run simultaneously with the last two days of the Main Event. Dropping the buy-in substantially only effected the prizepool as first prize was cut by nearly half, but when you review the event I think getting 64 was about what they expected due to the scheduling and the players that were in town.

7 – Lights, Camera, Action?: The first two seasons of the APPT saw a purpose built stage with bright lights and purple velvet curtains that appeared at every venue in the same formation – but this year it was all gone! No Erin McNaught as host and no 411 productions filming the event. Instead it was an Asian TV company and a stage erected in the middle of the Grand Lisboa gaming floor that looked very poor in comparison to the previous two seasons. Maybe it was due to budget constraints or a change in direction, but either way it was a terrible mistake as it definitely decreases the professionalism of the tour, and maybe even takes a step backward in poker development and growth in the region.

8 – From Busto To Bankrolled: During day two of the High Rollers Event, Vladimir Geshkenbein approached Jonathan ‘xMONSTERxDONGx’ Karamalikis and discussed with him that all he had to his name was ten bucks and four maxed-out credit cards. First of all why would you tell this to a player when you’re on the bubble, and secondly it’s kind of tempting fate. Once I heard this story I felt that it was guaranteed that Geshkenbein would either bubble the final table and the money or win the whole thing.
The bubble passed when, ironically, Geshkenbein knocked out Karamalikis, and from then on no one else stood a chance. It was one of those heart-felt kind of wins and rags to riches story with Geshkenbein going from busto to bankrolled in two days of tournament poker.

With Seoul, South Korea now postponed our attention will be turned to Melbourne for the third running of the PokerNews Cup Australia and possibly the Sydney Poker Championships beforehand if PokerNetwork get the nod.

After five days behind the computer we have finally reached the final day with the APPT Macau High Rollers Event playing down to just one.

The final table for the Main Event was being played over on the purpose built stage in the middle of the Grand Lisboa gaming floor while our final four tables and 25 players were battling it out in the normal tournament area.

GG was back to help out and we were down to three tables of eight and then two tables soon after. The next seven players fell relatively fast with friend Michael Marvanek unfortunately falling in tenth as the unofficial final table was created.

However it would take nearly three hours until we lost the bubble – and yet again it was another friend – with Jonathan ‘xMONSTERxDONGx’ Karamalikis having his Kings cracked by a two-outer.

Seat 1: Grant ‘grunter’ Levy – 1,428,000
Seat 2: Gap Young Kim – 760,000
Seat 3: Vladimir Geshkenbein – 678,000
Seat 4: Danny Huynh – 432,000
Seat 5: Neil Arce – 1,153,000
Seat 6: In Wook Choi – 490,000
Seat 7: Nicolas Wong – 224,000
Seat 8: Johnny Chan – 518,000

The final eight took an hour long dinner break only to lose Nicolas Wong, Gap Young Kim and In Wook Choi in quick succession once play recommenced before taking a break to move to the purpose built stage since the Main Event had just been wrapped up by Dermot Blain.

The remainder of the tournament ran out pretty standard – Grant Levy finished in fifth and Filipino Neil Arce fell in third to put everyone’s hopes on Johnny Chan being victorious. However that wish wouldn’t be granted as the kid with only $10 and four maxed-out credit cards to his name – Vladimir Geshkenbein – became the High Rollers Champion for 2009.

Heath, Kirsty and F-Train were already at the hotel along with Craig and Lynn, and with GG heading to WPT Cyprus tomorrow I retired to the hotel to complete my second article for the PokerNews website.

Like I said previously, check it out, click the thumbs up icon and give me your feedback.

PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Macau Day 4: Dermot Blain Wins the Main Event .

Today saw two events run simultaneously with the Main Event on one side of the Grand Lisboa poker room while the HK$88,800 High Rollers Event occupied the other side.

The full strength side from Day 1a and 2 was unfortunately cut to pieces with my blogging partner GG being left bed-ridden after coughing up more than a lung the previous night and morning after visiting the Grand Waldo Spa.

Left to fend for my own, I tackled the stellar field with no doubt that I would ship the blogaments crucial one time and prove once again that I am the NIZZLES (Heath’s nickname for me . . . I don’t brag that obviously)!

The tables were understandably stacked, but unfortunately for many poker enthusiasts out there we lost the greatest High Roller champion to ever grace the felt within two hands when David Steicke bluffed on the river into Masa Kagawa’s flopped set.

I went to turn in my resignation letter right there, because it was obvious that something was rigged, but with no one to hand it to, I went straight back to the computer.

Players kept trickling in as registration was open for the first three hours – and it was kind of ironic that players that busted from the Main Event would find themselves in the High Rollers, only to bust from that as well – Andrew Scott, Van Marcus, Theo Tran, Dan Schreiber and Stanley Hou.

Before the High Rollers Event started, during dinner and after the event wrapped up I found some time to play Baccarat!

Yet another mistake for the trip as I went on to lose HK$6,900 to continue my Macau run-bad something I must have picked up at the airport . . . my advice – purchase the new anti-run-bad face mask from all good resellers!

After three days in the on the pine Heath returned to see a full strength team hit the track for Day 2 action!

We were always moving; grabbing hands, chip counts, asking players names, blogging – just basically non-stop for every minute of every level.

With Heath’s pent up energy due to his Swine Flu we had a little bit of a competition of who could blog the most hands, but after a few levels we totally forgot about it. Instead we came up with a challenge to be incorporated during a preliminary event in the future.

Basically it will be a Blogger’s Scavenger Hunt with a supplied task list that has to be completely ticked off before a winner can be crowned. The list will be fairly be fairly complicated with a range of different levels of tasks from the basics of all in preflop, flop, turn and river double ups, colour pieces, promotional posts, bluffs etc, and also some really random ones like (insert random notable) double up, colour piece etc.

Most likely we’ll both chuck $50 on it, as it should continue our great competitive spirit.

Now back to the actual tournament I’m covering, and I’ve decided to include one of the sickest hands I’ve ever witnessed . . . and yes I may have coloured it up a little, but it needed the extra bit of drama!

care of PokerNews
David Paananen Is Our Bubble Boy!
With the action folding round to Preetinder Bhayana in the small blind, he made it 17,500 to go and David Paananen defended his big blind.

The flop fell down 3♣ 10♦ 8♣ and Bhayana slid out a bet amounting to 25,500. Paananen sat there for a little before re-raising to 77,000 total as the rail begin to close in on the table.

Bhayana sat there riffling ten yellow 5,000-denomination chips as Tournament Director Danny McDonagh came over to announce the action to the remaining players and onlookers.

Another two minutes went by before Bhayana announced all in.

“You go all in? I call” announced Paananen as he flipped his 3♥ 3♦ for a flopped bottom set of treys.

Bhayana shook his head, stood up, and sheepishly rolled over his A♥ 5♣ for just Ace-high but also a backdoor straight and flush-draw.

“Two of clubs would be a great sweat card” commented one of the twenty or so players that had totally surrounded the table.

The dealer burned and turned a black two on the turn, but it would be the 2♠ to see Paananen needing to fade one of the four remaining fours in the deck to stay alive.

As the rail pressed even harder against the backs of the table eight chairs, the 4♥ would land on the river to the screams and sighs of the remaining 48 players.

Paananen stood there in shock before making his way to the exit, but not before launching a half-drunk water bottle at an unsuspecting camera girl.

Bhayana on the other hand could barely keep a smile off his face as he raked in a huge place to soar to 498,000 in chips.

(thanks to Kirsty for capturing the moment of me asking him his name . . . and sorry about the water bottle)

Heath was still in bed and now GG began to develop something . . . going to be a fun Day 1c!
While the Main Event players were slogging it out, the ladies had their chance to be in the spotlight with a Ladies HK$1,500 No Limit Holdem tournament kicking off as the day began to wind down.

Kirsty Brew and Lynn Gilmartin in action

Playing her first tournament, Lynn managed to make it all the way to just two places from the final table – and she detailed it all on her PokerNews blog.

Kirsty however made the final table with a medium stack to make it two from three at making final tables in ladies events. Unfortunately she would be first to go when her over aggressive approach holding J♦ 9♦ was no match against Queens.

Unlike some other places around the world, the shops in Macau close around 10pm, and with tonight being the last night that we would finish early, Kirsty and I decided to make our way to Xin Ma Lou to shop away!

We had been there the night before, but neither of us purchased anything.

With eyes only searching for shoes, I found this pair of Gola’s for HK$400 or AU$70ish, and am so happy I bought them – with their bright red and ballaness gold . . . easily the best pair of shoes I’ve bought in years! Oh, they’re comfy too!

Overnight Heath’s cold had developed really badly into a bad case of the flu . . . and maybe even the swine flu. Consequently it would be just F-Train, GG and me steering the ship today for Day 1b action!

It was fine not having Heath there, even if GG was busy most of the day doing some admin stuff with the video team, we still managed to plow through.

Kirsty and I decided to take a look around the nearby outdoor shopping strip called Xin Ma Lou in search for shoes or maybe some new clothing. There were a few shoes that I spotted, but will have to return tomorrow for a better look.

On the way home Kirsty decided she wanted to eat on the street and just down from the hotel we found Uncle Jimmy’s Noodle Shack. After seeing seven orders be made in about ten minutes, Kirsty just pointed to one man’s bowl and Uncle Jimmy started cooking away. Since I had already eaten, I wasn’t going anywhere near the food . . . or what turned out to be mixed vegies and CHICKEN FEET!

Kirsty happily chomped away tasting her first (and most likely last) dish of chicken fish. We toasted it off with a Tsing Tao and were on our way back to the hotel.

Uncle Jimmy’s Noodle Shack – the dish, the taste, the fellow diner

Once I returned to my hotel room I had the honours of writing my first piece for the PokerNews website; even if it was just a recap!

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PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Macau Day 1B: Myhre and Nielsen Lead the Way.

Today was the start of the PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Macau Main Event for 2009.

On a small desk we were expected to sit four bloggers, a photographer, camera-man and TV girl . . . no chance. Instead, Craig and Lynn were sent to another room to prep for interviews etc, and with a field of over 100 expected, I decided to work as a reporter for the day.

Arguably the greatest player of the modern era – David Steicke – was in the field, and consequently no one stood a chance, even Johnny F**KING Chan who bowed out on the way to Steicke amassing a count to sit second in chips behind Brandon Demes.

Lynn produced an interesting video with Celina Lin about the difference between English and Mandarin on the poker level. Also if you look close, a pop up in the background!