The New Zealand Poker Championships Main Event was expecting to draw a 100-plus field, but when only 72-players turned out for both the combined day ones, everyone was a little disappointed.

Day 1a coverage (PokerNetwork browser) / Day 1a coverage (PokerNews browser)
(there were some problems with the PokerNetwork layout, so I decided to include both reporting views)

2007 Champion Eric Assadourian, 2009 Aussie Millions Champion Stewart Scott, 2009 APPT Auckland and Sydney Champions Simon Watt and Aaron Benton, SKYCITY Auckland Champion James Honeybone and the most experienced player in the field, Graeme ‘Kiwi G’ Putt, all amongst the 35-player day 1a field.

The play was fairly standard for a small tournament as players jostled for position, but it was an interesting conversation I had with Eric Assadourian and a few of the players in the tournament that was most interesting.

Basically Eric stated that at the end of the day the most successful poker player is the one who has won the most money. Eric – and a few others – would prefer to win $1 million straight up and nothing else instead of grinding a multitude of events to amount to that same $1 million – which I would prefer. Thoughts?

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Day 1b coverage (PokerNetwork browser) / Day 1b coverage (PokerNews browser)

A slightly larger field – albeit by two – that included previous Champions Soren Eriksen and David Borg along with last year’s High Rollers Champion Dennis Huntly and tournament veterans Leo Boxell, Michael Pedley, Tony Hachem and Martin Cardno.

It was a fairly mundane day of poker apart from the 2008 Champion and 2009 Runner-Up David Borg doing something unusual. After doubling on one of the first few hands with Aces, the second last hand saw Borg push all in dark and win the blinds and antes after showing 7♠ 3♥. Then on the final hand he did so again but this time got felted at the hand of Cole Swannack’s Kings.

39 players are heading into Day 2, but until then, it’s time to play some cash!

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I sat down on a $1-2 NLH table but was unable to get anything going with my first buy. I topped up an additional $50, but when that was depleted to around $100, I decided not to top-up once again and try to gamble it instead. However when I check-raised all in with a flush draw and over card, I was forced to rebuy when it bricked out.

Buying in for my second $150 I was extremely card dead for the next few hours and was about to leave until four drunk players sat down. Two of them had never played, and I thought no time was better than the present to remain on the table although the clock was ticking up to the 2am mark.

Unfortunately for me I was unable to get any of their alcohol-induced chips as some local regular got them all . . . well until about 4am when I called a bet on a 4♣ 2♠ 9♣ flop with 5♥ 3♥ to see the A♠ fall on the turn. We got it all in with him drawing dead holding just an Ace as I finished only down $40 for the night