Teddy Nguyen holds a narrow chip lead as the final nine players prepare to battle for the Western Classic Poker Championship Main Event title at Burswood today.
Day three started with 24 players, and it wasn’t long before some big stacks were committed. Within the first hour of play, Piero Mule shoved all-in post flop against Luke Sharpe on a board of A-A-5 – Mule had A-K and Sharpe A-Q. The turn was an 8 and the river a heart-breaking Q for Mule.
This was the start of a good run for Sharpe who soon also eliminated Chris Mounteney. It was Mounteney’s pocket 8s against Sharpe’s pocket kings, with the cowboys duly holding up. Sharpe takes 260,000 into the final table and looms as a major contender.
Day 3 belonged to Teddy ‘Time’ Nguyen and Tony Tartaglia. Nguyen, who is the chip leader with $333,000, started Day 1A in fine form after busting Brian Glynn and has never looked back. After day 1A Nguyen bagged 57,000 and started day 3 with more than 146,000. Nguyen final tabled the ANZPT Sydney Main Event earlier this year and has already reached the final table of the $440 Terminator Event and the $550 Teams Event in this championship series.
Tartaglia started Day 2 with only 9350, the second lowest stack, but staged a remarkable comeback to hold 280,000 heading into the final table. Tartaglia twice found quad aces on day 2 (and in consecutive hands) then on day 3 cracked the aces of Ben Breadsell when his Q-10 improved to two-pair.
A mix of solid plays and good cards has put him right in contention to be crowned Western Classic Main Event champ for 2011. It’s sure to be another action packed day in the Burswood Poker Room, with only nine players left in the race for the title.
Western Classic Main Event end of day 3 chip count
1 Luke Sharpe 266,500
2 Teddy Nguyen 333,000
3 Vesko Zmukic 73,500
4 David Joseph 176,000
5 Seb Pagana 72,500
6 Mile Krstanoski 166,000
7 Tony Tartaglia 280,500
8 Craig Cockburn 294,000
9 Con Kamaras 258,500
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