Wayne leads at end of Day 1A; that’s a wrap!
And just like that folks, Day 1A of the WPT Prime Gold Coast Mystery Bounty is in the books!
Leading at the end of the night is Dylan Wayne, who bagged 542,000 in chips, followed closely by Sal Fazzino on 505,000. Martin Ward (412,00), Alan Gates (303,000) and Daniel Gabriel (286,000), round out our top five.
Speaking with PokerMedia Australia at the end of night, Wayne was pleased that everything went so well for him and is hopeful that the trend will continue in two days’ time.
“It was quite interesting, actually, I flopped many, many sets, many many times and everything just kinda went my way,” he said. “I’ve been pretty excited to play in this one, you know … to be able to just reach into the barrel and pull out something huge is pretty cool, so I was always going to play this.”
“A lot of my friends and every one of them have been buzzing around the Mystery Bounty specifically. They love the new concept [in Australia] because offers so much excitement for both the recreational and full-time player.”
Other notables out of the 25 to have survived through to Day 2 included Lloyd Locsin, Omer Silajdzija, Jerry Wang, Ben Turner, Lucho Vargas, Mishel Anunu and WPT Prime Gold Coast $1,100 NLH Champion Romain Morvan.
| Name | Chips |
| Dylan Wayne | 542,000 |
| Sal Fazzino | 505,000 |
| Martin Ward | 412,000 |
| Alan Gates | 303,000 |
| Daniel Gabriel | 286,000 |
| Lloyd Locsin | 245,000 |
| Matthew Radcliffe | 235,000 |
| Mark Zhu | 234,000 |
| Omer Silajdzija | 207,000 |
| Matthew Bevin | 205,000 |
| Cheng-Tse Chen | 188,000 |
| Tommy Handelaar | 186,000 |
| Alex Lee | 175,000 |
| Josh Hutchins | 150,000 |
| Jerry Wang | 149,000 |
| Ben Turner | 147,000 |
| Lucho Vargas | 133,000 |
| Julian Warhurst | 129,000 |
| Paul Neville | 128,000 |
| Tom Maguire | 112,000 |
| Chin Wang | 107,000 |
| Mishel Anunu | 100,000 |
| Scott Hamilton-Hill | 82,000 |
| Romain Morvan | 69,000 |
| Yang Lei | 40,000 |
Day 1B of the Mystery Bounty will kick off at 2:30pm AEST and PMA will be back ringside to bring you all the action, so be sure to tune in as we bring you every flop, sweat and tear until the final river falls.
Until then, from all of us here at The Star Gold Coast, it’s ‘bye for now!
Ghobrial gutted
From under the gun Martin Ward raised to 17,000, with action folding over to Jimmy Ghobrial in late position, who whipped out 40,000 in response.
Ward called, then check-snapped Ghobrial’s shove after the flop was laid Q♣A♠3♥.
Ghobrial: K♠K♣
Ward: A♣K♦
Ward held firm after the turn or river ran out 3♦, 9♠ and thus ‘Jimmy G’ was gone-ski … and with Matthew Radcliffe taking out another player one table over, we can confirm that there will be 25 survivors heading through to Day 2!
Our full wrap of today’s flight will be up shortly.
| Martin Ward | 412,000 |
| Jimmy Ghobrial | BUSTED! |
Zhu zoom zoom!
In the lead-up to the close, Mark Zhu locked horns with Lloyd Locsin on Table 8, shoving all-in preflop before Locsin called out of the blinds.
Locsin revealed J♥J♦, but Zhu was well ahead with Q♠Q♥ and prevailed on a board of 6♣7♠9♥7♣9♠.
| Mark Zhu | 190,000 |
| Lloyd Locsin | 245,000 |
Level 17: 4,000/8,000 (8,000)
Down to three tables
Having generated a total of 169 entries for today’s flight, Star Poker Gold Coast staff have confirmed that play will stop immediately once we reach 26 players. Given we’re at three tables of nine, that may not take too long!
WPT Asia-Pacific Live Events Specialist Danny McDonagh has also told us that in the event that tomorrow’s flight finishes at a higher blind level, the clock will be wound back to the start of the level that we finish at tonight.
Gates crashed
Over on Table 9 Lucho Vargas moved all in pre-flop in search of a double, only to be called snap-called by Alan Gates, who revealed K♥K♦.
Vargas’ A♥2♠ found a quick-changing tide in a flop of 8♠6♣A♦, continuing to a commanding finish with a runner-runner full house with the 8♦ on the turn, followed by the river A♣. That’ll do it.
| Alan Gates | 272,000 |
| Lucho Vargas | 135,000 |
Level 16: 3,000/6,000 (5,000)
Kassam crashes out
Shortly after Dylan Wayne chipped up, Rehman Kassam found himself open-shoving from the cut-off with K♥Q♠ on an adjacent table.
Mishel Anunu called him down with his K♦J♦, and then both watched on as the flop was dealt 2♥A♠6♦.
Kassam, however, was dashed to the rocks by a runner-runner flush after the dealer produced running 9♦, 5♦
| Mishel Anunu | 169,000 |
| Rehman Kassam | SHIPWRECKED! |
Called it!
We headed back over to Dylan Wayne’s table, where the action was midway with a flop of 3♣Q♥8♥.
Wayne was heads-up with an opponent whose Q♦10♣ was leading against his bottom pair A♣3♠. As the turn showed J♦, Wayne proclaimed to the table, “I’m not gonna win this one.”
The poker gods seemed to be listening, however, as the river delivered the 3♦.
“Oops! Maybe I do!” Wayne exclaimed.
And with that, Wayne is now the outright chip leader as another one bites the dust.
| Dylan Wayne | 635,000 |
Level 15: 2,500/5,000 (5,000)
Wayne takes one more
Dylan Wayne is now also closing in on 400,000 in chips taking out another player as we edge closer to the end of Day 1A of the Mystery Bounty.
Again, all the money was in pre-flop, with the at-risk player tabling A♦10♦, but they needed a great deal of assistance against Wayne’s Q♠Q♦.
There was some hope after they turned the nut flush draw on the board of 7♦5♠2♥9♦, but Wayne held firm after the repeat 9♥ appeared on the river.
| Dylan Wayne | 390,000 |
Reid railed
It was a valiant effort from Scotty Reid, but his run has ended at the hands of Jimmy Ghobrial.
After being crippled down to 36,000 in an earlier hand, Reid ripped it in pre-flop with Q♥3♠, but found himself well behind Ghobrial’s K♥Q♦, with no change to the outcome after the dealer spread the 10♣8♠5♣A♦A♥ board.
| Jimmy Ghobrial | 245,000 |
| Scotty Reid | RANSACKED! |
Level 14: 2,000/4,000 (4,000)
Sal’s sailing
Plenty of chips being traded across the felt, with Sal Fazzino and Omer Siladjzija both taking out players as play continues in the Mystery Bounty!
Earlier, Fazzino took out Harry Evans after waking up with J♥J♣ against Evans’ Q♠J♠, which held despite the gut-shot on the turn of the A♣6♣3♠10♥2♥ board.
Siladjzija then found himself in a critical flip with 9♠9♦ against his opponent’s A♠J♦, but it was another gutterball, with Silajdzjia scooping after rivering two pair on the board of 10♥2♠Q♥8♥8♠.
| Sal Fazzino | 393,000 |
| Omer Siladjzija | 138,000 |
| Harry Evans | BUSTED! |
Mir-KO
The action is starting to pick up here at The Star Gold Coast, with Mirko Stojkov amongst those to have hit the rail after the break.
Our reporter caught the action as Stojkov and Mark Zhu had got their money into the middle after a flop of 10♦2♠2♣; Mirko had hit top pair with his J♥10♣ to move ahead of Zhu’s 8♠8♥, but the dealer peeled off the 8♦ on the turn before completing the board with the river K♦.
| Mark Zhu | 212,000 |
| Mirko Stojkov | EXILED! |
Level 13: 1,500/3,000 (3,000)
Take a breather
Players are now on their next 10-minute break of the night.
Fazzino sizzles, Ivin fizzles
Sal Fazzino is now the first player to hit the 300K mark, eliminating Mike ‘The Tank’ Ivin as we head into the next break of the night.
From under the gun, Ivin raised to 6,000 and action folded around to Fazzino who defended his big blind to see a flop of 8♣3♦8♦.
Ivin opened for 6,000, Fazzino raised to 16,000 and Ivin called before leading for another 16,000 into the turn of the 4♦ and then ripped the remainder in on the river A♥.
Fazzino called and Ivin showed Q♥Q♣, but swiftly made his way to the rail after Fazzino showed down 8♥3♥ for a flopped boat.
| Sal Fazzino | 300,000 |
| Mike Ivin | BUSTED! |
Gabriel clipped
A pre-flop raise from Daniel Gabriel to 5,000 only got one caller in Jeison Berdugo, with action then checked down on a board of J♦J♥10♠J♠ before Gabriel put forth a bet of 16,000 on the river 10♥.
Berdugo lurked in quiet thought for a minute, before declaring all-in for 25,300. Gabriel paused briefly before making the call, but mucked after Berdugo rolled over K♦J♣.
| Jeison Berdugo | 50,600 |
| Daniel Gabriel | 50,000 |
Level 12: 1,500/2,500 (2,500)
Hutchins cuts one
Not long after Reid’s double up, we circled over to Table 8 to catch Josh Hutchins in a hand against an unknown opponent.
Our reporter caught the board before it was swept up, with Hutchins triumphing with a pair of beauties: Q♥Q♦ which had rivered a boat on a board of 3♦K♦7♥7♣Q♣.
| Josh Hutchins | 142,700 |
Wreck-it Reid!
Scotty Reid is still fighting on after doubling up again with pockets against pockets!
The action began with Reid raising under the gun to 4,500 before folding to new tablemate Adam Bevis who came back with a three-bet worth 11,000. Reid returned fire with a four-bet-shove of 43,400, which Bevis quickly snapped off.
Bevis: A♦A♣.
Reid: 10♦10♠
Incredibly, Reid got set up on the flop of J♠10♥6♣ before hitting the boat after the turn and river ran out 6♥, 5♣.
| Scotty Reid | 92,800 |
| Adam Bevis | 21,900 |
Level 11: 1,000/2,000 (2,000)
Meyn mauled
Ryan Meyn has met his maker in Day 1A of the Mystery Bounty after being felted in the space of two hands.
Earlier, Meyn found himself in a three-way all-in pre-flop pot holding A♣8♣ and up against Matt Bevin who showed down K♣10♣, and Scotty Reid who flipped over 4♠4♦ before he filled up on board of 2♠2♦2♣J♦9♦ to triple up.
Down to just 2,000 in chips, Meyn committed them all in the very next hand with A♠2♠, but Andrew Tong’s J♣9♣ flopped two pair and held despite Meyn picking up the nut flush draw on the 9♠J♥10♠3♥2♣.
| Matt Bevin | 80,000 |
| Andrew Tong | 71,500 |
| Scotty Reid | 32,000 |
| Ryan Meyn | KEELHAULED! |
Barrett barrelled
Josh Barrett was confirmed as our latest Mystery Bounty elimination, taken out at the hands of Cheng-Tse Chen.
Action folded around to Barrett who open-shoved from late position with A♦5♣, only to see Chen wake up out of the blinds with K♠K♦.
The board of 3♥5♥7♦3♠Q♥ changed nothing except for the entry count on the clock.
| Cheng Tse-Chen | 80,300 |
| Josh Barrett | BUSTED! |
Level 10: 800/1,600 (1,600)
Demarsch’d out the door
Dylan Desmarchelier has just been cast away by Will Bolton as we head into the 10th level of the night.
Desmarchelier got the last of his chips in before the flop with A♠J♥ but was taken out by Will Bolton whose K♣Q♠ hit top pair on the board of 3♥10♣K♠6♦2♦.
“That’s the first time that PMA has caught me in a hand when I was ahead!” Desmarchelier laughed.
| Will Bolton | 48,300 |
| Dylan Desmarchelier | VANQUISHED! |
Assorted chip counts
| Jerry Wang | 231,000 |
| Lloyd Locsin | 154,500 |
| Mike Ivin | 127,000 |
| Chin Wang | 104,000 |
| Jimmy Ghobrial | 99,000 |
| Ben Turner | 98,900 |
| Omer Siljadjzia | 81,000 |
| Qais Shanasa | 80,500 |
| Lucho Vargas | 60,000 |
| Adam Thaggard | 51,100 |
| Lewis Murray | 49,500 |
| Corey Van Jaarsveldt | 47,600 |
| Rehman Kassam | 47500 |
| Romain Morvan | 39400 |
| Chuck Caris | 34,600 |
| Mark Taylor | 33,500 |
| Martin Ward | 25,400 |
| Jeison Berdugo | 23,300 |
| Hayden ‘Doug’ Doughty | 23,200 |
| Sammy Haddad | 22,000 |
| Scotty Reid | 15,700 |
| Atilla Bognar | 15,600 |
Level 9: 600/1,200 (1,200)
Let’s eat!
Our players are now on a 30-minute dinner break. Back soon with a fresh round of counts!
Locsin stacks Lei
Lloyd Locsin has been sweeping up his table, seen eliminating an opponent earlier and floating high on 135,000, has crushed another soul in Yang Lei.
Lei was short-stacked with 16,900 and braved the shove pre-flop from the cut-off, however Locsin jumped the gun with a complete out of the small blind.
The dealer advised of Lei’s all-in bet, which belayed Locsin briefly before taking up the duel with 6♠6♥, flipping against Lei’s A♦10♦ but held after the dealer spread the board of 3♠9♠5♣4♥J♣.
| Lloyd Locsin | 151,900 |
| Yang Lei | PILLAGED! |
Tripp trumped
Over on Table 18, Wayde Rickhuss has been riding a rollercoaster wave but has now has doubled up and feeling swell.
After calling a pre-flop raise in the cut-off, Rickhuss parlayed with Stuart Tripp on a flop of 10♠8♦4♠. Tripp opened the bet to 13,000, but Rickhuss responded with a shove worth 29,000.
Tripp called him down and revealed K♥K♦ for the overpair, however Rickhuss’s 9♠6♠ freerolled to a straight after the turn and river came running J♣, Q♣.
| Wayde Rickhuss | 70,500 |
| Stuart Tripp | 33,700 |
Level 8: 500/1,000 (1,000)
Colless overboard
Over on Table 114, a player in early position raised to 2,000 and Rehman Kassam called, as did Adam Bevis and Brooke Colless to make it four-handed to a flop of J♥4♠9♥.
Action then checked to Kassam who opened for 3,500; Bevis raised to 11,000 and Colless shoved, only to then Kassam check-raise to isolate to make it 62,500 to go before Bevis short-called.
Bevis: A♦J♦
Colless: Q♠8♠
Kassam: 8♥7♥
Bevis held after the turn and river ran out 8♦, 6♠, crippling Kassam and sending Colless down to Davy Jones’ locker.
| Adam Bevis | 105,000 |
| Reham Kassam | 36,600 |
| Brooke Colless | PLUNDERED! |
Anand eaten alive
Jason Anand has been confirmed as our latest elimination from the Mystery Bounty after being sandwich-smashed by Scotty Reid and Liam Murray.
All the money was in the middle pre-flop and our reporter got there just as they all went to showdown.
Reid: J♦J♣
Murray: 10♠10♦
Anand: A♦10♣
Although Anand picked up a gut-shot after the flop and turn of 8♦8♠7♦6♣, the river 3♠ was a brick and Reid doubled through as Murray scooped the sidepot.
| Liam Murray | 36,000 |
| Scotty Reid | 25,600 |
| Jason Anand | MAROONED! |
Level 7: 400/800 (800)
Thaggard crippled
Qais Shanasa has taken a chunk of change off two-time QPC Champion Adam Thaggard as we approach the eighth level of play in this Mystery Bounty event.
All the money was in the middle on a flop of 7♠K♣9♣; Shanasa was at risk for his last 26,600 with A♠9♠, but found himself ahead of Thaggard who tabled 8♠6♠ for an open-ender.
Thaggard did pair up with the 6♥ on the turn, however the river Q♦ completed the board to give Shanasa the double-up.
| Qais Shanasa | 61,600 |
| Adam Thaggard | 5,000 |
Lei down
Lloyd Locsin has chipped up after taking a huge chunk of change off Yang Lei on Table 9.
Our reporter picked up the action as the dealer peeled off the turn on a board that read Q♠Q♥4♦2♠; Lei checked his option from the big blind, Locsin opened for 3,200 and Lei called before check-calling again after Locsin’s bet of 8,000 on the river 8♥.
Locsin showed down Q-J for trips, which was more than enough to take it down.
| Lloyd Locsin | 68,500 |
| Yang Lei | 16,000 |
Level 6: 300/600 (600)
Stojkov scores some
Back over on Table 8, action folded around to Hussein Hassan who raised to 1,200 from the lo-jack; the player in the hijack called, only to then see Mirko Stojkov three-bet to 2,500 from the button.
Hassan then four-bet it to 8,500, forcing the hijack out of the way before Stojkov called to make it heads-up to a flop of 2♣7♠Q♣.
Hassan then opened for 4,500, only to fold after Stojkov raised to 11,500.
| Mirko Stojkov | 53,500 |
| Hussein Hassan | 46,500 |
Chips ahoy!
Here’s a cross-section of currency accumulations from our noted notables.
| Lucho Vargas | 131,700 |
| Jimmy Ghobrial | 95,000 |
| Lloyd Locsin | 68,000 |
| Noman Mirza | 49,700 |
| Hussein Hassan | 43,700 |
| Jeison Berdugo | 42,700 |
| Qais Shanasa | 38,700 |
| Scotty Reid | 33,600 |
| Dennis Huntly | 23,100 |
| Tim O’Shea | 22,700 |
| Troy McLean | 20,700 |
| Daniel Gabriel | 20,300 |
| Brooke Colless | 15,900 |
| Brandon Bailey | 15,800 |
| Wayde Rickhuss | 12,500 |
| John Apostolou | 12,100 |
| Liam Murray | 9,200 |
Level 5: 300/500 (500)
Save your (sea) legs!
Time for a 10-minute break! We’ll have a round of counts for you when we return.
Mixed fortunes
Nursing a short stack as the clock ticked down to the first break of the day, Tim O’Shea jammed his last 5,600 into the middle with A♦Q♣ and managed to hit trips on a board 3♣2♥7♦Q♠Q♥ through Mark Taylor, who had called him off with A♣K♠.
Despite the double-up, however, O’Shea was sent to the rail and Taylor followed him soon after, but Taylor has confirmed with the PMA crew that he’s now chipped up after waking up with pocket kings in one of the first hands back, which went on to hit top set.
Always Huss-lin’
Over on Table 8, our reporter caught action heads-up between Hussein Hassan and Noman Mirza in a raised pot to a flop of 9♦J♦A♥. Mirza c-bet for 700, Hassan min-clicked to 1,5000 and Mirza called before checking the turn of the K♠.
Hassan fired out a second bullet worth 2,500, which was enough for Mirza to lay the hand down and move Hassan’s stack to above average.
| Hussein Hassan | 38,300 |
Level 4: 200/400 (400)
Photo time!
Huntly becomes the hunted
Fresh off his weekend down at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Mount Gambier, Dennis Huntly’s time at the tables here was short-lived, taken out at the hands of Dylan Wayne.
After having his kings cracked by queens in an earlier hand, Huntly jammed the last of his stack in with pocket sixes, only to see Wayne wake up with pocket tens.
Both players filled up on the board of 9♦10♠9♥Q♦6♥, but Wayne sunk Huntly with the bigger boat.
| Dylan Wayne | 78,500 |
| Dennis Huntly | SCUTTLED! |
Level 3: 200/300 (300)
Eye-watering stuff
The PMA Live Reporting Crew caught Liam Murray walking through the main floor forlornly as he texted through his hand history via the PMA Discord #give-us-a-hand channel.
“Not sure whether or not you want it, but three-ways 100K pots this early don’t happen often!” he said.
As Murray recalled, Chris Savelle limped in from under the gun and action folded around to him on the button, where he then raised to 700. Sammy Haddad called from the small blind, as did Savelle to make it three-handed to a flop of 10♦9♦5♠.
Action checked to Murray who opened for 1,600, but Haddad min-clicked (albeit unintentionally) to 3,200. Savelle called, but Murray then re-raised to 8,500.
The other two flatted and then checked through after the turn of the J♠; Murray put them both to the sword, Haddad called short for around 7,000 and Savelle called for 26,000 effective before action was checked before the river K♥ completed the board.
Murray: 10♠10♥
Haddad: Q♦5♦
Savelle: Q♥J♣
Small wonder then that Murray was almost in tears after that one!
Portelli picks one off
Our reporter caught up with Daniel Gabriel over on Table 9, where we also witnessed John Portelli take out a player as the number of total entries moved up past the century mark.
Al the money was in the middle pre-flop; the all-in player was at risk with 10♠8♦, but although he rivered a straight on the board of 9♥7♣K♣5♥J♥, Portelli’s Q♥Q♦ had freerolled to a flush!
| John Portelli | 34,500 |
Level 2: 100/200 (200)
Tables O’ Doom
Table 35 is shaping up to be one of the ones to watch already, with Aitor Marin, Hussein Hassan, Tim O’Shea, Martin Ward and Corey Van Jaarsveldt practically shoulder-to-shoulder. Josh Norvock also started the day there, but has been replaced since by QPC Main Event Champion, Lucho Vargas.
Meanwhile on Table 15, Ricky Kroesen is seated alongside 2009 Aussie Millions Main Event Champion, Stewart Scott, and Liam Murray – back home after island-hopping to Hawaii and Tasmania – is now opposite Australian Poker Hall of Famer Leo “The Mechanic Boxell,” with Jeison Berdugo and WPT Prime Gold Coast $1,100 NLH Champion Romain Morvan wedged in between.
Cast off!
Cards are now in the air for the Mystery Bounty!
69 players have already been seated, each starting with 30,000 in tournament doubloons and will be playing through 30-minute levels.
Amongst those in action early include Chuck Caris, Brooke Colless, Rehman Kassam, Ben Turner, Dylan Wayne, Scotty Reid and Carlos Youssef.
Level 1: 100/100 (100)
All hands hoay!
From wherever you are watching from Australia, New Zealand or around the world … ahoy there and welcome back to The Star Gold Coast for another historic moment in our nation’s poker history!
Today marks the beginning of the $1,000 buy-in Mystery Bounty Event, the first tournament of its kind to be held in an Australian casino. For those unfamiliar with the format, here’s a rundown on how it works so you’re all savvy:
Play will begin on Day 1 as a standard NLH tournament until 15% of the field remains in each flight. All surviving players then receive their Bounty chip prior to the start of Day 2.
Every Bounty chip that each player accumulates equates to drawing a single gold coin from the Treasure Chest. Players can complete a Mystery Bounty draw at any time after they’ve been eliminated.
Two-thirds of the Mystery Bounty prizes available will be worth $300, while the biggest haul equates to just over a quarter of the bounty pool (sample dividends below courtesy of Star Poker Gold Coast):
Of course, every player also receives a portion of the standing prize pool, and for our winner in three days’ time, the coveted WPT Prime glass trophy.
A vast fortune awaits ye, me hearties, but it’s time now to belay ourselves and batten down the hatches before we set sail on this perilous journey. Keep your eyes peeled from 2:30pm AEST as PokerMedia Australia charts the course!
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