[user75032]
Van Marcus, right
Van Marcus has been quiet so far at this final table. He did not win a single hand in the first hour. To start the second hour, he reraised Tae Jun Noh from 23,000 to 65,000 preflop. Noh folded. As Marcus collected the pot, he turned over two red aces.
Marcus certainly is giving off a tight image to start the final table.
[user67765]
The blinds are now up and things are getting hot in here...literally. The temperature in the TV studio area is extremely warm with all of the lights, cameras and audience making things very sticky in here. There's already been a call out to the waiters to bring in more bottles of water for the players...and hurry!
[user75032]
Four-way pots must be coming back in vogue, because we've had a second one in a short span. Hyoung Jin Nam and Tae Jun Noh limped into the pot in front of the blinds, Lee Nelson and Van Marcus, who came along for the ride. Nam culled the herd with a bet of 30,000 on the flop, getting called only by Noh. He followed through with a bet of 30,000 on the turn, but again Noh called. Both players checked the river, with Noh showing down for two pair, nines and deuces. Nam mucked.
[user67765]
Hyoung Jin Nam limped into the pot, not for the first time today. Manish Sansi came along, as did Tae Jun Noh and Lee Nelson in the blinds.
They saw a multi-way flop of and the action checked to Nam who fired out a minimum bet of 6,000. Noh was the lone caller, as the crowd murmured when the hits the turn to put four spades on board. Noh checked to Nam, who fired 20,000 and Noh quickly called.
The fell on the river and Noh checked to Nam, who fired a curious bet of only 10,000. Noh called but Nam tabled for the flush to collect the pot.
[user75032]
Winning a series of small pots is one of the keys to success in this game. Lee Nelson is demonstrating that today. He raised to 17,000 from middle position and was called by Hyoung Jin Nam on the button. When the flop came , Nelson took down the pot with a bet of 17,000.
[user67765]
Van Marcus is a man on a mission today. He will have bittersweet memories of last year's APPT event in Manila. Marcus held a huge chip lead entering the final table last year, only to see it disappear into a fourth-place finish. He has approached this final table very similarly, after leading this tournament for most of Day 2 and entering today with a healthy chip stack. With several APPT cashes to his credit, including a ninth-place result at this year's APPT Macau High Rollers, Marcus will be looking to go a few places better today and capture that elusive major poker title.
[user67765]
Hyoung Jin Nam limped in from middle position, Ramil Tandoc called on the button and the blinds came along to see a cheap flop of . The play checked to Tandoc who fired out 12,000. The table folded around and Tandoc collects a pot.
[user75032]
Hyoung Jin Nam
After some early tough breaks, Hyoung Jin Nam has come storming back. He opened the pot for 15,000 from the button and was called out of the big blind by Michael Chang. Chang checked to Nam after the dealer spread out a flop, prompting Nam to bet 23,000. Change check-raised that bet to 46,000, with Nam quickly calling.
On the turn , Chang fired out a bet of 75,000. Again Nam didn't hesitate to call. When the river fell , Chang shut things down and checked. Nam checked behind, tabling for middle pair. That took down the pot when Chang showed a stone bluff, .