Ziv Bacher win the 2007 APPT Seoul event

Friday, October 5, 2007 | Francis Lee

The second stop in the 2007 Asia Pacific Poker Tour was in Seoul starting on the 28th September lasting for three days. Over 200 players entered the $2,500 buy in event playing No Limit Hold’em. A few well known faces were spotted across the card room at the start of play with the most notable being the 2005 World Series champion Joe Hachem.

After two long gruelling days play we finally reached the final table. Ziv Bachar was leading the field in the chip rankings with $400,000 in chips, almost double of second placed Daniel Schreiber on $235,000. Schreiber was the chip leader at the end of day one, and was looking like being the chip leader going into the final stages of day two, but Bacher made a late push and picked up some huge pots putting him in the lead on a healthy stack.

Final Table chip Rankings:

• 1st Ziv Bachar $400,000
• 2nd Daniel Schreiber $235,000
• 3rd Jozef Berec $220,000
• 4th James Honeybone $200,000
• 5th Shinhan Sid Kim $190,000
• 6th Paul Adams $170,000
• 7th Seval Haegeland $146,000
• 8th Roger Spets $84,000
• 9th Michel St-Pierre $78,000

On the very first hand of play once the cards were in the air at the start of the final table, Michel St-Pierre made an All In move for $149,500 with pocket Queens after Paul Adams had raised to $15,000. Adams was happy to call and revealing pocket Kings in a dominant position . The Flop came down giving St-Pierre a set of Queens. The on the Turn and on the River doubled St Pierre up from the short stack, crippling Adams down to $45,000 in chips.

Three hands later Adams moved All In with and was called by James Honeybone with The board came down leaving Adams to head for the rail cursing his luck going out in 9th place collecting $8,740.

Dan Schreiber leader of the chip rankings for most of the event made a shock exit on the 5th hand of play, moving over the top of Jozef Berec’s raise of $21,000, All In with Berec called showing The board missed both players coming down giving Berec the pot with just Ace Queen high. Schreiber took home $13,113 in prize money for his 8th place finish.

After these early exchanges play settled down and we had to wait for over 50 hands to be played before we lost our next player. Roger Spets had held out for a while with out picking up any premium hands to play with, and found his chip stack fall down to $5,500 in chips. He was All In once the big blind had got round to him and was up against Ziv Bachar and Jozef Berec. Both players checked down the cards and the final board was Bachar had and Berec mucked his cards. The King high was good enough to take the pot with Spets having Spets out in 7th place won $17,484.

Five hands later we were down to just five players, loosing Sevel Haegeland moving All In for just $19,000 on the short stack. He was called by both St-Pierre and Bachar and again both players checked down the cards. St Pierre won the pot with hitting trip Tens on a board showing Haegeland only had and Bacher had mucked his cards.

James Honeybone was the next player to go out on the 76th hand of play. Honeybone moved All In with after the flop came down and was called by Berec with pocket Eights. The Turn was a no help to either player but the River came down with the giving Berec the huge pot eliminating Honeybone out in 5th place collecting $28,412.

Ziv Bachar’s chip stack was reduced down to just $193,000 but was given a life line doubling up against St-Pierre winning with pocket Queens against On the very next hand St-Pierre moved All In with and was called by Sid Kim with After the first four cards it was looking good for St-Pierre with the board showing having the higher card and a flush draw to go with it. The River killed off his hopes coming down with the giving Kim the pot pairing his Jack, knocking St-Pierre out in 4th place.

Sid Kim and Ziv Bacher was looking set to battle it out heads up as they whittled Jozef Berec’s chip stack down to around $185,000 in chips. This was until hand 102 when amazingly Bacher eliminated Kim out in 3rd place. The hand started out with Kim calling the big blind and Bacher checked. The Flop came down Both players checked and the Turn was a Kim started the betting with a $50,000 raise and bacher made it $100,000 to play. Kim announced All In and Bacher made an excellent read and called. Bacher had two pairs and Kim had needing any five or a club to hit one of his draws. The River handed Bacher the huge pot coming down with the leaving Kim to go out in 3rd place winning $48,081.

This win had put Bacher on $1.6 million in chips against Berec’s $185,000 and looked certain to win the event. On the 111th hand of play Bacher took down the event dominating Berec’s with The board came down and the two pair and ten high kicker was enough to win Bacher the pot. Ziv Bacher winning the 2007 APPT Seoul title, taking home $139,872 in prize money.

Final Standings:

• 1st Ziv Bachar $139,872
• 2nd Jozef Berec $87,420
• 3rd Shinhan Sid Kim $48,081
• 4th Michel St-Pierre $34,968
• 5th James Honeybone $28,412
• 6th Seval Haegeland $21,855
• 7th Roger Spets $17,484
• 8th Dan Schreiber $13,113
• 9th Paul Adams $8,740

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