Dinh Le Wins the 2007 APPT Macau Main Event

Friday, November 30, 2007 | Francis Lee

The Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) third stop was held at the Grand Waldo Hotel and casino in Macau, China. The first major poker tournament to be held on Chinese soil. 352 players entered the $2,500 buy in main event, all gunning for the $222,640 first place prize on offer.

After two days play we were down to the final nine contestants to fight out the final table. The most notable name to make the final nine was the 2005 world champion Joe Hachem. Hachem was one of the players on the short stack and needed to make a good start to be in with a chance at one of the top prizes. Dinh Le from the UK was leading the field with $710,000 in chips, more than $200,000 more than his nearest rival.

Final Table Chip Rankings:

• 1st Dinh Le $710,000
• 2nd Guillaume Patry $575,000
• 3rd Ivan Tan $549,000
• 4th Bertrand Gospellier $445,000
• 5th Sangkyoun Kim $422,000
• 6th William Tam $293,000
• 7th Liz Lieu $232,000
• 8th Simon Randall $159,000
• 9th Joseph Hashem $130,000

Simon Randall on one of the short stacks was the first player to be eliminated from this final table. On the 26th hand of play he moved All In over the top of Sangkyoun Kim’s $40,000 raise with Kim made the $100,000 call with The board came down giving Kim trip Kings winning him the pot, leaving Randall to collect $16,192 in 9th place.

Not long after Kim gained his second scalp of the night eliminating the 2005 world champion Joe Hachem into 8th place. Hachem looked favorite to win the pot All In on the short stack holding pocket Aces against Kim’s but Kim hit a broad way straight on the Turn with the final board coming down

Liz Lieu tournament came to an end when pushing All In from a late position with with her remaining $86,000 in chips. Guillaume Patry called in the big blind with just looking to get lucky and eliminate Lieu. Patry paired his Seven on the Flop showing giving him a small lead over Lieu. The on the Turn was no help to either player leaving Lieu needing an Ace on the River to survive. It never came though with the giving Patry trip Sevens and the pot. Liz Lieu finished off in 7th place collected $32,384.

Just a few hand later Sangkyoun Kim eliminated William Tan into 6th place. Kim hit two pair with an Ace kicker, with the board coming down This was enough to beat Tan’s two pair King kicker leaving him to collect $40,480 in prize money for finishing 6th.

Fifth place was decided just before the dinner break on the 81st hand of play, Bertrand Grospellier moved All In for $175,000 with and was called by Dinh Le holding Le took the lead when the Flop came down and Grospellier never recovered with the final 2 cards coming down

With just four players left Dinh Le was still in a clear lead in the chip ranking with $1.5 million in chips and his closest rival Ivan Tan on just over $1 million. Sangkyoun Kim was close behind Tan on $740,000 and Guillamume Patry was short stacked on $240,000.

On the first hand upon the players return from dinner, Patry decided to make a stand pushing All In with just Unfortunately he got the call he didn’t want to see with Kim sitting on pocket Queens. The Queens held up with the final board coming down leaving Patry to collect $56,672 in 4th place.

Kim’s luck came to an end from this point onwards. First he lost the majority of his chips to Tan. Kim’s pocket Fives were beaten by Tan’s pocket Sixes with the board coming down On the next hand of play he moved his remaining $55,000 into the middle with and was called by both Tan and Le. Tan was holding and Le had Both Tan and Le paired an Ace on the Flop and eventually split the pot leaving Kim to head for the rail in 3rd place.

Both players were practically neck and neck in the chip rankings going into the heads up showdown on around the 1.7 million mark. Play only lasted for nine hands when Le opened the betting at $240,000. Tan re-raised it up to $720,000, Le moved all In and Tan called. Le was holding pocket Eights and had a small lead over Tan’s The board missed both players coming down ending the event handing Le the $222,640 first place prize

Dinh Le who resides in the UK made history winning this event as this was the first major international poker tournament to be held on Chinese soil.

Final Standings:

• 1st Dinh Le $222,640
• 2nd Ivan Tan $129,536
• 3rd Sangkyoun Kim $72,864
• 4th Guillaume Patry $56,672
• 5th Bertrand Gospellier $48,576
• 6th William Tam $40,480
• 7th Liz Lieu $32,384
• 8th Joseph Hachem $24,288
• 9th Simon Randall $16,192

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