Here we are. Three days of toil on the poker felts of the Crown Perth Poker Room have led to this very moment. The final frontier. Our final nine players are making their way to the final table of the ANZPT Perth Main Event knowing they are just eight more eliminations from the ultimate glory.
It's an interesting final table line up with a solid mix of professionals and amateurs. The majority of them have tasted a little success in their poker careers, but today offers the potential of even greater highs. None of our players have ever won a major live championship. None have ever won $131,900.
Leading the way is local Paul Murray. He's a builder by trade, and late last night he was able to build the biggest stack in the room. Murray picked off a huge bluff on the last hand of the day to now be the only player with a stack in excess of one million in chips.
Can Murray survive the pressure from his talented opposition?
Sal Fazzino and Justin Walch are two talented young Aussies to watch out for, but the biggest threats on this final table might actually come from our American contingent. Scott Davies is a friendly chap on the table, but yesterday he was a three-betting machine, while Patrick Mahoney has a couple of big final tables to his credit, but is yet to capture a major trophy.
Here's how they will line up:
Seat 1: Paul Murray (Australia) - 1,206,000
Seat 2: Scott Davies (USA) - 767,000
Seat 3: Sal Fazzino (Australia) - 495,000
Seat 4: Patrick Mahoney (USA) - 891,000
Seat 5: Justin Walch (Australia) - 202,000
Seat 6: Vesko Zmukic (Australia) - 253,000
Seat 7: Brian McAllister (Australia) - 616,000
Seat 8: Dean Blatt (Australia) - 219,000
Seat 9: Matthew Rolfe (Australia) - 249,000
The trophy and the cash are on the line this afternoon, and there will be no greater motivation for our players than the sight of the giant novelty cheque that the winner will receive. Perfect carry-on luggage for those flying back home.
A little consolation for the final nine is that they've each received a Perth Poker Champs hoodie as they take their seats - a nice touch by the Crown Perth Poker team.
Introductions are out of the way and the cards are in the air on the ANZPT Perth Main Event final table. Stay tuned to the PokerStars Blog throughout the afternoon as we bring you all the action from the floor as we bring this baby home.
Heath "TassieDevil" Chick is a Freelance Contributor for the PokerStars Blog.