AU$2,200 Main Event
Day 4 Completed
2018 WSOP International Circuit The Star Sydney
AU$2,200 Main Event
Day: 4
Event Info
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 50,000 ante
After seven days of thrilling poker, Australia’s Alex Lynskey has triumphed over a field of 1,191 entries in the 2018 WSOP International Circuit Sydney Main Event. Lynskey beat Matt Pongrass heads-up at The Star to take the WSOP Circuit Ring along with the A$442,796 top prize and entrance to the season-culminating WSOP Global Casino Championship.
“I feel fantastic,” said Lynskey straight after the final hand. “It went crazy fast in the end. Was expecting the final table to last seven to eight hours. Went way quicker and smoother than i expected especially with those five knockouts in the first 45 minutes,” he added.
Asked how he felt about the heads up battle with Pongrass, Lynskey continued “It was swingy as hell. I was down to four and a half million against his thirty million and got it in with ace-ten against kings and hit an ace and spun it up from there. Then got insanely lucky again on that last river.
Asked how this win compares to other tournament and that WSOP main event run, Lynskey said “It’s my biggest score for winning a tournament. And on home soil i couldn't be happier. It always feels better to win so this is a better feeling than that (his 7th place finish in the WSOP main event).
Next up for Lynskey is the Aussie Millions were he will hope to add more results to an already impressive poker resume. Today’s first place finish see’s Lynskey rise to 6th on Australia’s all time money list passing the likes of Kahle Burns, Mel Judah and Michael Addamo in the process.
WSOPC Sydney Final Table Results
| Position | Player | Country | Prize in AU$ | Prize in US$ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Lynskey | Australia | AU$422,796 | US$303,705 |
| 2 | Matt Pongrass | Australia | AU$262,020 | US$188,188 |
| 3 | Rahul Rastogi | Australia | AU$192,299 | US$138,113 |
| 4 | Luke Martinelli | Australia | AU$145,302 | US$104,359 |
| 5 | Sam Capra | Australia | AU$110,882 | US$79,638 |
| 6 | John Sormi | Australia | AU$85,347 | US$61,298 |
| 7 | Barry Forrester | Australia | AU$66,458 | US$47,736 |
| 8 | Justin Layden | Australia | AU$52,306 | US$37,570 |
| 9 | Cameron Chen | Australia | AU$41,733 | US$29,976 |
WSOPC Sydney Final Table Action
The final table started with a bang with five elimination in just over an hours play.
Cameron Chen started the final table as the second shortest stack. He would find himself all in with ace-jack and be behind to Lynskey’s ace-queen and wouldn’t improve to be the first player out.
Moments later, in a blind versus blind situation, Justin Layden open-shoved his ace-king and ran into Lynskey's pocket queens and would become Lynskey’s second victim in a row after the board bricked out
Barry Forrester took his chance next when he raise-called an all in from Pongrass. His pocket eights were in bad shape against Pongrass’ pocket queens and we’d be down to seven.
John Sormi started the final table as the short stack but was able to manoeuvre his way to sixth place where he was taken out by Lynskey. Sormi was the first player to get it all in ahead with his ace-nine dominating Lynskey’s queen-ten. However, Lynskey would flop two pair resulting in Sormi hitting the rail.
Sam Capra was the feel good story of the whole tournament. During the middle of Day 2 Capra only had 11,000, which was less than one big blind at the time. He was able to spin it up to eventually finish in fifth place collecting a mammoth six-figure score for his efforts. He would also find himself in front holding ace-nine versus Lynsey’s jack-ten but would fall when Lynskey spiked a pair on the turn.
Lynskey had already busted four of the five players on the table before he made it five, eliminating Luke Martinelli in 4th place. Martinelli committed his chips in on the turn with a flush draw but couldn't improve against Lynskey who had top pair. A fantastic week for Martinelli came to an end, accumulating over A$500,000 in two tournaments after also winning the $20,000 High Roller just three days ago.
The final three just happened to be the three players who started the day as chip leaders. Lynskey started three-handed with 16 million in chips and led Pongrass who had 11 million and Rahul Rastogi who had nine million.
Rastogi would fall in third place after an all in shove at the wrong time saw him almost drawing dead when the cards where shown. His jack-three was no match against Pongrass’ pocket jacks and his day came to an end. His third place winnings would amass to more then three times his lifetime earnings in one go.
Heads up saw Pongrass have an almost six-to-one chip lead against Lynskey. Pongrass pressured early and dwindled Lynskey down to just three million in chips at one stage. The heads-up battle took a dramatic turn when Lynskey found himself at risk holding ace-ten versus Pongrass’ pocket king and looked like being eliminated. An ace flopped and Lynskey doubled up to eight million. From then on he never looked back, and in less than and hour had the tournament won.
The final hand saw Pongrass call all in with pocket sevens and had Lynskey’s pocket three's dominated. Everything was going to plan until the three spiked on the river to see Lynskey take down the pot and the tournament.
Congratulation's to Alex Lynskey on capturing the WSOPC Sydney Main Event title and claiming his first WSOPC circuit ring.
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 50,000 ante
Matt Pongrass raised from the button before Alex Lynskey shipped all in from the big blind. Pongrass snap-called for his tournament life.
Alex Lynskey: 
Matt Pongrass: 
Pongrass had the over pair and looked like he would double up to get himself back into the heads up match.
Unfortunately the board ran out 
to see Lynskey spike a three on the river to take down the pot with a full house.
Pongrass' amazing run saw him fall one place short of the victory but collected $262,020 for his efforts.
Stay tuned for an end-of-day wrap shortly.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
35,730,000
8,900,000
|
8,900,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 50,000 ante
Alex Lynsey raised to 650,000 from the button and was called by Matt Pongrass in the big blind.
The flop came 
and Pongrass checked. Lynskey bet 450,000. Pongrass raised to 1,300,000. Lynskey called.
The turn brought the 
and Pongrass checked again. Lynskey bet 1,300,000. Pongrass called.
The completed the board and Pongrass opted to check for a third time. Lynskey fired 1,850,000. Pongrass deliberated for a minute and then mucked his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
26,830,000
2,830,000
|
2,830,000 |
|
|
8,900,000
-2,830,000
|
-2,830,000 |
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 50,000 ante
Matt Pongrass called from the button. Alex Lynskey raised to 1,200,000 from the big blind. Pongrass called.
Both players checked the 
before the 
dropped on the turn. Lynskey bet 1,300,000. Pongrass called.
The completed the board and Lynskey thought for a minute and fired 3,600,000. Pongrass deliberated for over a minute before making the call.
Lynskey tabled for two pair and took down the pot after Pongrass mucked his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
24,000,000
7,000,000
|
7,000,000 |
|
|
11,730,000
-7,000,000
|
-7,000,000 |
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 50,000 ante
Alex Lynskey raised to 650,000 from the button and was called by Matt Pongrass in the blinds.
Both players checked the 
flop before the fell on the turn.
Pongrass fired 1,000,000. Lynskey called.
The completed the board and Pongrass bet out 1,300,000. Lynskey raised to 3,000,000. Pongrass snap-folded his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
18,730,000
-5,000,000
|
-5,000,000 |
|
|
17,000,000
5,000,000
|
5,000,000 |
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 50,000 ante
Matt Pongrass called from the button and Alex Lynskey checked from the blinds.
The flop came 
and Lynskey checked. Pongrass bet 300,000. Lynskey called.
The turn brought the and Lynskey checked once again. Pongrass fired 700,000. Lynskey called.
The 
completed the board and for a third time Lynskey checked. Pongrass slid out 2,100,000. Lynskey snap-called.
Pongrass showed the 
and took down the pot with a full house after Lynskey mucked his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
23,730,000
3,400,000
|
3,400,000 |
|
|
12,000,000
-3,400,000
|
-3,400,000 |
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 50,000 ante
Matt Pongrass raised to 650,000 from the button and was called by Alex Lynskey in the blinds.
The flop came 
and Lynskey checked. Pongrass bet 500,000. Lynskey raised to 1,600,000. Pongrass called.
The turn brought the and Lynskey fired 2,250,000. Pongrass called shortly after.
The completed the board and Lynskey immediately moved all in for 6,400,000. Pongrass agonised over his decision for several minutes before opting to lay his hand down.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
20,330,000
-6,150,000
|
-6,150,000 |
|
|
15,400,000
6,150,000
|
6,150,000 |
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 50,000 ante
Alex Lynskey called from the button. Matt Pongrass moved all in from the big blind. Lnyskey snap-called with 4,625,000 behind and was at risk.
Alex Lynskey: 
Matt Pongrass: 
The board ran out 
to see Lynskey spike an ace on the flop to crack Pongrass' pocket kings and take down the pot and double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
26,480,000
-5,050,000
|
-5,050,000 |
|
|
9,250,000
5,050,000
|
5,050,000 |
Level: 33
Blinds: 150,000/300,000
Ante: 50,000