Day 1a in the Bag, Fitzgerald In Front
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In the early hours of the morning, Day 1a of the PokerStars.net Australia New Zealand Poker Tour Auckland Main Event has come to an end.
SKYCITY Auckland Casino had 66 players take their seats for a relatively small Day 1a field. The three players who ended the recent ANZPT Melbourne Main Event on the podium, champion Paul Hockin, and runners-up Michael Guzzardi and Ashley Warner were all in today��s field, and will all progress to Day 2. Others to make it through include Cole Swannack, Graeme Putt and Ivan Zalac.
Some of the players who weren��t so fortunate include Leo Boxell, Liam O��Rourke, Jesse McKenzie, Jackson Zheng and Brooke Howard-Smith.
When all the chips were finally bagged and tagged, it was online qualifier and local resident Angie Fitzgerald amassing the most chips on the day with an impressive 113,500-chip stack to lead the 26-strong field into Day 2. Snapping on her heels, but unable to finish in the six-figure club are Guzzardi (98,000), Slav Sheynin (89,200) and Yu Xiang (78,200) while notables ANZPT Melbourne Main Event Champion Hockin (63,000), local veteran Putt (62,600) and Swannack (71,200) all had great finishes to their days and all remain in contention amongst a field mixed of locals, amateurs and online qualifiers.
Day 1b is set to kick off later today at 6:30 p.m NZST with approximately 42 online qualifiers already registered, and if a few more can make their way down to the SKYCITY Auckland Casino, then the first ever PokerStars.net ANZPT Auckland will be one to remember. Make sure to join the PokerNews Live Reporting Team, for more exciting action!