It's been a slow start here at the ANZPT Perth final table.
The only hand that looked like it was going to go somewhere started with Gregory Wheeler opening to 25,000 from middle position. Michael Kane called on his direct left, while Robert McLean called from the big blind.
On the flop it was checked to Kane who bet 38,000. Wheeler was the lone caller to see a land on the turn .
This time Wheeler led for 55,000 and Kane went into the tank.
Kane started some banter with Wheeler, but ultimately decided to fold.
This is it. The final day of the first stop on Season 7 of the Australia New Zealand Poker Tour.
Today we crown a champion of the ANZPT Perth Main Event.
The player who will be quietly confident coming into today is Team PokerStars Pro Bryan Huang. Not only does he have the lead with a stack of 779,000 in chips, he also has plenty of experience on a big stage such as this.
Huang does have some tough competition with Australia's Michael Guzzardi and Macau's Raiden Kan both coming off an impressive few months at the felt and both looking for a big score. The rest of the final table can't be underestimated either, with Michael Kane, Navin Bechar, Robert McLean, Stephen McHugh, Michael Doyle and Gregory Wheeler all keen to catch their own piece of poker glory.
Seat
Player
Chips
1
Stephen McHugh
304,000
2
Navin Bechar
237,000
3
Raiden Kan
448,000
4
Robert McLean
406,000
5
Michael Guzzardi
537,000
6
Michael Doyle
195,000
7
Gregory Wheeler
390,000
8
Michael Kane
382,000
9
Bryan Huang
779,000
The final table kicks off at Crown Perth from 2:10pm local time and right here at PokerNews is where you can follow the coverage and find out who is crowned the champion. Until then, learn more about each of the final table players in the live reporting blog below.
Hailing from Perth, local Steve McHugh is a self-employed 39 year-old who's been playing poker for 10 years. He got into the game after watching it on TV and despite not cashing, the highlight of his poker career so far was playing the 2010 WSOP Main Event.
McHugh only has two live scores to his name and by locking up at least ninth place this week he's already guaranteed to more than triple his total live earnings. After starting Day 3 with the third shortest stack, he managed to grind it out and survive to remain in contention for the title.
Businessman and Perth local Navin Bechar is 42 years old and has over 20 years of poker experience. These days he plays mainly $1/$2 online when he's not in a tournament.
Bechar's biggest score came in 2009 when he placed 2nd in the Perth Sapphire Series for $35,000. Away from the tables he's a fan of traveling, and visits Las Vegas every year.
Raiden Kan is a 30 year-old poker pro who's been playing for seven years. He's already had a great start to the poker year with a tenth place finish in the Aussie Millions Main Event last month, and a seventh place finish in the $25,000 event.
Kan's best result came in 2011 when he won the Macau Poker Cup for US$160,591. Aside from poker, he's a big fan of Starcraft, and says he's had a relaxing week here in Perth.
From Balcatta Western Australia, Robert McLean says he loves that Crown Perth is so close to home. A 31 year-old Carpenter with 15 year poker experience, McLean says his chip stack has been steadily building for the past 3 days of play.
This final table is his biggest poker highlight since cashing in a WSOP event, and McLean enjoys anything sporting related away from the felt.
This year's ANZPT Perth Main Event is the third time 30 year-old Michael Guzzardi has made the final table of an Australia New Zealand Poker Tour event after finishing third in the 2012 ANZPT Melbourne for $112,000 and 6th in the 2014 ANZPT Auckland Main Event for NZ$26,500.
Guzzardi is normally found at the PLO cash tables, but has proven himself as quite the tournament player amassing almost US$400,000 in results. During that time, Guzzardi claims that "meeting Danny McDonagh" has been the highlight of his career.
Outside of poker, Guzzardi likes to play basketball.
Michael Doyle is a 29 year-old salesmen from the UK who has been playing poker for ten years. Doyle says that he plays "all sorts" of poker games and limits and that he got started in poker at friends' houses.
Doyle says that "easy money" is the biggest influence on his poker game and credits a big flip for his tournament life with ace-king versus pocket jacks as the defining moment of his tournament. This will be Doyle's largest career tournament result no matter where he finishes at the final table.