Britain's Jack Salter narrowly missed out on another big title in Australia, finishing runner-up to Canada's Scott Davies in the World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific main event at the Crown Melbourne resort.
Salter, who took down the Aussie Millions Six-Max in February for A$114,000, managed to top that haul at the Crown Melbourne, pocketing A$516,960 for second place, with champion Davies scooping a whopping A$850,136.
Davies, who had six cashes in Las Vegas at the World Series of Poker this summer including a fourth-place finish in the US$10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em for US$111,942, topped a field of 329 to take the Asia-Pacific main event, having already cashed in the Pot Limit Omaha.
With six players returning for the final day in Melbourne it didn’t take long for the first elimination to occur when Frank Kassela raised to 90,000 and the last Australian in the field, Ang Italiano, called from the small blind.
Italiano then moved all-in on the QC-4C-2D flop with AD-10D and Kassela snap-called with the QH-10C.
Italiano picked up a big draw with the KD on the turn but unfortunately for her the KH on the river was of no help and Italiano left in sixth place, after qualifying for the event for just A$65.
Kassela took over the chip lead after that hand, but just six hands later Davies doubled through him holding aces and the next hand Kassela exited when he ran into aces yet again.
Kyle Montgomery was the next to go when his AH-HC failed to improve against Davies’ JS-JD and he was followed to the rail by Henry Wang who shoved all-in pre-flop holding the KS-9S and ran into Davies with aces again.
Heads-up play began fairly even between Davies and Salter, who also finished runner-up in the EPT Grand Final main event earlier in the year, and the two wouldn’t fluctuate much over the course of the next 47 hands.
But on hand 85 of the final table Salter opened for 105,000 and then called when Davies three-bet to 300,000. When the flop came down 6H-10H-10S, Davies bet 175,000, with Salter again calling.
The 8S on the turn saw Davies bet 330,000, with Salter raising to 930,000 and Davies taking a moment before three-betting to 1.8 million.
Salter thought for almost two minutes before deciding to move all-in with the 10C-QC giving him trips but it was a snap call for Davies who held pocket sixes for a flopped full house.
"I'll use my one time," said Salter, referring to Davies' use of it earlier at the final table, as both players got to their feet with Davies' arm slung over Salter's shoulder to watch the final river card.
The 3S wasn't the card Salter was hoping for though and Davies could breathe easy again safe in the knowledge the title was his and with it a shiny piece of gold jewellery to take back to Canada.
WSOP Asia-Pacific Main Event, 12-18 October
1 Scott Davies A$850,136
2 Jack Salter A$516,960
3 Henry Wang A$343,805
4 Kyle Montgomery A$231,287
5 Frank Kassela A$164,089
6 Ang Italiano A$118,769
