2015 PokerStars.net ANZPT Perth Day 1a: Raiden Kan Thunders to the Chip Lead

The first event on Season 7 of the Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT) began on Wednesday as 99 players hit the tables for Day 1a of the 2015 PokerStars.net ANZPT Perth Main Event.

After six 60-minute levels, exactly 54 players made their way out of Crown Perth poker room having a secured a spot on Day 2. Leading the way with a stack of 80,450 was Raiden Kan.

Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts

It was a productive day at the felt for Kan, as he looks to continue the success he had at the 2015 Aussie Millions where he finished 10th in the Main Event for AU$95,000 and seventh in the $25,000 Challenge for AU$125,000.

Trailing Kan with 75,450 in chips was none other than Team PokerStars Pro Bryan Huang. For much of the last level of the night it was looking like Huang was going to finish on top, but he ultimately missed out by a few thousand.

Australian regular Didier Guerin closed out the top three stacks with 68,400 in chips. Guerin had a great day at the felt and not only in the Main Event. He finished runner-up in the $1,100 six-max side event just a short while before Day 1a kicked off.

Guerin's Day 1a began with a monster hand that saw him and two opponents get all the chips in on the flop. Guerin had the for the nut straight and was up against for two pair and the for the nut flush draw. Guerin's hand managed to stay ahead and with that he had quickly tripled up and never looked back.

Some of the others who made it through the night, albeit with less chips than the top three, include Canaian pro Xuan Liu (59,600), Tony Tartaglia (52,300), Michael Addamo (54,575), Anthony Legg (46,275), reigning ANZ Player of the Year David Lim (42,675), Jesse "On The Mac" McKenzie (38,000), 2013 ANZ Player of the Year Iori Yogo (28,950), and recent Aussie Millions Main Event runner-up Lennart Uphoff (14,400).

Players who weren't as fortunate as the aforementioned include Day 1a casualties Adrian "Knightsgeee" Attenborough, Jonathan "xMONSTERxDONGx" Karamalikis, Edison "GooGieMonA" Nguyen, Brian Mcallister, and Daniel Neilson. All those who did survive Day 1a will now return to the felt from 12:30 p.m. local time local time on Friday.