Randy "nanonoko" Lew Comes Back, Claims APPT Macau Title

Poker News / Short-Stacked Shamus / 27 November 2011 / Leave a Comment

Online star Randy Lew adds a huge live score to his poker résumé by winning APPT Macau (Photo: PokerNews)

Lew began the final table ninth of nine with less than 20 big blinds, but a fortunate double-up versus David Steicke helped propel him all of the way to victory.

After four hard-fought days of poker, including a lengthy final day in which the last 15 players played down to a champion, Randy "nanonoko" Lew of Canada emerged Sunday as champion of the 2011 Asia Pacific Poker Tour Macau Main Event. Lew overcame a huge chip deficit, coming back from ninth place to start the final table to win the trophy and claim the HKD 3,772,000 first prize.

A large field of 575 players came out for this week's event at the huge Casino Grand Lisboa in Macau, each putting up the buy-in of HKD 30,000 (about $3,850 USD). Among that group was the one and only Phil Ivey, making his first tourney appearance since the spring. Alas for Ivey his return didn't last as long as he'd have liked, ending shy of the cash during the final level of Day 2.

The top 70 finishers made the money, a group including Johnny Chan (60th, HKD 46,700), Terrence Chan (56th, HKD 51,300), Victorino Torres (36th, HKD 70,000), Grant Levy (25th, HKD 77,800), and Josh Barrett (14th, HKD 124,000).

Once Sangeeth Mohan went out in 10th (earning HKD 155,500), the final table began with Kai Yat Fam of Singapore well in front with more than 4.5 million, with Fabian Spiedelmann of Germany his nearest challenger with almost 2.3 million.

Meanwhile Lew sat with the short stack with just 750,000. APPT rules call for final tables to begin with at least a 40 big blind ratio to average stack, which meant rolling back the blinds to 20,000/40,000 to start the final table. Still, Lew was sitting with just under 19 big blinds with nine left, meaning he'd have to make a move quickly to survive.

Spiedelmann would quickly snatch that chip lead from Fam, doubling through with Kh-Kd versus Fam's Ad-Kd. And not long after that, Lew picked up Qh-Qd and shoved over a David Steicke raise only to see Steicke turn over Ac-Ad. A queen flopped, however, enabling Lew to double up and crippling Steicke who was soon knocked out by Daniel Nordstrom in ninth.

Zheng Tai Tan was next to go in eighth after his pocket deuces failed to improve against Jeff Rossiter's 8c-8s. And a while later Rossiter was knocking out Nordstrom in seventh, once again using pocket eights to fell an opponent, his middle pair holding against the Swede's Ac-Kh.

That sequence helped push Rossiter out in front, but Lew kept chipping up as well, moving into second place. Meanwhile, start-of-final-table leader Fam had slipped to short-stacked status, then pushed all in with Ah-4s only to be called by Lew who held 10-10c. The board came Jc-4h-3d-9h-6c, and Fam was out in sixth.

Following dinner, Zuo Wang was the next elimination in fifth. All in for his last 530,000 versus both Lew and Rossiter, the latter pair checked the 7s-Ac-9c flop and 10d turn, then Rossiter bet the 8d river. Lew raised, Rossiter called, and Lew showed Qd-Js for the nuts. Rossiter had Jc-10c, and Wang turned over 9h-9s for a flopped set that failed to improve.

Rossiter then knocked out Spielmann in fourth, his Ac-Qc making a flush versus the German's Ks-10s. With three left, Rossiter led with 9.5 million, followed by Lew with 5.5 million and Jimmy Pan with 2.3 million.

But it wasn't meant to be for Rossiter, as soon Lew doubled through him with 10s-10c versus the Australian's As-Jh. Pan would finish off Rossiter in third shortly thereafter, and was just slightly behind Lew to begin heads-up play.

Lew increased his lead over Pan, then the pair drew even, then Pan took the advantage from the Canadian.

Soon Lew was three-betting all in with 6d-6s and Pan called him with Ad-9s. The flop brought an ace, but brought a six as well, coming 6c-8c-As. The turn was the 2c and river the 4d, and Lew was suddenly up around 13 million to Pan's 4 million.

It wouldn't take much longer. On the final hand, Pan opened with a 2x raise to 400,000 from the button and Lew called. The flop came Qh-10s-8s. Lew bet 400,000, Pan pushed, and Lew quickly called, turning over Qd-10c for top two pair. Pan had Kd-Qs, and after the 5c turn and Jc river, Lew's comeback was complete.

Lew's victory, worth better than $480,000 USD, marks the biggest live payday for the online star by a wide margin. His previous best score was for $100,000 AUS (about the same US) for a 10th-place finish at the 2011 Aussie Millions earlier this year.

APPT Macau final table payouts:

1. Randy Lew (Canada) -- HKD 3,772,000 

2. Jimmy Pan (Macau) -- HKD 2,367,000 

3. Jeff Rossiter (Australia) -- HKD 1,306,000

4. Fabian Spielmann (Germany) -- HKD 1,019,000

5. Zuo Wang (China) -- HKD 809,000

6. Kai Yat Fam (Singapore) -- HKD 653,000

7. Daniel Nordstrom (Sweden) -- HKD 498,000 

8. Zheng Tai Tan (Singapore) -- HKD 373,000

9. David Steicke (Hong Kong) -- HKD 263,300

Join Betfair Poker Now.