Sydney Championships OMAHA $1650 Day 2
POSTED Tue, 31 Jul 2018 2:47pm
How to Rule The Earth - Matthew Howearth is the 2018 Sydney Championships Omaha Champion! - $41,283
Posted Wed, 01 Aug 2018 12:37am
Matthew Howearth's poker career has built quite significantly over the past year.
Virtually unknown in poker circles before 2018, Howearth came to prominence at the 2018 Aussie Millions where he finished 4th in The Turbo Shot Clock Event, picking up $19,850 for his efforts. That was the biggest win of his career until tonight where he picked up more than double that amount for a grand total of $41,283. This is the high point in what has been very successful Sydney Championships for Howearth. After being the chip leader at the end of Day 1 of the Monster Stack he finished in 29th place and then back it up in the very next tournament, finishing in 29th place in the 6 Max.
Two tournaments in a row where, after getting a start, Howearth fell short. That was not the case in this Omaha event though where he went all the way to take out the title, in a very important moment to him personally.
"This event meant a lot to me," Howearth told the Star Poker Live Reporting Team. "I have had a good series so far getting deep in a few tournaments. This is my biggest ever win which is a great feeling for me".
The win was made even more special by the quality of opponents in the event. This wasn't a big field event where players could just find their way in to the final table, this was a tough slog where every player was extremely talented.
To prove this we need to look no further than our final table. We had WSOP Bracelet Winner, Gary Benson who has more than $2,000,000 in tournament earnings. Christine Hia who has won three major tournaments here in the last 2 years including the Ladies Event at this series and the 2016 WSOP Omaha Event and Corey Kempson who is an extremely revered online player with excellent technical ability.
"It was definitely a tough field," Howearth recalled. "I knew I couldn't make a mistake. I just focussed on finding my groove and ensuring that I did the best I could at all times."
Howearth certainly did find his groove, especially when he was heads-up for the title against Mark Fester. It became very clear that this tournament was only heading one way.
That makes it three cashes for Matthew Howearth here at the 2018 Sydney Championships. With this kind of form, don't be surprised to see him at the business end of the Main Event when it starts in just a few days time!
MARK FESTER RUNNER-UP $25,512
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 8:47pm
Mark Fester raises to 180,000 from the button when blinds are 30,000/60,000. Matthew Howearth makes the call to defend his blind. The flop drops 
Howearth checks the flop and Fester moves all in. Howearth calls and the cards are revealed.
Fester 
Howearth 
Fester with ace high and a gutshot for a straight, Howearth with middle pair looking to take out the OMAHA title. The turn is the 
giving no help to Fester. The 
on the river seals it up for Howearth and Mark Fester is our runner-up. Fester leaves with $25,512 for his efforts of the two-day tournament.
BLINDS NOW 30,000/60,000
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 8:30pm
Blinds are now 30,000/60,000 in heads-up play for the Championship. The player on the Button posts the 30,000 and is first to act preflop.HOWEARTH CHIPPING AWAY
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 8:24pm
Mark Fester and Matthew Howearth now sit at opposite ends of the table, with the trophy halfway between them.
Howearth has about 1.2 Million chips to Fester's 500,000.
Howearth has raised a few pots preflop to 110,000 and won without a flop being needed.
Blinds will increase to 30,000/60,000 in just three minutes.
COREY KEMPSON ELIMINATED IN 3RD PLACE - $17858
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 8:20pm
Matthew Howearth bet 470k all in to a huge pot of 510k on a final board of 
putting Corey Kempson to a decision for his tournament life.
Kempson took his time on the decision, probably thinking this was a "Nuts or Nothing" bet by Howearth, who could have missed a flush draw.
After several minutes and a staredown, Kempson made the call to be shown the bad news of Howearth's 
for the winning straight.
Kempson wins $17858 for his third-place finish.
BLINDS BITING
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 8:06pm
With the big blind now at 40,000 players are tested on every decision.
COLOUR UP
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 8:00pm
Only the Yellow 5,000 chips and the Blue 25,000 chips are now in use. Blinds are 20,000/40,000.TOOTHPICK TONY ELIMINATED IN 4TH $13,008
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 7:57pm
Mark Fester raises on the button to 75,000, Toothpick Tony pots it to 255,000 action goes to Corey Kempson who announces all in. Fester folds and Toothpick calls.
Toothpick 
Kempson 
Board: 
In an up and down hand, Toothpick with the lower pair of kings turns the straight, but on the river Kempson hits running cards for the flush. Toothpick is eliminated in 4th place and leaves with $13,008. Kempson moves up to 710,000.
TOBY MARSH ELIMINATED IN 5TH -$9,570
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 7:42pm
After doubling up Toothpick Tony the previous hand Toby Marsh gets it all in against Matthew Howearth preflop.
Marsh 
Howearth 
Board: 
Howearth with the bigger two pair sends Marsh packing in 5th place for $9,570. Howearth is now sitting on 600,000.
STRAIGHT WRAPS IT UP
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 7:22pm
A rare three-way raised pot happened immediately before the 10 minute break.
A flop of 
was checked around but that changed on the turn of .
Toothpick Tony bet, Mark Fester staying in (without much behind) to see the river of 
Tony check/called Fester's all in, and wasn't happy to see Fester's 
had turned the world and rivered the winning straight.
RICK BONO ELIMINATED IN 6TH PLACE - $7149
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 7:16pm
DID HOWEARTH HAVE THE WHEEL?
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 7:07pm
A huge turn decision for Toothpick Tony, as his 70k bet got pot-raised by Matthew Howearth on a board-to-turn of
Could Howearth really have the wheel? Tony took minutes over his crucial decision but found a fold, Howearth flashing the even better cards of
COLOUR UP
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 7:00pm
With blinds at 10,000/20,000, Blue 25,000 chips have been introduced, joining the red 1,000 chips and the yellow 5,000 chips.
A full rack of One Hundred Red 1000 chips is exchanged for Four 25,000 Blue chips.
A Blue Chip investment.
BLINDS UP, SIX REMAIN
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 6:51pm
Blinds are now 10,000/20,000 with six players remaining in the event.GARY BENSON ELIMINATED IN 7TH PLACE - $5734
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 7:40pm
Gary Benson's tournament life was put to the test by Toothpick Tony on a flop of Benson agonised over his decision but made the call with . Toothpick Tony was ahead on every street, his 
spiking a full house with the 
on the turn. No King for Benson on the river, he exited in 7th place
HUGE HAND FOR HOWEARTH
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 6:31pm
Matthew Howearth's tournament life was on the line, and looking in trouble with his
all in preflop against Christine Hia's Double-Suited Aces, The board ran out 
to bring him trip sixes and stay alive in the tournament.
RAILBIRDS PLAYING THE TEAMS EVENT
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 6:17pm
A large crowd of Railbirds has left the area, to take part in the Teams Event.RYAN BOUNDS ELIMINATED IN 9TH PLACE - $4107
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 6:15pm
DOUBLE UP FOR FESTER
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 6:04pm
Mark Fester was happy to check/call for his tournament life on a flop of
. His straight wrap took the pot when the came on the turn.
BLINDS ARE UP
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 5:49pm
6,000/12,000 blinds for the next half hour. All 9 players at the final table are still in the tournament. Players have been waiting for quality starting cards, there have been several walks for the Big Blind.
BIG STACK ACTIVE
Posted Tue, 31 Jul 2018 5:38pm
Big stack Matthew Howerth has taken down 2 nice pots this round, first a re-pot preflop and secondly an in-position bet from the button on a turn of a dry looking board-to-turn of