Top UK poker pro and online poker room owner Tony Guoga took control
of the final table on day three of the Betfair Asian Poker Tour in
Singapore this week with a combination of sharp banter and aggressive
play.
The supremely cool and confident pro saw off challenges from top pro
Lee Nelson, Swede and overnight chip leader Samuel Lehtonen, and local
player Joshua Ang, winning a fat $451 700 top prize and pledging half
of it to Asian and Australian charities to be nominated by Betfair.
Local player Joshua Ang managed to outlast eight other players at
the final table. He won $233 200 in second place.
The final hand was all-in after the flop. Joshua’s ace-jack
failed to beat ten-six after Tony hit a ten on the flop.
“His offer of a fifty per cent donation to charity is
extraordinarily generous,” said Betfair’s Head
of Poker Ben Fried of Guoga's pledge.
Guoga said, “I want people to know that poker is sport.
This is not a large amount compared to what people like Bill Gates
give to charity but it is a gesture to show that it’s not all
about the money, it’s about the competition as well.”
An additional prize for the winner was a Merlion trophy as a symbol
of Singapore, but Guoga showed his colors as a true sportsman by handing
it over to his closest challenger Ang so that the trophy would “stay
in Singapore.”
Ben Fried asked Ang to bring the Lion back next year when Betfair
will return for the Betfair Asian Poker Tour.
Final table placings in this inaugural Singapore and Betfair tournament
were:
$451,700 – Tony Guoga
$233,200 – Joshua (Ang Pang Leng)
$116,600 – Lee Nelson
$102,000 – Samuel Lehtonen
$87,400 – Jeff Kimber
$72,900 – Mark Whent
$58,306 – Hans Vogl
$43,700 – Hendrik Dahlgaard
$29,200 – Brendan Walls
$17,500 – Neil Yong