Australia has a strong Italian influence thanks to the massive influx of migrants after World War II. That influence has flowed over into today’s final table, as three of the participants recently discovered.

Three of the player’s heritages lie in the Calabria region in the south of Italy. Antonio Fazzolari, Frank Saffioti and Tony Basile make up the trio – this final table could end up sounding like one of Tony Soprano’s home games!

Two of those three are the aggressors so far – a strategy that has worked for chip leader Antonio Fazzolari but has sent the stack of Frank Saffioti almost down to the felt.

In contrast, Daniel Kowalski featured in the opening pot of the tournament but has been barely sighted – indeed, he’s barely moved at all – so far in the opening two levels. However, he’s just made a move: out of his chair and out of the tournament in seventh position.

Four players saw a flop, which included an ace. Saffioti, who was first to speak, led out at the flop and was called by the others. The turn brought another low card and it was quickly checked around to Kowalski on the button. Kowalski bet 60,000 into a pot of around 400,000 and Saffioti immediately moved all-in.

Fazzolari and Rowe quickly folded and the action came back to Kowalski who pushed in his final 300,000. Both players had an ace but Kowalski had severe kicker problems and when the river failed to bring a 9 it was all over for the Pole.

We also lost Hai Bo Chu in eighth position. The well credentialled Melburnian picked up a gutshot draw on the flop after he called a small raise from Rowe in early position.

Chu, who was first to act, checked the flop and shoved over the top of Rowe who led strongly at the 10-high flop. Rowe wasted no time calling and turned over pocket queens. The remaining two cards didn’t help Chu and he was the second player to depart the tournament arena.

“I was starting to get low on chips and was looking for a good spot to be aggressive. I didn’t have him that strong and thought I would get him out on that flop,” he said. Blinds will be at level 23 (15,000/30,000 with a 5000 ante) after players take a quick break.

Watch APPT Sydney S2: Daniel Kowalski Final Tablist on PokerStars.tv

Welcome to our final table coverage of the 2008 PokerStars.net APPT Grand Final. Cards are in the air on a massive day here, with a new poker millionaire to be anointed later today.

This is the most intimate setting of any APPT final table played so far. The feature table has been set up in the foyer area of one of the two theatres here at Star City, and bleachers have been set up. They are packed to capacity, and unlike events like the WSOP, the crowd are close enough to the table to see every heartbeat and twitch.

Meanwhile in the main poker area, the $3000 heads-up event has attracted a stellar field including Team PokerStars Pros Joe Hachem, Chris Moneymaker, Lee Nelson and Vanessa Rousso plus PokerStars Sponsored players Grant Levy, Van Marcus and Emad Tahtouh plus David Saab, David Steicke, James Obst and Graeme Putt.

And later tonight, the top five players who’ve made the money in the $15,000 APPT Sydney High Roller event will return to decide who will take home the first prize of AUD $222,000. Canadian Andrew Pantling, Jeff Lisandro and Jarred Graham remain in the running for that title, which will decide at 6pm tonight (play finished at 8am this morning)!

With blinds at level 21 (10,000/20,000 with a 3000 ante) and the tournament only a few hands old we have lost Tom Rafferty in ninth position. In a remarkable hand (given the even stacks at the start of the final table), Rafferty raised in the cut-off and Fazzolari called on the button.

The blinds folded and players saw the flop come A-10-7 with two clubs. Rafferty fired a pot-sized bet at the flop and was instantly raised by Fazzolari. Rafferty just as quickly moved all-in and Fazzolari called with top two-pair. Rafferty turned over a flush draw and was left desperately searching for a club to hit the board.

The turn and river bought no joy for the young Australian as Fazzolari raked in a huge pot giving him a commanding chip lead with a stack of more than three million. Blinds are about to go up to level 22 (12,000/24,000 with a 4000 ante).

Watch APPT Sydney S2: Tom Rafferty on PokerStars.tv

The final table line-up for the 2008 PokerStars.net APPT Grand Final has been decided, and the odds remain firmly in place that another local will be crowned champion. Seven of the nine players are Aussies, with Daniel Kowalski (a UK based Pole) and Canada’s Tony Basile representing the internationals.

Michael Guzzardi bubbled the final table when he pushed in the last of his extremely short stack pre-flop and was joined by Hai Bo Chu and Antonio Fazzolari.

Play was checked down on a board of 7c-Ad-4d-Jc-2s before Fazzolari showed pocket fives, Chu edged ahead with pocket sixes while Guzzardi’s 10d-3h completely missed.

Despite losing that hand, Fazzolari remains chip leader ahead of Jason Gray and Tom Rafferty. There are three PokerStars Online Qualifiers (Chu, Kowalski and Tim English) at the final table. We look forward to bringing you all the action at the final table from 1.30pm local time.

Seat 1: Martin Rowe, Australia (995,000 in chips): A self employed local from North Sydney, this 34-year-old insurance worker has been playing poker for three years. In his first PokerStars.net APPT event, Martin goes into the final table 3rd in chips. A regular at Star City, Martin has also played and cashed in preliminary events at the Aussie Millions.

Seat 2: Jason Gray, Sydney (1,188,000 in chips): Don’t let the calm exterior or quiet demeanour of this poker pro fool you. He’s been playing poker full-time for three years but has featured in the nation’s biggest cash games for more than two decades. His best tournament results have come in the past 18 months – he won the $15,000 buy-in event at the 2007 Victorian Championships for more than AUD $125,000, then placed third in the $10,000 Omaha Hi/Lo Split World Championship at the 2008 WSOP for more than USD $200,000.

Seat 3: Tony Basile 863,000 in chips: A 39-year-old racehorse owner from Canada bought in directly to this year’s PokerStars.net APPT Grand Final. Playing poker for the last 15 years, his career highlight was placing 309th from a field of 6844 in this year’s World Series of Poker main event. Heading into the final table 7th in chips he hopes to make the APPT Grand Final his first major win.

Seat 4: Timothy English (945,000 in chips): This 23-year-old science student from Melbourne’s Glen Iris qualified online at PokerStars in a Last Chance Qualifier last Monday. In his first big tournament he is ecstatic to have made the final 9 and will be cheered on by his mates who fly up from Melbourne on Sunday morning, ensuring he has plenty of support to take the title. He currently sits 6th in chips heading into the final day.

Seat 5: Daniel Kowalski, Poland (959,000 in chips): Not to be confused with the Aussie swimming great, 35-year old Pole Daniel Kowalski has been playing poker for a mere six months. In his first major tournament, Daniel is fifth heading into the final table having won his seat to Sydney on PokerStars. A self employed business man, Daniel resides in England. The APPT Grand Final in Sydney is his first tournament down under.

Seat 6: Frank Saffioti, Australia/Italy (790,000 in chips): This 37-year-old Australian born Italian has been playing poker for three years. A local of Sydney beachside suburb Seaforth, Frank owns a traditional Italian Restaurant in Sydney. Considering himself a poker enthusiast, Frank won his seat in a satellite on PokerStars and lies sixth in chips heading into the final table.

Seat 7: Tom Rafferty (1,101,000 in chips): Originally from Canberra, Tom Rafferty now calls Sydney home. This 24-year-old has been playing poker professionally for 16 months and is celebrating his tournament debut in perfect fashion – with a final table appearance and enough chips and determination to go all the way to the title. Tom is part of the new online poker generation and is excited to potentially become the next PokerStars.net APPT Grand Final Champion.

Seat 8: Antonio Fazzolari (1,775,000 in chips): Claiming to “invent the game,” Antonio is no newcomer to poker. The 58-year-old Melbourne resident, who owned a poker club in Jersey where Phil Ivey used to play, is chip leader heading into the final table. The retired engineer moved to Australia eight years ago and is looking forward to the chance to take out Sydney’s biggest poker tournament.

Seat 9: Hai Bo Chu (781,000 in chips): Qualifying on PokerStars for just $11, this marketing executive from Templestone in Melbourne will be cheered on from the stands by wife Bomi. Hai Bo has been playing poker for the last five years, however it has really started to pay off in the past 12 months – 186th in the WSOP Main Event, pocketing USD $38,600 for his efforts and taking out the Melbourne Champs main event last year for $100,000. Heading into the final table as the short-stacked player, Hai Bo will be looking for chips early in the day in order to become the next PokerStars.net APPT champion.

Spectators are six-deep around the rail at the two tables that remain in play for the PokerStars.net APPT Grand Final. One table is at the corner of the poker area, and a second is the feature table that will be used for tomorrow’s final table.

Two players who won’t be seated at that table for last day of the APPT Grand Final are Brendan Edmonds (12th) and George Kassis (13th).

The chip leader at numerous times during day 3, Edmonds lost a handful of pivotal pots before tangling with Tony Basile pre-flop. He showed Ac-10s to be marginally ahead of Basile’s Kc-7c but a seven on the flop was enough for the Canadian to eliminate one of the players expected to survive the day.

Kassis also committed his money with the best of it, with pocket kings against the pocket jacks of Jason Gray. The first card revealed on the flop was the jack of hearts and it was adios to Kassis.

With 11 players still in the hunt, Antonio Fazzolini (1.8 million), leads from Tom Rafferty (1.2 million), PokerStars qualifier Daniel Kowalski (970,000), Jason Gray (960,000), Frank Saffioti (945,000), Basile (790,000), Tim English (540,000), PokerStars qualifier Hai Bo Chu (460,000), Michael Guzzardi (435,000), Martin Rowe (405,000) and Lisa Delellis (210,000).

The pace has finally slowed after the constant carnage of the afternoon session on day 3 in the PokerStars APPT Grand Final. Only three players have been sent to the rail since play moved to two tables.

The money was in pre-flop between all-in player Daniel Hameiri (kings) and Ray Lapitan (deuces). In one of the more remarkable hands of the tournament, Lapitan not only hit a deuce on the flop, he made quads on the turn to send Hameiri packing in emphatic fashion.

The cheering section for local Scott ‘Punty’ Smith were silenced when their man pushed all-in over the top of the pre-flop re-raise from Brendan Edmonds. Smith (A-8) started behind Edmonds’ A-J, and stayed there as he departed in 15th spot. That pot gave Edmonds a stack of more than 1.5 million and almost 15 per cent of the chips in play.

Ray Lapitan was the last player eliminated before dinner after making a move on a board of 9d-Js-Ks-Qh. Lapitan was strong (Kc-Jc), but Tom Rafferty (Jh-10s) was stronger. The As on the river only improved Rafferty’s straight, and Lapitan was out in 14th.

Players will soon to return from the dinner break (blinds will be up to level 22 – 12,000/24,000 with a 4000 ante), with three players over the one-million mark: Tom Rafferty (1.13 million), Daniel Kowalski (1.07 million) and Antonio Fazzolari (1.04 million).