Posts Tagged ‘Sydney’
Jorj95 Becomes First PokerStars Supernova Elite Member of 2010
While earning one million VIP Player Points (VPPs) on PokerStars in a calendar year might seem like a daunting task for most players, it’s become rather routine for PokerStars Team Pro Online member George "Jorj95" Lind. In 2008, Lind reached Supernova Elite status on March 18th, which is still the quickest anybody has ever accomplished the feat. He also finished the year with three million VPPs, another PokerStars record that remains intact. Given his history, it should come as no surprise that Lind once again achieved Supernova Elite status this year in under three months, doing so on March 30th. Despite Lind's consistency, it requires such an incredible effort to join the Supernova Elite club that you can’t help but be amazed.
To give you an idea of how difficult it is to reach supernova Elite so fast, Lind estimates that he played 650 hours, 80,000 sit and gos, and 836,402 hands. That averages out to almost 50 hours of poker per week, the majority of that time spent on mind-numbing hyper-turbo sit and gos. The question then becomes, is it really worth the sacrifice that inevitably comes with playing such a high volume of poker?
To find the answer, let’s look at what Lind receives for his many hours of work at the tables. For starters, Supernova Elite members earn five FPPs for every VPP earned. As you hit various VIP milestones, you can purchase special cash credits for 50,000 FPPs each. These Milestones include $10,000 bonuses at 1.25 million, 1.5 million, and 1.75 million; a $20,000 reward at 2 million; three more $10,000 credits at 2.25 million, 2.5 million, and 2.75 million; and another $20,000 payout at 3 million VPPs. All told, that’s an extra $100,000 in cash on top of what you actually win at the tables.
Supernova Elite members also get free entries into exclusive weekly, monthly, and quarterly freerolls that have hefty guarantees of $30,000, $100,000, and $1 million. Finally, Lind and his fellow Supernovas are given a free entry to the WCOOP Main Event and any two packages to play in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, WSOP Main Event, EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final, and APPT Sydney.
The extra perks of Supernova Elite status seem more than worth the time, but are they really what drives Lind? Apparently, he works on a much smaller scale. In his PokerStars Blog, Lind writes, “I don't really know the reason that I get so motivated by accomplishments like this, but whatever the reason is, I'm glad it exists. While playing poker online is normally pretty fun, doing it every day can become a bit of a grind if you don't find ways to motivate yourself. I tend to set lots of little goals for myself just to get myself to put in more hours, such as trying to play a certain number of SNGs in a day, or trying to get a certain number of VPPs in a week or month.”
Many poker players could learn from Lind, even if they aren’t aiming for Supernova Elite. Rather than setting monetary goals, which are often unattainable in the short-term due to the fickle nature of variance, Lind says he sets goals that he can reach as long as he puts forth the effort. Whether it’s a certain number of sit and gos in a day, week, or month, Lind believes that “as long as you meet your other goals and are putting in a sufficient number of hours and are playing good poker, the money will come on its own in the long run.”
So, what does the rest of 2010 hold for Lind? “I'm on pace for 4 million VPPs for the year”, he writes in the same blog, “But I have no idea whether I'll be able to maintain the pace I've set for the first 3 months of the year, or whether I'll even want to keep playing as much as I have been.” A break from poker certainly seems in order for Lind, but before long, you’re likely to see him back at the tables grinding out whatever goal he’s set for himself. After all, there’s still $100,000 out there with his name on it.
Tony Hachem Wins ANZPT Perth
With the way things are going for him at the poker tables, maybe someday soon he will be known as Tony Hachem instead of "Joe Hachem's Brother." This weekend, the lesser-known Hachem won the Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT) Perth event, which was the first live tournament victory of his career. For beating 221 opponents in the $2,500 No Limit Hold'em tournament, Hachem won AUD $132,750 (approximately USD $121,593).
While this is the first tournament the member of Team PokerStars Pro Australia has won, it is not his first successful tournament. On the contrary, Hachem has been tearing up the felts in his neck of the woods for more than a year now. He won the ANZPT Player of the Year Award in 2009 after a string of deep finishes and has continued that trend this year. Let's take a look at Hachem's finishes in ANZPT Main Events dating back to last year:
February 2009 (Adelaide): 15th
April 2009 (Sydney): 17th
May 2009 (Melbourne): 16th
July 2009 (Queenstown): 18th
February 2010 (Adelaide): 7th
March 2010 (Perth): 1st
While Hachem did not reach an ANZPT final table until this year, his series of high finishes (he failed to cash in only one ANZPT event) earned him enough points to outdistance the pack in the ANZPT Player of the Year race. Hachem finished the inaugural ANZPT season with 170.1 leaderboard points, almost 21 more than second place finisher Chris Levick and over 33 points more than the third and fourth place finishers, Joel Dodds and Danny Joukhader, respectively. Only two other players had 100 points or more.
The field of 222 players at the Burswood Casino was the largest ever in Perth, breaking the previous record by 50%. The total prize pool of AUD $510,600 was also the largest ever in Western Australia.
Hachem began final table play as one of the middle chip stacks. The Melbourne resident may have felt like an outsider, as seven of the nine members of the final table were from Perth, although not as much of an outsider as eighth place finisher Eoin Kennedy, who hails from Ireland. Hachem finally grabbed the chip lead when the tournament was down to three players and went into heads-up play against Aleks Lackovic with a 2:1 chip advantage.
It was over quickly, as about 10 minutes in, the two men got all of their chips in the middle, Hachem with pocket jacks and Lackovic with A-K of diamonds. The flop was almost as good as Hachem could have asked for without a jack appearing: 9d-Qc-3c. While Lackovic still had his two overcards, the only draws he had were backdoor flush and straight draws. The five of hearts came on the turn, taking away those draws, and the three of diamonds on the river clinched it for Hachem. In addition to the title and prize money, Hachem is now once again atop the ANZPT leader board.
The emotional Hachem told PokerStars, which sponsors the ANZPT, "I am so over the moon, winning this means so much to me. I have come so close it is fantastic to finally have a title to my name."
ANZPT Perth Final Table Standings (all payouts in AUD)
1. Tony Hachem (Victoria, Australia) - $132,750
2. Aleks Lackovic (Perth, Western Australia) - $84,250
3. Vesko Zmukic (Perth, Western Australia) - $47,500
4. Dale Marsland (Perth, Western Australia) - $38,300
5. Tu Le (Perth, Western Australia) - $32,000
6. Jimmy Wong (Perth, Western Australia) - $26,800
7. Zaffer Soemya (Perth, Western Australia) - $21,700
8. Eoin Kennedy (Tipperary, Ireland) - $16,600
9. Wade Beavis (Perth, Western Australia) - $12,750
Hachem Wins ANZPT Perth
Hachem outlasted a field of 221 at Perth's Burswood Entertainment Complex to book the $132,750 win, the biggest field ever assembled for a poker tournament in Perth.
He is the reigning Player of the Year in the ANZPT after cashing in four of five events last season, but until now, a win had eluded him.
"I am so over the moon," he said. "Winning this means so much to me. I have come so close it is fantastic to finally have a title to my name."
Hachem, who was once more famous for being 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event champ Joe Hachem's brother than for his own poker skills, started this season with a seventh place finish in Adelaide and after booking his first win in Perth, his amazing run now includes cashing in all but one event since the ANZPT started in February 2009.
The win also puts Hachem at the top of the ANZPT Player of the Year leader board with five events left in this season.
This was the first time the ANZPT had come to Perth. The next stop on the tour is Sydney Apr. 21-25.
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EPT Berlin Poker Robbery: Second Suspect Behind Bars
A second suspect is behind bars charged with taking part in the high-stakes robbery of the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Berlin event two weeks ago. The second arrest came after the first assailant, 21 years of age, turned himself in to police on Monday.
Yesterday’s arrest in the German metropolis came after 20 year-old Ahmad el-Awayti was spotted in a subway station, according to the Associated Press. The international news outlet explained how the final confrontation transpired: “Police said he acknowledged to officers that he was being sought by authorities and was arrested without putting up any resistance.” In addition to two of the suspects now being behind bars, the getaway car, a Mercedes, is in police custody. The gang allegedly escaped through a nearby shopping mall.
The Associated Press and other media have reported that the loot from the rare midday casino heist has yet to be found. In a previous article by the news outlet, it was revealed that the four masked gunmen divvied up the €242,000 evenly. Two assailants remain at large, their whereabouts unknown: Jihad Chetwie, a 19-year-old man from Germany, and Mustafa Ucarkus, a 20-year-old who the Associated Press claims is a Turkish native. The suspect who turned himself into police on Monday identified all three of his accomplices, but has not been named.
Bluff Magazine reported that “Mohammed B,” who was originally arrested one week following the robbery and released due to a lack of evidence, might have been involved in the EPT Berlin robbery after all. The poker magazine, quoting the German media outlet Bild, explained, “Arresting officials found a piece of paper on Mohammed at the time of his arrest with six different names written on it. At least three of those names belong to suspects in the robbery.” The heist occurred at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin, where 1,000 players had convened to battle for the €1 million top prize, which went to American Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee.
The robbery made headlines not just in Berlin, but also around the world. News outlets from Sydney to Toronto to Chicago to New York City published articles about the unique casino heist. With respect to the money, the Associated Press noted, “He has indicated that he will pay back his share of the loot via his lawyer, but it is currently ‘with a third party.’” Authorities are currently in hot pursuit of the two suspects still at large.
The armed robbery was featured on the German equivalent of “America’s Most Wanted,” “Aktenzeichen XY Ungelöst.” MacPhee broke down the harrowing experience on CBS’ “Early Show” on Monday morning following his win and also virtually sat down with CNN’s Campbell Brown and news anchors from BBC. MacPhee was one of seven Americans to cash out of the 144 in the money finishers in the EPT Berlin Main Event and defeated Finland’s Ilari Tahkokallio heads-up; Tahkokallio walked away with a €600,000 consolation prize.
The guards protecting the event were unarmed and, purportedly, a hotel intern was camped out at the registration desk that the four gunmen attacked shortly after 2:00pm local time on March 6th. In a poll posted on Poker News Daily following the incident, 121 of 291 respondents (42%), when asked, “In the wake of the EPT Berlin robbery, do you still feel safe at poker tournaments,” responded, “Yes, casinos have plenty of security.” Only 29 readers, or 10%, felt unsafe.
We’ll continue to keep you posted on the EPT Berlin robbery right here on Poker News Daily.
Berlin Poker Robbery Suspect Turns Himself In
One of the four suspects who robbed the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Berlin tournament 10 days ago has surrendered to police, according to the Associated Press. He also named his three accomplices, who remain at large.
The case was recently featured on the German equivalent of “America’s Most Wanted” and the rare casino robbery has garnered headlines around the world. After several days of coming up empty-handed, German police received a breakthrough on Wednesday, as the 21 year-old surrendered to police and promptly dished out the names of the other three robbers. The Associated Press broke down those still on the loose: “Ahmad el-Awayti, 20, of undetermined nationality; Jihad Chetwie, a 19-year-old German; and Mustafa Ucarkus, a 20-year-old Turkish citizen.”
On Saturday, March 6th around 2:15pm local time, four armed gunmen stormed the EPT Berlin registration area at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The robbers allegedly made off with €242,000, although tallies have varied widely. In addition to one of the four suspects now being held in police custody, the getaway car – a posh Mercedes – has been seized. Frank Heller, a German prosecutor, told the Associated Press that the loot was divided equally among the four bandits following their daring casino heist.
Reports around the Web circled as to whether an “inside job” was to blame for the disruptive armed robbery. The suspects did not enter the tournament area during the incident, but rather attacked a hotel intern and several unarmed guards at the registration desk. The Associated Press article notes that Heller told authorities that the gunmen "took a look at where the money is, how the money is secured, are there guards, and are the guards armed… When he saw that the guards didn't have guns, they decided that they had a chance." PokerStars blamed Spielbank Berlin, the tournament’s organizers, for the decision to employ unarmed guards. Over the weekend, a person of interest held in connection with the case was released due to a lack of evidence.
When the smoke cleared in the EPT Berlin Main Event, American Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee banked a €1 million top prize. MacPhee outlasted Ilari Tahkokallio heads-up and the runner-up earned a €600,000 consolation prize. The tournament was paused for several hours following the robbery while floor staff cleaned up from the melee. EPTLive, which was focused on the feature table at the time, was suspended for the remainder of the day.
Following his win, MacPhee appeared on CBS’ “Early Show” and CNN reliving the terror of the real-life “Oceans Eleven.” Mainstream news outlets like Time Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, Sydney Morning Herald, and Chicago Tribune ran articles about the heist, which also took center stage in a segment of ESPN’s sports news show “Around the Horn.” Bluff Magazine, which is among the many poker news outlets that have reported on the tournament, reported that the suspect arrested was of Turkish origin. The Associated Press article noted that he is a German citizen.
It’s been a rough month of March for PokerStars live tours. Prior to the brazen heist in Berlin, the world’s largest online poker site was forced to cancel the Chile stop on its Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) after a massive earthquake struck the South American nation. The LAPT Vina del Mar was scrubbed for 2010; the tournament was scheduled to play out this weekend and the earthquake struck 175 miles from Vina del Mar. LAPT staff will head to Argentina for the Grand Final, although a date for the event has not been announced.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on the EPT Berlin robbery.
EPT Berlin Robbery: Kevin MacPhee Appears on Early Show
The weekend robbery of the European Poker Tour (EPT) Berlin event has garnered headlines around the world. On Monday morning, the tournament’s champion, Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee, appeared on CBS’ “Early Show” to break down the heist.
In one of the most bizarre events ever to take place during a poker tournament, masked gunmen stormed the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin, nabbing a portion of the EPT’s prize pool. According to a Monday update issued by the Associated Press, the four thieves are still on the run and police have “no clear leads.” The perpetrators robbed the poker tournament’s registration area just after 2:00pm local time on Saturday in a midday assault and, according to the news outlet, escaped with a "low six-digit figure" of cash into a nearby mall. No one was harmed.
MacPhee told the millions of “Early Show” viewers live from Berlin, “It was one of the craziest days that I’ve ever experienced. There was a lot of panic in the room that day and then we were asked to come back and play for €1 million. It was very unusual.” Video of the robbery aired concurrently with MacPhee’s interview. A few hours later, participants returned to the tournament room and resumed their pursuit for the €1 million top prize.
MacPhee was seated at the feature table with the scuffle began and recalled, “We weren’t really sure what was going on. I just saw a wave of people headed for the back exit. There was a lot of panic and the actual TV stage started to collapse. When that started to happen, all of the players got up out of their seats to see what was happening.” The commotion began out in the hallway and players made their way to safety in the tournament room, some seeking cover under tables.
The tournament’s eventual winner knew that someone with a gun was likely to blame for the near riot: “My first instinct was just to get down on the ground. I figured that only someone with a gun in the room could cause that kind of panic. The gunmen didn’t even enter the poker room. They stayed near the tournament registration area, which was where the cash was. Thankfully, they didn’t come into the poker room and make it worse than it already was.” The Main Event drew nearly 1,000 players.
News of the rare casino heist has made waves across the world’s largest media outlets. Media outlets including the Sydney Morning Herald, Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, and Toronto Star have all reported on the story, as have a variety of poker news outlets. According to The Local and reprinted in the New York Times, another assailant may be to blame: “Because the well-timed heist bore the signs of an amateur job, police told Berlin daily Berliner Zeitung that they now believe there was at least one other accomplice already inside the hotel who gave a signal to begin the raid.” Whether the accomplice worked for the Grand Hyatt Hotel remains to be seen.
Despite the financial loss, all players received their prize money and the tournament carried on to a conclusion. As for what MacPhee did to celebrate his rather eventful live win, the online poker player told “Early Show” viewers, “Sundays are our busiest day, so… I celebrated by playing more poker. I think I’ll get out in Berlin the next couple of nights and try to celebrate a little bit more.”
Check out the complete CBS News interview with Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee.
Aussie Millions, Main Event: Tyron Krost Keeps the Title in Australia
Sydney PartyPoker Qualifier Wins Aussie Millions
23-year-old Tyron Krost won a $640 online satellite to get into the main event at the Crown Casino and walked away AUD$2 million richer after besting a field of 746 this week.
"It feels like a dream and I don't want to wake up," he said moments after the win. "$2 million, it's amazing."
After a fairly lengthy feeling-out process, fellow Aussie Steven Shelley was the first player to get his walking papers from the final eight Saturday, running sevens into Krost's jacks.
But it wasn't long before he was joined on the rail by online superstar and 2007 World Series of Poker Europe champ Annette Obrestad.
The Betfair pro got into a flip for her stack with ace-jack against the PartyPoker qualifier's sevens and would have liked the straight draw she picked up on the flop if that same flop didn't give Krost a set.
The turn and river bricked out and Obrestad was sent back to Norway seventh.
Strangely, pocket sevens were involved in the next elimination as well, with Reno, Nevada's Steve Friedlander running them into Aussie Kostas Varoxis' big slick.
A king on the flop and another on the turn did the lone American at the final table in and play went five handed.
It stayed five-handed for quite a while until Canadian Peter Jetten appeared to implode, shipping it in with K♦ 5♦ against Krost's tens on a move and failing to improve.
Once the massive chip leader, Sorel Mizzi's downfall began soon after when he doubled up Frederik Jensen and before the Betfair Poker pro knew what had hit him, Krost had suddenly moved into the lead.
A few desperations shoves from Varoxis were next on the agenda, and although the first couple worked, his luck eventually ran out when he couldn't beat Jensen's deuces with A♥ 6♣.
Mizzi's downfall ended three-handed when he ran pocket sevens into Krost's ace-king and could not hold, leaving the two PartyPoker qualifiers to battle it out heads up.
Krost began heads up with better than 2:1 chip lead over Jensen and the Aussie began applying pressure on the Dane right from the outset, pounding him into submission before getting him all in dominated to book the win.
A humble Krost seemed to have the all big hands when he needed them throughout the final, beating some of the best young players in the game while following up Stewart Scott's 2009 win to become only the second Aussie to keep the title on home soil in Aussie Millions history.
"I just ran really well and got really lucky," he said. "I had a lot of big hands."
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Sydney PartyPoker Qualifier Wins Aussie Millions
23-year-old Tyron Krost won a $640 online satellite to get into the main event at the Crown Casino and walked away AUD$2 million richer after besting a field of 746 this week.
"It feels like a dream and I don't want to wake up," he said moments after the win. "$2 million, it's amazing."
After a fairly lengthy feeling-out process, fellow Aussie Steven Shelley was the first player to get his walking papers from the final eight Saturday, running sevens into Krost's jacks.
But it wasn't long before he was joined on the rail by online superstar and 2007 World Series of Poker Europe champ Annette Obrestad.
The Betfair pro got into a flip for her stack with ace-jack against the PartyPoker qualifier's sevens and would have liked the straight draw she picked up on the flop if that same flop didn't give Krost a set.
The turn and river bricked out and Obrestad was sent back to Norway seventh.
Strangely, pocket sevens were involved in the next elimination as well, with Reno, Nevada's Steve Friedlander running them into Aussie Kostas Varoxis' big slick.
A king on the flop and another on the turn did the lone American at the final table in and play went five handed.
It stayed five-handed for quite a while until Canadian Peter Jetten appeared to implode, shipping it in with K♦ 5♦ against Krost's tens on a move and failing to improve.
Once the massive chip leader, Sorel Mizzi's downfall began soon after when he doubled up Frederik Jensen and before the Betfair Poker pro knew what had hit him, Krost had suddenly moved into the lead.
A few desperations shoves from Varoxis were next on the agenda, and although the first couple worked, his luck eventually ran out when he couldn't beat Jensen's deuces with A♥ 6♣.
Mizzi's downfall ended three-handed when he ran pocket sevens into Krost's ace-king and could not hold, leaving the two PartyPoker qualifiers to battle it out heads up.
Krost began heads up with better than 2:1 chip lead over Jensen and the Aussie began applying pressure on the Dane right from the outset, pounding him into submission before getting him all in dominated to book the win.
A humble Krost seemed to have the all big hands when he needed them throughout the final, beating some of the best young players in the game while following up Stewart Scott's 2009 win to become only the second Aussie to keep the title on home soil in Aussie Millions history.
"I just ran really well and got really lucky," he said. "I had a lot of big hands."
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The Other Hachem: Life In Joe’s Shadow
Yet thanks to a huge year on the PokerStars Australia New Zealand Poker Tour, where he cashed in four of five events on the way to winning Player of the Year honors, Hachem's brother Tony seems to have found a way out from under it.
“People would say I was just Joe’s brother, that I can’t play,” Tony said. “But now I’ve made a number of final tables and cashes. In my mind, poker is all about consistency and I think I’ve proved I have that.
“People say that it’s tough playing in Joe’s shadow, but I try to be positive about it and use it to my advantage. I was given an opportunity, I took it by the horns and I’m running with it.”
There’s always been a lot more to Tony Hachem than just being the brother of the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event champion.
He cashed in the 2007 WSOP Main Event, made a final table at the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza in Las Vegas that same year and found a career best score of NZ$54,000 when he finished runner-up at the 2008 New Zealand Poker Championship.
Plus, PokerStars has always seen him as a marketable character with great networking skills, a socialite with celebrities Down Under and a popular figure amongst the ever growing community of poker players in the region.
As a result, Tony was sponsored by PokerStars for a number of tournaments, a move that immediately garnered its fair share of criticism regardless of Tony's track record.
“People have said to me, ‘What does it take to be a PokerStars pro? Can I just change my name to Hachem,’” explained Joe.
“I’ve heard it all before and a lot worse,” added Tony. “It’s like, ‘You are Joe’s brother, so you got a sponsorship,’ but that’s not how it is.
“All I can say is when people are given opportunities, they either let them pass or they make the most of them and I made sure I made the most of this one.”
Wearing the PokerStars patch, Tony made 15th at ANZPT Adelaide for AUD$5,870, 17th at ANZPT Sydney for AUD$8,874, 16th at the ANZPT’s 2009 Melbourne Texas Hold'em Championship for AUD$5,450, and 18th ANZPT Queenstown for NZ$3,015.
As a result, 43-year-old Joe couldn’t be more proud of his 36-year-old little brother.
“He was just consistent and honestly pretty unfortunate not to have a major score,” Joe said. “The thing is, I’m really happy he did something in his own right. He deserves it.”
Tony’s name is rarely written, by the mainstream or poker press, without mention of Joe.
But the ever-humble younger Hachem grew up idolizing his big brother and says he doesn’t mind.
“Honestly, being Joe’s brother isn’t a bad thing,” he said. “He’s always going to be my brother.
“The game of poker is growing around the world and Joe is a big part of that, here and abroad. I guess people are just going to have to get used to the idea that Joe’s got a younger brother who loves the game, loves interacting with the people and can play a little too.”
While he had the sponsorship before, the spoils of winning the ANZPT Player of the Year title includes a cheque for AUD$60,000 and a spot on the Team PokerStars Australia roster.
What that means is Tony will be playing in the second season of the ANZPT kicking off in Adelaide next month, several stops on the upcoming fourth season of the PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour and the 2010 Aussie Millions, where he has already made 11th in a prelim for AUD$9,144 and started play on the final day one flight of the main event Tuesday, just a few tables over from Joe.
“There are some things in poker that I want to achieve this year,” added Tony. “I really want to win a tournament or at least maintain the consistency I had last year and I think the Aussie Millions will be a good start.”
To follow the progress of the Hachem brothers, and the entire 2010 Aussie Millions main event, tune in to PokerListings’ Live Updates through January 30.
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PokerStars ANZPT Season 2 Schedule Announced
The first six events of Season 2 of the PokerStars-sponsored Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT) were announced in recent days, with Adelaide set to host the first event from February 9th to 14th.
The buy-in for the kickoff tournament of the tour’s second season weighs in at AUD $3,000 and the festivities will be held at the Adelaide Casino. The venue’s Poker Manager, David Galpin, commented in a press release distributed by the world’s largest online poker site, “We are looking forward to the return of the ANZPT in Adelaide after the wonderful success of the first year and we are excited to see the event grow and flourish.” The Main Event is capped at 360 players and preliminary tournaments will get underway in the Australian city on February 2nd.
In an interesting rule found on the ANZPT’s website, iPods are not allowed at the Adelaide event due to government policy. In addition, the casino has a strict stance against string betting and out of turn bettors will forfeit their contribution to the pot should they ultimately choose to fold. Poker players who win their way in through PokerStars will tour wineries and other nearby attractions during their trip.
After Adelaide, a brand new ANZPT event in Perth will play out, with the Burswood Entertainment Complex serving as the epicenter of the Australian poker market beginning on March 17th. The AUD $2,500 buy-in Main Event will name a champion four days later and the field is capped at 300 runners. On the new event, Jason Barry, General Manager of Table Games at Burswood Entertainment Complex, commented in the same release, “We feel this is just what our players have been waiting for and we expect big numbers will take part in the first PokerStars.net ANZPT Perth tournament.”
A total of five events made up Season 1 of the ANZPT, which kicked off in February in Adelaide. Tournaments followed in Sydney, Melbourne, Queenstown, and Queensland. In the finale of ANZPT Season 1, Scott Kerr earned AUD $168,075 for defeating a field of 249 players back in August. The largest field during Season 1 turned out in Sydney, where nearly 500 players took to the felts. The conclusion of that event saw Paren Arzoomanian scoop the AUD $246,500 first place prize.
A combined 1,309 players took part in Season 1 events and nearly $3 million in prize money was doled out. Here is the schedule for what promises to be a lively Season 2 on the PokerStars-backed ANZPT:
ANZPT Adelaide: Adelaide Casino
February 9th to 14th
Buy-in: AUD $3,000
ANZPT Perth: Burswood Entertainment Complex
March 17th to 21st
Buy-in: AUD $2,500
ANZPT Sydney: Star City Casino
April 21st to 25th
Buy-in: AUD $2,200
ANZPT Queenstown: Sky City Queenstown
July 17th to 25th
Buy-in: NZD $2,500
ANZPT Gold Coast: Conrad Jupiters
August 11th to 15th
Buy-in: AUD $2,500
ANZPT Melbourne: Crown Casino
October 8th to 11th
Buy-in: TBD
More stops will likely be added to Season 2 of the ANZPT, although no further information was available at the time of writing. A tournament leaderboard held during the first season of the tour saw Tony Hachem emerge victorious after cashing in four of the five ANZPT Season 1 events. For his leaderboard win, Hachem took home entry into Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) events as well as the 2010 Aussie Millions. Chris Levick, who finished in second place on the leaderboard, gained entry into every ANZPT Season 2 event.
In addition to the ANZPT and APPT, PokerStars also sponsors the European Poker Tour (EPT), Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT), Italian Poker Tour (IPT), Czech-Slovak Poker Tour (CSPT), Russian Poker Tour (RPT), and U.K. and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT).
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PokerStars Releases ANZPT Season 2 Dates
PokerStars announced dates for the second season of the Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT) today and six events across the two countries are already confirmed with more to be announced in the near future.
"The ANZPT provides Australian and New Zealand poker players with a professionally-executed tour in their own backyard," said ANZPT Commissioner Danny McDonagh. "The ANZPT Player of the Year is now clearly the most coveted poker award in this region."
The tour will begin with a stop in Adelaide from Feb. 9-14, 2010, at the Adelaide Casino. After Adelaide the tour will move on to Perth, Sydney, Queenstown, Gold Coast and finally Melbourne in the fall of 2010.
New for this year is Perth, capital of Western Australia.
“We are thrilled to be part of the ANZPT,” said Jason Barry, general manager of table games at Burswood Casino. “We feel this is just what our players have been waiting for and we expect big numbers will take in the first PokerStars.net ANZPT Perth Tournament.”
Season 1 of the ANZPT drew a total of 1,309 players and awarded $2.9 million in prize money over its five events.
Tony Hachem was the ANZPT Player of the Year last season, winning $19,239 AUD and a spot on Team PokerStars Australia for this year when he cashed in four of the five ANZPT events.
Below is the preliminary schedule for the ANZPT season 2:
| City: | Dates: | Buy-in: |
| Adelaide, Australia | Feb. 9-14, 2010 | $3,000 AUD |
| Perth, Australia | March 17-21, 2010 | $2,500 AUD |
| Sydney, Australia | April 21-25, 2010 | $2,200 AUD |
| Queenstown, New Zealand | July 17-25, 2010 | $2,500 NZD |
| Gold Coast, Australia | Aug. 11-15, 2010 | $2,500 AUD |
| Melbourne, Australia | Oct. 8-11, 2010 | TBA |
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Tags: 15, 2010, 5, Australia, manager, player, Poker, poker player, pokerstars, Pro, queen, Sydney, tournament
Joe Hachem Thinks Poker Will Get Bigger in Australia
In his article in The Sydney Morning Herald Joe Hachem reminds us that in just 23 years ago there was no poker being played in casinos in Australia. It is hard to imagine that poker, which is so prevalent game in Australian casinos nowadays, hit the floors in 1987.
The WSOP and WPT bracelet winner thinks that the popularity of poker has not yet reached the level of popularity that the sport has achieved in America, but the popularity and number of competitors are growing in Australia.
Joe Hachem is the godfather of the Australian poker scene.
As a professional poker player, the PokerStars pro is happy that the popularity of his profession is growing. He is satisfied about the growth of popularity so far, as the standard of the events available in Australia has continued to improve and tournaments also attracts more international talent.
Hachem thinks the key element to the growth of poker in Australia has been the internet and online poker, which he thinks is “a great way to learn, polish your game, and even compete in some serious tournaments”.
For Hachem, tournaments are the best format of poker. Today there is plenty of big tournaments for Australians to choose from. There is annual Aussie Millions in January and PokerStars sponsored Asia Pasific Poker Tour, the biggest poker tour in the region. Hachem thinks at the present a professional player could play a full season of events only in Australia without travelling to international tournaments “and boast an impressive record of events”.
Even though Hachem is pleased with the way things are now, he hopes that the wins of Australians Grant Levy and Martin Rowe in APPT in past years will produce more local talent. He believes that with more great local wins, more people will support poker and the popularity of poker will continue to rise in Australia.
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Joe Hachem Thinks Poker Will Get Bigger in Australia
Tags: 2009, 5, Asia, Australia, Joe Hachem, Online Poker, player, Poker, poker player, pokerstars, Pro, professional poker player, Sydney, tournament, WSOP
Joe Hachem Comments on the State of Australian Poker
With the conclusion of the PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) in Sydney, Australia last week, another successful season came to an end and one more Aussie champion was born. Online qualifier Aaron Benton won the AUD $6,300 Grand Final Main Event to become the third straight Australian-born player to capture the title. Additionally, fellow Aussie and former APPT champion Van Marcus defeated a tough field to win the APPT Tournament of Champions.
2005 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion and Team PokerStars Pro member Joe Hachem recently wrote an article in the Sydney Morning Herald discussing the growth of poker in Australia. Hachem, who was born in Lebanon and moved to Melbourne at age six, talked about the APPT, the Aussie Millions, and the poker culture that has taken over Australia since his life-changing victory in 2005.
"Obviously we are yet to reach the heights of popularity that the sport has achieved in America, where every major tournament is televised and attracts thousands of live spectators, but the popularity and the competitors continue to grow," Hachem wrote. "For a professional player, I always hope we'll get to that point. The growth so far has been satisfying as the standard of the events available in Australia continue to improve, as we attract more international talent as well as retain our best home-grown players."
That home-grown talent has made some serious noise in 2009. Jeffrey Lisandro (born in Perth) won three WSOP bracelets in 2009 while capturing Player of the Year honors in a year that saw five different players win multiple events. Lisandro, known better as a successful cash game player, now has four bracelets and joins fellow Aussies Hachem, Mark Vos, Gary Benson, and Mel Juda as WSOP champions.
In January, Bilambil Heights native Stewart Scott earned $1,865,724 by winning the Crown Aussie Millions Main Event. Scott became the first Aussie to keep the prestigious title in his home country since the event went international in 2003. The event, which was first introduced in 1997 as a $1,000 buy-in Limit Hold'em tournament, has developed into one of the biggest poker events on the planet. The number of entrants has increased every year since 2003, helped greatly by Fox Sports Net's broadcast that reaches millions of homes internationally. Poker fans were able to watch Gus Hansen claim the title in 2007 and Alexander Kostritsyn defeat Erik Seidel to win it in 2008.
Benton, who already had a claim to fame coming into the APPT Grand Final as a former contestant in the Australian edition of “Big Brother,” collected AUD $594,000 for his victory in Sydney last week. Benton bested a field of 396 players, including seven Aussies at the final table. Though the tournament drew fewer entrants than the past two years (561 in 2007 and 477 in 2008), Hachem is still pleased with the direction the game is headed in his homeland.
"From the Aussie Millions and this weekend's Pokerstars.net APPT, (the largest poker tour in the region) to smaller events that still offer a genuine challenge like the ANZPT (Australia New Zealand Poker Tour), a professional player could quite happily now play a full season in this country and boast an impressive record of events," Hachem said.
The 2010 Aussie Millions gets underway on Thursday, January 14 with a $1,100 No Limit Hold'em event. Several similar preliminary events will take place up until the $10,500 Main Event kicks off on January 24.
Tags: 2008, 2009, 2010, 5, Asia, Australia, cash game player, cent, Erik Seidel, game player, Gus Hansen, Joe Hachem, member, player, Poker, pokerstars, Pro, qualifier, Stewart Scott, Sydney, tournament, usa, WSOP
APPT Sydney Title Stays in Australia
PokerStars online qualifier Aaron Benton outlasted 395 players to win a first place prize of $594,000 (AUD) in the Star City-hosted event.
"I used to play more for the entertainment in pub games, but I'm loving my poker and I wanted to take it to the next level," Benton said after his victory.
The 32-year-old recruitment consultant from Wollongong, New South Wales, had to get by well-known players like Mark Vos, Tony “bond18” Dunst and Joe Hachem before making it to the final table, which included Australian veteran Leo Boxell.
Boxell was eventually eliminated third and the final showdown was between Benton and fellow online qualifier Ernst Hermans from the Netherlands.
In the decisive hand of the tournament Herman open-shoved with 9-8 and Benton insta-called with pocket kings. The kings held up and Benton won his first APPT title.
The APPT Sydney Grand final has been won by an Australian in all three years of its existence. Last year Sydney local Martin Rowe outlasted 476 players to win $1 million (AUD).
APPT Sydney also marked the end to the third season of the tour. Winners were crowned in Australia, China, New Zealand and the Philippines although the Korean stop was postponed indefinitely due to construction of the venue.
Details for season four will soon be available on the APPT website and if last year was any indication the first event will likely take place this summer.
Here are the final table payouts for the $6,300 (AUD) buy-in APPT Sydney:
1. Aaron Benton - $594,000 (AUD)
2. Ernst Hermans - $381,000 (AUD)
3. Leo Boxell - $213,840 (AUD)
4. Wayne Carlson - $166,320 (AUD)
5. Tom Grigg - $130,680 (AUD)
6. Andrew Hiscox - $106,920 (AUD)
7. Barry Forrester - $83,160 (AUD)
8. David Formosa - $65,340 (AUD)
9. Thomas Slifka - $47,520 (AUD)
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Tags: 5, Australia, China, Joe Hachem, king, player, Poker, pokerstars, qualifier, Sydney, tournament
Bluff Europe Weekend Round-Up.
The Grand Final of the PokerStars Asian Pacific Poker Tour took place at the Sky City casino in Sydney, with almost 400 players competing in the event before one man took down the grand prize.
Aaron Benton wins APPT Grand Final
Poker News in Brief: Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2009
With all that quality front page poker news there were a number of stories that almost fell through the cracks here at PL.com.
Fortunately, we publish our Poker News in Brief feature every Sunday and we’re going to recount some of the lesser-known stories below.
This week we’ll take a look at the original WSOP location shutting down its hotel, an Australian going back-to-back at the APPT High Roller’s event, a UB Poker pro winning a side event at Bellagio and more.
Binions Hotel Shuts Doors
Binions Gambling Hall & Hotel, the original location of the World Series of Poker, will be shutting down the hotel component of the business, according to a statement from owners this week.
Lisa Robinson, a spokesperson for Owners TLC Casino Enterprises, told the Associated Press the decision was made to keep the rest of the property operational.
She went on to say the facility was heavily affected by the economic downturn and the hotel rooms were no longer competitive.
The casino and legendary poker room will remain in business.
The property was originally known as Binion’s Horseshoe and it was there that Benny Binion conceived the WSOP.
The WSOP brand was sold to Harrah’s in 2004 and the next year the tournament was moved to the Rio All-Suites Hotel.
Graham goes back to back at APPT Sydney High Rollers Event
Jarred Graham pulled off an unlikely repeat performance as the APPT Sydney High Roller champion this week.
The young Australian outlasted 26 players including notables Jeff Lisandro, David Steicke and Terrence Chan to take down the $156,000 (AUD) first place prize.
This is the second year the $15,300 (AUD) buy-in event has been held and last year was actually more difficult for Graham, as he had to beat 36 players.
Graham now has life-time tournament earnings of $468,602, which puts him 21st on the Australian all-time money list.
PartyGaming Wins Poker Operator of the Year
PartyPoker won Poker Operator of the Year honors at the eGaming Review Awards (EGR) in London this week.
An independent judging panel recognized that PartyPoker had made the most headway in the real-money poker sector over the last year. The judges were looking at originality, growth, scale, usability, payment processing and marketing.
Other notable poker winners included PKR for Best Online Marketing Campaign with special mentions to Betfair for Mobile Gaming Operator and ChiliPoker for Rising Star of the Year.
Russian Takes European Masters of Poker Slovenia
A Russian stole the show at the Slovenia leg of the second season of the European Masters of Poker this week.
Vladimir Mefodichev outlasted 252 opponents to take down the €58,190 first place prize in the three-day event.
The €1,000 buy-in event drew players from across the globe and the final table had players from Denmark, Russia, Israel, Sweden, France and Romania.
The European Masters of Poker now heads to Casino Las Canaria, Spain for the next tournament, which takes place Jan. 28-31.
Michael Binger Wins Five Diamond Side-Event
UB sponsored pro Michael Binger added yet another side event title at the 2009 Bellagio Five Diamond series this week.
Binger outlasted 127 players to win the $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em event for $124,160.
Since bursting onto the poker scene with a third place finish in the 2006 WSOP Main Event for $4.1 million, Binger has taken down the 2008 WSOPC Lake Tahoe title for $181,379 and side events at the L.A. Poker Classic and Five Star World Poker Classic.
Adding in numerous cashes from around the globe, Binger has slightly more than $6.2 million in lifetime tournament earnings.
Power Hours on UB, Absolute Poker
Absolute Poker and UB players now have opportunity to earn twice the frequent player points during certain times.
Starting this week both sites will offer Power Hours from Monday-Saturday between the hours of 1-4 a.m. ET and 1-4 p.m. PT where players will earn twice the UB or AP points. The promotion is open to both tournament and cash-game players.
On Sunday, all players can earn double points between the hours of 1-4 a.m. ET with a special 1-5 p.m. ET session just for cash game players.
Players do not need to sign up and the points will simply be added to their account balance.
Full Tilt Signs Jani Vilmunen
It appears that Full Tilt Poker has signed Jani “KObyTAPOUT” Vilmunen as their latest red pro.
At the start of the week, the Finnish PLO-expert was still playing by his KObyTAPOUT alias but by mid-week a red Jani Vilmunen showed up at the tables on Full Tilt.
Vilmunen is most well-known as a fierce high stakes online cash game player, but he’s also had success in tournaments. Vilmunen won the Pot-Limit Omaha event at the WSOPE this fall for $336,396 and he also won the $2,100 PLO Six-Max WCOOP event on PokerStars for $172,140.
Full Tilt has yet to publicly confirm it has signed Vilmunen.
UB, Poker Player Magazine Hold Tournament for Armed Forces
Poker Player Magazine and UB Poker will host a freeroll this January to benefit those serving in the United States armed services.
All members of the armed forces, including veterans, are encouraged to participate, but the event is open to all players who would like to show their appreciation for men and women in uniform.
“This is a great event for everyone,” said Poker Pro Media Vice President Will Jordan, a former Marine. “But it is especially gratifying because we will be getting our servicemen and women involved. They deserve our gratitude, and this is just one small way to show it.”
The grand prize will be a $10,000 seat in the 2010 WSOP Main Event, along with $2,000 in expense money.
To sign up for the freeroll simply go to UB.com by Dec. 27 and use the promotion code PKRPRO.
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Tags: 15, 2008, 2009, 2010, 5, absolute poker, Associated Press, Australia, bellagio, cash game player, EUR, Europe, european, France, freeroll, frequent player, full tilt poker, game player, high stakes, israel, Judge, king, L.A., London, Mania, member, Michael Binger, no-limit, Omaha, player, Poker, poker player, Poker Player Magazine, pokerstars, President, Pro, Russia, spain, Sweden, Sydney, TLC, tournament, United States, usa, women, WSOP
PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Grand Final Day 2: Grigg Ascends
APPT Grand Final Day 1c concludes
PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Grand Final Day 1c: Campbell One of The Leaders
A Brawl in APPT Sydney
Poker can sometimes be a frustrating game and once in a while players get into arguments with each other, but rarely things gets as bad as in Sydney, when a row between Mark Ericksen and his unidentified foe turned to a fist fight!
Apparently the two knew each other beforehand as the unidentified man (Mr. X from now on) approached Mark Ericksen’s table and and told Ericksen to “Stay the f*** out of my business.” Well it didn’t take long for these two to get into the business as after some heated words, Mr. X connected with his fist in Ericksen’s face.
Mr. X walked away from the table and things calmed for a second until Ericksen stood up and told Mr. X he was a “f***ing rat.” At this point a full scale war started between the two. After throwing and landing several punches, the two hit the ground where Mr. X continued his assault on Ericksen. With each punch he threw, Mr. X yelled “Rat! Rat! Rat!”
Pokernews.com video crew missed the incident, but Andrew Scott witnessed the whole affair, as he was seated in the same table with Ericksen:
Source: pokernews.com
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PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Grand Final Day 1b, Boxell Bags Chip Lead
Tony “Bond18” Dunst leads APPT Sydney Grand Final.
PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Grand Final Day 1a: Tony “Bond18″ Dunst Leads
PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Grand Final Day 1a: Tony “Bond18″ Dunst Leads
The PokerNews Jet Set: Sydney
PokerStars APPT to finish with a bang in Sydney
APPT Sydney Grand Final Kicks Off December 1st
The PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) is preparing to wrap up its 2009 schedule with the $6,300 AUD APPT Grand Final running from December 1st to 6th at the Star City Casino in Sydney. Team PokerStars Pros and former World Champions Peter Eastgate and Joe Hachem are among the several hundred players expected to participate in the tour’s flagship tournament.
The APPT Sydney schedule kicked off with the $200 AUD Pink Diamond Ladies No Limit Hold’em tournament on November 22nd. Several other preliminary events are taking place before the Main Event gets underway, including a deep stack No Limit Hold’em tournament and a Pot Limit Omaha event. Once the Main Event is underway, side events include the $15,300 AUD High Roller, a $550 AUD Ladies Tournament, a $1,100 AUD team event, a $3,200 AUD Heads-Up event, and the $340 AUD Camp Quality Charity Event in aid of the Australian Children and Families Cancer Charity.
Last year, Martin Rowe defeated fellow Aussie Jason Gray for the APPT Grand Final title and $1 million AUD ($648,046) prize. The event was Aussie-dominated, as 39 of the 48 players who reached the money were from Down Under. The first ever APPT Grand Final was won by Grant Levy, who snagged USD $850,000 for his achievement and is now a member of Team PokerStars Pro Australia.
This season’s APPT champions – Dermot Blain, Simon Watt, and Dong-bin Han – won a seat to the APPT Grand Final as part of their victories. Blain collected $541,072 for his win at APPT Macau in August, while Watt earned $154,043 at APPT Auckland in October. Han took home $156,722 after claiming the APPT Cebu title earlier this month. The event in Cebu broke participation records for an event in the Philippines. The APPT Seoul event, scheduled for September 17th to 20th in South Korea, was postponed due to construction delays at the 7-Luck Casino and will be rescheduled once the construction is completed.
Overall, the APPT has been very pleased with the tour in 2009. Jeffrey Haas, President of the APPT, said: “This season’s APPT has been a great success with over a thousand players competing in the three events already held in Macau, Auckland, and Cebu. This has been made possible by massive enthusiasm for the tour right across the region. This season’s Grand Final in Sydney is set to cement the tour’s reputation for providing incredible events in great locations.”
On December 7th, the annual APPT Tournament of Champions event will take place. This invitation-only tournament features winners from the APPT as well as some of the biggest names in poker competing to help their favorite charities. The first year the tournament was held, Joe Hachem won; last season PokerStars Pro Vanessa Rousso took home the title.
Tags: 15, 2009, 5, Asia, Australia, charity, Joe Hachem, king, ladies, Macau, member, Omaha, Peter Eastgate, player, Poker, pokerstars, President, Pro, Sydney, tournament, usa, USD, Vanessa Rousso
Korean triumphs at PokerStars APPT Cebu
Han outlasted 317 players and then beat American qualifier David Hilton heads-up to become the first Korean winner on the PokerStars APPT and take home APPT Cebu's first place prize of $158,000.
Fellow Korean Sim Somyung took third place for $60,000.
Korean players also had a strong presence at last year's APPT event in the Philippines, where three made the final table finishing second, third and fourth.
Mark Pagsuyuin was the only Filipino player who made the final table of APPT Cebu this year and he busted out in sixth place.
Vietnamese-American Nam Le was the most well-known player to go deep in APPT Cebu, but he finished in 12th place narrowly missing out on the final table. Le won the APPT Macau High Rollers event for $473,915 in 2008.
This marks the third year that PokerStars has hosted an APPT event in the Philippines, but this time around organizers switched the venue from downtown Manila to the more scenic Shangri-La resort in the province of Cebu.
The next stop on the APPT schedule is the grand final in Sydney, which takes place Dec. 1-6, 2009. Satellites for the event are currently running on PokerStars.
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