October 2009 Archives

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You might have thought that this season's EPT was all about poker's kids running the schoolyard. But just as anyone older than about 22 might have considered packing up and going home, the French player Christophe Benzimra won the Main Event of EPT Warsaw, halting a run of three...more

It wasn't long ago that the number of casino-based poker tables in New Zealand's could be counted on one hand, the country's most famous poker player spoke with an American accent and the country's North Island was a tournament poker wasteland every bit as barren as the volcanic plateau in...more

Live updates from the final table & level 23 (blinds 15,000-30,000, ante 5000) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip...more

Live updates from the final table & level 22 (blinds 12,000-24,000, ante 4000) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip...more

Live updates from the final table & level 21 (blinds 10,000-20,000, ante 3000) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip...more

Live updates from the final table & level 20 (blinds 8000-16,000, ante 2000) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip...more

Live updates from the final table & level 19 (blinds 6000-12,000, ante 2000) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip...more

Welcome to our coverage of the final table in the 2009 PokerStars.net APPT Auckland/NZPT SKYCITY Festival of Poker Main Event from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland. Play will be wound back one level to 6000/12,000 with a 2000 ante for the start of play. We should be underway in the...more

Final table profiles for the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. The latest chip counts can be found by clicking here. Seat 1: Jason Brown, Auckland, New Zealand (709,000 in chips): The married father-of-two...more

Live updates from day 3, level 20 (blinds 8000-16,000, ante 2000) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can...more

Live updates from day 3, level 19 (blinds 6000-12,000, ante 2000) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can...more

Live updates from day 3, level 18 (blinds 5000-10,000, ante 1000) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can...more

Live updates from day 3, level 17 (blinds 4000-8000, ante 1000) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can...more

Live updates from day 3, level 16 (blinds 3000-6000, ante 1000) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can...more

It's a more relaxed atmosphere in the SKYCITY Casino poker room this morning as players mill about prior to the start of play on day three of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event. The 32 players still in the race for the title are all assured a minimum cash...more

PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Day 3 seat draw Table 6 Seat 1: Daniel Craker (New Zealand) 131,500 Seat 2: Oleg Epp (Germany) PokerStars Qualifier 145,500 Seat 3: Michael Shinzaki (USA) 346,500 Seat 4: Luke Edwards (Australia) PokerStars Qualifier 83,000 Seat 5: Jason Mui (USA) PokerStars Qualifier 88,500 Seat 6: Eric...more

The final 32 players have been decided after a tense and fiercely contested day two in the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event. SKYCITY Casino was packed with a wine o'clock crowd for the latter stages of play, which added plenty of atmosphere to the race for the money. The...more

Live updates from day 2, level 15 (blinds 2500-5000, ante 500) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can...more

Live updates from day 2, level 14 (blinds 2000-4000, ante 500) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can...more

Live updates from day 2, level 13 (blinds 1500-3000, ante 500) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can...more

Live updates from day 2, level 12 (blinds 1200-2400, ante 300) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can...more

Live updates from day 2, level 11 (blinds 1000-2000, ante 300) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can...more

Live updates from day 2, level 10 (blinds 800-1600, ante 200) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can...more

Live updates from day 2, level 9 (blinds 600-1200, ante 200) of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can...more

Live updates from day 2, level 8 (blinds 500-1000, ante 100) of PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from SKYCITY Casino in Auckland, New Zealand. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can be...more

Brilliant sunshine bathes the "City of Sails" this morning as players arrive for day two of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event, known locally as the NZPT SKYCITY Festival of Poker Main Event, here at SKYCITY Casino in Auckland. In a rarity for many tournament poker players, some of...more

PokerStars.net APPT Auckland, day two seat draw Table 3 Seat 1: Rohin Rup (New Zealand) 63,300 Seat 2: Angela Whorton (USA) PokerStars Qualifier 21,700 Seat 3: Donald Garcevic (New Zealand) 11,100 Seat 4: Michael Pedley (Australia) 26,200 Seat 5: Richard Lancaster (New Zealand) 65,100 Seat 6: Paul Foltyn (UK)...more

Lance Climo has signalled that the locals are not a spent force after clawing to within reach of overall chip leader Emad Tahtouh during the final level on day 1B of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event at SKYCITY Casino. He claimed the chip lead after eliminating Tony Dunst...more

One for the grandkids ... the orders have just been dispatched for a round of drinks after PokerStars.net Team Australia Pro Tony Hachem just made a royal flush. Midway through level six on day 1B of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event at SKYCITY Casino, Hachem declared he was...more

By Landon Blackhall That's the problem with chips ... here one second, gone the next. That was certainly the case for Ralf Westphal during level five on day 1B of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event at SKYCITY Casino. Leading after the first four hours of play, the stack...more

By Landon Blackhall and Sean Callander Emad Tahtouh's chip lead isn't looking in any imminent danger with no big stacks yet to emerge as we reach the halfway point of day 1B of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event. Hoping to follow Tahtouh, Grant Levy and Celina Lin into...more

By Landon Blackhall There was a distinct hometown feel to day 1A with scores of SKYCITY Auckland qualifiers seated in the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland main Event. It's a different story today, with a diverse line-up of starters from across the region and around the world. We've spotted PokerStars qualifiers...more

By Landon Blackhall Auckland may not have the historical remnants of a city dating back hundreds or thousands of years, but it more than makes up for it with a unique blend of attractions that combine the city's best elements. Known as the "City of Sails", Auckland boasts the...more

The skies are starting to clear just in time for players to make their journey to the SKYCITY Poker Room for today's second day-one flight in the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event. The northerly breeze and slight seas made for great sailing conditions on Auckland Harbour this morning as...more

By Landon Blackhall Day 1A of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event at SKYCITY has come to a close and the remaining 67 players have bagged and tagged their chips in preparation for Day 2 on Friday. Play started shortly after noon with a performance by representatives of the...more

By Landon Blackhall With less than an hour left on day 1A of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event, less than 80 of the 135 starters are in line to return on Friday for a shot at a share of the estimated NZD $1 million prize pool. PokerStars.net Team...more

By Landon Blackhall and Sean Callander Having just returned from the most recent APPT event in Macau, one of the world's great dining destinations, we find ourselves in New Zealand. OK, we're struggling to come up with a signature Kiwi dish but that's not to say that we're lacking...more

By Landon Blackhall and Sean Callander It's been an unforgettable year for Stewart Scott. Back in January, he became the first Australian to win the Aussie Millions Main Event and followed that up with a top-three finish in the $5000 NLHE event at the Bellagio Cup in Las Vegas....more

By Landon Blackhall The field for day 1A of the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event has been confirmed at 135 players, and with expectations of a total field in excess of 300, that means many of our visitors are out enjoying the sights of the city today. SKYCITY Poker...more

By Landon Blackhall and Sean Callander PokerStars tours take players to all parts of the world, and we're continually impressed with some of the journeys undertaken by qualifiers chasing their poker dreams. It's not like they don't have poker tournaments in Scandinavia, the USA and Brazil but that hasn't...more

By Landon Blackhall and Sean Callander During the opening ceremony for the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event, Lee "Final Table" Nelson warned the day 1A field to stay of his way. Those words proved prophetic when the PokerStars Sponsored Player had a beeline for the exit just minutes into...more

By Landon Blackhall It's a tradition at international events held in New Zealand (like the PokerStars.net APPT Auckland Main Event) for visitors to be welcomed with a spine-tingling performance that culminated in the traditional "Ka Mate" or haka, which we've just watched in awe at SKYCITY Casino in Auckland....more

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Aaron Gustavson had the credentials to be here. There was no doubting that. Just a few months back, he won the PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up for $135,000. He'd done well in the World Championship of Online Poker. He'd won a tournament at the Borgata in Atlantic City. He didn't doubt his...more

Albert Einstein once said "it is strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely." That's a pretty good description of New Zealand. Welcome to Auckland, one of world's most remote cities, for the second event on season three of the PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour...more