A little over one year ago, we were in Vina del Mar, Chile, sitting in a ballroom not unlike this one, as Fabian Ortiz became the first-ever Latin American champion on the LAPT. We had seen a Spaniard, a Hungarian, a Dutchman and two Americans claim victory, but until Ortiz...more
by Jenniger Newell Some invitations are simply meant to be accepted. When the parents invite you for holiday dinner, you should probably accept. If your significant other invites you on a trip to a luxurious vacation destination, thinking twice might cause you some trouble. And when PokerStars.net invites you to...more
Two miniature versions of the Uruguayan flag are printed on the felt of every poker table at the Mantra Casino. If you don't know, the Uruguayan flag is one of the oldest flags in the world consisting of nine stripes alternating between light blue and white. The top corner...more
The arc of a poker tournament is usually hard to define. Chips move, leaders come, and leaders go. It is rare to see a story define itself as well as it did at the NAPT Venetian event. By the penultimate day, a leader had established himself, and the story...more
6:08pm: Break! Players are on a 15-minute break to celebrate the conclusion of Level 29. When we return, we'll be in a new post reflecting the level change. Find us on the main page! 6:03pm: Well, he's gotta lose this one! Sam Stein just managed to get it all-in...more
by Martin Harris "I'm not number one in this field, no way." So said Scott Seiver early on as the NAPT Venetian $25,000 Bounty Shootout got underway. He and his tablemates spent some time trying to handicap the field, which included many of the most highly regarded players in...more
It took two rooms to fit the field for this year's LAPT Punta del Este. Both the downstairs ballroom and the upstairs poker room at the Mantra Hotel & Casino were packed to the gills this afternoon, 307 players putting up $3,700 apiece for a chance at an LAPT title....more
Sam Stein is a wrecking ball. Broad-shouldered and burly, Stein has approached the last two days of this tournament with a grim-faced determination that makes it look like he's been told he has to mow the lawn or clean out the garage. No matter whether he's flopping sets against...more
8:15pm: And that's a wrap for Day 4 With eight players, we have our NAPT Venetian final table with Sam Stein as its chip leader. A full wrap of today's events will be posted in short order. Join us tomorrow at 2pm for live coverage of all the action...more
Joseph Cutler - 14th place Thomas Fuller got involved with a raise from under the gun, and Cutler came along from the big blind. The flop came T♠ 7♣ 2♦, and Cutler raised to 150K. But Fuller came back with a raise all-in, and Cutler called all-in, as he...more
Ready for some high stakes fun? For games within games? For something special to mark this first ever North American Poker Tour stop at the Venetian in Las Vegas? Today's first round the NAPT Venetian $25,000 High Roller Bounty event brings together a collection of the poker world's most famous,...more
Welcome back to beautiful Las Vegas and the luxurious Venetian. Inside, the poker room is buzzing with excitement already. Players will trickle in shortly. Fans will gather outside the ropes. We have some important poker to play today. The 24 players that start Day 4 have proven themselves to be...more
by Martin Harris When we started at noon on Saturday, there were nearly 90 tables filled with 872 players, filling the entire poker room and curling all around the immediate environs, zig-zagging every which way. Sort of like those famous canals of the Italian city from which the Venetian...more
1:12am: Day 3 concludes With that last flurry of eliminations, Day 3 swiftly comes to a close. The remaining 24 players are starting to bag up their earnings thus far, but all well know there's still a long way to go to that $827,648 first prize. 1:06am: Rousso hits...more
10:35pm: End of level That's 20 levels in the books. Of the 872 who began on Saturday, just 36 remain. 10:17pm: Cernuto survives "Miami" John Cernuto left for the dinner break after a very tough laydown to an all-in from his opponent, and he was left with less chips...more
What we have just witnessed is no short of history in the making. Sure, we know we tend to get hyperbolic around these parts, but we feel comfortable in suggesting that what we'll witness this week will be the stuff poker people will talk about for ages. When the...more
6:38pm: Gimme a break! Ok, settle down. Players are on a break. They are taking 15 minutes and will return to start Level 19. (Hint: There will be another blog for Level 19. Go there after this.) 6:29pm: Oh, aces, how they can hurt sometimes Martin Medina played aces...more
3:22pm: Break time The 91 remaining players are taking a 15-minute break. 3:15pm: Double-ups keep hope alive Despite being in the money, most poker players do not want to leave the tournament. The final table is two days away, and a few key double-ups could put them in contention...more
The day in Las Vegas will start with some unknowns. Outside the Venetian Hotel & Casino, the day began with rain and cloudy skies. But as the hours passed, the sun emerged and blue skies now reign, despite some rather brisk desert winds. All in all, a beautiful day is...more
Stardom may be too strong a word. This is only the first American stop of the inaugural season of the North American Poker Tour, a series of live poker tournaments that has already proven itself a serious contender in the poker world. And there were 872 players in the $5,000...more
9:21pm: Day 2 concludes The last hands of Day 2 have been dealt, and Andrew Lichtenberger is the one bagging the most chips with 618,000, followed by Day 1 chip leader Andy Seth with 602,600, and Steve Billirakis with 591,200. It appears we're still about 20 eliminations away from...more
6:13pm: Break time Players are now on break. 6:02pm: Negreanu doubles When Daniel Negreanu alerted the media via Twitter that he was down to 15K chips, we planted ourselves in the area to see the forthcoming action. It didn't take long for him to push all-in for his last...more
3:03pm: Break it up The second break of the day is upon us, and players are stretching their legs and recounting hands to anyone who will listen. When their 15 minutes are over, they will enter the third level of the day. 2:58pm: Moving on As the field thins,...more
by Martin Harris It's a quiet Sunday morning here at the Venetian. Well, relatively speaking. "Quiet" has a slightly different significance inside a Vegas casino than it might there on your front porch perusing the latest news on your laptop. But let's appreciate together the contrast of the present...more
Anyone who has ever thrown a party has shared the same anxiety. What if no one comes? What if too many people come? What if I didn't buy enough bean dip? It's a nerve-rattling time, and one that can only be soothed when everything turns out to perfection. The North...more
6:49pm: Last break With six levels complete, we have reached our last break of the day. 6:40pm: You want numbers? We got your numbers right here... The first North American Poker Tour stop at the Venetian in Las Vegas had its challenges. Not only was it the inaugural NAPT...more
4:29pm: Break time This is the midway point for day 1. Players are now on a 15 minute break 4:23: It's not a chicken Caesar salad If only Bill Chen and Jason Mercier had waited for the salad announcement. They've already had their lunch. Mercier seems to have devoured...more
2:10pm: Break time After two levels of play, the massive field is taking its first break of the day. 1:54pm: I'll CU later Andrew "Good2CU" Robl arrived in the middle of the second level and has already made his presence known. Just now he opened with a raise to...more
We have been all over the world to cover poker tournaments. From Perth to Kyiv, to Monte Carlo to Uruguay, we've seen poker played in lands we never thought we'd visit. We've even covered more than our fair share of tournaments in Las Vegas. But never did we think...more
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It must be a fever dream. It has to be, because there is no scenario in the world that would paint such a picture. Camera flashes are everywhere and in between each strobe it looks like actor Christian Slater is sitting next to guitarist Slash. And Slash is sitting next...more
I have seen The Venetian Poker room more times than I can count. I've played tons of sessions, several tournaments, and one fairly exciting final table. Still, I've never seen the room as it is right now. What was already a giant poker room has spilled out onto the casino...more
Rennie Carnevale hadn't planned to play the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event. After winning one of the preliminary events, he'd decided to take the cash and preserve his bankroll. His flight back to Sydney, near his Wollongong home, was booked and his bags were packed when an email arrived...more
7.15pm: Andrew Scarf eliminated in 2nd place, Rennie Carnevale wins the ANZPT Adelaide Main Event title The bulldozer ride of Rennie Carnevale continued in the heads-up duel as he crushed Andrew Scarf into submission to capture the 2010 PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event title and the first prize of...more
5.30pm: Scarf scarring the opposition After those two quick eliminations, Andrew Scarf remains at the head of the chip count on 1.7 million but Octavian Voegele's KO of Billy "The Croc" Argyros has elevated him to second chip position on 900,000. Dan Neilson is next on 790,000 million, with...more
4.30pm: Benton leads the cheers Rennie Carnevale was in the audience at Star Casino in Sydney when Aaron Benton won the 2009 PokerStars.net APPT Grand Final. A well-refreshed Benton is returning the favour here today, leading the support crew for fellow Wollongong resident Carnevale as he continues his steady...more
3.30pm: Next stop - Perth With the ANZPT Adelaide Main Event almost consigned to history, players are starting to make their plans to trek across the Nullarbor Plain to the Burswood Entertainment Complex for the first PokerStars.net ANZPT Perth. Home to many of the nation's best players (2009 WSOP...more
2.20pm: Terrific turn for Tony Tony Hachem has quickly climbed back up the chip count after taking down a nice pot against Michael Sellars. Hachem raised to 31,000, Sellars called and they saw a flop of 8♥ T♣ 7♦. Hachem bet 47,000, Sellars called and the turn fell K♠....more
So what to do for Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year? Treat the wife/girlfriend to a quick feed in Gouger St AKA Adelaide's Chinatown and hot-foot it to Adelaide Casino for the final table of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event. Welcome to the finale of the first ANZPT...more
It took exactly seven hours of play to decide the first final table for season two of the PokerStars.net ANZPT after the ANZPT Adelaide Main Event field was slashed from 37 to nine. PokerStars.net Team Australia Pro Eric Assadourian was the unfortunate final table bubble player collecting $10,310 for...more
8.40pm: Assadourian out in 10th, final table decided Just a tick into level 21, the final table for the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event was decided with the elimination of PokerStars.net Team Australia Pro Eric Assadourian. He was all-in for 101,000 with K♥ J♠, but needed help against the...more
7pm: A winning pair Poker tourism is a big element of the ANZPT, and there's no better example of the concept than PokerStars Qualifier Victoria Martinez. After bowing out of the ANZPT Adelaide Main Event on day two, Victoria's partner Alistair arrived so the pair could spend the weekend...more
6.15pm: Bruno bows out We're down to one twin - Todd Butcher - after the elimination of Bruno Da Silva in 16th. After losing a big pot to Butcher when his A-K didn't hit against jacks, Da Silva doubled through Tony Hachem when his J-8 made a flush against...more
5pm: The Moose is back Raemin Alexander has collected his first scalp of the day when his J♠ J♣ played against the J♦ T♠ of Fabio Cappai on a board that ran out A♣ Q♥ 3♦ A♦ T♣. Cappai collects $6440 for 21st. Players are just about to take...more
3.45pm: Do is done Thanh Do wasted little time once the bubble burst and shoved in the last of his chips with A♠ T♥. His timing wasn't great as Andrew Hinrichsen flipped over A♦ A♣, which improved to a set on the flop of K♥ A♥ 2♥. Do picked...more
2.30pm: Down, but not out Peter Aristidou's topsy-turvy start to day three has taken another twist after PokerStars Qualifier Joey Masangcay doubled through the prolific Melbourne pro. It was the black kings of Masangcay against Aristidou's A♦ kd] but the board brought no joy for the man who placed...more
1.45pm: Sandy's sayonara One of only three internationals who started the day, Mike sirwatts Watson, has left the tournament area after Bryan Seiler's 9♦ 9♣ found a friend on the river - Q♣ 8♦ A♠ A♥ 9♠ against the K♦ Q♠ of the Canadian. We've also farewelled the last...more
"When routine bites hard and ambitions are low," Joy Division's Ian Curtis has just cautioned the punters who've made an early start to the day in the Grandstand Bar at Adelaide Casino. But in the adjacent Poker Zone, ambitions couldn't be higher for the 37 players who've returned for...more
A short but wonderfully entertaining day two has concluded at Adelaide Casino with 37 players through to "moving day" in the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event. After starting with 122 players, action started slowly but by mid-afternoon, the rate of eliminations skyrocketed. By day's end, Raemin "Jake the Moose"...more
7pm: Moussa flushed late in the day George Moussa scored an amazing double-up in the last few hands of the day through fellow Aussie Andy Kemmler. Moussa had his money in the middle pre-flop with A♦ Q♠, and found himself against Kemmler's A♥ Q♣. It looked to be a...more
5.45pm: First shout for railbirds It's beer o'clock here at Adelaide Casino, with the 9-5ers out in force for a night on the tables after a long week in the office. But the remaining 53 players in the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event still have 90 minutes until they...more
4.40pm: An Austrian among the Aussies Australia's Michael Sellars has eliminated 2009 APPT Grand Final champion Aaron Benton as the field shrinks to 58 players in the lead-up to the second break of the day. Benton moved his last 23,500 into the middle with A♣ T♣, but was called...more
3.45pm: Da Silva turns to da gold When the cards are running your way, it's best to just go with the flow as Bruno Da Silva just discovered when he dispatched fellow PokerStars Qualifier John Chalhoub to the rail. Chalhoub, the all-in player, was happy to see the flop...more
2.45pm: Vanderhorst edges ahead Roy Hills has some company at the top of the chip count with several players breaking through the 100,000-chip barrier early on day two of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event. PokerStars Qualifier Bruno Da Silva (107,000), PokerStars Player Rennie Carnivale (101,000) and Pankaj Gogia...more
2pm: Curtain falls on "The Big Show" There's been a steady stream of KOs in the opening hour of play, with departures including Julian Cohen (his fours were no match for the pocket aces of George Boulos) while the pocket sixes of Andrew Jeffreys were outflopped by the K-Q...more
The gardens and parkland that surround the Adelaide CBD belie the fact that South Australia's largest city sits on the fringe of the great Australian outback. You don't have to travel too far north of Adelaide before farmland starts to give way to scrubby pasture and desert that stretches...more
Table 1 Seat 1: Andrew Scarf (Australia) 54,600 Seat 2: Peter Chapman (Australia) 19,975 Seat 3: Billy Argryos (Australia) 60,525 Seat 4: George Boulos (Australia) 58,200 Seat 5: Rennie Carnivale (Australia) PokerStars Player 55,550 Seat 6: Adam Lux (Australia) 21,425 Seat 7: Adalberto Orrigo (Australia) 17,775 Seat 9: Julian...more
The line-up for day two of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event has been finalised after a torrid seven hours of play in Adelaide Casino's Poker Zone. While the city experienced a reprieve from the heat that had propelled the mercury over 40°C, the action was plenty fierce as...more
8pm: Tran's catching a tram Melbourne's Trung Tran had enjoyed an uneventful day on a table that included Australian Poker Hall of Famer Billy "The Croc" Argyros and PokerStars Team Australia Pro Tony Hachem but finally succumbed to Naz Sibahi in the last few hands of the day. In...more
7pm: The mark of a champion The stack of 2009 Aussie Millions Main Event Champion and former South Australian Stewart Scott had been as low as 3000 in chips in the first three levels of the day, but has managed to work his way back to around 55,000 in...more
5.45pm: Big names hit the rail Brendon Rubie, Raj Ramakrishnan and PokerStars Sponsored Player Clonie Gowen have been among a recent spate of eliminations in today's day one flight. Rubie was sent to the Poker Zone rail at the hands of Kristian Lunardi after running his pocket 10s into...more
5pm: The Hills are alive! Players are placing their coffee orders in preparation for the second break on day 1C of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event. Lorenzo Carbone's chip lead has been whittled away in the past hour, with the local player down to less than 44,000. He's...more
3.45pm: Points race off and running It's never easy to live in the shadow of a more famous sibling, and no-one knows that better than PokerStars.net Team Australia Pro Tony Hachem. The younger brother of PokerStars.net Team PRO Joe Hachem was already a regular player before the 2005 WSOP...more
2.45pm: Bruno bows out Bruno Portaro has also just wandered through the exit, having been eliminated at the hands of Australia's Naz Sababi. As Sababi recalled, a player in early position had raised to 550 pre-flop before he re-raised to 1500. Portaro four-bet it to 6000, the initial raiser...more
1.30pm: How to bowl a maiden over There was some commotion from table 11 with plenty of colour and movement between Australian players Adam Cusenza and Ali Khalil and America's Mike Spinasanta, which gave the impression that a big hand had just played out. However upon closer inspection, the...more
Of the many contributions that South Australia has made to the world, few are as famed as Penfolds Grange. Without doubt Australia's most famous wine, the annual Grange release is highly anticipated by collectors and consumers alike, and continues to pick up awards across the globe. Penfolds, which comprises...more
The Grandstand Bar adjacent to the Poker Zone at Adelaide Casino is doing brisk business as players dissect the finer points of the day after the second flight of day one in the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event. The 66 players who took their seat at the start of...more
8.15pm: Dunst drops in final stages In the last few hands before the end of the day, Tony bond18 Dunst and Andrew luckychewy Lichtenberger battled all the way on a board that fell K♣ 8♠ 6♣ 2♥ Q♣. Dunst checked to Lichtenberger on the river, who fired out a...more
7pm: Eric's back on top Heading into the final break on day 1B of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event, Eric Assadourian has regained the chip lead and takes a stack of 85,000 into the final hour. Narrowly trailling the PokerStars.net Team Australia Pro are Mike Watson (67,500), George...more
5.45pm: Hey, isn't that ...? It's getting to the time of the afternoon when the rate of eliminations starts to increase, and the departure of Adelaide Casino satellite winner Allen Rye has brought Frank Agostino to table 10. The jovial local fruiterer is a keen poker player, and as...more
5pm: Life's good No local player has enjoyed a richer vein of form over the past 12 months than Aaron Benton. In addition to his stunning victory in last year's PokerStars.net APPT Grand Final in Sydney, Benton bagged the biggest online score ever taken down by an Aussie. But...more
3.45pm: Gen Y is coming through The local poker ranks are in a good state judging from the entry list for the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event. It's pretty rare to have a local event without the "old guard" strongly represented but there's not an Australian Poker Hall of...more
2.20pm: Poker Zone proving popular Poker players can be a cynical bunch, so we've been thrilled to hear so many glowing reports about the Adelaide Casino experience during the Poker.net ANZPT Adelaide tournament series. Friendly and professional dealers, clear and concise rulings from the floor plus quick and efficient...more
1.15pm: Quad-tastic start for Assadourian PokerStars.net Team Australia Pro Eric Assadourian is off to a fantastic start and is already up to around 37,000 in chips after he claimed the first elimination of the day. We caught the action on a board that read 5♥ 8♠ 9♣ 3♦ 5♠...more
The opening day of the PokerStars.net Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT) has concluded with 40 of the 73 starters progressing to day two in the ANZPT Adelaide Main Event. On a blisteringly hot Adelaide day, the best players from across the region chilled out in the Adelaide Casino...more
Live updates from day 1A, level 7 (blinds 300-600, ante 50) of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from Adelaide Casino in Adelaide, South Australia. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can...more
Live updates from day 1A, level 6 (blinds 200-400, ante 50) of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from Adelaide Casino in Adelaide, South Australia. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can...more
Live updates from day 1A, level 5 (blinds 150-300, ante 25) of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from Adelaide Casino in Adelaide, South Australia. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can...more
Live updates from day 1A, level 4 (blinds 100-200, ante 25) of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from Adelaide Casino in Adelaide, South Australia. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can...more
Live updates from day 1A, level 3 (blinds 100-200) of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from Adelaide Casino in Adelaide, South Australia. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can be found...more
Live updates from day 1A, level 2 (blinds 75-150) of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from Adelaide Casino in Adelaide, South Australia. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can be found...more
Live updates from day 1A, level 1 (blinds 50-100) of the PokerStars.net ANZPT Adelaide Main Event brought to you by Sean Callander and Landon Blackhall from Adelaide Casino in Adelaide, South Australia. Click refresh to see the latest updates below, while the latest selected chip counts can be found...more
Welcome to season two of the PokerStars.net Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT) from Adelaide, the most populous city of South Australia. It's another stunning summer's morning but with the mercury tipped to top 100°F (38°C), we're looking forward to taking our seats on media row in the cool...more
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The European Poker Tour is no stranger to breaking new ground and welcomes players from across the globe. Earlier in January it was in the Caribbean, soon it will be the ski-slopes of Austria, after it hits Berlin for the first time. Its 51 champions hail from 15 countries, and...more