Australia New Zealand Poker Tour
ANZPT Melbourne: Edison Nguyen victorious!
We knew when we walked to the Crown Poker Room this morning that we weren't going to be leaving for a while. With 34 players joining us for Day 3 of the ANZPT Melbourne Main Event, we were still a long, long way from crowning a champion and awarding the $253,000 top prize.Some 33 eliminations, 16 ho...more
ANZPT6 Melbourne Day 3: From five to three
And then there were four....no, make that three!After a slow start, this ANZPT Melbourne final table has really picked up speed recently as we've just lost another two players in rapid succession. With any luck, we might just get out of here before the birds awaken.Wayde Rickhuss had battled valiant...more
ANZPT6 Melbourne Day 3: Fifteen minutes of fury
"In fifteen minutes, we'll have a twenty big blind average. That's crazy!" commented eagle-eyed blogger Joshua Bell as we approached the end of Level 25 and wondered when the eight-handed deadlock would be broken.The past two hours had seen plenty of all-ins, a few suckouts, but somehow zero elimina...more
ANZPT6 Melbourne Day 3: Caruana misses FT; Bryce runs into rockets
The craziness of the final table bubble finally came to an end with the elimination of Michael Caruana.His final hand saw Vincent Chua open to 75,000 before Caruana moved all for 560,000 from the button. The blinds folded and Chua gave the decision some thought."This might be it boys!" Chua yelled t...more
ANZPT6 Melbourne Day 3: Dinner plans on hold
Stomachs are grumbling and we're inching closer to both the dinner break and the elusive ANZPT Melbourne final table. As I start writing this piece, just ten players remain, but by the end of it, I'm hoping we'll have reached the final nine.After the eliminations of Day 1a chip leader Anthony Legg (...more
ANZPT6 Melbourne Day 3: Spano eyes #1 spot
"I'm a bit worried now," said PokerStars Asia Pacific Live Events Manager Sam Dawson. It was half way through Level 21 and Dawson was understandably concerned that the slow progress of play might mean we're in for a long haul."Danny (McDonagh) is more confident, but I think it could be 4am now," Daw...more
ANZPT6 Melbourne Day 3: Down to a double dozen
The first two hours of play on Day 3 of the ANZPT Melbourne Main Event have come and gone. It's been a real grind for our players with everyone desperate to continue their journey towards the final table.The first casualty of the day was surprisingly Michael Chrisanthopoulos who started the day with...more
ANZPT6 Melbourne Day 3: Finals fever
September. The first day of Spring. A new season. A fresh start. Flowers are blooming and birds are singing. New life.September is all of those things, but if you ask a typical 20-something male living in Melbourne what September means to them, they will probably say "footy finals". Well, at least i...more
ANZPT6 Melbourne: Chua still in charge on Day 2
What a day! If anyone arrived at the Crown Poker Room expecting a quiet and relaxing Sunday afternoon, they were in the wrong place. Day 2 of the ANZPT Melbourne Main Event was an action-charged affair from the get-go, through a spectacular money bubble and right up until the final cards were dealt ...more
ANZPT6 Melbourne Day 2: Coolers, hero calls and bad beats
We've seen some dramatic bubbles over the years. Whether it be huge sums of money on the line, big name players falling at the final hurdle or prolonged periods of nervous tension.This bubble didn't have any of those, but it had just about everything else. We saw coolers, huge hero calls and a bruta...more
ANZPT6 Melbourne Day 2: An early warning
Crown Poker Tournament Director Joel Williams just took over the microphone to make an announcement to the room."Players, we are one table from the money. That means our 'First Card off the Deck' rule and 'No Headphones' rule are now both in play," announced Williams.Only problem was that with 81 pl...more
ANZPT6 Melbourne Day 2: The online brigade
We're starting to get towards the business end of the ANZPT Melbourne Main Event. The big screen is about to tick under 100 players left for the first time, and when players look up and see that milestone, they will know that things are about to get serious.As tables break and new line ups are forme...more
ANZPT6 Melbourne Day 2: Against the odds
How many of you have ever taken a sickie? Perhaps it was a cold, rainy morning, there was some tasty sport on TV, and you had a bit of a cough. It's ok, we're not judging. I'm sure it happens to most. Some days you just can't get yourself out of bed to face the world.Then there are the days where yo...more
ANZPT6 Melbourne Day 2: Sunday mornings
Melbourne is Sunday mornings.A strong coffee or brunch at one of the world-class cafes.A casual stroll along the beach or perhaps a walk with a quicker tempo around the "Tan".Or perhaps a visit to the markets along St.Kilda Esplanade.Technically we're still in Winter. At least for one more day. But ...more
ANZPT6 Melbourne: Chua takes it to overtime on Day 1b
It was a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon in Melbourne. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the records were tumbling. Day 1b of the ANZPT Melbourne Main Event saw a field of 274 come together to swell the prize pool to record-setting proportions for the ANZPT. The total field of 516 i...more
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