The Real Deal - Issue 4 by Poker Media Australia

AUSTRALIA’S PREMIER POKER AND SPORTS MAGAZINE

Issue #4

Summer 2012

PRINT POST APPROVED PP 100008841 AU $7.95 INC. GST

STRIKING

WSOP

GOLD

Inside>>>

• LAURIE DALEY LEADS A NEW ERA FOR THE NSW BLUES • SIZE MATTERS – LIVING LARGE ON AN AUSSIE ROADTRIP

PHIL HELLMUTH JNR MAKES IT #13; Greg Merson wins Main Event

• WHAT’S IN STORE FOR THE 2013 AUSSIE MILLIONS

CasinoSTAR Edition HEATS-UP FOR 2ND STAR POKER SUMMER SERIES THE

INSIDE

ODDS

INSIDE BOXES (1,2,3,4) ODD NUMBERS VS VS OF PICK A STREAK OUTSIDE BOXES (5,6,7,8) EVEN NUMBERS

INSIDE/OUTSIDE

PICK A STREAK INSIDE VS OUTSIDE OR ODDS VS EVENS

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132 946

PMA News ’13 looks a lucky one for Aussie poker The first six months of 2013 loom as the most important in the history of Australian poker since the boom that came in the wake of Joe Hachem’s 2005 WSOP victory. In addition to the 2013 Aussie Millions, the world’s poker spotlight will shine brighter than ever before on our nation when the first five gold bracelets ever offered in this region go on the line in the first World Series of Poker AsiaPacific at Crown in April. The combination of international factors (namely Black Friday), stricter enforcement of local online gaming laws and an Australian poker market that has matured significantly over the past seven years have stagnated the growth of the game here. However, there is a genuine buzz about the WSOP coming to our shores. Chatting with people at all levels of the industry, the dream of winning a WSOP bracelet has certainly permeated the psyche of every Australian poker player. Many who’d left the game are considering a return to the felt for this opportunity. Our challenge is to exploit the opportunities presented by the WSOP’s arrival in Australia to generate another boost for local poker. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to generate mainstream coverage for poker and expect to make some exciting announcements in coming weeks and months. Throw in the looming changes to the local online gaming laws – a process in which we’ve been honoured to provide input on behalf of the industry over the past 18 months – and it’s a genuinely exciting time for Aussie poker. In the meantime, we look forward to catching up with everyone during the Star Poker Summer Series at The Star in Sydney and, on behalf of the PokerMedia Australia team, we’d like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2013.

Bet smart and be lucky. Sean Callander

4-10 FROM THE NEWS DESK

The latest news from the poker world, including a look at the state of poker here in Australia and the latest Hall of Fame inductees

12 ONLINE POKER

A dramatic 18 months since Black Friday, Full Tilt Poker is back in business but the fallout continues after the site’s initial downfall

14 TOURNAMENT WRAP

A huge rundown of results including the Macau High Stakes Challenge, ACOP, ANZPT Melbourne, Western Classic and Queenstown Snowfest

16 PUB POKER

battled for more than $1 million combined in Australia’s two leading pub poker events – the MAIN EVENT II and NPL500

The Poker Room 18 WSOP MAIN EVENT

Greg Merson scored an emotional victory in the 2012 WSOP Main Event; the next WSOP bracelets will be on offer in Melbourne next April

20 WSOP EUROPE

Phil Hellmuth stretched his all-time WSOP bracelet-winning lead even further after victory in the WSOP Europe Main Event in Cannes, France

22 WSOP RESULTS

The last of the results from the 2012 WSOP, plus details of Michael Mizrachi’s amazing run that continued with his $50K H.O.R.S.E. win

28 AUSSIE MILLIONS

Details of what’s in store at the 2013 Aussie Millions – we suggest readers go to aussiemillions.com for latest satellite details

32 JOE HACHEM

The 2005 WSOP champ looks back on his recent travels to Europe and details the success of his first Shooting Star Invitational Poker Challenge

34 STAR POKER SUMMER SERIES

The final event on the national poker calendar for the 2012 is set to attract the cream of Australian poker talent to The Star in Sydney

WWW.POKERMEDIA.COM.AU

THEREALDEAL Contents

Upgrade 42 TRAVEL

Bigger is better, and that’s the case as we trek around the country in search of the ultimate ‘Big Things of Australia’

46 AUTOMOTIVE

To celebrate the latest James Bond flick Skyfall, we look back at the best of the cars that 007 has driven or destroyed over the past 50 years

48 FINANCE

The story of gold – where to find it, what it’s worth and, most importantly in these financially challenging times, is it a wise investment

50 DINING

Merrywell, a new dining option at both Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth, has classed up some old favourites in impressive fashion

Sportsbook 52 LAURIE DALEY

Ben Blaschke chats with new NSW Origin coach and former NRL great Laurie Daley about the challenges of leading the Blues back to glory

56 SPORTS BETTING

The message couldn’t be simpler – manage your punting bankroll effectively or you’ll go broke; a must-read for all sports bettors

Published by Poker Media Australia Pty Ltd. PO Box 7636, St Kilda Road VIC 8004 ACN 152 305 667; © 2012. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior permission of the publisher. The publisher will not accept responsibility or any liability for the correctness of information or opinions expressed in the publication. PUBLISHER: Sean Callander sean@pokermedia.com.au GENERAL MANAGER: Stephen Doig stephen@pokermedia.com.au DESIGN: Mark Sidoti

58 BEYOND THE BACK PAGE

Simon Whitlock is one of the quieter Aussie achievers carving up the world’s best in his chosen field – the always-colourful world of darts

60 TOP 10

Mother Nature loves to keep us on our toes; nowhere is that truer than the world of sport where nasty weather and elite competition often collide

62 ULTIMATE SPORTING TOUR

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

The race that stops a nation has been run and won for 2012, and it remains a must-do on the bucket list for any serious sports fan

ADVERTISING: sales@pokermedia.com.au WEBSITE: www.pokermedia.com.au PARTNERS: We kindly ask all readers to notify the advertisers that you saw their advertisements in The Real Deal. We recommend you use the advertisers wherever possible. DISCLAIMER:

Warranty and Indemnity: Advertisers and/or advertising agencies, upon and by lodging material with PokerMedia Australia for publication or authorising or approving of the publication of any material, indemnify PokerMedia Australia, its servants and agents, against all liability claims or proceedings whatsoever arising from the publication and without limiting the generality of the foregoing to indemnify each of them in relation to defamation, slander of title, breach of copyright, infringement of trademarks or names of publication titles, unfair competition or trade practices, royalties or violation of rights or privacy regulations and that its publication will not give rise to any rights against or liabilities in the Publisher, its servants or agents and in particular, that nothing therein is capable of being misleading or deceptive or otherwise in breach of Part V of the Trade Practices Act 1974.

THEREALDEAL News

LOGGING OFF Reflecting on a wild ride in seven years of Aussie poker

In his final “official” contribution to The Real Deal, editor-in-chief Sean Callander looks back on the highs and lows of the past seven years and the challenges ahead for our local poker industry.

t was the night before the start of the 2006 World Series of Poker, and I was strolling down the Las Vegas strip in the mid-evening heat with my business partner enjoying a beer (a foreign concept for an Aussie). Suddenly, I was smacked in the head by a water bottle that had been thrown off a double decker bus cruising the strip. It was Party Poker Monster branded water bottle, celebrating an upcoming promotion for what was then the world’s biggest online poker site. Thousands of people suffered under the rain of Party promotional material that year, as the buses filled with promo girls hit the Strip night after night. It was a surreal scene. Less than six months earlier, Steve and I had opened the doors of our own business having both left comfortable positions with the nation’s leading sports organisation. It was early in 2005 that we thought that poker might provide us with an opportunity to create a new business. Within months, Joe Hachem had provided the final piece of the puzzle for the Australian poker industry, and we were off and running.

Now, here we were in Vegas as part of the global Bluff Magazine publishing empire. Over the next fortnight, we’d engage in pillow fights with Bodog promo girls, watch Antonio Esfandiari attempt to outplay a chimpanzee at the Bluff stand, drink ourselves into oblivion as the Pussycat Dolls entertained thousands of Full Tilt online qualifiers and smoke cigars in the VIP area with the Hachem entourage as Rihanna performed at the WSOP launch party. We sat in media tournaments along side the likes of Ron Jeremy and James Garner, swapped heart monitor readings at the launch of the Mansion Pokerdome, watched TJ Cloutier dump thousands of dollars in a matter of seconds at a Rio craps table and met scores of our poker heroes. Then was the Main Event, which drew a staggering field of 8773 players, generated a prizepool of $82,512,162 and ensured winner Jamie Gold a first prize of $12,000,000. In the days before the November Nine, Steve and I watched from the bleachers as Gold frustrated opponent after opponent to conquer a field that, in terms of raw numbers, is unlikely to be surpassed. They were the heady days of poker, with

money flowing through the industry like a mountain stream, but the writing was already on the wall. The introduction of the UIGEA, which outlawed US financial institutions processing transactions in and out of the online poker accounts of US-based players, pulled the plug on the party. Literally, in the case of Party Poker, which quietly consigned the Monster promotion (for those who’ve never heard of it, Monster was a series of freerolls leading to a multi-million dollar live final in Rio) to history before departing the US market. That trip stands among many of the great memories I’ll take away as I prepare to step away from my day-to-day involvement in the Australian poker industry. The past seven years have provided an amazing learning experience as we watched poker become part of everyday life for thousands of Australians. In 2005, Crown owned the casino poker landscape with its Melbourne, Victorian and Aussie Millions Poker Championships. Today, poker rooms operate in most of the major Australian casinos, with each operating multiple tournament series throughout the year.

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State of Poker Australasia and Pacific: www.pokernetwork.com

Australasia and Pacific: www.pokernetwork.com

WIN A CUSTOM-MADE POKER TABLE &

ANZPT SET FOR THRILLING FINALE IN

Australasia and Pacific: www.pokernetwork.com

A TRIP TO MACAU!

QUEENSLAND MAY/JUNE 2010

MAY/JUNE 2011 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

DUHAMEL TO MIZRACHI

he 2010 n Event

NOVEMBER

BIG GAME BONANZA

November/December 2008 • Issue 16 AU$6.95 NZ$7.95 inc. GST

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INSIDE: 09

58 / 0124

INSIDE>>

• ANZPT: Cohen summits in Queenstown Selbst • Huck Seed, Shaun Deeb & Vanessa • Everyone Loves Raymond’s Brad Garrett

NO MORE WORDS! We review the 2010 Poker State

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• Grant Levy & Eric Assadourian: hunters becomes the hunted • Huge Big Game Poker Champs & APPT GF preview inside

Australasia’s #1 Poker Publication

THE GREATEST?

• Martin Martinez: Life after the APL

Now a triple bracelet winner, is Jeff Lisandro our best ever?

Zero to HERO

Issue # 13 US$6.75 AU$7.95 NZ$9.95 HK$55 13

9 771822 952006

Latest news & results from the ’09 WSOP

Online riches: set your alarm for the Sunday Majors

• Jeff Fenech still knocking ‘em out • Full Tilt kingpin Howard Lederer

PLUS:>>> • Nali nails PNC title • Nelson’s latest book • Aussie Millions latest

HK$55

We survey Sin City for our huge 2011 WSOP preview

INSIDE:

THE

The Thrill of Poker

AUSTRALASIA

VEGAS BABY!

The Thrill of Poker

PLUS:

A complete wrap-up from the Rio & how the Aussies fared in Vegas

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July/August 2009 • Issue 20 AU$6.95 NZ$7.95 inc. GST 20

Grant Levy breaks ANZPT duck in style & announces new sponsor to celebrate

JOE HACHEM PIPPED AT THE POST IN ‘THE

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PLUS:

• APPT season 3 announced • Melbourne Champs wrap-up • Race starts for Player of the Year

INSIDE: WSOP 2010

PLUS: Tony Hachem’s road to riches on the ANZPT

What’s in store, & have your say on TOC line-up

SIGNED, SEALED,

ElkY joins Lee Nelson for new Kill Everyone

DELIVERED

Issue # 07 US$6.75 AU$7.95 NZ$9.95 HK$55

Paul Khoury & Full Tilt’s new Aussie team

9 771822 952006

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WE PREVIEW MELBOURNE POKER CHAMPS & APPT

MACAU

BIG EVENT’

of Origin

We watched the launch of pub and club poker in amazement. From that first Australian Poker League event in late 2005, pub poker fever swept the nation with new operators popping up almost by the week. Almost unthinkably, NSW pubs and clubs were soon offering cash-entry tournaments with cash prizes while purpose-built poker rooms were opening up across Sydney. The pub industry has matured into a mainstay of Aussie poker, dominated by the respected Full House Group through its 888PL, APL and Pub Poker brands but with solid competition from a number of successful regional businesses across the country. With a solid bricks and mortar foundation, poker has shown that it is more than just a ‘fad’ that will soon disappear from the Australian entertainment landscape. We’re constantly seeing new faces emerge at the elite level of the game while pub competitions have loyal player bases that seem committed to the game long-term. It’s a credit to the ‘true believers’ in Aussie poker that they’ve been able to refine and adapt in the face of massive global upheaval such as that experienced in the wake of Black Friday and the seizure of the domains of the world’s leading online poker sites. That said, we face several challenges on a domestic front, and it’s long overdue that stakeholders in the Australian poker industry have a mechanism to work together.

It appears that we’ll soon have an industry group, which will play a crucial role in ensuring that the opportunities presented in casinos, pub and clubs, and our fledgling online industry are maximised. This group will also provide a valuable conduit for the poker industry to embrace the skills of experts outside the game – many who enjoy poker and would love to have their say on how the industry develops. The other major challenge relates to online poker. Since the Productivity Commission’s study into gambling, we’ve worked closely with the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy to ensure that the poker community is represented in discussions about the potential for legalisation of online poker in Australia. PokerMedia Australia (PMA), the sister website to this magazine, has been heavily criticised in some quarters for its stand against the sites that continue to illegally offer online poker to Australian players. PMA was even accused of running “unfounded” stories relating to this issue. In mid-2011, it was made abundantly clear to us that in the face of several complaints, Australian Federal Police would no longer tolerate our publication of advertisements for online poker sites. We made that information public in the interests of the industry, but several key stakeholders continue to deal with such sites. All I can say is that this stance is unsustainable in the long term.

As we’ve seen in Europe, the road to legislated online poker can be a rocky one. At least in the short term, it’s not an ideal outcome as taxes and liquidity take their toll on the profitability for players. The status quo is unsustainable. Scrutiny on gaming is at an all-time high at all levels of Australian government, and the millions of dollars of revenue leaving our shores each year is already under the gaze of our lawmakers. But rather than the current head-inthe-sand approach, it’s time to take a proactive stance and have direct involvement in arguably the most important issue that the Australian poker industry will ever face. Hopefully one day, I’ll be walking down Swanston Street or George Street and a water bottle branded by a fully legislated Australian poker site will bonk me on the head! While I won’t be involved with PMA or The Real Deal on a daily basis, I can assure everyone that we are committed to both the site and magazine. Our aim is to once again have the magazine available to all Australian poker players in print form, and we’re confident of achieving this goal within the next 12 months. Without singling out anyone, I’d like to thank everyone who’s helped make the past seven years the most exhilarating and rewarding of my life. I take away a lifetime of stories and anecdotes, which one day I’d like to compile in a book. For the moment, new challenges await. Bet smart and be lucky. Sean Callander

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

THEREALDEAL

News

Great gain for Great Dane – Hansen earns recall as first face of re-launched Full Tilt Poker FullTiltPoker.com has announced that international poker star and tournament legend Gus Hansen will return as brand ambassador for the site, which was scheduled to reopen for real-money poker on November 6. Hansen, a poker icon and four-time WPT champion, already boasts career tournament earnings of nearly $11.2 million and is widely considered to be one of the best all-around players in the world. As a former Full Tilt Pro, Hansen, 38, is excited to be returning to one of the world’s leading poker brands. “I’m very excited to represent the industry’s most authentic poker brand. Full Tilt Poker has the best games, most innovative

Roberts sails onto list of Poker Hall of Fame nominations for 2012 After a public nomination process on WSOP. com, and a vetting of all nominations by the Poker Hall of Fame Governing Council, the finalists list eligible for induction into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2012 has been determined. The names will be submitted to the 18 living Hall of Fame members and an 18-person media panel later this month for voting. Only these 36 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are Chris Bjorin, David Chiu, Eric Drache, Thor Hansen, George Hardie, Jennifer Harman-Traniello, John Juanda, Tom McEvoy, Scotty Nguyen and Brian “Sailor” Roberts. Roberts becomes the 10th finalist on the list, by virtue of his write-in nomination from an existing Hall of Famer in 2011 (as per the Poker Hall of Fame voting guidelines, the existing members have the ability to “write-in” a candidate they believe deserves admission, but were not submitted as a candidate by the public). The 2012 Class of the Poker Hall of Fame were to be inducted as part of the World Series of Poker Main Event final table festivities at the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

software and the strongest poker community; to me this feels like coming home,” Hansen said. In other news relating to the “new” Full Tilt, the FTOPS quarterly online poker tournament series, will return about a month after the site launches. The next series is scheduled for December 2-16. The schedule for FTOPS XXI has not yet been announced. With a month between launch and the start of the series, enough time has been reserved to run satellites for the events.

Partouche says au revoir after prizepool guarantee controversy Patrick Partouche, owner of the Partouche Poker Tour has confirmed that this year’s Main Event will be the last following a row over guaranteed prize money at this week’s Grand Final. The news follows a huge row with players over the prize pool at this week’s Partouche Poker Tour. Players had expected the prize pool to be a guaranteed €5m but a smaller than expected field meant that just €4.2m would be paid out. Partouche took to the microphone before the start of the day three of the Main Event in Cannes, France and said, “For 40 years I have dedicated my life, my name, my family, to gaming, including poker, my passion. And now I hear that what we do is not enough, is not honest.” “The Partouche Poker Tour bears my name, that of my family. I will not accept, my staff will not accept, that people can say ‘Partouche are thieves’, ‘Partouche are cheats’. As a result, this week you attended the last edition of the Partouche Poker Tour,” he said. The prizepool was eventually honoured with Ole Schemion taking the win and first prize of €1,172,850. WA’s Aaron Lim finished third for €417,499.

Open book – go behind the secrets of Hollywood’s home games Molly Bloom, organiser of high stakes Hollywood poker games involving some of America’s most famous actors and sports stars, has signed a book deal according to a report from the Associated Press. Publisher It Books said that the as-yetuntitled tome would take readers inside the poker games that Bloom ran in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Las Vegas “until it all came crashing down around her”. Bloom was one of 22 people who faced legal action for her involvement in high-stakes poker games involving fraudster Bradley Ruderman. The hedge fund manager reportedly lost millions of dollars of investors’ cash in the twice-weekly games held at luxury Beverly Hills hotels. Ruderman is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for running an alleged Ponzi scheme that lost investors $25 million. A group of those investors tried to recoup the money scammed in the Ponzi scheme that was then used in the high stakes Hollywood poker games, a figure estimated at over $5m. A group of 22 players, including actors Tobey Maguire and Nick Cassavettes and High Stakes Poker commentator Gabe Kaplan, subsequently settled out of court for a total of $1.75 million.

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

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THEREALDEAL

News

Historic Wembley Stadium event gaining momentum

Seat open – Hall of Fame welcomes two new members Eric Drache and Brian “Sailor” Roberts are the 43rd and 44th individuals to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. The two were nominated by the public and voted in by a 36-person panel made up of existing Poker Hall of Famers and members of the media. Roberts, who passed away in 1995, was part of poker’s old guard of Texas Road Gamblers along with fellow Hall of Famers Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim. Drache has contributed in a variety of ways to the game of poker over the past 30 years – including originally coming up with the idea to create the Poker Hall of Fame. But his legacy likely will be the creation of “satellite” events – a series of smaller buy-in events that instead of awarding money, award seats into larger buy-in events. “I’m not only surprised and honoured to have been selected, I’m also a bit embarrassed considering the other nominees,” the humble Drache said. “When Jack Binion and myself worked on creating the Hall of Fame, I never considered myself a potential candidate. I’m particularly happy for the family of Sailor Roberts. Sailor by everyone’s account, including my own personal observations, was a great player and played many games very well.” Current Hall of Famer Crandell Addington on behalf of Sailor Roberts: “In a time 50 years ago when poker players relied on luck, Sailor was developing sophisticated strategies that would enable him to make his own luck,” Addington said. “At a time in which professional poker players were viewed as outlaws and poker was illegal, he formed a partnership with Doyle and Slim and they travelled across the country from poker game to poker game. They deployed advanced strategies unknown at the time that featured playing their opponents hands on many occasions rather than

their own hands. More often than not, they got the money.” An accomplished Seven-Card Stud player, Drache made five WSOP final tables over the course of his career, finishing in the top three every time. In addition to a poker playing career spanning more than three decades, Drache also left his mark on the WSOP by serving as the event’s tournament director from 1973-1988. During that time, Drache came up with the concept of satellite events, forever changing the tournament poker landscape. In his role as the card room manager of casinos like Silverbird, Mirage, and the Golden Nugget, he also helped to build up the Las Vegas poker scene. Most recently, Drache had a hand in the television poker boom, serving as a consultant on numerous poker productions. To anyone who knew him, Brian “Sailor” Roberts was truly one of the ‘good guys’ of the game. Along with his poker skill, Roberts’ wit, charm and reputable integrity served him well in cementing his place as one of poker’s legends. A gambler at his very core, the 1975 WSOP Main Event champion grew up in the small town of San Angelo, TX where at age 12 he made his first winnings shooting dice while working as a caddie. After serving in the Navy during the Korean War, Roberts returned home to Texas, where he met Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim. The three travelled throughout the south and Midwest in search of poker games and became known as the famous “Texas Rounders,” whose exploits have been romanticized over the years in both film and literature. A pillar of poker’s old guard, Roberts was beloved by his fellow gamblers. The two-time WSOP champion also finished eighth in the 1982 WSOP Main Event won by fellow Hall of Famer Jack “Treetop” Strauss. Roberts passed away in 1995.

After months of uncertainty and refinement, it appears the highly speculative International Stadiums Poker Tour (ISPT) will go ahead next year. The event, ambitiously proposed to be played at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London, has been given the green light by the Brent Council under a Temporary Use Notice. The massive Wembley event is scheduled to take place from May 31 when organisers hope up to 30,000 players will compete using their own laptops. The final 3000 will then take to the Wembley turf to battle it out for a prize pool estimated to reach €20m. The initial buy-in is €600 but organisers are also offering a €1200 option with a rebuy or add on and a €6000 option for players wanting to buy directly into the live element of the contest. Several players have also signed on as ISPT ambassadors including Sam Trickett, Liz Lieu, David Benyamine and Michael Mizrachi.

www.ispt.com

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EXPERIENCE SYDNEY ’S PREMIER CASINO & ENTERTAINMENT DE STINATION EXPERIENCE SYDNEY ’S PREMIER CASINO & ENTERTAINMENT DE STINATION

TOURNAMENT

SCHEDULE DATE DATE

TIME TIME

EVENT TOURNAMENT* EVENT TOURNAMENT*

Wed 28 NovTIME 6.15pm EVENT 1 Opening Event NLH Day 1 Flight 1 DATE TOURNAMENT* Wed 28 Nov 6.15pm 1 Opening Event NLH Day 1 Flight 1 DATE Thu 29 NovTIME 6.15pm EVENT TOURNAMENT* Opening Event NLH Day 1 Flight 2 (Repechage) Thu 29 Nov 6.15pm Fri 30 Nov 12.30pm Fri 30 Nov 12.30pm 10.00pm 10.00pm Sat 1 Dec 12.30pm Sat 1 Dec 12.30pm Sun 2 Dec 12.30pm Sun 2 Dec 12.30pm 4.00pm 4.00pm 6.30pm 6.30pm Mon 3 Dec 12.30pm Mon 3 Dec 12.30pm 4.00pm 4.00pm 6.30pm 6.30pm Tue 4 Dec 12.30pm Tue 4 Dec 12.30pm 4.00pm 4.00pm 6.30pm 6.30pm Wed 5 Dec 12.30pm Wed 5 Dec 12.30pm 6.30pm 6.30pm Thu 6 Dec 12.30pm Thu 6 Dec 12.30pm 4.00pm 4.00pm 6.15pm 6.15pm Fri 7 Dec 12.30pm Fri 7 Dec 12.30pm Sat 8 Dec 12.30pm Sat 8 Dec 12.30pm 4.00pm 4.00pm Sun 9 Dec 12.30pm Sun 9 Dec 12.30pm 2.00pm 2.00pm 4.00pm 4.00pm

2 2 3 3

4 4

5 5 6 6 7 7

8 8

9 9 10 10

Opening Event NLH Day 1 Flight 2 (Repechage) Opening Event NLH Day 1 Flight 3 (Repechage) Opening Event NLH Day 1 Flight 3 (Repechage) Late Night Poker NLH Late Night Poker NLH Opening Event NLH Day 2 Opening Event NLH Day 2 Poker Media Australia $1K Special NLH Poker Media Australia $1K Special NLH Opening Event NLH Final Table Opening Event NLH Final Table Summer Series NLH Mega Satellite Summer Series NLH Mega Satellite Semi Shootout NLH Semi Shootout NLH Poker Media Australia $1K Special Final Table (if required) Poker Media Australia $1K Special Final Table (if required) Summer Series NLH Mega Satellite Summer Series NLH Mega Satellite Pot Limit Omaha Pot Limit Omaha Semi Shootout NLH Final Table Semi Shootout NLH Final Table Teams NLH Teams NLH 6-Handed NLH 6-Handed NLH Summer Series NLH Mega Satellite Summer Series NLH Mega Satellite Summer Series Last Chance NLH Mega Satellite Summer Series Last Chance NLH Mega Satellite 6-Handed NLH Final Table 6-Handed NLH Final Table Summer Series Main Event Day 1 Flight 1 Summer Series Main Event Day 1 Flight 1 Summer Series Main Event Day 1 Flight 2 Summer Series Main Event Day 1 Flight 2 Summer Series Main Event NLH Day 2 Summer Series Main Event NLH Day 2 High Rollers NLH Satellite High Rollers NLH Satellite Turbo NLH Turbo NLH Summer Series Main Event NLH Day 3/Final Table Summer Series Main Event NLH Day 3/Final Table High Rollers NLH High Rollers NLH

COST^ COST^ + ENTRY FEE) (BUY-IN (BUY-IN + ENTRY FEE) COST^ $330 ($300/$30)

STARTING STARTING STACK STACK STARTING 10,000

STARTING STACK 10,000 10,000 STACK 10,000 10,000 10,000 8,000 8,000

40 LEVELS mins 40 LEVELS mins 40 mins 40 mins 40 mins 40 mins 25 mins 25 mins

$1,100 ($1,000/$100) $1,100 ($1,000/$100)

15,000 15,000

40 mins 40 mins

$550 ($500/$50) $550 ($500/$50) $550 ($500/$50) $550 ($500/$50)

5,000 5,000 10,000 10,000

20 mins 20 mins 30 mins 30 mins

$550 ($500/$50) $550 ($500/$50) $1,100 ($1,000/$100) $1,100 ($1,000/$100)

5,000 5,000 10,000 10,000

20 mins 20 mins 40 mins 40 mins

$440 ($400/$40) $440 ($400/$40) $660 ($600/$60) $660 ($600/$60) $550 ($500/$50) $550 ($500/$50) $550 ($500/$50) $550 ($500/$50)

10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000

25 mins 25 mins 40 mins 40 mins 20 mins 20 mins 20 mins 20 mins

$5,000 ($4,750/$250) $5,000 ($4,750/$250) $5,000 ($4,750/$250) $5,000 ($4,750/$250)

30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000

90 mins 90 mins 90 mins 90 mins

$1,100 ($1,000/$100) $1,100 ($1,000/$100) $440 ($400/$40) $440 ($400/$40)

8,000 8,000 6,000 6,000

25 mins 25 mins 20 mins 20 mins

$10,500 ($10,000/$500) $10,500 ($10,000/$500)

20,000 20,000

45 mins 45 mins

COST^ (BUY-IN + ENTRY FEE) $330 ($300/$30) $330 ($300/$30) (BUY-IN + ENTRY FEE) $330 ($300/$30) $330 ($300/$30) $330 ($300/$30) $500 ($450/$50) $500 ($450/$50)

LEVELS LEVELS

THEREALDEAL

News

Intrastate poker on the cards for Nevada in 2013

Federally legislated online poker is as far away as ever, but the home of gaming in the US has stolen a march on 49 other states by issuing licences for the first intrastate online poker industry. The Nevada Gaming Commission has issued licenses for MGM Resorts International and lesser-known companies Z4Poker LLC of Las Vegas and CAMS LLC of Los Angeles. MGM Resorts plans to put up a play-for-fun site in the coming months. This would be in addition to the myVEGAS social media site it’s using in partnership with myVEGAS developer Playstudios. Both MGM Resorts and Boyd Gaming are partnering for real-money poker with bwin.party digital entertainment plc, which may be considered for licensure in Nevada next year. If bwin is approved, MGM Resorts and Boyd could choose to go live with realmoney play. Z4Poker is developing a poker system while also working on potential bingo and keno systems that might be offered around the country should online gaming be approved in various states. CAMS has systems to manage online player accounts and verify the age, location and identity of players, while also preventing problems like money laundering and problem gambling. Nevada poker applicants approved earlier this year were Boyd, Station Casinos LLC and the founding Fertitta family’s Ultimate Gaming/Ultimate Poker brand, the Golden Nugget with casinos in Las Vegas and Laughlin, South Point Poker, Global Cash Access Holdings and Bally Technologies. Also approved were SHFL entertainment (formerly Shuffle Master), American Casino and Entertainment Properties, PokerTrip Enterprises, NetEffect Networks, International Game Technology, Monarch Interactive and WMS Industries.

NPL PLAYERS LIVE THE HIGH LIFE IN SE ASIA One of the most unique events on the Aussie poker calendar has been run and won with Michael Epsimos claiming the National Poker League (NPL) World Tour title at Resorts World Manila in the Philippines. Each year, scores of NPL players and their friends head abroad for a taste of international poker highlife at the six-star Maxims Towers Hotel while playing for 10s of thousands of dollars in a poker tournament of their own. One of the highlights of the trip was the Player Party at one of Manila’s hottest nightspots, REPUBLIQ. With drinks comped and Playboy playmates out in force, it’s safe to say the NPLWT tourists had the time of their lives! The tournament was played out over two days in the Resorts World poker room and once down to six players, a deal was struck for the three NPL500 tickets and $60,100 in cash, leaving just over $5000 on the table for the winner. That player was Michael Epsimos, who returned to Australia with a first prize of $14,787 plus an NPL500 ticket. Jim Lim placed second for $10,000 and an NPL500 ticket, while Sarah Singleton snared the other ticket to the NPL’s premier event to go with $13,000 in cash despite finishing fourth.

100k Super Series lifts the bar for pub and club poker One of the biggest tournament series played outside an Australian casino, the $100,000 Newcastle Super Series at Wests Mayfield and Wests New Lambton attracted hundreds of players from across NSW. The big winners came from opposite ends of the poker spectrum – local retiree John Campbell, who won the NSW State Champs title and 24-year-old Cameron ‘Ewok’ Shepherd, who claimed his second TeamWSOP seat after winning the NSW Pro Open for October. Campbell told PMA’s Chris Murphy that the heads-up battle with Cathy Monaghan didn’t last long, “but there were a few memorable hands – Cathy shoved all-in, I called, she showed K-10 and my pocket threes made a set on the flop but she hit the next two cards to make a straight. On the final hand, my A-Q found a Q on the flop.” Meanwhile, Shepherd will be returning to Las Vegas in 2013 as part of TeamWSOP and, as he told Murphy, he’ll be hoping the experience last a little longer than his previous journey. “I only lasted until the final hand before the dinner break on day one. It was a great experience though; I am keen to make more of it this time around though as I’ll be much more prepared. I hope to win it, of course, but I’ll be happy knowing I played the best I could – a nice payday would be good as well!” he said.

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CHEQUE-MATE PokerStars acquires Full Tilt Poker and settles civil case with US Government

Following the saga of events since Black Friday has been like keeping track of the storylines on Days of Our Lives – just when it seems there has been a resolution, the story takes a turn. As hard as it would have been to believe on April 14, 2011 – the day before Black Friday – PokerStars now owns Full Tilt Poker. And Australian players have had access to the funds in their frozen Full Tilt accounts since November 6.

okerStars, the world’s biggest online poker company, has agreed to pay USD $731 million to settle the U.S. government’s civil charges that the company used fraudulent methods to process payments and evade U.S. restrictions on Internet gambling. Under the agreement, PokerStars has also purchased Full Tilt Poker, which collapsed following the U.S. government’s move in April 2011 to shut down the U.S. operations of the major online poker operators. The deal calls for PokerStars to forfeit USD $547 million to the U.S. government and make USD $184 million available to reimburse non-U.S. customers of Full Tilt within 90 days who had money on deposit at the company. The deal has ended the saga of Full Tilt Poker, a company built by Ray Bitar with the help of high profile poker players including Chris “Jesus” Ferguson and Howard Lederer. But while the civil matters have been settled, Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney

in Manhattan, fully intends to press forward with criminal charges against Isai Scheinberg, the founder of PokerStars, who has been indicted by Bharara for operating an illegal gambling business. Bitar, who recently returned to the U.S. from Ireland to face the criminal charges Bharara has filed against him, pleaded not guilty and is currently on bail. Scheinberg is believed to be in the Isle of Man. U.S. players who had money on deposit at Full Tilt when the company collapsed will be able to apply to the Department of Justice to get reimbursed out of the proceeds from the forfeiture. Meanwhile PokerStars carried through with their commitment to have Full Tilt relaunched in the first week of November and that USD $184 million of player balances, including those of Australian players, were made immediately available. Australian players were able to log in to their Full Tilt accounts and immediately have

full access to their balances when the site relaunches. For US players, they will have to wait until the completion of a procurement process as the DOJ is conducting a search for a payment processor to handle the return of USD $159 million (less fees). Applications for prospective firms were due August 31. In terms of Black Friday indictments, the sale of Full Tilt marks the beginning of the end. Well before April 15, 2011, federal agents had worked to cut off companies like Full Tilt from the financial system. By 2010 Full Tilt started to credit customer accounts even though the company could no longer withdraw money from their bank accounts. This window was shut when Bharara shut down Full Tilt’s U.S. operations last year, exposing a large financial shortfall that Bharara claims was exacerbated by the large payments the company continued to make to its owners even after Full Tilt could no longer access the financial system.

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News

While federal prosecutors in Manhattan have taken the position that Full Tilt was well on its way to financial disaster prior to the April 2011 crackdown on online poker, it was clearly important for Bharara to deal with the perception that U.S. citizens had been overwhelmingly left in the lurch because of his intervention in the online poker industry. But in order to pull off a sale of Full Tilt’s assets, Bharara needed to make a deal with PokerStars, a company whose founder is under indictment. Still, the balance sheet for Bharara looks pretty good given the large obstacles he faced when he first launched his online poker crackdown: the U.S. online poker industry has been decimated, six of the 11 individuals indicted have pleaded guilty; Full Tilt CEO Bitar is being monitored in California, and the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan has secured lots of money. In addition, Scheinberg has agreed to not serve in any managerial or director role at PokerStars while the criminal case against him remains ongoing. “We are pleased to announce these settlements by Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars, which allow us to quickly get significant compensation into the victim players’ hands,” Bharara said in a statement. But Scheinberg had some good reasons to ink this deal. While giving up USD $731 million will hurt, PokerStars can now continue to dominate the international online poker market without the complexity

of dealing with a massive civil forfeiture complaint filed against it by the U.S. government. PokerStars will not have to worry about competition from its longtime rival, Full Tilt, and its standing in the online poker community, which was already strong given that it paid all of its customers back and continued operating outside the U.S. after April 2011, will only be helped because it will be seen as coming to the financial rescue of the online poker community. And in a statement, PokerStars says that under its agreement with the Department of Justice, the company will not admit to any wrongdoing. PokerStars also said “the agreement explicitly permits PokerStars to apply to relevant U.S. gaming authorities, under both PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker brands, to offer real money online poker when State or Federal governments introduce a framework to regulate such activity.” “We are delighted we have been able to put this matter behind us, and also secured our ability to operate in the USA whenever the regulations allow,” Mark Scheinberg, son of Isai Scheinberg and new chairman of PokerStars, said. But with the Republican Party already declaring that a continued ban of online poker will form part of their platform heading into the 2012 Presidential elections (and the Democrats making no mention of online poker during their convention), the likelihood of federally legislated online poker in the US seems as far away as ever.

While giving up USD $731 million will hurt, PokerStars can now continue to dominate the international online poker market without the complexity of dealing with a massive civil forfeiture complaint filed against it by the U.S. government.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

“I don’t know” – Lederer interviews fall short of expectations

In the latest sorry chapter of the demise of Full Tilt Poker, major shareholder and board member Howard Lederer took the bizarre decision to sit for a series of interviews with several high profile poker media outlet. Not surprisingly, the first was with former Full Tilt affiliate PokerNews with chief operating officer Matthew Parvis handed the poisoned chalice in the shape of a microphone. And not surprisingly, Lederer served up a mish-mash of “I don’t knows” – since immortalised on YouTube – “I don’t recalls”, “we weren’t business experts” and deflection of blame, much of it in the direction of former CEO Ray Bitar with plenty also served at Phil Ivey. It was never going to be a tell-all affair. The most intriguing question was also one that was never going to be posed by Parvis – why do the interview at all? Lederer’s reputation is shattered beyond redemption in the poker world so what could be possibly gained? The wider poker world has cast a mostly negative vote on the content of the interviews and the lost opportunity to push Lederer for further clarity on some key points. Perhaps the worst omission (relevant to Australian and other Rest of World customers) was why Full Tilt continued to accept deposits while it was in the midst of trying to plug a nine-digit hole caused by the failure to clear US-originating transactions. For what it’s worth, we reckon the package would have benefited from a decent edit but credit to Parvis and PokerNews for one of the great exclusives in the history of poker media. It was obviously a great PR coup for PokerNews (rewarded with plenty of traffic), while PokerStars were assured the lion’s share of goodwill via the final chapter of the series as the saviours of Full Tilt customers awaiting access to their funds.

THEREALDEAL

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FEATURED EVENT: $2 million Macau High Stakes Challenge VENUE – StarWorld, Macau; 73 players; 12 players paid; total prizepool AUD $182,360,000, winner Stanley Choi A new chapter in poker across the Asia-Pacific region was written after Stanley Choi took out the first Macau High Stakes Challenge at StarWorld in Macau. The field of 73 players, 21 of who took advantage of the option to rebuy for the full amount of HKD $2 million, built the biggest prizepool ever offered in Australasia – a staggering HKD $182,360,000 (or AUD $22,781,600) – offering a first prize of HKD $50,149,000 (AUD $6,265,000). Some of the biggest names in poker joined regulars in the world’s biggest high stakes games for this event, including Erik Seidel, JP Kelly, Phil Ivey and Sam Trickett, who all reached the final table. Others who took to the felt included Australia’s Joe Hachem, Johnny Chan, Gus Hansen, Andrew Robl, Di Dang, Tom Hall and Chris Parker. The title was decided in dramatic fashion on Xx the first hand of the heads-up duel. Zhu Guan Fai min-raised the button to 400,000, Choi immediately declared all-in and Fai snap called. Unfortunately for Fai, his 6d 6s trailed Choi’s 10h 10c. The board fell 4s-8d-9s-4d-7d ensured Choi’s place in Asian poker history as the winner of the biggest prize ever offered on the continent.

XX Xx

he Star Macau High Stakes Challenge results ($HKD) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Stanley Choi (Pictured Above) Zhu Guan Fai Nicholas Wong Devan Tang John Juanda Lap Key Chan Sam Trickett Phil Ivey Alan Sass Philipp Gruissem Di Van Hoang Dang JP Kelly

$50,149,000 $33,737,000 $25,530,000 $17,324,000 $12,765,000 $9,574,000 $7,750,000 $6,383,000 $5,471,000 $4,559,000 $4,559,000 $4,559,000

Western Classic VENUE – Crown Perth; buy-in $2200; 101 players; 11 players paid; total prizepool $202,000; winner Dale Marsland ($61,000)

Dale Marsland completed a dream week at Crown Perth with victory in the 2012 Western Classic Main Event. Marsland, who finished third in this event two years ago, pocketed $61,000 for his win. He also ended the series with a stunning three wins after taking out the $330 No Limit Hold’em event and joining with Mile Krstanoski to claim the Teams title. Now based in Melbourne, Marsland defeated the man who led the field into yesterday’s final table, Tony Aslani. He earned $40,000 as runner-up while Steve Matthews took home $27,000 for third. In the other highlight, Kent Hunter emerged victorious over a line-up of 10 players in the $5000 High Stakes event.

ACOP Main Event Venue – Grand Waldo Entertainment Complex, Macau; buyin HKD $100,000; 185 players; 22 players paid; total prizepool $17,305,200; winner Xing Zhou HKD $3,547,500 Appropriately, it came down to a battle of two Asian players for the first Asia Championship of Poker Main Event title with China’s Xing Zhou “sharing” first prize of just over AUD $440,000. In one of the stranger ends to a major tournament, Zhou elected to share the combined first and second prizemoney with Hong Kong’s Andy Chan at a point where he held a 3:2 chip lead. The two players then went all-in blind every hand until the title was decided. Australia’s hopes of victory ended with Michael Kanaan’s elimination in third while Andrew Hinrichsen placed seventh. Jonathan Karamalikis (pictured) took out the HKD $250,000 buy-in ACOP High Roller event. It was an Aussie one-two finish, with Karamalikis (AUD $460,000) claiming the title ahead of ACOP Warm-Up event champion Jeff Rossiter (AUD $276,000).

Follow PMA online for more comprehensive reports and results from live events around Australia and the world’s biggest tournament series

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Live Events

Deaf Poker Australia Championships

APPT/ANZPT/NZPT Queenstown Snowfest

VENUE – Treasury Casino and Hotel, Brisbane; buy-in $100; 89 players; 10 players paid; total prizepool $7565; winner Con Eglezos $2194

VENUE – SKYCITY Queenstown, NZ; buy-in NZD $3000; 149 players; 15 players paid; total prizepool NZD $402,300; winner David Allan NZD $110,600

Queensland’s Con Eglezos became the fourth Australian Deaf Poker champion, defeating the largest field ever assembled for a DPAC Main Event. DPAC 2012 also marked the debut of Team New Zealand, with eight players from Auckland making the trip across the Tasman to participate in the Main Event. On the final hand of the night Michelle Rowlands moved all in after the flop of Kh-7s-Kc with 5s-5c, but Con Eglezos snap-called and tabled JsJc. The turn and river ran out 6d, 8s and Rowlands was confirmed as runner-up ($1400) while the locals were quick to jump the rail and start the celebrations with a clearly stunned Eglezos, who took home $2194 in prize money.

VENUE – Crown Melbourne; buy-in $2200; 345 players; 11 players paid; total prizepool $690,000; winner Paul Hockin $172,500 He recently cracked the $1 million mark in online tournament winnings, and now Paul Hockin can add a second major live title to his CV after taking out the PokerStars ANZPT Melbourne Main Event title at Crown. Hockin, who won the 2012 New Zealand Poker Champs Main Event title back in August, erased a significant chip deficit when heads-up play started to defeat WA’s Ashley Warner for the title. Due to a three-way deal with third-place getter Michael Guzzardi, Warner took home more than Hockin but the Kiwi was more than happy to pack the trophy and a six-figure payout into his bag for the trip home. Also the short stack three-handed, Hockin needed more than three hours to claw his way back and add a PokerStars tour title to his NZ Champs.triumph(image: newslive04)

APPT MELBOURNE

After battling the flu all day David Allan managed to stay focused enough to win the Queenstown Snowfest title. This was Allan’s first major live tournament victory. He has however, one of the most impressive online resumes in Australia. Second place went to another Australian, Ken Demlakian who was competing in just his second major poker tournament. Ken walked away with NZD $70,400. The heads-up battle lasted for more than two hours. When it started Demlakian had a healthy chip lead but the experience of Allan started to take its toll as the heads up dragged on. Allan moved to a 3:1 chip lead before the final hand. Fellow Australians Ricky Kroesen, David Zhao, Matthew Wakeman, Ivan Zalac and David Evans also reached the final table.

National Poker Championship VENUE – Casino Canberra, ACT; buy-in $1100; 33 players; 15 players paid; total prizepool $30,000; winner Alex Lee $9075 It’s a year of celebrations at Casino Canberra with the casino celebrating 20 years since opening. This year also marks a decade since Canberra hosted the final edition of the National Poker Championships. But the return of this event to Canberra for the first time in 10 years was a disappointing affair with just 33 players making the trip to the ACT. And to make matters worse, the advertised payout structure had to be honoured meaning 15 of the 33 players shared the prizepool. Eventually outpointed Joe Caruso heads - up to claim a title made famous in the late 1990s and early 2000s by Aussie Poker Hall of Famers including Jeff Lisandro (1996), Billy Argyros (1997), Lee Nelson (2000) and Gary Benson (2001).

VENUE – Crown Melbourne; buy-in $5000; 257 players; 28 players paid; total prizepool $1,207,900; winner Sam Razavi $326,125 Several prominent local players had their eyes firmly set on the APPT Melbourne title when play kicked off at the final table, but it was the UK’s Sam Razavi who was the toast of Crown after picking up the win. Razavi had a taste of the big-time at Crown Melbourne last year when he finished sixth in the Aussie Millions Main Event for more than $225,000. Razavi defeated Newcastle’s Keith Walker heads-up after just two hands. Walker committed the last of his chips with pocket jacks and led to the flop against the Ks-10s of Razavi. Two spades on the flop and a third on the turn made Razavi’s flush. Final table chip leader Tom Grigg was third while the man who led the field into days two and three, Englishman Wayne Bentley, was fourth.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

THEREALDEAL

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Baux bags second O MAIN EVENT title

After four long days of play in the poker room at Crown Melbourne, Olivier Baux captured the 888PL/APL MAIN EVENT II title, hosted by Full House Group, and the first prize package of more than $100,000. Seat 1: Seat 2: Seat 3: Seat 4: Seat 5: Seat 6: Seat 7: Seat 8: Seat 9: Seat 10:

Con Diakovasilis (NSW) Rebecca Catterwell (SA) Olivier Baux (NSW) Craig Ivey (SA) Aaron Purdue (NSW) John Mouawad (NSW) Adi Dahari (NSW) Dave Brownlee (VIC) John Saratsopoulos (NSW) Marianne Crane (NSW)

1,250,000 960,000 2,025,000 2,000,000 1,010,000 1,245,000 900,000 1,310,000 1,700,000 1,100,000

ivier Baux was the last man standing after the second edition of the MAIN EVENT attracted a field of 461 players from across the nation, generating a prizepool of $461,000. The 32-year-old French-born Sydneysider, who has been playing poker for only four years, took just 10 hands of heads-up play to defeat fellow NSW player John Mouawad. The final hand started with a raise to 750,000 from Mouawad with a call from Baux. The flop fell Ah-4d-8d, which both players checked. After the turn 7c, Baux announced that he was all-in with the call coming from Mouawad. He held A-Q and looked poised for a timely double-up against the 10-5 of Baux. Needing a 6 to fill a gutshot straight draw, Baux’s wishes were granted as the 6s landed on the river to ensure victory, a deserved win for the most poised and considered player at the final table. For second, John Mouawad earned $61,800 ($50,000 cash plus Aussie Millions Main Event and Feb/March Main Event entry valued at $11,800). Baux, who enjoys playing a mix of pub and casino poker, started the final table as a narrow leader with the chips spread very evenly among the 10 contenders. Even with blinds rolled back to 50,000/100,000 with an ante of 10,000, it was anyone’s title. After Marion Fisher’s runner-up finish in the first MAIN EVENT, hopes were high that one of the two female players at the final table would go one better this time around. Unfortunately, Bec Catterwell and Marianne Crane were the first two players eliminated. Day two chip leader Con Diakovasilis bowed out in eighth position with Adi Dahari following in seventh. Baux then captured two pots after which he had captured half the chip in play, and was never headed. In the first, Baux filled the big blind, Craig Ivey raised to 200,000 and Baux called. The flop came 8c-6c-Jd, which both players checked, before the turn showed 10s. Baux bet 260,000 and Ivey called. The river fell 9h – Baux bet 370,000 and Ivey called after some deliberation. Baux showed K-Q for the nuts, while Ivey’s Q-10 had also filled a straight. Then on hand 38, Baux raised to 300,000, John Saratsopoulos called and they saw a flop of Qs-2h-8h. Saratsopoulos bet 680,000, Baux made it 1.55 million total, Saratsopoulos declared allin and Baux called. Saratsopoulos showed just 3c-4c while Baux turned over Ah-Qh. The turn 6s and river 2c sent Baux a pot worth 6.8 million while Saratsopoulos is down to 1.975 million. WWW.POKERMEDIA.COM.AU

Pub Poker

From there, it was pretty much one-way traffic. The smaller stacks shuffled the chip back and forth before Purdue fell in sixth followed by Ivey, the final South Australian player in the field of the eight who made the money. Ballarat’s Dave Brownlee was the highest placed Victorian in fourth, while Saratsopoulos managed to nurse his short stack all the way to third. Other results of note included Zac Durkin in 26th (the first Tasmanian player to cash in either MAIN EVENT), Paul Sayers in 32nd (the only player to cash in both MAIN EVENT tournaments played so far) and South Australia’s McDonald brothers (Ben and Russ placed 20th and 21st respectively).

MAIN EVENT II final table results 1 Olivier Baux (NSW) $101,800 ($85,000 cash plus Bracelet, Aussie Millions Main Event and Feb/March Main Event Entry valued at $16,800) 2 John Mouawad (NSW) $61,800 ($50,000 cash plus Aussie Millions Main Event and Feb/March Main Event entry valued at $11,800) 3 John Saratsopoulos (NSW) $46,800 ($35,000 cash plus Aussie Millions Main Event and Feb/March Main Event entry valued at $11,800) 4 Dave Brownlee (VIC) $36,800 ($25,000 plus Aussie Millions Main Event and Feb/ March Main Event entry valued at $11,800) 5 Craig Ivey (SA) $31,800 ($20,000 plus Aussie Millions Main Event and Feb/March Main Event entry valued at $11,800) 6 Aaron Purdue (NSW) $21,200 ($20,000 cash plus Feb/March Main Event entry valued at $1200) 7 Adi Dahari (NSW) $14,200 ($13,000 cash plus Feb/March Main Event entry valued at $1200) 8 Con Diakovasilis (NSW) $14,200 ($13,000 cash plus Feb/March Main Event entry valued at $1200) 9 Marianne Crane (NSW) $11,200 ($10,000 cash plus Feb/March Main Event entry valued at $1200) 10 Rebecca Catterwell (SA) $11,200 ($10,000 cash plus Feb/March Main Event entry valued at $1200)

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

Victor victorious as NPL50 gets ‘Star’ power It took two long days and 31 levels before Victor Teng was crowned NPL500 III champion, outlasting a stacked field featuring several well known poker pros and scores of National Poker League qualifiers. Teng, a qualifier from Marrickville, lingered around the top stacks for much of the event but had to overcome a rollercoaster ride at the final table. At one stage Victor Teng was down to just 200,000 in chips seven-handed and he faced a 4:1 chip deficit in heads-up play against 2011 Sydney Champs Main Event winner Errolyn Strang but gradually clawed his way back and after taking the chip lead in a big pre-flop confrontation holding A-K against J-9 he finished the job soon afterwards. Teng becomes the third NPL500 champion and will be listed as the winner of a prize package valued at $200,000 including $102,000 in cash, an Audi A4 2.0L TFSI S-Line and a $3000 NPLWT Manila ticket for his efforts. It’s believed a deal was cut when play reached five-handed. Early on Saturday morning, the field took their seats alongside some of Australasian poker’s biggest names including Brendon Rubie, Bryan Huang, Grant Levy, Daniel Neilson, Aaron Benton, Jesse McKenzie and Dave Allan but the vast majority were simply NPL regulars who had won their way through to what for many was the biggest tournament they had ever played. Sadly, for most the dream came to an early end with just 54 making it through to day two with Cameron Russell a narrow chip leader over Ashleigh Quach while Teng lay poised just outside the top 10. The final table started with Queenslander Sarah Singleton holding a narrow lead over a tight pack with Lau rence Hall and Saul Kari close behind. Seat 1: Errolyn Strang Seat 2: Julius Tupua Seat 3: Laurence Hall Seat 4: Joshua Kelty Seat 5: Terry Gillespie Seat 6: Zion Chan Seat 7: Ray Ruiz Seat 8: Sarah Singleton Seat 9: Saul Kari Seat 10: Victor Teng

500,000 160,000 720,000 500,000 260,000 230,000 390,000 800,000 700,000 480,000

Kari before Singleton departed after losing two pivotal hands, the first with A-K against Chan’s Q-5 which improved to a full house! After Hall and Chan were sent to the rail, the five remaining players had a long discussion before deciding on a deal, soon after which Kari was KOed in fifth. Strang continued her strong run in claiming the scalps of Kelty and Tupua to lead Teng almost 2:1 when the heads-up battle started. After stretching her lead to almost 4:1, Strang was left short after she open-shipped J-9 and ran into Teng’s A-K, then shoved in the rest of her chips with 7-9 on a J-4-6 flop. Teng called holding 8-6 and after a nervous sweat as the 2 and 8 were dealt he yelled in triumph as his friends rushed to embrace him.

NPL500III final table results 1 Victor Teng $102,000 + $95,000 Audi A4 2.0L TFSI S-Line + $3000 NPLWT Manila ticket (pictured) 2 Errolyn Strang $77,000 + $3000 NPLWT Manila ticket 3 Julius Tupua $47,000 + $3000 NPLWT Manila ticket 4 Joshua Kelty $27,000 + $3000 NPLWT Manila ticket 5 Saul Kari $17,000 + $3000 NPLWT Manila ticket 6 Zion Chan $14,500 + $3000 NPLWT Manila ticket 7 Laurence Hall $12,000 + $3000 NPLWT Manila ticket 8 Sarah Singleton $10,000 + $3000 NPLWT Manila ticket 9 Terry Gillespie $9500

The final table started in sensational circumstances when Strang shoved from early position and Ruiz announced call from the small blind – unaware that Strang had shoved before him. When he realised his error his head sunk into his hands as he sheepishly turned over 5-8. His cards were live against Strang’s A-K but the 7-A-K-7-3 board ended his run. Gillespie departed in ninth when his jacks started and stayed behind the pocket queens of

THEREALDEAL PMA Poker Room

TRICK AND TREAT

Halloween Havoc as Merson wins 2012 WSOP Main Event One of the longest final tables in Main Event history ended with Greg Merson crowned world champion for 2012. The 24-year-old professional poker player from Laurel, Maryland celebrated his ultimate moment of triumph following a marathon all-night session. 18

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WSOP

hat began last summer at the Rio Las Vegas with 6598 entrants, ranking as the fifth largest live poker tournament in history, concluded on Halloween morning. Indeed, for Greg Merson this was truly an experience of tricks and treats. He collected a whopping USD $8,531,853 in prize money for first place. Merson was also presented with the game’s ultimate symbol of achievement – the gold and platinum bracelet encrusted with diamonds, which was custom designed by Jason of Beverly Hills. Merson received an added bonus by virtue of his victory. He locked up the 2012 WSOP Player of the Year title, which is a points-based system that rewards the player who posts the greatest accumulation of results over the course of all 68 gold bracelet events played in calendar year 2012. Merson edged out WSOP Europe champion Phil Hellmuth by a small margin. This was Merson’s second gold bracelet victory this year. He previously won the $10,000 buy-in Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em championship, which concluded last July. Merson’s path to glory was not easy. In fact, he was put to the test as is only fitting for a competition with as much intensity as the WSOP Main Event. Following a 103-day recess after making the final table, Merson gradually increased his chip count to the point where he had seized the chip lead away from early favourite – friend and rival Jesse Sylvia. By the end of the first of two final table sessions, which concluded late on Monday night, Merson had the chip lead when play was reduced to the final three. But if Merson or anyone else thought the end was near or victory would be easy, they would be in for a long wait. The final trio of 20somethings consisting of Merson, Sylvia, and Jake Balsiger became deadlocked in the ultimate test of mental and physical endurance – played out before a worldwide viewing audience following the poker action on ESPN and partner networks. The three finalists battled all night long, leaving even the most battle-tested observers weary and blurry-eyed. After each of the three traded off the chip lead more than a few times, Merson re-emerged as the dominant force throughout the 12hour final session.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

Once Balsiger was eliminated in third place, Merson enjoyed the advantage over his final opponent and finally closed out the victory on a hand that came unexpectedly just as the sun was rising over the Las Vegas valley. The final hand took place when Merson had about a 3:1 chip lead. He was dealt K-5 off-suit versus Sylvia’s Q-J off-suit. Neither player made a pair, which meant Merson’s king-high played as the winning hand. Merson, Sylvia and Balsiger all carried plenty of chips into the final session although, based on his cool and confident display on the opening day of the final table, Merson was the popular pick He might not look too happy here, to go all the way. After the usual fanfare but Jesse Sylvia’s disappointment that has greeted the start of with his runner-up finish was play at the final table since the November Nine concept eased with a $5.2 million payout. was introduced in 2009, it took less than four orbits for Steve Gee to hit the rail in ninth for $754,798. 2012 WSOP Event 61: $10,000 No-Limit Robert Salaburu was KOed in eighth Hold’em World Championship (6598 after calling off his chips with pocket sevens players; 666 players paid; total prizepool in the big blind against the shove of Jesse USD $62,031,385) final table payouts Sylvia with Qc-5c. Sylvia found a Q on the river to eliminate Salaburu, who took home 1 Greg Merson (USA) $8,531,853 $971,360. Merson claimed the next victim after 2 Jesse Sylvia (USA) $5,295,149 his A-K held against the A-J of Michael 3 Jacob Balsiger (USA) $3,799,073 Espisito, who earned $1,258,040 for his 4 Russell Thomas (USA) $2,851,537 troubles. The only non-American at the 5 Jeremy Ausmus (USA) $2,155,313 final table, Hungary’s Andras Koroknai was 6 Andras Koroknai (Hungary) $1,640,902 sensationally eliminated in sixth after he sixbet his stack with Kh-Qd only for Merson to 7 Michael Esposito (USA) $1,258,040 reveal A-K once again. 8 Robert Salaburu (USA) $971,360 Jeremy Ausmus was the confident short 9 Steven Gee (USA) $754,798 stack when play began, and he managed to steer his way to fifth for $2,155,313. He moved all-in on the turn of 3s-8s-9c-3d holding 10s7d and needing help against the Ac-9h of Sylvia, which didn’t eventuate. Russell Thomas committed his chips with Ah-9d with another Big Slick, this time held by Jake Balsiger, holding firm. Thomas earned $2,851,537 for fourth.

THEREALDEAL PMA Poker Room

GREG’S GLORY A few words with the new champ

On his feelings upon taking the stage during the start of the second final table session when play was at three-handed: “When I first got onto the stage (tonight) I wasn’t comfortable, but then I just settled in and started making the right adjustments. I just thought I had to keep to grinding it out, you know? People either play too tight or too loose short-handed, but for the most part, this three-handed match was pretty solid. I mean, Jake (Balsiger) struggled in certain spots, perhaps from lack of experience. But Jesse (Sylvia) played really well. I couldn’t really do much because Jake was having problems in certain spots, and I was out of position with Jesse (to my left) so I couldn’t really do anything. That made me have to go in limping, and so, from there, I just started grinding away. I picked my spots and ran good when I needed to. I built up a stack on a key hand where I had K-K to A-K. I was winning a bunch of pots before that. You just can’t give up.” On the swings he endured at the final table, being third at one point when play was at three-handed, but other times having a big chip lead – in addition to his views on Jake Balsiger’s play: Yeah, there was a lot of grinding. I think you saw that in Jesse’s play, as well. I’m not saying that Jake played bad. I told him over the whole experience that not being a professional poker player and a college student with no real experience, I thought he handled himself so well on this type of stage. But there were spots where his hand reading was off. He probably made some calls he wished he didn’t, where I don’t think Jesse and I would have necessarily done that. He came in low in chips and still got third, so I mean he has to be stoked.” On the fatigue factor at the final table: You can’t let fatigue get in the way. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I have pushed myself through tons of hours of poker in the past. Obviously, you have to get through it somehow and don’t do anything dumb because odds are – you’re never going to have an opportunity like this again. On his strategy for heads-up play once it came down to himself and Jesse Sylvia: The first few hands, I knew I was going to play really tight and passive. And then I was going to start blasting at him. Then, if I got a 2 to 1 chip lead, I was going to take a shot at winning the tournament … when I saw his hand at the end I couldn’t believe I had the best hand.

On the emotional reaction to his victory: I cried after I won my first gold bracelet. But this is even more incredible because my whole family is here, my friends … it’s just amazing. I never had a dream during the entire layoff that I won. I did have one dream where I came in eighth place. It was like four days before the tournament came back. On being coached by other players and how that might have been a game changer: I got some good coaching. It really was helpful when we were three-handed. I don’t think I needed it so much when we were four, five, or six handed. On overcoming some personal demons of the past and being outspoken on the subject of drug and alcohol addiction and recovery: That’s where a lot of emotion comes from. I could possibly not even be alive right now – and that’s no exaggeration. I did not bring that story out to the public to get pity. I just felt comfortable releasing that information and trying to help other people. Anything I can do to help the community with this problem, because we live such a crazy lifestyle, it’s easy to get caught up in that stuff. So, this is something I look forward to – to helping more people with whatever I can do. I never want to do any of that again, ever. And now coming out in public about it makes me even have to act more responsibly. I mean, if I did something it would have to be in hiding and it’s going to be pretty hard to hide anything now. I feel very good about my recovery.

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WSOP

Bring on WSOP APAC – dates to be announced in December The wait is almost over for players in the throughout Australasia with news that the WSOP APAC schedule will be announced in December. Vice President, Corporate Communications, for Caesars Entertainment Seth Palansky told PokerMedia Australia that the line-up of events should be confirmed before Christmas. “It’s looking like at some point in December before we have the bracelet events finalized. We know we’ll have five bracelet events and a robust remaining schedule of tournaments, satellites and cash action,” Palansky said. In the meantime, dates have been announced for the 44th running of the World Series of Poker will begin on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The action-packed schedule which includes gold bracelet events, satellites, cash games and daily deep stack tournaments will run for 49 consecutive days, concluding with the final nine players of the WSOP Main Event on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. The summer festival reaches its pinnacle with the globe’s longest-running poker tournament, the $10,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Main Event championship, which is again slated to run over 10 consecutive days from July 7-16, 2013. The WSOP Main Event will feature three starting flights on July 7-9. Tournament buy-ins start as low as $75 and cash games will begin on May 29 and run 24 hours a day throughout the seven-week series taking place in the Rio Convention Center. Nearly 500 poker tables will be set up across more than 100,000 square-feet of ballroom space to accommodate the thousands of players from around the world who attend poker’s annual Woodstock. The 2012 WSOP attracted 74,766 participants in a total of 61 events, generating a prize pool of more than $222 million – the largest prize pool in the WSOP’s 43year history. Participants in WSOP events hailed from 101 countries in 2012. The current slate of individual events offered during the 44th annual WSOP are being finalised, with around 60 gold bracelet events and a similar schedule as years past expected, with weekends catering to the No Limit Hold’em ‘weekend warriors’. Seniors, Ladies, Casino Employees and a Charity tournament are all being planned as well.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

After a successful debut wth a sold-out inaugural BIG ONE for ONE DROPTM that raised $10 million for charity including $5.3 million for ONE DROP, an official WSOP charity partner, and awarded the largest first place prize in poker history ($18.346 million), the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and ONE DROP have announced two new future poker events with charitable components. Founder Guy Laliberté announced that during the 45th Annual World Series of Poker in 2014, the second BIG ONE for ONE DROP will take place, with the established $1 million buy-in, a charitable contribution and a limited number of seats. With nearly two years to plan, organisers are optimistic they will be able to receive additional corporate participation and activate a comprehensive satellite program around the event. But poker players won’t have to wait until 2014 to continue making a difference with regards to the global water crisis. For the upcoming 44th Annual World Series of Poker, taking place at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in the summer of 2013, the WSOP plans to offer an official gold bracelet event with a $1111 buy-in benefitting ONE DROP. Dubbed by Laliberté as the “Little One for ONE DROP” this special event plans to offer unlimited re-entry over two starting days, giving it potential to be the biggest event in terms of entrants at the 2013 WSOP. “It’s amazing what you can achieve when you dream,” ONE DROP chairperson Guy Laliberté. “We took the concept of a $1 million poker tournament and turned it into the most successful poker initiative ever held. As a result, over 100,000 people will be positively impacted. Projects in Honduras, El Salvador and West Africa have already put to use the money we raised in the initial event. With the ‘Little One’ and the ‘BIG ONE’ on the horizon, we can continue to greatly impact the lives of those in need, while at the same time raising awareness of the impact water has on our planet.”

THEREALDEAL PMA Poker Room

13 Hellmuth raises the WSOP bar to new heights

Poker legend PHIL HELLMUTH was in top form in just about every manner possible with his electrifying victory in the World Series of Poker Europe Championship, held at Hotel Majestic Barriere in Cannes, France.

hil Hellmuth’s WSOPE Main Event win was monumental on every level – first as yet another exclamation point in the storied history of the most accomplished and revered WSOP career of any player in the world. Moreover, Hellmuth managed not only to dominate his opponents, but also entertain a worldwide viewing audience in an event that may very well have been watched by just as many people as any poker event in history. For Hellmuth, this was gold bracelet victory number 13. It came three months after his 12th win, which was in the Razz Championship in Las Vegas. That was Hellmuth’s first career non-Hold’em bracelet. The tournament concluded with Hellmuth defeating Ukrainian runner-up Sergii Baronov with a pair of aces and a better kicker The final pot of the tournament was worth €1,022,376 to the new champion. But at least two other things seemed to be on his mind. “I don’t say this often, but I am truly humbled by this. This is one of the most prestigious titles in poker and to get this one, it’s right up there with the (1989) World Championship,” Hellmuth said.

Indeed, the victory was the 13th at the WSOP by Hellmuth, the most by any player in history. He has now pulled away three gold bracelet victories ahead of his closest rivals – Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson. This marked the sixth WSOP Europe Main Event Championship and the second time the competition has been played in France. Among those who cashed were gold bracelet winners Jason Mercier, Scott Seiver, David Benyamine, Andy Frankenberger, Bertrand Grospellier, Keven Stammen, Elio Fox (last year’s WSOP Europe Main Event Champion), Eugene Katchalov, Daniel Negreanu and Justin Bonomo.

WSOP Europe event 7: €10,450 No Limit Hold’em Main Event (420 players; 48 players paid; total prizepool €4,032,000) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Phil Hellmuth (USA) €1,022,376 Sergii Baranov (Ukraine) €632,592 Stephane Albertini (France) €423,360 Joseph Cheong (USA) €292,320 Christopher Brammer (UK) €207,648 Paul Tedeschi (France) €149,184 Stephane Girault (France) €108,864 Jason Mercier (USA) €84,672

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WSOP

A SLICE OF HISTORY

couldn’t play Hold’em anymore. I was like, ‘What?’ So, the kids will be the kids. I love most of them, but there will be some haters out there. It’s kind of nice to say, ‘I’m not bad at Hold’em either.’” On what he’s doing differently than everyone else, consistently producing these kinds of results:

– Phil Hellmuth speaks about his latest triumph On where his 13th gold bracelet victory ranks among his many poker accomplishments: “It’s got to be up there. It’s got to be right up there. The Main Event in 1989 is up there at number one, of course. It has to be number two, I guess. It’s the WSOP Europe Main Event! What would I want more than this? The Poker Players Championship, I would say – which I had a massive chip lead in at one point and couldn’t get it done, but this has to be my second most valuable bracelet, I think.” On winning two of the biggest events on two continents – North America (WSOP) and Europe (WSOPE): “People like to put things in groups and categories, which I think is very cool, but I can’t really assign meaning to it. That’s the kind of thing people will look back on 20 or 30 years and say “I did that and that and that.’ Right now, I was just in such a great space. I’m so happy. I’ve been in this great state of mind. You play great and that can get you so far, maybe into the money or deep, but you need more than that to win. I made a lot of the luck I had in this tournament. I played the best I’ve played in my life. This was the best No Limit Hold’em tournament I have ever played.” On his next goals in poker: “I need to win 24 gold bracelets and the Poker Players Championship and the 25K World Poker Tour Championship. There’s still a lot of work left to do. For a while, they said I couldn’t play the mixed games. Then, I had two great years of mixed game results. And then there were rumours I

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

“In this tournament, nobody played faster than I did. I called every single big blind every day for three straight days. Everyone was afraid of me. Every time they three-bet it, I called. I didn’t care what I had. I sent them a message. Every time you three-bet I am going to call. And, so they were scared to death. It was muck, muck, muck, muck, muck. I was accumulating chips at a great rate. You can’t always play that fast. Of course, I caught some breaks. Once I had pockets aces and someone raised me all-in with pocket nines. Another hand, I had aces and Curt Kohlberg moved all-in with J-T. I still had to dodge a bullet when the flop came 8-9. But, the aces held up. That was the closest I got to being all-in. I think I had all the moves in my arsenal in this tournament.” On if he’ll still be playing A-level poker in 30 years: “I hope so. I hope that I continue to play at this level. I hope I have the reading abilities that I have now, because that’s what separates the best. That’s what gives me an edge. I have a great strategy for playing the cards, but reading allows me to take it to the next level. I know that in thirty years I’ll be cashing a lot. I hope I can still win. I know I’ll be staring the young kids down and then say (with old man’s husky voice) “all in!” On how his game is still evolving: “I’ve had all these thoughts recently about how to play, that I hadn’t had before. I was hearing it in my head … new thought, new thought, new thought. I was writing everything down. I was sending all this information to my wife. I shared some of this with (Bandon) Cantu. He listened to me, and he went on a deep run too, and won. And so, yeah – you have to evolve. If you do not, then you should just give up the game.”

2012 WSOP Europe bracelet winners (events 1-6) EVENT 1 €2700 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em (227 players; 24 players paid; total prizepool €544,800) – winner: IMED BEN MAHMOUD (France) €147,099 EVENT 2 €1100 No Limit Hold’em (626 players; 63 players paid; total prizepool €600,960) – winner: ANTONIO ESFANDIARI (USA) €126,207 (pictured) EVENT 3 €5300 Pot Limit Omaha (97 players; 12 players paid; total prizepool €475,300) – winner: ROGER HAIRABEDIAN (France) €142,590 EVENT 4 €3250 No Limit Hold’em Shootout (141 players; 20 players paid; total prizepool €406,080) – winner: GIOVANNI ROSADONI (France) €107,614 EVENT 5 €10,450 No Limit Hold’em Mixed Max (96 players; 16 players paid; total prizepool €921,600) – winner: JONATHAN AGUIAR (Portugal) €258,047 EVENT 6 €1650 Pot Limit Omaha Sixhanded (206 players; 21 players paid; total prizepool €302,820) – winner: FRANCISCO DA COSTA SANTOS (Portugal) €83,275 SPECIAL EVENT €51,000 Majestic No Limit Hold’em High Roller w/ Rebuys (60 players; eight players paid; total prizepool €2,880,000) – winner: MIKE WATSON (Canada) €1,000,000

THEREALDEAL

2012 WSOP results – events 43-44, 46-51 (prizemoney is USD)

PMA Poker Room EVENT 43:

EVENT 44:

$1500 No Limit Hold’em (2770 entries; 297 players paid; USD $3,739,500 prize pool)

$1000 No Limit Hold’em (2949 entries; 297 players paid; USD $2,654,100 prize pool)

WINNER: Henry Lu

WINNER: Rocco Palumbo

(Brooklyn, NY), first prize $654,380 FAST FACT: Runner-up Neil Channing (a veteran British pro chasing his first bracelet) twice led Lu by a margin of 9:2 during the heads-up contest; the champion had also been down to two big blinds when play was 11-handed.

(Genoa, Italy), first prize $464,464

FAST FACT: Palumbo joined a select list of WSOP bracelet winners from Italy including Jeff Lisandro (Salerno), Max Pescatori (Milan), Dario Alioto (Palermo), Dario Minieri (Rome) and Valter Farina (Genoa), who was Italy’s first WSOP bracelet winner back in 1995.

EVENT 46:

EVENT 47:

$2500 No Limit Hold’em (1607 entries; 171 players paid; USD $3,655,925 prize pool)

$1500 Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo-Eight or Better (978 entries; 117 players paid; USD $1,320,300 prize pool)

WINNER: Joey Weissman

WINNER: Steven Loube

(Boca Raton, FL), first prize $694,609

FAST FACT: Runner-up Neil Channing (a veteran British pro chasing his first bracelet) twice led Lu by a margin of 9:2 during the heads-up contest; the champion had also been down to two big blinds when play was 11-handed.

(Atlanta, GA), first prize $267,345

FAST FACT: Prior to winning this event, which marked his WSOP debut, the 34-year-old attorney’s largest “cash” came when he was awarded a $50 food voucher in a Omaha home game.

EVENT 48:

EVENT 49:

$3000 Limit Hold’em (247 entries; 27 players paid; USD $674,310 prize pool)

: $1500 No Limit Hold’em Ante Only (939 entries; 117 players paid; USD $1,267,650 prize pool)

WINNER: Kenny Hsiung

WINNER: Greg Hobson

FAST FACT: cashing at the WSOP for the first time 2006, Hsiung’s first bracelet came in his eighth in-the-money finish; runner-up Robert Hwang had Hsiung all-in at one point during their heads-up match.

FAST FACT: Well known in the world of online poker under the screen name “DUCK_U”, Hobson conquered a much larger-thanexpected field, particularly since such an event had never been offered before.

(Henderson, NV), first prize $165,205

EVENT 50:

EVENT 51:

$5000 No Limit Hold’em (1001 entries; 117 players paid; USD $4,704,700 prize pool)

$1000 No Limit Hold’em Ladies Championship (936 entries; 117 players paid; USD $842,400 prize pool)

WINNER: Peter Vilandos

WINNER: Yen Dang

(Houston, TX), first prize $952,694

FAST FACT: Vilandos, a 72-year-old retiree, has been playing in WSOP events for 20 years; he previously won gold bracelets in 1995 (Pot Limit Omaha), and 2009 (No Limit Hold’em); this was his 21st WSOP cash.

(Anchorage, AK), first prize $256,691

(Denver, CO), first prize $170,587

FAST FACT: Dang, who has been playing poker full-time for five years, defeated a diverse line-up of 936 players, many of who journeyed to Las Vegas specifically to participate in this event; the ladies-only tournament began in 1978.

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WSOP

2012 WSOP results – events 52-54, 56-60 (prizemoney is USD) EVENT 52:

EVENT 53:

$2500 Six-handed 10-game Mixed Event (421 entries; 48 players paid; USD $957,775 prize pool)

$1500 No Limit Hold’em (3166 entries; 324 players paid; USD $4,274,100 prize pool)

WINNER: Vanessa Selbst

(Las Vegas, NV), first prize $244,259 FAST FACT: The Yale graduate and poker superstar from New York City defeated an elite line-up playing a mixed rotation of 10 games; entering this year’s WSOP, she was the last female to win an open event (2008).

WINNER: Jim Willerson (San Antonio, TX), first prize $737,248

FAST FACT: Willerson is used to competing, and winning; he was the 1994 Texas State singles champion in tennis; the field was so large and the final table play went so long that an unscheduled fourth day was added.

EVENT 54:

EVENT 56:

$1000 No Limit Hold’em (3221 entries; 324 players paid; USD $2,898,900 prize pool)

$1500 No Limit Hold’em (2798 entries; 297 players paid; USD $3,777,300 prize pool)

WINNER: Will Jaffe

WINNER: Tomas Junek

(Bridgehampton, NY), first prize $500,075 FAST FACT: A fourth day was required to decide this title with the heads-up match between New York poker pro Jaffe (accompanied by one of the rowdier rails of the series) and Brazilian Luis Campelo lasting almost four hours.

(Vysoko Myto, Czech Republic), first prize $661,022 FAST FACT: Sydneysider David Borg (a former NZ Poker Champs winner) emerged from the pack to stake a claim for Australia’s first bracelet for the series only to fall one spot short; however, Borg collected $410,517 for second.

EVENT 57:

EVENT 58:

$10,000 Six-handed No Limit Hold’em (474 entries; 48 players paid; USD $4,455,600 prize pool)

$3000 Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Split (526 entries; 54 players paid; USD $1,435,980 prize pool)

WINNER: Greg Merson

WINNER: Vlacheslav Zhukov (Stary Oskol, Russia),

(Laurel, MD), first prize $1,136,197

first prize $330,277 FAST FACT: The money up for grabs in this event was more than every WSOP Main Event held until 1999; Merson secured victory after a single hand of heads-up play against Keith Lehr; Australia’s Tony Hachem placed 10th

FAST FACT: The 23-year-old poker pro overcame a granite-tough final table line-up, which included six former gold bracelet winners – Chris Bell (third), David “ODB” Baker (fourth), Randy Ohel (fifth), and Scotty Nguyen (eighth).

EVENT 59:

EVENT 60:

$1000 No Limit Hold’em (4620 entries; 466 players paid; USD $4,158,000 prize pool)

$10,000 No Limit Deuce-to-Seven Lowball (101 entries; 14 players paid; USD $949,400 prize pool)

WINNER: Dominik Nitsche

WINNER: Nick Schulman

FAST FACT: Born in Germany but now living in the UK, Nitsche was making his first appearance in the WSOP and cashed four times – 230th, 116th, 44th and first; he was the second German champion of the 2012 WSOP.

FAST FACT: Schulman’s win marked his second victory in this event – a phenomenal accomplishment given the composition of the field; in 2009, he outlasted a then-record field of 96 players to take home his first WSOP bracelet and $279,742.

(Brighton, UK), first prize $654,797

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

(New York, NY), first prize $294,321

THEREALDEAL

MICHAEL MIZRACHI

PMA Poker Room From the many thousands of participants who have attended the World Series of Poker in the past two years, the record of Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi stands alone. Consider his WSOP accomplishments over just the past two years: • May 28, 2010 – Won his first WSOP gold bracelet in the $50,000 buy-in Poker Players Championship, for $1,559,046 • June 3, 2010 – Sixth place in the $10,000 buy-in Seven-Card Stud World Championship • June 15, 2010 – Eighth place in the $10,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em World Championship • November 9, 2010 – Fifth place in the $10,000 buy-in Main Event Championship, which paid $2,332,992

THE GRINDER’S SUMMER TO REMEMBER EVENT 45: $50,000 Poker Players Championship (108 entries; 16 players paid; USD $5,184,000 prize pool) WINNER: Michael Mizrachi (Miramar, FL), first prize $1,451,527

2626

• June 27, 2011 – Second place in the $2500 buy-in Mixed-Split Omaha/ Seven-Card Stud event • October 12, 2011 – Won his second gold bracelet in the €10,400 buy-in Split-Format event at WSOP Europe, good for €336,008 (about $420,000) • May 29, 2011 – Fifth place in the $1500 buy-in Seven-Card Stud HighLow Split event • June 15, 2012 – Fourth place in the $1500 buy-in Deuce-to-Seven Draw Lowball event • June 28, 2012 – Won his third gold bracelet in the $50,000 buy-in Poker Players Championship, for $1,451,527 • September 26, 2012 – Third place in the €1500 Pot Limit Omaha event at WSOP Europe, worth €62,749 That’s three gold bracelet victories, 10 final table appearances, a deep run into the Main Event as one of the “November Nine,” and about $5 million in prize money earned within a two-year span. And he just won one of the game’s most prestigious titles for the second time in three years. Mizrachi rose to yet another level when he triumphed in this

year’s Poker Players Championship. Now, the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy has Mizrachi’s name in duplicate. Two years following a monumental personal and professional breakthrough victory in this same event played back in 2010, Mizrachi turned everyone else’s dreams to dust. He dominated the final two sessions of the five-day marathon, holding the chip lead most of the way. “Well, to win it first back in 2010, with some people feeling that I was going through rough times, and you know, it’s an amazing thing – I mean, I can’t even explain it – to win the Poker Players Championship twice,” Mizrachi said. “It’s a dream come true. It’s another part of the books and another part of my history. And I’m hoping to make history happen and become the all-time money winner in tournament poker history. I’m still young. I’m 30-years-old. I expect to do a lot and have high expectations and goals.” His final table included a tough line-up. Mizrachi overcame former gold bracelet winners Bill Chen and Andy Bloch. He also defeated the highly respected Chris Klodnicki in heads-up play. Perhaps just as remarkable was the manner in which the victory took place – in a lightning quick five hours, well under the marathon times posted for this event over each of the past six years. Unlike previous finales, which dragged out at 12, 13, 14, and (in 2009) 16 hours, Mizrachi acted as though he had 8pm dinner reservations. “Remember, there was No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha. So, things could happen. And I was just running really, really well. It’s the best you can run at a final table. The cards went my way. I thought I played my best,” Mizrachi said. “But you know, when I was heads up against Chris, he kind of fell apart. I was just getting all the cards, you know. It’s tough to play against somebody who keeps winning every hand and is superaggressive. “I’m very appreciative of that outcome, of winning this championship, holding the Chip Reese Memorial trophy twice. It’s an amazing feeling.” WWW.POKERMEDIA.COM.AU WWW.POKERMEDIA.COM.AU

Serious knowledge for the serious player

Authored by respected poker champions Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, Lee Nelson and Tony Dunst, along with maths whiz Tysen Streib, the Raiser’s Edge shows you how to adapt to the current state of all stages of tournament play, analysing how and why the LAG and hyper -LAG styles work, and instructing on how to apply – and defend – against them.

Featuring 2011 World Series of Poker bracelet winner Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier

LLIER GROSPE NELSON STREIB DUNST

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POKER AMENT TOURN FOR TODAY’S ME GIES STRATE GRESSIVE GA AG

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SOUTHERN SPOTLIGHT All eyes on Crown for Aussie Millions, WSOP APAC

One of the most anticipated editions of the Aussie Millions Poker Championship kicks-off at Crown Melbourne on January 17. The question on everyone’s lips – will the player numbers for the 2013 Aussie Millions be impacted by WSOP APAC, which will be held at Crown Melbourne just two months later (April 4-15). Crown officials are confident that players will again be out in force for the 11th edition of one of the world’s most popular tournament series – after all, who would want to make one trip to Australia when you can make two in a matter of weeks! With thanks to Crown Melbourne, here’s a rundown of the complete Aussie Millions schedule for 2013.

The 2013 Aussie Millions will begin on Thursday, January 17 with the ever-popular Event 1: $1100 Opening Event No Limit Hold’em freeze out tournament. Due to the large field of players (more than 1000 in recent years), day one of the Opening Event is divided into three separate starting days (Flight 1 on Thursday, January 17, Flight 2 on Friday, January 18 and Flight 3 on Saturday, January 19). Players who make it through the Day 1 will reconvene on Sunday, January 20 and play down until the first 2013 Aussie Millions Championship Ring is awarded. Flights 2 and 3 of the Opening Event are both played under a Repechage format, whereby players who are eliminated from any of the Day 1 Flights are able to re-enter the event via subsequent Day 1 Flights, along with new players. The 2012 Opening Event attracted a massive 946 players, generating an AUD $946,000 prize pool and making it the largest tournament field on the schedule. Aussie young gun Brendon Rubie is the defending champion. • Event 2 is the AUD $1100 Pot Limit Omaha, which features a second chance format. Players start with half their chips up front and a second chance card, allowing them to collect the other half at any time during the first two levels regardless of their chip stack. Top US pro Dan Kelly won this event in 2012. • Event 3 is the AUD $1100 No Limit Hold’em Shootout, whereby players must win their respective tables before progressing to the next stage of the tournament. This was a new addition to the Aussie Millions Championship Schedule in 2011 and was a resounding success. Organisers expect this event to grow from the 150 entrants in 2012 and form a nice prize pool. Famed music blogger Sandeep Pulusani defeated eventual Main Event

winner Oliver Speidel for this title at the 2012 Aussie Millions. • Event 4, the AUD $1100 No Limit Hold’em/ Pot Limit Omaha, was a brand new event on the Aussie Millions schedule in 2012 and proved to be a very popular addition. WA’s Aaron Lim, who is coming off a highly successful 2012, defeated Sydney’s Ali Ghezelbash after taking a massive lead into their heads-up duel at the 2012 Aussie Millions. • Event 5, the AUD $1100 No Limit Hold’em Six Max was introduced to the schedule in 2011 and surpassed all expectations with a massive field of 372 players. In 2012 there was an even bigger field with 385 entrants. The huge surge in popularity of these shorthanded tournaments ensures that there will be even more money on offer next year. Tom Middleton from the UK is the reigning champion. • The action is always fast and furious in Event 6, the AUD $1150 No Limit Hold’em with AUD $1000 Rebuys . Oliver Speidel won his first title in this event in 2011 while Michael Pedley made it two wins in five years when he defeated Jonathan Karamalikis for this title in 2012. • The format for Event 7, the AUD $1650 No Limit Hold’em Bounty Event, is similar to that used for the Bay 101 Shooting Star. Each table is allocated a bounty player, awarding $1000 to any player who busts out the pro on their table. It is a two-day event, and will play down until there are 32 players remaining on Day 1. At the start of Day 2, there will be a redraw for seats based on chip stacks to four tables of eight players each. Each table will then become a semi-shootout, with the top two players making the final table. It was

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

THEREALDEAL PMA Poker Room a UK quinella in 2012 with Ross Parkhill dispatching Michal Polchlopek to claim the first prize of almost AUD $120,000. • Event 8 is the crowning jewel of the Aussie Millions schedule, the $10,600 No Limit Hold’em Main Event. In 2003, a total of 122 players put down the AUD $10,000 Main Event buy-in and generated a prize-pool of more than AUD $1 million for the first time ever on Australian soil. Since then, the Aussie Millions Main Event hasn’t looked back. The Main Event offers five full days of play, with Day 1 split into three flights to accommodate the ever-growing field. The structure is one of the best anywhere in the world, with 30,000 start bank, 90-minute levels on Day 1 and Day 2 and then two-hour levels from Day 3 onwards. Play begins nine-handed, then is broken down to eight-handed by the end of Day 1 and is re-drawn eight-handed at the start of Day 2. Play continues until there are 36 players remaining, at which time another redraw occurs and play becomes six-handed. • The action continues once the Main Event commences with Event 9, the AUD $1100 Teams Event on Sunday, January 27. In this event, two players share one stack of chips, with play rotating between the teammates every level. In a unique twist, the first partner plays with half the start bank and if they are eliminated from the tournament their partner sits with the remaining stack. Brit Mark Segal and Aussie Paul Ravesi won this event in 2012.

• The Aussie Millions has a number of unique events on its calendar, but none has been more prestigious over the years than Event 10, the AUD $100,000 Challenge. While more recently other events around the world have added six figure buy-in events to their schedule, the Aussie Millions has been hosting these for the past seven years. The best of the best battle it out against the richest of the rich with a buy-in AUD$100,500. Past Champions have included Sam Trickett, Dan Shak, David Steicke, Howard Lederer, Erick Lindgren and John Juanda. Dan Smith is the defending champion, having pocketed just over $1 million for his win. • Other highlights during the second half of the Aussie Millions schedule include a $2500 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, $2500 Pot Limit Omaha, $2500 H.O.R.S.E and a $5000 Eight-Game Mixed Event. The $5000 Chinese Poker event also returns after its successful introduction last year. New to the Schedule in 2013 are two different Mix Max Events. Event 12 is the AUD $1100 No Limit Hold’em Mix Max (Monday, January 28) while Event 19 is an AUD $5000 No Limit Hold’em Mix Max (Thursday, January 31). These events are becoming increasingly popular on the international circuit; they start as full ring games, redraw to six max events at a later stage and finish as a heads-up bracket. • Event 18 is the AUD $550 Australian Poker Hall of Fame No Limit Hold’em Classic. Members of the Australian Poker Hall of Fame will be out in full force for this one, with bounties on their heads and some great

prizes up for grabs. This one is sure to be great fun as the old guard mixes it up with the young guns. Roy Agresta claimed the win in this event in 2012. Also on the back half of the schedule is Event 20, AUD $2500 No Limit Hold’em Six Max tournament. This one has a ridiculously slow structure so be sure not to miss it on Friday, February 1. Jean-Paul Helderman earned more than $100,000 for his win in this tournament earlier this year. • In January 2011, what began as a rumour around the Crown Poker Room quickly grew into a reality when the world’s first ever AUD$250,000 buy-in tournament was held. A staggering 20 players put down the quarter of a million dollar buy-in, and it was Erik Seidel who took home the $2.5 million first place prize. In 2012, a still impressive 16 players entered with legend Phil Ivey (pictured) winning the event, allowing him to leap above Daniel Negreanu into second place on the alltime money list. The 2013 event will be played in Studio 3 from 2.15pm on Friday, February 3. • Event 23, the AUD $600 Turbo No Limit Hold’em Cubed was a brand new event on the Aussie Millions schedule last year. In 2013 players will have the option to purchase a single AUD $500 rebuy and add-on prior to the end of the first break. American Martin Mathis defeated Aaron Benton for this title in 2012. • Event 24, the $25,000 Challenge, returns to championship once more. The scheduling issues that saw a reduced field play in 2012 have been resolved with more than 50 entrants expected to participate in 2013. It was Dominykas Karmazinas from Lithuania who claimed the first prize of $200,000 in the last running of this semi-shootout tournament. • Another event making its first appearance at these championships is Event 25 – AUD $1100 Pot Limit Omaha Hi Lo. This event is probably the most requested event over the past few years so expect a large field. Other new events added to the schedule in 2013 are an $1100 No Limit Hold’em event and an $1100 No Limit Hold’em Terminator. The final event on the schedule will be action packed as players take their last shot in Event 26, the AUD $5000 Turbo No Limit Hold’em Six Max.

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2013 AUSSIE MILLIONS SCHEDULE January 17 (6.15pm) Event 1: $1100 No L imit Hold’em day 1 flight 1 January 18 (12.30pm) Event 1: $1100 No Limit Hold’em day 1 flight 2 (repechage) January 19 (12.30pm) Event 1: $1100 No Limit Hold’em day 1 flight 3 (repechage) January 20 (12.30pm) Event 1: $1100 No Limit Hold’em day 2 January 20 (2.30pm) Special Event: $1000 Joe Hachem & Shane Warne Charity Poker Tournament January 21 (12.30pm) Event 2: $1100 Pot Limit Omaha January 22 (12.30pm) Event 3: $1100 No Limit Hold’em Shootout January 23 (12.30pm) Event 4: $1100 No Limit Hold’em/Pot Limit Omaha January 24 (12.30pm) Event 5: $1100 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max January 25 (12.30pm) Event 6: $1150 No Limit Hold’em w/ $1000 Rebuys January 26 (12.30pm) Event 7: $1650 No Limit Hold’em Bounty Event January 27 (12.30pm) Event 8: $10,600 No Limit Hold’em Main Event day 1 flight 1 January 27 (2.15pm) Event 9: $1100 No Limit Hold’em Teams Event January 27 (2.30pm) Event 10: $100,000 Hold’em Challenge January 27 (6.15pm) Event 11: $2500 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo January 28 (12.30pm) Event 8: $10,600 No Limit Hold’em Main Event day 1 flight 2 January 28 (2.15pm) Event 12: $1100 No Limit Hold’em Mix Max January 28 (6.15pm) Event 13: $5000 Chinese Poker January 29 (12.30pm) Event 8: $10,600 No Limit Hold’em Main Event day 1 flight 3 January 29 (2.15pm) Event 14 $1100 No Limit Hold’em Terminator January 29 (6.15pm) Event 15: $2500 H.O.R.S.E. January 30 (12.15pm) Event 16: $1100 No Limit Hold’em January 30 (12.30pm) Event 8: $10,600 No Limit Hold’em Main Event day 2 January 30 (6.15pm) Event 17: $2500 Pot Limit Omaha January 31 (12.15pm) Event 18 $550 Australian Poker Hall Of Fame Classic January 31 (12.30pm) Event 8: $10,600 No Limit Hold’em Main Event day 3 January 31 (6.15pm) Event 19: $5000 No Limit Hold’em Mix Max February 1 February 1 February 1 February 1

(12.15pm) Event 20: $2500 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max (12.30pm) Event 8: $10,600 No Limit Hold’em Main Event day 4 (2.15pm) Event 21: $250,000 Challenge (6.15pm) Event 22: $5000 8-Game Mixed Event

February 2 February 2 February 2 February 2

(12.15pm) Event 23: $600 Turbo No Limit Hold’em Cubed w/ one $500 rebuy & add-on (12.30pm) Event 8: $10,600 No Limit Hold’em Main Event final table (2.15pm) Event 24: $25,000 Challenge (6.15pm) Event 25: $1100 Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo

February 3 (2.15pm) Event 26: $5000 Turbo No Limit Hold’em Six-Max

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

AUSSIE MILLIONS HONOURBOARD 2003 (122 players; AUD $1,220,000 prizepool) Winner: Peter Costa (UK) AUD $394,870 2004 (133 players; AUD $1,330,000 prizepool) Winner: Tony Bloom (UK) AUD $426,500 2005 (263 players; AUD $2,630,000 prizepool) Winner: Jamil Dia (NZ) AUD $1,000,000 2006 (418 players; AUD $4,180,000 prizepool) Winner: Lee Nelson (NZ) AUD $1,295,800 2007 (747 players; AUD $7,470,000 prizepool) Winner: Gus Hansen (Denmark) AUD $1,500,000 2008 (780 players; AUD $7,800,000 prizepool) Winner: Alexander Kostritsyn (Russia) AUD $1,650,000 2009 (681 players; AUD $6,810,000 prizepool) Winner: Stewart Scott (Australia) AUD $2,000,000 2010 (746 players; AUD $7,460,000 prizepool) Winner: Tyron Krost (Australia) AUD $2,000,000 2011 (721 players; total prizepool $7,210,000) Winner: David Gorr (Australia) AUD $2,000,000 2012 (659 players; total prizepool AUD $6,590,000, pictured top) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Oliver Speidel (Australia) $1,600,000 Kenneth Wong (China) $1,000,000 Mile Krstanoski (Australia) $610,000 Mohamad Kowssarie (Sweden) $405,000 Patrick Healy (Australia) $300,000 Bjorn Li (China) $230,000 Yann Dion (Canada) $170,000

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H. J.

JOE’S EUROPEAN VACATION Hachem goes a huntin’ for some WSOPE gold From bracelets in Europe, WPT diamonds in Las Vegas and championship rings at the 2013 Aussie Millions, PMA’s Joe Hachem is maintaining the rage in pursuit of poker’s biggest and richest titles.

’ve just returned home after my first trip to Europe in 12 months during which I played WSOP Europe and EPT San Remo. I had never played poker in Cannes, France. It’s an amazing place. The first event I played was the €5300 Pot Limit Omaha, in which I ended up finishing sixth. I chipped right down to 2000 on day one in a hand after being crippled in a big pot. I somehow clawed my way back and reached the final table with a decent amount of chips, around the average. I was really hoping that it would be time for a second bracelet but I just couldn’t get anything going. I don’t think I won a pot on the final table. I finally got it in with middle set against top set and basically busted. So the final table was a non-event for me. I’m still happy with the result. I then played a charity event, which I happened to win. There were about 40 pros in the field with a €500 entry and €500 add-on. I picked up another watch for the collection, a trophy and some cash.

Then came the WSOPE Main Event. I just scraped through day one then busted early on day two after being coolered in a hand with A-J against A-Q. I was out in about five minutes! I was planning to head straight home but my travel agent couldn’t get me out any earlier so I decided to play EPT San Remo, and combine that with a visit to my cousin in Brussels. It was my first trip to San Remo. It’s a very cool place in a very scenic part of the world. Unfortunately the Main Event was a non-event. I just couldn’t get any traction. I started off really well but then I lost a big pot with pocket queens against pocket fours that flopped a set. I lost the minimum but it was still a lot of chips and I never recovered from there. I ended up busting out just before the end of day one, which was a bit frustrating. Sometimes it’s incredibly hard to make something happen. You want to take an aggressive stance and then find an opportunity to get some chips, but 9-4 is not an opportunity to get some

chips! I think I shipped it with Q-10 of clubs and continuing the tone of the day, the guy woke up with A-Q, so I busted! * * * I’m now home for a little while. I’ll played the ANZPT event at Crown and plan to chill out with the family and catch up on life before I head off to Vegas to the WPT Five Diamond in December. I’ve missed this event the last couple of years so I’m looking forward to going back to play. When you’ve won a particular event you can’t help but feel good about going back to play that event every year. After that it’s the Aussie Millions, so very exciting times ahead. The Aussie Millions has pushed back the schedule a little for 2013 but it really doesn’t bother me any more because I’m not travelling to the Bahamas every January now. I think it opens it up to give people a chance to come to the Aussie Millions, as it doesn’t clash with anything else that’s going on. It should be a great

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Joe Hachem

series as usual – Melbourne will turn on some beautiful weather and we’ll look after our guests like we do every year. * * * We’re about to go into production for my educational poker videos, which we hope to launch during the Aussie Millions. I’m very excited about this project. What we’re doing no-one else has done and I hope to touch a lot of poker players and poker fans who want to play without the practical BS that goes along with some poker play these days. I want to bring back some of the enjoyment that has been missing in the game for a while. I think the game has gotten a bit sad at the moment actually. I recently read an article, which reflected what I’ve been feeling for the past few years. Poker has become so analytical that people aren’t enjoying themselves playing any more. You may as well sit at the table with a motorbike helmet on and play – noone talks, no-one has fun and no-one has a chat. How do we expect to attract new players to the game when we can’t portray it as fun any more? It’s all about hand ranges, VPIPs and all that BS – that’s all fine but we need to remember that poker is a social game, it’s a game for the public, and if we don’t have a constant flow of people of coming into the game the game will die. I don’t think people are enjoying poker as much as they used to. So I hope that it changes again and goes back to being more fun and part of my strategy with my educational videos is to make it more fun. It’s not just to talk about the straight track and strategies of poker. We’re also about to launch our merchandise range as mentioned in my last blog, we’re just waiting on a couple of very small technical things and we’ll be good to go. We also hope to have some more exciting news for poker in Australia which will definitely be announced before the end of the year, so exciting times ahead, watch this space! Until next time, Pass the Sugar Joe Hachem

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

SHOOTING STARS RAISES $150,000 FOR AUTISM CHARITY After returning home, I had a week before my first Shooting Star Invitational Poker Challenge at Crown Melbourne to raise funds for Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect). I’d been organising the event for six months and the effort was worth it as it proved to be a really great event. Aspect is an amazing organisation committed to building confidence and capacity in people with autism

Dirani, Robert Dipierdomenico, Aaron Hamill and Sam Burgess along with poker pros Tony Hachem and Billy ‘The Croc’ Argyros. disorders. It also helps provide information, education and support for the families involved,” he said. I was very happy with the format, the participation and people’s generosity, which was beyond my expectations. We raised more than $150,000 for Aspect. The event was taken out by former NRL star Steve Menzies but there were plenty of winners on the day, including each of the players who claimed the scalp of the ‘Shooting Star’ at their respective tables. The field included Shane Warne, Firass

Sponsors of the event included Seek, SEL, Save Our Sons, Finch Finance, 1300 Home Loans, Finsure and APT while tickets to the Crown Marquee for Emirates Stakes Day were also provided as prizes. Most people don’t know that I have a cousin with autism. His father was my Uncle, my mentor and my best friend. He passed away a few years ago, so it felt good to be able to give back to something that was close to his heart as well. Hopefully we’ll be able to make this an annual event. Funds raised from the event will be used to help assist individuals on the autism spectrum to reach their potential and to overcome the isolation of autism. • Pics courtesy of rosannafaraci.com

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2012 STAR POKER Summer Series schedule NOVEMBER 28 6.15PM – EVENT 1: $330 No Limit Hold’em Opening Event day 1 flight 1 (10,000 starting stack, 40-minute levels) NOVEMBER 29 6.15PM – EVENT 1: $330 No Limit Hold’em Opening Event day 1 flight 2 repechage (10,000 starting stack, 40-minute levels) NOVEMBER 30 12.30PM – EVENT 1: $330 No Limit Hold’em Opening Event day 1 flight 3 repechage (10,000 starting stack, 40-minute levels) 10PM – EVENT 2: $500 Late Night Poker No Limit Hold’em (8000 starting stack, 25-minute levels)

IT’S HEATING UP! What’s in store for the Star Poker Summer Series Since 2007, the Australian poker year has ended at The Star in Sydney and, for the sixth year in-a-row, the tradition will continue with the second running of the Star Poker Summer Series.

he regional poker spotlight will again shine on the harbourside property as players from across Australia and throughout the region converge for this series, which runs from November 28 until December 9. The series culminates on December 6-9 with the $5000 buy-in Main Event – who will join the list of champions that includes Martin Rowe, Jonathan Karamalikis, Star Poker ambassadors Grant Levy and Aaron Benton or 2011 winner Andy Lee? In what is now a customary start to all major tournament series at The Star, the 2012 Star Poker Summer Series will kick-off with the $330 buy-in Opening Event featuring three day one flights and the option for players to reenter thanks to the repechage format.

PokerMedia Australia (PMA) is a proud supporter of Star Poker and we’re delighted to announce the third running of the $1100 buy-in PMA No Limit Hold’em Special Event, which will again be reported live by our team. Other events scheduled as part of the 2012 Star Poker Summer Series include the ever-popular $500 Late Night NLH event, $550 NLH SemiShootout, $1100 Pot Limit Omaha, $440 No Limit Hold’em Teams Event, $660 Six-handed No Limit Hold’em and $440 Turbo No Limit Hold’em. The series culminates with a $10,500 buy-in High Rollers No Limit Hold’em. PMA can also confirm that we will again be reporting live throughout the Star Poker Summer Series.

DECEMBER 1 12.30PM – EVENT 1: $330 No Limit Hold’em Opening Event day 2 DECEMBER 2 12.30PM – EVENT 3: $1100 PokerMedia Australia No Limit Hold’em Special (15,000 starting stack, 40-minute levels) 4PM – EVENT 1: $330 No Limit Hold’em Opening Event final table 6.30PM – $550 Summer Series Mega Satellite (5000 starting stack, 20-minute levels) DECEMBER 3 12.30PM – EVENT 4: $550 No Limit Hold’em Semi-Shootout (10,000 starting stack, 30-minute levels) 4PM – EVENT 3: $1100 PokerMedia Australia No Limit Hold’em Special final table (if required) 6.30PM – $550 Summer Series Mega Satellite (5000 starting stack, 20-minute levels) DECEMBER 4 12.30PM – EVENT 5: $1100 Pot Limit Omaha (10,000 starting stack, 40-minute levels) 4PM – EVENT 4: $550 No Limit Hold’em SemiShootout final table

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6.30PM – EVENT 6: $440 No Limit Hold’em Teams (10,000 starting stack, 25-minute levels)

Yuen the man in SYDNEY CHAMPS Main Event

DECEMBER 5 12.30PM – EVENT 7: $660 Six-handed No Limit Hold’em (10,000 starting stack, 40-minute levels)

Dean Yuen overcame a 2:1 chip deficit heads-up to capture the 2012 Sydney Poker Championships Main Event title and the first prize of $127,133. Playing controlled poker with selected bouts of aggression, Yuen came into the final day as one of 12 remaining hopefuls and by the time the final table was decided he sat poised in fifth spot on the leaderboard. However, as the short stacks began to fall and the pressure rose, it was Yuen that showed the greatest composure. Although he entered heads-up play facing a near 2:1 deficit to eventual runnerup David Borg, he quickly clawed his way into the chip lead before all but sealing victory when he turned the bigger boat with A-10 v Borg’s 4-4 on an A-10-4-10-2 board. Borg owns one of the more remarkable records in Aussie tournament poker. His four previous major cashes are all top two finishes, including a recent cash of USD $410,517 for second in a $1500 No Limit Hold’em event at the 2012 WSOP. He added another $80,374 here. Kahle Burns underlined his status as one of the big improvers on the local scene with third while other notables to cash included popular Asian-based pro Bryan Huang (fifth), Suzy Khoueis (seventh), David Allan (eighth), Tony Kondevski (13th), Star Poker ambassador Aaron Benton ((14th), former ANZPT Sydney champion Michael Kanaan (15th) and John Caridad (35th).

6.30PM – $550 Summer Series Mega Satellite (5000 starting stack, 20-minute levels) DECEMBER 6 12.30pm – $550 Summer Series Last Chance Mega Satellite (5000 starting stack, 20-minute levels) 4PM – EVENT 7: $660 Six-handed No Limit Hold’em final table 6.15PM – EVENT 8: $5000 Summer Series Main Event day 1 flight 1 (30,000 starting stack, 90-minute levels) DECEMBER 7 12.30PM – EVENT 8: $5000 Summer Series Main Event day 1 flight 2 (30,000 starting stack, 90-minute levels) DECEMBER 8 12.30PM – EVENT 8: $5000 Summer Series Main Event day 2 4PM – $1100 High Rollers No Limit Hold’em Satellite (8000 starting stack, 25-minute levels) DECEMBER 9 12.30PM – EVENT 9: $440 Turbo No Limit Hold’em (6000 starting stack, 20-minute levels) 2PM – EVENT 8: $5000 Summer Series Main Event day 3/final table 4PM – EVENT 10: $10,500 High Rollers No Limit Hold’em (20,000 starting stack, 45-minute levels)

SYDNEY CHAMPS RESULTS EVENT 1: $330 Opening Event No Limit Hold’em (825 players; 80 players paid; total prizepool $247,500) – winner: Simon Dwyer $57,915 EVENT 2: $1100 PokerMedia Australia No Limit Hold’em Special (86 players; 10 players paid; total prizepool $86,000) – winner: Antonis Kambouroglou $25,800

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

EVENT 7: $1650 Sydney Championships No Limit Hold’em Main Event (337 players; 37 players paid; total prizepool $505,500) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37

Dean Yuen (pictured left) David Borg Kahle Burns Stephen Buchanan Bryan Huang Ismail Ismail Suzy Khoueis David Allan Jimmy Ghobrial Yal Kaya Luis Arrilucea Mitch Macedo Tony Kondevski Aaron Benton Michael Kanaan David Tam Jimmy Tran Ronnie Shabtay Andrew Davis Luca Borreggine George Daskalakis Chris Bridle Laurence Hall Narbeh Hovsepian Cale MacLean Con Angelakis Ramy Tadros Karib Karib Loan D. Lazar Edgar Florez Montenegro Steve Yibo Zhou Peter Dykes Michael Levy Sefehr Naderi John Caridad Fred Alam Phillip Georgiou

$127,133 $80,374 $44,989 $34,880 $28,560 $23,253 $18,450 $13,901 $10,616 $7079 $7079 $7079 $5813 $5813 $5813 $5308 $5308 $5308 $4802 $4802 $4802 $4297 $4297 $4297 $3791 $3791 $3791 $3285 $3285 $3285 $3033 $3033 $3033 $2780 $2780 $2780 $2780

EVENT 3: $550 No Limit Hold’em Bounty Event (112 players; 12 players paid; total prizepool $61,000) – winner: Brett Owen $12,320

EVENT 8: $500 Late Night Poker No Limit Hold’em (42 players; five players paid; total prizepool $18,900) – winner: Matthew Rolfe $7560

EVENT 4: $550 No Limit Hold’em Six-handed (141 players; 15 players paid; total prizepool $70,500) – winner: Michael Mayar $18,330

EVENT 9: $220 Mixed Pot Limit Omaha/No Limit Hold’em (86 players; 10 players paid; total prizepool $17,200) – winner: Matthew Cauchi $5160

EVENT 6: $440 Pot Limit Omaha (85 players; 10 players paid; total prizepool $34,000) – winner: Antonis Kambouroglou $25,800

EVENT 10: $5000 No Limit Hold’em Challenge (32 players; four players paid; total prizepool $152,000) – winner: Nafiz Safi $68,400

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The Star gallery of champions 2011 Star Poker Summer Series Main Event (164 players; prizepool AUD $1,000,000; 19 players paid)

2007 APPT Sydney results (561 players, prizepool AUD $3,366,000, 56 players paid)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Andy Lee (Aust) $270,000 Tom Rafferty (Aust) $170,000 Matviy Bilenky (Aust) $100,000 Peter Skouteris (Aust) $80,000 Michael Kanaan (Aust) $67,500 Mark Wright (Aust) $55,000 Jonathan Karamalikis (Aust) $45,000 Jay Malig (Aust) $35,000 Dien Nguyen (Aust) $27,500

Grant Levy (Aust) $1,000,000 Jeremiah Vinsant (USA ) $621,540 Lei He (Aust) $322,280 Sol Bergren (Canada) $230,200 Jai Kemp (Aust) $158,830 Barry Kohlhoff (USA) $115,100 John Matwey (USA) $92,080 Vijayan Nagarajan (Malaysia) $69,060 Larry Wright (USA) $46,040

2010 APPT Sydney (289 players; prizepool AUD $1,734,000; 32 players paid) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Jonathan Karamalikis (Aust) $459,510 Ben McLean (Aust) $294,780 Tom Rafferty (Aust) $164,730 Peca Stojanovski (Aust) $121,380 Antoine Amourette (France) $97,970 Eddy Sabat (USA) $79,765 Manuel Hamsimikali (Aust) $65,025 Roland de Wolfe (UK) $50,285 Daniel Negreanu (Canada) $36,415

2009 APPT Sydney results (396 players; prizepool AUD $2,376,000; 48 players paid) 1 Aaron Benton (Aust) 2 Ernst Hermans (Netherlands) 3 Leo Boxell (Aust) 4 Wayne Carlson (Aust) 5 Tom Grigg (Aust) 6 Andrew Hiscox (Aust) 7 Barry Forrester (Aust) 8 David Formosa (Aust) 9 Thomas Slifka (USA)

$594,000 $381,348 $213,840 $166,320 $130,680 $106,920 $83,160 $65,340 $47,520

2008 APPT Sydney results (477 players, prizepool AUD $2,862,000, 48 players paid) 1 Martin Rowe (Aust) $1,000,000 2 Jason Gray (Aust) $476,000 3 Tony Basile (Canada) $266,000 4 Antonio Fazzolari (Aust) $182,000 5 Tim English (Aust) $140,000 6 Frank Saffioti (Aust) $100,800 7 Daniel Kowalski (Poland) $72,800 8 Hai Bo Chu (Aust) $53,200 8 T om Rafferty (Aust) $39,200

Other 2011 Star Poker Summer Series results Event 1 $330 Opening Event No Limit Hold’em (583 players; 57 players paid; total prizepool $174,900) – winner: Mladen Avramovski ($42,588) Event 2 $660 Pot Limit Omaha (42 players; five players paid; total prizepool $25,200) – winner: Andy Lee ($10,080) Event 3 $1100 Sydney Special No Limit Hold’em (108 players; 12 players paid; total prizepool $108,000) – winner: Andrew Davis ($29,700) Event 4 $400 Ladies No Limit Hold’em (21 players; three players paid; total prizepool $7700) – winner: Julia Alqahtani ($3885) Event 5 $440 Pot Limit Omaha/No Limit Hold’em (60 players; six players paid; total prizepool $24,000) – winner: Naz Sibaei ($8880) Event 6 $660 Six-handed No Limit Hold’em (100 players; 12 players paid; total prizepool $60,000) – winner: Nabil Edgtton ($16,350) Event 7 $440 No Limit Hold’em Teams Event (83 teams; 10 teams paid; total prizepool $33,200) – winners: John Kasbarian & Mark Alati ($9960)

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Were you there, reporting the action at the 2006 Aussie Millions Main Event, when Phil Ivey made an all-in bluff at a board of Jd-2d-2h-Ad-Kd with Qs-7h only for defending champion Jamil Dia to make an amazing call with no diamond, just Ah-Kc for top two-pair?

We Were !

EvEnt rEporting www.pokermedia.com.au

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LUCKY 13

What’s in store at The Star on NYE

Welcome 2013 in style at Sydney’s premium entertainment destination, The Star. From live music, to exclusive celebratory NYE restaurant and bar packages on offer, The Star guarantees to make the year’s biggest night unforgettable. Whether you would prefer an indulgent dinner, a wild night of fancy dress, the chance to hit the dance floor, or to sip sophisticated cocktails, The Star is the perfect place to celebrate. Marquee

Rock Lily

Welcome in the New Year with Grammy nominated DJ, Dirty South, set to hit the decks at award-winning nightclub, Marquee. Tickets to the exclusive club include complimentary drinks until 11pm and a midnight champagne toast. Alternatively, get a jumpstart on the night with an allinclusive dinner package at Sokyo featuring early evening champagne and canapés with a specially created dinner menu and express entry into the club.

Get ready to channel your inner 80s ‘rock god’ at Rock Lily’s Glam Rock themed New Year’s Eve bash. Featuring award-winning Aussie rock band, Regurgitator, guests can expect to sing in the New Year to classic tracks including smash hits Polyester Girl and Black Bugs. Keep an eye out for performances from Glam Rock inspired Burlesque dancers mingling through the crowd too. Entry is complimentary and no bookings are required. With a limited capacity, Rock Lily operates on a first-in, bestdressed basis.

BLACK by ezard Complete with magnificent harbour views, contemporary grill restaurant, BLACK by ezard, will feature a seven-course degustation menu by award-winning chef Teage Ezard for $320 per person. The package is available from 8pm until late and guests are invited to complement the menu with matching wines for an additional $150 per person. Balla

Cherry Bar In celebration of the suave spy’s fiftieth anniversary, get your tickets now for Cherry’s James Bond themed soiree. It promises to be a sophisticated evening of champagne, canapés and a stunning burlesque performance featuring a giant martini glass! Enjoy your favourite Bond moments too with movie clips projected onto the bar’s walls and a customised James Bond cocktail menu, including the Gold Finger and Pussygalore. Tickets are $110 in advance or $140 on the night.

Ring in the New Year with acclaimed Italian chef, Stefano Manfredi’s signature Milanese menu. For $290 per person, guests will enjoy a seven-course degustation showcasing Manfredi’s exquisite cuisine with superb harbour views. The package is available from 8pm and guests are invited to complement their meal with matching wines for an added $125 per person.

36 Degrees

Sokyo

Sydney’s only 24 hour sports bar promises a night of Old Skool Sports fun with fantastic food and drink offers. Running all night, offers include $5 Pure Blonde beer with a classic fisherman’s basket at $18. Guests can expect to sing-along to a live set from The Boogaloo Crew; a zany covers group featuring DJ Abel and MC Meg Hammond who are set to remix golden oldies from the likes of Blondie, Madonna and Basement Jaxx. The Sydney fireworks will be streamed live to the big screens and midnight party packs will ensure a night to remember.

Contemporary Japanese restaurant, Sokyo, will serve an eightcourse Omakase menu carefully designed by renowned chef, Chase Kojima. For $175 per person, guests will enjoy sashimi, tempura, signature dishes, sushi and dessert, with the option of matching wines and sakes for an extra $95 per person. Located in The Star’s five-star boutique hotel, The Darling, Sokyo combines the buzz of Tokyo with a Sydney beat.

Revel in all things 80s at 36 Degrees’ Back to the Future themed New Year’s Eve party where mad scientists serve the drinks! Other features include festive drink offers and an exciting DJ line up set to spin the beats until dawn. 24/7 Sports Bar

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Make no mistake, poker is war. Granted, not a war fought on a battlefield like the men and woman of our armed forces; this war takes place on a front that does bare some similarities to the modern battlefield. It’s noisy, dimly lit with blasts of bright light and one wrong move could spell disaster, as Daryl Westley warns.

“War does not determine who is right – only who is left.”

– Bertrand Russell

The art of war ... on the green felt A s with war, tournament poker is a battle of attrition. Wearing down your opponents, attacking them when you are strong and defending or digging in when you are not. You need to grind down your enemy and not be worn down in the process. This requires a strong mind and even stronger character. There’s also the added pressure of increasing blinds and antes, which means the battlefield is constantly changing for all combatants. It’s an environment that tests the mettle, concentration and patience of even the hardiest individual, as I discovered during the recent MAIN EVENT at Crown Melbourne. I spent the best part of eight hours hovering around the start stack. Every time I had a great starting hand, somebody came hunting with a great drawing hand. Working their way through my defenses they kept striking my defences, slowly breaking them down. I would often have to retreat knowing I could not fend these predators off. Better to retreat, lick your wounds and regroup, saving your energies for another battle. During the battle within this MAIN EVENT war – I faced several enemies – eight other players, the tournament clock which delivered a barrage of increased blinds and antes every 30

minutes, and that double agent who you’re never really sure is on your side … the dealer! This was not to be my day – I lost it all, my stack, my chance at the big prize, everything. Everything, except for my dignity, for this was just one small scurmage in a larger bigger battle. You need to pick your fights carefully, have courage and know that a loss doesn’t mean the end. Don’t let the defeats get you down. Don’t let the losses and wounds affect you mentally or physically. Learn from them, let them make you a stronger, better warrior. Until next time, remember, aggressive poker is winning poker, Swanky PS I like to write about things that inspire me. As I was writing this article, I was inspired by a podcast I listen to called Hardcore History by Dan Carlin. It was about the Russian Front during WWII. This also coincided with Remembrance Day. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass to the brave men and women of our Defence Forces (past and present), who put their lives in danger every day, so that we can enjoy freedoms like playing poker, and all of the other cool things we do each day that we tend to take for granted. WWW.POKERMEDIA.COM.AU

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It’s time for a big holiday

The ultimate Aussie roadtrip There’s a line in our national anthem, which goes “our land abounds in nature’s gifts, of beauty rich and rare”. For anyone who’s attempted a road trip throughout Australia in an attempt to discover some of “nature’s gifts”, the key word in that line is “rare”. 42

How rare? Take the Bungle Bungles in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The distinctive range was known to the local Purnululu tribe, along with generations of prospectors, but it wasn’t until a film crew spotted the range from the air in 1983 that their true splendour was recognised. Or the grove of Wollemi Pines discovered in a deep sandstone gorge in the Blue Mountains north-west of Sydney in 1994. Thought to have been extinct for more than 200 million years, it was the botanic equivalent of finding a family of dinosaurs roaming across the countryside. Yep, Australia’s full of interesting stuff, but you have to be prepared to do some serious miles to see the best of it. Nowadays, it’s easy enough to catch a plane to Uluru or Cairns, but in the days of my youth, it wasn’t so easy.

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Travel

It was with a degree of dread each time my father dragged out his set of RACV strip maps and Flag Motels directory to plot the next family vacation. Off we’d trek each summer in whatever was the latest edition of Holden station wagon (the EH with it’s vinyl bench seat that heated to the temperature of the sun’s surface in summer was particularly brutal) on some random route. One doesn’t have to travel too far into the Aussie countryside to discover it’s mostly empty and pretty dull. So tourist attractions that wouldn’t survive a season in the city suddenly take on Pyramids-esque mythology when travelling the highways of Australia. My first taste of the so-called ‘Big Things of Australia’ came on a trip up the Hume Highway, back in the days when the road didn’t bypass a single town. Having been thoroughly disappointed by the Dog on the Tucker Box at Gundagai (“so, it’s a dog … on a tucker box”), suddenly several tonnes of concrete shaped as a giant sheep came into view. Now we’re talking! The Big Merino (known locally as Rambo) was recently shifted from the town to a spot adjacent to what is now the Hume Freeway to provide at least a few minutes distraction for a new generation of bored kids. Looking back, I’m glad to have seen much of the country including dozens of towns that I’m unlikely to visit again with my own son. However, the little guy can look forward to detours of hundreds of kilometres to celebrate our nation’s fascination with chicken wire, cement, plaster and a few pots of paint! As a tribute to my father and his boundless enthusiasm for even the most mundane features of the Australian landscape (I swear we once made a detour of half a day just so he could say he’d been to a place called Chinkapook), here’s a list of my favourite ‘Big Things of Australia’.

THE BIG LOBSTER (Kingston SE, South Australia) A personal favourite, the Big Lobster (known locally as Larry) was built in six months out of a steel frame with a fibreglass shell. In Spinal Tap fashion, the size is said to have been an error: the original plans were drawn in feet, but the designer misinterpreted them to be metres! It was recently up for sale, but the wife said no.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

THE BIG PINEAPPLE (Woombye, Queensland) Arguably the most famous of all the big things, the Big Pineapple opened in 1971. It has survived fire and storms to remain part of a plantation that comprises 165 hectares on which macadamias are also grown (the Big Pineapple Nutmobile ride must not be missed).

THE BIG BANANA (Coffs Harbour, NSW) Continuing the giant fruit theme, the internationally famous Big Banana stands five metres high by 11 metres long and is the granddaddy of Australia’s ‘Big Things’. Plans for the monument ripened in 1964 and was recently joined by an equally slippery attraction – a three-storey high inflatable waterslide called the ‘Banana Slip’!

THE GIANT KOALA (Dadswell Bridge, Victoria) One of the more visible items on the list (situated on the Western Highway between Melbourne and Adelaide), the Giant Koala is 14 metres high and weighs 12 tonnes. It’s actually made of bronze and set on a steel frame and qualifies as one of the more bizarre entries on this list, especially when it’s lit up at night!

THEREALDEAL News Upgrade THE BIG BARRAMUNDI (Normanton, Queensland)

THE BIG BEER CAN (Cobar, NSW)

Normanton is about as remote as you can get in Australia, so it’s pleasing to see the townsfolk have embraced the national obsession by erecting the Big Barra. You’ll also find a Big Barra in Daintree, while you’ll find a giant trout (Adaminaby, NSW), a giant marlin (Cains, Qld) and giant Murray Cod (Tocumwal, NSW) in other parts of the country.

The Grand Hotel in Cobar is the home of the Big Beer Can, which also lays claim to be World’s Largest Beer Can according to the good folk at the Guinness Book of Records. It stands five metres tall and if filled with beer the can could provide thirsty town residents with close to 10,000 schooners.

THE GIANT WORM (Bass, Victoria)

THE BIG GOLDEN GUITAR (Tamworth, NSW)

One of the more imaginative incarnations here, this celebrates Megascolides australis – the Giant Gippsland earthworm! It’s attached to the Giant Earthworm museum, where tourists to crawl through a magnified replica of a worm burrow and a simulated worm’s stomach. Who needs Disneyland!

THE BIG BULL (Rockhampton, Qld) Rockhampton in central Queensland is proudly known as Australia’s Beef Capital and fittingly the town has erected a number of enormous concrete bulls in tribute to its title. However, the lifeless bovines regularly suffer the indignity of having a certain part of their anatomy removed that makes them “less” of a bull. No bollocks!

Australia’s country music capital is home to this impressive replica of the famous golden guitar trophy of Australia’s annual Country Music Awards. The structure stands 12m high and was appropriately unveiled in 1988 by Australia’s legend of country music, Slim Dusty.

THE BIG ANT (Broken Hill, NSW) Gotta love a big insect –

the giant spider on the side of the wheat silo in Urana, NSW and Ossie the Mossie at Hexham, NSW, deserve a mention. The Big Ant was designed by world famous artist Pro Hart, and originally stood at the Stephens Creek Hotel. It was moved to its current location, next to the Tourist Information Centre in Broken Hill, after being donated to the city in 1990.

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BOND, JAMES BOND The great cars of James Bond isn’t a great spy. In fact, if we were compiling a list of the world’s least covert secret agents, he’d be near the top. Is there a barman, drug lord, master criminal or exotic lady of leisure that familiar with 007? However, his indiscretion can be forgiven due to his love of a good automobile, preferably something with plenty of horsepower and enough ammo to launch an invasion on some wayward West African dictatorship. That said, his drives are not always luxury numbers – a convertible Range Rover in Octopussy, a Lincoln Continental in Thunderball, a Ford Fairlane from Die Another Day, and even a classic W115 Mercedes-Benz in The Man With The Golden Gun. But we’re not here to talk Range Rovers … as Skyfall – the 23rd James Bond film made – has landed, here is a list of our top five Bond cars.

1 Aston Martin DB5/DBS The quintessential Bond car bookmarks the film series nicely. Though Bond has driven a couple of Aston Martin DB5s throughout his long, illustrious career of international espionage, it’s the silver DB5 from Goldfinger (1964) that most Bond fans remember. It was the first MI6-built ride to feature bulletproof glass, rotating number plates, retractable machine guns, and a passenger-side ejector seat. Fast forward to the second version of Casino Royale (2006) and the Aston Martin DBS, an elegant brute featuring 510 horsepower V12 powerplant, gunmetal skin and carbon fibre trim. For trivia buffs, Bond wins a DB5 in a card game during Casino Royale.

Bond cars

2 AMC Hornet The most famous of the Bond cars are European, but the early 1970s featured three American classics – a Ford Galaxie Sedan 500 (Diamonds are Forever, 1971), a Chevrolet Impala Convertible (Live and Let Die, 1973) and a genuine muscle car, the AMC Hornet X Hatchback (The Man with The Golden Gun, 1974). Part of a product placement deal tied to film, the Hornet’s main claim to fame is making a 360-degree spiral jump over a broken bridge in pursuit of the Francisco Scaramanga. No missiles, rocket boosters or ejector seats in this piece of American iron, just 360 cubic inches of pure muscle.

3 BMW 750iL OK, it’s not the greatest piece of machinery ever steered by Bond (Tomorrow Never Dies, 1997) but we’ve always fantasised about unleashing some of the weaponry this car featured on unsuspecting peak period travellers on Melbourne’s freeways. Modifications included a cutting cable mounted behind the front emblem and a caltrop dispenser in the rear, but the highlight of this Beemer is the assortment of missiles mounted in the car’s sunroof. It could also be steered and controlled completely remotely via Bond’s Ericsson mobile phone. The 750iL was the only officially Q-issued car to be a four-door sedan model and featured a 5.4L V12 engine.

4 Lotus Esprit Seriously, who hasn’t fantasised driving onto the beach out of the water Bond-style after watching The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). The Lotus Esprit is undoubtedly the most famous of all the Bond cars – possessed all of the usual Q refinements, including surface-to-air missiles and rear-firing adhesive sprayers to blind pursuers, the main feature of the car was, however, its ability to transform into a submarine. Once transformed, it could unleash depth charges, harpoons and a smoke screen. The car again featured in For Your Eyes Only (1981) where it was blown to smithereens by its own security system!

5 Toyota 2000GT This was a collaboration between Toyota and Yamaha and announced the Japanese firm onto the world stage. Sean Connery couldn’t fit into the coupe 2000GT, so Toyota built two special convertible models for You Only Live Twice (1967), which was filmed mostly in Japan. Actress Akiko Wakabayashi (who spent more time at the wheel than Bond) could not drive so chase scenes were filmed with stuntmen in wigs. Today, the 2000GT is seen as the first seriously collectible Japanese car and the first Japanese supercar. Examples of the 2000GT have sold at auction for as much as USD $375,000.

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“Fort Knox is for tourists!” Did Gruber’s grab for gold add up? There’s a scene in the classic flick Die Hard: With a Vengeance where Simon Gruber (Jeremy Irons) and his mercenary mob break into the Federal Gold Reserve and help themselves to the contents started The Snoop’s mind ticking. Is Fort Knox for tourists? How does Australia stack up when it comes to the ultimate gold scoreboard? And how can you add a little golden sparkle to your portfolio? • The United States holds more gold in reserve than any other nation (8133.5 tonnes as of this month, according to the World Gold Council. This represents 74.6 per cent of the country’s entire foreign reserves. Germany (3401), the International Monetary Fund (2814), Italy (2451.8) and France (2435.4) complete the top five. Australia holds 79.9 tonnes of gold in reserve, which is just 10 per cent of our total foreign reserves. It’s interesting to note that China’s 1054.1 tonnes of gold is just 1.6 per cent of its foreign reserves.

• So could Mr Gruber and co just waltz into the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Wall Street and steal enough gold to buy their own country (at least until Bruce Willis intervened)? Credit to the producers who got this one mostly right. The Federal Reserve holds 7000 tonnes of gold, and some of it is held in trust for foreign nations, central banks and international organisations. Fort Knox (or the United States Bullion Depository as it’s officially known) holds 4578 tonnes of gold, meaning Gruber’s claim that the Fed holds “10 times what’s in Kentucky” doesn’t add up. • The World Gold Council states that as of 2009, the breakdown of gold holdings globally was 52 per cent in jewellery, central banks held 18 per cent, investment (bullion and coins) accounted for 16 per cent, industrial use was 12 per cent and two per cent was unaccounted for. Gold has a specific gravity of 19.3, meaning that it is 19.3 times heavier than water. A tonne of gold has a volume of 51,760 cm3, which would be equivalent to a cube of side 37.27cm. If all the gold ever mined was formed into a cube, it would measure just 19m on each side.

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Gold • Some advisors are sceptical of gold’s true value as an investment (see sidebar), but centuries of evidence show that gold is among the most stable and reliable commodities. With the impacts of the Global Financial Crisis still impacting many countries, the price of gold has hovered around record levels over the past four years and has risen 134 per cent in the past five years. Gold continues to be considered a safe-haven for investors looking to protect wealth from the regular cycles of the financial markets. • In January 2011, The Australian reported that the Reserve Bank bizarrely sold most of the nation’s gold reserves more than a decade ago because the board believed its price would remain flat. They believed also the commodity would not play a role in a future financial crisis. The decision to sell 167 tonnes of the bank’s reserves has cost the nation about $6 billion based on today’s soaring price of almost $1700 an ounce.

• The popular date of gold discovery in Australia is 1851, but there are claims that as early as the first year of European settlement that a convict, James Daley, found a gold nugget. He later withdrew his claim after enduring 150 lashes for refusing to say where he had found it. There’s a report of gold being found at Prospect during Governor King’s term in the early years of the nineteenth century. Then, in 1814, there were rumours of the discovery of small pieces of gold by convicts building the road over the Blue Mountains • Australia’s largest gold mine is based in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. The Super Pit will eventually stretch 3.8 kilometres long, 1.5km wide and go down to a depth of more than 600m. Where small operations had once controlled the famous Golden Mile, WA businessman Alan Bond started buying up the individual leases to create one big company and one big pit, from which gold could be extracted at far less cost. Bond’s company failed to complete the takeover but, in 1989, the entire area was combined. Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines Pty Ltd (KCGM) produces up to 800,000 ounces of gold every year and its operation far outweighs any other mining centre in Australia. The company’s operations ensure Australia retains its place, behind South Africa and the USA, as the third biggest gold producer in the world.

Adding gold to your portfolio How to invest: Coins and bars can be purchased from outlets such as the Perth Mint. Expect to pay a premium if you buy in small amounts. The Mint, a state government statutory body with an AAA credit rating from Standard and Poor’s, also sells gold bullion certificates and can store the physical products for you. You can also invest in gold stocks through an Exchange Traded Fund, which is like a share bought and sold on the Australian Securities Exchange. For more information, go to Australian Securities Exchange and search for the code ‘gold’. The pros: Investment grade metals like pure gold are a tangible and reliable store of your wealth. When you invest in gold, you are investing in a limited physical resource (there is a finite volume of gold in the world, which makes it scarce and valuable). • The price of gold is pre-determined so you always know the objective market value of the gold you hold in your portfolio. You will rarely be able to buy gold exactly at the spot price unless you are trading in huge volumes as you will pay for a trader or broker, but you can buy and sell with a degree of certainty. • Gold is highly liquid: you will always find a ready buyer to turn it into cash exactly when you want to sell. And in Australia, you do not need to pay GST on investment bullion as long as it is classified as investment grade by the Federal Government through registration of a hallmark. The cons: If you’re seriously considering gold, do your homework, consider getting advice and don’t invest everything. Gold is a very speculative and at times volatile investment that may lead to big losses or big gains, depending on when you buy and sell and a range of economic factors. • Unlike investing in a company’s shares, gold doesn’t do anything – it doesn’t manufacture a product or pay investors a dividend or interest. Like other commodities, its price is influenced by investor demand. If everyone wants to buy gold, its price will increase, possibly to unrealistic and unsustainable levels. • The other fear for gold is that it’s now in a speculative price bubble. Its price graph looks a little like shares before they started their dramatic decline in November 2007. Gold is a speculative and, at times, volatile investment that may lead to big losses or big gains, depending on when you buy and sell. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

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EAT DRINK AND BE MERRY Merrywell adds some protein to Crown dining options

The Merrywell promises “good times on tap” and with more than 30 brews available, cocktails offered by the litre, and the best burgers served this side of the equator the North American-influenced gastro pub is living up to that vow.

Burgers are not new to Aussie diners. Every fish and chip shop has them on the menu and many up-market restaurants serve expensive re-inventions of the humble dish. But despite the abundance of burgers on offer across the country, few live up to expectations. Soggy buns, overcooked meat, and a general lack of flavour are common complaints about the budget burger. Throwing money at the dish is not the answer either with the silver service burger often suffering from too much pizzazz. Those in search of the perfect burger were forced to head Stateside to the legendary In’n’Out Burger to achieve their goal. But now burger nirvana can be achieved locally thanks to Scottish-born, Las Vegas-based chef, Grant “G-Mac” MacPherson and acclaimed American chef, Sammy “D-Man” DeMarco. Earlier this year the pair launched their first Australian project – The Merrywell at Crown’s West End precinct. The two-storey venue features a casual burger bar downstairs and restaurant, bar and alfresco terrace upstairs. The kitchen keeps things simple downstairs serving perfectly cooked burgers – nicely charred outside and pink and juicy within – with classic fillings including cheese, pickles, fried egg and beetroot.

Classic American-style sandwiches, fries, onion rings and salads are also on the menu. Everything can be washed down with a float, one of 36 beers or a cocktail. From 4pm-6pm diners can make the most of Merryhour and order a burger and pint for just $15. The restaurant upstairs takes the American theme to the next level with re-interpreted classics and old-school faves re-invented. An innovative sharing menu offering dishes such as lollipop buffalo wings with blue cheese, lobster rolls and mac ‘n’ cheese bites. The raw bar serves the standard oysters and beef Carpaccio and then takes diners outside the square with tuna poke nachos with pineapple salsa and salmon tartar cones with crème fraiche and egg roe sprinkles. Mains are man-sized with none bigger than The Caveman - a 1200 gram rib eye wet aged for 35 days and served with crisp onion rings and house steak sauce. Pub-grub is also available including fried chicken with waffles and “killer bee” honey, Grandma Grecco’s chicken parma and the D&G B.L.T Sam-which – an homage to pork featuring bacon, porchetta, pancetta, rocket, tomato, sunny-side-up egg and aioli. Desserts, including lamington trifle

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Dining

and chai crème brulee are served in a jar and the portions are generous. If you can’t decide or you’re feeling indulgent the sampler includes tastes of all five sweet treats served in shot glasses. It would be a crime to visit The Merrywell and not sample some of the dishes on offer but it is possible to stick to liquids. The beer menu has 30 bottled varieties and another eight on tap. Among the more imaginative are Macs Sassy Red, Holgate Chocolate Porter, Gypsie Pear Cider and Rekordelig Strawberry Lime Cider. Or to cut the time spent fetching drinks from the bar order one of the eight seasonal jugs including Sucker Punch with Belvedere citrus vodka, St Germain elderflower liqueur, lemon, apple juice, mint and bubbles. D-Man and G-Mac’s interest in local and seasonal produce borders on an obsession and they’ve trekked around the world in their pursuit of satisfying cravings and sharing their passion for hospitality. “We’ve been blown away by the quality of Australian produce, so our goal is to have our menu reflect this.” G-Mac said. “For us, it’s all about showcasing and celebrating these sensational seasonal flavours.” The pair also likes to give back and significant proceeds from all Vestal purified still and sparkling water sold at the venue will be donated to the Reach Foundation.

The essentials The Merrywell - Cnr Claredon Street and Crown Riverside Hours Upstairs – Mon-Thurs 5pm-12 midnight, Fri/Sat noon-3am, Sun noonmidnight Downstairs – Sun-Thurs noon-11pm, Fri/Sat noon-midnight Bookings - (03) 9292 7468 (PINT)

The signature dish(es) Burgers are boss downstairs while The Caveman – a 1200 gram rib eye wet aged for 35 days and served with crisp onion rings and house steak sauce rules the roost upstairs. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

The secret ingredient Vitamin C tablets. In a recent survey of top Australian chefs The Merrywell’s resident chef Ewart Wardhaugh revealed he crushed the tablets and used them to wash lettuce, and put some in guacamole to keep the dish fresh. “Remarkably, I find it better than lemon juice for creating freshness.”

The look Leading Melbourne-based architects and interior designers Mills Gorman, maximised the site’s views of the Yarra River with a series of inviting spaces enhanced by unexpected design details such as an illuminated wall created from 9000 beer bottles.

The prime position

terrace upstairs is ideal for anyone on the scene or wanting to be seen.

The chef recommends Sammy DeMarco says bring an appetite and some mates. “That way you’ll be able to work your way through the menu and try as many taste sensations as possible, and don’t forget to save room for something sweet.”

The twin Sandgropers now have their very own “good times on tap” with the opening of The Merrywell at Crown Perth in September. The bill: Downtsairs: $15-$25 a head plus drinks, Upstairs: $55-$75 a head plus drinks

The heated outdoor terrace upstairs with a pint or cocktail in your hand is hard to beat.

The crowd An unpretentious attitude and relaxed atmosphere makes the downstairs burger bar popular with the after work crowd and those in search of some late night blackjack fuel. Upstairs the heated

THE LAST WORD If you’d rather count chips than calories The Merrywell is the ultimate dudefood destination.

THEREALDEAL News Sportsbook

The DALEY planet 2013 State of Origin marks new era for the Blues One of the greatest players ever to don the sky blue jersey of NSW, Laurie Daley will face perhaps his toughest challenge yet when he takes over from Ricky Stuart as NSW State of Origin coach in 2013. It promises to be no simple task, yet few come as prepared as Daley for the road ahead.

Ben Blaschke: It’s been a few months now since you were appointed as the New South Wales State of Origin coach for 2013. What have you been up to in that time in terms of Origin preparations?

Country Origin coach since 2008 and an assistant to Stuart the past two years, Daley has already played a significant role in a NSW resurgence that very nearly saw them topple the mighty Maroons this year but for two controversial tries awarded to Queensland duo Greg Inglis and Justin Hodges in Games I and III.

Laurie Daley: Just getting staff together and trying to make sure we review our preparations from the past couple of years to see where we may be able to get an edge somewhere. But everything is certainly on track and what we’ve been doing the past couple of years has been very good. I’d just like to see us continue to build on that.”

More importantly, he knows what it takes to win. A veteran of 23 games for the Blues between 1989 and 1999, Daley was an inspirational leader during his playing days – captaining the side 10 times and playing a part in five series wins. He also won three grand finals with Canberra in a club career that spanned some 244 first grade games. Going by the mantra that he is out to finish the job that his good mate Stuart (who has taken on the head coaching job at Parramatta) started in 2010, Daley sat down with The Real Deal’s Ben Blaschke to chat about his plans for the Blues and what they must do to bring the shield back to NSW. 52

BB: Can we expect many changes in the support staff? LD: There won’t be a hell of a lot of change but there will be some different people on board. BB: Your predecessor Ricky Stuart was very vocal about restoring the passion during his two years in charge. What will your focus be? LD: To continue to build on what’s been put in place. You’d like to think that passion is there every game when

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Laurie Daley

you’re playing for NSW. Obviously we need to be better prepared to handle tough situations and execute a little bit better with our skill. If we can do that we’ll apply a bit of pressure to Queensland. BB: What does Laurie Daley bring to the job? LD: I think I bring a lot of things. I think I bring passion; I bring experience in terms of knowing what Origin is about and what’s required to win at that level. And I think I know how to get the best out of the group in a short period of time. For me, it’s a matter of making sure that I’m prepared well and if I’m prepared well then the players will be prepared well too and away we go. BB: What have you learnt during your time as Country Origin coach and as Ricky’s assistant with NSW the past few years? LD: Hopefully what works and what doesn’t. There is no luck factor to success – you’ve got to be well planned and disciplined and remain strong in your beliefs. It can be a long week though so you need to make sure that the enjoyment is there. It’s a balance between all of those things that I mentioned – that’s very important.

BB: Can you single out one or two reasons why NSW hasn’t been able to end Queensland’s dominance during their seven year run? LD: Oh there are a number of reasons why we haven’t been winning. Queensland has had a pretty red hot side in that seven-year period and that is a contributing factor. Plenty of people will look back and have their opinions on what’s gone wrong but I can’t control any of that. I just know what I can do. My focus will be on the present rather than the past. BB: One of Queensland’s great strengths during those seven years has been an extremely stable squad – particularly in the 1, 6, 7 and 9. Do you feel that NSW is finally taking some strides towards a similar level of stability in those areas? LD: That’s still up to the players themselves. There is no point picking players and having them not perform well. There is an expectation and a level that is consistent with being an Origin player. If they do that then the position is theirs.

“I think I bring passion; I bring experience in terms of knowing what Origin is about and what’s required to win at that level.”

BB: How does the pressure of coaching at this level compare with the pressure of playing? LD: It’s just as intense but as a player you get to have a say in the outcome. I suppose the coach, once the players are out there it’s hard to change the course of the match through any one decision or any words of advice. I think I’ve always handled pressure reasonably well. It doesn’t tend to worry me because you know what’s at stake. You know that you have to prepare well and that’s all you can do. It’s like what I ask of the players, which is to give their best. That’s all you can ask for.

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THEREALDEAL News Sportsbook BB: Would you like to stick solid with close to the same 17 that very nearly won this year’s series? LD: It’s too far away to think of those sorts of things – anything can happen – so for now it’s just building on what’s happened the past couple of years, throwing my own little touch on it and seeing where we end up. BB: Are there any young guys coming through that you expect to put their hands up for selection in the coming year or two? LD: Probably none that I’d like to single out but there are a number of guys that have been playing well. The thing for them though is not just doing it over a three or four week period. You’ve got to do it consistently over time and if you do that you get the rewards. If you don’t then you won’t get the recognition to play at that level. BB: Who impressed you during this year’s series? LD: Josh Morris was great. He really improved as the season went on and played some tremendous footy. Robbie Farah was great out of dummy-half. To be honest I think they all had their moments throughout the series but it’s a matter of being consistent the whole way through. That’s our goal. BB: Ricky Stuart has been given the green light by Parramatta to maintain some involvement with the NSW side. What role will he play? LD: Ricky will be an advisor. I’ll be in contact with him in terms of how players are going and what his thoughts are. I’ll certainly be touching base when I can but obviously how much he does will be determined by his coaching commitments at Parramatta. BB: Is it important though that you stamp your own authority on the squad without Ricky stepping on your toes LD: Yes but I think we’re lucky that we’ve known one another for a long time and

are great friends. We bounce things off each other all the time anyway. Rick will have his hands full at Parramatta but anything I need or want he will be only too happy to give me that advice. We’re pretty comfortable with where we’re at. BB: What would it mean to you to guide the Blues to victory in 2013? LD: I’m not even going down that path at this stage. It’s just something that you have to earn. You’ve got to go through a process to even contemplate getting there. My focus is just on getting the players through to play in the origin and hopefully go on and be at their best. BB: There was some controversy after the end of season Test match when the Queenslanders in the Australian side sang the Maroons victory song following the win over New Zealand. What are your thoughts? LD: That’s not for me to comment on. The players that were there, I don’t know how they feel about it but it doesn’t affect me and it won’t affect the way that I go about preparing the footy side. BB: Finally Laurie, the NRL recently announced a restructuring of the refereeing ranks with referees bosses Bill Harrigan and Stuart Raper sacked largely as a result of the controversial tries to Greg Inglis and Justin Hodges that many believe robbed NSW of victory this year. Are you pleased to see changes implemented given what happened?

PRO-FILE Name: Age:

Laurie Daley 43 Originally from: Junee, NSW

PLAYING CAREER Position: Centre, five-eighth Games: 244 with Canberra (1987-200) Points: 445 (including 87 tries) Rep games: 59 (including 23 for NSW and 21 for Australia) COACHING CAREER Games: 8 (five with Country Origin; three with the Indigenous All Stars) HONOURS Named in list of Australia’s 100 Greatest Players; named as five-eighth in Indigenous Team of the Century

LD: You’re never pleased to see people lose their job. Obviously there were areas of refereeing and video refereeing that wasn’t at its best. But generally the game is in good shape and if we can get that part right we’ll have an even better game. It’s just one of those things where unfortunately they didn’t have a great year. It can happen to players too where they have a bad year and hit back the next year and hopefully that will be the case because you’d like to think that refereeing decisions won’t determine the course of the series. WWW.POKERMEDIA.COM.AU

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THEREALDEAL News Sportsbook

HIGH VAULT-AGE Making and breaking your punting bankroll

In sports betting, there are three pillars of wisdom – always look for the best price; do your homework and manage your bankroll effectively. Of those three, the last is the one that breaks most punters. We decided to quiz our sports betting expert on how he manages to avoid getting a real job year after year!

Correct money management is easy to explain and near impossible to follow. There have been about as many ‘systems’ for varying the bet size as there are systems to beat the lotto. Few of them work and generally just end up affecting cash flow while raising the breakeven percentage that must be achieved. Any time you vary your bet size by

the slightest amount, you increase the break-even percentage of 53 per cent. If you refigure your percentage after each bet, your break-even jumps to more than 55 per cent. If you have one-star and five-star bets or bet twice as much on some plays, you should understand that only the large bets are meaningful to whether you will be a winner. You might as well not bet the smaller ones.

In the end, they won’t matter. Some experts suggest you should increase your bet when you are on a winning streak and decrease it when you are on a losing streak. If you know you will win today, why not bet it all? If you know you will lose today, you might consider not betting at all. The problem with bet size is not the streaks, but the break-even mark. If you

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Sports Betting

have a 56 per cent advantage on each bet, over 200 games you will win less than 50 per cent about 17 per cent of the time. You will win more than 60 per cent about 17 per cent of the time. Winning 100 and losing 100 with a five per cent unit, you will lose half of your bankroll (100 wins times $50 less 100 losses times $55 equals minus $500 on a $1000 bankroll, allowing for the bookies’ commission).You will lower your bet and never get even. So it doesn’t make sense to commit more than two per cent of your bankroll. Anything over two per cent is unacceptably risky, even for recreational punters. The reality is that each person may be trying to accomplish something different. If your goal is to afford entertainment and not go broke, that is entirely different than the goal of making a living. If you bet $100 a game on an NRL game, it will cost you about $5 a week if you can go 50-50. There is nothing wrong with that. It’s cheaper than a movie. But that is entertainment expense, not an investment vehicle. To bet sport profitably, you must treat it as you would any other business. In sports betting, your inventory is your cash. If you run out of cash, you are out of business. The old saying is that you should not use your rent money with which to bet. That is true. But if you’re betting for a living it is equally true that you must not use your gambling bankroll to pay the rent. The amazing thing about sports betting is the return on investment (ROI) that is possible. And there is no magic. The return on investment is a function of the winning percentage and the amount that is invested. The amount invested is a function of how many games (investments) are bet and how much is bet on each game. It is the same as any business. How many units did you sell and how much did you gross per widget. In the case of our sports betting expert, he makes approximately 1000 bets per year and commits about one per cent of his bankroll. That means he’ll bet one per cent of his money

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1000 times – that’s 1000 per cent of his bankroll. Get it? The same money is bet 10 times each year.

We’re still over the (Green) moon! It may have been a horror Melbourne Cup Carnival for punters, but regular followers of the PMA Sports Betting column finished in the black. This was our suggestion for the Melbourne Cup, which duly saluted at a tote price of $21. • #14 GREEN MOON ($21) was unfairly sacked after his run in the Cox Plate. The tempo was too quick although from a fitness perspective, that run would have brought him along nicely and he looks to get a plum spot in the running line here. A short autumn campaign fits the ideal profile for a Melbourne Cup winner and Green Moon fits our fifth-up indicator for this race (he ran second in last year’s Caulfield Cup last prep). Top Aussie hoop Brett Prebble returns from HK for the ride. For great promotions and a fantastic sign-up bonus through our sports betting partner Centrebet, check out PMA’s weekly tips available each Friday.

He aims to win around 56-57 per cent of his bets (call it 56), so will win 560 and lose 440, with 44 units going to the bookie. So that will equate to about $7.60 profit on every $100 bet. Put that into the context of people throwing around ridiculous sums at this time of year on horse races, and you can see why bookies can afford to spend 10s of millions of dollars promoting their brands and websites. “I know the number of plays I have each year. I know what my bet size is. And with 1000 bets, the standard deviation for my win percentage is two. So I know I will win between 55 per cent and 57 per cent,” our expert said. Sounds pretty boring, and there aren’t too many surprises. With a 56 per cent expectation, your bankroll reaches a new high only five per cent of the time and 19 out of 20 days you will be below your bankroll high. The novice thinks you should have more money each day. With a 56 per cent win rate and 100 bets a month, he will also lose money every ninth month. Good money management is aided by knowing what to expect. As a final note on bet size, our expert outlined how he aspires to a 100 per cent return on investment each year. “I bet one per cent of my bank and continue until my bank grows by at least 25%. Then I recalculate the one per cent. So if I started with $10,000, I would bet $100 a game until my bank grows to at least $12,500. At that point, I would refigure my unit to $125. It would stay there until I reached at least $15,625. That way my actual risk reward ratio doesn’t get too high,” he said. “The other thing that I do that is unique and rather arguable is that I never lower my bet. Remember, if you vary the bet, your break-even goes up. I’m comfortable that I can ride through a losing streak. If you lose 10 games at $200 a bet and lower the bet to $180, you must win 12.2 bets to get back to even. That is how I get my 100% annual ROI. My actual bet goes up during the year as my bankroll reaches higher plateaus.”

THEREALDEAL News Sportsbook

The beard to be feared Meet Aussie darts champs Simon “The Wizard” Whitlock A flick through the sports section of any Australian daily newspaper is a trip down memory lane. Sports are covered in pretty much the same way as they’ve always been. This makes it very difficult for sportspeople excelling in fields that don’t normally receive coverage, or sports that have become popular in more recent times, to receive much in the way of mainstream publicity. Let us introduce exhibit A – he’s one of the most recognisable Aussies sportsmen in Europe but could walk unbothered through any major Australian city without attracting much more than a cursory glance. But for anyone who regularly tunes into Fox Sports excellent coverage of darts from the UK or Europe, the face – actually, the hair – of Simon Whitlock is instantly recognisable.

Simon Whitlock – known as “The Wizard” or “The Beard to be Feared” – has a story of persistence that ranks with any Aussie who’s ever overcome the odds to compete, and excel, against the world’s best. Although highly respected in the world of darts among competitors and spectators alike, validation finally came for the 43-year-old earlier this year when he won the European Championship, thus confirming his status as arguably the best darts player ever born in the southern hemisphere. Whitlock’s first taste of darts came as a 15-yearold: “Despite what people think, there’s a strong culture of darts in Australia. My dad used to play in a bowling club. They sectioned it off so kids could go in there, away from the alcohol, and it all started like that,” Whitlock said. “I was actually good at maths, and then with the darts my maths improved out of sight. I think it’s a great thing for the schools. You pick it up very quickly. Once you start learning all the finishes and your triples, it makes a big difference. “And like many Aussies, I used to watch tournaments like the World Championships and World Masters and guys like Jocky Wilson and John Lowe on the old Wide World of Sports on Channel Nine.” Aside for his distinctive beard and hairstyle, Whitlock is also famed for a unique and aggressive throwing action: “When I was a kid I had a bit of WWW.POKERMEDIA.COM.AU

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coaching from an Australian player called Alan Grant, he was one of the world’s top players, and he helped me a bit with my action. I sort of moulded myself from fellow Aussie Tony David (2002 BDO World Champion), another favourite player.” The Wizard has won a whole host of titles on both sides of the globe and became a fan favourite after reaching World Championship finals in both the British Darts Organisation (BDO) and Professional Darts Corporation. Indeed, he’s the only player to have reached both finals without winning a world title. He has also been runner-up in the Premier League and World Cup of Darts. Like many stories of “overnight success”, Whitlock slowly built a respectable record on home soil (while working as a bricklayer) until dipping his toe in the big time of UK darts. Whitlock spent a year in the PDC before joining the BDO, making the semi-finals of the World Championship and International Darts League in 2005. In 2008, he went one step further and reached the World Championship final but was beaten by Mark Webster. The Beard to be Feared rejoined the PDC in 2009 and was soon charging up the rankings with some stunning performances. None more so than his run to the final of the 2010 World Championship where he made a big impression, beating a number of higher ranked opponents on the way. During that tournament Whitlock consistently entertained the crowd with high checkouts, including two 170s, one of which was in the final. That prizemoney of AUD $180,000 finally meant Whitlock could dedicate himself fully to an annual campaign in the UK. Controversially, he would do so after leaving his wife of 10 years Peta. But issues on the home front didn’t seem to impact Whitlock’s form as he enjoyed

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a brilliant 50 per cent double success rate during the 2010 Premier League, an incredible feat considering the tournament runs over 14 weeks. He made the semifinals of the Premier League that year as he continued to make the latter stages of major events. Later that year, Whitlock reached the semi-finals of the World Matchplay, where he lost to the same player who had beaten him at the Alexandra Palace in the 2010 PDC World Championships final, Phil Taylor. “I would say being runner-up in the PDC World Championship in 2010 to Phil Taylor was my career highlight. I’d rank him among the greatest sportsmen ever. He’d have to be up there. I can’t think of anybody better than him. What he’s done in his sport is amazing: 15 world titles, numerous television titles, over 70 now I think. The man is an absolute genius on the dartboard,” Whitlock said. Whitlock ended an impressive year with a run to another semi-final, this time at the inaugural World Cup of Darts, where he represented Australia with Paul Nicholson. Whitlock was selected to play in the prestigious Premier League again in 2011. He also became the first player to hit perfect nine dart finishes in successive ProTour events. In 2012, Whitlock enjoyed another brilliant run at the World Championship when he reached the semi-final, despite playing the tournament with a broken ankle. He followed that up by reaching the final of the next two televised majors. Whitlock, partnered again by Nicholson, missed out on World Cup glory for Australia in a final leg shoot-out to the English pairing of Taylor and Adrian Lewis. He then finished runner-up to Taylor in the Premier League, after hitting a nine-dart finish against Andy Hamilton in the semifinals in front of 10,000 delighted fans at London’s O2 Arena. “Yeah that was just unbelievable. That was like a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to do a nine-darter in front of a big crowd and on live TV,” he said. In September 2012, Whitlock ended his wait for televised title when he defeated Wez Newton 11-5 to be crowned as European Darts Champion. The Aussie showed no signs of nerves at the business end, edging 10-5 ahead before closing out the show with a decisive double eight. Just weeks before the biggest win of his

darts career, Whitlock took on and beat his hero on home soil with a 6-5 victory over Phil Taylor in the DPA Australasian Masters on the Gold Coast. ‘The Wizard’ delighted his home crowd by defeating 15-time World Champion Taylor to take the title, after coming through a field of 256 players at the Gold Coast: “I was thrilled to win that one in Australia. To beat Phil in the final made it an extra special day for me and all my Australian fans. That was for them.” And we couldn’t profile “The Wizard” without inquiring into the maintenance required on the sport’s most distinctive hairstyle. “Each time I get my hair rebraided that takes roughly nine hours. I get it done every couple of months. The beard, yeah I have to straighten that. I use a hair straightener before I leave the house,” he said.

PROFILE: Name: Simon Whitlock Nickname: The Wizard Born: Cessnock, NSW Lives: Hornsby, NSW Age: 43 Entry music: Down Under by Men at Work Organisation: Professional Darts Corporation World ranking: 5 Major achievements: Winner 2012 European Championships; runner-up 2012 PDC Premier League; runner-up 2010 PDC World Championship; runnerup 2008 BDO World Championship; winner 2008 Australian National Championship; winner 2004-07 Australian Grand Masters

THEREALDEAL News Sportsbook

LOOKS LIKE RAIN ... When Mother Nature buys a front row seat Through rain, hail and shine, sportspeople are trained to overcome adversity but sometimes Mother Nature can’t help but test their patience. Here are some famous examples of nature intruding – sometimes painfully – into the world of sport.

• Golfers know only too well the dangers of lightning, but the worst tragedies involving bolts from the blue during thunderstorms have struck soccer matches. In a league game being played in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1998, a team of 11 players were killed when lightning struck the water-logged pitch. Bizarrely, members of the opposition side were completely unhurt, leading locals to believe some sort of witchcraft had been involved in the tragedy.

• Snow can be a pretty major impediment when it comes to sport, but several memorable NFL games have been played on a field of white. On December 12, 1982, the Miami Dolphins travelled to Foxborough to take on their divisional rivals the New England Patriots on a frozen Schaefer Stadium field. Scores were locked at 0-0 when Patriots coach Ron Meyer controversially ordered the snowplough operator to clear a spot for his place kicker John Smith to score the match-winning field goal.

• Snow doesn’t always mean extreme cold, and for truly Arctic conditions we found a couple of unbelievable examples. In 2009, Norwegian league club Rosenborg hosted Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen for a Europa League tie in which the temperature fell to -14C. Worse still was the 1991 Canadian Football League championship game in Winnipeg, Manitoba where the mercury fell to -16C as the Toronto Argonauts defeated the Calgary Stampeders. Amazingly, almost 52,000 turned out for the game!

• The combination of open ocean, ferocious storms and yachts has, not surprisingly, resulted in the deaths of scores of competitive sailors over the years. The worst tragedy in ocean racing history occurred in 1979 when a Force 10 gale struck the fleet of 306 yachts. Only 86 craft finished the race, 194 were retired and 24 were abandoned or sunk. More than 4000 people participated in the rescue mission, but 19 competitors lost their lives.

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• Fog is a common intrusion in everyday life but can make things pretty difficult on the sporting field. In one of the most bizarre games ever played in AFL-VFL history, Fitzroy anwd Carlton met at the Junction Oval in St Kilda in August 1971 where an enormous wall of fog rolled over the ground from the nearby Port Phillip Bay. Such was the thickness of the mist, the emergency umpire was forced to relay scores from the goal umpires to the scorers.

• Perhaps the most famous connection between sport and weather is the NRL Premiership Trophy immortalising the mud-soaked figures of Norm Provan (St George) and Arthur Summons (Western Suburbs). The 1963 Grand Final was played in shocking conditions at the SCG after heavy rain had soaked Sydney in the days preceding the game. St George prevailed 8-3 over the Magpies, with John O’Gready snapping that famous image of Provan and Summons just seconds after the final siren.

• Just over 30 minutes before Game 3 of the 1989 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland As, Candlestick Park and much of the Bay Area was struck by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake. Fans watching the teams warm-up watched in amazement as commentators were thrust into the role of on-the-spot reporters. Although the stadium suffered only minor damage, and the As would go on to win the series in a 4-0 sweep, the Loma Prieta Earthquake killed 63 people.

• The global warming doomsayers had a field day in the weeks leading up to the 2012 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, due to a distinct lack of the white stuff. After experiencing the hottest January on record, the unseasonably warm weather continued right up to the Opening Ceremony. Organisers were forced to ship in tons of hay bales and snow from higher elevations so the freestyle skiing and snowboard events could be held at the Cypress Mountain resort.

• When it comes to the impact of heat on a sporting event, it’s hard to go past the Australian Open at Melbourne Park. Despite the use of retractable rooves and an extreme heat policy, there’s still only so much you can do during a Melbourne summer heatwave. In 2009, the mercury rose above 43°C on three successive days forcing several matches to be postponed. After winning her quarter-final over Svetlana Kuznetsova, Serena Williams famously described the conditions as “really, really, really hot”.

• No sporting event anywhere in the world is as intrinsically linked with weather than the All-England Championships at Wimbledon. Such is the regular impact of rain delays in south west London each July, that organisers eventually cut their losses and added a roof to the centre court in time for the 2012 event (luckily, as it was one of the worst years for wet weather). Since 1922, there have been just seven “dry” editions of Wimbledon, and for 45 years in a row from 1931, it rained every year!

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

THEREALDEAL News Sportsbook

The Melbourne Cup Two minutes that stop a nation The latest stop on our Ultimate Sporting Tour takes us to fabulous Flemington on the first Tuesday of November – along side more than 100,000 others – for the running of the $6.175 million Emirates Melbourne Cup. Event: The Melbourne Cup, Group 1 handicap run over 3200 metres for three-year-olds and up Where: Since it was first held in 1861, the Melbourne Cup has been run at the home of the Victoria Racing Club, Flemington Racecourse. When: The Cup was run on the first Thursday of November until 1875 when it was moved to the first Tuesday of November. In 1870 and 1916, the race was postponed due to the wet state of the track, and was run on a Saturday in the years 1942-44. Why: One of the world’s great handicap contests, the Melbourne Cup is also much more than a horse race – it’s a revered sporting, social and cultural event, that continues to play a significant role in defining Australia’s national identity. Scores of picnic race meetings across the nation helping define the Melbourne Cup as the race that truly stops the nation. Honour roll: Where do you start? The list of champion of the turf to win the race include Carbine (1890, carrying a race record 65.5kg), the legendary Phar Lap (1930), Comic Court (1950), Rising Fast (1954), Kiwi (1983), Vintage Crop (1993) and Might and Power (1997). Only four horses have won the race twice – Archer (1861-62), Peter Pan (1932 and 1934), Rain Lover (1968-69) and Think Big (1974-75). And, of course, the magical mare Makybe Diva stands above all others as a three-time winner (2003-04-05). Jockeys Bobbie Lewis and Harry White hold the joint record of four Melbourne Cup wins, while the man known as the “Cups King”, Bart Cummings, has trained an amazing 12 winners.

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Highs & lows • The win of Vintage Crop in 1993 highlighted the story of a horse brought here from Ireland with one purpose. Trained by Dermott Weld (below) the horse had lost 16 kgs in traveling to Australia. He had no lead up events to the Cup. With little known about Vintage Crop except some good Irish form and with rain affecting the track, he was sent out 16-1. Jockey Michael Kinane made his move at the famous 600m-mark. Reaching the lead 150 metres out the post he ran away from the Gai Waterhouse-trained Te Akau Nick to win by three lengths. The horse’s victory was the first sign that the race was now attracting some of the best horses in the world.

• The warning siren sounded at Flemington at 2.01pm on Melbourne Cup day, 39 minutes before the cup was to be run. The course broadcaster announced that Big Philou had been scratched by order of the stewards. Rain Lover went on to win the cup while Big Philou grew visibly distressed in the stalls. Three months later, a former strapper in Bart Cummings’ stable, Leslie Lewis, was deported from New Zealand to face a charge of nobbling the four-year-old gelding, but he was later acquitted. Big Philou raced again, beating Rain Lover in a match race, but the doping riddle was never solved.

• For sheer drama, it’s hard to go past the 1876 Cup won by 3yo filly Briseis over a field of 33 runners. She won the VRC Derby, Melbourne Cup and VRC Oaks within a period of just six days. Peter St Albans remains the youngest jockey to win the Cup – he was eight days shy of his 13th birthday and weighed in just shy of 40kgs! Two months earlier, two of the race favourites Nemesis and Robin Hood were killed aboard the City of Melbourne after it sailed into a savage storm en route from Sydney.

Just days after the death of explorers Burke an d Wills was announced in late 1861, a crowd of 4000 turned out to see 5yo stallion Archer win the first Me lbourne Cup by six lengths ove r 3-1 favourite Morm on. One horse bolted at the sta rt, while three others fell with two dying. Contrary to folklore, Archer didn’t walk to Melbourne from the stables of trainer Eti enne de Mestre near Nowra, NSW. He made the trip south aboard the steamer Cit y of Melbourne, return ing with the first prize of 710 go ld sovereigns.

Just weeks after the death of his brother Jason after a fall in a trial at Belmont in Perth, Damien Oliver famously steered the 6yo gelding Media Puzzle to an emotioncharged victory in the 2002 Melbourne Cup. Oliver raised his finger to the heavens as the Irish stayer crossed the line ahead of Mr Prudent and Beekeeper. Media Puzzle smashed the course record in winning the Geelong Cup two weeks earlier to earn a cup berth. The story of Oliver, trainer Dermott Weld and Media Puzzle provides the story for the movie The Cup.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

THEREALDEAL

Sean Callander

The Last Word

Wild cards A bumpy ride in pub poker’s early days In the past few weeks, PMA have had the honour of watching and covering two of the most professionally run pub/club poker events ever held – the NPL500 at The Star and the 888PL/APL/Pub Poker MAIN EVENT at Crown. It again reminded us of how far this vital segment of our industry has progressed since the first events were held in late 2005.

he pub poker market has evolved and matured into one of Australia’s leading forms of entertainment in pubs, clubs and venues throughout the country. Indeed, scores of professionally run events are played every day and night right across the country. Over the past seven years, we’ve seen many operators come and go Xx who including many “fly-by-nighters” saddled up during the boom years to make a quick buck. We sampled many of them but one evening stands out above all others. An invite arrived at the-then Bluff Australasia office to attend a pub poker launch featuring a product that Star wouldhe “revolutionise” the industry. The invite was accompanied by dozens of follow-up phone calls and, against my better judgment, I headed across the Westgate Bridge to one of the less salubrious venues in Melbourne’s western suburbs. On arrival, the proprietor explained to me that we would be playing a new form of poker where players had to win their individual table before moving on to the final table. He called it a “Shotgun” format. “Isn’t that like a shootout?” I queried. “No mate, this is shotgun, no-one’s ever done this.” Hmmm. I took my seat to discover that, seated directly opposite, were two members of one of the better-known

bikie gangs. No problem, but this pair had clearly had a bad day at the office and were working their way methodically through the pub’s supply of bourbon to drown their sorrows. Play started, and the bikies quickly decamped to the bar. The blinds came around to Bikie 1, and I reached across to grab the chips for his big blind. Suddenly there was warm breath on the back of my neck. “What the f**k do you think you’re doing?” I explained, as a certain part of my anatomy began to shrink, what I was doing before being warned that my arm would be parted from the rest of my body if I again touched Bikie 1’s chips. Perhaps this shotgun format had a point of difference after all. Not surprisingly, the TD agreed with the ruling and Bikie 1 returned to the bar. After about an hour, I had acquired the rest of the chips on the table and awaited the return of Jack Daniels and Jim Beam to the table, where their starting stacks remained in tact. Bikie 2 suddenly declared a lack of interest in the game, and shifted his chips straight across to the stack of Bikie 1. Again, the TD ruled that this was allowed under the T&Cs of his fledgling operation.

“So you think you’re some sort of f**king poker legend?” came the opening gambit from my opponent. I tried to think of a witty reply, but found my mind occupied by just one thought – how quickly can I dump my chips to this guy? First hand, he shoves his chips into the middle and slams down pocket 10s. I’m relieved to look down and find 8-3, and call. To my horror, I dealt a flop of K-8-8. Oh shit. But a life-saving 10 on the turn restored my rival’s good humour. Our heads-up duel continued in the same vein as I quickly ensured Bikie 1’s spot at the final table. Such was the quality of my play that I was poured a celebratory Bourbon and coke by Bikie 2 from one of several jugs on the bar. Not surprisingly, Bikie 1 cut through the final table like a hot knife through butter and proudly collected his trophy, pub voucher and card protector. I’m sad to report that the shotgun concept never took off and the company no longer exists. But at least I never discovered what it would be like to have the flesh torn from my body after being attached to the rear of a Harley and dragged along the Westgate Freeway. WWW.POKERMEDIA.COM.AU

Schedule

New look for an old favourite out west

Upcoming events Nov 26-Dec 2

WPT Mazagan (Mazagan Casino, Casablanca, Morocco)

Nov 28-Dec 9

Star Poker Summer Series (The Star, Sydney, NSW)

Dec 3-9

Asian Poker Tour India (Casino Carnival, Panjim, Goa, India)

December 3-9

WPT Prague (Corinthia Casino, Prague, Czech Republic)

December 5-15

EPT Prague (Hilton Prague Hotel, Czech Republic)

December 17-22

Five Diamond World Poker Classic (Bellagio , Las Vegas, NV)

2013 January 5-14

PCA (Atlantis Resort and Casino, Bahamas)

January 17-February 3 Aussie Millions (Crown Melbourne) Jan 30-Feb 9

EPT Deauville (Casino Barriere, Deauville, France)

Feb 14-24

ANZPT Perth (Crown Perth, WA)

Feb 18-23

PartyPoker WPT Vienna (Montesino, Vienna, Austria)

Feb 20-24

The MAIN Event III (Crown Melbourne, Vic)

Feb 27-March 5

APT Asian Series Jeju (Royal Palace Casino, Oriental Hotel, Jeju, Korea)

Perth makes a welcome return to the ANZPT* schedule for 2013 after its shock axing this year, with the 11-day schedule kicking off on February 14. The tournament series will also provide players from the eastern seaboard a great chance to check out some of the stunning new facilities at the recent re-branded Crown Perth. New features at Perth’s premier entertainment destination include new café Cotta, new bar Fusion, a new entertainment hub called Groove Bar & Lounge and a fresh new look area of the Casino. Fusion introduces a new level of sophistication to the selection of bars at Crown Perth. Enjoy a drink with friends in stylish surrounds, featuring a glowing onyx bar top and a chandelier of glass lanterns. At Cotta you can catch up with friends over a freshly brewed coffee and enjoy a range of mouth watering homestyle cakes and baked goods, all prepared daily and on display for you to choose. If you’re after something a little more substantial, pop in for a light meal and choose from a selection of savoury snacks. Groove Bar & Lounge is a new addition to the exciting choice of entertainment venues and the perfect place to let your hair down. With a top line-up of the bands and some new faces, you can dance or sing along while sipping on your favourite drinks at Groove. Crown Melbourne regulars will be familiar with Bistro Guillaume and The Merrywell, which are now also both open for business at Crown Perth, along with worldclass accommodation at the Crown Perth Metropol and Promenade Hotels.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

March 4-8

Bay 101 WPT Shooting Star (Bay 101, San Jose, CA)

March 6-16

EPT London (Landmark Hotel, London, UK)

March 21-24

ANZPT Sydney Main Event (The Star, Sydney, NSW)

April 4-15

WSOP Asia Pacific (Crown Melbourne)

April 5-10

PartyPoker WPT Barcelona (Casino Barcelona, Spain)

April 11-16

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown (Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, FL)

April 17-27

EPT Berlin (Grand Hyatt Berlin, Germany)

May 6-15

EPT Monte Carlo (Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, Monaco)

May 18-24

WPT World Championship (Bellagio Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV)

May 29-July 16

World Series of Poker (Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV)

July 30-Aug 4

NZPT Queenstown Main Event (SKYCITY Queenstown, NZ)

AUSTRALIA

The new hub for news and informed commentary relating to the Australian poker industry