Shuffle Magazine - Issue 13 by Shuffle Magazine

www.shufflemagazine.com

the read between hands

A slice of

HISTORY Tamworth’s Troy Brindle wins debut APLPT title at Star City Plus: • TeamAPL bound for Vegas • Michael Ho wins final WTPC

It’s here: Club APL open for business

Winter 2010

ISSUE 13•$5.95

weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen your poker tournament, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve raised it.

20 official championship events

Championship prize pool estimated at AUD$15 million*

World class poker room with 72 tables Over 40 restaurants and cafes 24 hour VIP services

Home to 3 stunning hotels

Over 30 bars

Exclusive parties

2 nightclubs

Poker legends

1 3 - 3 0 JANUARY 2 011

Celebrities

2011 AUSSIE MILLIONS CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE Date Thur 13 Fri 14

Sat 15

Sun 16

Time

Tournament

7:10pm

Opening Event - NLH Day 1 Flight 1

10:15am

Phase 1 Satellite

12:30pm

Opening Event - NLH Day 1 Flight 2 (Repechage)

6:15pm

Phase 3 Supershot Satellite - Main Event

Tournament

12:30pm

Phase 3 Supershot Satellite Main Event

$1,150 (1,060+90)

$100,000 Challenge (2 Day Event)

$100,500 ($100,000+500)

$1,100 (1,000+100)

2:15pm

$1,150 (1,060+90)

4.00pm

Phase 2 Satellite

6:15pm

12:30pm

Opening Event - NLH Day 1 Flight 3 (Re-Repechage)

Phase 3 Supershot Satellite Main Event

2:15pm

Phase 2 Satellite

6:15pm

Phase 3 Supershot Satellite - Main Event

$250 (230+20)

Sun 23

Phase 2 Satellite

$250 (230+20)

10:15am

Phase 2 Satellite

$250 (230+20)

$1,150 (1,060+90)

12:30pm

Phase 2 Satellite

$250 (230+20)

2:00pm

10:15am

Phase 1 Satellite

$65 (50+15)

2:15pm

12:30pm

Opening Event - NLH Day 2

4:15pm

Phase 2 Satellite

$250 (230+20)

PokerPro NLH Shootout

$550 (500+50)

Phase 3 Supershot Satellite - Main Event

Mon 24

10:15pm

Phase 2 Satellite

$250 (230+20)

10:15am

Phase 1 Satellite

$65 (50+15)

Pot Limit Omaha (2 Day Event)

2:15pm

Phase 2 Satellite

6:15pm

Phase 3 Supershot Satellite - Main Event

Phase 2 Satellite

10:15am

Phase 1 Satellite

12:30pm

2:15pm

8 Game Mixed Event (2 Day Event) Phase 2 Satellite

4.00pm

Phase 3 Supershot Satellite - Main Event

10:15pm

Phase 2 Satellite

10:15am

Phase 1 Satellite

12:30pm

NLH - 6 Handed (2 Day Event)

4.00pm

8 Game Mixed Event Day 2

4:15pm

Phase 3 Supershot Satellite - Main Event

$250 (230+20)

6:15pm 10:15pm

Wed 26

$250 (230+20)

Thur 27

$1,150 (1,060+90) $250 (230+20)

Phase 2 Satellite

Aussie Millions Main Event Day 1 Flight 2 Last Chance Phase 2 Satellite 2

Aussie Millions Main Event Day 1 Flight 3

12:30pm

High Stakes Cash Game 11

12:30pm

Fri 28

$10,600 ($10,000+600)

Pot Limit Omaha

Australian Heads Up Championship - (32 Players Max)

4:15pm

NLH

12:30pm 15

8 Game Mixed Event

4:15pm

NLH

12:30pm

2:30pm

$1,150 (1,000+150)/ $1,000 Rebuys $250 (230+20) $1,150 (1,060+90)

4:15pm Sat 29

12:45pm

$550 (500+50)

$5,300 (5,000+300) $10,500 (10,000+500)

$550 (500+50)

$10,500 (10,000+500) $550 (500+50)

NLH 6 handed

$2,200 ($2,000+200)

Australian Heads Up Championship - Finals 18

NLH

$550 (500+50)

Aussie Millions Main Event - Day 5 19

2:00pm Sun 30

$200,000 Minimum

Aussie Millions Main Event - Day 4

12:30pm 12.45pm

$10,600 ($10,000+600)

Aussie Millions Main Event - Day 3

12:45pm

12.45pm

$250 (230+20)

Aussie Millions Main Event - Day 2

2:15pm

$65 (50+15)

$1,150 (1,060+90)

NLH

12:45pm

$1,100 (1,000+100)

NLH - 6 Handed Day 2 Phase 3 Supershot Satellite - Main Event

$250 (230+20)

12:30pm

$65 (50+15) $1,100 (1,000+100)

$65 (50+15)

4.00pm

$250 (230+20)

Last Chance Phase 2 Satellite 1

4:15pm

$250 (230+20)

Phase 2 Satellite

10:15am

4.00pm

$1,150 (1,060+90)

Phase 1 Satellite

2:15pm

Tues 25

$1,100 (1,000+100)

Phase 2 Satellite NLH - Rebuys (2 Day Event)

10:15pm

$1,150 (1,060+90)

10:15am 7

$1,150 (1,060+90)

Last Chance Supershot Satellite - Main Event

10:15pm 12:30pm

Phase 3 Supershot Satellite Main Event

6:15pm

NLH Shootout Day 2

6:15pm

$550 (500+50)

$250 (230+20)

Pot Limit Omaha Day 2

10:15pm

$250 (230+20)

NLH Teams Event

$1,150 (1,060+90)

$65 (50+15)

Phase 3 Supershot Satellite - Main Event

Phase 2 Satellite

$200,000 Minimum

$250 (230+20)

6:15pm

High Stakes Cash Game

Phase 1 Satellite

4.00pm

$100,000 Challenge Day 2

2:15pm

Phase 2 Satellite

$10,600 ($10,000+600)

4.00pm

10:15am

NLH Shootout (2 Day event)

Aussie Millions Main Event Day 1 Flight 1

$1,100 (1,000+100)

10:15pm 4

6:15pm

$1,150 (1,060+90)

$250 (230+20) $1,150 (1,060+90)

10:15pm

$250 (230+20)

No Limit Holdem - Rebuys Day 2

4:15pm

$1,100 (1,000+100)

Cost (Buy in + Entry)

Phase 2 Satellite

$65 (50+15)

2:15pm

E = Event

$250 (230+20)

12:30pm

Fri 21

$65 (50+15)

Time 10:15am

Phase 1 Satellite

12:30pm

Thurs 20

Sat 22

Phase 2 Satellite

6:15pm

Wed 19

Date

10:15am

2:15pm

Tues 18

$1,100 (1,000+100)

10:15pm

4:15pm

Mon 17

Cost (Buy in + Entry)

Feature Event - No Limit Holdem (Bounties) Day 1

$1,650 (1,500+150)

NLH 6 Handed Day 2 20

Turbo NLH

2.00pm

Feature Event - NLH (Bounties) Day 2

9.00pm

Aussie Millions Farewell Party

$1,100 ($1,000+100)

$250 (230+20)

= Televised

*Tournament terms and conditions apply. Entry to the casino is open to all persons 18 years and over. Entrants must be a Crown Signature Club member. Membership requires appropriate identification. Full terms and conditions awaiting approval by regulator. Please check on-line at www.crownpoker.com.au or at the Poker Desk, located on Level B2, Crown Entertainment Complex closer to tournament date for full terms and conditions.

contents

ISSUE 13 – Winter 2010

DealMEIN

52 VENUE REVIEW The Saint George in WA, Adelaide’s Albion Hotel and Star City Casino in Sydney are the venues highlighted in this edition

7 TABLE TALK Have your say on the big issues and all things APL

8 THE INSIDE STRAIGHT

TURNCARD

The latest news & happening in the APL and the world of poker; plus exclusive coverage of the Play for a Cure charity event

54 SHARK PATROL Tread carefully if you spot any of these rising stars pulling up a chair at your table

12 VIRTUAL FELT We’ve gone all Zen but our gurus have turned up some great advice to turn your online losses into profits

56 PLAYER DIARY Tom Alexander kept a journal detailing his tales of woe on the green felt in recent months

59 SEAN CALLANDER

KnowtheDeal

Want a sponsorship? Don’t expect much sympathy from someone who’s watched some of the world’s best players passed over

15 JAMIE GLAZIER Our mental conditioning man provides the bricks for you to build the perfect processdriven poker game

60 HEADS UP

17 THE BIG SHOW

Erik Seidel’s record is one of the greatest in the history of tournament poker – he discusses the secrets of his success in this exclusive chat

Steve “The Big Show” Topakas is still buzzing after pulling on the green and gold for the first World Team Poker event

19 LANDON BLACKHALL Shuffling – king of importance at an APL game, so Landon Blackhall’s latest offering is a must-read for all players

21 SHUFFLE ACADEMY Sometimes sophisticated plays are lost on inexperienced players but for God’s sake, don’t tell them

23 ST DEGEN The patron saint of bad beats, St Degen applies some poker theory to the Battle of Thermopylae – heavy stuff!

A SLICE OF HISTORY – Troy’s triumph

FLOPSHOT 26 WILD TURKEY POKER CLASSIC We chat to Michael Ho after he claimed the final APL Main Event title in a dramatic weekend at Melbourne’s Crown Casino

32 TEAM APL The line-up has been decided for TeamAPL – we profile the latest additions and preview the 2010 WSOP Main Event

38 HAND HISTORY Five years have past since Joe Hachem shocked the world and won the 2005 WSOP Main Event title – how time flies!

48 CLUB APL

62 COMMUNITY CARDS Sydney’s South West is among the most popular regions in the country – great people, great venues, great games

THERIVER 64 TOURNAMENT CALENDAR Check out the upcoming events on the local, regional and international poker calendar

It’s here: one of the most exciting developments in APL history launches on July 1, make sure you’re logged on!

Winter 2010

from the ceo Martin Martinez

APL raises the bar with new projects

▼

APL co-founder and CEO Martin Martinez highlights three more historic moments for the world’s premier pub/club poker organisation – the first APL Poker Tour event in Sydney, the launch of Club APL and TeamAPL’s trek to the USA for the 2010 World Series of Poker.

t is hard to imagine that less than five years ago, the APL didn’t exist. From humble beginnings hosting free poker tournaments in pubs and clubs around Australia, we now host our own poker tour offering life-changing amounts of money in the best casinos in the country. We’ve hosted some memorable events in the past three years but the inaugural APL Poker Tour (APLPT) event in Sydney will hold a special place in my heart, as I started my gaming career at Star City back in 1997. Our players again enjoyed a world-class poker tournament and an entertainment extravaganza that included the Playboy Fragrances Players Party at the stunning Astral Bar while overlooking the city skyline. Our resident DJ Nacho Pop from So You Think You Can Dance mixed some great tunes to an audience of more than 100 players, guests, Playboy Australia’s Sheridyn Fisher and celebrities galore. On the next morning, a field of 203 qualifiers descended on the Sports Theatre, together with hundreds of spectators eager to discover who would be crowned the first APL Poker Tour champion. After three gruelling days, Troy Brindle walked away with $31,840 in prize money, a trip to Las Vegas as part of TeamAPL to play in the World Series of Poker Main Event and the title of first APLPT champion. This tournament has set a new standard in rewarding pub/ club poker players. We can’t wait for the tour’s next stop in September at Conrad Jupiters on the sunny Gold Coast in Queensland.

Winter 2010

Before the next APLPT event, our focus turns to Las Vegas for TeamAPL’s assault on the 2010 WSOP Main Event. More than 30 of our highest achieving players will test their skills against the best players in the world for a slice of more than USD $60 million! While TeamAPL battles it out in Vegas, the official launch of Club APL will take place on July 1 with thousands of dollars in cash and prizes up for grabs in the world’s first online poker league. With daily, weekly and monthly cash tournaments, free subscriptions to Shuffle magazine, free VIP Membership Upgrades, APL Poker Tour entries on offer and a monthly prize pool awarded to the highest ranked players in the Club APL Leader board, make sure you register and test your skills online. Go to page 48 to read all that’s on offer. As promised, 2010 is going to be a massive year for APL and we hope that you are enjoying what’s on offer. Good luck and see you at the tables. Martin Martinez CEO & Co-founder Australian Poker League SHUFFLE: The Official Magazine of the APL

Issue 13 – Winter 2010

Published by: Australian Poker League CEO/Co-founder: Martin Martinez COPYRIGHT: Material in this magazine may not be reprinted without the written permission of APL PRODUCTION: Monarch Media (03) 9863 8223 Project Manager: Stephen Doig Editorial Manager: Sean Callander Art Director: Mark Sidoti PRINT: Caxton Web

www.playboyfragrances.com

Available at COLES, KMART, PRICELINE, BIG W and SELECTED pharmacies.

Letters

DealMEIN

Spoils for top onliners Here’s a question I’ve heard asked around the tables quite a bit recently, and now that I’ve scored myself a ticket into the APLPT Gold Coast via the Online Leaderboard, it’s been on my mind too. If you win a Main Event seat through the Online Leaderboard, are you eligible to win again once you have used that seat, or will you need to wait until next season? Rich Ehlswere, Gosford, NSW

A night at the Playboy Mansion? So I have just heard about this Playboy sponsorship? What’s the go here? Can you give me and my buddies some more information on this new partnership and what we can expect to get out of it as players; i.e. dates with Playmates, etc. Jason Stithe, Brisbane, QLD Ed’s note: Yes, that’s right Jason – Playboy Fragrances have officially signed on as sponsors of the APL Poker Tour. As such, we’ve revamped the model of the players’ parties held at previous APL Main Events, which will now be known as the Playboy Fragrance Players’ Party. This isn’t just another pre-tournament party either; the APLPT Sydney party was hosted by Playboy swimwear model Sheridyn Fisher. As far as dates with Playmates go, who knows? This is a poker tournament after all – you might get lucky! You can score an invite to the Playboy Fragrance Players’ Party for you and a friend by qualifying into any APLPT Main Event.

Ed’s note: First of all, congratulations on booking your ticket to Jupiters. The APLPT Gold Coast is set to boast a hefty prize pool and, if you want to double your chances of winning some big cash, we encourage you do your best in qualifying for our season finale in Melbourne this November. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to win another seat through our Online Leaderboard until the 2011 season (we reward a new Top 20 every month), but there are some fantastic opportunities to qualify elsewhere. Ask your TD for an APLPT Season One Tour Guide booklet for more info.

TeamAPL: Boarding soon I’ve been trying my luck lately at the NSW Pro Open, trying to make it to the big smoke of Las Vegas as TeamAPL’s newest recruit. I haven’t been running too well, but I’m hopeful I’ll catch a lucky break any time now. I was just wondering what more I can expect out of my TeamAPL seat, other than tournament entry and flights? Lauren Saxby, Avalon, NSW Ed’s note: Good on you for sticking to your guns and never giving up. Like you, we’re hoping that TeamAPL jersey is just around the corner. As for what you have to look forward to once you’ve made the team, the biggest portion of the prize is entry into the WSOP Main Event, and also includes return flights to Las Vegas and two weeks’ accommodation at Planet Hollywood. We’ve also got some exciting plans for TeamAPL in 2010 including a night at Cirque du Soleil at the Bellagio, a day trip to the Grand Canyon, team dinners and perhaps a few celebrity appearances! We’ll be recapping the entire TeamAPL experience in the next edition of Shuffle. Hope you make it!

Shuffle is your magazine, and there’s no better way to make your mark by sending us your thoughts on the APL and poker in general to letters@playapl.com (250 words maximum).

Winter 2010

POKER NEWS LIVE REPORTING FREEROLLS PLAYER PROFILES POKER FORUM PokerNetwork.com is the home of poker in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia. PNW provides a portal to all the latest poker news, online poker reviews, live tournament results and much more.

Join PokerNetwork.com today to be invited to exclusive freerolls and for a chance to win some great poker prizes! www.pokernetwork.com

news

El Matador on brink of top 10 money winners Here’s a trivia question for you poker tragics – name the player who has won two WSOP bracelets (including a WSOP Main Event), three WPT titles (including a WPT Championship) and has USD $9.2 million in tournament earnings to his name. A: Carlos Mortensen. One of the most under-rated players in the game, Mortensen recently tied Gus Hansen’s record of three WPT titles when he captured the WPT Hollywood Poker Open title in Ohio last month. He’s won more than USD $5.7 million on the WPT alone, and lies in 12th overall on the all-time list of tournament earnings. Born in Ecuador and raised in the US before moving to the US in the late-1990s, Mortensen is the only player to have a WPT Championship and WSOP Main Event.

WSOP sleight of hand trick turns into a disappearing act There’s the right way, and then there’s the wrong way, to go about stealing chips. And as Michael Craig’s recent entry on the Full Tilt Poker Blog will tell you, one player decided that betting and bluffing wasn’t good enough. According to Craig’s recount of the explanation given by WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel, the player was involved in a hand at the end of the second level of the $1000 No Limit Hold’em (event 3) while all the others at his table had left for the break. The player allegedly won the pot and as the dealer pushed it towards him, the player raked it in with one hand while leaning over and concealing a stack of chips from his neighbour in the other. When the dealer wasn’t looking, he quickly moved the stolen stack into his pot and raked the chips in. “To the naked eye, it looked like he was pulling in the chips with both hands,” Effel explained. Unfortunately for the player, the whole incident was caught on camera. He was promptly disqualified and then escorted from the Rio in handcuffs by security. It has since been reported that the player has been banned from the WSOP for life.

Winter 2010

Tiff is tops on list of poker’s hottest women Maxim Magazine in the US has released a list – albeit questionable – of the 20 hottest women in poker. In the absence of our editor, we happily acknowledge that a list of the hottest men in poker is equally worthy of debate, but while Kirsty enjoys her honeymoon … No questioning the presence of Tiffany Michelle (highest placed female in the 2008 WSOP Main Event and star of a recent series of The Amazing Race), Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Rousso (winner of last year’s EPT Grand Final High Roller event) and 2005 WSOP Ladies champion Jennifer Tilly. An argument can be made for PokerStars NAPT hostess Joanna Krupa, former face of Absolute Poker Serinda Swan and American Pie’s Shannon Elizabeth but the inclusion of Pamela Anderson, Jenny McCarthy, Heather Graham, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Mena Suvari hardly add credibility to the list. Who are we to complain?

Tournament of Champions gets vote of approval Poker’s very first fan-voted Tournament of Champions was considered a stunning success with 355,081 votes cast to determine who would compete for the USD $1 million in prize money in the 2010 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions. Phil Ivey, fresh off his WSOP Main Event final table finish in November, narrowly eclipsed Daniel Negreanu for the most votes overall by the slimmest of margins, just 28 votes. Voting was open on WSOP.com from March 15 until June 15 at midnight. The 20 players voted into the tournament were: Phil Ivey (16,267), Daniel Negreanu (16,239), Doyle Brunson (13,796), Phil Hellmuth (12,673), Chris Ferguson (11,585), Allen Cunningham (10,486), Johnny Chan (10,434), Scotty Nguyen (9834), Barry Greenstein (9806), John Juanda (8835), Erik Seidel (8802), Jennifer Harman (8206), Huck Seed (8180), Dan Harrington (7342), T.J. Cloutier (6281), Sammy Farha (6085), Howard Lederer (5596), Greg Raymer (5404), Joe Hachem (5272), Antonio Esfandiari (5129). Past TOC winners Annie Duke, Mike Matusow and Mike Sexton received exemptions, as did 2009 WSOP Main Event winner Joe Cada, 2009 WSOP Europe champion Barry Shulman along with Bertrand ElkY Grospellier and Andrew Barton. The TOC was scheduled to wrapup on July 4.

e bl ta

lk ta

DealMEIN

Big names ante up to ‘Play for a Cure’ When it comes to star power in this part of the world, there’s no bigger name than 2005 WSOP champion Joe Hachem. So a full house was assured at Revesby Works Club when the Team PokerStars Pro threw his name behind the Play for a Cure Celebrity Charity Poker Event to raise money for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) research. DMD is normally diagnosed at the ages of 4- 6. The mortality rate is 100 per cent, and almost all those afflicted are boys. In addition to an appearance from Hachem, there was entertainment from Australian Idol winner Stan Walker while big names to suit up for the celebrity event included Ada Nicodemou, Mario Fenech, Mark Geyer, Stuart McGill, Mark Coyne, Adam Goodes, Amanda Keller and Axle Whitehead. The lucky winner of the charity tournament took home a World Series of Poker package while the next 15 finishers also took home prizes. For more information about the charity and its tremendous work, see saveoursons.org.

Winter 2010

inside straight

Queenslanders celebrate state finale in style Caloundra RSL Club played host to the final edition of the FullTiltPoker.org State finals, with a field comprising 400 of the Sunshine State’s finest who battled for a shot at APLPT fame. With more than $30,000 in APL Poker Tour seats up for grabs on the day, a modified starting stack of 10,000 meant players would have the best opportunity to snare a slice of the action. Despite this, it took just 10 minutes for the first player to be eliminated. After two and half hours, more than 100 players had been eliminated. It would take three more hours until the field had reduced to the final 21, with each player set to leave Caloundra RSL with a ticket to the tour. With Queensland’s last ever State Title still up for grabs, play intensified with the bursting of the APLPT bubble and soon after the heads-up duo had been decided – Brisbane’s Josh Kitchen held 3.8 million in chips over Sunshine Coast’s Murray Hansford on 1.2 million. Feeling the pressure Josh shoved allin, in an attempt to steal the blinds while holding 10-2. Murray cracked a smile as he announced a call and rolled over pocket aces. With the flop falling K-K-10, Josh’s chances looked dire. The turn and river brought no joy, allowing Murray Hansford to claim the last ever Queensland FullTiltPoker.org State Final titles for 2009-10 season. Results: 1 Murray Hansford (Sunshine Coast), 2 Josh Kitchen (Brisbane), 3 Daniel Lette (Brisbane), 4 Vaughan Matthew (Brisbane), 5 Steve Smith (Brisbane), 6 David Donoghue (Gold Coast), 7 David McKenzie, 8 Natasha Lange (Hervey Bay), 9 Rob Winkle (Sunshine Coast). Other APLPT Seat winners: Jeanette Stewart (Gold Coast), Richelle Berdayes (Townsville), Dave McGrath (Brisbane), Michelle Banne (Sunshine Coast), Craig White (Brisbane), Dan Kriston (Sunshine Coast), Andrew Hudson (Brisbane), John Mierocha (Sunny Coast), Mark Sadler (Sunshine Coast), Stan Andrews (Brisbane), Brendan Brain (Sunshine Coast), Aaron Barrett (Gladstone).

Winter 2010

Phil Laak smashes poker endurance world record

Earlier this month, Phil ‘The Unabomber’ Laak sat down to a $10/$20 ring game at the Bellagio and prepared himself for a long grind – his goal was to break the Guinness World Record for the longest non-stop poker session and his feats were recorded via his blog and a live Internet stream, all in the name of charity. Not an easy feat, but Laak did it with ease, even squeezing in 30 push-ups in his sleep-deprived state for an extra $1000. Once the magic mark of 72 hours and two minutes was reached, Laak pressed on. Incredibly, he showed no obvious signs of fatigue and when his medical team tested his blood pressure, temperature and other vitals at the 90-hour mark, they were all normal. Finally, after exactly 115 hours – almost five days straight – Laak cashed in $6766 for Camp Sunshine, a beachside retreat in Maine dedicated to families with children suffering from life-threatening illnesses.

Someone still loves Tiger, well, Bodog does Online gambling company Bodog has offered golfer Tiger Woods a sponsorship deal worth $100 million over five years with a “no moral judgement clause” should he continue the extra-marital affairs that saw him dropped by several of his sponsors late last year. In January Bodog initially approached Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg of the IMG agency, then as requested did so again in March by fax. Woods returned to golf in April’s US Masters following a four-month spell out of the game. “With divorce looming and other speculation growing, BodogBrand have now re-tailored their sponsorship offer and are now pleased to submit a first ever ‘no moral conditions’ offer whereby the $100,000,000 five-year deal will be honoured without condition on the player’s moral conduct,” read a statement from Bodog, founded in 1994 by entrepreneur Calvin Ayre. “The deal: Whatever it takes. BodogBrand is happy to sponsor and help Tiger get back to his best by any means necessary. BodogBrand believes you should do whatever it takes to be world number one and will back Tiger Woods to the tune of $100,000,000 to do just that no matter what allegations – substantiated or otherwise – appear during the five-year deal.”

Player given the boot after sleight of hand shenanigans There’s the right way, and then there’s the wrong way, to go about stealing chips. And as Michael Craig described during the first week of the 2010 WSOP, one player decided that betting and bluffing wasn’t good enough. According to Craig’s recount of the explanation given by WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel, the player was involved in a hand at the end of the second level of the $1000 No Limit Hold’em event while all the others at his table had left for the break. The player won the pot and as the dealer pushed it towards him, the player raked it in with one hand while leaning over and concealing a stack of chips from his neighbour in the other. When the dealer wasn’t looking, he quickly moved the stolen stack into his pot and raked the chips in. “To the naked eye, it looked like he was pulling in the chips with both hands,” Effel explained. Unfortunately for the player, the whole incident was caught on camera. He was promptly disqualified and then escorted from the Rio in handcuffs by security. It has since been reported that the player has been banned from the WSOP for life.

e bl ta

lk ta

DealMEIN

Digging for ANZAC Day gold at CabraVale

CabraVale Diggers Club in Sydney’s South West Region upped the ante once again over the Anzac Day long weekend, with more than 600 players turning up for a shot at a slice in more $7000 in prizes. The day kicked off with a freeroll tournament with CabraVale Diggers posting a prizepool of $1500. Theo Argentellis walked away with the $500 first prize. All eyes then turned to the day’s main event, the $55 APL Poker Tour Satellite Event where a field of 91 vied for their chance to secure one of three seats into the APL Poker Tour and a slice of $800 cash. Winless after almost 150 APL tournaments, it seemed fitting that Thomas Tcheng claimed an overdue victory and a seat into the APL Main Event. Joining Tcheng on tour will be Jose Gunito (second) and Steve Walker (third). The day concluded with another $1500 freeroll in which Tina Parsons rose above the field of 300 to win $500. CabraVale Diggers was named APL Club of the Year in 2008 and plans on taking the title back this year. With thousands of dollars in prizes on offer each week (including sister club Campbelltown RSL), across both freeroll and Pro Series events, plus special events galore, it remains one of the most popular APL venues in the country.

Riches flow into Northern Rivers for new quarterly event APL Ballina, Lismore and Byron Bay has announced that it will replacing its monthly regional finals with a new, quarterly event boasting $6000 in cash and prizes each tournament. The regional monthly final format has been replaced with a quarterly regional final where the winner will take home $1000 in cash and a ticket into the coveted APL Poker Tour, where they’ll have a chance to win between $300,000 and $500,000 in cash and prizes. To qualify for the $6000 Quarterly Cash Stack 1 Regional Final you need only win an APL event in the region during that quarter (Freeroll or Pro Series). If you win more than once you can give your ticket away to friends.

If you don’t receive a ticket during the quarter you can buy-in on the day for $55 (inc GST). For more information check out the region’s Facebook page at “APL Ballina/Lismore/Byron Bay” (under the events section) or www.playAPL.com

Hachem’s ANZPT title defence running hot The race for the 2010 ANZPT Player of the Year title took a remarkable turn when defending champion Tony Hachem took out the ANZPT Perth Main Event. The younger brother of 2005 WSOP champion Joe Hachem, Tony made it six cashes in seven ANZPT tournaments when he outpointed 221 other players to earn the $132,750 first prize. It was the richest poker tournament ever played in Western Australia and the first time the ANZPT had journeyed to Western Australia. The next ANZPT event was played at Star City in Sydney where tournament debutant Angelo Hanataj emerged victorious over veteran Mike Ivin. Hanataj won $219,432 after prevailing over a massive field of 446. Hachem again cashed, and leads the Player of the Year race after three events. The ANZPT heads to Canberra (June 11-14), Queenstown (July 21-25), Gold Coast (August 11-15), Melbourne (October 8-11) before concluding with the latest event added to the schedule, Darwin, from October 25-30.

Aussies fall short in first World Team Poker extravaganza The first World Team Poker (WTP) event wrapped up last week with Team China taking the gold. Ten-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet holder Johnny Chan and former World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship winner David Chiu served as the captains of the Chinese squad, which also featured Chau Giang, Mario Ho, Winfred Yu, Rich Zhu, and Derek Cheung. Team China bested Team Brazil in the dramatic conclusion. The first event, which was held at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas, created a prizepool of $400,000 thanks to a $50,000 buy-in per team. Three different styles of poker were played: No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and Limit Hold’em. Team Australia, comprising Tony G, Jeff Lisandro, Steve Topakas, Mel Judah, Marsha Waggoner, David Saab and Gary Benson, started in miserable circumstances to lose four of its five seats in the opening stages. But showing true Aussie spirit, they clung to their remaining seat until the final table before bowing out fourth. Next up for WTP officials is a 32-country World Championship Event, which will likely take place within the next 90 days. Neither a date nor a location has been set.

Winter 2010

e bl ta

lk ta

DealMEIN

‘Have you finished your homework?’ The path to poker ENLIGHTENMENT

Just when you thought you’d been freed from years of grinding away over schoolbooks, Shuffle is preparing to send you back to the classroom in pursuit of online poker perfection.

ll smart poker players want to improve their game. The better you get, the larger your edge will be and, eventually, the more success you will have. The problem is that most people don’t approach improving as well as they could. Some don’t even approach it at all. Most people put their time and effort into the way they play hands. Should I call this raise? Should I check the flop here for pot control? Do I have implied odds to chase this gutshot draw? And they should be concerned with all these questions. Think of it like a high school maths class. Your in-hand decisions are your exams. Tests come easy to some people. They ace every exam without much study.

Some think they’re going to cruise without studying, but come across problems for which they’re not prepared and fail. Some people study hard and do well; some study hard and don’t do well. If you’re serious about doing well in class (i.e. poker), you’ll prepare yourself the best you can with plenty of study at home. Poker is about gaining an edge on your opponents. Most people spend all of their time worrying about the exams. Some people do the homework too, but almost nobody does everything possible to improve their chances of success. That’s how you can rocket past your competition. The additional homework you can do to improve your poker game falls into a number of categories. The main link be-

tween is that they are things that anyone can do, no matter how naturally talented at poker, and almost no one does enough. Everything you do to better your results including the extra homework, puts you ahead of your competition. All of these improvements are relatively easy to make, and you don’t have to be a poker genius to implement them. Think about it. All things being equal, improving any one of these aspects of your game will increase your expected earnings. Don’t be the kid who gets an A on every test and ends up with a C+ in the class. Do well enough on the tests, do all your homework and extra credit, and end up with an A.

Winter 2010

virtual felt

Game selection Se at se lectio n Obse rv in g ha nds your hand. Your job isn’t over when you fold to learn nity ortu Every hand played is an opp just as play you If more about your opponents. er job bett a g doin ’s well as someone, but she have to g goin ’s she ers, of observing other play ns isio dec her of all ing mak ’s better results. She p Sto have. with more information than you for ple peo r being selfish and think about othe . a change

Qu ittin g Quitting is just another form of gam e selection, but it’s the most difficult part. Peo ple often enter a game as one of the better play ers and end up being one of the worst for the last few hours, especially in heads-up games between nearly evenly matched opponents. When you get tired, you play wor se. When you’ve been sitting down in one spot for three hours, you play worse. When you lose a lot, you play worse. When you win a lot you might play worse. No-one plays their “A” gam e all of the time. Learn to recognise when you lose your edge. Take pride in quitting a game befo re you start playing your “C” game. Or at the very least, take breaks. Get up and walk around. By the same token, your oppone nts don’t always play the same. A good gam e one minute could be a bad game the nex t, and it could consist of all the same players. Stack size situations change; players get mor e aggressive or timid; someone might go off tilt. Game selection isn’t a one-time deal. Every time you are dealt a hand and look at it, you’re game selecting: You’re choosin g to play the game you’re in.

This is a very minor part of the gam e, but it’s such an easy improvement to make. I’m not advocating switching seats whenever a new seat becomes slightly better than yours. That’s usu ally looked at as bad etiquette, especially in shortha nded games. But when you are at a table, how hard is it to take 10 seconds to decide which seat is the best? You can figure out which seats look good; but in general keep tight players, passive players, and shorter stacks to your left and loose players, aggressive players, and deeper stacks to your right. Taking those 10 seconds of your time to decide where to sit will definite ly improve your results.

Ba nk ro ll m an ag em ent l management, Without a long lecture on bankrol people don’t there are some factors that sequences of consider when evaluating the con bad bankroll management. 10NL player Let’s say you’re a regular $5/$ run bad and You and you take a shot at 25/50. l. Now, the krol ban r lose 20 per cent of you a big chunk lost you that obvious consequence is l as long dea big a h suc not of money, but that’s e and gam the in win to urite as you were a favo 5/10. But some you can drop back down to play their losses at players can’t quit and they chase e they aren’t 25/50, and end up going broke sinc 0. “rolled” for the swings of 25/5 ct is the way A much more subtle negative effe re. Maybe futu r nea the in that it affects your play uld, but sho you like 5/10 to n you drop back dow ld cost cou t Tha se. wor play you you’re upset so you unt amo you much more than the original No . pen hap gs lost. Just understand that swin . time long a for one is immune to running terrible Be prepared for it.

“Knowing others is wisdom; knowing the self is enlightenment; mastering others requires force; mastering the self requires strength” – Lao Tzu

Winter 2010

You’re at a disadvantage if you don’t have… Nelson Streib Heston

aturing nded edition, fe Revised and expa ospellier Y” rand “Elk Gr rt Be on pi am ch WPT & EPT

llier ertrand ElkY Grospe

No-Limit nd Sit ‘n’Goes

ed en it was first releas d nce, poker math, an ced an adv d an pts nce ‘n’ ble tournaments, sit

ds n, Kill Everyone ad ion er’s arsenal. In addit plus ity and equilibrium, and , me -ga end the bble, ry s of incisive commenta ElkY d an rtr Be , rld wo he with k cash games to go g in discussion of playin s. me ga h cas World oreword by 2005 chem, er champion Joe Ha mathby ElkY, and solid REVISED AND lson, Ne e Le egies from and ib, Steve Heston, EXPANDED more Kill Everyone packs ers cov two en EDITION power betwe ok to come before it.

es for No-Limit Advanced Strategi ts and Sit‘n’ Goes namen Hold’em Poker Tour Streib and Steve Heston Lee Nelson, Tysen

AM 13/04/10 11:16

By well-known author and Hall of Famer Lee ‘Final Table’ Nelson Includes special commentary Available at: www.pokernetwork.com/merchandise by Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier Lee Nelson

Only $44.95AUD

Bertrand ElkY Grospellier

Order copy today! AVAILABLE AT: your www.pokernetwork.com/merchandise Available at: www.monarchbooks.com.au

ONLY $44.95 $44.95AUD – ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY! AUD – Order your copy today!

Jamie Glazier

A set of processes

beats a pair of results Our mental conditioning man Jamie Glazier says goals comes in many different shapes and sizes, but there’s none more important than the process-oriented objectives you should bring to your next APL event.

ou have just taken your seat for your weekly APL game. It’s something you look forward to all week. Despite the anticipation, your stay at the tables is often quite short – whether it’s the pocket aces cracked by pocket kings, or a complete “brain fart” after which your chips are acquired by the one person who’s been needling you since the start of the tournament. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. This is free poker, right? Right? That doesn’t mean you don’t want to play well and make the final table. One important ingredient will help get your night off to a promising start – set yourself a goal or objective for the tournament. Money makes an indelible mark on our psyche and, subconsciously, we can fall into the trap of not holding value to things that are free. You loving playing in your weekly APL tournament and pride yourself on being a pretty good player that would like to reach the State Finals, an APL Poker Tour Main Event or even join TeamAPL at the WSOP. These are the clearly defined goals of many APL regulars, but most won’t bring a similar mentality to their regular nightly or weekly poker game at the local pub or club. An example of this mindset comes after many players lose a big pot early in the tournament. The next move tends to be an all-in shove, quite often holding a hand with which you wouldn’t normally consider such a play. We’re not bad players – even if our play in this situation is poor – but we are unprepared players. If you haven’t created a specific goal or target process on which to focus, then throwing

to control the most important aspect of playing great poker – the man or woman who looks back at you from the mirror. • If you want to learn more about how to improve your Mental Game, go to www. dare2dream.com.au and join the site for free to access discussion threads and articles on the mental side of poker. All APL members also receive a 20% discount on Dare2Dream’s Mental Game Video Program by using the promo code “APL”. Drop Jamie an email at jamieglazier@dare2dream.net.au.

away your chips in a haphazard manner makes perfect sense! One of the most important aspects of setting goals and objectives in poker is to ensure they are not result-oriented, as the end result can often be completely out of our control. Take for example the nervous newcomer, who isn’t sure whether he should muck his pocket deuces after you bluff with your busted flush draw. His or her decision will influence your end result in this tournament but you need to – must – accept that you are unable to control your opponent’s decision. Instead, set goals and objectives that are process-oriented. Examples ✔ If you th of process-oriented goals at the poker you p ink about table might be to focus on being more la t patient, calm, aggressive, confident, what yed your v he last tim e d e r i d you y bes or just to have fun. t e p x o p k e Think back to when you last er, rience ✔ W ? hat d played your best poker. The more id you information you can decipher feel? ✔ H from this tournament will proow di d you vide a clue to the processes on think? which you want to focus before ✔ H ow di you next take your seat. d you Once you have cleared your talk? ✔ H mind and focused on a specifow di d you ic goal and objective for that act a tournament, you will have nd rea ct? put yourself in a position

Coac commh’s ents

Ed’s note: Jamie Glazier operates Dare2Dream Peak Performance and Mental Conditioning. Check out his website www.dare2dream.net.au or drop him an email at jamieglazier@dare2dream.net.au.

Winter 2010

Welcome to the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first online poker league clubAPL.com

The Big Show

Doin’ it for the green and gold P

Steve “The Big Show” Topakas is still beaming after wearing the colours of Australia in the first World Team Poker event last month in Las Vegas and chats about his experience in this Shuffle exclusive.

oker is an individual sport but team events are becoming increasingly popular. In the APL, events like Battle of the Regions get the competitive juices pumping unlike anything except the biggest tournaments. In the pro ranks, team events are now scheduled as part of virtually every major championship while players are desperate to earn a spot on their team for the annual State of Origin tournament played during the Victorian Championships. But there’ve been very few opportunities for players to wear the green and gold of Australia, with the exception of token events featuring hastily assembled teams rarely featuring the best players. So you can imagine my delight when I received a call from Jeff Lisandro and Tony G asking me to join Team Australia for the first World Team Poker event. For a guy whose modest sporting career is a distant memory, the chance to wear the colours of Australia was too good to pass up. World Team Poker came up with a unique format for their debut event, with five seats allocated to each of the eight nations – Team USA, Team China, Team Vietnam, Team Israel, Team England, Team Australia, Team Brazil, and Team Greece. It was a five-table semi-shootout consisting of rounds of Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha and No Limit Hold’em with two players from each table progressing to the final table. Credit to the organisers of the event, as they were able to secure an impressive line-up of the best players in the game. Team USA featured the imposing line-up of Phil Hellmuth jr, Doyle Brunson, Howard Lederer, Annie Duke, Allen Cunningham, Chris Ferguson, Jennifer Harman, Mike Matusow, and Erik Seidel. Three world champions and a combined 41 WSOP bracelets! But Jeff and Tony had amassed a pretty handy line-up for Team Australia featuring WSOP bracelet winners Gary Benson and Mel Judah, 2008 APT Manila winner David Saab, Australian Poker Hall of Famer Marsha Waggoner and yours truly.

Winter 2010

Team Australia watches skipper Jeff Lisandro in action

After discussing team tactics, we took our seats for the opening hand of the historic World Team Poker event at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in pursuit of international bragging rights and a slice of the USD $400,000 prize pool. Things didn’t go our way in the early going as we lost the first two players of the day and we were soon down to just a single seat after Jeff Lisandro and I were KOed during the first No Limit Hold’em round. But in true Aussie style, and thanks to some astute substitutions from Jeff and Tony (under the format, any player could be subbed into any seat at anytime), we clung to that remaining seat like a T-shirt in the Vegas heat. We were still there when the final table was decided, and bowed out in a gallant fourth when Tony G’s set of sixes started and stayed behind Team Greece’s set of nines. But fourth was a pretty impressive finish given our miserable start to the day.

After a long, long night (play lasted 19 hours), Team China started the heads-up duel against Team Brazil with a 3-1 chip lead and eventually emerged as the first World Team Poker champions. Congratulations to co-Captains Johnny Chan, David Chiu and players Chau Giang, Maria Ho, Winfred Yu, Rich Zhu and Derek Cheung. We’re now eagerly awaiting the announcement of the next World Team Poker event. The plan is for teams will play in up to four league matches a year, culminating in an annual Championship Event. More countries have signed up so, finally, poker might have an internationally recognised and relevant World Cup of its own. • Steve Topakas is an ambassador for ThePokerPlanner.com; the number one source for upcoming live, online and pub/club poker events and tournaments

JOIN THE POKERSTARS.NET ANZ POKER TOUR FREE QUALIFIERS EVERY DAY AT POKERSTARS.NET

st Coa d l o G

ey Sydn a berr n a C

Terms and conditions apply. See www.anzpt.com for details. Play for free. This is not a gambling website. Over 18s only.

h Pert

e e laid Ade elbourn M

Quee nstow n

The PokerStars.net Australia New Zealand Poker Tour is now in its second season, with a calendar of exciting poker events taking place across the region, starting with Adelaide in February. Play in our daily free to enter tournaments, and you can win ANZPT event packages which include tournament entry, hotel accommodation and expenses. Qualify exclusively at PokerStars.net, the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Largest Free Play Poker Site and start your ANZPT adventure today.

landon blackhall

Add some shizzle

to your shuffle

APL players get plenty of practise when it comes to shuffling cards, but many still don’t get it right. Our own “Sheik of shuffling” Landon Blackhall provides some useful tips to amaze your tablemates during your next APL tournament.

huffling is a key element in any card game. It’s shuffling the cards properly that sets you apart. In this article, I’ll take you through the correct poker shuffling technique. For this exercise you will need a deck of cards and a cutting card. If you don’t have one, use a Joker with a different coloured back. First, spread the cards out face down and give them a “wash” (think “wax on, wax off”). Bring the cards in and form the deck for the “riffle”. Split the deck in half face down. Your thumbs should grip on the long edge closest to you, with your index fingers meeting in the middle on the short edges and your little fingers on the opposite short edges. Turn your hands away from you slightly so the corners of the deck closest to you are close together. If done correctly, the long edges closest to you should form a “rooftop” with a small gap between the corners (see step 1 photo). While maintaining your grip and curling your index fingers so they rest on the backs of the cards, run your thumb up on those corners gently, letting the cards fall in between each other (step 2). Don’t apply high amounts of pressure, as this will make your riffle “lumpy” – imagine you’re

stroking the back of a butterfly. After the first riffle, push the cards together using your little fingers as leverage. Then “strip” the deck by taking the cards in your strong hand, pinching a quarter of the deck at the top with the index and ring fingers of your off hand and pulling your strong hand away, placing the stripped section of the deck onto the felt (step 3). Continue until the deck is back on the felt. Riffle twice more then “cut” the deck (step 4) by placing the cutting card above the deck in front of you, placing the top half of the deck onto the cutting card, then the bottom half on top of that. It’s important that you cut the deck away from you with one hand. Cutting it with two hands or towards you looks suspicious! Remember, it’s essential that you practise slowly to start with. The speed will come naturally over time and repetition. Another thing to note is that the true poker shuffle uses a riffle with little or no gap between the cards: as your skills progress, practise riffling the cards as close together as possible. Combine this with your pitch and you’re on your way to looking like a real croupier!

Randomisation or just plain random

So when is a deck of cards truly considered “shuffled”? Magician Persi Diaconis and mathematician Dave Bayer once put this question to scientific test and deduced that a deck did not start to become random until five good riffle shuffles, and was truly random after seven. Other studies have since settled on six as a definite figure although for nonsuited card games like blackjack, it can be a little as four.

Well known poker reporter and former croupier Landon Blackhall has joined the Shuffle team. He’ll be combing the rulebook and dealer’s guide for tips to ensure you’re well equipped when you take your seat in an APL event.

Winter 2010

s ad e h

KnowtheDeal

Sandbagging tread carefully in this poker minefield

In this edition of Shuffle Academy, we recall a night at an APL event where one player threatened to let a cat the size of an elephant out of the bag. If someone wants to bet, and you want him or her to bet, don’t do anything to stop him or her. In other words, don’t let the sand out of the bag!

“I

Iove playing against these idiots,” a player – let’s call him Sidchrome – quipped to me in a recent APL event. “You can sandbag them the first time for free, because they never expect it, and then they go into shock and stop playing against you. I’m serious. Just one little sandbag scares them back under whatever rock they crawled out from.” He cackled annoyingly after revealing this truth. He was proud of his game. Too proud. In fact, he didn’t have much game at all, in my mind. There was something else about what Sidchrome said that underscores what I believe to be a poor winning attitude. He had said, “I love playing against these idiots.” If you want to have the best chance of making money at poker, don’t think of your weak opponents as “idiots.” Often they aren’t anything like that. Some of the loosest, weakest, most lively opponents I’ve faced are people who I know not to be idiots. I’m sure some had genius IQs and could have devoted themselves to playing poker seriously if they wanted. But, instead, they chose to have fun at poker, using a small portion of the ample money they had at their disposal. I’m glad. You should be, too. Players like that aren’t idiots, they’re intelligent opponents. It’s just that their poker sucks. You need to nourish any rela-

tionships you have with them, and mostly you need to respect them. Back to sandbagging – if you’re new to the game, it’s a term used when we check a big hand, hoping our opponents do our betting for us so we can then raise. If used correctly by regular players, sandbagging will add plenty of scalps to your belt. If used incorrectly, it can destroy you. When Sidchrome said, “… and then they go into shock and stop playing against you,” I winced. Well, the guy was right. Weak players don’t expect you to sandbag, you can do it the first time for free, and they stop playing against you once you surprise them with it. And his point was? Who knows? My point is that weak opponents who typically call far too often and pose little threat through their own aggression should be cherished. They’re your very best customers. They’re already buying your product by calling way too much when you have better hands then they do. You laugh with them, send them Christmas cards, buy them a beer. Do anything to make them happy. But don’t sour their adventure shopping in your store by giving them a bad experience. That’s what a sandbag does. It feels like an act of war to them. I’m not saying to throw sandbagging out of your poker arsenal. It’s a potent and profitable weapon. I’m just saying that your weakest, loosest

opponents are not the appropriate targets for that weapon. When you sandbag those opponents, they take it personally and become confused. Into a friendly poker game where everyone was laughing and gladly throwing their money into pots so you could collect it, you’ve injected serious strategy. And you don’t ever want to inject serious strategy into any poker game unless it’s invisible. Once opponents – particularly weak opponents – see that you’re mercilessly trying to outmanoeuvre them by using sophisticated tactics that they don’t fully understand, you’re doomed. Sidchrome was right: They’ll quit playing against you. And there goes your profit. But sadly, he never did work out the reason for his nickname.

Beware the reluctant call If an opponent shrugs and bets, beware. You should seldom call any player who shrugs while betting. A shrug is a gesture that means, “I’m not sure if this hand is strong enough.” Don’t be a victim of that act. Your opponent is encouraging your call by pretending to be vulnerable. Fold against even a faint suggestion of a shrug, unless you also hold a monster hand.

Winter 2010

www.playboyfragrances.com

Available at COLES, KMART, PRICELINE, BIG W and SELECTED pharmacies.

For exclusive freerolls and great prizes visit

PokerNetwork.com PokerNetwork.com is the home of poker in Australasia. PokerNetwork.com provides a portal to all the latest poker news, online poker reviews, live tournament results and much more. *Join PokerNetwork.com FREE today to receive member-only privileges.

st degen

“Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it” Being an unemployed bum, St Degen gets to spend plenty of time in front of the TV so it was hardly surprising that we received a Movie Channel inspired piece for this edition of Shuffle

n 480 B.C. a small group of Greeks defended their homeland against a massive force of Persians at the battle of Thermopylae. The Greeks were led by King Leonidas of Sparta and his 300 warriors (as popularised in the movie 300). By the end of the battle, 2300 Greeks had gathered to hold off 240,000 of Xerxes’ army for three days. This gave the Athenians time to prepare for a decisive naval engagement, which resulted in Greece winning the war. The tactics and strategies of King Leonidas have been studied throughout history, and they’re equally relevant on the poker battlefield. “There’s no room for softness, not in Sparta. No place for weakness.” At the age of seven, Spartan boys entered into a severe military training process called agoge. They were given one small piece of material for clothing, were intentionally underfed, and made their own bedding out of wild reeds. They were encouraged to steal food, but were severely punished if caught (sounds a lot like being trained to bluff.) This training hardened them, but also taught them focus and resourcefulness. To be at the top of your game in poker takes mental and physical training, including adequate sleep, exercise, study, and nutrition.

“We will funnel them into the mountain pass ... in that narrow corridor, their numbers will count for nothing.” By forcing the site of battle, the Spartans narrowed down the number of Persians they had to fight at any one time. This tactic is also crucial in poker. You cannot take on the whole table at once. You narrow down opponents by raising. To fight with sword and shield you can only take on one or two opponents at a time, and even just two is twice as hard. Funnelling down the enemy by raising is the main lesson from the Spartans. The Athenians brought many more men than the Spartans to aid in the fight. King Leonidas questioned the Athenian men to find out their professions, to which they would respond “potter” or “artist.” He then remarked, “see, I have brought more soldiers.” In poker you can often choose your opponents. Try to learn from the warriors and make money from the potters. You don’t have to be the best, just the best at your table. “His helmet was stifling, it narrowed his vision. And he must see far.”

seeing the enemy. The armour of a poker player can be sunglasses, hats, headphones, or just looking down quietly to hide from the opponent. If you aren’t watching your opponent, you won’t see the ultimate action taken. How did they handle their chips? How did they throw them in? If they are studying you closely for information maybe it’s because they’re weak. Use your helmet for protection, but don’t let it blind you during battle. Xerxes to Ephialtes: “Unlike the cruel Leonidas, who demanded that you stand, I require only that you kneel.” Leonidas and the 300 were defeated after they were betrayed by the deformed Ephialtes, who showed the Persians a way around the pass. Ephialtes had wanted to fight alongside the Spartans, but they ridiculed and scorned him because of his deformities. It is a good practice after a poker session to evaluate what you may be ignoring at the table, or perhaps, belittling in your opponents. Poker tends to punish those who overlook things in their arrogance.

Sometimes armour works in both directions and prevents you from clearly

Take into consideration the Greek strategy of battle when contemplating your next plan of attack at the poker table. You just might discover the secret to becoming a better warrior that will ultimately result in winning the war. Hmmm, what’s on next …

Winter 2010

ON’T BLUFF WITH YOUR BOURBON.

DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

ur to

FlopShot

Ho swamps

WTPC field Yes, we could make all kinds of witty remarks about sharks and fish and the floodwaters, but we won’t! Amid the chaos of the “once-in-a-century” storm that struck Melbourne on the Labour Day long weekend, Michael Ho rose to the surface to claim the final Wild Turkey Poker Classic title, a cheque for $80,000 and a trip to Las Vegas for the 2010 WSOP Main Event.

Winter 2010

WTPC Wrap

t will be remembered as one of the most remarkable incidents in Australian poker history. The day the order was issued to “evacuate” the Crown Poker Room as flood waters streamed into the casino after one of the worst storms in Melbourne’s history; the day that the Wild Turkey Poker Classic was written into folklore. That was just one of the hurdles that Michael Ho needed to negotiate before he was crowned the final Wild Turkey Poker Classic champion before the introduction of the APL Poker Tour, winning $80,000 and a cherished position on TeamAPL for the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event. The full stop on this extraordinary tale was days away when APL CEO and cofounder Martin Martinez issued the order to “shuffle up and deal” on a warm and humid Saturday before a packed Crown poker room. The first major casualty in the battle for a slice of the $620,000 prize pool was 2009 Wild Turkey Grand Slam champion Shivan Abdine, who was eliminated shortly after the first break. APL’s Female Player of the Year for 2007, Suzy Khoeuis, took the chip lead when she made a set of aces on the river against an adversary’s A-K. Others to impress in the early going included Hills District’s Julian Giuliano, Sydney City South’s Nick Avramides and Leveni Tonga and WA’s Anuk Mascarenhas. As the heavens opened outside, play was completed in the first flight with Avramides leading the surviving 130 players on 120,000. But the drama didn’t end there. Water flowed down the parking ramps and began to pool outside the poker room, which was placed on standby for a potential evacuation. As the dealers bagged their last stacks, an official announcement of evacuation was issued. As the players poured out of the Crown Poker Room, water started to pooling around the base of the escalators, lapping dangerously close to the poker room’s switchboard. Crown management and staff quickly assembled with the APL to discuss strategies to ensure the tournament could continue, although there was no choice except to postpone Saturday night’s planned second flight. Likewise, there was plenty of tension in the APL community, with one player imploring on Facebook to “please, please, PLEASE, don’t cancel the tournament. I played in flight one and I’ve somehow monkeyed my way to a massive stack. This will NEVER happen again!” Unfortunately, many of the scheduled events for the following day had to cancelled, including the APL Cash Bonanza

Winter 2010

Tournament, the APL Ladies Tournament and the Players’ Party. But the news was better for the Main Event participants, with the announcement that the room would be re-opened at 8pm, just over 24 hours since the storm struck. Credit to the team at Crown for this amazing effort to have the room ready to resume the WTPC. The relief was palpable as players took their seats for flight two, with 108 players joining the 130 flight one contenders eyeing one of the six TeamAPL spots and the first prize of $80,000, or a minimum cash of $500 for finishing in the top 100. With the chip average at 26,000 it was Nick Avramides and Julian Bruliano who led the pack before South Australian Lana Owens boosted her stack to 140,000 with an early double up, then to 280,000 and a big chip lead. Nearing the bubble, the hopes of 2009 WTPC champion Danny Taylor ended when his aces were cracked by kings after shipping his chips pre-flop. Eventually, the bubble would burst with Albury’s Mark Williams the unfortunate player to place 101st. Kassandra Winkleman’s stack soared to 320,000, overtaking Owens in the chip lead and exciting her fellow Western Australian fans on the rail as the day ended with 80 players remaining. Brisbane’s Tiffany Hansen and Lana Owens rounded out the top three. The knockouts came thick and fast, with Victoria’s Tim Perry and Chris McVicar responsible for more than a few scalps. Perry claimed the scalp of Owens, taking his stack to 360,000 just behind Hansen on 370,000. Tom Longden of Queensland was a man on the move and acquired a monster stack when he was dealt pocket aces only to flop quads against an opponent betting into him.

WSOP hero Charlie Elias, who had started the day with high hopes and a stack of 15,000 managed to double up to 30,000 after flopping a set of sixes in the first level of the final session. Just 15 minutes later, Elias doubled again to 70,000 but his run eventually ended in 51st place. Winkleman busted in 39th for $2500 when Sydney Inner West’s Elie ‘EJ’ Jaajaa took the last of her chips and claimed the chip lead on 650,000. Remarkably, both EJ and Hansen would be eliminated soon after, as Tom Longden, Aaron Clayton and David Mynard began to launch a major assault on the title. New Zealand’s hopes were dashed when Natasha Kerema’s run came to a halt in 24th place, while 2009 TeamAPLer Michael Soumelidis failed to book his 2010 seat, knocked out in 21st for $3500. Mynard had climbed to 1.6 million by the time the top 20 was decided. The next 10 players sent to the rail were Tiffany Hansen (20th), Claire Russell (19th), Chris McVicar (18th), Richard Allen (17th), Tim Perry (16th), Erin Russell (15th), Nick Avramides (14th), Carmine Desciscio (13th), John Strudwick (12th) and Ryan Tanshiev (11th). By 8.30pm, after three full days of play, a freak storm, a flood and an evacuation of the Crown Entertainment Complex, the final 10 players had been decided: Seat 1: Albert Gigi (195,000) Seat 2: Prospero Mukim (345,000) Seat 3: Roger Jesus (480,000) Seat 4: Tom Longden (635,000) Seat 5: Sarah Loft (265,000) Seat 6: David Mynard (1,965,000) Seat 7: Michael Ho (505,000) Seat 8: Arthur Liew (460,000) Seat 9: Ken Rowswell (305,000) Seat 10: Aaron Clayton (950,000)

Su bsc Tod rib ay e ! Australia, Asia

and Pacific:

www.pokerne twork.com

NOVEMBER/D

ECEMBER 2009

PLUS: How to ear the 2010 n your seat at Aussie Mil lions

Star City gears up APPT sea for son 3 fina le

In profIle Clonie Gow : Jarred Gra en, & Yevgen ham iy Timoshenk o

Welcome

ABOARD Australasia

Issue # 04

AU$7.95

NZ$9.95

and Pacific:

9 771 8 2

PRINT POST

www.pokerne twork.com

Mike Sexton

inc. gst

enters the Po MARCH/APRIL

ker Hall of Fa

2010

2 9 5 2 006

APPROVED PP 320258

/ 0124

CON TSAPKO

UNIS WINS

2009 POKER NEWS CUP

AUSTRALIA

InSIde: CAREER DE

FINING

Waggoner , Lisandro feted by Hall of Fam e

KROST’S Issue # 06 US$6.75 AU$7.

95 NZ$9.95

HK$55 06

9 771 8 2

PRINT POST

2 9 5 2 006

APPROVED PP 320258

/ 0124

PLU Jonathan Karamalik S: is: A monst er bounty goes unc laimed Annette Legal, dan Obrestad gerous ready for and Vegas!

Kingdom Aussie Millio

ns title stays

ANZPT UNDERW AY

- NEXT STOP WA

Australasia

and Pacific:

www.pokerne twork.com

MAY/JUNE 2010

on home so

- MORE THAN

JUST GREAT POK ER

InSIde: WSOP 20 10

What’s in & have yo store, ur on TOC lin say e-up

PLU

S: Tony Hac hem road to rich ’s on the AN es ZPT

Signed, Sea

led,

DELIVERED

Issue # 07 US$6.75 AU$7.

95 NZ$9.95

HK$55 07

9 771 8 2

PRINT POST

Paul Khoury

2 9 5 2 006

APPROVED PP 320258

/ 0124

WE PREVIEW

ElkY join s Lee Nelson for new Kill Everyo ne

& Full Tilt’s

new Aussie

team

MELBOURNE POKER CHAMP S & APPT MA CAU

“SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGE”

6 Issue subscription PLUS LET’S PLAY POKER by Lee Nelson PLUS KILL EVERYONE – REVISED AND EXPANDED EDITION Special price $99.95 ($150 value)

Name: Address: Suburb: State:

Postcode:

Email: Phone: Enclosed:

$AU39.95 6 Issue Subscription (inc postage & handling) $AU99.95 Special package (inc postage & handling)

magazine To subscribe: visit www.pokernetwork.com to pay by credit card OR Send a cheque or money order to (Australian orders only): DR Globalex Limited c/o 518/1 Queens Road Melbourne VIC 3004 subscriptions@pokernetwork.com www.pokernetwork.com

WTPC Wrap Gigi was first to hit the rail, when he pushed all-in with A-10 on a board of Q2-Q. Mynard folded, but Jesus made the call with pocket nines and turned a set to send Albert packing with $10,000 in his back pocket. Ho doubled his stack to one million when Mynard made a move with A-J. Ho flopped a set of 10s and found himself almost square with the Queenslander. Western Australia’s dreams hopes of a first APL Main Event champion ended when Prospero Mukim ran K-10 into Sarah Loft’s pocket jacks. He took home $12,500. Rowswell was next to bite the dust, raising pre-flop with K-8 only to have Ho shove over the top for an extra 75,000. Committed, Ken made the call but would come off second best against Ho’s J-10 when the Sydneysider spiked a 10 on the turn. Rowswell left disappointed, but $15,000 richer. Now on the TeamAPL Bubble, Aaron Clayton looked to capitalise on a tight table and shoved with K-6, but found an eager Roger Jesus holding pocket aces and ready to knock the youngster off his perch. Clayton headed to the cage to collect his $20,000. Sarah Loft was next to go, scoring $25,000 and a seat into the 2011 WSOP, (at 20 years of age, she’ll have to wait a year). Loft pushed with pocket 10s but

didn’t stand much of a chance against Mynard’s set of kings. Ho doubled shortly after, making a larger full house than Roger Jesus. Arthur Liew made a couple of quick double ups but bowed out in fifth for $30,000 and a TeamAPL jersey. His K-Q was outflopped by Longden’s A-2 when he made the decision to shove pre-flop. It was the beginning of an incredible run for Longden, who then claimed the scalp of Mynard in fourth (winning $35,000 and a TeamAPL berth). Roger Jesus turned the tables to send Longden packing, but he was more than happy to leave with $40,000 and a spot on TeamAPL. Two players remained in contention for the crown and, with Michael Ho facing a 4:1 chip deficit, most assumed it would be Jesus who would claim the ultimate prize. But after one of the grittiest comebacks in APL history, Ho soon found himself even with the South Sydney player, and was soon all-in as a favourite with the title at stake. Ho held Kc-Qc, after Jesus had pushed with 8-9. The board ran out 3c-5c-Qd-JcKd, giving Ho a flush and the 2010 WTPC title. Jesus walked away with $50,000 in cash and a TeamAPL seat, while Ho pocketed $80,000, a trip to the WSOP and bragging rights as the last ever Wild Turkey Poker Classic champion.

Manager makes his mark The 2010 WTPC poker festival started with a field of 135 players lining up in the $200 TeamAPL Satellite Event. As the only tournament of the year open to both APL members and staff, this event marks APL regional management’s sole opportunity to join TeamAPL’s assault on the World Series of Poker. The APL staff contingent were quick to snap up a shot at the big time, with three regional managers making it through to the final table, before APL Illawarra North’s chief Malcolm Shortland won the $20,000 package ahead of Western Australian franchisee Clint Deane. Justine Shortland, Malcolm’s wife and fellow regional manager finished fifth.

The storm to end all storms The 2010 WTPC will forever be associated with the storms that swept across Melbourne and much of Victoria on March 7. Lightning, flash flooding, hailstones the size of golf balls and strong winds hit the city during the afternoon in what was described as a “minicyclone”. In addition to the evacuation and damage caused to Crown, both Flinders Street and Southern Cross stations were flooded while Etihad Stadium was closed, forcing the postponement of a NAB Cup AFL pre-season game. More than 20 people were injured in the storm, more than 100,000 homes lost power and the damage bill was estimated at more than $1 billion.

Winter 2010

w v; iue r c tge idns

FlopShot

Rider

on the storm C champion Michael Ho crowned last WTP

of Melbourne’s CBD hail poured down, flooding the streets and rain of age barr a As d. ken wee Michael Ho, It had been a long, wet its were dampened. But for Hurstville’s spir m, Roo er Pok wn Cro d wne reno and pouring into the world own mark on local poker history. er provided the backdrop to make his pok ian tral Aus in d ken wee e tabl rget er Classic champion. this unfo to know a little about APL’s last ever Pok got and or, vict the to tted cha e azin Shuffle Mag

Shuffle Magazine: Talk about splashing the pot – have you ever heard of anything so bizarre occurring at a poker tournament?

event qualifier a couple of months before the Wild Turkey Poker Classic. You couldn’t enter as an individual so he needed me in order to play – that’s the only reason I was there, for him! We ended up taking that tournament down and winning seats into the WTPC.

seat on the final table, playing for hundreds of thousands of dollars?

MH: It was a pretty amazing feeling. I went in with about an average stack too, so I was in a good space. I didn’t feel like I had Michael Ho: We knew it was wet outside the pressures that the short stacks face, but I would never have guessed we’d be knowing they are going to need to double evacuated from the poker room on account of a flood! I just thought that was SM: So it was his idea to try and qualify, up quickly to stay alive. I also didn’t have incredible, and then before I arrived home and you were the one who ended up win- an enormous stack which, although I’d I had someone tell me that the EPT Berlin ning the WTPC. He must have been gutted! take one any day, can sometimes make you play more aggressive than you should had been robbed at gunpoint that same MH: No, he was OK with it. He finished top – or even sit back and relax too much! weekend! Incredible. When we sat down, all I cared about 50 in the WTPC and he won $3500 so it SM: So how did you win your seat into the was a very profitable weekend for both of was TeamAPL. There were 10 of us at the us. We went down with a few friends and table and six of us were going to Vegas – WTPC? we all did reasonably well so it was a great that’s all that mattered. Once we made it through that stage and I was guaranteed MH: Well to be honest, I was very lucky in weekend for the whole team. the WSOP seat, I loosened up and started that regard. The only reason I was even in I wanted to win. was your as head Turbo my factmate – James is aWhat member of agoing pokerthrough posse known the Hitplaying Squad,like along with brothers the event was>>> because LeeAkenhead had SM: when you learned that Bansi, you’d Jim be Kerrigan taking aand Karl Mahrenholz >>> dragged me along Sunny to be aand part of aChattha, teams WSOP Chaz bracelet winner Praz

Winter 2010

Michael Ho SM: David Mynard had a huge chip lead when he sat down at the final table with almost two million while the table average was just over 400,000. You were sitting next to him. Was that intimidating? MH: Yeah it was a bit. His stack was huge. It was four times the size of anyone else on the table so it was pretty hard to ignore, and it was hard to look anywhere and not have it staring you in the face. But someone’s always going to be big stack when you get to the final table and there’s only ever a one in 10 chance it’s going to be you so you’ve got to get used to that. I found Tom Longden more intimidating. He was having a hot run, he had chips and he wasn’t afraid to throw his stack around and get involved in the action. He had a massive crowd behind him, spurring him on, cheering for him and supporting him the whole way so for me, that was probably the most intimidating thing. But once the TeamAPL bubble burst I didn’t really care about crowds or chip stacks or any of that. The pressure was off.

some better decisions and probably led to him making some calls that he probably wouldn’t have made in different circumstances and that allowed me to get the upper hand in terms of chip stacks. From there I was able to play the game how I wanted to play it, I was very much in control so when I ended up with my chips in the centre I did so with a great hand – Kc-Qc. Roger had pushed with 10-9 suited and I had called him. I hit a straight and a flush; take your pick! Either way, I took it down and that’s what counted. WSOP here we come! SM: And not only the World Series – throw in the $80,000 first prize! Think you’ll have any trouble working out what to spend it on?

SM: Having said that, when the TeamAPL bubble burst, you weren’t in great shape.

MH: Not a chance! I had a few debts I needed to pay off, so they’re now gone and I’ve got a fair bit of money to play around with. I’m probably just going to top up my poker bankroll. I had been playing poker full-time for a while leading into that event, and was going to give that away but now I’ll probably look to step things up again, especially if I win the WSOP!

MH: Yeah I was in a bit of pickle, looking a bit short. I did well to get myself back into a competitive position.

SM: Someone has to win it! What is playing in the world’s biggest poker event going to mean to you?

SM: At what stage did you figure you had a shot at taking the whole thing down?

MH: Oh, it’s everything. Ask any poker player, and they’ll tell you it would mean everything to them too. I couldn’t be more excited for it! It’s an event you dream about playing your whole poker career. It’s in the back of your mind every time you think about the game. Nobody actually ever expects to play in it, and neither did I, which is what has makes this whole experience so incredible. I could never afford to fly myself over there, buy into a $10,000 poker event

MH: Honestly? Not till heads up. I wasn’t looking so good when we got to the final six. Even with five and four players left, I wasn’t ever really in a position where I was thinking ‘hang on, I might be able to win this thing’, even though with four players left that notion is never far fetched. But when it got down to one on one and I started to feel like luck was on my side, my confidence grew and I started to think ‘I’ve got this.’

and put myself up while I played in it. Very few people could. Now, I get to play in the biggest event in world poker without even needing to worry about that. SM: What are you looking to achieve in Las Vegas? Do you have a specific goal? MH: The money. I want to make the money first. Once I’ve done that it’s like anything else is a bonus. I won’t really think about much outside of making the money until I’ve actually made it. Once I’ve made it, I want to re-focus on the final 27. Then, who knows, Final table? Maybe. I don’t want to even think about it until I’ve cashed. SM: Last year, TeamAPL caught up with a several pro players including Erik Seidel and Phil Gordon. Will there be anyone you will be keeping an eye out for? MH: Not me. I’m not really that interested in that stuff. If I run into someone, that’s great. I’d love to have a chat and maybe even pick their brain if the opportunity presents itself but I’m going there to play poker. That’s what I’m there to do. I’m not going to turn down an opportunity to sit and talk with a poker great, but I’m not going to go and seek one out. I’m there to focus on my own game. SM: Best of luck, even if you don’t manage to bring home the bracelet. And we hear you’ve just scored a seat into an APL Poker Tour event. MH: I have, I won an invitational event a few weeks ago so I’m going to be at the next tour event. I’m pretty excited to see how the new format works and to see what everyone else thinks about it all. It’s cool that we have our own tour now so I’m really looking forward to being a part of it.

SM: Tell us more about that stage of the tournament – what was going through your mind when you went heads-up with Roger Jesus? MH: Well he had almost five times the chips I had, so my initial thought was ‘push’. I had to push no matter what. The blinds were high and it was getting to the stage where, if I just played text book poker, eventually luck would go against me and I was that far behind that it would likely happen while he still had the chips to knock me out. So I pushed, and I kept pushing and kept doubling up until I was even. My confidence was up and his confidence was down and I think that led me to make

Winter 2010

s ad e h

FlopShot

Excitement is mounting in households across the nation as the countdown clock ticks down for members of TeamAPL about to jet to Las Vegas for the 2010 WSOP Main Event. So what’s in store for the APL’s finest when they set foot in the world’s poker capital?

Winter 2010

apl main event news

n May 2006, Mark Sarkis took his seat along side some of the biggest names in poker at the WPT Mirage Poker Showdown after winning his seat thanks to the APL. He charged through the opening day of the tournament and showed he wasn’t out of place. So started a tradition of the APL’s best mixing it with the highest profile players in the world. On July 1, 2008, the APL announced it would be forming an elite squad of poker players to represent the league and Australia on the biggest stage in world poker – the World Series of Poker, the longest-running, largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world, dating back 40 years to 1970, and paying out more than USD $1 billion in prize money thus far. Annually, the WSOP features 57 different poker events over 50 consecutive days each summer. In 2009, the WSOP attracted more than 60,000 participants from 115 countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas – all competing for the game’s most coveted prize; a WSOP bracelet and prize money of more than USD $175 million. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running set of tournaments, dating back to 1970. The World Series of Poker culminates with the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Championship, commonly referred to as the Main Event. In 2008, the World Series of Poker announced a groundbreaking change to the conclusion of the Main Event. In 2010, for the third consecutive year, the plan is to continue with the revised format of poker’s most seminal competition, better aligning the tournament and the television experience.

Winter 2010

The Main Event in 2010 will be contested from July 5-17, and then play will stop until November 6, resuming on that date with the final nine players. Once two players remain, play will stop again, resuming late in the evening on Monday, November 8 in front of a live audience and conclude on Tuesday, November 9. Each of the nine players who make it to the WSOP Main Event Final Table will receive ninth-place prize money on July 18, when the finalists are determined. The WSOP will then provide each of those players an all-expenses paid trip for two for their return to Las Vegas in November to play the final portion of the tournament. From July 17 to November 6, a span of 112 days, players will have an opportunity to line up sponsorships and coaches, review the play of all their competitors, participate in other tournaments, and take advantage of the publicity and promotional opportunities available to them. The change in how the Main Event final table is staged brings the excitement and drama of high-stakes WSOP tournament play closer to millions of fans around the globe. ESPN will again beam the Final Table programming into Australia just hours after the 2010 winner is crowned. WSOP tournament director Jack Effel said everything at the Rio will be “bigger, and hopefully better than before – we have spent much of the past year planning an international event that promises to provide a wonderful experience for players, family, friends, and all fans who attend,” he said. “When TeamAPL players come to the Rio this year and see 250 poker tables in the new and expanded Grand Pavilion, I expect that will leave quite an impres-

sion. Then, if you add in the Amazon Room (where most of the tournament took place in previous years), that’s actually 377 total tables – the most of any poker tournament in history.” It’s been five years since Joe Hachem won the 2005 WSOP Main Event, and only Jeff Lisandro in 2006 (17th) has come close to reaching the final table in recent years. It’s a dream that members of the 2010 TeamAPL squad will be out to realise after the stunning debut of the concept at last year’s WSOP. Throughout the second half of 2008 and the first half of 2009 players of all ages and from across Australia competed for one of the 26 places in the historic first TeamAPL line-up. A year and a day after the announcement of TeamAPL, the dream became a reality when the squad boarded flight VA002 for the flight to the USA and the 2009 WSOP. On day 1D, the last of the four day one flights, the members of TeamAPL took their seats as part of the massive field of 6494 players (the third biggest live poker tournament in history) chasing a slice of the USD $61,043,600 prize pool. Four of the 23 players who eventually took their seats finished in the money – Emma Grace ($27,469 USD), Craig Ivey ($32,963 USD), Jonathan Wertheim ($32,963 USD) and Charlie Elias, who placed a stunning 53rd for almost USD $140,000. Elias and Grace were bestowed the honour of the highest placed Australian male and female players in the 2009 WSOP Main Event. Who will step up to the plate in 2010? Not long until the cards are in the air as the members of TeamAPL chase the ultimate prize in world poker.

s ad e h

FlopShot Number of Main Event final table appearances

2010 WSOP Main Event schedule

July 5 (noon) July 6 (noon) July 7 (noon) July 8 (noon) July 9 (noon) July 10 (noon) July 11 July 12 (noon) July 13 (noon) July 14 (noon) July 15 (noon) July 16 (noon) (down to 27 players) July 17 (noon) (down to 9 players) November 7-9 (time TBC)

Day 1A Day 1B Day 1C Day 1D Day 2A Day 2B No play Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

Doyle Brunson (below) Jesse Alto Johnny Moss Stu Ungar Johnny Chan T.J. Cloutier Dan Harrington Berry Johnston John Bonetti Steve Lott Bill Smith Hamid Dastmalchi Al Krux Jack Keller

Day 8 Final table Number of Main Event cashes

Berry Johnston (above) Humberto Brenes Mike Sexton Jay Heimowitz Bobby Baldwin Doyle Brunson Steve Lott John Bonetti Jason Lester Johnny Moss

10 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6

What’s in store for TeamAPL After flying into McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, TeamAPL will make the short trip up the Strip to the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. Recently acquired by Harrah’s Entertainment, Planet Hollywood was formerly known as the Tally-Ho (which opened in 1963), King’s Crown

and the Aladdin. The property is home to Peepshow, the permanent show that stars former Girls of the Playboy Mansion glamour Holly Madison. Trivia: if The Bank Casino that featured in Ocean’s Thirteen actually existed, it would occupy the site of Planet Hollywood. Aside from the challenge of taking their seats alongside the world’s best in the 2010 WSOP Main Event, there’s a packed program of activities planned for members of TeamAPL. A number of team dinners have been scheduled, along with a freeroll offering a seat to an APL Poker Tour event. There’ll also be a night out at one of the Cirque du Soleil shows and a trip to the Grand Canyon. Few realise that the Colorado River flows into Lake Mead, not far from Vegas, marking the western end of one of the world’s natural wonders. Feeling jealous yet?

Winter 2010

5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3

Pack YouR BAGS

team APL

TeamAPL line-up for 2010 WSOP almost complete

The members of TeamAPL have sent their summer clothes to the dry cleaners and started the search for the zinc as they complete final preparations for their trip to the 2010 WSOP Main Event. The players listed below will join those who’ve already booked their seats: John Rollason (2009 July Pro Champion); Nick Filippopoulos (2009 August Pro Champion); Steve McHugh (2009 Bluff Magazine TeamAPL Satellite Champion); Aaron Peterson (2009 WTGS runner-up); Alex Sandys (2009 WTGS third place); Keith Christian (2009 WTGS fourth place); Mona Isaac (2009 WTGS fifth place); Raymond Eid (2009 WTGS sixth place); Robert Sylvester (2009 WTGS seventh place); Michael Mifsud (2009 WTGS eighth place); David Chambers (2009 WTPC fourth place); Toby Hart (2009 WTGS fifth place); Michael Doumani (2009 October Pro Champion); Justin Tall (2009 December Pro Champion); Hartley Hon Ling (2010 January Pro Champion) and Allan Teves (APL/Saints 2010 WSOP Two-day Challenge Champion). The 2009 WTGS Champion Shivan Abdine and 2010 WTPC fifth-place finisher Sarah Loft will compete in the 2011 WSOP as players must be aged at least 21 to take their seats in the WSOP.

Jimmy Aschner (2010 February Pro Open Champion)

immy Aschner was thrilled when he won his Monthly Regional Final at Burwood RSL late last year to score himself a seat into the APL Pro Open, but never stopped consider his chances of actually taking the event out and booking his seat on TeamAPL’s flight to Las Vegas this July. “I ran so well at that event, things just seemed to go my way the whole day, right down to the final table and even heads up. The last hand of the day I made what I thought at the time to be an amazing read, but it turned out I was wrong and had ended up with all my chips in the middle on the flop, well behind. Then bang – I hit runner, runner to take down the tournament and score a World Series seat.” The 35-year-old Sydneysider is excited about taking part in the world’s biggest poker tournament, but said he isn’t going to count his chickens before they’ve hatched. “I’ve only been playing seriously for two years now, so this is going to be a completely new experience for me. I’ve never played in a tournament anywhere near this long, this big or this prestigious. So I just want to make it through day one. After that, I’ll set my sights on the money.”

Phil Faux

(2010 March Pro Open Champion)

hil Faux reflects fondly on how he fell in love with poker: “I was down at Revesby, saw some poker being played and decided to give it a go. Next thing I knew, it had become an obsession. Every facet of the game just grabbed me. I was in the motor trade for years, selling cars and that sort of thing so I’m an outgoing person – I love meeting people and chatting and that is basically what poker is all about.” As a younger man, the Illawarra South APLer was a keen golfer and fisherman. He also played snooker and despite laying claim to three state titles, Faux has now turned his attention to the poker felt full-time and is not ruling out the possibility of a deep run in the WSOP Main Event. “I was speaking to my son the other day, and he made a good point. He said ‘Dad, if Joe Hachem can win it, why can’t you?’ and I realised, well, yes, I’m going to be there. I’ve got as much chance as anyone else,” he said. “I copped a lot of bad beats down at the WTPC in March, it got to me and I ended up throwing in the towel and moving all in with a mediocre hand. That was a poor decision, I let things get to me and I’m so glad I learned that lesson. I feel so much more prepared for the big one.”

Winter 2010

s ad e h

FlopShot Tom Longden (2010 WTPC, third place)

ossibly the most vocal APL player of all time, 50 year old Longden was the life of the party when his cries of “woop-woop” and “wassup” guided him through to the final three at the 2010 WTPC. “It was a dream run – absolute dream run. I only lost two hands the whole weekend, I’m serious. One early on and then one where I was all-in with A-Q and Roger (Jesus) called me with 6 9 and hit a bloody straight,” he recalled. Longden has achieved semi-celebrity status in APL’s Brisbane South Region where he plays regularly with his three sons who he affectionately refers to as “Son #1, Son #2 and Son #3”. The retired electrician is a former APL regional manager, who is considering moving back into the poker industry in the near future. For now, his sights are firmly set on an in-the-money finish at the WSOP, and he’s fairly confident he can pull one off. “I’ve played in several APL main events. And every time you play an event like that you learn another lesson, you learn more about tournament play, about how to avoid the donkeys and how to get ahead in those kind of major events. I’m quietly confident I’ll cash. In any case, it’s something I can tick off the bucket list,” he said.

David Mynard

(2010 WTPC, fourth place)

his Queenslander hit the final table of the 2010 WTPC with a massive chip lead. Within two hours Mynard had drifted back to the field and would soon be eliminated in fourth place. He’s hoping he can run a little better once he hits the felt in Las Vegas. “I was happy with my play, I got unlucky a few times but that’s poker. I’m still confident with my play though so I won’t be changing anything dramatic before the Main Event. I’ve always been a patient player so I think that will work in my favour, given the structure of this tournament.” The 32-year-old admits he will be making slight adjustments to his game prior to arriving at the Rio. “You can always make improvements, you can always learn new things about the game and you’d be silly not to give yourself that opportunity. I’ve been watching all the ESPN footage from last year, reading Phil Hellmuth’s book and taking online tutorials,” he said. “It’s not all about the end result though, the other thing to remember is that, apart from never having played in such an incredible event before, I’ve also never been to Las Vegas before so I’m also looking to just have a fun time over there.”

Arthur Liew (2010 WTPC, fifth place)

e’s back. In 2006 Arthur Liew took out APL’s second State Finals title. It was a win that would send him to Las Vegas to compete in the largest event in poker history, the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event. Four years and one APL Main Event final table later, Liew is Vegas bound again. This time, he feels like he’s got a bit of an edge on the field: “I’m going back more mature, more experienced. I’ve grown as a player. A lot changes in four years.” But the Northern Hills District player isn’t under any illusion he won’t need to fight hard in order to secure his first WSOP cash. “I’m taking it step by step. First I’ll look to get through day one. Then I’ll be trying to make it to the next day, then the next day. I’m not going to try and set myself any sort of specific goal just yet. Having said that, I made it to day two in 2006, so if I can make it to day three in 2010, that would be incredible.”

Malcolm Shortland

(WTPC TeamAPL satellite winner)

here is only one event on the APL calendar allowing staff to take to the felt against players in hot pursuit of a ticket into TeamAPL and the World Series of Poker. In March, Malcolm Shortland, the APL Illawarra North’s regional manager, won that event to become the first staff member ever to join TeamAPL. The event Shortland came up trumps in was the Wild Turkey Poker Classic TeamAPL Satellite. Though he would claim victory in the end, the $20,000 package very nearly ended up in the hands of Malcolm’s wife and fellow regional manager Justine Shortland who finished fifth behind Western Australian state business manager Clint Deane.

Michael Ho (2010 WTPC, first place)

he 34-year-old made the impossible possible when came back from a 4:1 chip deficit to beat Roger Jesus at the 2010 WTPC and take home $100,000 in cash and prizes, including a seat into TeamAPL. The Sydney Inner West and Outer West regional regular was lucky to have even made it to the WTPC, only winning his seat after being dragged along by a mate to a teams event qualifier. On a hot streak of form, Ho has every reason to be excited about taking his seat at the WSOP on July 5, but the humble champion admits that rubbing shoulders and making chit chat with the pros is the last thing on his to do list. “If I run into someone, that’s great, but I’m going to Las Vegas to play poker. That’s it. I’m there to win,” he said.

Winter 2010

team APL

Wayne Bell

ailing from Marrickville, Bell was first introduced to poker when he saw it on TV three years ago. The program became a favourite and, after becoming fascinated by the game, the 36-year-old sought out a live game with friends before hearing about the pub poker phenomenon. He’s come a long way from watching cards on the couch to competing in the world’s biggest poker tournament, but said that despite his delight to be a playing for a prize pool tipped to top USD $60 million, he isn’t fussed about the money. “Obviously I want to cash, that’s a given, but I’m really just looking to enjoy the experience – that’s all I want. I’ve never been to Las Vegas before so I just want to be able to soak up everything around me and have a good time,” he said. Bell’s other main passion is reading. He usually reads at the table, between hands, but said he will leave his favourite novel at home during the WSOP in order to gather information on his opponents.

Kris Nestorovic (Workers Sports Two-day WSOP Event winner)

ris Nestorovic has been playing poker since he was 16. That practise finally paid off earlier this year when the 21-yearold claimed victory in the Workers Sports Two-day WSOP Event. He sold his business some time ago to take up poker full time and has been reaping the benefits. Profits aside, Kris is yet to snare a major title and is hoping the 2010 WSOP Main Event will be his first. Kris claims to have a better read than most and prides himself on his ability to narrow a player’s hand range. He does admit, however, there are some elements of his game he will need to work on before arriving in Las Vegas. “I need to tone down the aggression. I’m a big heads up player, I play a lot of it and sometimes the aggression needed in heads up play seeps into my full ring game.” Playing thousands of hands a week has given Kris the opportunity to improve at a faster rate: “Without being cocky, I’m pretty confident I’ll cash so I’ve got my sights set on the final table for now.”

John Azzi (2010 April Pro Open Champion)

alk about the perfect birthday present – just four days after John Azzi turned 30, the Sydney South card shark was rewarded with a seat into the World Series of Poker for his efforts in taking out the APL Pro Open in April. It seemed like destiny for Azzi – he’d made a final table appearance in four out of the last five APL Pro Opens, finishing runner-up to Phil Faux at the March Pro Open before conquering a field of more than 500 to take out the $20,000 package. “I couldn’t be more excited about heading to Las Vegas. It’s an incredible tournament, I think it’s going to take some getting used to, adapting to a field that big but I’m ready for it,” he said. Azzi has been taking tips from Charlie Elias, who finished 53rd in last year’s Main Event: “Charlie’s told me to just take it easy at the start, and try and weather the storm until most of the less-skilled players drop off. After that, it’s time to play real poker. I’ve heard a few people from last year say that the standard wasn’t nearly as good as they expected until they got into day three and four. I’m going to try and take their advice on board.”

Roger Jesus (2010 WTPC, second place)

outh Sydney’s Roger Jesus finished runner-up at this year’s Wild Turkey Poker Classic, an accomplishment of which most will only ever dream. It could have been a lot sweeter for the 59-year-old who went into heads up play against Michael Ho with a 5:1 chip lead. “I learned a lot about heads-up play that night. I played poorly once we were down to the final two. You get so excited about making it past each stage of the tournament that it’s easy to forget to switch your focus on getting through that next stage,” he said. The diehard Liverpool supporter is looking to make amends when he takes to the Amazon Room in July: “I’ve been watching videos, reading books. I’m just looking to hold out as far as I can but all I really want is to be seated on the same table as Chris Ferguson, so I can tell him ‘I’m the real Jesus!”

STOP PRESS: South Australia’s George Apat was in the box seat to win the APL Player of the Year title leading into the final days of the promotion. Apat (14,375) points led from Ron Wilson (13,325), Ben Aldons (13,280), James Charlton (12,600), Martino Lascala (12,200), John Nikolaou (12,170), Bill McDermid (11,710), Rino Verrusio (11,445), Matt Muir (11,320) and Mitch Caton (11,770).

Winter 2010

s ad e h

FlopShot

How Aussie Joe conquered the poker world Welcome to the second edition of Hand History, where we look back at some of the greatest moments in poker history. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to believe that five years has passed since Joe Hachemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s victory in the 2005 WSOP Main Event. We all know the impact of his win, but just how did the-then virtually unknown Melbourne grinder capture the biggest title in the game? 38

Winter 2010

hand history

oe Hachem had outlasted 5617 of the 5619 entrants in the 2005 WSOP Main Event and was almost 14 hours into the final table when he sat down to go heads-up with Maryland accountant Steve Dannenmann for a then record first prize of USD $7.5 million. Just six hands into his heads-up battle with Dannenmann, the Melbourne fatherof-four glanced down to see 7c-3s. Suspecting that the Dannenmann was on the ropes after the longest final table in WSOP history to that point, Hachem was throwing chips into every pot. A dog like 7-3 offsuit wasn’t about to stop him. With the blinds at 150,000/300,000 and 50,000 antes, Dannenmann raised 700,000, which Hachem called. The flop comes 6h-5d-4d. Through red and raw eyes, Hachem could hardly believe he has flopped a straight. “I did a complete double-take and tried not to move. Did I just see what I saw? And then I looked to see his reaction. Let this be the hand,” Hachem said.

Winter 2010

Dannenmann appeared to have no read on Hachem and bet another 700,000 after the Aussie checked. Hachem responded with a 1 million raise and received a call. “I sensed he was ready to give up. I thought ‘he’s got something and is just waiting’ and when the ace came, I knew I had him,” Hachem said. His instincts proved correct. When the As came on the turn, Hachem bet two million. Dannenmann raised to five million, Hachem quickly pushed all-in and Dannenmann called. Showdown time for the biggest pot in poker history – Dannenmann showed Ad3c, adding further tension to a room already on a knife-edge. If a 7 hit on the river, the pot would have been split. The dealer burned a card, and revealed the 4c. Poker would never be the same, especially in Hachem’s homeland. THE first domino in Hachem’s Las Vegas’ odyssey fell earlier in 2005 when his good mate Emad Tahtouh won a WSOP main event seat via a $33 rebuy satellite on PokerStars. Tahtouh quickly convinced a circle of friends including Dusan Stoevski, Matt Downing, Arul Thillai and Ian Schoots to join him in Vegas. Joe was the last to confirm his ticket when his wife Jeannie gave him the green light to join the boys. While Tahtouh prepared for his main event shot, Hachem dipped his toe in the water for the $1500 No Limit Hold’em (with rebuys). He placed 10th, pocketing $30,000 and ensuring he would join Emad in the field of more than 5600 for the main event. “There are no words to describe that initial feeling of walking into the hall with more than 5000 other players. But once I sat down, I blocked it all out and was able to focus on my table,” Hachem said. “I thought, you don’t have to beat all of these guys, you just have to beat the guys here at this table.” Hachem admitted that it was impossible to win without some element of luck but survived by rarely chancing his hand. “The only day I finished in a strong position was day six when I was on 3.1 million and the average was 2 million. But by last day, I started on 5.4 million and the average was $6 million,” he said. “I went all-in only once when I was behind (while holding Q-7 at the final table). And in seven days, I didn’t cop one bad beat. All those sorts of things went my way,” he said. His biggest scare came on the penultimate day of the championship event when he shoved all-in after flopping a flush. “It was one of the only times I showed any emotion. I turned my cards over with

2005 WSOP Main Event results 1 Joe Hachem (Melbourne, Australia) USD $7,500,000 2 Steve Dannenmann (Severn, Maryland) USD $4,250,000 3 John “Tex” Barch (McKinley, Texas) USD $2,500,000 4 Aaron Kanter (Lodi, California) USD $2,000,000 5 Andrew Black (Dublin, Ireland) USD $1,750,000 6 Scott Lazar (Studio City, California) USD $1,500,000 7 Daniel Bergsdorf (Umea, Sweden) USD $1,300,000 8 Brad Kondracki (Kinston, Pennsylvania) USD $1,150,000 9 Mike Matusow (Las Vegas, Nevada) USD $1,000,000 the nuts but the Irishman Andy Black turned over pocket queens for a set. I had a sickening feeling in my stomach. He had so many outs. I could have lost that hand in a million ways. Again, I survived.” By the time the final table began at the traditional home of the WSOP, Binion’s Horseshoe in downtown Vegas, Hachem first contemplated that he was in with a chance of taking the bracelet. “I was really rock-solid when we were nine-handed because I had a game plan but I never tried to win the tournament until we got to three-handed,” he said. “At the final table, I had generally struggled for chips but when we got to three and four-handed, I had chips. That was when the voice came to me – do not risk your chips until it’s time.” With Jeannie providing support over the phone from Australia and his brother Tony, cousin Billy Sukkar and the Melbourne crew watching every hand at Binion’s, Joe Hachem was crowned the WSOP champion at 6.45am on Friday, July 13, 2005. The image of Billy and Tony hoisting Joe on their shoulders, all wrapped in Aussie flag, was beamed around the world.

s ad e h

FlopShot

THE 2005 WSOP was the first to be held away from the world famous Binion’s Horseshoe after Harrah’s purchased the rights to the tournament and moved it across town to its Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino. Although there were kinks in Harrah’s maiden voyage with the property, the WSOP went well and few observers could imagine the hordes of people fitting into the Horseshoe had the event been held there that year. The plan (supposedly helped by a little arm twisting by Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman) was to play the final three tables of the main event back in Benny’s Bullpen at the Horseshoe. So, like it or not, the final 27 players spent the last two days in Binion’s but hardly anyone wanted to return to the old stomping grounds to conclude the event after spending the past month in the spacious Amazon Ballroom at the Rio. For those who braved the tight confines of Binion’s for the 2005 WSOP Main Event finale, Joe Hachem wasn’t really considered a serious contender for the title until deep into the final table. With most of the big names eliminated, focus was squarely on Greg Raymer as he charged towards unthinkable successive WSOP Main Event titles. Throw in the added element of an almost endless verbal sparring match with Mike Matusow, and the spotlight remained firmly on Raymer until his departure in 25th.

Close but no cigar Only one other Australian has reached the final table of the WSOP Main Event. In 1997, dual WSOP bracelet winner Mel Judah was part of one of the most famous WSOP final tables in history. Playing under the canopy outside Binion’s on Fremont St in windy and blisteringly hot conditions (a pane of Plexiglas was needed to keep the board cards from blowing away and coins minted for the event were used to hold down players’ hole cards), Judah’s charge to the world title was halted in third place by Stu Ungar, who would go on to win his third Main Event title.

“Aussie, Aussie, Aussie; Oi, Oi, Oi” chants greeted every hand that Hachem took down

Phil Ivey bowed out soon after in 20th, leaving Mike Matusow (recently released from jail) as the popular choice to take it down. But the race was thrown wide open when Matusow lost one-third of his chips on the second hand of the day and was first out in ninth. Shortstack Brad Kondracki went down just before the dinner break, with Daniel Bergsdorf and Scott Lazar following shortly after. Five-handed play seemed to last an eternity, and rumours that play would be halted and resumed the next day started to spread. The crown thinned noticeably. More than three hours after Lazar’s departure, Andy Black’s pocket sevens fell victim to Steve Dannenmann’s A-K when a king hit on the turn. After Black, Aaron Kanter, and ‘Tex’ Barch, were the next to bite the rail, leaving Hachem and Dannen-

mann heads up. The crowd was firmly in Dannenmann’s corner. The 2005 WSOP Main Event marked the first time that an international player brought a loud and raucous cheering section (“Aussie, Aussie, Aussie; Oi, Oi, Oi” chants greeted every hand that Hachem took down) to the tournament’s finale, and it didn’t go down well with the poker traditionalists. Nowadays, the WSOP final table wouldn’t be complete without massive cheer squads showing their support for random Scandis, obscure Russians and SAGs. Strike another one up for the Aussies – fingers crossed that the “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie; Oi, Oi, Oi” chant is trotted out for an encore performance at the 2010 WSOP Main Event final table come November.

Winter 2010

http://www.pokernewsstrategy.com/

UNLOCK YOUR UNLOCK YOUR POKER FUTURE POKER FUTURE http://www.pokernewsstrategy.com/

Bringing you the highest quality videos from Bringing you the highest quality videos from somesome of the best and brightest professionals of the best and brightestpoker poker professionals

great for for every every skill • •great skilllevel level

strategy about about all available • •strategy allgames games available • access to blogs and personal blogs

• access to blogs and personal blogs • access to our strategy forums

• access to our strategy forums

S T R A T E G Y

WE HOLD THE KEY TO UNLOCKING YOUR POKER FUTURE

WE HOLD THE KEY TO UNLOCKING YOUR POKER FUTURE PNW STATEGY inhouse Ad.indd 1

28/06/10 1:36 PM

s ad e h

FlopShot

Tamworth player etches name in APL history books The first APL Poker Tour event in Sydney surpassed all expectations with Troy Brindle emerging victorious after three gripping days of action in Star Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sports Theatre. 42

Winter 2010

apl main event news

fter months of anticipation, A devastated players took their seats in the Chris Kittos stunning Sports Theatre at watches his Star Casino in Sydney for the APLPT dreams first ever APL Poker Tour event. Approevaporate priately, the new tour was celebrated in spectacular fashion at the Playboy Fragrances Players’ Party but a couple of drinks barely settled the nerves for the fortunate 203 players who had managed to secure seats into the first ever Tour event – and with $200,000 in cash and prizes, including a ticket into the World Series of Poker as part of TeamAPL up for grabs, it was easy to see why. Flight 1A of the Main Event featured 72 players from around the country, with APL Leaderboard regular BJ Beckett drawing first blood when he sent Harry Manikas to the rail after both players flopped trip aces, with Manikas’ kicker failing him in the end. After five hours, 25 remained from the first flight, with Novocastrian duo James Sidebottom and Chris Karpowicz leading the pack, while Andrew “The Albury Dragon” Konicnik close behind. Flight 1B comprised a field of 66 players. Play was predictably tight in the early stages with 64 players still seated almost three hours into play, though Burwood’s Joel Armstrong looked the strongest of the bunch before Effie Bouyioukos took over the chip lead. The 2010 Wild Turkey Poker Classic champion Michael Ho was also looking strong towards the end of the flight, with the Sydneysider holding double the chip average just moments before the clock ran out. But in dramatic circumstances, he was then almost felted when his pocket aces fell behind John Michael’s pocket tens on a 10- high flop. After 12 hours of tournament play on day one, 51 players had booked their seats into the final session of the APLPT Sydney Main Event, with James Sidebottom chip leader ahead of Chris Karpowicz. Andrew Konicnik, Michael Ho and Luke Hanna closely followed that duo. In the final flight, 68 players sought to add their names to the players already confirmed for day two. But aspirations of becoming the first ever APLPT Champion were shortlived for Sydney South West’s Vida Gonzales who was first to go – two pair no good against Tony Travers set of fives.

Nothing seemed to be going right for the big names with Shivan Abdine, winner of the 2009 Wild Turkey Grand Slam taking a hit early on when he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar by Wagga’s Steve Bell. Inaugural TeamAPLer Trevor Allen was sent to the rail after a horrible run of cards while Ron Wilson, a prominent name on the APL Leaderboards and contender for the title of 2010 Player of the Year, also bit the dust early in the flight. Paul Hayes of Shellharbour dominated the field for much of the day, but Tim Leung who sat atop the chip count with 70,000 in chips at the end of the flight. The final 28 players added their names to the list of final session participants making the total number of runners still in contention 79, with the top 34 set to share in $200,000 in cash and prizes. Among the players still in contention for the first APLPT Golden Chip were 2007 TOC champion Rodney Davidson, 2009 WTGS winner Shivan Abdine, and 2010 WTPC victor Michael Ho. Emotions ran high with two players eliminated in the first four minutes on day two and only moments later Troy Brindle robbed James Sidebottom of his commanding position when his pocket queens held up over Sidebottom’s A-K after an all-in preflop battle.

The APLPT final table takes centre stage in the Sports Theatre at Star City

Winter 2010

ds a he

FlopShot

Rodney Davidson

Davidson was also dismissed within the first five minutes while Andrew Konicnik looked to capitalise on his position, taking out Tanya Lyman before the first break. BJ Beckett began to gain momentum soon after, flopping a set of kings to get the ball rolling in pursuit of his first major title. With seven tables remaining, Tim Leung still held the chip lead over Michael Ho with 64,000 and 60,000 respectively (the chip average was just over 30,000). But that duo would be eliminated before the big money – Leung finished 29th for $549 while Ho fell one spot later. The 2010 WTPC third place-getter Tom Longden couldn’t replicate his performance of March and finished up in 26th for $915. By 6.30pm, the first ever APLPT final table had been decided:

Beckett doubled up early after his all-in move with A-K was called by Effie Bouyioukos, holding A-J. Tyrell managed to achieve the same outcome when his Q-10 was called all-in before the flop by Trung Ho’s A-J only to have the board run in Tyrell’s favour. Ben Price bowed out of contention first, raising to 50,000 preflop with the blinds at 10,000/20,000. Price found Armstrong who opted to bump it to 120,000 before Price moved all-in for a small amount on top. Price’s A-10 was no match for Armstrong’s pocket queens, and the first casualty of the final table walked away with $3569. Trung Ho was next to go. The Sydney South West veteran moved all-in with what seemed to be the most unreliable two cards on day three – A-J. Ho found a caller in Sydney South’s Chris Kittos who held A-K, which prevailed when a king fell on the river. Ho bagged $5305 for his efforts. The final female in the field, 2009 Aussie Millions Teams Event champion Effie Bouyioukos, found her second wind shortly after Ho’s demise with a double through Ben Reid, while Inner West’s last hope Justin Tall managed the same after hitting a miracle river card to beat Kittos. The lucky run wasn’t to last for Tall, with the former Player of the Month eliminated in eighth when Kittos decided to reclaim what he felt was rightfully his after flopping a set. Tall collected $8235. Ben Reid filled seventh place soon after when the Central Coast player was unable to dodge cards after moving his chips into the centre with pocket fours against Kittos’ K-10. Meanwhile, BJ Beckett looked invincible, stealing blind after blind – and taking down every pot an opponent dared to play against him. It was a different story for Joel Armstrong, whose A-K failed to hold up against Phillip Tyrell’s A-Q. Tyrell spiked a queen on the flop to send his nemesis to the rail with $11,895. With five players remaining, Beckett, Brindle, Bouyioukos, Kittos and Tyrell each looked to settle the ship to give them the best possible shot at playing off for the first APLPT title. Kittos held a convincing chip lead on 900,000 ahead of Beckett and Brindle on 420,000 and 400,000 respectively. Bouyioukos and Tyrell were still in the running with approximately 200,000. Looking to make a move, Tyrell shoved with 9-5 but Kittos made the call with K-9. There was no joy for Tyrell, who headed to the cage to collect $13,725 and an invite to the Wild Turkey Lounge. That hand took Kittos to more than one million in chips. Beckett had also been flying high but was cut down to size when Brindle’s J-10 found a 10 on the flop after being called allin by Beckett with pocket nines.

APLPT final table Seat 1: Seat 2: Seat 3: Seat 4: Seat 5: Seat 6: Seat 7: Seat 8: Seat 9: Seat 10:

Effie Bouyioukos (Outer West) Chris Kittos (Sydney South) Justin Tall (Inner West) Phillip Tyrell (Sydney City) Trung Ho (South West) Troy Brindle (Tamworth) Ben Reid (Central Coast) BJ Beckett (Newcastle) Ben Price (Outer West) Joel Armstrong (City South West)

198,000 366,000 132,000 118,000 165,000 258,000 264,000 127,000 218,000 189,000

Winter 2010

apl main event news

Brindle leapfrogged the Novocastrian who fell to the bottom of the chip count with just 200,000. Bouyioukos made her move, but would be caught out by Brindle who opted to move all-in over the top. Effie held A-6 but her hand was dominated by Brindle’s A-K and failed to improve. Bouyioukos bowed out in fourth position for a payday of $15,555. With Kittos still dominating on 1.3 million, Troy Brindle sitting on 750,000 and BJ Beckett holding 200,000, all bets were off as the Golden Chip and a ticket to Las Vegas lay in wait for one of three New South Welshmen. After limping in from the small blind, Chris Kittos found himself in a tangle against Troy Brindle in the big blind and, with a bit of luck from the river card, Brindle found himself atop the chip count by a small margin. Beckett remained a distant underdog and could not have been happier when he was given the opportunity to push all-in with pocket queens. Brindle made the call with K-10 and, despite Beckett hitting his set on the turn, the third queen in the deck would also be enough to make Brindle’s straight after finding an ace and a jack on the flop. Beckett missed his full house and instead walked away in third position with an impressive $17,385. After three long days of poker, the first APL Poker Tour field had

Shivan Abdine

APL Poker Tour Sydney final table payouts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Troy Brindle Chris Kittos BJ Beckett Effie Bouyioukos Phillip Tyrell Joel Armstrong Ben Reid Justin Tall Trung Ho

Winter 2010

$31,840 + TeamAPL Package $26,350 $17,385 $15,555 $13,725 $11,895 $10,065 $8235 $5305

been reduced to Sydney South’s Chris Kittos and Tamworth’s Troy Brindle, who faced off for the lion’s share of more than $58,000, and a seat into the biggest event in world poker – the World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas. With South Sydney still hurting from Roger Jesus’ second place finish behind Michael Ho at the 2010 WTPC, Kittos was out to set things right for his region, but Brindle was on a roll and didn’t show any signs of backing down. Brindle also seemed to have luck on his side – flopping 10-5-5 while holding 10-5 in one of the first hands of the heads-up duel. Following a string of similar hands, Brindle found himself with a 3:1 chip lead over Kittos, whose stack had been reduced to just over 500,000. Kittos refused to give up and found himself almost even in chips with Brindle after doubling up with A-Q against Troy’s 8-9. And just like that, it was all over. “I’m all-in.” Kittos announced. “I call.” Brindle responded, almost immediately, exposing pocket queens and crushing the spirits of Chris Kittos, who revealed pocket jacks. The board ran out 7c-Kd-Kh-Ad-2h, a distraught Kittos collected $26,350 as runner-up while Troy Brindle was confirmed as the first APL Poker Tour winner, taking home $31,849 in cash as well as a seat in the WSOP Main Event as part of TeamAPL. Brindle was effusive in his victory speech: “I would like to thank all the players, sponsors and officials for a great three-day event. In particular I would like to thank the players that I played against in the tournament for their great sportsmanship, spirited competition and entertainment,” Brindle said. It was a remarkable comeback by Brindle, who watched his stack slashed to just 20 per cent of its start bank after the first five minutes of play on day one. He became the Tamworth region’s first ever Main Event Champion and will be the man to watch come September when the tour heads to Conrad Jupiter’s Casino on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

s ad e h

FlopShot

Shannon Morris Photographer

Makes scents Playboy Fragrances come to the party for APLPT opener In true APL style, the first APL Poker Tour event kicked off with one hell of a party at Star City Casino in Sydney. Renowned hip hop entertainer DJ Nacho Pop set the scene while Playboy Australia’s Sheridyn Fisher played host at the Playboy Fragrances Players’ Party. Others spotted at the party included Underbelly: The Golden Mile’s Salvatore Coco, rugby league greats including Gordon Tallis, all the big names from the APL ranks and enough Wild Turkey and Playboy Fragrances girls to melt every heart in the room. Can’t wait for the next APLPT Party on the Gold Coast, which will again be brought to you by Playboy Fragrances.

Winter 2010

apl main event news

Winter 2010

s ad e h

FlopShot

Club APL isâ&#x20AC;Ś

Open for business After months of development and testing the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first online poker league, ClubAPL. com, will finally be unveiled on July 1. To give the site a launch worthy of its stature, almost $15,000 in guaranteed cash and prizes will be up for grabs during the first month alone, celebrating the extensive range of benefits playing APL on the Internet.

Winter 2010

club APL

major milestone in the evolution of the APL, ClubAPL. com brings the much loved APL pub poker experience to the realm of the online game – and just like it’s pub-based cousin, ClubAPL.com is completely free

to join. Apart from having loads of tournaments and sit ‘n’ goes from which to choose, you’ll also have an option of membership levels: Basic or VIP. Basic Membership is free of charge and is a great way to whet your appetite for online poker, while VIP Membership offers the complete ClubAPL.com experience and offers the opportunity to turn a small subscription fee into thousands of dollars in cash and prizes. The ultimate aim of ClubAPL.com is no different to its live counterpart. Players start the month with a set amount of Club APL points depending on their membership level, and scale the heights of the Club APL leaderboard depending on the number of points they acquire. You can also qualify into the $500 Weekly and $1500 Monthly tourneys for your chance to share in some cold, hard cash. While you attempt to qualify for these great cash bonanzas, why not try your luck in our $25, $50 and $75 Daily or the $100 Lucky Weekender tournaments where you can compete for cash, and share in Club APL Points to help you reach the top of the leaderboard! Additionally, the Top 100 Club APL Leaderboard players at the end of the month will receive an exclusive invite to the ‘Club APL Masters’ a VIP-only tournament with an APL Poker Tour ticket up for grabs. If that wasn’t enough four free VIP Memberships (valued at $24.95 each) will be on offer each day, together with a Shuffle Magazine Freeroll offering a FREE magazine subscription every night. Basic members will start the month with 100 Club APL points, and can acquire more points by playing freeroll tourneys before progressing to then making the move to small buy-in SNGs and beyond. VIP members start the month with 1000 Club APL points. What makes Club APL so cool is that it directly complements your live tournament play – the more live APL poker tournaments you play, the more benefits you will reap the next time you log on. For every tournament you play in any calendar month, you will be awarded 10 Club APL points the following month. So if you played 10 events, that’s an extra 100 points! It just might be the difference between making the cash and missing out! We understand that many of our players will be making their first foray into the online poker world, so we’ll be welcoming all newcomers to our play money tables and offering them the chance to get some practise before putting their precious Club APL points at risk. ClubAPL.com is completely legal and there are no deposits whatsoever. Basic Membership is 100% free, and if you do

Winter 2010

wish to become a VIP member, it’s a simple flat fee of $24.95 per month – with no minimum commitment. You can play every month or off and on if you like. VIP members can invite your friends to subscribe to a Club APL VIP Membership. If they join using your screen name as a referral code, you will receive $5 every month that they remain a member! This means that all you need to do is sign up five mates and you will be playing with VIP membership absolutely free – and that’s guaranteed for the Club APL life of those players! When it comes to the end of the month you can opt to withdraw your winnings or keep it in your account and build it up or redeem it for an APL Poker Tour seat of the same value. You can also enter direct APL Poker Tour Satellites on Club APL. With thousands of dollars in cash and prizes up for grabs across an extensive range of tournament and sit ‘n’ goes, it’s easy to see why everyone is talking about ClubAPL.com! Are you joining the club? Membership Benefits Table Risk Free – Never lose money Monthly Club APL points allocation

Basic

VIP

√

100

1,000

Win Thousands in Cash Prizes Win APL Poker Tour ticket

√ √

√

Unrestricted tournament access

√

Unrestricted sit’n’go access

√

Free money tables to sharpen your skills

√

Private tables

√

Private Tournaments

√

In game chat – Talk to your friends

√

Shuffle Magazine Subscription

√

Live chat support

√

Email Support

√

Special ‘Members Only’ Events

√

Refer a friend promotion

√

TH EA E C P RE H W FO R ILL G RA BE BS A T

EV FO ER R Y

EG 25 A PA PO SA RTIC K ER T IP TO EL AN TS U LI R T A SE E T PL

A 1

Mega Satellite JulY WIN YOUR WAY INTO THE APL POKER TOUR FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN LIFE-CHANGING AMOUNTS OF CASH! THE NEXT APL POKER TOUR MAIN EVENT WILL BE HELD AT JUPITERS GOLD COAST FROM WEDNESDAY 1ST - FRIDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER

- LOCATIONS TOWNSVILLE 24TH JULY, THURINGOWA CITY BOWLS CLUB, 159 BAMFORD LANE, KIRWAN, 2PM REGO BRISBANE 18TH JULY, COORPAROO RSL, 45 HOLDSWORTH ST, COORPAROO, 10AM REGO TWEED HEADS 10TH JULY, SOUTH TWEED SPORTS CLUB,4 MINJUNGBAL DVE, SOUTH TWEED HEADS, 9AM REGO NEWCASTLE 17TH JULY, WESTS MAYFIELD - PHOENIX, CNR INDUSTRIAL DVE & WILLIAM ST, MAYFIELD NSW, 11AM REGO DUBBO 17TH JULY, DUBBO RSL,CNR WINGEWARRA ST & BRISBANE ST, DUBBO, REGO 1PM LAUNCESTON 17TH JULY, LAUNCESTON WORKERS CLUB, 66 ELIZABETH ST, LAUNCESTON, REGO 12PM MELBOURNE 31ST JULY, THE FURLAN CLUB,1 MATISI ST, THORNBURY, REGO 10:30AM SYDNEY 18TH JULY, CASTLE HILL RSL,77 CASTLE ST, CASTLE HILL, REGO 11:30AM ADELAIDE 24TH JULY, BRITANNIA HOTEL,1 KENSINGTON RD, NORWOOD, REGO 12:00PM ALBURY 25TH JULY THURGOONA COUNTRY CLUB RESORT, THURGOONA DRIVE, THURGOONA NSW, REGO 11AM WOLLONGONG 24TH JULY CORRIMAL RSL MEMORIAL CLUB, A 168 PRINCESS HIGHWAY, CORRIMAL REGO 5:3OPM

TICKETS MAY BE PURCHASED TO THESE EVENTS IN STATES THAT PERMIT

club APL

ClubAPL.com tournament schedule Club APL Masters

Qualify to this monthly invitational tournament by being in the Top 100 players in the Club APL Leaderboard for a chance to win an APL Poker Tour Ticket First Sunday of the following month @ 1pm $500 Weekly Tourney Qualify to this weekly tournament to share in a prize pool $500 • Every Sunday @ 4.30pm $500 Weekly Tourney Qualifier Schedule • Play this event to qualify into the $500 Weekly Tourney 8.30am

10.30am

6.30pm

8.30pm

12.30pm

2.30pm

4.30pm

Available Monday to Saturday to VIP Members Only Cost: Free The top 10 for each qualifier tournament wins and entry into the $500 Weekly Tourney $1500 Monthly Tourney Qualify to this weekly tournament to share in a prize pool $1500 • First Saturday of the following month @ 3pm $1500 Monthly Tourney Qualifier Schedule• Play this event to qualify into the $1500 Monthly Tourney 9.30am

11.30am

7.30pm

9:30pm

1.30pm

3.30pm

5.30pm

Available daily to VIP Members Only Cost: Free The top 10 for each qualifier tournament wins and entry into the $1500 Monthly Tourney Club APL Points Tourneys Play this event to earn Club APL Points and climb the Club APL Leaderboard 8.45am

10.30am

6.45pm

8.45pm

12.45pm

2.45pm

4.45pm

Available daily to ALL members. Cost: 10 Club APL Points Freerolls • Play this event to earn Club APL Points and climb the Club APL Leaderboard 8.15am

10.15am

12.15pm

6.15pm

8.15pm

10.15pm

2.15pm

4.15pm

Available daily to ALL members Cost: Free • 100 Club APL Points up for grabs $24.95 FREE VIP Membership • Play this event to win a free month’s VIP subscription to ClubAPL.com worth $24.95 1pm

3.45pm

6pm

9.45pm

Available daily to Basic members only. Cost: 15 Club APL points Win this tournament to gain free VIP Access for one month. Score a win in this event, and you’re freerolling for the next four weeks

Shuffle magazine freeroll Play this event to score yourself a free subscription to Shuffle MagazineContested daily at 8pm – Available to Basic members only Cost: 15 Club APL Points $25 Daily Cash Tourney • Play this event to score some easy cash and Club APL points. Played daily at noon Cost: Free • Available to VIP Members only $50 Daily Cash Tourney • Play this event to score some easy cash and Club APL points. Played daily at 9pm Cost: Free• Available to VIP Members only $75 Daily Cash Tourney Play this event to score some easy cash and Club APL points Played daily at 7pm • Cost: Free• Available to VIP Members only $100 Lucky Weekender • Play this event to score some easy cash and Club APL points Played on weekends at 2pm Cost: Free• Available to VIP Members only

Winter 2010

p eu s l d oafi phre

FlopShot Venue profile:

Venue profile:

Saint George Hotel

2 Morris Innaloo 6 Rd 018 Western Australia • Tuesday Night Pok er, registratio n at 6pm

entrally located on Morris Road, Innaloo, the recently refurbished Saint George Hotel and Bottleshop is a sleek, stylish and sophisticated modern day Australian hotel, offering a casual dining experience within the comfort of a local pub atmosphere. The Saint George is not just a great spot to spend a night out – with a fully stocked bottle shop located on site, it’s a regular stop for the residents of Innaloo and the surrounding suburbs. The Bistro at The Saint is well known as a great gathering place for long, lazy lunches. Spacious and comfortable dining areas can accommodate large bookings; perfect for birthdays or special occasions. Having established a reputation as one of the finest pubs in Perth’s inner-north, the Bistro at The Saint and the ever-popular Main Bar have also become favourites for the region’s poker players. APL runs tournaments at The Saint every Tuesday night from 6.30pm. Keep an eye out for top APL regulars including Michael Da Costa, Adrian Hall, Natasha Donnelly and Mitchell Benson. Venue manager Craig Donoghue said poker had worked wonders for The Saint since starting up in early 2008. “It’s been a fantastic success, we generally won’t get any less than 80 players per tournament. We’ve also got a meal deal running on Tuesday nights – 1kg of Chilli Mussels for $15, and that’s become an instant favourite with the players.” Poker aside, The Saint George Hotel is open from 11am until late every day of the week and features live music on Friday and Sunday afternoons (join the Howie Morgan Project each Sunday at The Saint) as well as Perth’s hottest DJs on Friday and Saturday nights including DJ Jordan and DJ Anaru.

The Albion Hotel

423 Churc h Kilburn 5 ill Rd South Au 084 stralia

• Monday Nights (2 games), registratio n at 6.30 pm & 10.30pm • Friday Nights, re gistration at 10.30p m

he Albion Hotel is a family owned and operated hotel, and proud supporter of the APL, located just 15 minutes from the Adelaide CBD. The Albion prides itself on a warm and friendly atmosphere and the ideal venue to enjoy lunch or dinner at reasonable prices in the Bistro or Trackside Bar. The Trackside Bar offers quality food and drink. After your meal, enjoy a game of pool or have a punt at the TAB or enjoy a fun game of Keno. Then kick back and relax, with your choice of the races, tennis, football or other favourite sports events on one the Albion’s many wide screens. The Albion’s Bistro offers a great range of affordable meals for the whole family from the extensive a-la-carte menu, (seafood, steaks, schnitzels, pasta,) or the daily Chef’s Specials Board. All main meals are served with complimentary fresh salad and hot vegetable bar and it’s highly recommended that you save some space for one of the many mouth-watering desserts. The Jackpot Club Gaming Room is well designed for the comfort of the players with 33 of the latest gaming machines for your entertainment with LOTTO and KENO facilities available. You can play APL Poker at The Albion on Mondays and Fridays, with the APL Double Header Monday Night featuring two tournaments coinciding with The Albion’s ‘Schnitzel Day’, allowing players the chance to grab a schnitzel dinner for just $10.90. Friday night poker kicks off at 10pm. The Albion the home venue for some of SA’s top APL performers, including George Apat, Matthew Lay, Michael Turkiw, Robert Lark and Dusan Zecevic. The venue also regularly hosts some of the premier APL events in South Australia, including the State Finals.

Winter 2010

apl venue review

80 Pyrm Pyrmont, ont Street NSW 200 9

Casino profile:

Star City Casino

• The Sta r City Pok er Roo on Level 2 of the com m is located 36 Degre es Bar, Se plex near the an’s Kitch Lotus Pon en and d restaura nts. It is o 24 hours, pen seven day s a week. • For all e vent deta ils, check www.bigg out amepoke r.com.au

t’s hard to think of a casino anywhere in the world that offers the position of Sydney’s Star City. Located on Darling Harbour, the property offers views of one of Australia’s most iconic symbols, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the stunning city skyline. Star City is the only casino in New South Wales. It is owned and operated by Tabcorp Holdings Limited, one of Australia’s largest entertainment and leisure companies. Star City operates 200 gaming tables and includes a 480-room hotel, a 2000-seat theatre and several restaurants and bars. Its 3.34-hectare complex (about the size of seven football fields) is a key part of the city’s vibrant Darling Harbour precinct. Already Sydney’s premier entertainment destination, Star City Casino is undergoing the biggest redevelopment in the history of the Australian casino industry. The property is currently being transformed into a world-class entertainment destination with improved gaming and entertainment facilities, new hotel and expanded restaurant and bar offerings under an AUD $475 million investment in the property. Features of the redevelopment include re-orienting the casino to embrace Sydney Harbour and the city skyline, including creation of a new grand entry from the harbour side of the complex. A new hotel is being constructed next to the casino, which will be the first five-star hotel built in Sydney’s CBD since the 2000 Olympic Games. Other features of the redevelopment include expanding the current restaurant and bar offerings, creating a new retail galleria and refurbishing the gaming floor. Already, the state-

Winter 2010

of-the-art new Sports Theatre and Bar with TAB, big screen and sports betting facilities has been completed. Poker is also a major focus of the ‘new Star City’. Just prior to the 2009 APPT Grand Final, a new purpose-built poker room was opened, featuring 25 tables, a dedicated multi function buyin desk, a separate kitchen with dedicated food and drink table service, TAB kiosk and easy access to some of Star City’s most popular bars and restaurants, including the 36 Degrees Bar, Sean’s Kitchen and Lotus Pond Chinese Restaurant. Amid the redevelopment work, new features of the property are being opened to the public, including new restaurants like Fat Noodle (adjacent to the new Baccarat room) and Fuel at the Sports Theatre. And you’ll still find all the old favourites open for business, like Astral, Star City’s premier fine dining restaurant. Perched on the top level of the hotel, Astral offers panoramic city and harbour views and modern cuisine with strong European influences. Star City continues to offer a vast array of entertainment options with upcoming highlights including West Side Story (from July 10), Swan Lake on Ice (August 27-September 5) while free entertainment is offered throughout the properties at bars like Astral, the Sports Theatre and Bar, 36 Degrees, and Sean’s Bar and Lounge. In coming weeks, you’ll be able to sit back with your mates in one of the 225 spacious stadium style seats to watch all the big World Cup matches. Sports Theatre and Bar is open 24/7 so you won’t miss a minute of the 2010 World Cup live on the mega screens and more than 50 LCD screens.

k ar sh

l tro a p

TURNCARD

SHARK PATROL Look left and look right when you next take a seat at your local APL venue, you’ll never know when one of these sharks will be circling.

David Rowland

Rino Verrusio Age: State: Region: Occupation: APL debut: Debut venue: 2009-10 Tournaments: Average: Preferred venue: Favourite hand:

21 South Australia Adelaide Administration Officer February 2008 Regency Tavern, Regency Park 410 32.1 Brittania Hotel, Norwood 6-4

Major tournaments 2009 Wild Turkey Grand Slam 2010 Wild Turkey Poker Classic APLPT Gold Coast (Qualified) APLPT Melbourne (Qualified) He may only be 21, but Rino Verrusio knows his way around the poker table better than most. Ranked among the top 15 players in the country for the 2009-10 season, Verrusio will be contesting the next two APL Poker Tour Main Events where he is aiming to capture a TeamAPL package. “I just love my poker. I have other things that I do, I play baseball on the weekends, I work full-time and all of that, but poker is what I love to do. It’s what I’m passionate about. Right now I’m just looking to try and claw my way into the top 10 for Player of the Year and then see if I can’t do some damage on the tour. WSOP – that’s my real dream,” he said. Rino made his APL debut after a few home games with mates exposed a natural talent at the felt. “We found a game nearby and it just went from there. I found out I just had this ability to make sick reads, and a knack when it came to knowing when to fold, when to lay down good hands.”

Age: State: Region: Occupation: APL debut: Debut venue: 2009-10 Tournaments: Average: Preferred venue: Favourite hand:

59 Victoria Ballarat Retired May 2007 North Ballarat Sports Club 245 41.1 North Ballarat Sports Club A-10

Major tournaments 2010 Wild Turkey Poker Classic If it hadn’t have been for a determined friend, David Rowland’s APL career might never have taken off. “My best mate wanted to give it a go and wanted me to go along and keep him company. I had no interest and I was kicking and screaming and not wanting any part of it. Next thing I knew, I was there and loving every second of it. From that point on, I couldn’t keep away” he said. A keen sports lover and car enthusiast, David was content to watch the footy and tinker with his 1970 Rambler Hornet on weekends. Three years later, and David Rowland is now the highest ranked player in Victoria. He competed in his first Main Event in March when he took part in the 2010 Wild Turkey Poker Classic, and is now hard at work trying to qualify for the APL Poker Tour. “The tour is my main focus right now. I mean, I’m like every other poker player – I’d love to go to the World Series and see what I could do over there, but I’m also a realist and I know that the chances of that happening are slim. So for now I’ve got my mind set on making it onto the tour,” he said. Rowland, a retired public servant and father of five, also loves to play poker online. “My youngest son is living with me at the moment while he builds his house so we often log on and play a session together.” Winter 2010

rising APL stars

George Apat

John Nikolaou Age: State: Region: Occupation: APL debut: Debut venue: 2009-10 Tournaments: Average: Preferred venue: Favourite hand:

51 South Australia Adelaide Bricklayer June 2008 Albion Hotel, Kilburn 468 44.8 Brittania Hotel, Norwood K-10

Major tournaments 2009 Wild Turkey Grand Slam 2010 Wild Turkey Poker Classic APLPT Sydney Once a keen fisherman, George Apat doesn’t have time for much else other than poker these days. Apat found his new passion when he stuck his head in to check out an APL tournament two years ago on his way home from work. “I drove past the Albion and thought, ‘hang on – what’s with all these cars here?’ I decided to poke my head in, saw a game of APL poker set up and before I knew it I was a regular. It was easy for me, I mean, I love gambling – but I hate losing money, so APL was a perfect fit,” he said. With just a few weeks to go in APL’s Player of the Year promotion, Apat (fondly known locally as ‘The Paralyzer’) leads the national leaderboard by an almost unbeatable margin. With the top three players set to join TeamAPL in the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event, George’s tournament entry, return flights and room at Planet Hollywood are all but booked. But it hasn’t been easy for the South Australian, who admits he’s felt the pressure in recent months. “It’s all very exciting but, at the same time, it’s a grind. It’s a very long, very hard grind to chase that leaderboard and as things tighten up around the business end of the season it becomes hard to have fun at these events. You know that you have to score points every time you play. You’re not there to have a laugh anymore, you’re there to win and once the pressure starts to build, it’s harder to play well,” he said.

Age: State: Region: Occupation: APL debut: Debut venue: 2009-10 Tournaments: Average: Preferred venue: Favourite hand:

45 New South Wales Sydney South Architectural Drafter Mid-2006 St. George Leagues 658 36.1 Burwood RSL 7c-9c

Major tournaments 2009 Wild Turkey Poker Classic, 2009 Wild Turkey Grand Slam, 2010 Wild Turkey Poker Classic, 2010 APLPT Sydney He might play in the St. George Region, and he may have been born in the year of the Dragon but when it comes to footy, John Nikolaou is one of the Sharks’ most dedicated supporters. After finishing third at APL’s State Finals and taking out the Venue Leaderboard title at St George Leagues for two seasons in a row, John has become known as a bit of a shark himself. He discovered APL after reading an advertisement in the local paper. “I loved the game, and was talking about how I didn’t want to have to wait a week for another game. Then the TD told me there were other games on offer that week, and found out there were games all over the place, every night of the week,” he said. John also loves a rivalry, and took this opportunity to take a light-hearted dig at fellow Burwood RSL player Ron Wilson, who is currently ranked second on APL’s Player of the Year Leaderboard, just ahead of John, who is ranked fifth. “I like playing at Burwood RSL. They play music while we play and I like that for two reasons – it helps me settle into my game and focus on my game, and because Ron Wilson hates it!” “I’m desperate to chase points. A lot of players like to think they’ve got some power over whether I make it or not. So I’m getting my all-in with pocket queens called with 6-4 a lot of the time, and it seems like they’re hitting straights a little more often than they should be, but that’s OK. That’s poker.” John is desperate to make it to the top of the leaderboard and head to Las Vegas with TeamAPL. “I’d even settle for an Aussie Millions package to be honest – I just want to play in a major. That’s my main goal.”

Winter 2010

s ad e h

TURNCARD

You wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find a poker player on the face of the earth who hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t endured a bad beat or two. Some boast of their ability to play on, unaffected. Others complain that the law of averages never even out the countless pots lost to one-outers and runner-runner straights. Tom Alexander is one such player. The Dural-based footy fanatic recently catalogued a litany of poor fortune in an attempt to exorcise the demons steadily destroying his poker game.

nd: o y e b & m APL

Tea

My life as a

pokerplayer 56

Winter 2010

tom alexander

I took my sh ot at the b ig time. It was Aug the compe down to pla ust 2009 when I sa tition and b t I was o y my first A efore I kne n my way w it PL Pro Ope First prize to Melbou n. a one was a $20 rne with in six chan ,000 Team package – ce of scori APL into in other w ng a seat the Aussie ords, a se into the b Millions. at iggest tou I was und rnament in world, the er the gu the dea World Seri n a lt A-J, ea es of Poke Main Even rly on. We nd was t. r handed so were sixI’ve never I raised it The field w been short up. The ta fo a of a hobb s ld When som e 5 d 0 0 a ro ble stro und to the y. was under n ething spa button wh o illusion th ng, so I Channel rks an inte est in me, ere Nine Melb at this wa r- to be an ea I usually e s girl Bro ourne wea sy task bu nd up thro ing myself die Harper, ther t I figured w- someone w in the dee our celebri if er, ma as going to p end. In h school I w ty playd e the call. be headin igh to the WSO as in the sw Brodie wa g to poke P, it might im team, th track and s new r, so I nee as well ha e been me. field team ded to be ve aroun and the F XV footy te c d areful h e ir r, st but when am. Six hours the flop fe later I was rainbow JWhen I m n ll a 6 o l -Q n ta the fi- d ble, heads I felt prett oved on ent. I took school, I st up with Nic from high pop y confia oulos, and arted playi k lo Filip- bo ok at her ng rugby p I held a face, her fessionally dy languag ro- lead. We tu 2:1 chip e. I decid and I be ssled for a ed that sh d gan studyi id industrial n ’t h w a h ve b ile e lin n th ,p g design at ds back an e Queen. university. d forth befo assing As the vie I was right. with swim But up to pocke wers at ho re I woke ming and me could t 7s. I rais athletics g Brodie held I began to see, ed it up b one, and he h Ah-2h – a feel a hole a ig d p nd with on u o o sh n pen up an a thirst fo e e d h e a a llrt to in ly on the bo p. I called, d r a new ch over the ard she w of course. allenge be in great sh to develop a sn Nick show gan J-2. I was a ’t a p . It wasn’t e. ed mile ahead tha my 18th Despite n , but I wasn birthday th t long after home yet. ot knowin ’t a what Brod t I stumble g exactly across poke ie held, I d The flop ha r at a mate knew eno that my ja d fallen 4-3 ’s house. We would ugh It ck wasn’t -Q. Bang! hadn’t hit play a ga me until n going to p up much dare poke me called the o w ut o , f b r where th a u flop was la t once a fight if a ki e first pla id out the ce fell, so to be com ng or an yer kicked in. Th adrenaline I pletely cle p u t out a big e turn fell shut thing an his chips bet to the eight o s down rig would have ed out of spades – a f die calle ht there. ‘nothing’ to comple a dare pu Brod c w a m e rd te e without re three ja lled out of . There even thinki cks left in a hat, for twice. The pleasure o ng the The other 4 th tu e f all the rn deck. he was the q 1 cards we others at table. One arts. ueen of re mine. I w the one card a time I was as way from V blindfolded taken to a egas, baby! , park three And then it happene suburbs aw and given d. Just like ay that, the Jc 30 minute hit the felt s to figure where I wa . Nick wa out raking in th s and then s I pushed e pot and return to th home gam all-in. “I ca I was sho e stacked. I felt e by foot. ll.” Wow. I w rt expecting so I didn’t real- tha ise what th h asn’t o llo that. Sudd w , b ut I knew S t it wasn’t e ramifica enly, he had to tion over. The ing the 30 have had th I felt sick. next hand -minute tim s of miss- I was dealt w e queen. M spirits were as K-Q. I e limit wou be until I a y shoved an lifted as B ld Nick called m rrived back d ro o die flipped ve e with A-8 a r her A2. I at the hom game only nd despite was ahead e a K-Q-2 flop to find tha ! giving me t I had be I was still blinded ou en Nick manag in the proc two pair, in t of the fo ed to pull e ss of h g llowing rou th and now e wind flow a 10 on th nd turn and a ja had a tea back into m ave as the 5 ck on the ri spoon of powder to y sails h hit the boa chilli Broadway, ver to make snort. rd, giving B sna die her flu rosh and red and send m re the ticket to Vega ucing my st s to almost e packing. ack nothing. O nce again fallen from I had the dizzyin g heights p o Discomfort ker stardo of m to resid s aside, a ent no-hop in no more new love fair had st e r af- It would b th arted. I fo an a split se e another und out a cond. APL throu I could w bout before I c four weeks gh a frien ri te another p ould even d and befo my experie knew it I w age on look at a re I of cards w nce at the as playing deck yo ithout wan WTPC, but once or tw u a week. I re a lly ti n all I n g ic e was playin e to spew. ed to know branched g a tourna out into o is that I ha my pocke tournamen nline Sydney C ment in th d t a ts, watch c es cracke ity North re e Enoug ing reruns d by Q-3 the World S h said. I gion, at Ch . of wood RSL, a eries on ES still dream ats- playi nd found m PN and rea ing magazi ng in a ma about yself flickin d- through Shu ne articles jo r o ne day, tho g doesn ffle. There and books how to im ugh it ’t seem m was a com on petition to prove my eant to be - doesn’t win a plac game. I pla . But that solidly for mean I wo e on the yed show, Aust three or fo n’t quit tryi TV now, ralian Poke ur years be ng! For though, I’ r Hero. Re fore ising I had m in bad al- hab nothing to beat re– nothing lose, I ente but red emo tional scars freerolls until the heal.

Where it all b

egan

Storm clouds

Feeding the p

assion

gather

Holding out f

or a hero

Winter 2010

For dates, locations & how to qualify Speak to an APL tournament director today.

www.APLpokertour.com

Sean Callander

“Can you sponsor me?” Barely a week passes without a phone call from an aspiring poker pro inquiring about sponsorship. “Sure, I’d love to pay you thousands of dollars to sit around and play poker, simply for wearing my logo”. Uh-uh, the reality of poker sponsorship is far removed from the fantasy held by most wide-eyed players who think they’re worth the big bucks.

Winter 2010

Look & behave like a professional Even with that major title to their name, some players struggle to hang on to their deals. Why? Because it’s a buyers’ market. There’s always a new champion or online gun coming along who’s desperate for a deal, and the major sites know this. So it’s essential to separate yourself from the pack. Treat and present yourself like a professional sportsperson. Convince your potential suitor how you are going to make them millions of dollars in affiliate revenue. Think about leaving the tracksuit pants and stinky T-shirt at home next time your turn up to play.

Be born goodlooking and female

Win something big, really big A WSOP Main Event title, victory in the Aussie Millions or triumph on the WPT or EPT will certainly get your phone ringing. History shows that the majority of players who’ve taken down a major title have been able to exploit that result, at least in the shortterm, for a sponsorship deal with one of the major sites. But even these deals can be impacted by events prior to the tournament. For instance, if you’ve qualified for the WSOP Main Event on PokerStars and you reach the final table, you’ll be wearing a PokerStars logo until you play you’re final hand of the tournament.

OK, this sounds appallingly sexist and inappropriate, but the facts remain that there are a disproportionate number of young, good-looking female players sponsored by online sites. And the playing credentials of some are highly questionable. Playboy Playmate of the Year Sara Jean Underwood has a deal with Victory Poker, while UltimateBet signed porn star Samantha Ryan picked a deal for the 2010 WSOP. Why? Because they’ll be photographed and interviewed, ensuring the site extensive coverage. You have to feel for the likes of Kathy Liebert, one of the most successful female players of all-time and yet unsponsored for the bulk of her career.

ong before professional poker players became household names, rounders like Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim Preston, parted Texas oil tycoons from their riches and never gave a thought to endorsement contracts or appearance fees. That all changed in 2003, when Chris Moneymaker sat through the WSOP Main Event wearing a beige cap and a plain black polo shirt with a piece of embroidery that read “PokerStars.com.” Helping matters were ESPN commentators who continuously pushed Moneymaker’s story of turning $39 into a WSOP seat through an online poker site. Thousands of viewers flocked to PokerStars and a new era was born – the professional poker player as a product endorser. Prior to the 2003 WSOP final table other players had worn hats and shirts endorsing online poker rooms, but none showed the immediate impact of Moneymaker, whose win garnered widespread media attention for himself and PokerStars. Today it’s hard to find a final table on television where the players aren’t walking billboards for an online poker site. But there’s a key word in that previous sentence: television. A TV camera remains the primary allure for online poker sites to throw their money onto a player’s shirt. Some, like Full Tilt Poker, have refined the technique to the point that there is a fixed dollar figure attached to the value of a player appearing on TV at the specific point of a tournament. At the WSOP Main Event, a player without an existing deal will receive a fixed amount if they are seated at a feature table, or if their “all-in” moment appears as part of the ESPN coverage. So how do you get sponsored? Here’s a few tips that might help you sign that big deal, but believe me, it ain’t easy:

s ad e h

TURNCARD Name: Erik Seidel Nickname: Sly Age: 50 Lives: Las Vegas Major honours: Eight WSOP bracelets Runner-up, 1988 WSOP Main Event Winner, 2008 WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic Runner-up, 2008 Aussie Millions Main Event Tournament winnings: USD $10.1 million

Eightâ&#x20AC;Ś and counting The dry wit and laconic nature of Erik Seidel disguise the record of this legend of the game. With eight WSOP bracelets, a WPT title and more than USD $10 million in tournament earnings, this Team Full Tilt Pro doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a whole lot left to prove to the poker world.

Winter 2010

pro interview Shuffle Magazine: You started out playing backgammon, how did poker come about?

ES: That’s incredible. I guess it’s up to this year’s team to try and go one better, right?

Erik Seidel: I was actually at a backgammon tournament in Las Vegas and while I was there I bought one of David Sklansky’s books because some of the people I was playing backgammon with were also poker players; people like Chip Reese and Puggy Pearson, and they had been talking about it. It was like a $3 pamphlet, so I got that and read it. So then I decided to give poker a go while I was in Vegas so I tried playing tiny stakes – like $1/$2 and I actually won the first time I played so, of course, that was very encouraging. Then I got back to New York, and I started playing a regular game there.

SM: That’s what they’re hoping to do! When you played your first WSOP event you finished second. What advice can you give our 2010 team about playing their first WSOP event?

SM: You walked away from a job on Wall Street to take up poker full time. What did your family think when you told them the news?

>>> > Turbo fact >>>>> – Erik Seidel is known for his wicked sense of humour. His contributions on Twitter are among the most entertaining of any poker pro (example: Obama got so much TV coverage this weekend, I thought he was dating a Kardashian). Seidel recently appeared in a cameo role (which he purchased in a charity auction) on the US comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm.

ES: Well I didn’t really enjoy working on Wall Street, and my wife knew I didn’t really like it so she was all for it. It wasn’t really much fun for me to put a suit on everyday, and hop on the subway everyday and just stand there and fight with these idiots so, at some point, she just suggested ‘hey, why don’t we move to Vegas and just try it as a five-year experiment.’ We never left, and that was 15 years ago. SM: You’re the tournament king – APL runs 4000 tournaments every month across Australia. What would be your number one piece of advice to our players for their next tournament? ES: The most important thing to keep in mind is that there is a lot of information at the table. So if I could give them one tip, that tip would be to pay attention. People give away a lot of information when they play poker, whether it be through betting patterns or tells they give off at the table and stuff like that. The more attention you pay to what’s going on at the table, the more information you’ll gather. You can then use that information later on to help you make decisions. SM: We’re just about to send TeamAPL off to Las Vegas for the 2010 World Series of Poker.

Winter 2010

SM: That’s right! We had four make the cash, and Charlie Elias finished 53rd overall.

Honourary Aussie Few top international players have supported the Aussie Millions like Erik Seidel. He first cashed in our premier poker tournament in 2003, and celebrated two of his biggest career cashes in the Aussie Millions. Seidel finished runner-up to Erick Lindgren in the $100k Hold’em Challenge event in 2007, then 12 months later was runner-up to the Alex Kostritsyn in the Main Event. Earlier this year, he won the $10k PLO Aussie Millions title.

SM: You’ve won bracelets playing all different forms of poker – which game is your favourite? ES: The games at which I’m best are the No Limit and Pot Limit games. I do like the Stud games, I’m really not very good at them but I really like the challenge of the Stud games. In terms of pure enjoyment, my favourite game is H.O.R.S.E. but it’s not a good game for me, I’m not great at it, I just enjoy the challenge of sitting there and trying to figure that game out. SM: What’s next for Erik Seidel? You’ve already got eight bracelets to your name – is there a ninth in the pipeline this year? ES: Unfortunately I’m yet to acquire any psychic powers so I can’t really say whether there’ll be a ninth bracelet this year! Hopefully there’ll be a ninth bracelet some year! For now I’m just taking each day as it comes, hoping I’ll be able to continue to keep playing, keep competing. I really do enjoy playing the game so I just want to keep playing and keep having fun and hope I stay interested in it. If poker ever does dry up for me, there’s a lot of other fun stuff I could be doing, so I’m sure I’ll be fine either way!

ES: That’s fantastic, I remember meeting TeamAPL at the 2009 WSOP. We were invited to a team dinner. Phil (Gordon) and

I got to sit and chat with a few of them. I remember that. That was a great night, a really interesting group of people – I heard some of them did really well in the end, right?

ES: Well it’s a long haul. Obviously you need to keep in mind the general tournament tip I gave before – keep focussed on the table and use the information available to you. At the same time, though, you need to make sure you’re not over-playing the blinds. It’s such a long tournament, and you need to be patient. Having said that, there are going to be times where you are going to need to be aggressive and you can’t be scared to do that or else you’re not going to get anywhere in the WSOP. It’s about balance, and its up to you to stay on top of things. It’s a long haul, but you have to stay awake for the whole thing.

s nt e v le p a

THERiver

South West sets a high standard S Sydney’s South West region is one of the largest, most successful and parochial APL territories in the land. Big venues, big fields and big bucks keep players coming back each week.

ydney South West region was one of the first regions to offer free poker when the APL launched in late 2005. Indeed, the historic first APL live game was hosted in the South West region with 40 players grabbing the opportunity to etch their names in Australian poker history. Since then, the region has grown to now offer 30 games a week with more than 3500 players heading to their local to play APL each week. More than $25,000

in cash is up for grabs throughout the region each month – and that is on freerolls and regional finals alone! The venues in the Sydney South West region are just as involved in the APL as our players and TDs. Many give away cash at their freeroll games as well as hosting regular special events that offer a vast variety of formats and prize pools. For example, Cabra-vale Diggers offers six games a week and adds $2500 into the mix on their freerolls. Campbelltown

RSL holds three games a week and provides a $300 prizepool for each of their two freeroll events. Mounties hold a freeroll every Thursday evening and put up $1000, not to mention the Monthly Mounties Grand Slam event where a massive $3000 is guaranteed – all free for club members. Canley Heights RSL is another venue that offers three games a week. The $5 event features a guaranteed $1400 prize pool on Wednesday and Friday nights plus

Sydney South West About: One of the fastest growing regions anywhere in the country, the South West region stretches along the M5 from the Liverpool and surrounding environs out to Campbelltown and the fringe of the Sydney’s suburban area. The region is home to more than a dozen APL venues and more than 30 events every week. Venues: • Cabramatta Golf Club • Cabra-vale Diggers • Camden Golf Club • Campbelltown Catholic Club • Campbelltown RSL • Canley Heights RSL • Green Valley Hotel, Miller • Lansvale United Sports Club • Liverpool Catholic Club • Macarthur Tavern, Campbelltown • Moorebank Hotel • Mounties Bowling Club, Mt Pritchard • West’s Tennis Club, Campbelltown

Winter 2010

community cards a guaranteed $900 prize pool on Wednesday. Each quarter Canley Heights also host to its famous $4500 Big Bucks cash bonanza event where their Friday night game becomes a $4500 guaranteed event – all for $5 entry. APL South West area manager David Newham said players were tremendously supportive of the brand and the venues. “They love a good night out, know how to enjoy themselves and make every South West game an enjoyable one,” he said. Regional manager Tracy Richardson also noted the growing number of female players participating in regular nightly events. “I love seeing the women come along to our events and feature. Some of our best players are women and the boys have had to learn a healthy respect for their play,” Richardson said. There is real family atmosphere in the South West. Many teams have popped up in different venues among players who have become good friends through their love of APL poker. “You will always find them at the Battle of the Regions events and you will always find a big group of them at APL Main Events. There is even one group of players who are actually called “The Family” and have their team shirts as their standard poker playing uniform,” Richardson said. Sydney South West won APL’s prestigious ‘Team of the Year’ and ‘Franchise of the year’ two years in a row – reward for the region’s attention to detail and dedication to excellence. “Our TDs absolutely love the region and take enormous pride in delivering the most entertaining events bar none. The players are loyal, fun-loving and have developed great friendships and our venues are the most supportive in Australia,” Richardson said.

South West in the spotlight Not only are players in the South West region known throughout the wider Sydney area, two of their finest were recently featured as part of the Australian Poker Hero TV series. Renata Wilson won her episode (donating $10,000 of her winnings to the Miracle Babies Foundation) and Priscilla Hines finished second in her episode. Renata and many of the region’s other female players are regulars on the APL Main Event circuit.

Giving something back For the third year in a row, the APL South West will play host to the Miracle Babies charity poker night where local players (and many from surrounding areas) will again raise money for the region’s charity of choice, The Miracle Babies Foundation. The charity started out as a local group of mothers with newborns requiring additional care. It is now a national charity and the APL’s South West Region is honoured to be a platinum partner of this charity. Regional manager Tracy Richardson said players raised more than $17,000 at last year’s charity event. “Cabra-vale also comes to the party by hosting the event and giving us everything we need to ensure a great night. Our TDs play (and are usually the wildest players on the night!) and it is one great big party,” Richardson said. The next Miracle Babies charity poker night will be played on July 2 with a ‘Christmas in July’ theme. It is a $30 buy-in with a $30 rebuy and features great prizes. All money raised will be donated to the Miracle Babies team.

Regular events Day Mon Mon Mon Mon Tues Tues Tues Tues Tues Wed Wed Wed Wed Wed Thurs Thurs Thurs

Venue Registration Type McArthur Tavern 6.30pm Pro ($11) Campbelltown Catholic Club 6.30pm Free Mounties Bowling Club 6.30pm Free ($500 pool) Moorebank Hotel 6.30pm Pro ($11) Cabramatta Golf Club 6.30pm Pro ($11) Cabramatta Golf Club 10.15pm Pro ($11) West’s Tennis Club 6.30pm Pro ($11) Cabra-vale Diggers 6.30pm Free ($500 pool) Camden Golf Club 6.30pm Free Canley Heights RSL 1pm Pro ($5) West’s Tennis Club 6.30pm Free Canley Heights RSL 6.30pm Pro ($5) Cabramatta Golf Club 6.30pm Pro ($22) Campbelltown RSL 6.30pm Pro ($11) Liverpool Catholic Club 1.30pm Free ($500 pool) Campbelltown Catholic Club 6.30pm Pro ($11) Mounties Bowling Club 7pm Free ($1K pool)

Winter 2010

Day Venue Registration Type Thurs Cabramatta Golf Club 8pm Pro ($11) Fri Cabra-vale Diggers 1pm Free ($500 pool) Fri Cabra-vale Diggers 5.30pm Pro ($11) Fri Canley Heights RSL 9.30pm Pro ($5) Fri Campbelltown Golf Club 8pm Free Sat Campbelltown RSL 1pm Free ($300 pool) Lansvale United Sports Club 1pm Free Sat Sat Cabra-vale Diggers 6.30pm Free ($500 pool) Sat Green Valley Hotel 8pm Pro ($22, deep stack) Sat Cabra-vale Diggers 11pm Pro ($11) Sun Liverpool Catholic Club 11am Free ($500 pool) Sun Campbelltown RSL 1pm Free ($300 pool) Sun West’s Tennis Club 1.30pm Pro ($22) Sun Lansvale United Sports Club 3pm Free Sun Campbelltown RSL 5.30pm Pro ($11) Sun Cabra-vale Diggers 6.30p m Free ($1K pool)

s nt e v le p a

THERiver

All you need to know about major APL and major regional poker tournament series coming up in 2010

▲

For the first time in almost a decade, the nation’s capital will host a major tournament. Australia’s finest will converge on Canberra to celebrate the Queens’s Birthday long weekend and the chance to become the first Casino Canberra champion since the National Championships were last played here in 2001.

July 5-17 – World Series of Poker Main Event – Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas

▲

TeamAPL will be front and centre for the second year in a row at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas as the order is given to “shuffle up and deal” back for the 57th and final event of the world’s biggest poker tournament series: the $10,000 No Limit Hold’em World Championship. The final nine players will then return in November to decide the 2010 world champion.

July 5-17 – World Series of Poker Main Event – Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Las 64

August 11-15 – ANZPT Gold Coast, Conrad Jupiters, Broadbeach, QLD

Set amid the stunning Southern Alps of New Zealand, Queenstown is regarded as the global capital of adventure sports. It’s also home to one of the nation’s most prestigious poker tournaments. Overlooking Lake Wakatipu, SKYCITY will again host the region’s best to decide who’ll follow in the footsteps of season one champion Danny Chevalier.

After a highly successful debut event in 2009, the ANZPT returns to the Sunshine State for the penultimate season two event. Players will enjoy a brand new poker facility as the aim to emulate the feat of 2009 winner Scott Kerr. In addition, all the Gold Coast’s best features are right on the doorstep of one of Australia’s most iconic casinos.

July 18 – APLPT Mega Satellite; Coorparoo RSL, Brisbane, QLD

September 1-3 – APLPT Gold Coast, Conrad Jupiters, Broadbeach, QLD

In preparation for the Queensland leg of the APLPT, it’s time for the players to take a shot at winning a seat to the “big show”. Long time supporters of the APL, Coorparoo RSL will provide the backdrop for this highly anticipated direct qualifier, with one in 25 set to walk away with a seat into the APLPT Gold Coast tournament and a shot at a slice of an estimated $300,000 prize pool.

July 24 – APLPT Mega Satellite; Thuringowa City Bowls Club, Townsville, QLD

June 30 – FullTiltPoker.Org Player of the Year Announced George Apat, Ron Wilson and James Charlton might think they’ve got it all sewn up, but ask Benny Aldons and John Nikolaou what they think and you’ll get a completely different story. APL’s biggest leaderboard promotion comes to an end on the last day of the financial year and, appropriately, there are three seats into TeamAPL up for grabs valued at $20,000 each. It’s on for young and old.

July 17-25 – ANZPT Queenstown, SKYCITY Queenstown, NZ

▲ July 10 – APLPT Mega Satellite; South Tweed Sports Club, Tweed Heads, NSW

It’s all eyes on the Sunshine State as players in the north of the state have a chance to join the celebrations of Queensland’s first APLPT event at this mega satellite. A hub for APL players and one of the most parochial regions in the nation, Townsville makes the ideal location for the latest direct qualifier to the APLPT Gold Coast.

The Australian poker spotlight remains on sunny Queensland for the APLPT’s second port of call for 2010 will see the league’s Main Event move to the Sunshine State for the very first time. While our APLPT Qualifiers will have their eyes on the prize, (a slice of up to $300,000 in cash and prizes), friends and family will have just as much incentive to make the pilgrimage to Queensland’s Gold Coast with a range of warm up and peripheral events set to take place.

September 9-12 – Sydney Poker Championships, Star City Casino, Sydney, NSW After a highly successful start in 2009, the Sydney Championships return this year with almost two weeks of quality poker action assured at Star City. The $1650 Main Event runs for four days, highlighting a schedule that

▲

June 11-14 – ANZPT Canberra, Casino Canberra, ACT

Back for round two – Tweed Heads welcomes players from either side of the border for a chance to contest for that sacred golden chip and a shot at APLPT fame. Once again, South Tweed Sports plays host to an event sure to reignite that State of spark. Winter 2010

tournament calendar

September 15-19 – APPT Auckland, SKYCITY, Auckland, NZ SKYCITY Auckland will once again be the host venue for APPT Auckland as part of the tour’s fourth season. The two previous winners of this event were both New Zealanders (Daniel Craker and Simon Watt) and you can be sure that the Kiwis will put on a strong showing once again to ensure the title stays on home soil in this NZD $3250 buy-in Main Event. Numerous satellites and preliminary events will also be offered as part of APPT Auckland.

September 25 – October 2 – Adelaide Casino Poker Championships

▲

includes tournaments of numerous buy-in and styles of poker. Aussie online young gun Jarred Graham, who collected has even been honoured with an event named in his honour after taking out the Main Event crown in 2009.

With an anticipated prize pool for the Main Event of more than $300,000, this exciting new tournament series is expected to attract plenty of attention from locals and big-name pros alike. The week-long series offers 16 events with buy-ins from as little as $45 up to $3000 for the High Stakes tournament.

October 8-11 – ANZPT Melbourne, Crown Casino, Melbourne, VIC It’s back to Crown for the penultimate event on season two of the PokerStars. net ANZPT where another quality field is assured for the $2700 buy-in Main Event. Hometown favourite and reigning ANZPT Player of the Year Tony Hachem will be assured plenty of support as he continues his charges towards successive points titles in Australia’s premier domestic tour.

▲

October 25-30 – ANZPT Darwin, SKYCITY, Darwin, Northern Territory

Winter 2010

▲

The APL’s second Battle of the Regions event had a lot to live up to after the incredible success of last year’s inaugural event, but this year’s instalment of the highly anticipated teams event was to be bigger and brighter than ever as 74 teams and 592 players took to the felt to battle it out for the highly coveted title. APL will now be running the Battle of the Regions every three months, so stay tuned to playAPL.com for details on this event.

▲

September (dates TBC) – APL Battle of the Regions, venue TBC

Major tournament poker heads to Darwin for the first time as host venue for the eighth and final event on season two of the 2010 PokerStars.net ANZPT. Not only will players get the chance to play for big money in the $2200 buy-in Main Event, great tourism packages are being offered to renowned Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks and the Territory Wildlife Park.

November (dates TBC) – WSOP Main Event final table, Rio Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, USA

December 7-12 – APPT Sydney, Star City Casino, Sydney, NSW Season four of Asia-Pacific’s largest and most prestigious poker tour culminates once again at Star City Casino with the $6300 APPT Sydney Main Event. Star City will once again be offering a vast array of preliminary tournaments and chances to rub shoulders with our finest players and join Grant Levy, Martin Rowe and Aaron Benton on the APPT Sydney honourboard.

After an anxious four-month wait, the nine remaining players in the WSOP Main Event return to Vegas to decide the No Limit Hold’em World Championship for 2010. Peter Eastgate in 2008; Joe Cada in 2009; who will it be this year? Fingers crossed that a member of TeamAPL will be back in Vegas having already been assured more than USD $1 million for reaching the final table.

November 27-29 – APLPT Melbourne, Crown Casino, Melbourne, VIC What better way to wrap up our first season on tour, than to bring our Main Event back to the Southern Hemisphere’s premier poker venue – the Crown Poker Room. From November 26-29, Crown Casino will be running a range of Last Chance Qualifier Events and cash tournaments for friends and family – and everyone is invited to join in the fun at the Playboy Fragrance Players Party!

▲ January 15-31, 2011 – Aussie Millions, Crown Casino, Melbourne, VIC Australia’s biggest poker festival returns to Crown Casino for the ninth year, with the world’s best players again set to converge on Melbourne to chase a slice of the multi-million dollar prize pool. Sydney’s Tyron Krost will be back to defend his Main Event crown against another world class line-up of the best players from across the globe in the $10,000 No Limit Hold’em Championship event.

we’ve seen your poker tournament, and we’ve raised it. W W W. AUS SI EM I LLI O N S .CO M