A 34-year-old entrepreneur from Hungary has beaten 254 other hopefuls to win Eureka Croatia and the €47,298 first prize. After a quick fire final table that lasted exactly four levels Richard Bodis was the last man standing and his feet are still firmly attached to the ground: “The trophy and the win means far more than the money,” he said in the aftermath of his victory.

When the 11 remaining players returned from a break Bodis was second in chips but by the time the final table had started he had slipped to fourth place and had chip leader Vasileios Chantzaras on his immediate left.

Some might have panicked, but not Bodis, in fact within 45 minutes of the final table starting it was he who had the chip lead. Despite his stack shrinking again he kept calm and in a pivotal hand during four handed play he doubled through Chantzaras when both had made a straight.

These two and runner-up Carsten Luxig would then trade the chip lead for much of the final table. Despite getting the better of Chantzaras, Bodis said: “He definitely played the best at the final table, he was my toughest opponent.”

The key hand for Bodis came during four handed play when he and Jose Carlos Fibla Lopez got it all-in pre-flop in a 1,600,000 chip pot with Bodis’ pocket tens holding against Lopez’s pocket fours. That was the first player Bodis had eliminated at the final table and it gave him about two thirds of the chips in play.

He would take those chips into heads up play against Carsten Luxig, the German had done a bit more of the dirty work eliminating Marko Milkovic (8th), Zvonko Petrovic (6th) and Vasileios Chantzaras (3rd).

Heads up would last just a few hands with Luxig three-betting all-in on the turn of a T♠K♣2♦5♠ board with 6♥5♣ and getting a tank call from Bodis who held Q♥T♥.

A thought should be spared for third place finisher Vasileios Chantzaras from Greece. He started the day with a monster chip lead and eliminated two players at the final table (Matej Marinovic in 7th and Michael Lundquist in 5th). It’s the elimination of Lundquist that will live long in the memory, Chantzaras making a great call on the river to send the Dane packing.

It wasn’t all about the final table though as we had to lose three players before the final table was set. The unlucky triumvirate were: Andreas Leledakis (9th), Pavao Vujnovac (10th) and Marko Gasparovic (11th). Below is a full list of who won what today.

1. Richard Bodis, Hungary, €47,298
2. Carsten Luxig, Denmark, €30,150
3. Vasileios Chantzaras, Greece, PokerStars Qualifier, €16,950
4. Jose Carlos Fibla Lopez, Spain, €13,300
5. Michael Lundquist, Denmark, €11,000
6.Zvonko Petrovic, Croatia, €9,150
7. Matej Marinovic, Croatia, €7,350
8. Marko Milkovic, Croatia, €5,850
9. Andreas Leledakis, Greece, PokerStars Qualifier, €4,400
10. Pavao Vujnovac Croatia, €2,950
11. Marko Gasparovic, Croatia, €2,950

That’s all she wrote for Eureka Croatia and the tour now moves on to Bucharest, Romania in November with the exact dates still to be confirmed.

By Nick Wright
Photos: Manuel Kovsca

Three months ago, tens of thousands of people from all corners of the globe swarmed through the gargantuan halls of the Rio Hotel & Casino for their shot at fortune and fame at the 42nd Annual World Series of Poker. It’s the one opportunity for every poker player each year to play on the game’s biggest stage, sweating and betting under the bright lights of Las Vegas and through the glare of the cameras fixed upon them, as millions of viewers around the world scrutinse their every move on television.

All this, at the height of summer, baking in the middle of the Nevada desert.

It’s a far cry from where we’ve been working for the last week – within the confines of a tiny casino in a village resting on the banks of a picture-perfect lake, on the southern isle in a country that’s about as close to Antarctica as you can get, buried deep within the mountains and almost cut off from the rest of the world.

Honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

The 2011 PokerStars.net APPT Queenstown Snowfest Main Event has, without question, been one of our most favourite events to have reported on over the years and, judging by everyone we’ve spoken to, will no doubt become one of the most popular destinations in the Asia Pacific region, if not the world.

And while we’re now packing our bags for the long flight home, lamenting that we cannot stay longer, there’s plenty to take away from our experience here – the most important being that of Germany’s Marcel Schreiner, the first international player in this region’s history to win an APPT title on New Zealand soil.

Right from the get-go, the railbirds in the SKYCITY Queenstown Casino were treated to some incredible action. Still, it took over an hour before 2010 APPT Sydney Main Event champion Jonathan Karamalikis got the last of his money into the middle, moving in before the flop with Q♠Q♥ but ran into the K♦K♣ of fellow Australian PokerStars Qualifier Daniel Laidlaw. The eight-high board improved neither hand and Karamalikis was eliminated in ninth place.

However, the big talking point of the first two hours of play was the incredible six-bet-shove attempt by Marcel Schreiner with 9♠8♠ against Matty Yates. Not an uncommon move as we’ve seen over the last few days, but the only problem was that Yates had woken up with K♥K♦, which improved to two pair after the dealer spread the board of 9♣J♦3♦J♠3♣, moving Yates past the million-chip mark and leaving Schreiner in a world of hurt.

Yates then took out Hugh Cohen in eighth place; the brother of the reigning Queenstown champion moved in pre-flop with A♥K♥ against Yates’ A♦Q♦, but Cohen’s chances of keeping the title in the family were shattered when Yates rivered two pair on the board of 7♦2♣2♠4♠Q♥ to bow out in eighth place.

Soon after, Kiwi Carl Knox delivered a 1-2 knock-out to China’s Xiao Dong Xia, first crippling Xia after his 5♠5♣ held up against his A♦K♥, then taking him out in seventh place after his A♣Q♥ won the flip against Xia’s 6♠6♦, hitting two pair on the 3♦Q♠3♥7♠9♦ board.

Tom Grigg’s third APPT final table appearance ended in similar fashion in sixth place; the 2010 APPT Auckland runner-up was first run down after Schreiner’s A♥K♠ improved to a full house on the board of 8♠7♣A♠A♣K♥ against his Q♥Q♦. Despite a couple of small double-ups, he finally got it in with 8♦6♥, only to see Schreiner’s J♣4♣ turn two pair after the dealer spread the board of J♥3♦2♦3♥T♥.

Daniel Laidlaw joined Grigg on the rail only 20 minutes later in fifth place, with the Australian PokerStars Qualifier risking his remaining chips with A♣Q♠, but again, it was Schreiner who won the flip with his 2♥2♣ when he improved to a set after the flop of 2♠J♠4♦, which held all the way as the turn and river bricked out 9♥, A♠.

The remaining four players went hammer-and-tongs for the next two levels, with New Zealand PokerStars Qualifier John Waterman scoring two crucial double-ups before dinner. Soon after play resumed though, it was Waterman that felted fellow Kiwi Carl Knox in fourth place. Knox got it in good with 7♠7♥, but Waterman’s A♥Q♥ “Greensteined” him when the board was spread T♠5♣J♦2♣A♣.

From there, Waterman’s hard work was brought undone in third place to set up the heads-up battle between Watts and Schreiner. Waterman moved the last of his chips in pre-flop holding K♠Q♦, but Schreiner had him covered every which way with 8♠8♣, which held on the board of 4♥A♦A♣J♥2♥.

With only 180 hands played up until this point (and with such aggression), we were expecting a rather swift heads-up battle, despite the chip counts being practically even. How wrong we were. Yates and Schreiner made every pot, and every chip, count, with both players equally as determined to win the title – for Schreiner, it would mean the breakthrough victory he’d been wanting for so long – and for Yates, it would keep a clean sheet for Kiwis keeping APPT titles on home soil.

Unfortunately for Yates, he was vanquished in second place when the final hand of the night saw him move all-in with A♥9♠, only to see Schreiner snap him off with A♠Q♠, which struck gin on the flop of Q♥A♣A♦. And that, as they say, was that. Game over, man, game over.

Congratulations to Marcel Schreiner, your 2011 PokerStars.net APPT Queenstown Snowfest Main Event champion!

1st Marcel Schreiner (Germany) – NZ$94,300
2nd Matty Yates (New Zealand) – NZ$60,000
3rd John Waterman (New Zealand) – NZ$35,150
4th Carl Knox (New Zealand) – NZ$29,145
5th Daniel Laidlaw (Australia) – NZ$24,000
6th Tom Grigg (Australia) – NZ$19,715
7th Xiao Dong Xia (China) – NZ$16,290
8th Hugh Cohen (Australia) – NZ$12,860
9th Jonathan Karamalikis (Australia) – NZ$10,280
10th Jackson Zheng (New Zealand) – NZ$7,720
11th Charles Caris (Australia) – NZ$7,720
12th Gavin Vickers (New Zealand) – NZ$7,720
13th Ryan McKay (Australia) – NZ$6,000
14th Ben Paurini (New Zealand) – NZ$6,000
15th Cole Swannack (New Zealand) – NZ$6,000

By Landon Blackhall
Photos: Joe Giron

Australian Poker Weekly’s annual No limit Holdem tournament which was usually held on the October long weekend is now part of the excitement of the Sydney Championships. Saturday 3rd September is the date to remember for the Australian Poker Weekly $550 NLH (Event 2). With this event being staged in the ‘prime” Saturday timeslot, a healthy roll up is expected creating what should be a very tidy prize pool in the process.

Back to back Australia and New Zealand Poker Tour Player Of The Year Tony Hachem is the host for the Australian Poker Weekly’s annual No limit Holdem tournament. Tony has told us that while he is the host, it does not mean that he will be taking it easy. “I love to compete and I will be trying my best to win the tournament” said Tony.

Date: Saturday 3 September, 12:30 PM
Buy in: $550^ ($500 + $50)
Starting Chips: $10,000 in non-value tournament chips
Blind Level Duration: 40 minutes

Register online: Go to www.biggamepoker.com.au and click on Tournament Registration button.

Also see Facebook invite by clicking here

Notes:
To enter any event in the Sydney Championships, you must be 18 years or over and a Total Star Rewards member or a Sovereign Room cardholder.

*Conditions apply. Prize pool based on 250 players. If there are less than 250 players Star City reserves the right to reduce the prize pool in accordance with the Pay-Out Breakdown in the Tournament conditions. Please refer to the Pay Out Breakdown in the Tournament Conditions above for details of available prize pools and prize values.

^Buy-in non-refundable less than five days prior to the Tournament, except at Star City’s discretion or if the Tournament is cancelled.

Membership to Total Star Rewards is FREE and available at a Total Star Rewards Centre.

Player activity statements for slot machine play are available on request. Think! About your choices. Call Gambling Help 1800 858 858 www.gamblinghelp.nsw.gov.au.

With the 2011 PokerStars.net Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT) Queenstown – SKYCITY Snowfest poker tournament only days away, Queenstown is preparing for the arrival of poker players from across New Zealand, Australia and beyond.

The tournament takes place at SKYCITY Queenstown Casino from 22-28 August 2011. Big name poker players including Joe Hachem will be hitting the felt during the tournament and hitting the slopes in the off days.

Well over half the seats for this great tournament have been snapped up, with some seats remaining, so hurry to ensure your place in New Zealand’s most exciting poker tournament this year.

The PokerStars.net ANZPT Queenstown – SKYCITY Snowfest will provide a week long poker extravaganza for visiting players with an expected total prize pool of $540,000 NZD* in the $3,000 NZD buy-in Main Event.

Participation in this event will be capped at 200 players, so quick registration is advised to avoid disappointment.

To register for the tournament or for more information visit www.skycity.co.nz/poker

*Based on full participation of 200 entrants

The WPT Slovenia Main Event attracted 141 of Europe’s finest poker players but one man, Miha Travnik, has outlasted them all to become a World Poker Tour Champion.

The fourth and final day started with an unofficial final table of nine players but they were reduced to eight early on when Manuel Blaschke pushed his pocket jacks into the queens of Travnik. Thirty minutes later and the two short stacks, Patrik Hirvonen (8th place) and Hugh Cohen (7th) were eliminated.

This left the official final table of six and any one of them could have walked away with the prestigious title of WPT Champion. Italian Marcello Marigliano was the first to bust out, his A♣ Theart failing to improve against Johannes Korsar’s J♣J♥. Half hour later and five became four as Gaetano Fortugno’s A♥J♣ ran into Travnik’s A♦K♣.

Ferdi Ciordbai finished third, the Romanian failing to get anything going all day long and when he did finally find a big hand, pocket tens, and he moved all in with them for his last eight big blinds and found a caller in the shape of the very vocal Vincenzo Natale holding just queen-eight offsuit . Just as a much need double up was on the cards for the Romanian the flop came down queen-eight-queen.

Three handed play became the Johannes Korsar and Natale show, with the pair clashing in several pots before the latter won a huge pot that crippled the popular Swede. On a board reading 4♥4♣2♦Q♦3♥ Natale moved all in and was snap-called by Korsar, the Italian showing 4♦3♦ for a full house, much better than the straight made with 6♦5♥ of Korsar. He never really recovered from that and was eliminated  an hour later, his pocket fours being out-flopped by the suited king-jack of his nemesis, Natale.

This sent the tournament to the heads-up stage, Natale leading local hero Travnik by 3,105,000 to 1,204,000 chips and over the next two hours this chip lead swung violently one way and then the other several times. The turning point came right near the end when Travnik had been getting under his opponents skin by winning lots of smaller pots and he managed to get the Italian to four bet all in with just 9♦8♦. The Slovenian called with J♥J♦ and when the board ran out 2♠2♣6♠3♥8♥ Travik held a massive 3,950,000 to 350,000.

With the Natale quite visibly on tilt, it was only a matter of time before his constant all in bets were called. And called one was, as Natale moved his stack forward once again, this time with K♣8♦ and was called by A♣J♦. The board ran out 7♦J♣5♦2♦10♦ and with that Natale was eliminated in second place and Travnik announced as the champion!

The next stop on the World Poker Tour is the Legends of Poker at the Bicycle Casino in California, with the next European edition being the WPT Grand Prix de Paris on September 5-10.

Source: World Poker Tour

Crown Poker has introduced the Shane Warne Super Stack event; a great value poker tournament that will be held in the home of Australian poker in the Crown Poker Room. This event will be open to all Crown players and external satellites will also be held online.

The Shane Warne Super Stack will be a repechage event with two Day one’s, play will commence with a 30,000 start bank and blinds set at 30 minutes. This buy in for this event is set at a very inexpensive AU$300 ($260 + 40) the unique repechage format allows players who bust in Day 1a the opportunity to have a second chance by buying into Day 1b.

This event will be held in the Crown Poker Room on the following dates:

Day 1a – Friday, October 21 at 7.10pm
Day 1b – Saturday, October 22 at 12.10pm
Day 2 – Sunday, October 22 at 12.10pm

With the 2012 Aussie Millions Poker Championship set to have a 30,000 start bank this event provides the perfect opportunity for players to hone their deep stack skills. Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to the event date.

The Easybeats, that great Aussie rock and roll band of the 60′s may have had “Friday on their mind”… but if Stevie Wright and the boys were to have a belated comeback tour, I think it may be “Saturday on their mind” such is the latest offering to emerge from the Star City poker room.

As part of the ongoing revival of the poker room, the new management team is proud to announce Sit n’ Go Saturdays. Starting on Saturday the 6th of August and running every Saturday up to and including 3rd September, Star City poker will be offering one table Sit n’ Go Satellites into our flagship event, the Sydney Champs Main Event (8th & 9th September). Sit n’ Go’s will be run on the hour, every hour between 12pm and 6pm (inclusive). If any of the Sit n’ Go’s fail to reach the required starting field of 10, then you will be able to roll your entry over to the next Sit n’ Go or receive an immediate refund.

Whilst “Sit n’ Go Satellites on Saturday at Star City” might be a “struggle” for someone with Kenny Callander like “characteristics”, there will be certainly no struggle for plenty of “playtime” such is the great structure of these Satellites. For the bargain basement price of $175 ($165/$10) each player will receive a 3K starting stack. With blinds starting at $25/$50 and blind levels being a generous 15mins, these Sit n’ Go’s won’t be your typical “shovefests” that other poker rooms are happy to house.

Each Satellite will consist of 1 table of 10 players where we will play down until we have one player remaining and they will be awarded with a Sydney Champs Main Event seat valued at $1650. As is common place for this time of year (WSOP Main Event), the Chris Moneymaker “story” of how he satellited his way into poker folklore for just $40 is rampant in media circles, and for good reason, with this showing that anything is possible in the poker world. With last years Sydney Champs first prize around the 136K mark, $175 seems like “loose change” and these great value Sit n Go’s seem like a must for any poker player looking to create some of their own history.

By Perry J Tilted

MELBOURNE
The Australia New Zealand Poker Tour returns to Melbourne for the third time. In Season 2, ANZPT Melbourne produced one of the largest and most notable fields of the season. The event will be hosted by Crown Casino, arguably the world’s greatest poker room.
ANZPT Melbourne will feature a $2,200 Main Event with a full schedule of preliminary events.
Venue Information
Crown Casino
8 Whiteman Street
Southbank 3006
Melbourne, Australia
Website: www.crowncasino.com.au
Minimum Age: 18
Dress Code: Smart Casual (no ripped jeans)
Getting There
Melbourne Airport is serviced by over 20 international airlines. The airport is approximately 22 kilometers from the city – approximately 25 minutes drive.
Taxi ride: From the airport to Crown Casino will cost around AUD60 and the journey will take approximately 20-40 depending on the traffic condition.
Bus: The SkyBus offers direct services from Melbourne Airport to the City every 15 minutes with prices starting from AUD16.00 one way.
Accommodation
Crown Entertainment Complex boasts three luxurious hotels – Crown Promenade, Crown Towers and the new addition, Crown Metropol. We recommend staying at the Crown but Melbourne also boasts a wide variety of other hotels from deluxe through standard to bed-and-breakfast style accommodation.
Useful Information
Visas: Travellers need a valid visa for Australia. Visas can be obtained from selected travel agents, and the Electronic Travel Authority can be applied for online, or you can apply in person at your local Australian High Commission or Consulate. For visa information, please visit www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tourist/visa-options.htm
Time: GMT +10
Language: English
Melbourne weather in July: Average temperature (Celsius) 14 High and 7 Low
Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD) USD1 = AUD0.95. Major credit cards are widely accepted.
Voltage: 220-240 Volts
Official Tourism Site:
www.australia.com/melbourne/
www.visitmelbourne.com/
www.visitvictoria.com/
Passport Information:
Citizens of most countries require a visa to enter Australia. Visit the government advice page for visa options. Also consult your travel agent.

ADELAIDE
In 2010, the Australia New Zealand Poker Tour made its first stop at Australia’s ‘Top End’. Darwin is a vibrant city acclaimed for its relaxed, contemporary lifestyle and personality. Much of which stems from adventure, culture, heritage and nature that lies within easy reach. The ANZPT returns to Darwin for Season 3.
About Darwin
Darwin is the Northern Territory’s tropical capital city on the shores of a harbour seven times the area size of Sydney Harbour. It is a gateway to explore the best natural and cultural attractions the Northern Territory and Australia has to offer, including World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park , Litchfield National Park , the Tiwi Islands , Arnhem Land and Nitmiluk National Park .
Darwin’s colourful history and proximity to South East Asia has made it one of Australia’s most culturally diverse cities. Today, more than 50 nationalities make up its population, including the area’s traditional landowners, the Larrakia Aboriginal people.
Getting There
By air: Daily flights from Australian cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. International direct flights from Bali, Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore.
From the airport:
Taxis: The average fare from the airport to the city is $25.00-$30.00.
Bus: Airport shuttles are cheap and available 24 hours a day for all domestic and international flights.
Accommodation
PokerStars qualifiers will be staying at the luxurious SKY CITY Darwin Hotel & Casino but Darwin boasts many excellent quality accommodation options, from backpacker rooms through to 5-star resort facilities. Due to the tourism season, it is highly recommended you book your accommodation several weeks in advance.
Useful Information
Time: UTC/GMT + 9.5 hours
Language: English
Climate: Hot in October/November.
Currency: The Australian dollar (AUD). Exchange rates are approximately: $1 US = 1.10 AUD. Major credit cards are widely accepted.
Visas: Travellers need a valid visa for Australia. Click here for details. Visas can be obtained from selected travel agents, and the Electronic Travel Authority in the USA and Singapore, or you can apply in person at your local Australian High Commission or Consulate.
Official tourist website: http://en.travelnt.com/explore/darwin/darwin-the-city.aspx

Find Both Melbourne and Darwin schedules among other major Australasian event schedules by clicking here

Ted Whitten Jnr welcomes you to join him to help find a cure for Prostate Cancer.
Head to Crown and play poker to help raise money for the E.J. Whitten Foundation, and put on yourbest poker face to honour a true football legend who dedicated his life to Australian Rules Football.
Hosted by Tony Hachem, the $300 buy-in event with $100 rebuys will see the winner take home a $10,600 seat in the 2012 Aussie Millions.
Time: 3.00pm arrival for a learn to play session for a 4.15pm start
Date: Sunday 25 September 2011
Place: Crown Poker Room, Level B2, Crown Entertainment Complex
To register visit www.crownpoker.com.au

New Zealand based poker player, Jamil Dia won the final of the 2011 New Zealand Poker Championships Main Event to walk away with over $35,000 in prize money.

Dia took out 90 other players including well known NZ Poker names such as Soren Eriksen (2009 and 2010 Main Event Winner), “Kiwi G” Graeme Putt and Mike King (comedian and poker enthusiast) to claim the coveted Main Event title.

“It has been such a great tournament, I still can’t believe I’ve won!” says Dia

The 2011 NZPC, hosted by Christchurch Casino, has been in full action over the past week with a number of events played and over $335,000 in prize money given away. The objective of this year’s event, after being postponed in April, was to simply create an escape for locals while encouraging visitors back to the city, Christchurch Casino is happy to announce that this was achieved above expectations and reflected in the demand this year having to add seats to many of the events. “This year has really shown us what a strong legacy the NZPC has; we are most definitely the Home of New Zealand Poker” says Christchurch Casino Poker Manager, Warren Wyllie.

The NZPC Main Event and Wellington Poker Champs Main Event both rounded out nine action-packed days of poker at the Christchurch Casino. With many upcoming competitions and more prize money to be given away, keep updated and follow Christchurch Casino- Home of New Zealand Poker on Facebook.

Results table: All Event Winners
Women’s Event: Ranea Baker
Min Tran Event: Chul Hoon Lee
Deepstack Turbo: Graeme Putt
Omaha Champs: Andrew Dimock
Canterbury Champs: Adrian Robinson
South Island Champs: Shane Foglietta
NZPC Main Event: Jamil Dia
Wellington Champs Main Event: Mike King