Poker professional and former Team Pokerstars pro Eric Assadourian tied the knot with long-time girlfriend Lizzie Clark on Sunday April 15th at Sydney’s Luna Park.

After three and a half years of courtship Eric and Lizzie made it official in a beautiful ceremony at Sydney, overlooking the Harbour Bridge.

The reception was held in Luna park with 150 guests and was attended by some of the greatest poker players Australia has produced including Joe Hachem, Tony Hachem, Emad Tahtouh, Brendon Rubie and David Borg.

There were also some famous faces among the guests such as Australian television personality Ray Martin.

The newlyweds will honeymoon in Las Vegas later this year when Eric will participate in the World Series Of Poker’s main event.

Congratulations to Eric and Lizzie Assadourian on behalf of all involved at Australian Poker Weekly. We wish them both all the happiness in the world.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Hachem

The 2012 Melbourne Poker Championship boasts 10 official tournaments ranging from the $200 No Limit Holdem Megastack to the $1,100 No Limit Holdem Main Event. Plus there are daily satellites on offer from $65.

This years Melbourne Poker Championships will feature two major championship events with the $550 Joe Hachem Deepstack 9 kicking things off as the opening event. Already well established this Joe Hachem Deepstack Events feature a repechage format like the Melbourne Championship Main Event and offer fantastic value for the poker player. The $1,100 Main Event itself features a great structure that produces worthy champions. Last years winner Brendon Rubie proved it was no fluke when he backed up his win with victory in the Aussie Millions Opening Event. These combined events are sure to bring the best players in the Country to fight it out for the huge prize pools up for grabs.

Returning to the schedule in 2012 are the ever popular events, the $200 MegaStack No Limit Holdem, a $340 7 Game Mixed Event H.O.R.S.E/NLHE/PLO and $550 Pot Limit Omaha (Double Chance Format), No Limit Holdem Bounties- ($500 per Bounty), No Limit Holdem- 6 Handed Events.

New to the schedule is a $400 Turbo terminator event, with $100 for every player eliminated the action is sure to be fast and loose. Also a first on any Australian Championship schedule is an “Ante Up!” event. In this format the one blind stays at the minimum while the antes are raised every level. With a $200 entry and the last event on the schedule this event is sure to attract plenty of interest. There is also a new twist on an old favourite with this years teams event open to teams of two OR three players. Team-mates will change after each orbit on their table with no team-mate allowed to play more than one consecutive orbit.

Thursday 03-May
10:10am Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
12:10pm JHDS Supershot (Turbo, 1 in 5 Win) $130 (110+20)
2:10pm JHDS Supershot (Turbo, 1 in 5 Win) $130 (110+20)
4:10pm JHDS Supershot (Turbo, 1 in 5 Win) $130 (110+20)
6:10pm 1 Joe Hachem Deepstack 9- Flight 1 $550 (500+50)
10:00pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
Friday 04-May
10:10am JHDS Supershot (Turbo, 1 in 5 Win) $65 (50+15)
12:10pm 1 Joe Hachem Deepstack 9- Flight 2 (Repechage) $550 (500+50)
2:10pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
4:10pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
7:10pm Step 2 Satellite – Main Event (1 in 5 Win) $250 (220+30)
10:00pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
Saturday 05-May
10:10am JHDS Supershot (Turbo, 1 in 5 Win) $65 (50+15)
12:10pm 1 Joe Hachem Deepstack 9- Flight 3 (Repechage) $550 (500+50)
2:10pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
4:10pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
7:10pm Step 2 Satellite – Main Event (1 in 5 Win) $250 (220+30)
10:00pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
Sunday 06-May
10:10am Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
12:10pm 2 MegaStack No Limit Holdem $200 ($170+30)
12:30pm 1 Joe Hachem Deepstack 9- Day 2
4:10pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
6:10pm 3 No Limit Holdem Teams -Non Stop Turbo $300 (260+40)
10:00pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
Monday 07-May
10:10am Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
12:10pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
2:10pm 4 7 Game Mixed Event H.O.R.S.E/NLHE/PLO $340 (300+40)
4:10pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
7:10pm Step 2 Satellite – Main Event (1 in 5 Win) $250 (220+30)
10:00pm Supershot – Any $550 Side Event (Turbo- 1 in 5 win) $130 (110+20)
Tuesday 08-May
10:10am Supershot – (Turbo- 1 in 5 win any $550 Event) $130 (110+20)
12:10pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
2:10pm 5 Pot Limit Omaha (Double Chance Format) $550 (500+50)
4:10pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
7:10pm Step 2 Satellite – Main Event (1 in 5 Win) $250 (220+30)
10:00pm Supershot – Any $550 Side Event (Turbo- 1 in 5 win) $130 (110+20)
Wednesday 09-May
10:10am Supershot – Any $550 Side Event (Turbo- 1 in 5 win) $130 (110+20)
12:10pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
2:10pm 6 No Limit Holdem Bounties- $500 per Bounty $550 (500+50)
4:10pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
7:10pm Step 2 Satellite – Main Event (1 in 5 Win) $250 (220+30)
10:00pm Supershot – Any $550 Side Event (Turbo- 1 in 5 win) $130 (110+20)
Thursday 10-May
10:10am Supershot – Any $550 Side Event (Turbo- 1 in 5 win) $130 (110+20)
12:10pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
2:10pm 7 No Limit Holdem- 6 Handed $550 (500+50)
4:10pm Step 2 Satellite – Main Event (1 in 5 Win) $250 (220+30)
6:10pm 8 Melbourne Poker Championship Main Event (Flight 1) $1,100 (1000+100)
10:00pm Super Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 10 win) $130 (110+20)
Friday 11-May
10:10am Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
12:10pm 8 Melbourne Poker Championship Main Event (Flight 2-Repechage) $1,100 (1000+100)
2:10pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
4:10pm Step 1 Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 5 win) $65 (50+15)
7:10pm Step 2 Satellite – Main Event (1 in 5 Win) $250 (220+30)
10:00pm Super Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 10 win) $130 (110+20)
Saturday 12-May
10:10am Super Satellite – Main Event (Turbo, 1 in 10 win) $130 (110+20)
12:10pm 8 Melbourne Poker Championship Main Event (Flight 3-Repechage) $1,100 (1000+100)
2:10pm Terminator Qualifier (Turbo,1 in 5 win) $100 (80+20)
4:10pm Terminator Qualifier (Turbo,1 in 5 win) $100 (80+20)
7:10pm APPT Step 2 Satellite -(1 in 5 win) $160 (140+20)
10:00pm Terminator Qualifier (Turbo,1 in 5 win) $100 (80+20)
Sunday 13-May
10:10am Terminator Qualifier (Turbo,1 in 5 win) $100 (80+20)
12:10pm 9 Turbo Terminator- $100 per KO $400 ($360+40)
12:30pm Melbourne Poker Championship Main Event Day 2
2:10pm APPT Step 2 Satellite -(1 in 5 win) $160 (140+20)
4:10pm APPT Step 3 Satellite 10K Start Bank -(1 in 8 win) $700 (625+75)
6:10pm 10 NLH- Turbo Ante Up! $200 ($170+30)
Monday 14-May
2:10pm Melbourne Poker Championship Main Event Day 3

The schedule has been released for the first ANZ Poker Tour event of 2012, with the national poker spotlight set to shine on The Star in Sydney from March 14-25.

ANZPT Sydney has consistently been among the larger events on the tour since Paren Arzoomanian won a staggering AUD $246,000 in 2009, which was the largest ever ANZPT event. Since then, he’s been joined on the honour roll by Angelo Hanataj (2010) and Michael Kanaan (2011).

The series kicks-off with the $330 Opening Event that offers three day one flights and a repechage format, meaning players can re-enter if eliminated on either day 1A or 1B. Next up is the PokerMedia Australia $1k Special, offering a generous start stack of 15,000 and 40-minute levels.

The schedule also includes a $440 NLHE Semi-Shootout, $550 NLHE Six-Handed event, $440 NLHE Teams Event, $220 NLHE Turbo along with a $$0 Pot Limit Omaha tournament.

The highlights of the series are the $2200 ANZPT Main Event – one of only three such events scheduled so far for 2012 – and a $5000 buy-in NLHE Challenge on the final day.

Join the Star Poker team of Grant Levy, Aaron Benton, Brendon Rubie, Daniel Neilson and Jonathan Karamalikis at The Star for one of the highlights of the 2012 Australian tournament schedule from March 14. Check out www.starpoker.com.au for details of satellites in coming weeks.

2012 ANZPT Sydney schedule

March 14 (6.15pm) Event 1: $300 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Opening Event day 1 flight 1 (start stack 10,000, 40-minute levels)

March 15 (6.15pm) Event 1: $300 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Opening Event day 1 flight 2 (repechage, start stack 10,000, 40-minute levels)

March 14 (12.30pm) Event 1: $300 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Opening Event day 1 flight 3 (repechage, start stack 10,000, 40-minute levels)

March 17 (12.30pm) Event 1: $300 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Opening Event day 2

March 18 (12.30pm) Event 2: $1000 + $100 PokerMedia Australia No Limit Hold’em Special (start stack 15,000, 40-minute levels)

March 18 (4pm) Event 1: $300 + $30 No Limit Hold’em Opening Event final table

March 18 (6.15pm) $220 + $30 ANZPT Mega Satellite (start stack 5000, 20-minute levels)

March 19 (12.30pm) Event 3: $400 + $40 No Limit Hold’em Semi-Shootout (start stack 8000, 30-minute levels)

March 19 (4pm) Event 2: $1000 + $100 PokerMedia Australia No Limit Hold’em Special final table

March 19 (6.15pm) $220 + $30 ANZPT Mega Satellite (start stack 5000, 20-minute levels)

March 20 (12.30pm) Event 4: $500 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed (start stack 10,000, 40-minute levels)

March 20 (6.15pm) Event 5: $400 + $40 No Limit Hold’em Teams Event (start stack 8000, 20-minute levels)

March 21 (12.30pm) Event 6: $400 + $40 Pot Limit Omaha (start stack 8000, 30-minute levels)

March 21 (4pm) Event 4: $500 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed final table

March 21 (6.15pm) $220 + $30 ANZPT Mega Satellite (start stack 5000, 20-minute levels)

March 22 (12.30pm) $220 + $30 ANZPT Last Chance Mega Satellite (start stack 5000, 20-minute levels)

March 22 (6.15pm) Event 7: $2000 + $200 ANZPT Main Event day 1 flight 1 (start stack 20,000, 60-minute levels)

March 23 (12.30pm) Event 7: $2000 + $200 ANZPT Main Event day 1 flight 2 (start stack 20,000, 60-minute levels)

March 24 (12.30pm) Event 7: $2000 + $200 ANZPT Main Event day 2

March 25 (12.30pm) Event 8: $200 + $20 No Limit Hold’em Turbo (start stack 6000, 20-minute levels)

March 25 (2pm) Event 7: $2000 + $200 ANZPT Main Event final table

March 25 (4pm) $5K ($4750 + $250) Challenge No Limit Hold’em (start stack 15,000, 45-minute levels)

By Poker Media Australia

Sydney local and online phenom Brendon Rubie has taken down the opening event at this year’s Aussie Millions, the $1,100 buy-in Repecharge No Limit Holdem Event. As a reward for his efforts, Brendon ships $200,000 and the first gold ring of the series.

The Opening event at Crown was a $1,100 buy-in Repecharge No Limit Holdem event. The repecharge format was first featured at Crown several years ago and creates some of the largest prize pools on the tournament calendar. A repecharge event is a type of re-buy tournament, because if you are eliminated on day 1a, then you may return on day 1b or day 1c and have a second chance at building a chip stack. Conversely, if you are not eliminated on day 1a, then you can come back on day 1b or day 1c and continue building your stack for play on day 2 where all remaining players combine their stacks from the earlier day 1′s. The event featured three day 1′s for players seeking to build a large chip stack heading into the 2nd days play. On Day 1a, the Opening event at Crown saw 274 players who attempted to build their stacks. Day 1b drew 251 players, and day 1c drew an incredible 421 players creating a prize pool of $946,000.

With such a massive field of players, Crown management made the executive decision late on day 2 to continue playing out the final table on the unscheduled day 3, a move that no doubt resonated well with players and media, as the same event last year ended up finishing at 7am in the morning.

Final table chip counts heading into the final were as follows.
Seat 1 – Tam Truong – 934,000 Chips
Seat 2 – Tamara Volkoff – 191,000 Chips
Seat 3 – Brendon Rubie – 1,625,000 Chips
Seat 4 – Sean Robey – 262,000 Chips
Seat 5 – Sherif Derias – 696,000 Chips
Seat 6 – Rob Angood – 1,384,000 Chips
Seat 7 – Scott Wilson – 2,628,000 Chips
Seat 8 – Manny Stavropoulos – 554,000 Chips
Seat 9 – John Thomson – 363,000 Chips
Seat 10 – Naz Sibaei – 849,000 Chips

Scott Wilson and Brendon Rubie sat at the top of the leader board heading into the final table, and that is exactly where they sat at the end of the event, with Rubie eventually besting Wilson for the first title of the series.

Brendon Rubie had the support of his girlfriend from the rail for the final table along with some of the cream of the crop of Australian Poker with some witnesses saying they could even spot fellow online poker phenom Jonathan “MONSTERDONG” Karamalikis railing the young Sydneysider all the way to victory.

One thing is for sure, this year’s Aussie Millions is shaping up to be one of the greatest ever in the history of the event, and the opening event has been won by what some would say is the nicest guy in poker. ‘Well done Brendon’

1- Brendon Rubie – $200,000
2- Scott Wilson – $125,000
3 – Rob Angood – $80,000
4 – John Thomson – $61,000
5 – Tam Truong – $49,000
6 – Manny Stavropoulos – $39,000
7 – Sherif Derias – $29,000
8 – Naz Sibaei – $19,000
9 – Tamara Volkoff – $14,500

By Rob Huxley of Miller’s Guide

Mingara will be hosting the inaugural Central Coast Poker Championships this weekend 14 and 15 January 2012. Players on the Coast, from several local leagues, will try to take the various championship events on offer against players fromSydneyandAustraliawide. With some attractive estimated prize pools, theCentralCoastwill be the perfect hit-up prior to the Aussie Millions Main Event inMelbourne.

With six major tournaments, over the two days, including the $10,000 Guaranteed APW Opening Event, theCentralCoastis the place to be in January. On Saturday, in addition to the Main Event, there will be an Unlimited Rebuy and Bounty game. Sunday is the Final table of the APW Main Event as well as a Ladies Event, a Teams Event and 6 Handed Tournament.

Poker Superstar Brendon Rubie is the first big name to confirm he will be attending the major event, at Mingara, on Saturday January 14^th and 15^th. Rubie hails from Glenning Valley and has earned over $2.1 million in his professional career. “The young-gun is so keen to support his hometown event that he will fly up during the Melbourne Aussie Millions, which is one of the largest poker tournaments in the world”, said Texas Holdem Poker Australia Director Rick Williams, “The first live tournament Brendon ever won was at our venue ‘Diggers at the Entrance’, which even makes his appearance even more special for our league and players locally,” said Williams. Brendon will be playing in the APW Opening Event, on Saturday. You can follow Brendon’s every move at www.brendooor.com .

With limited Seats available, pre-register at Mingara in person, by contacting the Welcome Desk on 4349 7799 or at any Texas Holdem Poker Australia weekly event. Pre-registering gets you into the draw where you have the chance to win a 84” Pro Series Suited Black Poker Table, courtesy of pokershop.com.au, which retails for $499.99

An eventful final table almost saw a remarkable comeback win before overnight chip leader Rhys Gould finally prevailed to clinch his first live trophy in the Australian Poker Weekly $550 event at the Sydney Championships last night.

The Sydney student looked set to cruise to victory after dominating early play to build a stack of over 1,000,000 in chips but a bizarre hand that should have seen him reach heads-up play inside two hours briefly threatened to turn the tournament on its head.

With four players remaining, Gould min-raised on the button only to see Yibo Zhou 3-bet out of the small blind. Amit Shahi then shoved from the big blind with Gould shipping all-in over the top.

Zhou tanked for a good three minutes before eventually folding Kings face-up. Gould showed Aces and Shahi Q-Q as the board blanked to cut the field to three. Zhou’s fold almost proved a masterstroke, however, as he proceeded to win a series of flips to take the lead in heads-up play before Gould regained the ascendency for the title. But he admitted afterwards that he was baffled by Zhou’s big fold.

“It was honestly a ludicrous fold – you never fold Kings there – but the previous day I saw him fold Queens twice in similar spots so I wasn’t that surprised,” Gould said. “At the end of the day it was good to pick up the win.”
Gould was by far the most aggressive player at a final table that boasted six players on little more than 10 big blind stacks at the start of play (Gould had more than 100) and his victory was well deserved.

On the final hand, he 3-bet all-in with Kings – Zhou calling with A-9 before a King on the flop all but sealed the deal.

“There were a lot of 10bb stacks so I couldn’t just aggress relentlessly but as soon as people got to 20 or 30 big blinds I started opening every hand to try and pick up every dead pot,” the 24-year-old said.“Everyone was fairly tight so it made it quite good for me.”

A total of 126 players took their seats in Event 2 including Brendon Rubie, Daniel Neilson and tournament host Tony Hachem with Gould picking up $18,270 for his win.

Left to right: Kamyar Ekrami APW champion 2009, Joel Cohen APW Champ 2010
and APW Tournament host 2009 and 2010 ANZPT Player Of The Year Tony Hachem.

APW Sydney Champs Event 2 final table

APW $550 Sydney Championships Event 2

1st: Rhys Gould – $18,270
2nd: Yibo Zhou – $11,340
3rd: Effie Bouyioukos – $7,245
4th: Amit Shahi – $5,040
5th: David Logan – $4,410
6th: Nathan Davis – $3,780
7th: Vlastimil Kral – $3,150
8th: Simon Palmer – $3,520
9th: Obrad Milinkovic – $1,890

Click here to see all the photos

By Ben Blaschke
Sponsored by Star City Big Game Poker

Kristina Jeney overcame illness, a monster field and an aggressive final table to score arguably the biggest result of her burgeoning poker career by taking out the $330 Sydney Championships Opening Event at Star City.

Buoyed by a breakthrough year in which she has cashed for well over $100,000, Jeney showed tremendous composure to build a big stack early and then dominate the latter stages of a final table that boasted the likes of 2010 NPL 500 champion Terry Tserdanis, noted tournament pro Patrick Fletcher and overnight chip leader Michael Ryan, who finished fourth at this year’s Aussie Millions.

She collected $37,408 for her win.“I played really solid,” she said. “I started Day 2 with about 30,000 in chips which was right on average but made it to the final table third which was really good. “It’s great to win but I’m exhausted now. I’ve been sick the past three days and wasn’t even supposed to play so I’m pretty happy to get this one.”

Jeney won a big pot early when she flopped a full house holding pocket Jacks but it was a massive flip against fellow big stack Michael Ryan with three players remaining that set her on the path for victory.

The pair had tussled throughout the day with Jeney at one stage calling time as Ryan tanked to consider a shove from a shorter stack with five players still in the hunt. Ryan, in disbelief, replied ‘Are you serious? You’re out of line’ before eventually folding but it was Jeney that had the final say when she later called Ryan’s shove to be racing with A-10s against his 3s.

The flop was a safe one for Ryan but running diamonds gave Jeney the nut flush and saw her take a huge 7:1 chip lead into heads-up play against Kris Nestorovic. Facing such a deficit, Nestorovic barely put up a fight as Jeney steamrolled her way to victory.

On the final hand, the chips all went into the middle on a 3-4-6 board with Jeney holding 10-5s for an open-ended straight draw and a flush draw and Nestorovic with 4-7 for middle pair.

The 8 on the turn didn’t change anything but the river 2 gave Jeney the straight and the win. “I felt like I played heads- up pretty solid – I put the pressure on him,” she said. “I didn’t have amazing cards but I had the stack so I thought I could use that to put him to some decisions.
“Also, he was very aggressive so he was an easier player to play back at. “But I think I played the final table really well and I picked my spots. There were a few hands when I got a bit lucky but to win any tournament you’ve just got to play the best you can and hope that your hands hold. You can’t do any more than that.”

A total of 510 players – including Aaron Benton, Grant Levy, Brendon Rubie, Sam Khouiss, Andrew Scarf and Martin Rowe – stumped up the $330 entry fee for the Opening Event, creating a prize pool of $153,000 and setting the tone for a huge week ahead.

2011 Sydney Championships Opening Event Results

1st Kristina Jeney – $37,408
2nd Kris Nestorovic – $23,485
3rd Michael Ryan – $12,928
4th Yek Goky – $10,021
5th Patrick Vartuli – $8,109
6th Patrick Fletcher – $6,579
7th Marcial Dias – $5,049
8th Terry Tserdanis – $3,825
9th Joseph Deguara – $2,754

By Ben Blaschke
Sponsored by Star City Big Game Poker