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

Perth native Michael Pedley has won Event 6, the $1,100 NLH-Rebuys at the 2012 Aussie Millions. Pedley has enjoyed moderate success over the years as a recreational poker player, but his greatest successes have come here in Melbourne at the Aussie Millions. In 2008, Pedley won the same event for his first major title securing $168,320. Yesterday however, he would have to be content with only $122,670 for the same title.

The final table of event 6 was easily the most talked about Championship event of the series featuring some of the biggest and best names in modern day poker. The table featured the likes of Tyron Krost (2010 Aussie Millions Main Event Champion), Jonathan Karamalikis, Dan Kelly, Marvin Rettenmaier and Michael Benvenuti.

During the play of the final table, former Main Event Champion Krost was facing an interesting dilemma. He managed to make it down to 4 handed play in Event 6, and scheduled to start at 7pm was the special Aussie Millions 10th Anniversary Main Event Tournament of Champions. This event featured the previous Main Event winners and the winner of this tournament would receive complimentary Aussie Millions Main Event entries for the rest of their life.

In the end however, Krost was eliminated in 4th place and was able to safely take his seat at the TOC table.

Final Payouts Aussie Millions Event 6 $1,100 NLH Rebuys
1- Michael Pedley – $122,670
2- Jonathan Karamalikis – $88,830
3- Dan Kelly – $57,105
4- Tyron Krost – $40,185
5- Mike Watson – $29,610
6- Jim Collopy – $25,380
7- Tony Sama – $21,150
8- Marvin Rettenmaier – $16,920
9- Andrew Scarfe – $12,690
10- Michael Benvenuti – $8,460

By Rob Huxley of Miller’s Guide

Aaron Lim has won the third gold ring of the Aussie Millions Poker Championships after taking down the $1,100 No Limit Holdem / Pot Limit Omaha rotation event late on Thursday.

After entering the heads-up battle with a near ten-to-one chip advantage over Ali Ghezelbash, the blinds were at 12,000-24,000 when Lim moved all in from the button during No Limit Holdem.

Ghezelbash made the call with K♣8♦ for the best hand as Lim tabled Q♠3♠. However the board of J♥3♥A♦J♠J♣ paired up Lim to take the title and $36,735 prize money.

At the start of the day it was Casey Kastle with the chip lead as Crown Poker Room regular Dean Francis was first to take a brutal hit. Francis was on the verge of moving into a strong position when he looked down at his K♠K♥ during No Limit Holdem and was shoved on by Eric Sclavos and his A♣K♣. Sometimes the poker Gods can be cruel as the 4♠A♠6♣3♣Q♠ flop rewarded Sclavos, as two other players commented that they had folded an ace. Sclavos doubled up as Francis tumbled down the leaderboard.

However Francis did manage a pay jump after Sam Vakili was first to visit the cashier in 9th place. During Pot Limit Omaha he got his chips in the middle with top pair and a gutshot straight draw against the bottom pair and nut flush draw of Aaron Lim. A third club on the turn was enough for Lim to complete his flush to end the tournament for Vakili.

With the blinds at 5,000-10,000, Francis was down to his last 40,000 chips which he committed preflop in a battle of the blinds with Casey Kastle in No Limit Holdem. Francis held 9♠7♥ and was happy to have live cards against Kastle’s K♠Q♥ , however the board ran out Q♦3♥8♠3♣4♥ to pair up Kastle and eliminate Francis in 8th place.

Kastle could manage no better than 7th, and he was soon followed by Eric Sclavos in 6th place who backed up from his final table in the Shootout event yesterday with another strong performance. Michael Benvenuti departed in 5th before the elimination of Khiem Nguyen in 4th place during the PLO orbit. Nguyen committed holding K♠K♣3♠8♣ and was called by Aaron Lim and his A♦Q♣J♣10♣ , but when the board of 8♠Q♦5♣2♠Q♥ was dropped by the dealer, Nguyen hit the rail.

Cheng Liu was next to go in 3rd place before Lim disposed of Ghezelbash to wrap up the title.

While the final table took over the feature table in the Crown Poker Room, there were just 47 players remaining at the dinner break from a starting field of 385 for today’s $1,100 No Limit Holdem 6-Max event.

Stefan Jedlicka was out in front with Brian Roberts of “Two Months, Two Million” fame and Australia’s World Champion Joe Hachem also with the chip leaders.

It was a stacked field for the 12:30pm start with the Asia-Pacific well represented by the likes of Simon Watt, Leo Boxell, Andrew Hinrichsen, Tony Hachem, David Gorr, Van Marcus, Aaron Benton, Jackson Zheng, Daniel Neilson, James Obst, Amanda De Cesare, Phil Willcocks and Jackie Glazier.

Jonathan Karamalikis, Jai Kemp, Peter Aristidou and Poker Asia Pacific blogger Matthew Wakeman were among the early casualties, with Wakeman’s pocket aces cracked by an opponent’s pocket jacks.

Michael Pedley also joined them on the ropes after he recalled to us that he got his chips in the middle with top set against two opponents who were drawing to straight and flush possibilities. Unfortunately for Pedley, an ace on the turn gave his opponent a straight to win the massive pot and send Pedley to an early exit.

Chris Moorman and Jesse “On The Mac” McKenzie were the early moves with McKenzie gaining most of his chips after turning a flush to leave his opponent drawing dead. On a multi-way flop, McKenzie called a bet of 2,100 on the flop of betting 3,100 on the 9♦ turn. His opponent check-raised to 6,200 before McKenzie moved all in. His opponent made the call with ace-queen for top pair but, without a diamond, he was without hope as McKenzie showed 7♦6♦ for the flush.

Later in the evening, the players got a chance to kick off their heels at the official player’s welcome party. The doors opened at 8pm at Giuseppe Arnaldo & Sons with some quality food and plenty of beverages enjoyed. The evening also included the official Australian Poker Hall of Fame ceremony where Danny McDonagh and Leo Boxell were inducted as part of the class of 2011, while Jason Gray and David Gorr were announced as the new inductees for 2012.

By Poker Asia Pacific

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

The inaugural Star Poker Summer Series has been run with Andy Lee claiming the Main Event title just a week after winning the Pot Limit Omaha side event.
Day 3 of the Star Poker Summer Series $5,000 Main Event was expected to be the penultimate day of play, but with only eighteen players returning and play faster than expected, it became the final day as just one player was left standing.
Event 2’s $660 Pot Limit Omaha 6-Handed Champion Andy Lee (pictured) led the field, but had last year’s APPT Sydney Champion Jonathan Karamalikis, ANZPT Sydney Champion Michael Kanaan, Sydney final table regulars Tom Rafferty, Antonis Kambouroglou and Michael O’Grady, as well as the always lovable Ali Khalil still to contend with as a $270,000 first prize sat atop.
Although most of the talk over the past few days had revolved around the $221,000 shortfall in the $1 million guarantee, the focus today was on title, and right out of the door action was hot. Kambouroglou fell early before Khalil’s ace-king was downed by Karamalikis’ aces. Unfortunately it would be Nick Polias bowing out on the final table bubble after pushing a weak queen and running into pocket jacks to leave the final nine set as follows.
Final Table Lineup (blinds 5,000/10,000 with a 1,000-ante)
Seat 1: Peter Skouteris (505,000 in chips)
Seat 2: Michael Kanaan (561,000)
Seat 3: Jay Malig (346,000)
Seat 4: Tom Rafferty (604,000)
Seat 5: Jonathan Karamalikis (315,000)
Seat 6: Dien Nguyen (125,000)
Seat 7: Matviy Bilenky (708,000)
Seat 8: Mark Wright (441,00)
Seat 9: Andy Lee (1,291,000)
Action commenced with Dien Nguyen finding a double with pocket eights against ace-jack before his pocket tens trailed Matviy Bilenky’s queens when all the money went in on the flop. Jay Malig was bumped to the rail next when his ace-king unfortunately was unable to spike against chip leader Lee’s pocket kings.
Karamalikis – who also has back-to-back ANZPT Sydney High Roller titles in 2010 and 2011 – was searching for virtual back-to-back Sydney Main Event wins since the APPT Sydney stop was now non-existent and Star Poker had replaced it with this very event. Unfortunately for Karamalikis, his shove with pocket sixes would see him in a race against Kanaan’s ace-ten, and when a ten landed on the river there would be no repeat victory.
Mark Wright would exit in sixth when his ace-queen would be unable to improve against Lee’s aces, and with that pot, he would push out to hold roughly one third of the chips in play. ANZPT Sydney Champion Kanaan would unfortunately exit next after flirting with making a strong run at the win as Lee’s lead continued to climb further ahead. Peter Skouteris busted in fourth and Matviy Bilenky would be bounced in third to leave it a heads-up battle.
Andy Lee – 3,100,000 in chips
Tom Rafferty – 1,800,000
The heads-up affair wouldn’t be a long one like many would have expected. Instead it saw Rafferty – who has now made three final tables in three of Sydney’s biggest tournaments – push with pocket nines and Lee made the call with ace-queen. Two queens landed on the flop to send Lee the victory – his second for the series – as Rafferty was left to agonise at three close calls to claiming Sydney gold.
Final Table Results (164 players, $1,000,000 prizepool)
1st – Andy Lee ($270,000)
2nd – Tom Rafferty ($170,000)
3rd – Matviy Bilenky ($100,000)
4th – Peter Skouteris ($80,000)
5th – Michael Kanaan ($67,500)
6th – Mark Wright ($55,000)
7th – Jonathan Karamalikis ($45,000)
8th – Jay Malig ($35,000)
9th – Dien Nguyen ($27,500)
Notable Payouts: Michael O’Grady (12th), Ali Khalil (16th), Antonis Kambouroglou (17th)
Congratulations to Andy on collecting the lion’s share of the $1,000,000 prize pool as the last major Australasian tournament for the year is now in the books. Well done to Star Poker for hosting another world class tournament and thanks to Poker Media Australia for their live updates from the final table.
We look forward to seeing everyone at the Aussie Millions!

By Poker Asia Pacific

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