The Real Deal - Issue 2 by Poker Media Australia

AUSTRALIA’S PREMIER POKER AND SPORTS MAGAZINE

Issue #2

February/March 2012

OLIVER’S TWIST Speidel crushes final table to win 2012 Main Event IVEY’S STUNNING RETURN, PLUS ALL THE NEWS & RESULTS FROM THE AUSSIE MILLIONS

Inside

• PUB POKER’S COMING OF AGE AT THE MAIN EVENT • PLANNING THE ULTIMATE EURO SPORTING SUMMER • WE PREVIEW THE 2012 AFL & NRL SEASONS

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Aussie Millions consolidates its position in post-Black Friday poker world Welcome to edition number two of The Real Deal – first up, a big thank-you for the feedback and response to the launch issue. As we continue to develop and improve both The Real Deal (TRD) and our website PokerMedia Australia (PMA), we’re delighted to announce that, in response to your feedback, that a limited number of printed editions of this edition will be available in casino poker rooms throughout the nation. As our business continues to recover in the wake of last year’s Black Friday calamity, our aim is to pump out more and more printed editions of the magazine and eventually return it to the position once held by our previous products. Not only has been a busy start to 2012 in the PMA offices, the poker year has started in strong fashion with extremely solid numbers in attendance at the 2012 Aussie Millions. Our congratulations to Main Event winner Oliver Speidel, who ensured the title would stay on home soil for another 12 months. Disappointingly, our local tour the ANZPT was slashed to just three confirmed events (Sydney, Queenstown and Melbourne) but kudos to the poker management at Adelaide Casino and Crown Perth for quickly filling the gap with their own branded events. One of the most exciting announcements since our last edition came during the Aussie Millions when PMA’s own Joe Hachem announced he’s signed a new partnership with the massive AsianLogic group, which runs the highly successful Asian Poker Tour. We look forward to watching this partnership flourishing for the betterment of the game throughout the region. And our congratulations to the Full House Group on their hugely successful MAIN EVENT at Crown in February – the first major event to be held since the merger of pub poker power the APL, 888PL and Pub Poker. The future of the game at the grass roots level looks in strong hands.

PMA News 4-8 FROM THE NEWS DESK

The latest news from around the poker world, including the demise of the Epic Poker League and the details of the Hachem/Warne Charity Event

10 WELCOME TO THE CLUB

Four new inductees join the Australian Poker Hall of Fame, announced during the 2012 Aussie Millions, taking total membership to 13

12 PUB POKER HISTORY

The first Full House Group MAIN EVENT proves a big success with controversial Wollongong player Nathan Gauci taking the title

16 TOURNAMENT WRAP

Results and details from the Poker Zone Cup at Adelaide Casino and the PCA from the amazing Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas

The Poker Room 18 AUSSIE MILLIONS REVIEW

Oliver Speidel keeps the Main Event title on home solid for another year; Ivey’s stunning return plus all the results from the 2012 Aussie Millions

30 JOE HACHEM

New sponsorship announcement leaves poker world in shock as Joe sets out plans for the next stage of his career on and off the felt

32 WSOP SCHEDULE

The $1 million buy-in Big One for ONE DROP among the highlights of the 2012 WSOP, which starts on May 27 at the Rio Convention Center

It’s good to be back! Bet smart and be lucky. Sean Callander

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THEREALDEAL Contents

Upgrade 38 SUMMER TO REMEMBER

The planets have aligned for one of the greatest line-ups of major sporting events in Europe ever, including the London Olympics and Euro 2012

44 DINING

We chat with chef extraordinaire Neil Perry about the addition of his latest eatery to the list of culinary excellence at Crown Melbourne

46 COLLECTIBLES

Are you a hoarder? You could be sitting on treasure, based on the value of some of the world’s most famous collectibles

48 STAY & PLAY

Take a look inside the magnificent new Darling – the first major hotel to open in Sydney since the 2000 Olympic Games

Sportsbook 50 FOOTY’S BACK

Sean Callander and Ben Blaschke preview the 2012 AFL and NRL seasons with some surprise picks at either end of the ladder

56 TAKE ON THE BOOKIES

Betfair offers punters not only the chance to find the best odds, but to become a bookie yourself by creating your own market

Published by Poker Media Australia Pty Ltd. ACN 152 305 667; 518/1 Queens Road, Melbourne VIC 3004. © 2011. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior permission of the publisher. The publisher will not accept responsibility or any liability for the correctness of information or opinions expressed in the publication. PUBLISHER: Sean Callander sean@pokermedia.com.au GENERAL MANAGER: Stephen Doig stephen@pokermedia.com.au ART DIRECTOR: Mark Sidoti

58 BEYOND THE BACK PAGE

Champion driver Marcos Ambrose has blazed a trail for international drivers on the highly competitive NASCAR circuit in the US

60 TOP 10

The weird and wonderful world of misfit sporting club nicknames and how some of the strangest monikers originated

ADVERTISING: +61 3 9863 8223 sales@pokermedia.com.au WEBSITE: www.pokermedia.com.au PARTNERS: We kindly ask all readers to notify the advertisers that you saw their advertisements in The Real Deal. We recommend you use the advertisers wherever possible. DISCLAIMER:

62 ULTIMATE SPORTING TOUR

April means Augusta, and the first golfing major of the year – the Masters. Can the Aussie break the drought in 2012?

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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

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News

Bodog added to Black Friday black list; Tilt deal looms The fallout from Black Friday continues with further chapters written almost on a weekly basis. And for those of us still hoping to access our funds on Full Tilt Poker, the wait goes on. Latest developments include: • Bodog has been shut down and four Canadians have been indicted, including founder Calvin Ayre, for illegal gambling that generated more than $100 million in winnings. In addition to the 50-year-old Ayre, prosecutors say the indictment names website operators James Philip, David Ferguson and Derrick Maloney. Gamblers in Maryland and elsewhere were sent a least $100 million by wire and check from 2005 to 2012, the U.S. Attorney’s office said, adding Bodog conducted a $42 million advertising campaign between 2005 and 2008 to attract gamblers to the Bodog.com website. The four Canadians face up to five years in prison for conducting an illegal gambling business and 20 years for money laundering. Bodog.com faces a fine of up to $500,000 for gambling and money laundering. Initial appearances for the individuals have not been scheduled. • On a positive note for Full Tilt players after weeks of negativity, Bernard Tapie Group’s lawyer Behnam Dayanim now says the deal is “very close” to being executed.

Dayanim said progress has been made towards completing the deal and they’ve chosen to extend the deadline past the end of February to continue the negotiation process. “We are very close to executing a deal and anticipate it happening over the next several weeks. There was an expectation among the parties involved that we would conclude our discussions one way or the other by the end of February,” he said. “Positive progress has been made in recent talks, and each of the parties feels reasonably confident that we’ll be able to reach a successful conclusion. As such, everyone has agreed to let the process continue for a bit longer.”

BIG NAMES TURN OUT FOR FIFTH HACHEM/WARNE CHARITY EVENT The Shane Warne Foundation is about making dreams come true, so it was only appropriate that Glen McGregor emerged victorious in the fifth annual Joe Hachem and Shane Warne Charity Poker Tournament at Crown Casino. A 36-year-old forklift driver from Melbourne’s west, McGregor was the guest of a mate who bought him into the event. He’s now making plans to organise some annual leave later this year after winning the first prize of a WSOP High Roller Package. McGregor’s first prize includes a 2012 WSOP Main Event entry, return business class airfares, 12 nights’ accommodation plus $500 cash. He also receives a Tissot PRS516 watch and a Shane Warne signed cricket ball. Runner-up Alain Boratuad will be front and centre in the 2012 Aussie Millions Main Event, with his prize also including tickets to the Aussie Millions Welcome and VIP Parties, a Scenic CBD Helicopter flight for three, a Shane Warne signed cricket bat and a $200 restaurant voucher. The tournament raised $180,000 to enrich the lives of seriously ill and underprivileged children and teenagers in Australia. Those who lent their support to the charity via this tournament included poker personalities Patrik Antonius, Tony G, David Gorr, Marsha Waggoner, Tony Hachem, Annette Obrestad, Robert Williamson III, Maria Ho, Clonie Villani, Tatjana Pasalic, Daniel Cates and Tiffany Michelle. Others in attendance included AFL players Angus Monfries, Cale Hooker, Luke Hodge, Jimmy Bartel, Brendon Goddard and Leigh Montagna, along with Major League baseballer Peter Moylan.

Epic Poker League files for bankruptcy In a shock announcement, the fledgling Federated Sports + Gaming group, which operates the Epic Poker League, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Executive chairman Jeffrey Pollack said the reorganisation filing was an important first step in providing the company with a fresh start. “Our goal is to keep the Epic Poker League and all key initiatives – including the Global Poker Index, epicpoker.com, the Epic Poker game on Facebook, and the Heartland Poker Tour – moving forward with a continued spirit of innovation,” Pollack said. “We will most likely accomplish this by entering into an agreement with another firm that shares our passion and vision – a process we had been working toward prior to the filing. “It is our full intention to complete, as planned, Season One of the Epic Poker League. However, we do not yet know when Event 4 and the Season One Championship will be staged.”

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*Conditions apply.Â To enter any Star Poker tournaments, you must be 18 years or over and an Absolute Rewards member.Â 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. The Star Pty Limited.

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MELTZER SPLASHES HIS FINAL POT New game takes players Baccpo to the future Baccpo, an exciting new casino table game, was launched at Crown Casino in Melbourne, during the recent Aussie Millions. Baccpo is a hybrid casino game that combines elements of Baccarat, the most popular game in the East, with the most widely played games in the West, Blackjack and Poker. Unlike traditional Baccarat, Baccpo is not governed by a tableau of fixed rules; it allows the participants the freedom to make choices about his or her hand versus the house, bringing a level of skill into play to determine the outcome of each hand. Hand play is also much quicker than Blackjack, which creates more excitement and enjoyment for the player. Founded by a team that includes well-known Aussie poker identities Keith “Bendigo” Sloan and Rob Huxley, Baccpo is the next hot ticket for gamers seeking an alternative thrill to traditional table games currently found in casinos across the globe.

Star takes the lead with announcement of major 2012 dates One of the eternal frustrations for tournament poker players is the drip-feeding of tour schedules, making it almost impossible to make plans beyond a few months. So kudos to the team at Star Poker in Sydney for announcing the dates of all major championships for 2012 in one hit. In addition to ANZPT Sydney, which will be played at The Star on March 14-25, the Sydney Poker Championships will be held from August 1-12 while the second edition of the Star Poker Summer Series is scheduled for November 28 to December 9.

A millionaire New York music mogul and well known high stakes poker player, lonely after his wife dumped him, repaid two faithful workers who gave him a shoulder to cry on – by making them rich after his death. “I don’t know what to do exactly with the money, but one thing I know for sure – every year, I’m going to bring the guy some flowers at his grave,” chauffeur Jean Laborde, who received $1 million, or 10 per cent, from boss Alan Meltzer’s $10 million estate, said. His doorman Chamil Demiraj received about $500,000 from Meltzer’s will. Meltzer, 67, the colourful former head of the New York-based Wind-Up Records who also appeared on High Stakes Poker, died on Halloween, about a year after he and his wife, Diana, divorced after at least 13 years together. The split denied his ex at least a guaranteed 33 per cent of his estate.

Qatar goes all-in for a Paul Cezanne classic Oil-rich Qatar has bought Paul Cezanne’s painting The Card Players for more than $250 million, by far the highest price yet paid for a work of art. Previously, a Jackson Pollock (No. 5, 1948) held the record, sold for $140 million in prerecessionary 2006. Only four other versions of The Card Players exist – Cezanne painted them as a series in the 1890s. They are all housed in world-class museums, including the Musee d’Orsay in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Cezanne inspired Cubism and helped pioneer abstract art, and Picasso called him “the father of us all”

Take that – let Robbie Williams entertain you, for free! UK pop sensation Robbie Williams is a keen poker player, a fact underlined with the launch of his own online poker entity. The Robbie Williams Poker Community is primarily for play money games, though there is provision for real-money gaming. Not surprisingly, Williams has copped a hammering in the tabloids as evidenced by The Daily Mail’s report, “Outrage as former drug addict Robbie Williams launches online poker site”, while MP Tessa Munt told the Daily Mirror, “I’m outraged … it directly targets his fans, including children.”

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Melco Crown rides wave of riches in Macau … Crown’s Macau joint venture, Melco Crown Entertainment (MCE), highlighted its value to the James Packer-controlled casino operator with the announcement it had increased fourth-quarter earnings more than 550 per cent to USD $107.5 million. Crown’s 33 per cent stake in MCE is expected to drive its earnings growth for the December half. Crown reports its interim results later this month. Deutsche expects Crown will report a 32 per cent increase in normalised net profit to $218.2 million for the December half. Crown’s two Australian casinos – in Melbourne and Perth – were expected to report earnings growth of about 4.7 per cent. Melco, which has about 15 per cent of the market in Macau with properties including City of Dreams and its boutique casino Altira, is awaiting final clearance to start construction of a new USD $2 billion project, Macau Studio City, which is expected to be completed by 2015.

… but success casts doubt over poker’s future PokerStars Macau has announced it is being forced to postpone indefinitely the Macau Millions poker tournament that was slated for March 2012. A PokerStars Macau spokesperson, who did not wish to be identified, said the current agreement to operate PokerStars Macau events and tournaments at Casino Grand Lisboa expires in March. Our source also suggested that PokerStars Macau management were in discussions with other properties to relocate, including the adjacent Hotel Lisboa and MCE’s City of Dreams. However, poker operations with the exception of the Poker King Club at Starworld are facing significant pressure due to table cap pressures in Macau, which allow only a limited amount of gaming tables designated to each casino. Other gaming tables, in particular baccarat, are far more profitable for casinos than poker tables. Therefore, casinos in Macau are under pressure to maximise their revenue and forgo poker tables.

Duhamel’s bad beat leaves ex-girlfriend facing trial The sorry tale of the robbery and assault of 2010 WSOP Main Event winner Jonathan Duhamel continues to develop after two of the three suspects refused bail. Duhamel’s ex-girlfriend Bianca Rojas-Latraverse, 20, and John Stephen Clark Lemay, 22 will remain in prison until the trial. Nancy Delorme who is prosecuting the case expressed her satisfaction with the judge’s decision to deny bail to Rojas-Latraverse saying, “A robbery involving a home invasion is a serious aggravating factor. Without her actions, we wouldn’t be here.” 20-year-old Anthony Bourque was bailed on the condition that he stayed with his father, who posted the $5000 bail. The fourth person accused of involvement in the case, AndréRobert Perron, was released on bail soon after his original arrest. And in recent days, Duhamel’s missing bracelet was found by a street sweeper in Montreal. Duhamel was contacted shortly after the bracelet was found and is more pleased about having his trophy back than he is about the monetary value of the bracelet, which is estimated to be around $40,000.

Randy’s record shows some nanano-how Randy Lew has earned himself a place in the Guinness Book of Records after an epic session of multi-tabling at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. The man who plays online as nananoko was gunning for the record for the most hands played in an eight-hour session while still showing a profit. With 42 cash tables on the go simultaneously, Lew managed to rack up a mammoth 23,493 hands and despite being down $1200 at one stage showed a profit of $7.65. Those 23,493 hands translate to 2936 hands per hour, almost 49 hands per minute or 1.23 hands per second. If he was playing a standard live cash table it would have taken him the best part of 783 hours to play the same number of hands. As well as the tiny amount of cash, the PokerStars sponsored player also bagged himself 22,784 PokerStars FPPs as well as the place in the record books.

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LUCKY 13 Hall of Fame welcomes four new members

DANNY McDONAGH

LEO BOXELL The patriarch of one of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great poker families, Leo (pictured above with his wife Bev) has won a string of events in Australia and NZ and finished second in the 2003 Aussie Millions Main Event earning him PokerNetwork player of the year honours and more than $225,000. He was also Crown Champion (the precursor to the Aussie Millions) in 2000. Like many of his contemporaries, the experience learned in the days before the tables were flooded with young online pros has helped him amass an enviable record in recent times. Another big payday arrived in 2009 when he placed third in the APPT Grand Final for $213,000. 2011 was arguably his best year ever on the circuit, cashing 12 times and winning the APPT Melbourne Main Event and Aussie Millions Six-handed titles

Since the first day of the Crown Poker room back in the mid 1990s, Danny McDonagh has been a constant at virtually every major tournament played in Australia and throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Danny was an original partner of Poker Network and he established poker tours to, and live Internet coverage of, the WHUPC in Vienna, St Petersburg, Moscow, New Zealand and Slovenia. He is the tournament director for the Asia Pacific Poker Tour and PokerStars Macau and was rewarded for his efforts in his appointment as ANZPT commissioner when the tour was founded in 2009. Well known and respected through the poker world, Dannyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s addition to the Hall of Fame was the second for a non-playing poker identity.

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The Australian Poker Hall of Fame

The Australian Poker Hall of Fame welcomed four new members during the recent Aussie Millions with 2010-11 inductees Jason Gray and Danny McDonagh and 2011-12 inductees Leo Boxell and David Gorr joining the Legends Joe Hachem and Jeff Lisandro and past inductees Gary Benson, Billy Argyros, Mel Judah, Lee Nelson, Tony G, Maurie Pears and Marsha Waggoner. The Hall of Fame’s stature as an integral part of the Australian poker industry was further consolidated when an Australian Poker Hall Of Fame Classic No Limit Hold’em event was added to the 2012 Aussie Millions schedule. The event attracted 138 players and created a prizepool of $69,000. Roy Agresta claimed the title and first prize of $16,000 while Waggoner (fifth), Boxell (sixth), Pears (ninth) and Judah (10th) all cashed.

DAVID GORR With a tournament poker CV that dates back beyond the birthdates of many of our top online stars, David Gorr is one of Aussie poker’s elder statesmen. The 69-year-old grandfather honed his skills in a home game that featured fellow Hall of Famers Billy Argyros, Mel Judah and Leo Boxell and earned the title of Australasian champion in 1996. His past achievements were overshadowed by his stunning victory in the 2011 Aussie Millions Main Event over a field of 721 players, worth AUD $2 million. He started the heads-up battle against the UK’s James Keys holding a 6:1 chip lead but needed another three hours to secure a famous victory. It was Gorr’s first ever win in his home casino and he became the first Melbourne-based player to win Australia’s most prestigious event.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012 FEBRU-

JASON GRAY The 2001 Mike Comer Classic and past APA champion and remains firmly entrenched among Australia’s best cash and tournament players. Respected and successful over a long career, he ticks all the Hall of Fame boxes. He won the $15,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event at the 2007 Victorian Championships, where he outlasted a quality field before embarking on one of the richest runs of form in his decorated career. This included third in the Omaha Hi-Lo Split World Championship at the 2008 WSOP for more than USD $200,000 before he finished the year as runner-up to Martin Rowe in the APPT Grand Final for a career-high cash of $476,000. Gray bagged almost $100,000 for his third-place finish in the 2009 Vic Champs Main Event and returned to the winner’s circle when he defeated fellow Sydneysider John Maklouf to win the 2010 ANZPT Canberra title.

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Gauci goes the distance

Illawarra player claims first MAIN EVENT title

he beginning of a new era for the Australian poker industry is officially underway after the first running of The MAIN EVENT at Crown Casino in Melbourne. The MAIN EVENT marked the first time that players representing three of Australia’s premier pub poker brands – the 888Poker League, the Australian Poker League and Pub Poker – sat side-by-side in pursuit of a prestigious national title under the combined banner of the Full House Group. Although this was a new tournament, the MAIN EVENT carried on a proud tradition of qualificationonly major events offering hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizemoney

dating back to the earliest days of the industry more than six years ago. The first major test of the merged entity passed with flying colours when a massive field of 559 players

converged on Crown Melbourne in pursuit of a slice of the $559,000 prizepool, which included a $15,000 Aussie Millions package plus a magnificent ruby-encrusted $8000 championship bracelet. After three testing days of deep stack poker, Wollongong’s Nathan Gauci etched his place in Australian poker history as the inaugural MAIN EVENT champion. A polarising figure in the pub poker community, no-one could deny Gauci’s claim to the title after positioning himself among the chip leaders (along with Steve Halliday and Jim O’Bryan) throughout the final day before crushing the final table in impressive fashion.

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Pub Poker

The key hand came seven-handed after a pre-flop raising war between Gauci and O’Bryan in seventh ended with Gauci snap-calling O’Bryan’s allin and slamming down A-K. O’Bryan showed pocket eights, and turned away from the table to listen to the call of the cards. The flop came 6c-Kc3s, turn 4h and Jd to send O’Bryan on his way. That gave Gauci more than half the chips in play. Gauci’s stack grew more after KOing Halliday in third (A-Q versus A-2) to set-up a heads-up duel with popular Sydney grandmother and poker figure Marion Fisher. Holding a 7:1 chip lead, Gauci weathered several all-ins from Fisher then, on the 17th hand of heads-up play, Gauci limped before Fisher again announced all-in. Gauci considered a call and, for the first time during the heads-up contest, he called. Fisher revealed Qd-6d, then Gauci smashed his As-8s on to the table. The flop of Ad-9s-7c put Gauci firmly in the lead, but the turn 2d gave Fisher a flush draw. It didn’t eventuate, with the 3s sending Gauci tearing out of the tournament area to kick-off celebrations with his mates. “Most of that money will be going to my kids," he said. "I have an 18- month-old daughter, Imogen and eight-year-old son Taj. The names of both children are inked onto his body – Imogen prominently on his forearm. Gauci said he was surprised by the aggression showed by Marion Fisher during the heads-up battle. “I guess she had to be aggressive because I had six times the chips she did, but still she did a good job." This win was the biggest of Gauci’s poker career but despite the success, the 28-year-old, has no plans to quit his job as a chef. Gauci, who continues a proud tradition of champion poker players from Wollongong, wins a $120,000 prize package that includes a $15,000 TeamAUSSIEMILLIONS package plus an $8000 MAIN EVENT bracelet. Fisher was more than happy to sign the payout sheet to secure her $85,000 package, meaning she’ll join Gauci, Steve Halliday and Keith Walker in the 2013 Aussie Millions Main Event.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

The MAIN EVENT results (559 players; $559,000 prizepool; 60 players paid) 1 Nathan Gauci (NSW)

$120,000 inc. $15,000 Team AUSSIEMILLIONS package

2 Marion Fisher (NSW)

$85,000 inc. $15,000 Team AUSSIEMILLIONS package

3 Steve Halliday (NSW)

$55,000 (inc. $15,000 Team AUSSIEMILLIONS package

4 Keith Walker (NSW)

$40,000 inc. $15,000 Team AUSSIEMILLIONS package

5 Sean Henderson (Qld)

$25,000 inc. $2000 AM Opening Event package

6 Elise Brown (NSW)

$22,000 inc. $2000 AM Opening Event package

7 Jim O’Bryan (Vic)

$19,000 inc. $2000 AM Opening Event package

Adam Agresta (NSW)

$16,000 inc. $2000 AM Opening Event package

9 Sam Sainsbury (NSW)

$14,000 inc. $2000 AM Opening Event package

10 Jason Hamilton QLD

$12,000 inc. $2000 AM Opening Event package

11 Blaze Scott-Hutchinson (NSW)

$8000

12 Shane Slack (NSW)

$8000

13 Manoj Kapoor (NSW)

$8000

14 James Kavanagh (NSW)

$6000

15 Alex Falon (NSW)

$6000

16 Daniel Skelton (NSW)

$6000

17 Kwun Tsang (NSW)

$4250

18 Leslie Cairns (Vic)

$4250

19 Richard Ehlers (Vic)

$4250

20 Terrance Waterhouse (NSW)

$4250

21 Daniel Smith (NSW)

$3000

22 Shivan Abdine (NSW)

$3000

23 Sean Cartlidge (Vic)

$3000

24 Paul Sayers (Vic)

$3000

25 Glen Swettenham (Vic)

$3000

26 Paul Rowley (NSW)

$3000

27 Con Stikas (NSW)

$3000

28 Matthew Luketic (Vic)

$3000

45 Jay Macapagal (NSW)

$2000

29 Gary Byrnes (Vic)

$3000

46 Scott Meani (NSW)

$2000

30 Kemal Alpkaya (Qld)

$3000

47 Graham Hein (Vic)

$2000

31 Matthew Jackson (NSW)

$2400

48 Rob Forward (WA)

$2000

32 Paul Watts (NSW)

$2400

49 Danny Burke (Vic)

$2000

33 Veronica Barwick (NSW)

$2400

50 Trevor Broadbent (WA)

$2000

34 Graham Davies (Qld)

$2400

51 John Haddad (NSW)

$1800

35 Donald Davies (WA)

$2400

52 Glenn Gunn (Vic)

$1800

36 Kim Griggs (WA)

$2400

53 Warren Rich (NSW)

$1800

37 Willie Schroeter (Qld)

$2400

54 Deb Styles (Qld)

$1800

38 Alec Luke (Qld)

$2400

55 Mursel Yildirim (NSW)

$1800

39 Charles Cairns (WA)

$2400

56 Wendy Peni (Qld)

$1800

40 Steve Gilmore (NSW)

$2400

57 Matt Winter (Vic)

$1800

41 Riki Singh (SA)

$2000

58 Mitch Oates (NSW)

$1800

42 Cherie Marnell (Vic)

$2000

59 Renay Murray (NSW)

$1800

43 Rick Nayar (Vic)

$2000

60 David Murrin (SA)

$1800

44 Jason Ross (Qld)

$2000

2nd placed Marion Fisher

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TASSIE TEACHER NAMED APL PLAYER OF THE YEAR FOR 2011 Launceston schoolteacher Scott Brown is bound for Las Vegas as the captain of TeamWSOP after winning the APL Player of the Year Final at Crown last night. “I’m so stoked for Vegas,” the champ declared as the enormity of his achievement started to sink in. Brown conquered the eight-player field after a dominant heads-up display against New Zealander Gina Tomasi. He will captain the TeamWSOP crew (comprising up to 12 players) to the 2012 World Series of Poker later this year as part of a package valued at $17,000 including flights and accommodation. He also pocketed $15,000 in cash. The field comprised Queensland student Peter Kriston, father-of-two Steve Kane from Victoria, Australian Poker Hero contestant Col Birt from South Australia, prolific WA pub poker champion Ron Forward, APL Poker Tour winner Ben O’Connell, emerging cricket star Shaun Bridges, Brown and Tomasi.

MARTIN IS KING OF THE EAST COAST

DAWSON RUNS HOT IN SUMMER CHAMPIONSHIPS Brent Dawson turned in an impressive performance to propel his short stack at the start of day two to victory in the Aussie Hold’em Poker Summer Poker Championships Main Event. Lying 13th of 15 in chips at the start of play on day two at Club Macquarie in Argenton, NSW, Dawson defeated overnight chip leader and 2011 Spring Poker Champs Deepstack winner Ryan Nichols to pocket the $2600 first prize. “I still can’t believe I even made it to the final table with all those good players and to win it is a dream come true,” Dawson said, while Nichols paid tribute to the winner: “Brent has all the right ingredients to play the game at the highest level.”

Troy Martin is the latest East Coast Poker Championship winner after prevailing over a field of 165 players in Southern Cross Poker’s marquee event at Diggers @ Newcastle City. Representing the Hunter Valley region, Martin defeated Scott Clark heads-up and with no deal made, Martin scooped the entire $10,000 first prize, while Clark took home $5000. Michael Blacktop placed third, for $3000. The cream of the region’s players rose to the top with Australia’s number ranked online player Matt Wakeman among the chip leaders until late into the day, while the solid runs of Peter Seckold, Nick Poganovski, Jim Psarros, Ben Kostrzewski and Jason Loz ended short of the big money.

NGUYEN WINS BIG IN LATEST NPL QUARTERLY FINAL Quoc Nguyen battled his way through a field of 303 players at the Parramatta Leagues Club to become the latest NPL Quarterly Final Winner. He won $46,580 in addition to a $2420 NPL500 III ticket and his chance to play off for his share of the $500,000 in cash and prizes in the upcoming NPL500 III. The other players to win NPL500III tickets in addition to cash prizes were runner-up Mitch Vincent ($21,580), Sam Laviano (third, $11,580), Michael Mayar (fourth, $7580), Robert McFarlane (fifth, $5580) and Blake Minty (sixth, $4080). The top 10 was filled out by Leo Ippoliti (seventh, $4500), Ashleigh Quach (eighth, $3000), Kyra Hutchison (ninth, $2500) and Ron Oakley (10th, $2250). A total of 30 players received payouts.

MAJOR APL EVENTS COMING UP IN MARCH The latest edition of the Pink Heart Ladies Championship will be played at Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL Club (20-26 Canterbury Road, Hurlstone Park, NSW) on Saturday, March 10. The buy-in is $60 with registrations at 10am for noon start. There will also be a $5 unlimited rebuy side event to keep the gents occupied. On the following day (Sunday, March 11) at the same venue, the next edition of the APL Pro Open will be staged. The buy-in is $110 with registration at 10am for noon start.

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THEREALDEAL

News

FEATURED EVENT: Poker Zone Cup VENUE – Adelaide Casino, SA; invitational freeroll; 158 players; 20 players paid; total prizepool $157,210, winner Joseph Vinecombe

Venue – Atlantis Paradise Island Resort, Bahamas; buy-in USD $10,300; 1072 players; 160 players paid; total prizepool USD $10,398,400; winner John DiBella

Joseph Vinecombe started the final table with a narrow chip lead and finished with victory and a first prize of more than $40,000 as the inaugural Poker Zone Cup Main Event champion at Adelaide Casino. Vinecombe defeated Lenny Graziano heads-up after a see-sawing day in which the chip lead changed hands on several occasions. The chip count started like this: Joseph Vinecombe 812,000; Bunteon Bok 749,000; Peter Lay 715,000; Josh Barrett 685,000; Carmelo Graziano 619,000; Adam Cusenza 609,000; Jarrod Glennon 309,000; Matt Burton-Clay 93,000; and Mark Griffiths 84,000. Glennon and Griffiths were KOed on the same hand by Josh Barrett before Bunteon Bok bowed out seventh after his pocket aces were crippled by Peter Lay’s set of kings. Matt Burton-Clay finished sixth, Adam Cusenza also fell to Barrett then Peter Lay jammed his K-Q into the pocket kings of Lenny Graziano to place fourth. Vinecombe reclaimed the chip lead after dispatching Barrett in third, and rode his stack to victory over Graziano.

John Dibella, a 43-year-old stock trader from New York, won the 2012 PCA Main Event title, outlasting a field of 1072 players and a tough final table to take the title. After a final-table deal with eventual runner-up Kyle Julius, Dibella took home $1.775 million for his efforts. The final table began with a trio of players nearly tied for the lead, with Faraz Jaka in front with 6.47 million, Kyle Julius next with 6.45 million, and Xuan Liu trying to be the first woman ever to win the PCA Main Event with her 6.335 million. Meanwhile, Dibella began with an average stack in fifth with 3.465 million. When the heads-up combination was decided, Dibella and Julius took a break to discuss a possible deal, and after agreeing to terms returned to play it out. Both would take $1.5 million for their efforts, with the remaining $275,000 up for grabs. Heads-up would last a little less than an hour . After starting heads-up play with 18.585 million to Julius’ 13.105 million, Dibella would chip away at Julius, building to about a 3:1 chip advantage. Then came the final hand. With the blinds at 200,000/400,000, Julius opened with a raise to 825,000 from the button and Dibella called. The flop came Ac-Qh-3c. Dibella checked, Julius bet 725,000, and Dibella called. Both then checked the 8d turn. The river brought the 10c and a bet of 1 million from Dibella. Julius deliberated a bit, then announced he was all in, and Dibella wasted little time with the call. As it turned out, Julius’ shove was a bluff as he held but 9d-6s. Meanwhile, Dibella had rivered a flush with his 6c-5c to take the title.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Joseph Vinecombe Carmelo Graziano Josh Barrett Peter Lay Adam Cusenza Matt Burton-Clay Bunteon Bok Jarrod Glennon Mark Griffiths Pheap Chea Vince Moro Mishel Anunu Stevan Lackovic James Redmond Jan Djemal Patrick Healy Fred Chaptini Mikel Habb Rick Kroesen Sandy Retallick

$40,880 $23,180 $15,320 $12,180 $9820 $7460 $5900 $4710 $3930 $3930 $3930 $3930 $3150 $3150 $3150 $3150 $2360 $2360 $2360 $2360

Joseph Vinecombe

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

John Dibella (USA) (pictured) Kyle Julius (USA) Faraz Jaka (USA) Xuan Liu (Canada) Mark Drover (Canada) Anthony Gregg (USA) David Bernstein (Canada) Ruben Visser (Netherlands)

$1,775,000 $1,500,000 $755,000 $600,000 $468,000 $364,000 $260,000 $156,400

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

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AUSSIE MILLIONS REVIEW

or the fourth successive year, Australia’s most prestigious poker title is staying on home soil and, for the second year in a row, a hometown player emerged victorious. In addition to the prizemoney, 26-year-old Oliver Speidel (who still lives at home with his parents) was also awarded a stunning diamond-encrusted gold ring, the championship trophy and a Rolex watch. This was Speidel’s second Aussie Millions title after he took out the $1000 NLHE Rebuy event in 2011. He also won the Manny Pacquiao World Poker Event in Manila last December. Speidel entered the seven-player final table second in chips and from the first hand seemed destined to win the event. He busted five of his six opponents at a rapid-fire final table that took less than six hours of play to find a winner. Played before a live audience in Studio 3 at Crown, the

final table was a tour de force for Speidel but in the early stages, it seemed Mohamad Kowssarie would have a major say in who would claim the title after doubling through final table chip leader Bjorn Li. Speidel claimed the first scalp of the day when Yann Dion bowed out seventh (pocket queens versus pocket sevens) before Kowssarie finished off Li when his pocket threes prevailed over A-Q. WA’s Patrick Healy was next to go after picking the wrong moment to make a move with A-K on a flop of 9-8-4. Speidel called and showed 9-8 for two-pair, the pot and a big chip lead. Kowssarie and Speidel tangled on several occasions over the course of the afternoon but the local player delivered the KO blow when he looked down to find pocket kings after WWW.POKERMEDIA.COM.AU

Speidel, with interest Melbourne banker pockets AUD $1.6 million as 2012 Aussie Millions champion Oliver Speidel had been enjoying a reasonably successful 2012 Aussie Millions. He was runner-up to Sandeep Pulusani in the $1100 NLHE Shootout before placing sixth in the $1650 Feature Event. Those two cashes were worth just over $40,000. His third cash of the series was for $1.6 million. Kowssarrie had shoved with A-2. The board brought no joy and he was out in fourth. The other West Australian at the final table, Mile Krstanoski, looked in good shape to double through Speidel after he called with Kh-8h against Speidel’s 9s-8c but a 9 on the flop confirmed all the momentum was flowing in the direction of the Melburnian. Kenneth Wong entered the heads-up duel trailling Speidel almost 4:1 in chips and, despite winning the majority of the first few pots, it was soon all over for the player from Hong Kong. The betting went back and forth before the chips were all in the middle, with Wong showing pocket nines. However, his heart sunk as Speidel slammed down pocket aces, which duly prevailed after the board came 8h-Ks-10s-4c-7h.

FEBRUARY 2012/MARCH FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012 2012

The dynamic of the 2012 Aussie Millions changed dramatically when Phil Ivey busted in 10th place. When one of the world’s best poker players busts, most players are relieved but Speidel admitted he was slightly disappointed by the professional’s absence. The 2006 Aussie Millions Main Event winner Lee Nelson went as close as anyone to a second win, finishing ninth. Other notables to finish prominently included reigning ANZ Player of the Year Danny Chevalier (13th), Grant Levy (who marked his second top-20 finish with 15th), Minh Nguyen (16th), Joey Lawrence (17th), David Steicke (26th), Octavian Voegele (28th), Dennis Huntly (31st), 2011 WSOPE bracelet winner Andrew Hinrichsen (32nd), Michael Pedley (34th), Billy Argyros (51st), Kenna James (57th), Tom Grigg (63rd) and Amanda De Cesare (64th).

2012 Aussie Millions Event 8: $10,600 No Limit Hold’em Main Event (659 players, 72 players paid, total prizepool AUD $6,590,000) final results 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

Oliver Speidel (Australia) Kenneth Wong (China) Mile Krstanoski (Australia) Mohamad Kowssarie (Sweden) Patrick Healy (Australia) Bjorn Li (China) Yann Dion (Canada) Daniel Idema (Canada) Lee Nelson (NZ) Janis Lesinskis (Australia) Karim Jomeen Phil Ivey (USA) Danny Chevalier (Australia) Matt Turk (UK) Grant Levy (Australia) Minh Nguyen (Australia) Joey Lawrence (Australia) Slade Fisher (NZ) Borge Dypvik (Norway) Josh Barrett (Australia) Elton Tsang (China) Tim O'Shea (Australia) Louie Srour (Australia) Andrew Mellado (Australia) Ioannis Makris (Australia) David Steicke (China) Jason Koon (USA) Octavian Voegele (Austria) Aage Ravn (Norway) Stanley Wu (Australia) Dennis Huntly (Australia) Andrew Hinrichsen (Australia) Steve Hansen (Australia) Michael Pedley (Australia) Pat Dillon (Ireland) Sean O'Reilly (Australia)

$1,600,000 $1,000,000 $610,000 $405,000 $300,000 $230,000 $170,000 $125,000 $125,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $75,000 $75,000 $75,000 $60,000 $60,000 $60,000 $45,000 $45,000 $45,000 $45,000 $45,000 $45,000 $35,000 $35,000 $35,000 $35,000 $35,000 $35,000 $30,000 $30,000 $30,000 $30,000 $30,000 $30,000

37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72

Michael Russell (Australia) Alexander Antonios (Australia) Robert Lam (Australia) Bob Sova (NZ) Rob Angood (UK) Alexander Roumeliotis (Sweden) Ben Jenkins (UK) Paul Sing (Australia) Ben Savage (Australia) Michael Tureniec (Sweden) Dominykas Karmazinas (Lithuania) Brett Watson (Australia) Robert Raymond (Australia) Wissam Boumadi (Australia) Billy Argyros (Australia) Mike Ivin (Australia) Ali Ghezelbash (Australia) Emad Moaref (Australia) Jeremy Simon (Australia) Diego Zeiter (Switzerland) Kenna James (USA) Daniel Botta (Australia) Zakria Zahid (Australia) Armin Zoike (Germany) Louis Sawa (Australia) Stuart Kerr (Australia) Tom Grigg (Australia) Amanda De Cesare (Australia) Khiem Nguyen (Germany) Oscar Kemps (Belgium) Matt Wakeman (Australia) Michael Langdon (Australia) Anthony Marenko (Australia) Patrick Lui (Australia) Lorinda Johnson (Australia) Paul Wilde (Australia)

$25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000

Meet the 2012 Aussie Millions Main Event winner … The Real Deal: Winning your hometown’s biggest event in the first casino you ever played – how are you feeling at the moment? Oliver Speidel: This is the biggest tournament in the Southern Hemisphere, and to win it in my home city, it’s almost like a dream. I had a great week. To win this is just ridiculous. I’m really happy. Words can’t describe how I’m feeling. It’s just a feeling of exhilaration – you can’t help but think about the money and everything, what sort of freedom that can give me. I feel amazing. I didn’t have the best start at the final table, but then I hit a rush. It’s just a blur. I don’t even know how long it lasted. I picked up some hands and got paid off on them.

TRD: So what do you have planned for the prizemoney? OS: I didn’t think about it at all so I could focus on the tournament. I bought in for the entire amount and no-one has a piece of me so it worked out pretty well. TRD: You clashed with Phil Ivey when you were shortstacked with about 20 players remaining, talk us through that hand? OS: I made a pretty big mistake against Phil Ivey in one hand. I made a call on the river after he raised me, and I think it was just because it was Phil Ivey, because he makes you do that, so I made a bad call against him.

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Krost earns a lifetime of Main Event entries

Crown announced an innovative celebration for the 10th anniversary of its marquee Aussie Millions Poker Championship. All nine past Main Event winners were invited to compete in a Tournament of Champions Freeroll on Saturday, January 21. The winner of “The Golden Ticket” was 2010 Aussie Millions winner Tyron Krost, who as the youngest player at the table will make very good use of the lifetime of buy-ins. Krost defeated the UK’s Tony Bloom. Credit to the Crown Poker management who had to put in some hard yards to ensure the maximum possible number of entrants. For a time, it seemed unlikely that inaugural Aussie Millions winner Peter Costa (2003, reigning New Zealand champion Jamil Dia (2005) and Lee “Final Table” Nelson (2006) would make the trip. Costa has been rarely sighted in poker rooms through a combination of ill health and other business interests in recent years but he confirmed his entry in this event and is making his first trip to Melbourne since contesting the 2005 Main Event.

Jamil Dia holds the distinction as the only man to win both the Australian and NZ national championship but despite that impressive record, he’s been an infrequent entrant in major regional events over the past five years. He’ll also be back to the Aussie Millions, for the first time since 2006. In contrast, Nelson is still a semi-regular on the transTasman tournament circuit but his primary focus is now his stunning Split Apple Retreat in the north of New Zealand’s stunning South Island. Despite the pressures of running a five-star resort, Nelson was also able to free up his diary for a quick trip to Melbourne. Disappointingly, the line-up wasn’t complete. Despite being a regular at Crown each January since winning the Main Event in 2008, Alexander Kostritsyn was awaiting the arrival of his first child and was unable to travel for this year’s tournament. Costa, Dia and Nelson were joined by other past champions Bloom (2004), Gus Hansen (2007) and Aussie trio Stewart Scott (2009), Krost (2010) along with reigning champion David Gorr (2011) for the single table event.

… Oliver Speidel! I was feeling pretty stupid after that, but I thought all right, I’m kind of short stacked and I know how to play the short stack. It’s all automatic when you’re short and the decisions are easier. I got it in with pocket jacks, tripled up, and from then on it started to go a lot better. TRD: And we have to ask, what’s the story behind the Captain America T-shirt? OS: My friend Kim bought me the shirt. She’s really into Captain America and super heroes, so I thought she’d think it’s pretty cool to see it in pictures and on TV.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

AUSSIE MILLIONS SPECIAL EVENTS EVENT 9: $100,000 Hold’em Challenge 22 players; four players paid; total prizepool AUD $2.2 million

Dan Smith joined one of the most exclusive Aussie Millions clubs as the latest winner of the $100,000 Hold’em Challenge. Smith prevailed after a marathon heads-up match against Mikhail Smirnov. This year’s field comprised many of the regulars who’ve supported this event in recent years including Dan Shak (2010 winner), Phil Ivey (2010 runner-up), Tony Bloom (2009 and 2011 runner-up), Sam Trickett (2011 winner), Erik Seidel, Masa Kagawa and Gus Hansen. The line-up also featured Dan Smith, Daniel Alaei, Daniel Negreanu, Daniel Cates, Jason Mercier, Sorel Mizzi, Tom Dwan, JC Tran, Nam Le, Mikhail Smirnov, Tobias Reinkemeier, Mike Watson and a trio of Aussies – Tony G, Joe Hachem and Jonathan Karamalikis.

The second day of the world’s longest running ultra high stakes tournament started with eight players eyeing one of four spots in the money with the chip counts as follows: Hansen 567,000, Hachem 538,500, Smith 346,500, Smirnov 265,000, Mizzi 228,500, Tony G 102,000, Nam Le 79,500 and Sam Trickett 73,000. Hansen quickly picked off the stacks of defending champion Trickett and Nam Le but gave up his chip lead after losing a handful of big pots as Mikhail Smirnov claimed the scalp of Mizzi and shot to the lead. It looked that either Hachem or Tony G would bubble the money as Hansen rallied but almost as quickly, the Dane hit the rail when he lost a flip with A-J against the pocket 10s of Smirnov. Hachem and Tony G would finished third and fourth respectively but both collected their biggest Aussie Millions cashes – Hachem smashed his previous best of 23rd on the 2007 Main Event for $60,000 while Tony G’s previous best result was a fifth in this event two years ago for $100,000. It was USA versus Russia for the title with Smirnov leading initially until Smith stole an early lead when his jacks held against Smirnov’s pocket 10s. The Russian recovered to lead by as much as 2:1 but Smith hoisted the spinnaker at the right time to finish over the top. Smith acquired the majority of Smirnov’s chips with pocket sixes against A-Q, then finished the job when Smirnov’s Q-6 failed to connect against the pocket deuces of Smith. Despite the difference in first and second prizemoney of more than $400,000, both players smashed their previous best career tournament cashes. 1 2 3 4

EVENT 20: $250,000 SUPER HIGH ROLLER

16 players, three paid, total prizepool AUD $4,000,000 The disappointment of bowing out of the Aussie Millions Main Event on the second last day didn’t last long for Phil Ivey, who wrote another chapter in his storied career with victory in the Aussie Millions $250,000 buy-in Super High Roller event. Despite the massive impact on the high stakes poker community of Black Friday, the second edition of this tournament attracted 16 players – only four fewer than 2011. Erik Seidel was back to defend his title alongside a starstudded line-up that featured Ivey, Patrik Antonius, John Juanda, Gus Hansen, Tom Dwan, last year’s runner-up Sam Trickett, Tony Bloom, Daniel Negreanu, Sorel Mizzi, Dan Smith, Jason Mercier, Winfred Yu, Paul Phua, Nick Wong and Richard Yong. Dwan was sensationally sent to the rail in the opening minutes after Hansen rivered a full house with Q-J against K-Q. Hansen was still there on the bubble, along with Ivey, Antonius and Negreanu. The Canadian’s forgettable trip to Melbourne ended when he came over the top of Antonius all-in with A-8 only for the Finn’s pocket jacks to hold up.

Dan Smith (pictured left) Mikhail Smirnov Joe Hachem Tony G

$1,012,000 $616,000 $330,000 $242,000

Ivey sent Hansen packing in third after turning a full house against a flopped top pair but took almost an hour to defeat Antonius. Ivey called the all-in of Antonius with AhQd, while Patrik showed Ks-3d. The board fell 6s-5s-3c-Qc-8d to make Ivey a better pair and give him the biggest payout of his tournament career. 1 2 3

Phil Ivey (pictured) Patrik Antonius Gus Hansen

$2,000,000 $1,200,000 $800,000

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

We Were !

EvEnt rEporting www.pokermedia.com.au

THEREALDEAL EVENT 1: $1100 No Limit Hold’em Opening Event

PMA Poker Room RE-REPECHAGE FORMAT; ENTRIES 946; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $946,000; 81 PLAYERS PAID After winning the 2010 Melbourne Poker Champs Main Event crown 18 months earlier, Brendon Rubie celebrated his first Aussie Millions title after a tough scrap against final table chip leader Scott Wilson. His final stand came on a flop of 10s-4dQs holding 4c-3c, but Rubie showed Qc-Jd for top pair. For the second year in-a-row, the title was claimed by a young New South Welshman. The total number of entries dipped below 1000 for the first time since 2009.

1 2 3 4 5

Brendon Rubie Scott Wilson Rob Angood (UK) John Thomson Tam Truong

$200,000 $125,000 $80,000 $61,000 $49,000

6 7 8 9

Manny Stavropoulos Sherif Derias Nazih Sibaei Tamara Volkoff

$39,000 $29,000 $19,000 $14,500

EVENT 2

EVENT 3

EVENT 4

$1100 Pot Limit Omaha

$1100 No Limit Hold’em Shootout

129 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $129,000;12 PLAYERS PAID

150 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $150,000; 15 PLAYERS PAID

158 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $158,000; 16 PLAYERS PAID

The Aussie Millions has proved a fertile arena for many of the world’s best online players. Dan djk123 Kelly added his name to that list after winning the $1100 Pot Limit Omaha title. Kelly, who won the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six Handed event at the 2010 WSOP and has three WCOOP title to his name, defeated 2010 ANZPT Melbourne champ Martin Kozlov for the title. It was Kozlov’s second runner-up finish at the Aussie Millions after placing second in last year’s Feature Event.

Sandeep Pulusani is best known for his work on the music blog Vibe Addict but can add Aussie Millions champions to his CV after his victory here. Pulusani was the short stack three-handed but fought back to defeat Oliver Speidel headsup. A horror run of cards at the final table ended Jackie Glazier’s hopes of victory although she still marked her second cash of the 2012 Aussie Millions as did Matthew Pearson, Mario Ljubicic, McLean Karr and Gregory Ronaldson.

WA’s Aaron Lim, who final-tabled the ANZPT Perth Main Event last year and placed fourth, defeated Sydney’s Ali Ghezelbash after taking a massive lead into their heads-up duel. Well known poker identity Casey Kastle had started the final table with the chip lead and was poised for a serious run at his first Aussie Millions title after placing third and eighth in events last year. However, he bowed out seventh. Eric Sclavos and Cheng Lui both collected their second cash and final table for the series.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Daniel Kelly (USA) Martin Kozlov Van Marcus Charles Cuschieri Geoff Smith (NZ) McLean Karr (USA) Michael Guzzardi Billy Argyros Nicholas Verkaik (USA) Barry Forrester Michael Stanton Seonglee Ang

$33,400 $25,000 $18,050 $14,270 $10,800 $8250 $6100 $4190 $2235 $2235 $2235 $2235

Sandeep Pulusani (USA) Oliver Speidel Ashish Gupta Matthew Pearson Mario Ljubicic Jackie Glazier Joey Lawrence Salman Behbehani (Kuwait) Eric Sclavos Mark Segal (UK)

$37,500 $24,750 $17,250 $13,500 $11,250 $9750 $8250 $6750 $5250 $3750

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Aaron Lim Ali Ghezelbash Cheng Liu (China) Khiem Nguyen (Germany) Michael Benvenuti (USA) Eric Sclavos Casey Kastle (USA) Dean Francis Sam Vakili

$36,735 $27,255 $21,330 $16,985 $13,430 $9480 $7110 $5135 $3950

WWW.POKERMEDIA.COM.AU

EVENT 5

EVENT 7

EVENT 10

$1100 No Limit Hold’em Six-max

$1650 No Limit Hold’em Feat Event w/Bounties

$1100 No Limit Hold’em Teams Event

385 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $385,000; 36 PLAYERS PAID)

315 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $472,500; 32 PLAYERS PAID

158 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $158,000; 16 PLAYERS PAID

Poker’s version of the Balmy Army was out in force to cheer on England’s Tom Middleton. The prolific online pro from Yorkshire denied popular Sydneysider Joel Dodds his debut major live tournament title. Middleton tore a swathe through the final table, eliminating all five of his rivals, to secure the first prize within two hours. Other notables to cash included Joe Hachem (27th), Jackie Glazier (28th, her third cash of the series) and 2010 Aussie Millions Main Event winner Tyron Krost (34th).

Ross Parkhill wasted little time dispatching Michal Polchlopek to the rail to claim the Feature Event title and the first prize of almost AUD $120,000. The final table featured another impressive line-up including 2009 Main Event fifth-place finisher Sam Capra, 2007 Limit Hold’em champ Jamie Pickering, 2012 NLHE Shootout runner-up Oliver Speidel and former number one ranked Australian online player James Obst. Other notables to cash included Aaron Lim (10th) and Sandeep Pulusani (13th), who had claimed Aussie Millions wins a week earlier.

Paul Ravesi won the Australasian PLO title at the 1998 Australasian Championships. The South Australian poker stalwart and former APA chief can now claim an Aussie Millions championship ring after he partnered with Mark Segal (who won the NLHE/PLO rotation event here in 2010) to win the teams title. Other notables to final table included the WA duo of Tony Tartaglia and Aleks Lackovic (fourth), the Japanese team of Azuda Maeda and Tsugunari Toma were seventh while Sydneysider’s Ali and David Ghezelbash placed ninth.

1 2 3 4 5 6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Tom Middleton (UK) $84,220 Joel Dodds $58,135 Peter Skouteris $40,450 Craig Cockburn $30,800 Kosta Mamaliadis (South Africa) $23,100 Ben Lingenfelder (South Africa) $15,400

Ross Parkhill (UK) Michal Polchlopek (UK) Sam Capra Mark Betts Jamie Pickering Oliver Speidel Adam Cusenza James Obst Fabian Craib

$119,500 $73,000 $50,000 $34,000 $24,000 $16,000 $13,000 $10,000 $7500

Mark Segal (UK) & Paul Ravesi $24,960 Julian Deikhaus & Daniel Ratcliffe $16,380 Danny Chang (NZ) & David Yan (NZ) $10,140 Antonio Tartaglia & Aleks Lackovic $7020 Najeem Ajez & Denis Jankovic $5460 Richard Allen & Jacqueline Flint $4680 Azusa Maeda (Japan) & Tsugunari Toma (Japan) $3900 Warren Lewis & Anthony Barry $3120 Ali Ghezelbash & David Ghezelbash $2340

It’s tough enough to win an Aussie Millions title, let alone the same event on multiple occasions. But that’s just what Michal Pedley achieved for the second time in five years. In an all-Aussie headsup battle, Pedley defeated Jonathan Karamalikis. It was the second time the South Australian has finished runner-up in this event after placing second to Mark Kassis in 2009. Canada’s Mike Watson, who won this event in 2010, was fifth while Andrew Scarf was ninth for the second successive year.

1 2 3 4 5

Michael Pedley Jonathan Karamalikis Dan Kelly (USA) Tyron Krost Mike Watson (Canada)

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$122,670 $88,830 $57,105 $40,185 $29,610

6 7 8 9 10

Jim Collopy (USA) Tony Sama Marvin Rettenmaier (Germany) Andrew Scarf Michael Benvenuti

$25,380 $21,150 $16,920 $12,690 $8460

EVENT 6: $1100 No Limit Hold’em w/ Rebuys

92 PLAYERS; 331 REBUYS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $423,000; 10 PLAYERS PAID

THEREALDEAL PMA Poker Room 25 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $118,750; FOUR PLAYERS PAID

EVENT 12: $$5000 Chinese Poker

A favourite game of almost every poker player, the first ever Aussie Millions Chinese Poker tournament attracted an impressive field of 25 including Barry Greenstein, Daniel Cates, Jeff Lisandro, Sam Trickett, Terrence Chan, Gary Benson, Sam Khouiss, Mike Watson and Sebastian Ruthenberg. The tournament was played five-handed, with the button sitting out each hand. WA’s Ben Breadsell emerged victorious, earning himself a slice of local poker history as the inaugural champion. Mike Gorodinksy was runner-up ahead of two Aussie Poker Hall of Famers, Jason Gray and Jeff Lisandro.

1 2

Ben Breadsell Mike Gorodinsky (USA)

$50,000 $35,750

3 4

Jason Gray Jeff Lisandro

$22,000 $11,000

EVENT 11

EVENT 13

EVENT 14

$550 No Limit Hold’em

$5300 Australian Heads-up Championship

$550 No Limit Hold’em Terminator

170 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $85,000; 18 PLAYERS PAID

32 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $160,000; FOUR PLAYERS PAID

224 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $112,000; 20 PLAYERS PAID

Against the backdrop of the Main Event and the $100k Hold’em Challenge, a healthy field of 170 players chased a piece of Aussie Millions jewellery in the first of the second week’s $550 NLHE events. After winning his way into day two of the Main Event, Norway’s Borge Dypvik tuned up in style with victory over local player Chris Ozer. The Scandinavian would go on to finish 19th in the Main Event. Mishel Anunu placed third while Peter Aristidou picked u p his seventh career Aussie Millions cash in 18th.

It took four days to reach the final four of the Australian Heads-up Championship with the semi-finalists representing four different continents. South Africa’s Greg Ronaldson, who’d already cashed in two events for the series, would defeat Japan’s Yasuhio Waki and go on to meet Sorel Mizzi in the final after the Canadian defeated the last Aussie contender Sam Vakili. Ronaldson then defeated Mizzi for the title to claim the first prize of $80,000. It was Mizzi’s sixth Aussie Millions cash, which include three top 20 finishes in the Main Event.

Local Tony Tran celebrated his first major tournament cash in style with victory over well-known South African player Jay Soodoo in the $550 NLHE Terminator. However, the event received a disproportionate amount of attention due to the deep run of Twitter addict Kevin Mathers, who kept the 140-character updates coming on the way to his sixth-place finish worth just over $6000. Another prolific poker wordsmith, Clayton “The Joker” Fletcher placed eighth.

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1 2 3 4

Borge Dypvik (Norway) Christopher Ozer Mishel Anunu Toan Ngoc Nguyen David Pirpinias Yvette Hall Antonios Delavinias John Michael Meg Bertini (USA)

$19,130 $14,040 $11,050 $8500 $6800 $5100 $4250 $3400 $2550

Gregory Ronaldson (South Africa) $80,000 Sorel Mizzi (Canada) $40,000 Yasuhiro Waki (Japan) $20,000 Sam Vakili (Australia) $20,000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Tony Tran Jaynarain Sookoo (Sth Africa) Amanda Todorovic Robert Dickfos Mikel Habb Kevin Mathers (USA) John Overbeek Clayton Fletcher (USA) Anthony Hope

$18,800 $14,740 $11,695 $9000 $7120 $6055 $4990 $3925 $2875

WWW.POKERMEDIA.COM.AU

EVENT 15

EVENT 17

EVENT 18

$550 No Limit Hold’em

$2500 Pot Limit Omaha

167 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $83,500; 18 PLAYERS PAID

32 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $160,000; FOUR PLAYERS PAID

83 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $186,750; NINE PLAYERS PAID

One of the most successful New Zealand players of the past two years, Jackson Zheng added an Aussie Millions Championship Ring to the NZ Open titles he won back-to-back in 2010-11 with victory in the second of the $550 NLHE events. He was part of the runner-up combo in last years Teams Event. Adelaide’s Adrian Gravelle final tabled a $550 NLHE event for the second year in a row in placing second while Jim Sachinidis (13th) and Sydney’s Andrew Scarf (17th) also cashed in this event.

Luke Tsapazis hadn’t recorded a major tournament cash since his final-table finish in the 2009 Melbourne Champs Main Event. He broke the drought in impressive fashion with victory in the third of four $550 NLHE events. South Australian Adam Peck went within a whisker of a second Aussie Millions title – he won the 2009 Mixed Hold’em title and finished second here. Robert Goodwin added a second cash for the series (fifth), the prolific Peter Aristidou was again in the money (16th) while female players filled four of the 18 spots in the money.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Jackson Zheng (NZ) Adrian Gravelle Henry Hannigan Nicholas Nugent Paul Altis Daniel Zgalin Andrew Shanahan Brian Lockett Ashley Cooledge

$18,800 $13,775 $10,855 $8350 $6680 $5010 $4170 $3345 $2505

Luke Tsapazis Adam Peck Duncan Kirk Lei Zhou Robert Goodwin Patricia Caris Yi Zheng Teresa-ann Natoli Meng-Wei Ko

$21,265 $15,595 $12,290 $9450 $7560 $5670 $4725 $3780 $2835

Jim Collopy (USA) Nick Georgoulas Graeme Putt George Moussa Michael Zowie Daniel Bjarby (Sweden) Mike Gorodinsky (USA) Jose Barbero (Argentina) Derek Purvis (Canada)

$59,760 $39,220 $24,280 $16,800 $13,075 $11,205 $9340 $7470 $5600

David Bach has quietly amassed one of the more impressive mixed game CVs in poker, highlighted by his win in the $50k H.O.R.S.E. at the 2009 WSOP. A regular visitor to the Aussie Millions since 2008, Bach celebrated a second title when he won the $2500 H.O.R.S.E. to go with his $10k H.O.R.S.E. win in 2010. This was his sixth Aussie Millions career cash. Locals Dale Townsend and Mark Furniss were second and third, while Aussie Poker Hall of Famer Marsha Waggoner placed fifth.

1 2 3

David Bach (USA) Dale Townsend Mark Furniss

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$32,250 $21,000 $15,000

4 5

Mikko Pispala (Finland) Marsha Waggoner

EVENT 16: $2500 H.O.R.S.E.

39 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $87,750; FIVE PLAYERS PAID

$11,500 $8000

THEREALDEAL Event 23: $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Semi-Shootout

PMA Poker Room 20 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $500,000; FOUR PLAYERS PAID) RESULTS First introduced last year, the $25k Semi-Shootout again attracted a star-studded line-up featuring JC Tran, Tony G, Shawn Buchanan, Jason Koon, Matt Jarvis, Mike Watson, Joe Hachem and Jonathan Karamalikis. After cashing 47th in the Main Event, Lithuania’s Dominykas Karmazinas took almost three hours to defeat Canadian Elliot Smith heads-up to pocket the $200k first prize. JC Tran matched his third-place finish in the 2009 $100k Hold’em Challenge while Dan Kelly added a fourth here to his third in the NLHE Rebuy event.

1 2

Dominykas Karmazinas (Lithuania) Elliot Smith (Canada)

$200,000 $140,000

3 4

JC Tran (USA) Dan Kelly (USA)

$95,000 $65,000

EVENT 19

EVENT 21

EVENT 22

$2500 No Limit Hold’em Six-max

$1100 Eight-game Mixed event

$550 No Limit Hold’em Turbo Cubed

190 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $427,500; 18 PLAYERS PAID

65 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $65,000; SEVEN PLAYERS PAID

130 PLAYERS; 195 REBUYS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $162,500; 16 PLAYERS PAID

The big names were out in force to contest one of the most sought after titles on the Aussie Millions schedule but it was a relative unknown Jean-Paul Helderman who scooped the win. He prevailed after a torrid heads-up clash with Faraz Jaka, fresh from his third-place in the recent PCA Main Event. Local Tam Truong (third) collected his second final table of the series, 2010 EPT Copenhagen champ Anton Wigg was fourth and multiple Aussie Millions winner Jarred Solomon cashed in ninth.

An elite field of mixed game exponents converged for this event with NZ-based Czech Jan Suchanek emerging on top of the pile. Suchanek also cashed in an eight-game event at the 2011 WSOP. He defeated well-known SA poker figure Chris Bonato heads-up after a tough battle with Sean Dunwoodie chalking up his first cash for 2012 after a prolific 2011. Sam Khouiss placed sixth, improving his Aussie Millions record to 15 cashes – well entrenched in the top five overall.

The pool for this event was bolstered thanks to 195 rebuys and add-ons leaving, with Florida’s Martin Mathis snaring the lion’s share when he prevailed over 2009 APPT Sydney champ Aaron Benton. It was the first Aussie Millions cash for both players. Yvette Hall (third) and Radoslaw Kopec (fourth) collected their second cash of the series while Jacqueline Flint made it three Aussie Millions cashes for 2012. Chris Moorman, who was seventh in last year’s Main Event, also placed seventh in this event.

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Jean-Paul Helderman (Malta) $110,600 Faraz Jaka (USA) $77,000 Tam Truong $55,600 Anton Wigg (Sweden) $38,500 Sean Keeton $25,700 George Vassilopoulos $21,400

Jan Suchanek (Czech Republic) $23,400 Chris Bonato $13,650 Derek Dubois (Canada) $9750 Sean Dunwoodie $6500 Stephen Su (USA) $5200 Sam Khouiss $3900 Victor Ramdin (USA) $2600

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Martin Mathis (USA) Aaron Benton Yvette Hall Radoslaw Kopec (Poland) Andrew Demetriou Jacqueline Flint Chris Moorman (UK) George Giannopoulos Dylan Wilkerson (USA)

$32,950 $26,165 $21,950 $17,875 $14,300 $11,460 $8950 $6500 $4150

WWW.POKERMEDIA.COM.AU

EVENT 24

EVENT 25

EVENT 26

$550 Pot Limit Omaha

$550 Australian PHOF Classic No Limit Hold’em

$10,500 Eight-Game Mixed Event

Queenslander Michael Rowley celebrated his first major tournament cash with an Aussie Millions Championship Ring after defeating Dean Yuen for the third PLO title on the 2012 Aussie Millions schedule. Remember Michael Ryan? He was fourth in last year’s Main Event for $450,000, and managed a fifth in this event. Veteran US player Peter Brownstein was the only international to reach this final table, placing sixth, while Sam Khouiss made it Aussie Millions career cash number 16.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Michael Rowley Dean Yuen Chihlun Wang Michael Rumbold Michael Ryan Peter Brownstein (USA) Alain Barataud Martin Benda Sam Khouiss

$15,520 $10,185 $6305 $4365 $3395 $2910 $2425 $1940 $1455

138 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $69,000; 16 PLAYERS PAID Three years after its foundation, the first Australian Poker Hall of Fame Classic was added to the Aussie Millions schedule, confirming the Hall’s acceptance within the local poker community. Appropriately, the list of in-the-money finishers was an all-Aussie affair with Roy Agresta securing his place in history with victory over Evan Cramp. And Hall of Fame members featured prominently, with Marsha Waggoner (fifth), Leo Boxell (sixth), Maurie Pears (ninth) and Mel Judah (10th) all cashing. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Roy Agresta Evan Cramp Mario Ljubicic Michael Kohlman Marsha Waggoner (USA) Leo Boxell Ben Mauro Cameron Bolton Maurie Pears

$16,000 $10,400 $8500 $6500 $5000 $3500 $2500 $1500 $900

18 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $180,000; FOUR PLAYERS PAID The final event on the schedule drew a tough line-up including Barry Greenstein, Jeff Lisandro, Van Marcus, David Bach, David Steicke and Gary Benson but they all fell short of the money. US pro Tom Koral broke through for his first Aussie Millions cash when he defeated Jan Suchanek, who went within a whisker of claiming a second Mixed title after winning the $2500 buy-in title just days earlier. Hong Kong’s Derek Cheung was third while Richard Ashby, who won the $1000 Mixed Event at last year’s Aussie Millions, finished fourth. 1 2 3 4

Tom Koral (USA) Jan Suchanek (NZ) Hoi W Cheung (China) Richard Ashby (UK)

EIGHT PLAYERS; WINNER RECEIVES LIFETIME OF AUSSIE MILLIONS MAIN EVENT BUY-INS To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Aussie Millions, Crown invited the previous nine Main Event winners to a special single-table Tournament of Champions with the carrot of an intriguing offer – the winner would earn buy-ins to the Main Event for the rest of their life! Only 2008 champion Alexander Kostritsyn was unable to make the trip leaving eight players in the hunt for the “golden ticket”. In the worst possible result for Crown, it was 24-year-old Tyron Krost who defeated 2004 Aussie Millions champ Tony Bloom for the win. Conceivably, the win could be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars for Krost!

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$75,000 $50,000 $35,000 $20,000

SPECIAL EVENT: Tournament of Champions

97 PLAYERS; TOTAL PRIZEPOOL AUD $48,500; NINE PLAYERS PAID

THEREALDEAL PMA Poker Room

Taking a logical step into the future Joe Hachem signs historic deal with AsianLogic

sianLogic are industry leaders – they’re well respected and with their connections and experience in land-based and online gaming, we have plans to launch several projects over the next 12 months in both Australia and Asia. In a time where players are scrounging for sponsorship, I was offered two great deals and I was able to choose which one I wanted. I had a great time with PokerStars, there are no complaints, but it was time to move on and I couldn’t have made a better decision. It was really opportune to make the announcement on the morning of the High Roller event and the start of the Aussie Millions. I played great (and ran better!) to be near the chip leader at the end of day one. I was exhausted by the end of the day but the adrenaline keeps you going. At the start of day two, I was second in chips just behind Gus Hansen but everything just went downhill from the start. I don’t think I won a pot for the first three and a half hours. I then found myself on

I’m really excited to be partnering with AsianLogic and the Asian Poker Tour (APT), which we announced at the Aussie Millions last week. It’s going to be a great year as we roll out our plans step by step. I love helping poker grow in popularity and this partnership is going to be a great opportunity to do that in Australia and Asia. I want to try to make poker more acceptable in the mainstream. WWW.POKERMEDIA.COM.AU

Joe Hachem

the bubble five-handed as the short stack. This is where my patience and discipline really kicked in because I could have easily lost the plot. Once the blinds were 5000/10,000 and I had 71k, what helped me was that play was pot limit pre-flop. Because there wasn’t an ante it’s a lot easier to not commit your whole stack and it’s a lot harder for your competitors to call because there’s not that much dead money in the pot. I was waiting, biding my time until I picked up a hand or waited for one of the guys to have a brain explosion which is exactly what happened when Gus Hansen decided to bet a heap with A-J and he walked into the Russian Mikhail Smirnov’s pocket 10s. If I’d bubbled I wouldn’t have forgiven myself for a long time – I reckon I would not have even played the Aussie Millions Main Event. So at the time I was very happy to have reached the final four and still in the hunt for the title. Tony G busted out and suddenly there are three left. I’m still short stack of the three, about half that of Dan Smith in second, but after one double up we were almost even. With the blinds at 8000/16,000 I opened up from the button with Ac-9c for 45,000 or so and Smith he made it 120,000. I felt A-9 was good enough at that point to shove. He snap called with As-10s so he had me dominated. The flop came J-9-7 with one spade, the turn was the 7s and the river 3s to make his flush. My chance of winning was over. The sick thing was that I had a really strong read on Smirnov and Tony G but I hadn’t had a chance to use them. If I had have won that pot against Dan he would have been crippled to about 30k which means he would have been all-in soon after. I would have had a great shot. Overall, I’m really happy and content with my result and hopefully the form continues through the rest of the Aussie Millions. It would be remiss of me not to mention that I wanted my son Anthony to play his first Aussie Millions Main Event as part of his 21st birthday present. He made it through to day two (better than his old man)!

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Main Event mystery man leaves Joe scratching his head After quite a bit of reflection about my bust out hand in this year’s Aussie Millions Main Event, I decided to discuss it with several players who I respect. This was a big step for me – in the past, I’d be reluctant to discuss such matters but over the past 6-12 months I’ve been utilising friends that I’ve made along the way to try to help me how I may improve something or look at things in a different way. You can’t underestimate the power of your peers and how much insight you can get into a situation. Let me dissect the hand for you – we’re in the second last level of the day and the blinds are 300/600 with an ante of 75. I’m in the SB with about 31k. I’d been down to 12k. An important aspect to note was that my table was quite soft. With about 20 minutes left in the level, the guy in the hijack limped in for 600, which I found really strange (he’d limped into several pots). I decided to squeeze out of the SB with Kc-7d for 2600. The BB folded. The first limper called and the button folded as I thought he might. The flop came 6-8-8 with two clubs – this is where it gets interesting. As I reach for my chips he checks out of turn. The dealer says you can’t act so it comes to me. I was thinking, “now what are you worried about, I had gained more confidence from his action”, so I bet about 5k. I’ve still got about 23k. So, now he wants to min-raise! This completely baffled me. How could he go from checking to min-raising? I didn’t think at any point that he was making a play. So, the rule in Australia is where you can either call or fold, so he called. The turn comes a K. I insta-check and he insta moves all-in! So I tank for about five minutes and in the heat of the moment I couldn’t find the fold. I couldn’t work it out. Eventually I decided that he was making a play for a flush draw, there’s no way he could have an 8. He had Ad-8d and I was bust! Now comes the reflection, and this is where as poker players we learn the most about ourselves; about how we can improve our play and, if this situation comes along in the future, how to deal with it.

The first five players I spoke to all said they wouldn’t fold. Then I was playing the $2500 NLHE Six-Max event with Faraz Jaka, who suggested the player didn’t check out of turn – he actually thought he was first to act and was going for a check-raise. I didn’t even consider that angle. That made sense – why you would check then min-raise. Maybe he was checking to raise, maybe he was slow playing but it’s something I didn’t think in the moment – he may just have thought he was first to act. That would have made sense why he checked. So if I factor that into my thought process at the time, it’s an easy fold. But there was another crucial aspect to this situation, relating to the weakness of the players at the table. Why did I over analyse and make the call instead of letting him have the pot? I’ve still got 23k left, it’s plenty of chips, I’ve got 40bb, it’s a really easy table, I can keep playing and accumulate chips. Most of the time I’d be able to get away from it. I wasn’t sure what happened. And when I asked him why he moved all-in he said he thought I had A-K! This shows the level that he was thinking on – what was he worried about? I had outthought myself. The lesson from this situation is that if you’re playing an ABC player, play ABC. But if it’s a tricky player who is creative and has moves then think on a different level. Don’t try to out-think yourself. Maybe take a little more time to look at every angle as to why this situation has happened. These things happen from time-to-time and they can often cost us our tournament lives. So I don’t usually put this much time into a bust out hand but I thought the situation warranted some more thought. Until next time, Pass the Sugar

THEREALDEAL PMA Poker Room

MORE, MORE, MORE – what’s in store at the 2012 WSOP From the first $1 million buy-in tournament in poker history to weekly $1000 bracelet events, there’s something for everyone at the 2012 World Series of Poker.

he 43rd annual World Series of Poker Presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky will kick off on Sunday, May 27, 2012. The first open WSOP gold bracelet event will take place on Memorial Day Monday, May 28 – with a $1500 No-Limit Hold’em tournament to start things off in exciting fashion. A total of 61 coveted WSOP gold bracelets will be up for grabs in 2012 – three more than last year. “This year’s WSOP schedule is very exciting,” said WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel, who will oversee the event for the seventh consecutive year. “We’re introducing some fantastic new events, while bringing back many successful stalwarts that our players

love. We will expand our footprint this year to include extra tables dedicated to cash games, as well as plenty of satellite and single-day tournament space, so players will have an easy time finding a desirable game without ever having to leave the Rio Convention Center.” In terms of layout, 2012 promises to be the biggest yet. An additional 92 poker tables will be put in play in 2012, with the Brasilia Ballroom providing the additional tables not in use last year. In all, the WSOP anticipates 470 poker tables in use throughout the summer – up from 378 in play during last year’s record-setting series in the Rio’s Convention Center.

WWW.POKERMEDIA.COM.AU

Throughout June, Saturday and Sunday action will remain focused on catering to the so-called “weekend warriors,” with affordable buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournaments for WSOP gold bracelets at $1500 on Saturdays and $1000 on Sundays. The opening weekend (June 2-3) features a re-entry $1500 No-Limit Hold’em tournament (Event 9A/B), where players can play on Saturday and re-enter on Sunday if they get knocked out the first day. July 4 and 5 will feature a multi-day start $1000 NoLimit Hold’em tournament (Event #59) and serve as the entrée prior to the start of every poker player’s favourite main course – the WSOP Main Event Championship. Poker history will also be made on July 1 when the World Series of Poker will contest the highest buy-in poker tournament in history – at $1,000,000. The 43rd annual WSOP concludes with the grandest spectacle in all of gaming – the $10,000 No Limit Hold’em Championship (aka “The Main Event”), which begins play Saturday, July 7 and will reach its final table (nine players) on Monday, July 16, at which time play will be halted. Due to the increased table capacity, just three starting days will be necessary for the WSOP Main Event. Participants will begin their journey to fame and fortune on Saturday, July 7, Sunday, July 8 or Monday, July 9. Day 2 of the structure will be contested on Tuesday, July 10 for all players who played on Days 1A (Saturday) or

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

1B (Sunday). Survivors, who started playing on Day 1C (Monday) and still have chips, will play their Day 2 on Wednesday, July 11. All fields will combine for the first time to form Day 3 on Thursday, July 12. Note that there will be no scheduled off day this year. In totality, those playing the Day 1A session can reach the final table in, at most, 10 days. Players choosing to start on Day 1C can reach the final table in just eight days. The event will play five full levels each day, shaving one more day from last year’s schedule. One more important note relating to the WSOP Main Event: as is now customary, the delayed final table shall return but will be contested one week earlier than in previous years. With the US Presidential Election slated for the first Tuesday in November, the WSOP Main Event final table will be held in two stages, from nine players playing down to two on Sunday, October 28, with heads up play on Tuesday, October 30. Once again, the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio will host the finale, in front of an anticipated live television audience on ESPN and ESPN2. Pre-registration for the 2012 WSOP will be available online through http://www.wsop.com/registration beginning February 8, 2012.

THEREALDEAL PMA Poker Room

What’s new at the 2012 WSOP • NEW EVENT: $3000 HEADS-UP NO-LIMIT HOLD’EM/ POT-LIMIT OMAHA – To inject this year’s WSOP with some early excitement, this event (Event #3) combines the two most popular games played today in a Heads Up format (512 player cap) and should be a thrilling rollercoaster ride for the game’s young guns. Players will alternate between games each 20-minute level. Debuts Tuesday, May 29 at noon. • NEW EVENT: $5000 MIX-MAX NO LIMIT HOLD’EM – Playing in this event will require players to have the skills to play 9-handed (on Day 1), 6-handed (on Day 2) and in a heads-up format, if they can make it to the final 32 players in the event. Players will carry their chips throughout and be re-seeded when 32 players remain, with the highest chip total facing the lowest, etc. The event (Event #6) is structured as a four-day event and begins on Thursday, May 31 at noon. This event was played at WSOP Europe with Michael Mizrachi winning. • NEW EVENT: $2500 FOUR-HANDED NO LIMIT HOLD’EM – It’s not Heads Up poker, nor is it six-handed; it’s a new variation, four-handed No Limit Hold’em, where each table will start with a maximum of four players. For those action junkies who excel at No Limit Hold’em, this is a game created for you. It is Event #28 on the schedule, debuting Thursday, June 14 at noon. • NEW EVENT: $1500 ANTE ONLY NO LIMIT HOLD’EM – In a twist on traditional No Limit Hold’em poker, this event will be played without the small and big blind bets. All players at the table will ante to begin every hand, with the person to the left of the button starting the action with a choice of folding or bringing in the minimum chip amount in play. The event will create a lot of action and multipleplayer pots. It’s Event #49 starting on Wednesday, June 27 at noon. • NEW EVENT: $1,000,000 BUY-IN, BIG ONE FOR ONE DROP – Never before has a player had to pony up $1,000,000 just to enter a poker tournament. Typically this is what players are accustomed to winning, but for the first time, the WSOP will put on a $1,000,000 buy-in bracelet event. The event (Event #55) will begin at 1.11pm on Sunday, July 1 and play out as a three-day event and likely award the largest first place prize in poker history. The event will be televised by ESPN. 11.1% of the buy-in will support www.onedrop.org. • NEW EXHIBITION EVENT: $560 DOUBLES NO LIMIT HOLD’EM – Find a partner and take a seat! In this special one-day, non-bracelet event, players will pair up and work together to win. Players will alternate playing each level, using one stack to guide their team to victory. Scheduled on Saturday, June 30 at 10am. • NEW EXHIBITION EVENT: $560 BRACELET BOUNTY NO LIMIT HOLD’EM – To reward the fraternity of players with a bracelet, all are welcome to enter this one-day non-bracelet event that will feature bounties placed on any WSOP bracelet winners in the field. It will occur on Friday, July 6 at noon. Who will knock out the most bracelet winners and will a bracelet winner be able to outlast this field gunning for them?

May 27 (noon)

Event 1: $500 Casino Employees No Limit Hold'em (two-day event)

May 28 (noon)

Event 2: $1500 No Limit Hold’em (three-day event)

May 29 (noon)

Event 3: $3000 Heads-up No Limit Hold'em/Pot Limit Omaha (512 player max; three-day event)

May 29 (5pm)

Event 4: $1500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low 8 or Better (three-day event)

May 30 (noon)

Event 5: $1500 Pot

May 27 (noon)

Event 1: $500 Casino Employees No Limit Hold’em (two-day event)

May 28 (noon)

Event 2: $1500 No Limit Hold’em (three-day event)

May 29 (noon)

Event 3: $3000 Heads-up No Limit Hold’em/Pot Limit Omaha (512 player max; three-day event)

May 29 (5pm)

Event 4: $1500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low 8 or Better (three-day event)

May 30 (noon)

Event 5: $1500 Pot Limit Hold’em (three-day event)

May 31 (noon)

Event 6: $5000 No Limit Hold'em Mixed Max (day 1 plays nine-handed, day 2 plays six-handed, days 3-4 play heads-up; four-day event)

May 31 (5pm)

Event 7: $1500 Seven Card Stud (three-day event)

June 1 (noon)

Event 8: $1500 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (three-day event)

June 2 (noon)

Event 9A: $1500 No Limit Hold'em Re-entry (players who are eliminated in 9A may re-enter in 9B; five-day event)

June 3 (noon)

Event 9B: $1500 No Limit Hold'em Re-entry

June 3 (5pm)

Event 10: $5000 Seven Card Stud (three-day event)

June 4 (noon)

Event 11: $1500 Pot Limit Omaha

June 5 (noon)

Event 12: $10,000 Heads-up No Limit Hold'em (512 player max; four-day event)

June 5 (5pm)

Event 13: $1500 Limit Hold’em (three-day event)

June 6 (noon)

Event 14: $1500 No Limit Hold'em Shootout (2000 player max; three-day event)

June 6 (5pm)

Event 15: $5000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (three-day event)

June 7 (noon)

Event 16: $1500 No Limit Hold'em/Six-Handed (three-day event)

June 8 (noon)

Event 17: $10,000 Pot Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

June 8 (5pm)

Event 18: $2500 Seven Card Razz (three-day event)

June 9 (noon)

Event 19: $1500 No Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

June 9 (5pm)

Event 20: $5000 Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

June 10 (noon)

Event 21: $1000 No Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

June 10 (5pm)

Event 22: $2500 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit; three-day event)

June 11 (noon)

Event 23: $3000 No Limit Hold'em/Six Handed (three-day event)

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June 11 (5pm)

Event 24: $5000 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (three-day event)

June 12 (noon)

Event 25: $1500 Limit Hold'em Shootout (threeday event)

June 12 (5pm)

Event 26: $3000 Pot Limit Omaha (three-day event)

June 13 (noon)

Event 27: $1500 H.O.R.S.E. (Limit Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo Split-8 or Better, Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better; three-day event)

June 14 (noon) June 15 (10am)

Event 28: $2500 No Limit Hold'em/Four-Handed (three-day event) Event 29: $1000 Seniors No Limit Hold'em Championship (must be 50 years of age or older; three-day event)

June 24 (5pm)

Event 45: $50,000 The Poker Players Championship (Limit Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split 8 or Better, No Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball; five-day event)

June 25 (noon)

Event 46: $2500 No Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

June 26 (noon)

Event 47: $1500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (three-day event)

June 26 (5pm)

Event 48: $3000 Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

June 27 (noon)

Event 49: $1500 Ante Only No Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

June 28 (noon)

Event 50: $5000 No Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

June 15 (5pm)

Event 30: $1500 2-7 Draw Lowball (No Limit; three-day event)

June 29 (noon)

Event 51: $1000 Ladies No Limit Hold'em Championship (three-day event)

June 16 (noon)

Event 31: $1500 No Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

June 29 (5pm)

June 16 (5pm)

Event 32: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. (Limit Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better; three-day event)

June 17 (noon)

Event 33: $1000 No Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

Event 52: 10-Game Mix/Six-Handed (No Limit Hold'em, Seven Card Razz, Limit Hold'em, Badugi (Limit), Seven Card Stud, 2-7 Draw Lowball (No Limit), Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, Pot-Limit Omaha, 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit) and Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better; three-day event)

June 30 (10am)

June 18 (noon)

Event 34: $5000 Pot-Limit Omaha/Six-Handed (three-day event)

Non-bracelet event: $560 Doubles No Limit Hold'em (one-day event)

June 30 (noon)

June 18 (5pm)

Event 35: $2500 Mixed Hold'em (Limit/No Limit; three-day event)

Event 53: $1500 No Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

July 1 (noon)

June 19 (noon)

Event 36: $3000 No Limit Hold'em Shootout (2000 player max; three-day event)

Event 54: $1000 No Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

July 1 (1.11pm)

June 19 (5pm)

Event 37: $2500 Eight Game Mix (Limit Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, Seven Card Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better, No Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball; three-day event)

Event 55: $1,000,000 The Big One for One Drop No Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

July 2 (noon)

Event 56: $1500 No Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

July 3 (noon)

Event 57: $10,000 No Limit Hold'em/Six-Handed (three-day event)

June 20 (noon)

Event 38: $1500 No Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

July 3 (5pm)

Event 58: $3000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better (three-day event)

June 21 (noon)

Event 39: $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha (three-day event)

July 4 (noon)

Event 59A: $1000 No Limit Hold'em (four-day event)

June 21 (5pm)

Event 40: $2500 Limit Hold'em/Six-Handed (three-day event)

July 5 (noon)

Event 59B: $1000 No Limit Hold'em

July 5 (5pm)

June 22 (noon)

Event 41: $3000 No Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

Event 60: $10,000 2-7 Draw Lowball (No Limit; three-day event)

July 6 (noon)

June 22 (5pm)

Event 42: $2500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low 8 or Better (three-day event)

Non-bracelet event: $560 Bracelet Bounty No Limit Hold'em (one-day event)

July 7 (noon)

June 23 (noon)

Event 43: $1500 No Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

Event 61A: $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event (10-day event)

July 8 (noon)

June 24 (noon)

Event 44: $1000 No Limit Hold'em (three-day event)

Event 61B: $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event

July 9 (noon)

Event 61C: $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

THEREALDEAL PMA Poker Room

HOT STUFF Andy Lee wins first Star Poker Summer Series Main Event Theoretically, the heads-up battle for the Star Poker Summer Series Main Event championship could have taken hours. Blinds were only at level 22 (12,000/24,000 and an ante of 3000) and the combatants hadn’t made a deal but it took less than 10 minutes for Andy Lee to claim his maiden major title and second win for the week.

fter winning just over $10,000 for his victory in the $660 Pot Limit Omaha event, Sydneysider Andy Lee added a much healthier $270,000 to his bankroll just days later after taking out the first Star Poker Summer Series Main Event last December. After a brief rally to close within 200,000 of Lee, Tom Rafferty stunned the rail with an all-in pre-flop shove for almost 1.8 million. Andy Lee didn’t need much coaxing and called. Rafferty showed pocket nines and found himself in a race against the A-Q of Lee. But that race quickly became a handicap after the flop of Q-Q-3, with the turn 5 and river 6 bringing the tournament to an abrupt halt. The 26-year-old Lee is originally from Malaysia and has lived in Sydney for seven years where he is studying for a Masters in finance. He’s been playing poker for five years – mainly cash games. Runner-up Tom Rafferty completed a remarkable run after finishing ninth in this very event three years ago before placing third behind Jonathan Karamalikis last year. He takes home $170,000 and is already planning his climb to the top spot on the podium next year. Fifth-place finisher Michael Kanaan went very close to claiming two of the three Star main

events this year after winning the ANZPT Sydney title back in April. The big story heading into the final table was the presence of Jonathan Karamalikis – already a back-to-back ANZPT Sydney High Roller champion and chasing successive December titles at The Star. He fell agonisingly short in seventh spot. Other notables to cash included Michael O’Grady (12th), last year’s bubble boy Ali Khalil (16th) and Antonis Kambouroglou (17th) while half of Jay Malig’s prize for eighth ($35,000) went to charity after the advertising account manager subbed for iconic sports commentator Ray Warren in the Main Event. The field also attracted plenty of other celebrity players including Waratahs and Wallabies pair Drew Mitchell and Benn Robinson, Manly and Kangaroos backrower Anthony Watmough, Wests Tigers skipper Robbie Farah, the Nine Network’s Andrew Voss, newly crowned IBO Super Featherweight champion of the world “Wild” Will Tomlinson along with Triple M duo Gus Worland and Paul Kent. The field of 164 players and AUD $1 million guarantee meant the tournament ran with an overlay of $180,000 offering incredible value for the Main Event field.

Poker manager Stephen Ibrahim (left) with Ray Warren and Aaron Benton (right) EVENT 8: $5000 No Limit Hold’em Main Event (164 players; 18 players paid; total prizepool $1 million) results 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Andy Lee Tom Rafferty Matviy Bilenky Peter Skouteris Michael Kanaan Mark Wright Jonathan Karamalikis Jay Malig Dien Nguyen Nick Polias Toby Ryall Michael O’Grady George Karageorge Joseph Alvaro Matt Rolfe Ali Khalil Antonis Kambouroglou Lawford Edwards

$270,000 $170,000 $100,000 $80,000 $67,500 $55,000 $45,000 $35,000 $27,500 $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 $16,500 $16,500 $16,500 $13,500 $13,500 $13,500

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

•

STAR TO HOST FIRST ANZPT EVENT OF 2012 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. And the team at PokerMedia Australia are particularly excited about the series as it features our first sponsored event. 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, 40-minute levels and we guarantee a few surprises! The schedule also includes a $440 NLHE SemiShootout, $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. PMA is looking forward to joining 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. Check out www.starpoker.com.au for details of satellites in coming weeks.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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 16 (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)

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OUI, S’IL VOUS PLAIT! The ultimate European sporting summer There are no shortage of reasons for sports fans to head to Europe each Northern summer – whether its Grand Slam tennis, championship golf, Formula 1, cycling … you name it, it’s on. But in the sporting equivalent of the planets aligning, this summer will also feature the latest edition of the European Football Championship finals (AKA Euro 2012), and the London Olympic Games. And our racing champion Black Caviar is almost certainly headed for Ascot this June. Now, where’s that passport?

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Travel

EVENT: FRENCH OPEN, ROLAND GARROS, PARIS, FRANCE Date: May 27-June 10 Description: The French Open is the only Slam played on clay, a difficult surface for players suited to the fasterpaced grass and hard courts of the other three majors to conquer. Because of the slower surface and the five-set men’s singles matches without a tiebreak in the final set, the French Open is considered the most physically demanding tennis tournament in the world. In the Open era only a handful of players have managed to capture both Wimbledon and French Open titles including Aussie Rod Laver, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. In 2012 Nadal will be trying to win his seventh French Open title. Roland Garros lead the way in allowing amateurs and professionals to compete on the same stage, becoming the first Grand Slam tournament to go open in 1968. It was also the scene of victory for the youngest man ever to claim a Grand Slam singles title when American Michael Chang won in 1989 at the age of 17 years and three months. Host: Paris is the most visited city in the world and it’s not hard to see why more than 30 million tourists make the journey each year. This romantic city is known for food, fashion, art and its iconic monuments including the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame cathedral, Sacré-Cœur Basilic and the Champs-Élysées. Also known as the City of Light, Paris is home to some of the most famous museums in the world such as The Louvre – which houses the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, and was the setting for much of The Da Vinci Code – and the Musee d’Orsay. Cuisine plays an important role in French culture with cheese, wine, chocolate and seafood all must haves while in Paris. Highlights: Follow in the footsteps of Robert Langdon, the hero of Dan Brown’s best selling novel The Da Vinci Code. There are several guided tours on offer that take in the key landmarks from the book. Some include hotel pickups and entry and tours of The Louvre. If you’re saving your francs there are self guided tours, including an audio version available at The Louvre. FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

A cemetery seems an odd place for a romantic stroll, but Père Lachaise is beautiful, with its winding paths, elaborate tombs and sepulchers and thousands of trees. A visit to La Cité des Morts – the City of the Dead – also allows you to pay your respects to its more famous residents including Jim Morrison. The Real Deal recommends: Premium seats for the business end of the French Open begin at $895 each and even seats

in the nose bleeds will set you back $at least $495 a head. But you can still soak up the atmosphere on centre court at La place des Mousquetaires where hundreds of fans congregate between Court 1 and Centre Court Philippe Chatrier to watch the action on a giant screen. Ground passes or “Annexe tickets” are available for the first week of the tournament from $215 a head. These tickets also allow you to watch the big names on the practice courts and possibly snare an autograph.

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EVENT: ROYAL ASCOT, ASCOT RACECOURSE, WINDSOR, ENGLAND Date: June 19-23 Description: The Royal Meeting is London’s Spring Carnival. Boasting seven Group One races and a total of 18 Group races over five days, the event is also regarded as the highlight of the British summer social calendar. Punters with the right connections – and appropriate top hat and tails – can nibble cucumber sandwiches and rub shoulders with the likes of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in the Royal Enclosure. This year’s carnival will have special significance for Australians with our very own Black Caviar expected to make her international debut. The mare is scheduled to run in the £400,000 Golden Jubilee Stakes on June 23. Not long after Black Caviar’s 17th straight win in the Australia Stakes, British bookmakers installed her as the $1.90 favourite for the 1200m race held on the final day of Royal Ascot. Host: Windsor’s heart pumps purple blood. It is one of only four boroughs deemed “royal” by the Queen. The riverside town, which is about 30 miles west of London, earned its royal status because it’s home to the Queen’s most lavish residence, Windsor

Castle. It also boasts Eton College, the school Princes William and Harry attended and Frogmore House, the final resting place for Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. Equestrian sports rule this town. Popular events include the Royal Windsor Horse Show, held within the grounds of Windsor Castle and Windsor Horse Trials and the Carriage Driving Championships at Windsor Great Park. In addition to regular race meetings throughout the year, Royal Windsor and Ascot racecourses host polo from April to September. The Royal Borough also has a close affinity with watersports. The River Thames runs through the Borough and it is also home to a number of reservoirs and a world-class rowing lake at Dorney. This lake takes on even greater significance this year as the 2012 Olympic venue for rowing, adapted rowing and flat-water canoeing/kayaking events. Highlights: A stone’s throw from Windsor is Bray and two of the best restaurants in Britain – Michel Roux’s Waterside Inn and Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck. Both have three Michelin stars and serve the finest British produce. Get on the waiting list now.

For a bird’s eye view of historic Windsor and Eton take a ride on the Royal Windsor Wheel in Alexandra Park. The 50m tall Ferris wheel has 40 air-conditioned gondolas that soar high above Windsor Castle and the River Thames. The wheel operates daily from 10am to 8pm during the summer only. Book the VIP package for you and three friends and sip champagne in the privacy of a tinted gondola. Once you’ve seen Windsor Castle from the sky, you’ll want to take the royal tour. Try to time your visit to coincide with the famous changing of the guard. Real Deal recommends: This is one occasion when it definitely pays to take fashion tips from the missus. Novelty shirts, cream shoes and somberos don’t cut it at Royal Ascot. If you’re lucky enough to get Royal Enclosure tickets you’ll need to wear a black or grey morning suit complete with waistcoat, tie, top hat and black shoes. And tell your girl to leave the fascinator at home – they’re banned. She’ll need a hat or a headpiece with a circumference of 10cm or more.

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Travel

EVENT: WIMBLEDON, LONDON Dates: June 25 – July 8 Description: For most professional tennis players and many dedicated spectators, Wimbledon is the Holy Grail, The two-week event is the third Slam of the year and the only one played on grass. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club hosted the first Lawn Tennis Championship in the world in July 1877 and the event remains steeped in tradition. Players are expected to dress predominantly in white while on court and the ball boys and girls always wear purple and green, the official colours of the club. And, if the Queen or Prince Phillip occupy the Royal Box competitors must bow or courtesy when they step onto Centre Court. Tradition also influences the crowds with strawberries and cream the most popular snack. In fact more than 27 tonnes of strawberries and 7000L of cream are consumed every year during the two weeks of the Championships. The ballot for tickets to the 2012 Championships has closed. But, if you’re prepared to queue, limited tickets are available on the day of play for all courts on most days. Host: Wimbledon is about 30 minutes from

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Central London on the Northern Line so most sports fans making their pilgrimage to the All England Club base themselves in the capital. London is one of the biggest cities in the world and its contrasts make it one of Europe’s most exciting destinations. The city is a mix of royal pageantry, historic architecture and cutting edge style. London’s transport is as iconic as its monuments and no visit is complete without a hailing a black cab, watching the world go by from the top of a red double decker bus or braving the crush of the Tube (the city’s underground train system). The city’s parks and gardens are at their best in summer. And when it’s time to refuel there is nothing more British than a pint of lager and plate of fish and chips in one of London’s many pubs. Highlights: A cruise on the Thames provides photo opportunities of all the classics including the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. You can also float under the Millennium Bridge and past the more modern additions to the London skyline such as the London Eye, Tate Modern art gallery, City Hall and the aptly named

Gherkin, an office building designed by Sir Norman Foster. London is known for it’s vibrant nightlife. If you want to party all night check out the super club that started it all in the early 90’s – the Ministry of Sound, Southwark (near the Elephant and Castle tube station) or if you want to see Page 3 models, Premiership footballers and reality TV stars at play, head to Funky Buddha in Mayfair. Real Deal recommends: Securing a Wimbledon ticket demands patience, determination, luck or serious money. The annual ballot to the 2012 Championships closed late last year so unless you know someone in the Royal Family your best chance of getting a seat is to join the official Wimbledon Queue. But be warned, the locals love to line up. The key is to be organised and keep your sense of humour. Tents are permitted, along with disposable BBQs, and there are plenty of toilet facilities nearby. For the ultimate guide go to www.brittishtennis.com. • And why stick around the 2012 Olympic Games in London, which run from July 27-August 12.

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EVENT: TOUR DE FRANCE, FRANCE, BELGIUM AND SWITZERLAND Date: June 30 – July 22 Description: This is the mother of all cycling races. A 3479km test in endurance, strategy and raw courage. Riders compete over 20 stages, nine in the mountains with three summit finishes, nine flat stages and two time trials with a total of only two rest days. This year the Tour begins in Liege, Belgium and winds its way through the French Alps and Pyrenees mountains and charming French towns before the final circuit into Paris along the Champs-Élysées. There are only a handful of riders with a real shot at winning the Tour as it demands an athlete who has the strength to conquer the mountain stages and the speed to perform well on the flat and in the time trials. Last year, Cadel Evans did exactly that to become the first Australian to win the event.

Host: Cuisine, culture and couture rule France, whether you’re in Paris or Pau. The country offers everything from jet-set fantasies in Nice and St Tropez to hidden treasures in the countryside. Opinions on the locals swing from stylish and progressive to rude and arrogant, but the French could never be accused of being dull. The Tour gives spectators the chance to experience some of the many flavours of France from the medieval town of Chartres with its stunning cathedral to bar hopping in Rouen. This year the country shares its Tour hosting duties with Belgium and Switzerland making it possible to base yourself in either country and border hop to experience more of the race. Highlights: In the foothills of the Pyrenees, Pau is the Tours most visited city after Paris and Bordeaux. Pau is a tourist centre, popular for its scenery and winter sports. The birthplace of Henry IV, Pau’s most popular attraction is his castle – Musée du Château. To get there walk the length of the Boulevard des Pyrenees, home to Pau’s high-end hotels and shops and great views of the mountains. Toasting the tour

with French champagne is easy in Epernary – the true home of bubbles. Pop into Moët et Chandon for one of the region’s most impressive tours and take home a Jeroboam (three litres) of vintage Dom Perignon for a lazy $3000. Real Deal recommends: True cycling fans will want to go beyond the start and finish towns and into the mountains. Many of the mountain passes are not accessible by train or bus so plan on hiring a car. If you’re just there for the spectacle, the caravan – an hour long procession of vehicles from Tour sponsors and teams – will appeal. Position yourself as close to the front of the crowds as possible to increase your chances of scoring freebies such as baseball caps, keyrings, lollies and snacks. If you’re planning on photographing the competitors as they pass you’ll need to be quick. It will all be over within a minute. To improve your chances of getting a shot worth keeping, practice photographing moving cars.

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Travel

EVENT: BRITISH OPEN, ROYAL LYTHAM AND ST ANNES GOLF CLUB, LANCASHIRE Date: July 19-22 Description: The British Open is one of world’s four major golf tournaments and the oldest continually run championship in the sport. First played in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland the annual event is rotated between links courses in England and Scotland. This year it will be held at Royal Lytham and St Annes. With a railway line running adjacent to the first nine holes and the red-brick houses of a Victorian housing estate in plain view this course is one of the more unusual to host the Open. The championship was first played at the venue in 1926, the same year King George V approved the addition of the word “Royal” to the course title. The 2012 Open will be the 11th time Royal Lytham and St Annes has hosted the event. Host: England’s golf coast boats the highest concentration of links courses in the world. It’s also home to the cities of Blackpool and Liverpool and the twin seaside towns of Lytham and St Annes. Considered a leading seaside resort in the 1900’s, Blackpool’s beaches still attract millions of tourists every year. The city’s major attractions and landmarks include three piers, Blackpool Tower, which was inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and Pleasure Beach - the biggest theme park in the UK. Culture is king in Liverpool with the city home to more national museums and galleries (all free) than any UK city outside London. Music is also important to the locals with Liverpudlians producing 56 number one singles, earning the city the Guinness Book FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

of Records title of World Capital City of Pop. No doubt hometown heroes The Beatles had something to do with that. Sport is also an important part of the local culture with the city boasting two premier league football clubs two clubs – Liverpool and Everton. Highlights: Fans of more modern sounds can’t leave Liverpool without visiting Baby Cream, run by the tea behind the legendary Cream nightclub that founded Creamfields music festival. Create your own memento of the night by using the Creamselector to produce your own compilation of tracks to take home. Soak up Blackpool’s beachside kitsch with an afternoon at Pleasure Beach and ride all nine coasters including the Big One – UK’s tallest – the Revolution, Europe’s first fully inverting roller coaster and Infusion, the first coaster in the world to be built entirely over water. Hold your own Open with your mates at one of two courses used for qualifying for the real thing – Fairhaven or St Annes Old Links, both in Lytham St Annes. Real Deal recommends: It might be the middle of summer, but you’ll still need warm clothes to watch the British Open live. Strong and icy winds from the Irish Sea blow directly across Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Course. In fact, the power of the wind is so great that trees on the course grow sideways. You’ll also need to leave your mobile phone at your hotel; they’re banned from the Open on all days. If you miss seeing your favourite player in action during live

play, check out the practice starting time board for a chance to watch them hone their skills. Go to www.theopen.com for more details.

Poland and Ukraine to host Euro 2012 tournament Second only to the World Cup finals in terms of international football prestige, the European Football Championships are being held in eastern Europe for the first time later this year. Co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine, the line-up comprises Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland, Russia, Spain and Sweden along with the two host countries. Games are being played in the Polish cities of Warsaw, Gdańsk, Wrocław and Poznań, and the Ukrainian cities of Kiev, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Lviv. The tournament runs from June 8, with the final to be played at the Olympic Stadium on Kiev on July 1.

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A NEW CULINARY ALTAR The Spice Temple joins Crown’s world class dining line-up Based on the winning formula of its Sydney sister, Spice Temple Melbourne is a modern, sexy, moody restaurant specialising in regional Chinese cuisine. Seasoned with an unmistakable Chinese flavour, Spice Temple’s unique and truly special dishes are driven by a long fostered passion for Asian cuisine and delight the senses with their contrasting tastes and textures.

You won’t find standard Cantonese fare at Spice Temple. Neil Perry’s Melbourne homage to dishes from the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangxi and Xinjiang is unique and powerful, and without a spring roll in sight! Instead, diners are offered more than 50 different dishes from hot and numbing Wagyu beef and Hunan style crisp pork belly with mushroom soy, fresh and dried chillies to stir-fried cumin lamb with steamed bread pockets and Kinkawooka mussels with black bean and black olive dressing. There are also no lazy Susans on the tables or specials listed on butcher’s paper on the walls. In fact, the Spice Temple is more nightclub than eatery, with its mood lighting, music and intimate semi-private dining rooms. And that’s exactly how Perry wanted

it. He set architects Grant Cheyne and David Nock the task of creating a relaxed and sexy space with touches of the exotic street hawker food markets in China. “Moody, sexy and hot is how I would describe the space and the restaurant itself,” Perry said. Spice Temple Melbourne opened at Crown in October 2010, the third Perry project in Melbourne, (he is already known for Rockpool Bar & Grill and The Waiting Room, both at Crown) and sixth in Australia. Based on the winning formula of its Sydney sister, Spice Temple Melbourne continues Perry’s fascination with Asian flavours and his focus on top quality ingredients. “We only use the best available, and it has to be from sustainable sources or produced using non-intensive farming

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Dining practices. The humane treatment of the animals during their lives is also important,” Perry said. High-end service is another common thread in Perry’s restaurants: “I believe in surrounding myself with the best people. Some people are threatened by the thought of hiring talented staff but I enjoy the challenge of continually raising the bar,” he said. Despite the similarities between the two Spice Temples, Perry said each had its own local flavour. “It’s not like going to a franchise like McDonalds and expecting the same meal prepared the same way every time no matter which venue you are dining at. Each property reflects the city in which it is based. Their locations are quite different and because of that they attract different clients looking for different things,” Perry said. Last month Perry gave the Melbourne property another point of difference, replacing the lunch menu with a daily Yum Cha selection. There are no carts delivering the ubiquitous dumplings and barbecue pork buns. Instead, each dish is made to order and the menu stretches from fried salt and pepper silken tofu with spicy coriander salad to chicken’s feet with black beans and chilli. “There are some dumplings on the menu but I often find that when I eat Yum Cha, after a few rounds of dumplings I’m ready for something different. Our Yum Cha menu offers greater variety than other venues,” Perry said. Perry also plans to keep things interesting for regulars by rotating 10 dishes across the menu: “Yum Cha is a bit of Sunday tradition for many people and I wanted to give them a reason to keep coming back,” he said. The Spice Temple continues Perry’s love affair with Crown and with a fourth project already underway in the complex his affinity with the brand is unlikely to wane anytime soon.

The essentials Spice Temple – Shop 7, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank Hours – Yum Cha: Noon – 3pm daily, Dinner: from 6pm daily Bookings – (03) 8679 1888 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

The signature dish

The prime position

Perry was hard pressed to name a dish that best represented the restaurant. “The menu is so large and varied that it’s difficult to single out any one dish,” he said. “But the one that gets everyone talking is the Bang Bang Chicken.” Not for the faint-hearted, Bang Bang Chicken leaves the lips tingling and is listed in the menu in red ink, to warn dinners of its potency.

Table 90 is Perry’s favourite. “It’s right in the middle of the downstairs area but despite being in the heart of the action still has an intimate feel. You can enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant without being overwhelmed by it or other tables nearby.”

The key ingredient Not surprisingly chilli is the hero at Spice Temple. It’s used myriad ways, including dried, fresh, pickled, brined and fermented. Sichuan peppercorns are also used in a number of dishes, giving the diner a “hot, numbing sensation” Perry said.

The name Spice Temple Melbourne is inspired by Perry’s Sydney property of the same name. But while both properties share the same philosophy of using high-quality, sustainable produce and offering top-notch service, they aren’t carbon copies.

The crowd A-listers worship at the Spice Temple but Perry won’t name names. “There’s no point creating a place that promotes intimacy and privacy if you then reveal who’s eating here,” he said.

The chef’s order Perry doesn’t have a standing order. “I eat across the menu,” he said. “No meal is the same as the last.” The bill: Yum Cha: $50-70 for two; dinner: $110 for two, plus drinks.

THE LAST WORD Spice Temple has given Yum Cha devotees a new guru to follow

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Treasure among the trash – when collecting pays handsome dividends Evangelist Billy Graham once said, “We are not cisterns made for hoarding, we are channels made for sharing. ”We’re guessing Billy’s attic isn’t full of old comics and footy cards – too bad, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association may have missed out on some serious coin. How often do people come across treasures? More often than you

might expect actually. Two years

ago, Austrian authorities announced that a resident of Wiener Neustadt, Vienna had discovered a medieval

• A copy of Action Comics #1, first published in 1938, which contains the first appearance of Superman, was graded at Very Fine+: 8.5 by the Certified Guaranteed Company (CGC) and was bought by an anonymous bidder described as a “hardcore fan” via the US auction website ComicConnect.com for USD $1.5 million in March 2010.

trove consisting of hundreds of

jewels and other precious objects:

gold-plated silver plates, rings, belt buckles, brooches and other pieces and fragments.

The man accidentally came across the 650-year-old treasure while digging in his back yard, with the intention of enlarging his small pond. After

posting photos of his discovery on the Internet, connoisseurs informed him

• The most valuable baseball card is a rare tobacco card issued by the American Tobacco Company in 1909 and known as T206 Honus Wagner. It was sold in a deal brokered by SCP Auctions of California to an anonymous collector for USD $2.8 million in 2007. A champion shortstop, Wagner did not want to promote smoking so had his card pulled. As a result less than 60 are known to exist and few of them in mint condition.

of the potential value of the objects (which is yet to be made public).

Treasure comes in many different

forms, as the owners of the items listed here discovered when they placed them on the market:

• The most valuable piece of cricket history is Sir Donald Bradman's 1948 cap. In June 2003 Tim Serisier, a Who Wants to Be a Millionaire winner bought the cap in a pre-auction deal with Ludgrove’s auctioneers from Bradman’s godson for AUD $425,000.

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Collectibles

• The most expensive coin in the world is the 1933 Double Eagle, a $20-gold coin which was auctioned at Sotheby’s New York in 2002 and fetched USD $7,590,020.

• The most expensive doll sold at an auction is a rare French doll, circa 1914, by sculptor Albert Marque, which realised USD $263,000 in 2009. The doll is dressed in its period clothing to honour the Ballets Russes of Paris and was first introduced to international acclaim in 1909. Perhaps better known, a mint condition Barbie from the initial run in 1959 is worth USD $10,000.

• Perhaps, the ultimate piece of Star Wars memorabilia is the Darth Vader armour designed by Ralph McQuarrie and worn by David Prowse throughout Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back. The costume eventually found it’s way to an anonymous American collector in 2003 and was sold in November 2010 for USD $362,000, at Christie’s Auction House in London. It was the first complete Darth Vader costume ever auctioned, and its provenance is verified to lead back to the original film studio.

• In 1855 in Sweden someone printed a three skilling stamp on yellow/ orange stock rather than green as it should have been. It is not known how many were printed, but only one copy is known to exist. In 1996 the Tre Skilling Banco Yellow was sold for USD $2.3 million. FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

• Double Fantasy was John Lennon’s last album released before his death in 1980. This was the last album signed by the artist before he was killed by Mark Chapman. In 2003 the copy autographed by Lennon for his killer was sold for USD $525,000, thus becoming the most valuable record ever.

• A rare, complete copy of John James Audubon’s Birds of America was sold for USD $11.4 million) at Sotheby’s in London, late last year. The book contains 1000 life-size illustrations of 435 birds drawn and printed by the West Indian-born American artist Audubon (1785–1851). The illustrations were originally sold a page at a time to collectors, and only 119 complete editions are known to exist.

• The most valuable Playboy magazine is, not surprisingly, the very first. Published in 1952, it features Marilyn Monroe on the cover. Hugh Hefner wasn’t sure if there would be a second issue, so the magazine does not have an issue number on it. Another thing missing from the cover is the Playboy bunny, which did not appear until the second issue. A mint condition copy will fetch around USD $6300.

• An original poster for Metropolis (Germany 1927), a science-fiction film by Fritz Lang was sold by the Reel Poster Gallery in London to a US collector for USD $690,000 in November 2005. The art-deco poster was designed by graphic artist, Heinz Schulz-Neudamm (Germany) and is one of four copies known to exist, the others are at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (USA), Berlin’s Film Museum (Germany) and in a private collection.

• The world’s most valuable toy soldier is the first handcrafted 1963 G.I. Joe prototype which was sold in 2003 by its creator Don Levine to Baltimore businessman Stephen Geppi for USD $200,000 during an auction conducted by Heritage Comics Auctions in Texas.

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HELLO DARLING Setting a new standard for harbourside hotel luxury

It is not every day a brand new five-star hotel is born in Sydney; in fact there hasn’t been one since before the 2000 Olympics, so it was no surprise that the A-list turned out in force for the opening of The Darling late last year. The Real Deal team were fortunate enough to stay at the stunning harbourside property during the Star Poker Summer Series, and even had the chance to stalk George Clooney while he was staying at the hotel (we thought he’d be taller).

he Darling has breathed new life into the Sydney hotel landscape since its opening in October 2011. The boutique hotel features 171 stylish rooms and suites overlooking Sydney Harbour with panoramic views of the city skyline, the iconic Harbour Bridge and distant Blue Mountains. The top floors are dedicated to the ultimate in luxury, featuring twobedroom penthouse suites designed by renowned LA designer, Lawrence Lee, with floor-to-ceiling harbour views, bespoke furniture, fireplaces, media

rooms, butler service and private VIP arrival. The Darling is part of an $860 million refurbishment and extension of one-of-a-kind entertainment destination The Star, with the entire complex re-orientated to face the Harbour. The Darling has been designed as a stand-alone hotel, with its own arrival experience, amenities and alluring personality. In addition to the existing hotel and apartments, The Darling brings total rooms and suites at The Star to more than 650 across three towers.

Walking up to the main entrance it is worth looking up. The giant red swallow suspended above your head looks as if it is ready to swoop on the concierge desk, giant diamond-shaped cherries in its mouth. Walking in we’re compelled to look down to admire to multi-coloured, 10-metre long rugs running the full length of the lobby designed by Australian fashion icon Akira Isogawa. This lobby is designed to work as a chill-space, not just a place to check-in. The bar spills out into the lobby

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The Darling

space from the entry of the stunning Sokyo, where the buzz of Tokyo meets a Sydney beat. Chef Chase Kojima has a thoughtful Japanese palate, and you’ll witness first hand his traditional Japanese food creations with a twist. In the exquisitely stylish dining room, prepare yourself for mouth-watering dishes such as Tuna with Plum Wine Jelly and Umami Garlic Soy, or Binchota Grilled Lamb Chops and Maple Miso – all with a personal sake sommelier recommendation of chilled sake and the sounds of the resident DJ. A luxurious day spa with 16 private rooms is set to deliver pampering to the highest levels. An extensive array of Asian and European inspired treatments will feature at the spa, including an indulgent ham am, which is a Turkish variant of a steam bath, sauna or Russian Bath, distinguished by a focus on water. The spa is run by experienced international spa operator, Jeanette Haua. Jeanette’s experience includes managing Shangri La CHI spas in Mactan, Boracay and Manila in the Philippines, plus spa experience in Fiji and Turkey. The Darling offers five different accommodation options. Even the basic Darling room offers floor-toceiling glass and windows, the specially designed Darling bed, Molton Brown products, rain showerheads, glass top business desk with Internet capability, two telephones, executive chair, mini bar, personal safe, LED 46″ HD TV, and a Control Four integrated system that allows you to do almost anything – from adjusting the room temperature, to opening the blinds. From the 35 square-metre Darling, suites progress to the 70 square-metre Jewel (offering a king-size bedroom and separate living area complete with wet bar), the 115 square-metre Adored

(with private foyer, spacious living room with stunning views, intimate dining area, king-size bedroom with walk-in wardrobe, a fully appointed marble

bathroom, and separate powder room for guests) up to the stunning Stellar and Penthouse suites – after your next big win at Star Poker!

• For more information about The Darling, go to www.thedarling.com.au.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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BUCKLEY’S CHANCE – will the Pies avenge 2011? 2012 AFL preview After dominating last season, Collingwood fell short at the final hurdle, losing the Grand Final to Geelong. The Magpies enter 2012 with a new coach, Nathan Buckley, at the helm, creating one of the most intriguing scripts in recent AFL memory. PMA’s Sean Callander casts an eye over the 18 contenders (including newcomers Greater Western Sydney) for the 2012 AFL premiership. 50

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Summer sport

ADELAIDE

ESSENDON

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

LAST YEAR: 14TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 10TH; CURRENT PRICE: $34

LAST YEAR: 8TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 14TH; CURRENT PRICE: $26

OUR TIP FOR 2012: 18TH; CURRENT PRICE: $1001

Lost key players to injury early in the season which, combined with several retirements at the end of 2010, resulted in the Crows’ lowest ever finish. Still look a key defender and a quick midfielder or two short of a decent side but the best of their youngsters gained some valuable experience last year, which means plenty of upside for new coach Brenton Sanderson as he takes the reins from Neil Craig.

If not for an Adam Goodes miss after the siren in round 20, the Bombers would most likely have missed eighth spot. In his first year as coach, James Hird steered his side out of the stalls in impressive fashion but they quickly drifted back to the field. Despite long-term injuries to Jason Winderlich, Courtenay Dempsey and Brent Prismall, a finals berth flattered a list that still needs plenty of work.

If nothing else, it’s going to be entertaining – with Kevin Sheedy at the helm of the AFL’s newest club, expect the Giants to be regularly in the headlines throughout 2012. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely to be for winning games – GWS looks to have taken a much longer view approach to recruiting compared to Gold Coast in 2011 and without any genuine star power on their list, it’s hard to see the Giants breaking their duck.

BRISBANE

FREMANTLE

LAST YEAR: 15TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 12TH; CURRENT PRICE: $101

LAST YEAR: 11TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 4TH; CURRENT PRICE: $21

The Lion may have won just four games in 2011 but there were excuses. They were without champion forward Jonathan Brown for 12 weeks and several other experienced players were also sidelined for long periods). There were also fitness issues, as the Lions blew a final-quarter lead five times at the Gabba. But the likes of Pearce Hanley, Matthew Leuenberger, Tom Rockliff and Jack Redden have Michael Voss’s side well placed for significant improvement in 2012.

The genuine smoky in the 2012 field – the Dockers controversial acquisition of coach Ross Lyon is a massive plus, while a full pre-season for Michael Barlow, Roger Hayden, Anthony Morabito , Aaron Sandilands and David Mundy (all of who missed a substantial part of 2011) should have this side challenging for a top eight, if not top four spot. Jack Anthony’s addition from Collingwood addresses one of Fremantle’s genuine weaknesses up forward.

CARLTON

GEELONG

LAST YEAR: 5th; our tip for 2012: 5th; current price: $8

LAST YEAR: 1st; our tip for 2012: 3rd; current price: $4.75

The Blues’ steady improvement in recent seasons, and first finals victory in a decade, has their fans fully expecting a tilt at the 2012 premiership. They have an A-grade midfield and increasingly stout defence but Brett Ratten is yet to come up with a forward set-up to match the legitimate flag contenders. The jury’s out, but there’s a nagging doubt as to whether this list is capable of further improvement.

A third flag in five years in easing into dynasty territory, and there’s no reason to expect that the Cats won’t be in contention again this year. The retirements of Cameron Ling and Brad Ottens along with a long-term injury to promising forward Daniel Menzel leave quite a gap to fill, but Chris Scott showed tremendous resilience in his first year in charge and Geelong has the depth to cover any such losses.

COLLINGWOOD

GOLD COAST

HAWTHORN

LAST YEAR: 2ND; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 1ST; CURRENT PRICE: $3.75

LAST YEAR: 17TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 15TH; CURRENT PRICE: $251

LAST YEAR: 3RD; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 2ND; CURRENT PRICE: $5.25

The Magpies’ 2011 campaign showed clubs need a bit of luck to win the big one. They lost key players late in the season, which impacted their finals run. That said, their season was defined in the last quarter of the Grand Final. There’ll be plenty of pressure on new coach Nathan Buckley, but with no obvious list deficiencies, expect to see the Pies among the title challengers again this year.

Three wins surpassed the expectations of most pundits for the League debutants, and the future looks very rosy for this club. With the right mix of experience balancing against the best of the 2009-10 draft classes, the Suns are among the most exciting sides in the competition. As the young bodies develop and they gain more senior experience, look for Guy McKenna’s outfit to cause more than a few surprises this year.

Punters have dumped some serious coin on the Hawks to go all the way in 2012, and it’s not hard to see why. Despite going 0-5 to the top two last year, Alistair Clarkson’s side is the obvious candidate to challenge the Cats and Pies for the flag this year. The return of Stephen Gilham and Ben Stratton from long-term injuries bolsters the defensive stocks, and the Hawks brought on a stack of new talent last year.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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MELBOURNE

ST KILDA

WESTERN BULLDOGS

LAST YEAR: 13TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 13TH; CURRENT PRICE: $67

LAST YEAR: 7TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 9TH; CURRENT PRICE: $17

LAST YEAR: 10TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 17TH; CURRENT PRICE: $51

It was distraction after distraction for the Demons in 2011 – would coach Dean Bailey see out the season (no), would star midfielder Tom Scully leave for GWS (yes) and what was the status of club president Jim Stynes’ battle against cancer? With Stynes decision to step down, the focus may finally return to on-field matters under new coach Mark Neeld. Mitch Clark’s addition is a big plus, but hard to see the Dees challenging for a top eight spot.

After a horrible pre-season beset by off-field controversies and the loss of Lenny Hayes for the season with a knee injury in round two, it was an impressive effort for the Saints to make the 2011 finals. However, the season ended as it started, with coach Ross Lyon departing in acrimony for Fremantle declaring that the list had reached the “end of an era”. New coach Guy Watters has a tough task proving Lyon wrong.

Expected to challenge for the 2011 flag, the Bulldogs failed to make the eight and look set for more pain this season. Years of questionable drafting and recruitment are coming back to bite while the experienced core have been exposed through injury and a dramatic slump in form for players like Brian Lake and Adam Cooney. New coach Brendan McCartney faces a tough initiation with a club and playing list in decline.

NORTH MELBOURNE

SYDNEY

WEST COAST

LAST YEAR: 9TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 7TH; CURRENT PRICE: $34

LAST YEAR: 6TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 6TH; CURRENT PRICE: $31

LAST YEAR: 4TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 8TH; CURRENT PRICE: $14

One of those sides that seems in contention every year without challenging for a top four spot, the Kangaroos’ stocks look quite positive heading into the new season. First XVIII player like Hamish McIntosh, Nathan Grima, Ryan Bastinac and Levi Greenwood missed a stack of footy last year due to injury, and with their return and solid depth through a promising batch of first and second-year players, Brad Scott’s outfit is in the ascendant.

The doomsayers have written off the Swans at numerous points since their historic 2005 Grand Final win. Not so soon – Sydney reached the finals for the eighth time in nine years and there’s no reason to expect they won’t be back there in 2012. John Longmire will be looking for more consistency at the SCG and in front of goal, but he has plenty of depth in one of the league’s more impressive lists.

The story of 2011 was the resurgence of the Eagles under John Worsfold on the back of one of the most exciting forward set-ups in recent years. West Coast went from wooden spooners in 2010 to preliminary finalists last year. The Eagles had a blessed run with injuries but are building impressive depth across the park, especially in the midfield, so another top eight finish isn’t out of the question.

PORT ADELAIDE

• Prices as at February 11, 2012, with thanks to SportingBet

LAST YEAR: 16TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 16TH; CURRENT PRICE: $251 A Showdown triumph in round four was a rare highlight for the Power in 2011, who managed just three wins and only avoided the wooden spoon thanks to a final round win over Melbourne. Coach Matthew Primus has little choice but to throw his youngsters into the starting line-up, which unearthed a few gems. Despite significant financial pressures, this is far from the worst list in the comp and could improve in 2012.

RICHMOND LAST YEAR: 12TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 11TH; CURRENT PRICE: $67 Coach Damien Hardwick seems to have the longsuffering Tigers heading in the right direction. The forward and midfield units look solid, but Richmond struggled in defence with Kelvin Moore not managing a game last year and long-term injuries to David Astbury and Dylan Grimes hampering the backline. They could improve without making the finals, but the Tiger army will be desperate for a first finals appearance since 2001.

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Summer sport

GO WEST –

Tigers poised for shot at glory 2012 NRL preview We’ve loved watching Michael Clarke dine out on Indian and the Australian pace attack play games with their subcontinent foes, but the end of another summer can mean only one thing in the minds of most of us – footy season! Of course, it has been a particularly eventful off-season. Not only did the longawaited Independent Commission finally take control of rugby league, the coaching merry-go-round hit new levels of absurdity as premiership-winning coach Des Hasler fell out with the Manly board and was subsequently sacked after signing on with the Bulldogs for 2013 (he’ll now start at his new club this year instead). Incredibly, a seven clubs head into 2012 with a new head coach while a number of last year’s battlers have significantly bolstered their playing stocks. It all makes for a tipster’s nightmare, but we’ll try to lend a helping hand as Ben Blaschke runs the rule through your club’s hopes in 2012. FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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BRONCOS

TITANS

STORM

LAST YEAR: 3RD; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 10TH; CURRENT PRICE: $11

LAST YEAR: 16TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 3RD; CURRENT PRICE: $26

LAST YEAR: 1ST; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 2ND; CURRENT PRICE: $9

The million-dollar question is how the Broncos will cope without the presence of one Darren Lockyer for the first time in 17 seasons. His No 6 jersey will be filled by 21-year-old Corey Norman and if he can get the job done Brisbane still boast a vastly experienced forward pack and some of the most exciting young backs in the NRL. Veteran prop Petero Civoniceva returns home after four seasons with Penrith.

Wooden spooners the Gold Coast have been the most ambitious of all clubs in the transfer market and, on paper at least, look to be a genuine premiership threat in 2012. Such turnarounds are rare but having let 12 players go – including Anthony Laffranchi, Preston Campbell, Nathan Friend and Brad Meyers – it is hard to see too many weaknesses in their new-look squad. Jamal Idris, Nate Myles, Luke Douglas and Nate Myles are among the new arrivals. Keep an eye on impressive young hooker Matt Srama.

While Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk remain at the Storm they will rate amongst the pre-season premiership favourites. They have lost some impact up front with the departure of Adam Blair but the return of Ryan Hoffman after a year in England and the arrival of veteran Jason Ryles more than makes amends. They will expect another top four finish at the very least.

RAIDERS Last year: 15th; our tip for 2012: 11th; current price: $21 An unpredictable bunch, Canberra were the great underachievers of 2011. They will be bolstered by the return of five-eighth Terry Campese from injury while star fullback Josh Dugan is the man that can guide this side deep into the finals. If nothing else, the Raiders should dominate up-front with Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, Dane Tilse, David Shillington and Brett White comprising the biggest pack in the NRL.

BULLDOGS

SEA EAGLES LAST YEAR: 2ND; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 5TH; CURRENT PRICE: $9 What should have been an off-season of celebration instead turned into one of drama with the sudden departure of coach Des Hasler – who had stunned the club by signing a contract with Canterbury for 2013 – dominating headlines. Eventually released 12 months early, Manly’s hopes will rest with new coach Geoff Toovey although they boast an almost identical squad to the one that went all the way in 2011.

KNIGHTS LAST YEAR: 8TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 8TH; CURRENT PRICE: $10 These are exciting times in Newcastle. After years of financial struggle, they now find themselves flushed with the cash of new billionaire owner Nathan Tinkler and his first major coup has been to lure super-coach Wayne Bennett to the club on a four-year deal. The presence of Tinkler and Bennett has turned the Knights into a very attractive proposition with Darius Boyd, Kade Snowden, Timana Tahu and Adam Cuthbertson among the big signings for 2012. Club legend Danny Buderus also returns for a swansong with a finals berth looking well within reach.

LAST YEAR: 9TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 15TH; CURRENT PRICE: $11 Two disappointing seasons in which they have failed to reach the finals has seen a huge turnover of playing talent but the big story of 2012 is the arrival of last year’s premiership-winning coach Des Hasler from Manly. The renowned disciplinarian will look to instil a tougher edge to a side that has farewelled a total of 12 players including Jamal Idris, Michael Hodgson and captain Andrew Ryan. Great Britain prop James Graham joins the Bulldogs this season for his first taste of the NRL.

SHARKS LAST YEAR: 13TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 14TH; CURRENT PRICE: $21 The NRL’s favourite whipping boys may finally have something to look forward to in 2012 with the arrival of 2010 Dally M medal winner Todd Carney. The former Canberra and Sydney Roosters fiveeighth may have his issues off the field but with the ball in hand he is an explosive match-winner and exactly the type of player the Sharks have been looking for. Former Tigers enforcer Andrew Fifita is another huge buy for a club that can no longer be taken lightly.

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Summer sport

COWBOYS LAST YEAR: 7TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 6TH; CURRENT PRICE: $15 The Cowboys showed signs of living up to their potential as they crept into the finals last season and they will be looking to improve on their seventh-place finish this time around. The core of their side remains the same with Johnathan Thurston, Matt Bowen and Aaron Payne running the show while the arrival of halfback Robert Lui could prove decisive. Consistency remains their Achilles’ heel.

EELS LAST YEAR: 14TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 7TH; CURRENT PRICE: $17 Big-spending Parramatta have addressed the key areas that let them down in 2010 and 2011 – the most significant being the arrival of former South Sydney halfback Chris Sandow. His attacking brilliance is sure to ease the pressure on Jarryd Hayne and if they can strike up a combination the Eels will take plenty of stopping. Five-eighth Ben Roberts and brothers Willie and Esi Tonga are also significant signings. Time will tell whether they can return to finals football.

RABBITOHS

WARRIORS

LAST YEAR: 10TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 13TH; CURRENT PRICE: $15

LAST YEAR: 6TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 4TH; CURRENT PRICE: $10

Fresh from guiding the Warriors to last year’s grand final, new coach Ivan Cleary begins the task of turning Penrith’s flagging fortunes around although he could find 2012 a tough initiation. At full strength the Panthers boast a fine attacking arsenal but the loss of captain Petero Civoniceva, Trent Waterhouse, Frank Puletua, Shane Elford and Matthew Bell will test their depth.

It remains a mystery why a Rabbitohs side packed with so much match-winning talent has reached the finals just once in the Russell Crowe era and their task doesn’t get any easier with the departure of halfback Chris Sandow to Parramatta. All eyes will be on young halves Adam Reynolds and Ryan Carr as they battle it out for the No.7 jersey. If they fulfil their potential Souths should be premiership candidates … but it’s been a long time since they’ve looked like doing that.

The departure of coach Ivan Cleary was the big story of the off-season for the Warriors, with former Kiwi national coach Brian McLennan taking over in 2012. There have been some minor personnel changes with Lance Hohaia the major departure, however the arrival of classy hooker Nathan Friend will make a difference and they remain the most thrilling side in the NRL.

DRAGONS

ROOSTERS

LAST YEAR: 4TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 1ST; CURRENT PRICE: $9

LAST YEAR: 5TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 9TH; CURRENT PRICE: $15

LAST YEAR: 11TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 12TH; CURRENT PRICE: $21

Like a whirlwind, Wayne Bennett came, conquered and rode off into the sunset. Now, a new era dawns at the Dragons – albeit one with a fair degree of uncertainty. Provided Bennett’s influence doesn’t depart with him, the 2010 premiers should continue to challenge for a top four spot although the loss of Mark Gasnier and most tellingly Darius Boyd is a significant blow.

The Roosters are banking on a cultural change reversing their fortunes in 2012 after releasing troublemakers Todd Carney, Nate Myles and Anthony Watts following a series of alcohol related incidents. Carney and Myles are significant losses and depth may prove to be an issue at times but with the talent they boast they should be expecting a finals berth.

PANTHERS LAST YEAR: 12TH; OUR TIP FOR 2012: 16TH; CURRENT PRICE: $26

TIGERS They’ve finished in the top four the past two seasons and there is little reason to think they’ll fall short in 2012 either provided Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah remain fit. The primary dilemma is who will play halfback after Robert Lui was released late last year, however the arrival of enforcer Adam Blair adds starch to their pack and they remain a real threat.

• Prices as at February 11, 2012, with thanks to SportingBet FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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Sports betting

Become the bookie with Betfair is the world’s largest international online sports betting provider, processing more than five million transactions per day among its three million registered users after pioneering the first successful betting exchange in 2000. But despite the site’s success, many casual sports punters don’t understand the basics of a betting exchange, which has eliminated the need for a traditional bookmaker.

he Betfair brand is one of the best known in the online sports betting arena, but its core purpose remain a mystery to many Australians who enjoy a punt on the races or a footy match every now and again. A betting exchange is an online platform where punters with opposing views on an event bet at fixed prices, effectively between themselves at prices set by them. It operates in a manner similar to a stock market, in that a punter can either back (i.e. buy) or lay (i.e. sell) an outcome on a race or sporting event. Betfair acts as the stakeholder of the funds (they are held in a ring-fenced account) and when the outcome of an event is determined, the winner is paid. All bets are pooled, so a customer may be betting against a number of others. The betting exchange generates revenue by charging a commission on winnings. Revenue is generated by a commission of between two and five per cent on a punter’s net winnings only. Betfair does not operate retail (or ‘shopfront’) premises like the TAB, nor does it have an on-course presence like a traditional bookmaker. Services are exclusively provided via the Internet and phone. Unlike a traditional bookmaker, Betfair doesn’t take any risk. A bet is only accepted if it can be immediately ‘matched’ and the risk offset through a wager from another customer with a contrary view. The betting exchange model offers participants a number of advantages over traditional wagering products such as bookmakers and totalisator operators. Because betting exchanges have lower costs, and carry no transactional risk to the operator, they are able to offer a “better price” to the customer. This “price of wagering” is sometimes referred to as the “takeout rate” or margin. The end result is that Betfair customers secure odds that are, on average, 20 per cent better than those offered by competitors.

TO LAY OR NOT TO LAY

Punters placing a regula r bet on Betfair won’t notice much of a difference in the pro cess compared to the ir normal sports betting site. Ho wever, the ability for pu nters to lay a bet is what sets Betfa ir apart. To lay a bet is to back something not to happe n. For example, to lay Collingw ood to win their match is to back them NOT to win. If you were to lay them, you would win your bet if they either lost or drew their match . With Betfair you can no t only lay any selection , but also choose the price you want to take, and how much you are prepared to risk . The shorter the price you wish to lay, the less money you have to risk compar ed to your potential reward. There are all sorts of rea sons why people lay bets. Some people find it easier to pick a horse that won’t win, than on e that will win. Some people lay a bet because they think the price is too short. Others will lay first, then look to bac k the same selection late r in-play (which is called Tradin g).

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Fire still burns in the Devil Racer

The rise and rise of champion driver Marcos Ambrose Marcos Ambrose doesn’t immediately meet the criteria of Beyond the Back Page. His name would be recognised by most casual Aussie sports fans, and is very well known to those who follow motorsport. In the past six years, the 35-year-old from Launceston has paved the way for Aussie drivers in a previously unchartered arena. The Real Deal’s Sean Callander, who detailed Ambrose’s decorated V8 Supercar career in the book The Devil Racer, recently spoke to the motorsport trailblazer ahead of his 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup campaign. Just days before this edition of The Real Deal was published, Marcos Ambrose recorded two top five finishes in the opening week of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup series at the spiritual home of the sport – Daytona International Speedway in Florida. Sadly, this achievement didn’t rate a mention in the Australian mainstream press. Why? For whatever reason, international motorsport coverage in this country is based on history. Aussies have featured prominently in Formula One and Moto GP competitions at various times over the past 50 years and, as both hold Australian GPs in which locals like Mark Webber and Casey Stoner compete, the local media focus on these forms of motorsport. And Australians have never really taken to America’s premier motorsport competition. Derided by some as requiring minimal driving skill (“just turn left every 10 seconds”), NASCAR has always struggled to find a local following – not assisted by the fact that we have a thriving V8 Supercar competition featuring Aussie-made cars. All this makes the story of Marcos Ambrose all the more compelling.

aised in Launceston, Marcos Ambrose began racing karts at the age of 10 and won several state karting titles. Ambrose moved into the Formula Ford ranks in 1996 and finished second in the Australian Formula Ford Championship in 1997. With hopes

of someday reaching Formula One, Ambrose travelled to Europe and competed in British Formula Ford in 1998 and 1999, winning the European Formula Ford Championship in 1999. Following that successful season, Ambrose began racing in the French Formula Three Series

before switching mid-season to vie for the British Formula Three championship. However, the funds needed to drive a Formula Three campaign, let alone earn a seat in Formula One, soon evaporated despite some encouraging results. He returned to Australia

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Beyond the Back Page and made an immediate impact with a stunning display in a one-class race as part of the 2000 INDYCAR GP on the Gold Coast. Soon after, he signed with the Stone Brothers racing team to drive the Pirtek Falcon in V8 Supercars. He took the competition by storm and qualified on the pole in his first V8 Supercar race. He went on to score several more pole positions that year en route to an eighth-place finish in the championship standing and Rookie of the Year honours. The 2002 season featured more of the same. After earning the pole for the season opener, he recorded his first career V8 Supercar victory in that same race. He took the win in the final round at Sandown Raceway on his way to a third-place championship effort. Armed with a new BA Falcon in 2003, Ambrose started the season off strong with a victory in the first race of the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide. He followed it up with a win at Eastern Creek Raceway in Sydney, Australia. After 13 rounds complete in the season, Ambrose was crowned the Series Champion. Ambrose earned three pole positions and five round wins en route to his second V8 Supercar Series Championship in 2004. The following year, he remained in the championship lead until a crash in round 10 forced him to settle for second place. He drove to a third-place effort in 2006 and remains the only driver to have a round victory in every V8 Supercar season in which he has participated. Virtually at the height of his career, Ambrose stunned the Australian motorsport fraternity with the announcement that he would quit V8 Supercars and try his hand in NASCAR in 2006. With assistance from Ford, Ambrose’s first foray into NASCAR was with Wood Brothers/ JTG Racing in 2006. Behind the wheel of a NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Ambrose made his debut on April 1, 2006 at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. His talent was evident almost immediately when he finished third at the Kansas Speedway event in July. He also scored a pole position and another third-place finish that season and finished third in the Rookie of the Year standings, despite having missed the first three races of the season. Ambrose and his Wood Brothers/JTG Racing team made the jump to the second-tier NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2007. Ambrose nearly won the event at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada and finished second in the Rookie of the Year battle after posting six top-10 finishes. Ambrose ran full-time in the Nationwide Series again in 2008 and drove to his first

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

NASCAR victory on the road course at Watkins Glen International in August in his 59th career series start. He also made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut that season and raced in 11 events, securing a third-place finish in Watkins Glen along the way. “It’s been the right choice for me. I’ve done something with my life that very few people get to do. Racing is my passion and I’ve lived my passion. I’ve lived my dream and I’m still living it. Not many people can say they wake up and they’re living out their dream. I wanted to be a professional race car driver, I wanted to race for a living and I’m doing it, so it’s a good thing,” Ambrose said. He concentrated his efforts on NASCAR’s premiere series in 2009. Driving for JTGDaugherty Racing, the Tasmanian driver continued his success on the road courses, but earned a fourth place finish on the high banks of the iconic Talladega Superspeedway and a sixth at Pocono Raceway. Ambrose put together an impressive rookie season that year and scored four top-five and seven top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Again driving the #47, 2010 was a frustrating season for Ambrose although he was able to score two top-five and five top-10 finishes along the way. In August, Ambrose announced that he would join Richard Petty Motorsports in 2011. Ambrose’s best season to-date in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series resulted. With crew chief Todd Parrott atop the pit box, Ambrose added a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win to his resume with a victory at Watkins Glen International in August. That same week he went on to win in the Nationwide Series in Montreal. Overall, the Todd Parrott led team ended the 2011 season in 19th position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings and scored five top-five, 12 top-10 and 15 top-15 finishes. “I like talking about winning races. It’s had a huge impact on my life. I can’t describe how just one day, one lap can make such a difference in your life. I got more respect out there on the race track. The sponsors love it. The teams love it. The fans love it. I got more fans out of it, so it’s been great. I can’t for one second believe it could make such a difference, but it does and to win on the main stage is important, but I didn’t realise how important it really was,” Ambrose said. And as to 2012, what’s in store for Ambrose and the #9 Stanley Racing Ford: “RPM can be superb. We’ve just got to put our head down and get it done this year.”

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They’re called what? Crazy sporting team nicknames

For every thousand sporting team named after Lions or Tigers, you’ll find tributes to wayward Saudi princes, long forgotten Inca tribes or politically incorrect references to the mentally ill. Welcome to the weird world of sporting teams and their nicknames.

Thailand Tobacco Monopoly FC (Thailand) Years of attempts to separate the association between sport and tobacco have mostly been successful, which makes the existence of Thai Premier League side (based in Chiang Mai Province) Thailand Tobacco Monopoly FC all the more remarkable. The club was formed in 1963 as the works teams of the company of the same name. Finally in 2009, the official club name has changed from Thailand Tobacco Monopoly FC to TTM Samut Sakhon FC.

Hiroshima Toyo Carp (Japan) Japan has its fair share of strangely named sporting teams, with our favourite this professional baseball team of Japan’s Central League. Not surprisingly, the club uses a mascot (Slyly) that resembles a giant version of Elmo, while it was also the first club to introduce the use of a dog (Micky) to carry balls from the dugout to the pitcher. Given the prevalence of the bottom-dwelling fish in Australia, we’re amazed no local side has used the name.

King Faisal Babies (Ghana) This professional football club, based in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, plays in the equally impressively named Poly Tank Division One League. However, this name barely scratched the surface on bizarre football club names across the African continent. In Botswana alone you’ll find the Botswana Meat Commission FC, Naughty Boys, Killer Giants, Golden Bush, Man Machine, Home Sweepers, and Triple Action. But it’s hard to go past the Total Big Bullets of Malawi.

Deportivo Wanka (Peru) Deportivo Wanka is a Peruvian football club, based in the city of Huancayo in the Peruvian Andes. It was founded in 1996 and is named after the Wanka people who formerly inhabited the area. Despite the club’s modest reputation in the Peruvian leagues, they sell a disproportionate number of shirts – mostly to fans who love playing the one-line gag on the terraces of the English football leagues. The team also plays at the highest altitude of any professional side on the planet (13,973 ft).

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Top 10

Fotballaget Fart (Norway) Yes, there is a team with the official name of Fart. Fotballaget Fart is a Norwegian football club based in Vang. They play home games at Fartbana Stadion. We’re told that Fart is actually Norwegian for “speed”, which isn’t exactly the greatest name for a sports team either. The TRD team closely follow the fortunes of Fotballaget Fart, but we’re disappointed to announce that their most recent campaign was a little on the nose.

Butte Pirates (USA) Butte County High School of Arco, Idaho, takes the prize with their simultaneously appropriate and completely inappropriate team nickname of "Pirates." The New Zealand national badminton team, the Black Cocks, would have beaten them only the name was shot down at the last minute by the international badminton authorities and the protests of many angry people with no sense of humour. Fortunately, they managed to cancel the naming just in time to save the world's respect for badminton.

Orofino Maniacs (USA) While in Idaho, let’s check in to Orofino, the location of a state mental hospital. The girls’ high school basketball team are named the Orofino Maniacs. Not so subtle, right? Contrary to popular belief, the school's teams were not named for the mental hospital, as the school was built before the hospital. The early Orofino players were dubbed “Maniacs” due to their frantic style of play. Well, that’s their story and they’re sticking to it.

UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs (USA) Made famous by the T-shirt worn in Pulp Fiction by the soon to be deceased Vincent Vega. The Banana Slug, a bright yellow, slimy, shell-less mollusc commonly found on the redwood forest floor, was the unofficial mascot for UC Santa Cruz teams since the university's early years. The students' embrace of such a lowly creature was their response to the fierce athletic competition fostered at most American universities. And they sell a crapload of T-shirts.

Yarrawonga Pigeons (Victoria) Brendon Fevola’s signing with this side reminded Aussie Rules fans of one of the most uniquely nicknames ides in the game. When a club president proposed a decade ago that the club drop its historic nickname of the Pigeons favour of the Cats, he was voted out of office. Other equally remarkable nicknames in the world of AFL include the Noarlunga Shoes (named for the horseshoe shape the Onkaparinga River makes around the town of Noarlunga, the Henty Swampies, the Congupna Road and the Glencoe Murphys.

Kyogle Bush Turkeys (NSW) The northern NSW town of Kyogle (near Casino) is an indigenous word meaning “plains turkey’s egg”, which makes it only logical that the town’s rugby league side is named in the honour of the region’s favourite bird. Other noteworthy nicknames from the world of Rugby and League include the Grafton Ghosts, Canungra Loggers, Reedy Creek Raptors (we suspect this one came around the time of the release of Jurassic Park), Parkes Spacemen, Jindabyne Bushpigs, Guyra Superspuds, Coonabarabran Unicorns and Quirindi Grasshoppers.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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THE MASTERS – welcome to golfing paradise The latest stop on The Real Deal’s Ultimate Sporting Tour is a regular on any sporting fan’s list of ‘must-see’ events – the iconic US Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club.

Event: The Masters Tournament Where: Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The club opened in January 1933 with the first Masters being played the following year. The club was established by golf legend Bobby Jones and businessman Clifford Roberts, the long-time chairman of the tournament who infamously committed suicide on the course in 1977. The course is par 72, 7435 yards in length and has undergone significant changes since it opened. Each hole is for a shrub or tree with which it is associated, and the course is dotted with numerous natural and architectural features including ponds, bridges, fountains and cabins. There is also a ninehole par-3 course, which is used for a lead-up even on the Wednesday before the Masters. Augusta National has approximately 300 members, with the list including Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. Membership is by invitation only. When: Since 1940, the tournament is scheduled so the final round is always played on the second Sunday of April. Why: If there’s one golf tournament that the weekend hackers dream about seeing (let along playing), it’s this one. From the course and its spectacular setting to the myriad traditions, the select field and the prestige of pulling on the green jacket as champion, the Masters represents the pinnacle for all golfers and golf fans. But be warned – no phones or cameras are allowed on the course and running between holes to gain a better vantage point is grounds for eviction!

Honour roll: Jack Nicklaus is the undoubted king of Augusta, having won the event six times (1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975 and 1986). Arnold Palmer won the event four times in seven years (1958 to 1964), while Tiger Woods’ four titles are spread over just eight years (1997 to 2005). South African Gary Player and Englishman Nick Faldo hold the record for most wins by non-Americans (three each). The Masters is the only one of golf’s four majors (along with the US Open, British Open and US PGA Championship) that an Australian is yet to win. Jim Ferrier, Bruce Crampton, Jack Newton and Greg Norman (three times) have each finished runner-up. Australia’s most successful year at Augusta came last year, with Jason Day and Adam Scott tying for second two shots behind champion Charl Schwartzel while Geoff Ogilvy tied for fourth. WWW.POKERMEDIA.COM.AU

Highs & lows: • It’s easy to forget the wretched luck of Greg Norman at Augusta. The 1996 Masters is not likely to be remembered as a tournament that Nick Faldo won, but rather the Masters that Greg Norman. The ‘Great White Shark’ had a six-shot lead heading into the last day, only to lose his nerve and allow his partner Faldo to snatch victory.

• Despite having won five Masters titles, Jack Nicklaus wasn’t given much hope in 1986, as he had failed to finish higher than 39th in his previous seven tournaments. On the final day Nicklaus was trailing Greg Norman, but rolled back the years with a brilliant final nine to become to oldest Masters champion, aged 46. While the birdie on 17 is the shot that receives the most television play, his near holing of a five-iron on 16 is arguably the number one moment in Masters history.

• Norman was also at the heart of the action in 1987 when he joined Seve Ballesteros and Augusta local Larry Mize in a three-man play-off. The Spaniard was eliminated at the first extra hole and it looked like the Aussie would win when Mize missed the green on the second hole, only for the outsider to shock everyone by holing from around 140 feet with his sand wedge.

• Tiger Woods Masters victory in 1997 was not just his first Major title, but also a statement of intent. Not only did he become the Masters’ youngest ever champion at 21 years and 104 days, but he also broke the records for the lowest ever aggregate score with 270 and the biggest margin of victory, beating the second-placed Tom Kite by 12 strokes.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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Sean Callander

Last Word

FarmVille’s ultimate cash crop Will Zynga Poker be the big winner if/when online poker returns to the US market? We feel for our poker-playing kin in the United States. With the veritable online poker rug pulled from under their feet last April, they’ve clung to the tiniest glimmer of hope that the legislative clouds will soon clear and allow them to again log-on and play the game they love. Don’t hold your breath, but when it does happen, a big field of contenders is lining up for the ultimate iGaming race.

he handful of news sites that survived Black Friday report, almost on a daily basis, that Senator ‘X’ or Congressman ‘Y’ has issued a sly nod or wink that online poker may be legalised at some point in the future. Aside from the chance that online poker may be legalised on an intrastate basis in a handful number of states, the likelihood of online poker being legalised at a Federal level before the legal mess of Black Friday is resolved are virtually zero. But that hasn’t stopped a rush of companies to secure and develop poker-related assets, especially after the Department of Justice’s quiet reinterpretation of the 1961 Wire Act. Examples include the acquisition of Bluff Media by Kentucky-based horse racing and casino company Churchill Downs, the extension of the partnership between Caesars Entertainment and 888 Holdings, Golden Nugget alliance with ChiliGaming and even talk of MGM, Boyd Gaming, and BwinParty working together. But the most intriguing runner lining up for the race that will be Online Poker 2.0 in the US is Zynga, the social media game developer that is worth an estimated USD $600 million. We’ve all either played (or regularly turned

down invitations to play) Zynga games like FarmVille or Mafia Wars, but it’s Zynga’s poker product that is the 500lb gorilla when it comes to the future of the online poker industry. Zynga Poker has a staggering 35 million active monthly users across the globe, which dwarfs the player base of the world’s biggest online sites such as PokerStars or Party Poker. Of course, Zynga players aren’t playing real-money games, but the expectation is that they will be once the legislative picture in the US becomes clearer. I’m not so sure. In a recent teleconference, Zynga COO John Schappert said, “I think it’s actually a very interesting opportunity, because we’re in an unique position. We have the world’s largest online poker game and the most social online poker game we’ve been running for four years. We had record results last quarter. And it’s one of the top six games on Facebook. So I think we’re in a very good position and it’s a category that’s interesting to us.” And Zynga Poker general manager Lo Toney recently told PokerNews that: “Zynga’s business model is free-to-play and we monetise the virtual goods. That’s our business model. We have no interest in going after the real-money space. We have been able to build

a very nice business for ourselves with our heads down focusing on our existing business model.” Even the pressure on Zynga’s stock price has eased with a post-Christmas rally. After an initial public offering of $10, the price fell to $8 but has since rallied to almost $13, with analysts expecting it to rise as high as $15. But as successful as their operations have been, the astute (if not terribly popular) management of Zynga is unlikely to make a direct leap into the real-money gaming sphere. The San Francisco-based social games maker will have to wade through a maze of state, national and international regulations. It will have to secure the correct licenses, and it also needs the right technology to make betting over the Internet secure. For either of these last two requirements, a partnership or acquisition of an online gambling organisation or other technology would make the most sense, instead of starting from scratch. There’s still a lot of ground for them to cover before we can even begin to speculate how many virtual goods players would be willing to wager for real money. In the meantime, I have a virtual field to plough and a thousand Mafia Wars requests to ignore. WWW.POKERMEDIA.COM.AU

Schedule

Upcoming events

The battle for Asia resumes

February 3-13

WSOP Circuit Series (Harrah’s Tunica, Mississippi)

February 6-11

WPT Venice II (Casino Di Venezia, Venice, Italy)

February 12 APL Pro Open (Warilla Bowls and Recreation Club, Barrack Heights, NSW) February 13-14

Epic Poker League Championship event (Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada)

February 13-18 February 16-27

Poker Zone Cup (Adelaide Casino, Adelaide, SA) WSOP Circuit Series (Palm Beach Kennel Club, West Palm Beach, Florida)

February 20-25

EPT Copenhagen (Casino Copenhagen, Denmark)

February 22-March 15 Wynn Classic (Wynn Las Vegas, NV, USA) February 22-26

WPPT India Open (Casino Carnival, Goa, India)

February 23-26

The 888PL/APL MAIN EVENT (Crown Casino, Melbourne, VIC)

February 24-29

LA Poker Classic (Commerce Casino, Commerce, CA, USA)

March 1-12

WSOP Circuit Series (Caesars Atlantic City, New Jersey)

March 5-9

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

March 7-11

WPPT Australia Open (Jupiters Hotel & Casino, Broadbeach, Qld)

The signing of Joe Hachem with the AsianLogic group signals a new stage in the development of poker in Asia. The announcement seemed to spark some activity at PokerStars HQ with two new events quickly added to a season five Asia Pacific Poker Tour schedule that most thought complete. After a three-year absence, the APPT is returning to Seoul, South Korea (March 8-11) before adding an extra event in Cebu (April 2530). Players will again be staying at the stunning Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa but will bussed to the Waterfront Airport Hotel and Casino for the actual tournament. The most intriguing aspect of the APPT’s rush announcement of an extra event is that was timed to run immediately after the Asian Poker Tour’s event in Manila (April 19-25). Asia’s premier poker tour returns to Resorts World in Manila with USD $2700 buy-in Main Event and all the trimmings you’ve come to expect from an APT event. It’s the first time that the APPT and APT have competed for the same space since the two tours scheduled back-to-back events in Macau in August 2009. Watch this space, as players will be the big beneficiaries of increased competition for the tournament poker dollar in Asia.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

March 8-11

APPT Seoul (Walkerhill Casino, Seoul, South Korea)

March 12-17

EPT Madrid (Gran Casino Madrid, Spain)

March 15-26

WSOP Circuit Series (Harrah’s Rincon (San Diego) Casino & Resort, California)

March 22-25

ANZPT Sydney (The Star, Sydney, NSW)

March 26-31

WPT Vienna (Montesino, Vienna, Austria)

March 26-31

EPT Campione (Casino di Campione, Campione d’Italia)

March 29-April 9

WSOP Circuit Series (Horseshoe Council Bluffs, Iowa

April 4-8

WPPT Slovenia Open (Perla Hotel Casino, Nova Gorica, Slovenia)

April 12-23

WSOP Circuit Series (Harrah’s St Louis, Missouri)

April 16-21

EPT Berlin (Spielbank Berlin, Germany)

April 18-23

Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown (Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, FL, USA)

April 19-25

APT Philippines (Resorts World Manila, Philippines)

April 23-May 1

EPT Grand Final (Monte Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort, Monaco)

April 25-30

APPT Cebu (Waterfront Airport Hotel and Casino, Cebu, Philippines)

April 26-May 6

Perth Poker Championships (Burswood Casino. Perth, WA)

April 26-May 7

WSOP Circuit Series (Harrah’s Chester, Pennsylvania)

April 28-May 2

WPT Jacksonville (Jacksonville Poker Room, Orange Park, FL, USA)

May 9-13

WPPT Egypt Open (Sinai Grand Casino, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt)

May 10-21

WSOP Circuit Series (Harrah’s New Orleans, Louisiana)

May 19-26

WPT World Championship (Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV, USA)

AUSTRALIA

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