The conference room at the Mt Richmond Hotel in Mt Wellington  was buzzing by 1 O’clock. Almost 200 people hovered around excited about the prospect of one of the largest fields of the year battling it out for the first Auckland Invitational hosted by Bad Beat Poker.

There’s no doubt that 2010 is shaping up to be a marquee year for poker in New Zealand. Overseas Kiwis are getting great results and here at home poker itself seams unstoppable. No where was this more evident than at the Auckland Invitational. As the host Jarm Joseph got the event under way 19 tables clicked into action and a field size that a few years ago would have seemed unthinkable began to whittle itself down. 7 and a half hours later and Any Two Cards crew member  Fred Wiliams claimed the crown.

Results -

1st Fred

2nd Steve

3rd Terewai

4th Cory

5th JoJo

6th Sam Muir

7th Peter K

8th Gus

9th Keys

10th Sam

11th Amber

12th Berns

13th Lisa

14th Peter

15th Ben

16th Ronnie

17th Tom

18th Charlie

19 Maria

20th P.J.