By JAMES PUGSLEY, 5th December, 2011

As part of Pokerstars’ recent birthday, they have let out a number of promotions and new tournaments from which players can benefit.  Promotions thus far have included increased cash game rewards via leader-point bonuses, deposit rewards and other available benefits to players. Starting today however, is the first of the promotions special tournaments, which will begin today at 6:30 a.m. NZST with the $1 “World Record Tournament.” The micro buy-in guarantee’s a whopping $250,000, and features a classic turbo structure common on Pokerstars.

Continuing the celebration tournaments, Pokerstars fields their next big guarantee on December 11^th, also a Sunday, where the $11 “Sunday Storm” guarantees $1,000,000 in prizes and a massive field with many regulars and amateurs. The crown jewel of the series however – and the talk of many top players; is the 10^th anniversary Sunday Million. Promising more than $10,000,000 as a total prize pool, and more than $2,000,000 alone for first, this prestigious tournament begins on December 19.  For nine lucky players, it’s going to be a special kind of early Christmas.

The final tournament being offered as part of the promotion is the $10,000 high roller event. Tailored to be a battle of the best, the high roller event features a structure similar to WCOOP and SCOOP events hosted previously, with each player starting 10,000 chips deep, and 20 minute blind levels built in. With some of the best online pros in the industry already registered, it’ll be an interesting tale to see how this one unfolds.

For more information about Pokerstars promotions, and specifics about their 10^th anniversary tournaments, click here. With events and satellites catering to a wide range of players, there’s something for everyone this Christmas online.

After an initial field of 310 taking to the felt on Saturday the 24^th of September, 11 players returned to Melbourne’s prestigious Crown Casino yesterday to compete for the ANZPT title. With first place sitting at an impressive $156,550 AUD, a slew of Australians and two highly decorated Kiwi Poker pros began the final table – Lee Nelson and Phillip Wilcocks. Neither need any real introduction; with Lee spreading his talents across the poker community, being an author, and playing the live tournament circuit. Lee eventually bested Australian Nick Georgoulas, claiming his second Melbourne based title after his win at the 2006 Aussie Millions.

Lee Nelson is the winner of ANZPT Melbourne.

Wilcocks has found himself at the head of many live final tables recently, and apparently had lead quite a quiet tournament to find himself starting with around 1 million chips when the clock was wound back by tournament officials to start play at 8,000/16,000 blind levels. Nelson shared a similar stack as the final table began, and for quite some time, play was very tight. It wasn’t until 2 hours after play had resumed that Danny Chevalier claimed the first scalp of the final table, sending Justin Sanchez of Australia home in 9^th place for $13,020.

Play continued in a relatively solid manner, with Willcocks pushing some action against Chevalier, and Lee chipping up substantially to around 1.7 million. Another two hours gone by, and it was time for a succession of eliminations, which included Brett Chalhoub (8^th), and Stephen Eliesen who took 7^th after shipping Q5o with 10 big blinds into the KQo of Phillip Willcocks from the button. Sporting a self-styled t-shirt with the words “Degenerate Gambler” emblazoned on it — Elisen watched as the board ran out dry, departing with $22,320 for his efforts.

As the blinds continued to increase, effectively making play extremely short-stacked and pre-flop based, more competitors joined the rail. Previous chip leader Tom Wing found the exit shortly after he called a pre-flop all-in from Willcocks who shoved the button, with Wing tabling A7s from the big blind for what he likely thought would be the best hand, but Willcocks held AJs to have him crushed. After there were just five, it was Nelson who would eventually knock out Willcocks, after he lost a succession of pots, firstly against Nick Geogoulas, and secondly against Nelson post-flop. The two eventually got it all-in afterwards when Phillip put in his last 550,000 with 106s from the cut-off position, only to be called by Nelson’s A8 off-suit. While he was able to find a pair on the 6 4 Q rainbow flop that followed, the turn and river came 5 and 7 to deliver Lee with a four to a straight, cementing Willcocks’ 5^th place finish for $31,100.

Phillip Willcocks made yet another impressive run this year at ANZPT Melbourne, unlucky to take 5th -- but $34,000 richer for his pains.

What followed after was a chain of all-in situations, the first of which coming when Nelson opened with a raise to 100,000 from the button with the blinds at 25,000/50,000, and Karan Punjabi moved all in for his last 430,000. Lee made the call and tabled a virtual monster with TT, while Punjabi trailed with just A9o. It was not to be for Australian, as no help came with the dealer, with Karan awarded a healthy $43,090 for his commitment. It was not long after that a similar spot had unfolded, when Danny Chevalier put in his last 825,000 with 33 and was called by Nelson’s ATo. Again Lee found his magic as the board ran out a boat with tens full of Aces, and Chevalier was sent home in 3^rd for $55,180 in change.

Finally as heads-up began, it seemed that Lee was ready to gamble with his massive chip advantage. A few all-in confrontations later,  with relatively equal stacks, both players got all their chips in quite thin. Nick Georgoulas opened to 150,000, and Lee moved all-in, with the effective raise being roughly 2.1 million given Georgoulas own stack size. Whatever the odds though, Nick quickly made the call and tabled 44; with Nelson turning over JhTh for “classic” flip. It was virtually over almost immediately, as the dealer fanned out a flopped flush for Lee, bringing a royal flush re-draw when the board came A K 8, all hearts. The turn brought a harmless brick, leaving Lee as the champion and winner of the $156,550 first prize. The final results are shown below:

1st Lee Nelson (New Zealand) – $156,550
2nd Nick Georgoulas (Australia) – $99,200
3rd Danny Chevalier (Australia) – $55,180
4th Karan Punjabi (Australia) – $43,090
5th Phil Willcocks (New Zealand) – $34,100
6th Tom Wing (Australia) – $27,900
7th Stephen Eliesen (Australia) – $22,320
8th Brett Chalhoub (Australia) – $17,670
9th Justin Sanchez (Australia) – $13,020

Stay tuned to PokerNZ as we continue to follow the ANZPT, with the next chapter in Darwin. We’ll also be on the lookout for Lee, as we’re hopefully able to interview him over his latest tournament conquest.

Simon Watt was eliminated toward the end of day 1B, after 4-betting all in with 55.

By JAMES PUGSLEY, AUGUST 26TH, 2011

After three 8 hour days of intense tournament poker, it’s finally time to begin day 2 of ANZPT Queenstown Snowfest. Many big names joined the rail throughout the deep stacked play of the first days, with Pokerstars Team Pro Joe Hachem departing from SKYCITY’s Summit Room around 5 pm on day 1B. Hachem was reportedly knocked out after being shown trips as he triple barreled his stack away on a flop with two tens in the window. Simon Watt also joined the ranks of vanquished champions when he 4-bet shoved 55 into the 99 of Reggie Lyons, who found a board full of bricks to send Watt home.

Cole Swannack returns to day 2 with a massive stack and a wealth of experience.

As for those still in the running, there is a tonne of talent ready to come out of the gates on day 2, which starts today at 12:30. Day 1A saw a slew of competent grinders climb the ranks, with the likes of Jackson Zheng (80,125), Koray Turker (85,075) and Cole Swannack (86,050) all sitting near the top of the leader board after crushing the tables on day 1A. Our chip leader for day 2 however, came from day 1C — where Selina Sale ended the day as overall chip leader at 91,750.

Sale found a massive comeback after limping pre-flop with Ad 6s, only to find the nut flush draw when Leo Boxell raised her and they went three ways to a flop of Qd 9d 2d. Sale then overcame Boxell’s top pair and another contenders flopped flush, by turning the better flush, and was off running. Shortly after, Australian player Joel Dodds ran a massive bluff against the kiwi, who eventually got all her money in with As 3h after again limping in pre-flop. After isolating the action with a raise, Dodds bet out at a board of  Ac 5c 3s, only to find a raise, which he then re-raised again as a bluff. With the turn bringing the K of diamonds, Dodds completed his bluff, putting in the remainder of his stack — with Sale eventually making the call. Dodds tabled QhTh for complete air, while Sale raked in the massive pot to shoot up to 103,000. After losing a few smaller pots, Sale bagged up for the day as chip leader for the whole event.

Alicia Sale leads the day 2 combined field, with an impressive 91,750 to end the day.

Here are the chip leaders as we move into day 2. For more information and comprehensive coverage, you can also check out Pokerstars ANZPT blog, found here.

1 – Alicia Sale (NZ): 91,750

2 – Cole Swannaack (NZ): 86,050

3 – Koray Turker (NZ): 85,075

4- Jackson Zheng (NZ): 80,125

5- Ben Paurini (NZ): 77,225

6 – Marcel Schreiner (Germany): 72,600

7 – Matty Yates (NZ): 62,100

8 – Daniel Laidlaw (Australia): 60,075

9 – Octavian Voegele (Austria): 59,975

10 – Andrew Henrichsen (Australia): 54,450

With a 1st place prize of $94,300, and many good players still remaining,  the most crucial aspects of the tournament are still to come. Stay informed with Poker NZ as we continue coverage over the next few days.

New Home Games format from PokerStars is changing the game

If you like playing home games, now you can take them online with PokerStars.

The newly released PokerStars Home Games lets you create and manage your own private poker club to play online with just your friends, on your timetable.

It’s really easy to create a club, you just need to pick a club name and create an invitation code.

Then you’ll be presented with your own lobby that you can customise with your own home game tables and tournaments of your choice.

Then to get friends to join, you just send them your club ID and the invitation code, then accept them as a member when you join.

When you want to schedule the games, you simply set the game type, the buy-in, then set the date for the game. The system will automatically notify your members.

This really is going to revolutionise the way people play poker online, and will go down as one of the big shifts in online poker in years to come (my prediction anyway).

PokerStars have been really clever where they are using the power of social pressure to encourage ‘non-onliners’ to join their friends online or get left out!

It’s a clever little system and no doubt we’ll see a lot more Home Games leagues sprouting up soon.

But if you thought that was cool, then check this out…..

To celebrate the launch of PokerStars Home Games, you can win a pro to play in your league and $1000 added to the prize pool! Full details can be found on the site. If you fancy going heads up with a PokerStars Pro, you’d better start a league!

To get set up, download the PokerStars software from here