Thursday, May 3, 2012

news.casinolife

news.casinolife

CROWN’S 2012 MELBOURNE POKER CHAMPIONSHIP

Posted: 02 May 2012 12:57 AM PDT

Melbourne, Australia. Wednesday 2 May 2012. In the world of poker, the person sitting next to you could be a computer programmer, nurse, politician, fund manager, fashion designer, property millionaire, comedian or international poker pro. So, it will be at Crown's 2012 Melbourne Poker Championship, one of the most prestigious and sought-after titles on the Australian poker calendar, running from 3 May until 14 May at Melbourne's renowned Crown Poker Room.

This year's Championship boasts ten official tournaments including two championships. The first event on the schedule will be the ninth instalment of the 'Joe Hachem Deepstack Series': a $550 No Limit Holdem event that always attracts a large field. The other championship event on offer is Event 8: Melbourne Poker Championships Main Event ($1100), and there will also be other daily satellite events to participate in from as little as $65.

There is a new twist on an old favourite, with this year's Event 3: No Limit Holdem Teams – Non Stop Turbo ($300), open to teams of two or three players. Team-mates will then be able to change after each orbit on their table, with no team-mate allowed to play more than one consecutive orbit.

The first Melbourne Poker Championship was held in 2002 where a modest field of 66 players took their seats in the $300 buy-in 'No Limit Holdem Main Event'. Last year's 'Main Event' was played with 502 entrants from all over the country. Scott Peel emerged victorious, walking away with a cool $104,500 for his efforts.

The 2012 Melbourne Poker Championships will be one of the most enthralling to date, with the prize pool expected to tip over $500,000. A massive field of players are expected to compete including hometown hero and WSOP champion Joe Hachem, 2012 Aussie Millions champion Oliver Speidel, spin king Shane Warne and defending champion Scott Peel.

New events on this year's schedule include Event 9: Turbo Terminator ($400) with $100 for every player eliminated, the action on the felts is sure to be fast and loose. Also new is Event 10: NLH – Turbo Ante Up! ($200), in this format the one blind stays at the minimum, while the antes are raised every level. As the very last event on the schedule and at a $200 buy in, this event is sure to attract plenty of interest. With tournaments available from as little as $65, Crown's 2012 Melbourne Poker Championship is designed to identify Australia's top poker talent and is expected to attract over 3,000 plus hopefuls from across the country all vying for a slice of more than $500,000.00 in prize money on offer.