Media release
Deaf Poker Australia (DPA), in association with Jupiters Gold Coast Hotel & Casino, are delighted to announce that the 2012 Australian Deaf Poker Championship (ADPC) will take place on Saturday, October 13 in Queensland.
In only a few short years, the non-profit organisation has cemented its place into the country’s poker landscape. 2011 proved to be the best year yet after the ADPC was held at the Adelaide Casino – the first time that a Deaf poker tournament had ever been held in a casino anywhere in the southern hemisphere.
70 players from around the country participated in the $100 buy-in Main Event. After a gruelling nine hours of play, Stacey Reilly emerged victorious, collecting $1960 in prize money and defeating fellow South Australian Kathleen Ogders heads-up for the title.
Although DPA President Sokong Kim and his team have been busy with his team behind the scenes planning for the 2012 ADPC only weeks after Reilly took home the trophy, there’s no doubt in Kim’s mind that all the hard work and dedication is paying off.
“2011 was a fantastic year,” said Kim. “As well as the historic ADPC in Adelaide, it marked the debut of the DPA Online Series, which provided a valuable opportunity for all our players to qualify into the ADPC for free. We also hosted a myriad of state-based events, including the NSW Deaf Poker Championship, Victorian Deaf Poker Championship and the NSW Women’s Deaf Poker Championship.
“The support and feedback we’ve had from the Deaf community has been unprecedented; even if they’re not poker players, their positive contributions to DPA events has been crucial in making our organisation what it is today.”
The 2012 edition of the ADPC is expected to break all records, but already, another milestone has been achieved. For the first time in history, the ADPC will be hosted as a “stand-alone” event, adding further to its significance and prestige. Further to this, a series of side events will be held around the $100 buy-in “Main Event”, providing players multiple opportunities to achieve their dream of winning a major Deaf poker event (details TBC).
2012 Australian Deaf Poker Championship schedule
Friday, October 12: Welcome Night
Saturday, October 13 (11.30am): 2012 ADPC Main Event (Jupiters Gold Coast Hotel & Casino, Queensland; $100 buy-in No Limit Hold’em, 10,000 starting stack, 20-minute levels; entry open to Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Hearing Impaired players).
• The announcement of the 2012 ADPC coincides with the unveiling of a new logo, commissioned by Sydney graphic designer Alisha Wormald (www.alishart.com.au). Wormald was also the inaugural NSW Women’s Deaf Poker Championship in 2009, becoming the first woman ever to win a major Deaf poker tournament in Australia.
The new logo was unanimously chosen for its fresh, dynamic and modern design which stands apart from the more traditional logos of other poker organisations, whilst reflecting the DPA’s mission statement and core values.
The diamond in the ‘D’ stands for DEVELOPMENT and the ongoing commitment that the DPA has to spreading the game of poker throughout the Australian Deaf community, via its network of home games, online tournaments and major events, culminating in the Australian Deaf Poker Championship.
Naturally, the club found in the ‘P’ represents that COMMUNITY and the DPA’s aspiration to not only strengthen the bond between its own players and other members of the Deaf community, but also unite the Deaf and hearing communities through a common interest.
The spade within the ‘A’ highlights our AMBITION. The DPA prides itself on giving Deaf people the courage to step up to the challenge in a safe, social and competitive environment, whilst nurturing and supporting the burgeoning talent pool of players who have consistently yielded results both within and outside DPA events.
One will notice, however, that the heart is the only suit that is not represented in the new logo. According to Kim, that missing piece of the puzzle is easily found.
“The ‘heart’ of the organisation lies within everyone that is, or has ever been, involved with us,” he said. “That ‘heart’ is also shown through the love and RESPECT that we have not only for each other, but for the game of poker.”
Be the first to comment