The 2015 ANZPT Sydney series began with a bang last night with a sell-out in the Opening Event $330 NLH Day 1 Flight 1 at The Star. 300 players filled the Star Poker room for the event and by the end of play in the early hours of the morning, 52 players remained to qualify for Day 2.
The $330 NLH Opening Event entrant numbers at all major Star Poker events – Summer Series, Sydney Champs and ANZPT – historically approach sell-out. With table caps and a requirement to offer some cash play to non-tournament players, organisers must work hard to massage the table breaks and alternates to make everyone happy. With the great success of each opening event now a regular occurrence, staff are well versed in working with a room at capacity.
Expectations are high for sell-outs in the remaining two flights. Organisers are hopeful to go beyond the 885-entrant mark reached in last year’s event where Stephen Tam-Brown was the victor. He took home the winner’s cheque of almost $60,000 and hopes for a prize pool of over $260,000 would see the winner taking home a similar prize.
Two more flights remain in the Opening Event with flights 2 and 3 a repechage format. Flight 2 will begin at 6.15pm tonight. Flight 3 will commence on Friday March 13 at 12.30pm. Those that qualify from the three Day 1 flights will earn a place in the starting list for Day 2 that will begin on Saturday March 14 at 12.30pm. Play is expected to continue on Day 2 until a final table is reached. Those players who make the final table will return on Sunday March 15 to compete for the crown.
The top 5 chip stacks from Day 1 Flight 1 of the Opening Event were:
Jass Mason – 162,600
Robert Rando – 157,600
Carmelo Auditore – 153,500
Damian Whyte – 107,300
George Marques – 105,700
Poker Media Australia will be on hand throughout the ANZPT so stay tuned. Our team will be live reporting on Event 2 – Poker Media Australia 6-Handed NLH ($1100) from Sunday March 15 and Event 7 – ANZPT Main Event ($2300), which begins on Thursday March 19. You can follow these reports at the live reporting page.
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