Main Event
Day 1a Started
2013 PokerStars.net ANZPT Season 5 Perth
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2013 PokerStars.net ANZPT Season 5 Perth
Buy-in
2,000 AUD
Entries
219
Level
21
Blinds
8,000 / 16,000
Ante
2,000
The Quest to Crown an ANZPT Perth Champion Begins
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Welcome to Crown Perth in Western Australia for the next stop on Season 5 of the Australia New Zealand Poker Tour! Tonight we begin our quest to crown the champion of the fourth installment of ANZPT Perth. This event has a rich history and we look forward to adding to that this week.
The first ANZPT Perth was back on Season 2 of the tour in 2010 and it was a very familiar face who lifted the trophy when he defeated a field of 222 players to claim the $132,750 first-place prize. That player went by the name of Tony Hachem and the victory ensured Hachem would win his second ANZ Player of the Year.
Cut to a year later and one of Australia’s most successful players in Grant Levy would be claiming the Season 3 ANZPT Perth title. Levy’s victory was over a field of 220 players and saw Levy take home $131,500.
In Season 4 of the ANZPT, just last year, the ANZPT Perth Main Event dropped its buy-in down to $1,100 and 310 players took to the felt of the poker room here at Crown Perth. In the end it was Matthew Carlsson who joined the alumni of ANZPT Perth champions.
This year’s event has seen the buy-in move to $2,200 and by all accounts we are going to see a sizable field take to the tables. Who will become the next ANZPT Perth champion? Only time will tell, so make sure to join PokerNews as we bring you all the action on the way to crowning a victor. The first of two Day 1 flights begins shortly at 7.00pm local time!
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
Let the Action Begin
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
The staff here at Crown Perth have given the mic to local poker pro and recent Perth Western Classic Player of the Series Dale Marsland and with a call to the shuffle up and deal, Day 1a of the ANZPT Perth Main Event has begun!
For a visual of the tournament area, Lynn Gilmartin took a walk around the room before the cards went in the air, chatting with some of the players as they were taking their seats:
How it Will Work
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Today is the first of two Day 1 flights. The players begin with 20,000 in chips and the first level commences at 50-100.
At this point it sounds like we will be playing just six 60-minute levels. That has us finishing at around 1.30am and ready to have a sleep before Day 1b begins at noon tomorrow.
Registration is still open, but as of right now there have been 59 entrants. Let's go have a look around the poker room and find out who is playing!
Who is Around
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
A quick look around the tables and these are a few of the notable names we have found. Included in here is some of Australia's finest talents including WSOP Europe Gold Bracelet winner Andrew Hinrichsen, 2012 ANZPT Melbourne third-place finisher Tom Grigg, EPT San Remo third-place finisher Daniel Neilson and Aussie Millions Gold Ring winner Kristian Lunardi, among many others.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
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20,000 | |
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20,000 | |
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20,000 | |
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20,000 | |
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20,000 | |
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20,000 | |
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20,000 | |
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20,000 | |
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20,000 | |
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20,000 |
Locals All Around
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
As expected there are a huge amount of local players at the tables of the ANZPT Perth Main Event.
Among these Western Australian natives are the likes of Aussie Millions final tablist Patrick Healy, veteran poker players and a player who made a deep run int he WSOP Main Event last year Lawrie Gibson, 2010 ANZPT Perth and ANZPT Queenstown final tablist Vesko Zmukic and as alluded to earlier, recent Western Poker Classic Player of the Series, Dale Marsland.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
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20,000 | |
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20,000 | |
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20,000 | |
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20,000 | |
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20,000 | |
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20,000 | |
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20,000 |
Late Entrants
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
More players are starting to take their seats in the ANZPT Perth Main Event, including two players who have recently found plenty of similar success here in Australia.
One is Aussie Poker Hall of Fame member Gary Benson, who recently took home an Aussie Millions Gold Ring, and the other is the UK's Rupert Elder, who also recently picked up an Aussie Millions Gold Ring. We don't generally see a prominent UK pro partake in any ANZPT, let alone in the far reaches of Western Australia, so lets see if Elder can take the title offshore.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,000 | |
|
20,000 |
One of the Interesting Tables
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
One of the interesting tables here in the early stages of Day 1a of the ANZPT Perth Main Event features two of Australia's prominent young players in Tom Grigg and Kristian Lunardi.
Both Lunardi and Grigg are well known around these parts for both their live and online play. Both of these players have also been at the same ANZPT final table. It was ANZPT Melbourne back in August and Lunardi would bow out in 7th place, collecting $45,300, while Grigg finished in 3rd place to take home $114,750. This rivalry will certainly be interesting to watch and we will be sure to keep an eye on all the action.
We recently caught the final stages of a hand between Grigg and Lunardi in which the two players went to the river on a 
board. There was well over 2,000 already in the pot at this point and Grigg was busy leading out for 1,500. Lunardi was on the button and thought long and hard before letting his hand go. Following the above hand Grigg has had a good start with around 24,500 in chips, while Lunardi has slipped below the starting stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
24,500 | 4,500 |
|
|
19,000 | -1,000 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 0