Former world poker champ Joe Hachem and legendary cricketer Shane Warne will host a charity poker tournament this weekend to benefit seriously ill and underprivileged children in Australia. The 5th Annual Joe Hachem and Shane Warne Charity Poker Tournament will kick off on Sunday, Jan. 15 at 1 p.m. in the official film studio of Crown’s Aussie Millions Poker Championship.
The $1,000 tournament entry fee gives players the unique opportunity to play alongside sports stars and celebrities, as well as some of the world’s most accomplished poker players. In addition to Warne and Hachem, the list of attendees already includes Tony G, Clonie Gowen, Atlanta Braves pitcher Peter Moylan, television personality Fifi Box, boxer Jeff Fenech, and rugby players Brendon Goddard, Luke Hodge, Jason Akermanis, Jimmy Bartel, Dermott Brereton and Leigh Montagna.
More than 100 players are already registered for the event, creating a prize pool of more than $65,000. The winner will receive a Las Vegas High Roller package, which includes a $10,000 Main Event entry to the World Series of Poker, along with return airfare and accommodations in Las Vegas. Second prize is a 2012 Aussie Millions Package, which includes a seat to the $10,000 Main Event, and third place will also receive a buy-in for the 2012 Aussie Million Main Event.
Proceeds from the charity tournament will go toward the Shane Warne Foundation, which raises money to help enrich the lives of underprivileged children and teenagers in Australia. Since 2004, the foundation has raised more than $5 million with approximately 80 percent reaching those in need.
Interested players are encouraged to register for their seats at www.tswf.com.au.
There was around 30,000 in the pot and a board reading when an unknown player in the hijack checked to Jay Kinkade, who fired out a healthy bet of 27,700. The near pot-sized bet sent the hijack in the tank for several minutes before he decided to release his hand.
Kinkade, who is up to nearly 130,000, clearly knows how to put his big stack to good use.
Nicki Pickering finds out what Dan Kelly, who moved to Australia after the events of Black Friday in the United States, thinks of his new life Down Under. Find out if he prefers Bondi Beach or Melbourne?
Sam Holden, who you may recall as the ninth-place finisher in the past year's World Series of Poker Main Event, made the trip to Melbourne yesterday. He entered today's event with high hopes, even building a decent stack at one point, but now he ha been eliminated.
It happened when he got all in preflop holding and was up against . The flop was disaster for Holden, and he couldn't find help as the turn and river ran out and . Holden made his way from the tournament floor.
As we walked about the tournament floor, we saw a monster stack sitting in front of Rob Angood. We counted approximately 195,000, which makes him the biggest stack in the room.
Action folded to Billy "The Croc" Argyros in middle position and he moved all in for his last 16,300. The raised cleared the field all the way to the player in the big blind, who spiked in a call.
Showdown
Argyros:
Big Blind:
"At least I have live cards," Argyros said with a smile. While that was true, it didn't matter as the board ran out . The Croc has been eliminated from the Opening Event.
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We're not sure how we missed him for so long, but we just discovered Kenna James in today's field, fresh off an appearance at the World Series of Poker Circuit Event at the Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, California. We caught him in a hand where he had raised only to have an opponent three-bet all in for 16,300. James called and was in a bad spot.
Showdown
James:
Opponent:
The board ran out an uneventful and James was left shaking his head, though he still had 33,000 behind.
Meanwhile, McLean Karr has been eliminated from the tournament.
when an unknown player in the hijack checked to Jay Kinkade, who fired out a healthy bet of 27,700. The near pot-sized bet sent the hijack in the tank for several minutes before he decided to release his hand.
. The 
flop was disaster for Holden, and he couldn't find help as the turn and river ran out 
and 
. Holden made his way from the tournament floor.
. The Croc has been eliminated from the Opening Event.
and James was left shaking his head, though he still had 33,000 behind.
