PokerNews Cup Australia: The Main Event | 2008 PokerNews Cup Championships - Australia

10-20-2008 13:15 UTC+11

2008 PokerNews Cup Australia Main Event - The Final Table

[user38449]

Welcome back to the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia for the conclusion of the 2008 PokerNews Cup Australia Main Event Championships. The 410-player field has been whittled down to nine
over the course of the past three days, and it all comes down to this: One table, one shot, one champion. These nine men will leave it all on the felt this afternoon as they battle for the title and $250,000 (AUD) in prize money:

Seat 1: Tim Heath - 566,000
Seat 2: David Gorr - 1,616,000
Seat 3: James Broom - 551,000
Seat 4: David Lee - 503,000
Seat 5: Nali Kaselias - 1,530,000
Seat 6: Grant Levy - 574,000
Seat 7: Kenneth Damm - 384,000
Seat 8: Martin Comer - 1,333,000
Seat 9: Ray Sukkar - 1,152,000

Join us at 2:00 p.m. local time for the final installment of our coverage of the 2008 PokerNews Cup Australia Championships! We're live from the Crown in T-minus one hour...

10-20-2008 13:52 UTC+11

Final Table Bios: Tim Heath

[user66118]

Seat 1: 566,000

Tim Heath is a 30-year-old Australian transplant who now makes his home in Estonia. Heath holds a Bachelor of Information Systems degree as well as a Bachelor of Commerce from Melbourne University. He has been playing poker for about nine years now, and is the Poker Manager of HansaPoker.com. His biggest poker accomplishment to date is a good one: Winning the Sunday Million on PokerStars. If he wins today, he says he's going to drink a lot of high-quality Russian Vodka. When he's not at the tables, Heath spends his time as Captain of the Estonian cricket team, and also enjoys playing golf and blackjack.

Heath begins play with 566,000 in chips.

Tags: Tim Heath

10-20-2008 13:52 UTC+11

Final Table Bios: David Gorr

donpeters

Seat 2: 1,616,000

Our chip leader going into the final table is David Gorr from Melbourne, Australia. Gorr, or as some call him 'Googie', has a wife and two kids and works as a computer analyst when he's not playing poker; his favorite hobby. Goor's been playing poker for half a century and won his way into the PokerNews Cup Main Event via a satellite.

Although he has been playing for quite some time now, Gorr still considers himself an amateur player. He has multiple cashes in events that include the Aussie Millions, Victorian Poker Championships, Melbourne Poker Championships, and Australian Poker Championship. Goor says his greatest poker accomplish is becoming the Australian Poker Champion back in 1996.

Gorr doesn't know exactly how he would spend the cash if he comes out on top today, but he does know that it will be the biggest cash of his long poker career.

He's begins play with the most chips - 1,616,000.

Tags: David Gorr

10-20-2008 13:53 UTC+11

Final Table Bios: James Broom

[user67765]

Seat 3: 551,000

James Broom has been a part of the poker scene in Australia for a few years now, with several small cashes in local Championships, as well as at the 2007 Aussie Millions. However, James rose to prominence in May this year when he took down the Main Event of the 2008 Melbourne Poker Championships, collecting over $130,000.

This title earned him the PokerNetwork.com Player of the Month for May and cemented his place in Australian poker history.

James is a regular online player at PokerStars and an intimidating presence at the table, but he has some work to do this afternoon as he starts the day as one of our short stacks.

Tags: James Broom

10-20-2008 13:53 UTC+11

Final Table Bios: David Lee

[user66118]

Seat 4: 503,000

David Lee is a 32-year-old, full-time poker player from right here in Melbourne. He lists his occupation as a "Poker Donk" who has been playing for just a little over three years. Lee's biggest accomplishment on the felt came earlier this year when he took home the title in the $1,000 Turbo Event at the Aussie Millions. Away from the felt, he is an avid fan of racing cars and enjoys having a little spending money burning a hole in his pocket. If he manages to win today, he says he'll use the cash to pad his poker bankroll, as well funding his upcoming wedding in April.

Lee enters the final table with 503,000 in chips.

Tags: David Lee

10-20-2008 13:54 UTC+11

Final Table Bios: Nali Kaselias

donpeters

Seat 5: 1,530,000

Nick Kaselias is a 36-year-old who resides right here in Melbourne, Australia. 'Iraqi Nick' has been playing poker for five years, but is still up in the air on whether or not he considers himself to be a professional. With a degree in civil engineering, Kaselias finds that the poker table is a great place to put your mind to the test. This will be Kaselias' biggest cash to date.

He enjoys traveling, sports, and going out with his friends. When asked what he'd do with the cash if he won, he replied "Gamble it!"

Kaselias comes into today second in chips, with 1.530,000.

Tags: Nick Kaselias

10-20-2008 13:54 UTC+11

Final Table Bios: Grant Levy

[user67765]

Seat 6: 574,000

Grant Levy is the highest profile player at this final table, thanks to his victory in the 2007 APPT Grand Final in Sydney, which saw him become the first Australian to win $1 million on home soil. Some may not know that his first break in poker actually came twelve months ago, in this very same event, where his 3rd place finsh saw him collect $130,000.

Grant received his seat into today event thanks to PokerNetwork.com, who awarded him the Junior Player of the Year for 2007.

Grant is married with 2 children, and still considers himself an amateur in the world of poker. Grant keeps his feet on the ground by teaching physical education a couple of days a week.

Back-to-back final tables is an incredible achievement, and we're sure Grant will be looking to finish higher than his placement last year.

Tags: Grant Levy

10-20-2008 13:55 UTC+11

Final Table Bios: Kenneth Damm

[user66118]

Seat 7: 384,000

Kenneth Damm is a native of Copenhagen, Denmark, and he is the youngest member of today's final table. At just 23 years old, Damm has only been playing poker for two years, but he has managed to put on a fine show here at the PokerNews Cup already. Just last Thursday, he captured the trophy in the $550 Tony G Celebrity Shootout, taking home $26,583 plus two bounties. That money's in the bank though, as Damm won his seat to the Main Event via an online satellite.

Damm just recently graduated from Copenhagen Business School with a Bachelor of Economics degree. He'll need all the financial wisdom he can muster today as he comes into action on the short stack, sitting with 384,000 in chips.

Tags: Kenneth Damm

10-20-2008 13:55 UTC+11

Final Table Bios: Martin Comer

[user67765]

Seat 8: 1,333,000

Martin Comer brings a big stack and a wealth of experience under his belt to today's final table. A regular on the Australian poker scene dating back twenty years, Martin's biggest accomplishments in poker include two Aussie Millions final tables, and a WSOP cash for careers earnings in excess of $400,000. According to TheHendonMob.com, this puts him at 18th on the all-time Australian money earners list.

Living in Sydney, "The Doc" stormed through the field yesterday, taking down several key pots to amass over 1.3 million chips; third in chips at today's final table. If we wins today, Comer says the money will go straight towards paying off his mortgage.

Tags: Martin Comer

10-20-2008 13:55 UTC+11

Final Table Bios: Ray Sukkar

donpeters

Seat 9: 1,152,000

Ray Sukkar has been playing poker for 15 years and hails from Sydney, Australia. The 44-year-old Sukkar has two major cashes to his name, with his greatest accomplishment being a win in the $2,500 Short-handed event during this year's Joe Hachem Deepstack Series here at Crown Casino. A finish which was good for just over $50,000. If Sukkar wins today, he'll pocket five times that amount and will be looking to spend the winnings on a new car. When not playing poker, Sukkar enjoys staying active and involving himself in all types of sports.

Sukkar enters the final table with 1,152,000 chips.

Tags: Ray Sukkar