2009 PokerNews Cup Australia

$1,100 PokerNetwork Live vs Online Challenge
Day: 2
Event Info

2009 PokerNews Cup Australia

Final Results Event Info
Buy-in
1,000 AUD
Prize Pool
32,000 AUD
Entries
32
Level Info
Level
13
Blinds
1,200 / 2,400
Ante
300

Billy The Click?

Billy 'The Croc' Argyros has arrived late to the poker room, but it seems the Australian poker legend is looking to change sides, bringing in a wireless computer mouse.

Perhaps it's an ominous sign that the Live Team are close to finally surrendering and handing the title over to the Online Team!

Stop - Straddle Time!

It's been a straddle fest on table 29 early on with not a card dealt before we witnessed some crazy raising action.

Sammy Youssef straddled under the gun to 100, only to see Rayan Nathan re-straddle for 200 and Michael Guzzardi re-re-straddle for 300!

Nathan and Guzzardi called and the players saw a flop of {Q-Hearts}{8-Hearts}{A-Clubs}. Youssef checked, Nathan fired out 500 and Guzzardi raised it up to 1,625.

Youssef and Nathan both folded and Guzzardi flashed {10-Diamonds}{3-Hearts} for nothing but air!

Tags: Michael GuzzardiRayan NathanSammy Youssef

Team Play?

With four players from each team occupying each table there is still the element of team play involved in this tournament, despite the massive disadvantage faced by the Live Team.

Even at this early stage we've seen that very question go through the mind of Sean Keeton when faced with a 3,000-chip bet from Bruno Portaro on a {3-Clubs}{7-Hearts}{8-Clubs} flop.

"I feel like I should do the team thing here!" laughed Keeton, "Do you play online?"

Keeton let it go and Portaro is out to an early lead.

Tags: Bruno PortaroSean Keeton

Table Draws

Table 29
Seat 1: Rayan 'rkruok' Nathan
Seat 2: Michael 'TheBigSiCkO' Guzzardi
Seat 3: Billy 'The Croc' Argyros
Seat 4: Steve 'The Big Show' Topakas
Seat 5: Jai Kemp
Seat 6: Dean 'dinjho' Nyberg
Seat 7: Jarred 'FlopNutsOnYou' Graham
Seat 8: Sam Youssef

Table 30
Seat 1: Bruno Portaro
Seat 2: Matt 'OnMyVPlates' Pearson
Seat 3: Aleks 'Banana Thief' Brkovic
Seat 4: Trung Tran
Seat 5: Steve 'stevOL' Leonard
Seat 6: Kerry Stead
Seat 7: Sean Keaton
Seat 8: Dave Lee

Table 31
Seat 1: Jonathan 'xMONSTERxDONGx' Karamalikis
Seat 2: Clonie Gowen
Seat 3: Billy Jordanou
Seat 4: Van Marcus
Seat 5: Tony 'bond18' Dunst
Seat 6: Damien Elsing
Seat 7: Lisa Walsh
Seat 8: Ben 'CNT_CRUSHER' Delaney

Table 32
Seat 1: Matt Hawker
Seat 2: Andrew 'Adgee' Jeffreys
Seat 3: Ben Savage
Seat 4: Stewart Scott
Seat 5: Peter Aristidou
Seat 6: Tony Hachem
Seat 7: Chris 'Minesony' Evans
Seat 8: Joel 'Strong Play' Dodds

A Little About PokerNetwork.com

The original idea for this event stemmed from the ongoing debates between members on the forums of PokerNetwork.com.

As Australia's largest poker website, PokerNetwork.com provides a home for all of Australia's best online players, who frequently participate in the forums to provide assistance to new players, advice to other members and join in plenty of fun discussions.

The rivalry between the online young guns and the live brigade is often a fierce one, and over time the war of words on the PokerNetwork.com forums has exploded and this event was born.

Check out this thread if you'd like a little more insight into some of these players and the rivalries that have formed.

The time for words is over. It's time to settle this on the felt!

Level: 1

Blinds: 25/50

Ante: 0

The Format

This concept is a unique one in the poker world and as such the format of the event warrants some explanation.

The event is a two-day event, with today featuring a No Limit Holdem Shootout event, following the heads-up matches yesterday.

Points will be awarded for each player based on finish positions in both the heads up and shootout events as follows:

Heads Up
1st - 150
2nd - 120
3rd - 100
4th - 80
5th - 8th - 55
9th - 16th - 25

Shootout
1st - 150
2nd - 120
3rd - 100
4th - 80
5th - 70
6th - 60
7th - 50
8th - 40
9th - 12th (3rd place in first round) - 30
13th - 16th (4th place in first round - 20

Payouts
Payouts will be made to the winners of both the heads up and shootout events, while the winning team will also collect cash and a year's worth of bragging rights.

Overall Team Winner - $8,000 ($500 per player)

Heads Up & Shootout - 1st $5000, 2nd $3250, 3rd $2250, 4th $1500

Points Scoreboard Update

Welcome back to the Crown Poker Room for our continued coverage of the PokerNetwork.com Live vs Online Challenge.

A big effort will be required from the Live Team today if they are to overcome the huge points disadvantage they face today after the heads-up event yesterday.

Here's the points scoreboard as things kick off today:

Steve 'stevoL' Leonard 120
Damien zedveron' Elsing 25
Jarred 'FlopNutsOnYou' Graham 55
Ben 'CNT_CRUSHER' Delaney 55
Jonathan 'xMONSTERxDONGx' Karamalikis 25
Chris 'Minesony' Evans 0
Tony 'Bond18' Dunst 0
Aleks 'Banana Thief' Brkovic 0
Joel 'Strong Play' Dodds 0
Michael 'TheBigSiCkO' Guzzardi 100
Matthew 'onmyVplates' Pearson 55
Andrew 'Adgee' Jeffreys 150
Mat 'mathawker' Hawker 25
Trung 'dynastyzz' Tran 0
Rayan 'rkruok' Nathan 80
Dean 'Dinhjo' Nyberg 0
TOTAL 690

Stewart Scott 25
Steve Topakas 0
Jai Kemp 0
Billy 'The Croc' Argyros 0
Van Marcus 0
Bruno Portaro 25
Tony Hachem 0
Peter Aristidou 0
Kerry Stead 0
Sam Youssef 0
Dave Lee 25
Bill Jordanou 0
Ben Savage 55
Lisa Walsh 25
Clonie Gowen 25
Sean Keeton 0
TOTAL 180