With a near record 417 qualifiers eligible for this seasons state final and following on from what was the most successful and well run state final ever back in October it was with much excitement we Victorians awaited the call of Shuffle up and Deal on Saturday 24th January.
Chris and Rita Graydon our enthusiastic Brimbank/Maribyrnong franchisees had secured the Taylors Lakes Hotel to run the event and the announcement of this wonderful venue as the host was well received.
Early arrivals, and yes some were happy to cool their heels in the car park at 730am in expectation of a 9am registration. It's hard to keep a good poker player away. When Rita opened the registration desk the queue was already snaking out the door, the egg and bacon muffins were being churned out by the kitchen and some of our esteemed sponsor's product being sampled.
The room was ready, dressed to within an inch of its life and complemented by the Hotels wonderful décor and nearby facilities including an Italianate courtyard adjacent to the Poker Pit…..maybe we were at Caesars' in Vegas!
Up for grabs today was $25k in cash and prizes, including 10 seats into the WTPC in 3 short weeks. Lots of Turkey Giveaways provided by the ever smiling Brand Ambassadors and a surprise guest to come made for an electric and very happy atmosphere.
299 runners waited the Emcee Chris's invitation to shuffle up and deal and away they went urged on and supported by another 100 plus spectators. The mood of the room was tangible and the presentation, the professionalism and the fun of the day created a great atmosphere that indeed was going to make this a special day….and if you busted out there was a free roll event at 4pm ready and waiting to satisfy the poker lust!
Midday saw the first break and the appearance of a very special guest indeed. Patrik Antonius, world champion and major star of the world tour entered the building to a massive round of applause and the sound of jaws breaking as they hit the ground. Patrik came courtesy of Full Tilt Poker.org and his appearance not only embellished the day with a significant WoW factor but added another dimension to the day and endorsed the fact that the APL puts on Poker events second to no-one. He played heads up against 22 of our local heroes and gave many the thrill of their Poker lives.
The action continued all afternoon until the last 16 made them known around 5:30 but adjacent to this was the much anticipated freeroll event which was also giving away a seat to the WTPC. 283 of the APL's keenest started proceedings here and kept the buzz in the venue constant and the action furious, funny and fast. This was turning out to be some day.
By 6:30 the pace was too much for 7 of our punters and we were down to 9 and Nillumbik's Anthony Day on the bubble for seat but still in the cash. Well done Anthony.
Chip stacks going into the final stanza were Scott Hicks 309k Leon Fairburn 289k, Ayden Johnson 194k, Justin Boyd 189k, Joe Marra 171k, Chris Vidovic 162k, Ben Johnson 113k and Reid Newman 78k. Close to this colorful crew were Anthony Day and Brian Mannix.
How good is Brian Mannix by the way? Not just content with winning player of the month and a Player of the Week in November, he again showed his prowess on the felt with another strong showing. Great stuff Brian!
These guys meant business and an entertaining hour saw the curtain close on the final table with Riverinas Poker Playing School Teacher creaming the opposition and taking home the Poker Classic seat, 3000 bucks an a Ute load of WT product. Plenty to tell the kids when you get back in the classroom Scott. Congratulations and very well played mate you were magnificent.
What an event, what a day and we now look onwards to the WTPC, more special events and another season ending extravaganza at the April State Final. Many thanks to the organizers, the brilliant Head TD's and all the Crew and a special mention to the Graydon's Chris and Rita for stepping in and pulling it off. The venue and its staff were magnificent and these days don't go ahead without them so thank you very much Steve and staff we hope to see you again. Full Tilt Poker.org you are incredible sponsors and also supporters, and to Wild Turkey you too made the day special and your involvement and interest in the day was a great endorsement.
The day however wasn't done with the freeroll event continuing apace and a still large crowd joining in on the game until nearly 8:30 when Joe Stojanovski won the war of attrition and earned his way into the APL's day of days at Crown on February 14.
With a near record 417 qualifiers eligible for this seasons state final and following on from what was the most successful and well run state final ever back in October it was with much excitement we Victorians awaited the call of Shuffle up and Deal on Saturday 24th January.
