Australia’s 2005 WSOP champion Joe Hachem is about to embark on season two of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour before heading back home for December’s Grand Final at Star City Casino from December 2-7. Ben Blaschke caught up with Hachem in Macau.
HE is best known for his stand-up comedy routines and his drive time gig on Nova, but could Akmal Saleh have a career in poker? Apparently not – according to the man himself – but he still put on a good show while hosting the Pokerstars.net and Nova ’30 Grand Hand’ final table at Star City on May 18.
AUSTRALIA’S first home-grown ‘million dollar man’, Grant Levy, is preparing for a busy six months that will see him travel to Las Vegas, Asia and back home to Sydney as he looks to add to his Asia Pacific Poker Tour success last December. Levy became the first Australian to win a million dollars on home soil when he beat out a field of 561 players – including World Series of Poker champions Joe Hachem, Chris Moneymaker and Scotty Nguyen – to claim the APPT Grand Final at Star City. He has since become a Team Pokerstars.net sponsored player and a regular visitor to the scene of his success (Pokerstars.net is the world’s largest free play poker site).
Manly Sea Eagles forward Glenn Stewart busted out early after winning a seat to the APPT Grand Final at Star City.
The son of rock legend Jimmy Barnes - and successful singer in his own right - David Campbell played in his first major poker tournament at the APPT Grand Final this week.
FORMER Socceroos striker and now Sydney FC star David Zdrilic is more than just a one-trick pony – he is also among the latest to be caught up in the international poker boom.
ONE of the world’s greatest players, Daniel Negreanu is renowned for both his amicable table talk and his stunning ability to put an opponent on a hand. A highly successful cash game player, he also boasts three WSOP bracelets and two WPT titles to go with his numerous final table appearances. Ben Blaschke caught up with Negreanu for a chat before December’s Pokerstars.net APPT main event at Star City in Sydney.
Melbourne’s Emad Tahtouh may not be as renowned as his good friend Joe Hachem, but were it not for his own exploits at the poker table it’s unlikely the world would know about the 2005 WSOP main event champion.
SHE is better known as the former Miss Australia and boasts a famous boyfriend in Sydney Roosters rugby league player Braith Anasta, but Erin McNaught is also a budding poker player. Here she discusses her strategy with Ben Blaschke
WITH the grand final of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour coming up at Sydney’s Star City Casino, former doctor and 2006 Aussie Millions champion Lee Nelson spoke to Ben Blaschke about his theories on the game and the growth of poker across the region.
