Old and New Guard of Australasian Poker
POKERNETWORKERS DOWNUNDER
POKERNETWORKERS DOWNUNDER
PART 1 – THE TRUE BELIEVERS
Pokernetwork records the meritorious service of our players Downunder to 2007 and congratulates those who have left their mark on the Australasian poker scene. 2007 has been a big year for Casino Poker, 30 years since Hobart Poker, 20 years since the first Australasian Championship at Adelaide and 10 years since the opening of Crown.
The game has changed from a back room full of Rounders to a multi million dollar, online assisted, TV promoted spectacular. What brought it on? It was certainly big money, big prizes and Casino promotion but also the Passion and determination of a number of true believers played a massive part. But for them, Live Casino Poker Tournaments may have died under the pressure of The Bandits and the high dollar per square metre table games.
When the chips were really down in the late nineties there were not too many Casinos or executives who were prepared to put their head on the block for Poker. The outstanding exceptions were Andrew McDermott, Warren Richards, Arthur Pitcher, Richard Longhurst and Sean McCreery. Thanks to them we surfed the wave that led to the present million dollar prizes. They were prodded and pounded, punched and bored by a group of passionate players who just wouldn’t let go. These were the true believers who to this day still promote poker; supported by a bunch of younger newcomers who will be the next generation of believers.
I suppose you could say that Casino Poker in Australasia started in Hobart about 1977 under the guidance of the father of Oz Casinos Aspinall Ron Hurley. That in itself is true but the Poker Industry in Australia, as we know it today, with its plethora of money and pizzazz started with Crown and the Aussie Millions 2003.
Over the thirty years of progress the backroom boys below made the difference.
PART 1 - Pokernetwork Awards
For service to the Australasian Poker Industry.
*Backgammon Boys, The big punting group from Melbourne and Sydney, who became tired of taking each others money at Backgammon (ran out of fish) and tackled the Federal Casinos instead. They later became the thrust of early poker tournaments. Tino Lechich, Sammy Korman, Bill Argyros, Brian MacDonald, George Mamacas.
*Billy “The Croc” Argyros Prominent player and sports bettor since the early eighties. Well known for his commentating and reporting on poker events. He also headed up the British versus Australian Poker Ashes at Crown 2003 and 2004. Always a winner at Adelaide and Canberra and now developing his promotional talents at Crown with Pokernews.
*Bob “Doctor Bob” Crossman, PHD in Maths and early advisor to Casinos. Hero of the JK Adelaide legal challenge and longest serving player/consultant in Oz Casinos.. Won the first car at Adelaide Casino but couldn’t fit into it.
*Danny “The Rock” McDonagh, with Bendigo, our first TD and creator of Pokernetwork. He is now expanding his talents with online poker promotion.
*Darryl “The Dazzler” Lanyon, Founder of Kangaroo Club and Cards magazine. Entertainer and player of merit. Creator of Maverick and Al Capone at the table.. He was fined $1000 for having a pop gun at Crown. “That will be in cash not chips” said the Magistrate
*David Galpin, our longest serving Poker manager at Adelaide. Veteran of the Fine Sam affair, the Mad Russian, Sammy’s ABC interview and Mike’s trial,
*Glen “Gofor” Athanassiou, enthusiast and reporter for Casinoz, Cards and the Australian Poker Association. Captain and coach of our attack on the 1999 Sexton Tournament of Champions USA.
*John “The Baptist” Beagle, early journalist and advisor to Federal Casinos Tasmania. Former President of Australian Casinos Association and the National Australian Gambling Association. Poker consultant and promoter with Adelaide Casino, Christchurch, Canberra and active in the establishment of the Crown Poker Room. Could sell hash to Fred Nile.
*John Parker, TD and promoter of Poker at Crown for many years and leader of the Crown TOC team 1999. He is now taking it easier at Crown.
*Joe “The Judge” Meissner (APA), early Goulburn Poker Room owner Sydney and constant supporter of the game over three decades. He established the Australian Poker Association in Sydney and Adelaide. He is well know as a former World Karate Champion, challenger to Mohamed Ali and popular amateur yachtsman and gun collector
*Mark Firth The funniest and best Poker MC to hit the Casinos in the nineties. A legend at Adelaide.
*John “JK” Kocbek, legend of casino and club poker in Adelaide and Sydney. He is one of our veteran leaders of poker in Oz. Now pushing poker in Moscow and on the PNW Notice Board with success.
*Keith “Bendigo” Sloan, has been involved in all Australasian poker activities since Adelaide 1987. With Crown, he proposed and developed the Aussie Millions and Speed Poker until moving overseas with international poker online interests. He has had a major influence on poker as a TD and trainer in Melbourne, Canberra, Christchurch and overseas Casinos. He is arguably the main player force behind poker development in Australia.
*Lee “Final Table” Nelson, Expatriate USA and Kiwi player who has become our most consistent winner and all time Pokernetwork Champion to 2007. TV presenter with Joker Poker and author of the successful Kill Phil series he has had a major influence on Oz poker.
*Mel “The Taxman” Judah, the “Eminence Gris” of Oz Poker. Player at Christchurch and Hobart before the poker rush he conducted the first off Casino Melbourne Championships with Colleague Leo Boxell. He was our first WSOP bracelet winner before Gary Benson and has been a friend and advisor to all our up and coming local players over the last two decades.
*Mike “The Professor” Comer, promoted the first Australasian Poker Championship 1987 at Adelaide and with Brother Martin our first overseas tournament at Vanuatu. Since then has actively promoted Oz Poker overseas whilst engaged in international casinos. Friend of all dealers who give him a bad beat and known to have a punt on the trots. A legendary poker hero who grudgingly consented to kiss Milo’s backside after a losing wager.
Party Poker Mike Sexton for its promotion and support of the 2005 Millions.
Pokerstars for its pioneer support of the Aussie Millions in 2003.
*Ron Hurley, Aspinall executive given the task to open Australia’s first Casino at Hobart. He introduced formal poker tournaments in Hobart and Launceston in the seventies and eighties.
*Tony “Tony G” Guoga for his purchase and expansion of Pokernetwork into the global Pokernews group thus giving our Aussie Millions reporting the status of the WSOP.
*Val Saunders. Casino manager in UK, Adelaide, Jupiters who worked with Mike at the first championships Adelaide 1987.
Full Tilt for their massive support of the 2007 Millions and international poker in general
And more recently the next generation “true believers” Gareth “Gaz” Edwards, Pokernews and 888, Jonny “YoYo” Vincent international bon vivant and contrarian, Jonno Pittock Aussie Millions Poker Room Manager, Sarne Lightman Pokerstars and Sean Callender Bluff Magazine as well as the many unheralded characters, runners, sportsmen, players, supporters and Casino staff that have helped the game reach it’s current level of this day.
And for the icing on the cake, Crown Casino, who, in association with Pokernetwork, gave birth to our own international event the Aussie Millions, 2003 and onwards. Without the early pioneers and the Crown multi million dollar investments, Poker would still be in the dark shadows of the illegals and clip joints.
Many of our other Casinos now follow the lead of the trail blazers and poker is established in Crown Burswood, Sky Adelaide, Sky Darwin, Star Sydney, Gold Coast and Brisbane, Canberra and Christchurch and Auckland New Zealand.
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For International Poker Excellence - WSOP Bracelets
* Mel Judah 1989
*Gary Benson 1996
*Mel Judah 1997
Joe Hachem 2005
Mark Vos 2006
*Jeff Lisandro 2007
The Poker Millionaires USD (2007 World Money Rankings
Joe ‘Hash’ Hachem - Aus USD10.530 million
*Mel ‘Silver Fox’ Judah – Aus/UK USD3.023 million
Kirk ‘Captain’ Morrison – NZ/USA USD2.948 million
*Jeff ‘Ice Man’ Lisandro – Aus/It USD2.820 million
*Antanas ‘TonyG’ Guoga – Aus USD2.721 million
Lee ‘Final Table’ Nelson – NZ USD2.074 million
Mark ‘Pokerbok’ Vos – Aus USD1.161 million
And soon to become millionaires in 2008?
Grant Levy USD999K
Jamil ‘Real Deal’ Dia – NZ USD826K
Emad ‘Boondy’ Tahtouh – Aus USD807K
*Marsha Waggoner –Aus/USA USD802K
*Mike ‘Sticky Mickey’ Guttman USD749K
Michael Chrisanthopoulos USD622K
*Gary ‘Bindy’ Benson USD599K
Eric Assadourian USD547K
*Billy ‘The Croc’ Argyros USD538K
Julius Colman USD469K
*Sammy ‘The Mouth’ Khouiss USD455K
*Tino ‘Dice’ Lechich USD432K
*Martin ‘The Doc’ Comer USD426K
Van Marcus USD409K
Jozef Berec USD378K
*George ‘Tasmaniac’ Mamacas USD333K
*Leo ‘The Mechanic’ Boxell USD326K
Arul Thillai USD291K
Dory Zayneh USD267K
Sarah ‘Aussie Sarah’ Bilney USD233K
*Sam Korman USD213K
Kenny Ng USD194K
Russell Davies USD182K
*John Homann USD143K
Zhi Hong Ma USD118K
Peter Aristidou ` USD100K
Past Aussie Millions Champions
2003 Peter Costa (UK) *Leo Boxell (AU) 2nd
2004 Tony Bloom (UK) *Davis Hatzis 4th
2005 Jamil Dia (NZ) *George Mamacas 3rd
2006 Lee Nelson (NZ) Russell Davies (Aus) 6th
2007 Gus Hansen (Den) Julius Colman (Aus) 4th
2008 Alexander Kostritsyn (Rus) Michael Chrisanthopoulos (Au) 3rd
PNW Rankings 2001 – 2007.Australasian Tournament Rankings
Lee Nelson NZ 17,346
*Martin Comer 12,786
*Sam Khouiss 12,556
*Gary Benson 11,459
*Leo Boxell 11,436
*Michael Guttman 10,580
*John Homann 10,400
*Sam Korman 10,070
Arul Thillai 8440
David Szetho 7853
*Mick Stanton 7240
*Fred Saliba 6810
Emad Tahtouh 6725
*Ian Schoots 6605
*Billy Argyros 6290
James Potter 5970
*Mike Ivin 5920
Jamil Dia 5910
*Steve Hegyi 5850
*Tino Lechich 5765
*John Maver 5270
Constantine Harach 5235
Jovan Skekic 5193
*Graeme Putt 5020
Toby Atroshenko 4640
*George Mamacas 4600
*John Madaffari 4560
*Peter Mordaunt 4548
*Nick Georgoulas 4480
Eric Assadourian 4475
(Note: * = Prominent in tournaments pre 2000 *)
Top Performers by PAR 2007
Jozef Berec 3,925
Grant Levy 2,738
Gary Benson 2,075
Eric Assadourian 2,045
Zhi Hong Ma 2,013
Peter Aristidou 1,805
Tino Lechich 1,800
Duncan McKinnon 1,740
Van Marcus 1,735
Billy Argyros 1,680
Julian Powell 1,680
Martin Comer 1,543
Lee Nelson 1,508
Kenny NG 1,425
Julius Colman 1,365
Khac Trung Tran 1,360
Chul Hyon Park 1,350
Dory Zayneh 1,350
Gabriel Xiourouffa 1,313
Leo Boxell 1,273
Sam Korman 1,230
Michael Harrison-Ford 1,225
Hei Le 1,225
Stephen Topakas 1,195
Michael Guttman 1,175
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