The Australian First Fifteen Poker Test Teams

Look out World Poker – Here we come for the 2007 Crown Aussie Millions. Who are Australasia’s Poker Greats 2006? Who helped to make Poker what it is today and who are our current best-performed players? To answer that we must first go back to the late eighties and early nineties to see those players who introduced Australian poker to the rest of the world. We owe them a great deal. Let’s pay credit to them, the Big Six of Poker abroad in the 20th Century. They are the players who first put Aussie Poker on the map. Mel ‘the Taxman’ Judah - from the very beginnings of contemporary gambling in Australia and New Zealand in the middle seventies, Mel was always around the casino industry and any development of Poker. He has been a prominent tournament player overseas and the WSOP winning two bracelets in Stud and amassing substantial cash winnings. He remains Australia’s most famous poker export. Marsha Waggoner - is a Queensland girl who first hit her poker straps in 1992 at the 23rd WSOP 7 Card Stud for a massive USD$52,500. From there it was a constant stream of 65 money finishes in international poker. For the first 4 months of 1998 she cleared USD$75,000. Marsha returns frequently to Australia and is a feature of the Crown Aussie Millions. Gary Benson - has been around the final tables since Tassie 1981 and is our first WSOP bracelet winner. He commenced visiting Vegas in the late eighties. Gary is a prominent player in Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. He is still active in all major tournaments overseas as well as home. Billie ‘the Croc’ Argyros - is the charismatic face of Poker down under. Poker mate and traveling companion for Mel in the early nineties, he is known internationally as the man with the funny crocodile hat and sometimes mistaken for Crocodile Dundee. He is the Puggy Pearson of Australasian Poker. Jeff Lisandro - first hit his poker straps in Western Australia as an eighteen year old. He has thrived in the Goulburn Club in the Sydney scene, Russia, Turkey and the USA as well as home in Australia. He is the consummate cash and tourney player who finished the 2006 WSOP with 4 cashes and almost USD$700,000 in prizemoney. Antanas Guoga – Tony G is remembered as the “mad Russian” who was prominent in poker and Casino Games in Adelaide and later Crown in the late nineties. Tony is now a prominent poker touring professional with business involvement online. He has an impressive background of wins and TV appearances and finished 2006 with a WSOP with 6 cash finishes and USD$82,000. Thanks Guys. You introduced Poker Downunder to the world, Vegas and Europe. The New Age 21st Century Poker Apart from the above, whom do we see as our current and future champions? Who has been heading up the Pokernetwork rankings and winning individual events? Runs on the board over many years count. Whilst we all may have our own opinion of “greatness” it cannot be judged objectively without results and that means a showing on the PNW rankings and competitive performances at international competitions at home and abroad. Current form in Australia from the PNW rankings and the WSOP 2006 isolate the following as being “probables” and “possibles” for our own Australian Poker First Fifteen. Truly, there are many excellent players who are disadvantaged by lack of funds or location problems but I’m afraid that is life. My Australasia Poker Probables 1st Fifteen Team is Mel Judah Sarah Bilney Mark Vos (Opening Bat) Jeff Lisandro Tony Guoga Billie Argyros Lee Nelson Joe Hachem Michael Guttman Gary Benson Russell Davies Emad Tahtouh Sammy Khouiss Arul Thillai Martin Comer Bench – Marcus Collins, Peter Mordaunt, Roy Vandersluis and Steve Wise Umpire – The Fiddla Coach – John Kocbek Trainer – Dr Bob Crossman Public Relations – Glen Athanassiou Lee Nelson - the final table specialist and poker author. Aussie Millions winner 2006, Speed Poker specialist and Pokernetwork Champion of the years 2001 to 2006 as well as PNW player of the year 2006. He is now at the top of his form. Joe Hachem - is our first poker World Champion 2005 and constant supporter of poker at Crown over many years. He has followed up his 2005 win with impressive results overseas and at the WSOP 2006. Michael Guttman - twice Pokernetwork ranked player of the year and a big money winner with USD$500,000 at the 2006 WSOP would place him as one of Australia’s most consistent winners. Mark Vos - had not reached 20 years of age when he started to burn up the online poker tracks. In a short period of two years he has taken out titles at Crown, been accepted as a pro on full tilt and won a fortune online. In the WSOP 2006 he won a bracelet and a million dollars. Pokernetwork tipped him as the player of the future. Gary Benson - has been around the final tables since Tassie 1981 and is our first WSOP Gold Bracelet. He commenced visiting Vegas in the late eighties. Gary is a prominent player in Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. He is still active in all major tournaments overseas as well as home. Russell Davies - was first seen at the Crown Vic and followed with a second in the Crown 2006 main event $167,000. Recently at the 2006 WSOP he managed to pocket some USD$47,000. Sarah Bilney - made a killing (63rd) at the 2005 WSOP and was prominent with 4 cash wins for USD$58,000 in 2006. She is prominent in those tournaments she plays when visiting Australia and is our leading Gal player. Marcus Collins - has shot onto the poker scene with strong 2005 performances online and at the 2006 WSOP for USD$87,000. Emad Tahtouh - is known as a strong player in all events having reached some 18 final tables over the last two years. PNW Junior Champion 2005 and a prominent cash player he won a creditable USD$71,000 at the WSOP 2006. He recently placed 2nd in the points total for the CrVic 2006 events. Sam Khouiss - A big finish in the 2006 WSOP main event (98th USD$51,000) follows many years of final tables. Sydney Champion of many events since Adelaide 1987. Arul Thillai - is an exciting new poker prospect who has set alight the games at Crown recently. Five major final tables and $150,000 in tournament play the last two years with a good 2006 WSOP debut leave him with much promise for the future. Currently ranked PNW Junior Champion of the year 2006. Martin Comer - is well up in the Pokernetwork rankings year after year and was the Aussie hero of the 1999 Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas. Steve Wise - is a promising player from some years back. After a layoff he came back strongly at Crown in 2005/2006. Peter Mordaunt - was the Crown 2000 Champion and has continued regular wins at Crown since. His consistent form keeps him close to the final tables. Roy Vandersluis - is one of the Godfathers of Crown Poker and the PNW Noticeboard. His recent victory at the 2006 CrVic capped off a very successful year. Candidates for the Australia Possibles Team This team is made up also of proven Champions in tournament play and a group of new age players who show excellent promise. They are all “probables” for the selectors and many will make the Final First Fifteen. They will make the nucleus of our Millions and WSOP challengers of the future. As I look it over these “possibles” could very well beat the Australia “Probables” in the final selection. My Australasian Poker Possibles 1st Fifteen Team is: Leo Boxell Graeme Putt Jason Gray John Homann Sam Korman Milo Nadalin Tino Lechich Eric Assadourian Nicolas Nicolaou Ricky Gov Jonny Vincent Rayan Nathan David Saab Ian Schoots Michael Sampieri Bench – Ramon Pesochinsky, Angela Italiano and Steve Buuya Umpire – Bugsy Coach – Mike Comer Trainer – Joe Meissner Public Relations – Darryl “The Dazzler” Lanyon Graeme “Kiwi G” Putt is multii event winner with big wins UK, Ireland and the Caribbean and retains his final table form. . Jason Gray has been present in many final tables at home and abroad since Adelaide 1987. He is still prominent in cash games over seas. John Homann is probable the most consistent player in all competitions he enters. He is a “gentleman” player and is only seen at tournaments. Recent form at the Crown Vic Championships indicates he has not lost any of his touch. Leo “the Mechanic” Boxell has been the most improved player over the last five years and multi Downunder champion including 2nd Aussie Millions 2003. Sam Korman is a dual Pokernetwork ranked Australasian champion and a multi event champion from Adelaide and Canberra who retains his tournament form. Milo Nadalin first came to prominence as the Crown 1999 Champion. He has had a long spell away from the tables with sickness but has returned with a new lease on his poker life. Tino Lechich is a well-known Aussie player at home and abroad and a consistent winner from 1987 onwards. Eric Assadourian has been a strong performer at Crown 2005/06 taking home $80,000 for the Melbourne Championships. In form at the recent CrVic 2006 event. Gareth Edwards is the new Pokernetwork Supremo and plays a strong No Limit game. 2004 APA No Limit Holdem Champion who has hit his straps this year with a strong performance in the WSOP main event. He has recently retired back to business for the year but intends to play later in the Millions John Vincent is an online specialist who has recently shown up in local tournaments. Reporting for PNW has limited his game but he is now showing up strongly in tournament events. Currently well up in the PNW 2006 rankings. Nick Nicolaou was a big second in the NZ Championships 2006 and has improved since. Ricky Gov was in the money 25 times at Crown over the last few years. He is a consistent performer who demands respect. Rayan Nathan is a steady player due for a big win. A strong performance at Crown was topped with a WSOP $46,000. David Saab is going from strength to strength in Crown competitions. He has moved up to seventh in the PNW rankings for 2006 and has more to come. Ian Schoots is the silent assassin of Oz poker, reaching many final tables over the years and more recently ranked PNW 4th for 2006. Michael Sampieri is a former champion who has returned to top form over the last year. Ramon Pesochinsky has played in many Crown tourneys and has reached top form in 2006 taking the overall point’s award for the CrVic tourney. Steve Buuya is another regular Crown player who excelled in the recent CrVic2006. He specialises in the poker variations. Angela Italiano is an unlucky player who has shown great promise online and at tourney events at Crown. She was recently awarded Lady Player of the Year 2006 for the PNW rankings. All of our players display the essential qualities of patience, observation and deceit as well as the principal tenet of being able to withstand pressure. In No Limit Poker “you ain’t goin nowhere” unless you can take the pressure nor put it on at the right time. Others have displayed qualities in the various forms of yesterday’s poker, Stud and Hi-lo and of course the game from whence it all came – Australian Blind Poker (may they all soon return - it is hard to image a true poker champion who only plays Holdem No Limit?). Of course wouldn’t it be a great feature if an Australasian Casino featured a HORSE Tournament of Champions for all of the above players. I would like to see that.