The Crown Melbourne Championships 2008

THE 2008 CROWN MELBOURNE CHAMPIONSHIPS AUSTRALIA 11 TO 25 MAY 2008 AT CROWN CASINO

Coming up quickly now, it is bound to be the biggest and the best Melbourne Championships since 2001. Last year 2007, some 2700 individual event entries were made for a total prize pool of AUD712,700. The first event alone attracted 628 players.
For many of our Poker battlers this Melbourne Championship has been the event of the year. With plenty of variety and lower level entries it falls within the budget of most enthusiasts. A large interstate contingent is expected. Once again this year 2008, attendance and prize pools will set records, continuing the poker trend world wide.
Over the last two years we have seen an increasing number of newcomers and beginners on the final tables and prize lists. I believe that if this form continues we will again in 2008 see a large number of the final tables filled with relative newcomers. It is a function of poker popularity and player development that online, pub and club practice and poker experience promotes the younger players. Also, when the pressure of providing big entry fees is removed by multitudinous online satellites, the newcomer has an advantage. The younger player also has the passion, energy and enthusiasm necessary to win the big ones over two or three days.
With the exception of a select bunch of pro and semi pro veterans the field is now wide open for the newcomers. Many of the veteran amateurs are now losing enthusiasm and burning out. So all you new pub, club and online players get with it down to Crown Melbourne in May. You will have as much chance as the champions to win the cash.
In the opening event in the Melbourne Championships last year, the final table was filled with virtual unknowns and beginners. The winner Chul Hyon Park went on to win a second event. Of all the final tables 2007 the only veteran players to win were David Szetho 1st, Tino Lechich 2nd, Steve Buuya 2nd, Leo Boxell 6th, and Ralph Burd 2nd. Not a promising effort from the veteran name players, who must hope to do better this year?

The winners for the Melb Champs 2007 were Chul Hyon Park, Duncan McKinnon, David Szetho, Tania Phu, Quoc Nguyen, Michael Zowie, Chul Hyon Park, Rayan Nathan, Scott Smith, and Shane Ronan with Main event winner Haibo Chu. I guess from all of these, that Rayan Nathan, from repeat performances live and online, would have to come back as the form player for 2008.
Of all of these 2007 Melbourne event players only one David Szetho remains in the top 10 of the All Time Pokernetwork rankings and only Duncan McKinnon made the top 15 for 2007 PNW Rankings (Chul Hyon Park was a close 16th.) Both Duncan and Park would also have to be considered as form players for 2008. (However as we all have seen form does not play the part in Poker as it does in the gallops. If history has anything to say maybe 75% of the final tables will be newcomers and non big names?)
The current top All Time PNW ranked players to 2007, Nelson, Khouiss, Comer, Boxell, Guttman, Homann, Benson, Korman, Thillai, Szetho, Stanton, Saliba, Tahtouh, Schoots, Argyros and Potter are the proven multi event champions to beat along with the top international Aussie players and money winners Hachem, Nelson, Judah, Vos, Lisandro and Guoga. Add to this the big winners of 2007, Grant Levy, Joseph Berec, Gary Benson and Eric Assadourian and you have a bunch of players who could take their place on a final table anywhere in the world.
I note from the Crown all time money list (domestic tournaments) that the top two Australasians are Nelson and Dia from New Zealand closely followed by Chrisanthopoulos, Ling, Comer, Colman, Khouiss, Benson, Marotta, Argyros and Berec. Compare this with the Australian all time money list (includes all tournaments at home and abroad and you see Hachem, Judah, Lisandro, Guoga, Vos, Levy, Tahtouh, Guttman, Chrisanthopoulos, Benson, Argyros, Assadourian, Colman, Khouiss, Ling, Lechich, Van Marcus, Comer, Berec, Marotta, Boxell, Mamacas and Thillai. Most of these players will be at the Melbourne Championships. You don’t have to go to Vegas or Europe to test yopurselves against the world’s best.
Good Luck guys and gals and enter early. The rush at the desk will not be easy this year.
Pokernetwork will again be at its best this year with the Pokernews reporting under command of Heath and his team. The Pokernetwork Players of the year will be awarded trophies. A special freeroll for the Pokernews cup will also be conducted under Marquis of Jonno rules.

Finally a thank you and a vote of confidence Crown Casino, Jonno and the Crown crew who will again present a top Melbourne Championship event. They remain world class poker promoters.
Master 080413.

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