We’ve got from 289 entrants down to the final nine at the Asia Pacific Poker Tour Sydney Grand Final – and a high-profile, recognizable bunch these nine are. Frustrating for local nationalists, despite there being five Aussies among the nine, the current chip lead is held by an Englishman (Roland de Wolfe) and the #2 spot is occupied by a Frenchman (Antoine Amourette). Bloody foreigners. Thankfully, homeboy Peco Stojanovski is not far off the mark in the #3 position. Final table action kicks off at 2pm local time. The final nine chip count reads as follows: Roland de Wolfe (1,663,000); Antoine Amourette (1,640,000); Peco Stojanovski (1,608,000); Eddy Sabat (917,000); Jonathan Karamalikis (890,000); Manuel Hansimikali (589,000); Benjamin McLean (530,000); Tom Rafferty (482,000) and Daniel Negreanu (267,000).
The Red Sea Poker Cup kicks off today in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The festival runs until Dec. 18th, with the Main Event getting underway Wed., Dec. 15 and the €3,300 buy-in VIP event beginning two days later. While the poker world loves to speak of sharks, Sharm el Sheikh has been in the news of late for entirely non- metaphorical shark attacks. In a recent six-day period, shark attacks maimed four swimmers and killed a fifth. Disturbingly, a shark specialist brought in by the Egyptian government determined that the same white-tip shark was responsible for at least two of the attacks. So, players who feel like taking a refreshing dip following the poker action would be advised to stick to the host venue Domina Coral Bay Hotel & Casino’s pool. Just saying.
Just prior to this year’s WSOP final table, we told you about the importance November Niner John Dolan placed on his accountant, Ann-Margaret Johnston, who plays online poker using the moniker EvilCPA. But while Johnston may help you keep more of your money, Per Hagen, the founder of European poker agency Poker Icons, can help you grow that stack via lucrative sponsrship deals. Hagen has since left Poker Icons to launch a new PR agency, Poker Publicist, whose clients already include youthful felt phenom Annette Obrestad. While Hagen’s always looking to expand his roster, he’s keen to point out that poker skill alone doesn’t make a player sponsor-worthy. Hagen’s only interested in clients who “are willing to put in the hours it requires to be a good ambassador.” Think you have what it takes? Check out Poker Publicist’s site for more info.
