SKYCITY poker beats worldwide trend and holds firm

There are just a few days remaining until the first ‘shuffle-up and deal’ of the 2010 SKYCITY Auckland Anniversary Poker Championship, the first major tournament of the year and one that SKYCITY hopes will kick off an even bigger year for New Zealand’s Home of Poker than last year.

Over 2009, SKYCITY hosted a record-breaking year at the poker tables with more players registering for its tournaments than any other year previously. Participants increased by more than 100 percent largely due to the wide variety of tournaments now available to the sporting poker community.

SKYCITY’s Executive Manager, Table Games Auckland, Ejaaz Dean believes player numbers rose as a result of the sport’s increasing world-wide popularity. He comments: “While poker tournaments across the globe suffered in 2009 due to the financial crisis, our SKYCITY tournaments held up very well in terms of player numbers and if pre-registration for the SKYCITY Auckland Anniversary Poker Championship is anything to go by, then it looks like we will continue on this increasing trend throughout 2010.”

Over 100 players are expected to register for this weekend’s event with a buy in of only NZD $1,100 and a guaranteed prize pool of over NZD $50,000. Among those New Zealanders playing will be SKYCITY’s poker ambassador Brooke Howard-Smith.

Howard-Smith is looking forward to an exciting new year of poker in New Zealand.
“I’m hoping 2010 is my year, poker’s growing so fast here in New Zealand and there are so many exciting local players but I still believe I can take out a major event.”

For those card sharks ‘hitting the felt’ for the first tournament of the year, blinds will start off at $25 and $50 and will continue to rise every hour until a new Auckland Anniversary poker champion is crowned.


The main event begins at midday on Sunday 31 January and finishes on Monday 1 February and entries will be accepted up until play. For more details including tournament structure and blind levels see www.skycity.co.nz/poker

2010 SKYCITY AUCKLAND POKER CALENDAR

Auckland Anniversary Poker Championships
Main Event: 31 January – 1 February
Buy-in NZD $1,100.00


Lee Nelson Deep Stack
Main Event: 27 – 28 March
Buy-in NZD $1,100.00


New Zealand Poker Open
Main Event: 5 – 7 June
Buy-in NZD $1,100.00


SKYCITY Festival of Poker
Main Event: 13 – 19 September

Buy-in NZD $3,250.00