PokerStars ANZPT announces first six events

(PRESS RELEASE) -- The PokerStars.net Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT) is pleased to announce the first six events of its second season. Stops have already been confirmed in every mainland state of Australia and more venues are expected to be added to the tour shortly. The first event of Season 2 is in Adelaide, South Australia, from February 9 to 14, 2010 at the beautiful SKYCITY Adelaide Casino.

Perth will follow as a new venue on the tour from March 17 to 21. "We are thrilled to be part of the ANZPT," said Jason Barry, General Manager of Table Games at Burswood Entertainment Complex "We feel this is just what our players have been waiting for and we expect big numbers will take part in the first PokerStars.net ANZPT Perth tournament."

PokerStars.net launched the ANZPT, Australia and New Zealand's first poker tour, in February 2009. Overnight the tournaments became the most successful in each region, welcomed enthusiastically by both local players and visiting poker pros keen to take on the Aussies and Kiwis while seeing the region.

The Season 1 tour saw 1,309 players take part and $2,982,196 prize money being awarded throughout.

Adelaide Casino Poker Manager David Galpin said: "We are looking forward to the return of the ANZPT in Adelaide after the wonderful success of the first year and we are excited to see the event grow and flourish in Adelaide."

The ANZPT tour runs a tournament leader board awarding players points for every event entered as well as for the position they finish in each tournament. Team PokerStars Pro Australia player Tony Hachem was the overall champion of the inaugural tour. He managed to cash in four out of the five ANZPT events, a fabulous performance which proved his consistency as a player. For his achievement, Hachem wins entry into all of the PokerStars.net APPT events across Asia Pacific as well as the 2010 Aussie Millions. Chris Levick, the winner of ANZPT Melbourne, came second in the points race and wins entry into every ANZPT event in Season 2. Joel Dodd took third place and wins $10,500 in tournament entries.

ANZPT Commissioner Danny McDonagh said "The ANZPT provides Australian and New Zealand poker players with a professionally-executed tour in their own backyard. The ANZPT Player of the Year is now clearly the most coveted poker award in this region. It provides the opportunity for poker players to prove their skills consistently over time, enjoy great experiences playing across Australia and New Zealand, and gain the big prize – a valuable sponsorship with PokerStars.net."

PokerStars.net will run twice nightly freerolls from Monday to Saturday each week in the lead up to the ANZPT Season 2 kick off in February, with the top players qualifying for a weekly Sunday Stage 2 final. The top ten from each Sunday final will then go on to play for a package to ANZPT Adelaide which includes the $3,000 AUD Main Event buy-in, seven nights' accommodation at the InterContinental hotel, a selection of tourist outings such as a Barossa Valley Wine Tour and $500 for travel expenses.

For more information visit www.anzpt.com - and test your skills at becoming Australia's next Poker Star!