CHEVALIER WINS POKERSTARS ANZPT

Danny Chevalier (46) out lasted 134 poker hopefuls to become the PokerStars.net Australia New Zealand Poker Tour (ANZPT) Queenstown champion this week, taking the lion's share of the NZ$301 500 prize pool with a first prize payday of NZ$87 435.
 
This was the first time a poker event of this size had been held in the New Zealand venue Queenstown and the event was the largest on the South Island of New Zealand this year. The tournament started on Monday with four day ones, which allowed the 134 players who entered to enjoy some of Queenstown's famous tourist attractions. There were groups skiing and snowboarding in the surrounding mountains, trips to the beautiful Milford Sound, bungy jumping, heli-rafting and jet boating.
 
Some of Australia and New Zealand's brightest poker players participated in the event, including Lee Nelson, Emad Tahtouh, Eric Assadourian, Grant Levy, former world champ Tony Hachem and Celina Lin.
 
Searching for the next local Poker Star, the ANZPT has been travelling to Australia and New Zealand's leading casinos, with stops thus far in Adelaide's SkyCity, Sydney's Star City, Melbourne's Crown poker room and the latest competition in Queenstown's SkyCity casino. The tour is league based which means there is a point system awarding players for every event they enter as well as for the position they finish in each tournament.
 
Chevalier said after his win: "I want to thank everyone involved in this wonderful tournament. While I lived here this casino was like a second home so being able to win this amongst good friends makes it very special indeed."

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On the final day of the tournament, 18 players faced each other across the felt, but it was Chevalier and Andrew Hinrichsen heads up after eight hours of play. Chevalier had the chip lead going into the heads up and it wasn't long before he called Hinrichsen's all-in with ace, seven of hearts on a flop of queen, five, four of hearts making him the nut flush. Andrew's queen, ten of clubs was no match. The turn eight of spades and river ace of spades was no help to Andrew and the 46-year-old Chevalier was crowned champion.  His opponent had to be content with the second placing cheque for NZ$57 285.
 
The PokerStars.net ANZPT now moves on to Australia for its finale taking place from August 5 to 9 at the Treasury Casino in Brisbane and Jupiters Casino on the Gold Coast.