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Daniel Laidlaw may dominate the 5/10 No Limit Holdem cash games, but this self-taught poker phenom has multiple strings to his bow as a regular on the Australasian tournament circuit. With several deep runs on the ANZPT and at the Aussie Millions, he will be looking to secure his first major title here in Queenstown as he enters the final table in the middle of the pack.
Bio courtesy of PokerStars
Jonathan Karamalikis is quickly developing a poker resume that is as good as we've ever seen in Australia. With millions of dollars in online winnings, "xMONSTERxDONGx" has now accumulated nearly $1.2 million in live winnings to put him in the all-time top ten Australian tournament earners. Of course, his highlight was winning the APPT Sydney title last December as he strives to become the first player to win two APPT titles.
Bio courtesy of PokerStars
Hailing from Mount Mauganui, New Zealand, Carl Knox is as passionate for poker as he is about rugby, his wife and two children. For the last four years, the 29-yearold doctor has been honing online and has since been able to make a successful transition into the live format of the game, winning a NZD$550 Turbo No Limit Hold'em side event during the ANZPT Queenstown event in 2010 before final-tabling the APPT Queenstown Main Event this year. During his stay here, Knox has been rooming with fellow Kiwis Sam Williams and Ben Paurini, who'll be cheering him on tomorrow as he returns with 180,500 in chips.
Bio courtesy of PokerStars
One of the most decorated players on the APPT, Tom "tollgate" Grigg is a 26-year old from Melbourne who has reached the third APPT final table of his career. The defining moment of his tournament was not getting owned by Koray Turker in a key hand on day two, but he also credits the "You can't teach that!" crew for his success - we suspect it's the same crew who have been "shredding freshies" this week on the ski slopes of Queenstown. Grigg has been in rare form with a recent runner-up finish in the PokerStars Sunday Million worth $153,837 to go with his live successes and he'll be hard to beat as the third largest stack on the final table.
Bio courtesy of PokerStars
No matter what happens to Matty Yates, his family and friends will be already preparing for a hero's welcome at his bar in Arrowtown, just a stone's throw away from Queenstown. The 34-year-old Kiwi has been playing poker for six years, starting in home games before turning a profit online in tournaments and sit and go's. Yates has been pleased with his form leading up to this final table, but there's no question that he'll be determined to surpass his fifth-place finish in a NZD $500 No Limit Hold'em side event at the 2007 New Zealand Poker Championships, as he returns second in chips overall with 523,500.
Bio courtesy of PokerStars
His mates may call him "The Salmon," but New Zealand's John Waterman is no fish, having held his own over the last few days to make the final table of the APPT Queenstown Main Event after qualifying in a freeroll event on PokerStars. Although Waterman was dragged along to his first pub poker game by his mates four years ago, the 40-year-old accounts clerk has been hooked ever since. If Waterman takes down the title, he may have to buy himself a new mountain bike or V8 Holden, but he'll have some work to do as he comes back tomorrow with 153,500 in chips.
Bio courtesy of PokerStars
Having watched Xiao Dong Xia on the tables during the 2011 PokerStars.net APPT Queenstown Main Event, it's hard to believe that this is the 30-year-old's first ever live event, and even more surprising that he's only been playing the game for six months! Still, Xia is not afraid to put his chips on the line and has been making the most of his opportunity here in New Zealand. Xia aspires to become a professional poker player like so many of his new-found friends here in Queenstown, but he'll be tested tomorrow, starting this final table as the short stack with 107,500 in chips.
Bio courtesy of PokerStars
After 5 days of exciting poker action, the moment he have all been waiting for is finally here, as the final table of the 2011 PokerStars.net APPT Queenstown Main Event is set to begin!
Leading the pack and accounting for almost half of all the chips in play between them, is Germany's Marcel Schreiner and New Zealand local, Matt Yates and they will both be looking to use their big stacks to make a run at the NZD$94,300 first place prize.
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | BBs | Chip % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hugh Cohen | Australia | 146,500 | 29.3 | 6.2% |
| 2 | Marcel Schreiner | Germany | 591,500 | 118.3 | 25% |
| 3 | Daniel Laidlaw | Australia | 193,000 | 38.6 | 8.2% |
| 4 | Jonathan Karamalikis | Australia | 174,000 | 34.8 | 7.4% |
| 5 | Carl Knox | New Zealand | 180,500 | 36.1 | 7.6% |
| 6 | Tom Grigg | Australia | 296,000 | 59.2 | 12.5% |
| 7 | Matt Yates | New Zealand | 523,500 | 104.7 | 22.1% |
| 8 | John Waterman | New Zealand | 153,500 | 30.6 | 6.5% |
| 9 | Xiao Dong Xia | China | 107,500 | 21.5 | 4.5% |
While Yates and Schreiner may have all the chips they will have to get through the likes of some of the best young players from the region, with Tom Grigg, Jonathan Karamalikis and Hugh Cohen all starting the final table with plenty of chips to play with.
Play is slated to begin in just over an hours time here ion the main gaming room floor at SKYCITY Casino in beautiful Queenstown, New Zealand. Join PokerNews for all the action as we play down until there is only one remaining player that we can crown Queenstown Snowfest Pokerfest champion!
Main Event
Day 4 Started
