Welcome To The Snowfest!
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Ready your snowboards, skis, warm clothes and, of course your poker-face, as the second event of the PokerStars.net 2011 Asia Pacific Poker Tour is set to begin in the stunning city of Queenstown, New Zealand.
The beautiful snow-tipped mountains and picturesque lakes of Queenstown have replaced the hustle and bustle of the big city lights of the first stop on the APPT, and the feeling around town is that it’s a welcomed change, as players from all around the world marvel at the beautiful location.
It’s hard to imagine the days of seedy back room poker club situated in dark alleyways when you first lay eyes on the remarkable New Zealand location, with only the second APPT event of the year setting a high benchmark for the rest of the tour.
All the players have been arriving over the last couple of days and getting involved in the plethora of adventure activities on offer in Queenstown, including white water rafting, skydiving, jet boating, paragliding and bungie jumping. Apparently, playing in big poker tournaments and risking thousands of dollars against the best players in the world isn’t enough excitement for some!
Expected to hit the felt over the next couple of days and representing their home country include New Zealand’s only WSOP bracelet holder Simon Watt, APPT Melbourne runner-up finisher Phillip Willcocks and last year’s APPT Auckland champion Danny "Brotha D" Leaosavaii.
If the above players want to keep the title on New Zealand soil they will have to get through a tough field of international players including the likes of 2005 World Series of Poker Champion and PokerStars Team Pro Joe Hachem, while players like Jesse McKenzie and Ricky Kroesen will be looking to utilize this tournament to capitalize on their positions on the Australia New Zealand Player of the Year leaderboard as they trail 2011 Melbourne APPT champ, Leo Boxell.
While Queenstown is no stranger to a championship tournament, it is the first time the city has been home to an APPT event and the atmosphere couldn’t be one of more excitement, as teeth chatter and bodies shake- not only because it’s cold in this side of the world- but because of the anticipation as the start of the of the $2,700 APPT Queenstown Main Event is finally upon us!
Join the PokerNews Live Reporting Team from 12.30 pm local time, for all the bad-beats, good reads, sick bluffs and even sicker suck-outs, as Queenstown becomes ‘Pokertown’.