Congratulations to Marcel Schreiner, 2011 PokerStars.net APPT Queenstown Snowfest Main Event Champion (NZD$94,300)
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The 2011 PokerStars.net APPT Queenstown Main Event has finally come to its gripping conclusion, with the newest Asia Pacific Poker Tour champion finally crowned.
It took almost 12 hours of tough play at the final table, including just under four hours of grueling heads-up action, but when all was said and done the NZD$94,300 was heading to Germany in the welcoming hands of Marcel Schreiner.
When play kicked off earlier today it really was hard to predict who would go all the way, with some of the finest players in the region taking their seats at the table. It took an hour to lose our first player and it was 2010 APPT Sydney Grand Final Champion, Jonathan Karamalikis, who went home in 9th place.
By the time another six players had made their way to the rail we were finally down to two, with 34 year old New Zealand local, Matt Yates the player going toe-to-toe against Marcel Schreiner.
The heads-up battle lasted over 180 hands and for the majority of those it was Marcel Schreiner who held the chip lead. The exception to this was when the biggest hand of the night occurred when the players got all their chips in the middle on a board showing 
. Yates held 
against the 
, the higher kicker for Yates making all the difference as the river bricked out and a big chip lead was finally in the hands of Yates.
The lead wouldn't last long though as Schreiner managed to chip away at Yates and slowly work his way back to a lead before managing to have Yates all-in holding 
against his own 
. When the 
flop hit the felt, the full house would have Yates drawing to only a chopped pot, but when the board bricked out, Yates was sent him home in second place, crowning our new champion!
With the first ever APPT Queenstown champion crowned, the sentiment around the event is that it may be set to become one of the most popular on the tour, with not only a great poker event on offer, but with the beautiful city of Queenstown something to marvel at while away from the felt.
A big congratulations must go out to all the final table finishers and especially to Marcel Schreiner, who goes home to Germany as an APPT champion and, of course, NZD$94,300 richer.
Well folks, goodbye and thanks for joining the PokerNews Live Reporting Team, signing out from the APPT Queenstown Main Event!