Aucklander Chris Homes is the new SKYCITY New Zealand Poker Open Champion
Tuesday 5 June 2012, 2:37PM
By SKYCITY Entertainment Group
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As the chips were packed away at the SKYCITY Poker Room, Chris Homes from Auckland was crowned the SKYCITY New Zealand Poker Open Champion for 2012. Over Queens Birthday weekend the SKYCITY Poker Room saw 116 players from across New Zealand’s main centres, Australia and the Cook Islands take to the table for a chance to be the best and win the trophy and prize money.
Day 1a (Saturday 2 June) saw 60 players sitting down and playing eight levels or Texas Hold’em poker. From the original 60 players only 24 survived making their way through to the Final Day (Monday 4 June). Day 1b (Sunday 3 June) saw an additional 56 players vying for their chance to take away the title, setting the total player count at 116 and the prize pool at $162,400. From the 56 players on Day 1b, 24 players made their way back for the Final Day.
Play began at 12.30pm with all 48 surviving players taking their seats. Action was aplenty with players dropping out at their chip stack dropped and the blind levels rose. The final table was reached early in the evening. The final two players entered heads up with Aucklander Chris Homes holding the majority of the chips against Leang Kang also from Auckland.
The final hand was laid down when both players went all in pre flop. The house cards fell 4(Diamonds), 9(Diamonds), 10(Hearts), Queen (Spades), 2(Spades). Adding these to the players cards, Chris Homes came out on top with trip Queens against Kang’s pair of eights. Homes picked up NZD $49,370.00 and the title of SKYCITY NZ Poker Open Champion.
Player payouts for the tournament are as follows:
12th – John Parker - $2,820
11th – Jarrod Adams - $3,310
10th – Hoshy Patel - $4,810
Final Table
9th – Carl Bowerher - $4,810
8th - Ryan Otto - $5,800
7th - Zaidoun Al-Owbydl - $6,630
6th – Chiu Yeung Lee - $8,120
5th – Hamesh Sharma - $12,590
4th – Miroslay Sheynin - $15,910
3rd – Simon Watt - $19,550
2nd – Leang Kang - $32,480
1st – Chris Homes - $49,370
For information on poker at SKYCITY Auckland go to www.skycityauckland.co.nz/poker.