New Zealand Poker Tour Queenstown back for 2010

SKYCITY Entertainment Group is pleased to announce the second annual New Zealand Poker Tour (NZPT) Queenstown – SKYCITY Alpine Adventure at SKYCITY Queenstown Casino.

The tournament will take place from Saturday 17 July and run until Sunday 25 July. The NZPT Queenstown - SKYCITY Alpine Adventure will offer players an expected total prize pool of $450,000* in the $2,500 NZD buy-in Main Event. Participation in this event will be capped at 200 players and it’s already 50% sold out so interested players are advised to register now to avoid disappointment.

This year the NZPT Queenstown event will differ slightly from the 2009 event. Players will have a choice as to where they would like to play the first part of the tournament. Players can play Day 1 and Day 2 of the NZPT event at the SKYCITY Auckland Casino on Saturday 17 July and Sunday 18 July for a buy-in of NZD $2,625. Players that choose the Auckland qualifier can expect to play down to 15-20 players (dependent on actual number of players) who then qualify for Day 3 of the NZPT Queenstown event and each receive a return flight from Auckland to Queenstown and three nights’ accommodation from Friday 23 July to Sunday 25 July inclusive - covered by the additional $125 buy-in.

Players who instead begin the tournament in Queenstown will play in their Day 1 on either Wednesday 21 July or Thursday 22 July. Day 2 at SKYCITY Queenstown will commence on Friday 23 July with all players from both the SKYCITY Auckland Casino Day 1 and Day 2 and SKYCITY Queenstown’s Day 1 and Day 2 coming together for Day 3 of the tournament at the SKYCITY Queenstown Casino on Saturday 24 July, with the exciting final day on Sunday 25 July.

During the NZPT Queenstown – SKYCITY Alpine Adventure tournament there will be a variety of other poker events, turning the SKYCITY Queenstown Casino into a poker player’s paradise including a NZD $550 Mega Satellite, Pot Limit Omaha, Turbo No Limit Hold’em and a Team Event No Limit Hold’em. World class players Lee ‘Final Table’ Nelson and Tony Hachem are attending the Queenstown event.

Michelle Baillie, SKYCITY Queenstown’s Executive Manager said: “We are thrilled to host this fantastic tournament for the second time. It’s a wonderful event for SKYCITY and for Queenstown, attracting a large number of domestic and international poker players who, along with friends and family, get to enjoy a week of thrilling poker and activities in one of New Zealand’s most beautiful settings.”

Ejaaz Dean, SKYCITY Auckland’s General Manager of Casino Operations said: “It is great to have the SKYCITY Auckland Casino as part of the NZPT Queenstown tournament allowing players to experience what Auckland has to offer before they head down to Queenstown.”

Arguably New Zealand’s greatest poker player, Lee ‘Final Table’ Nelson said: “I can’t wait to head back down to the SKYCITY Queenstown Casino in July for the next NZPT tournament. Given its popularity in 2009 and with the limited number of spaces available, there is a good chance that new local talent will be discovered and the title will be taken by a New Zealander.”

Satellite tournaments for entry into the final round of the NZPT are being held by casinos and pub poker leagues nationwide. Players can register for the Main Event in advance with credit cards, or on-site before the event at SKYCITY Auckland or SKYCITY Queenstown Casino.

For more information on how you can take on the world’s best poker players, visit www.skycity.co.nz/poker.

*Subject to full participation