Poker hopefuls stacking their chips

It may be Queen's Birthday Weekend, but for a group of card sharps assembling in Auckland this week, the only royalty they'll be thinking of is a royal flush.

That's AKQJ10 in the same suit, by the way - a very rare hand indeed.

The second annual New Zealand Poker Open gets underway at SkyCity casino this weekend.

The Main Event is preceded by a number of satellite events. Players get into the prestigious Main Event by either winning a place via a satellite, or paying the direct entry fee of $1100.

But the tournament is not just for the high rollers.

Buy-ins for the satellite events make them an affordable option for any up-and-coming player, ranging from around $20-$200.

That gives them a chance at being the big winner in the rarefied air at the Main Event's final table, and taking home the lion's share of a prize pool expected to be well over $50,000.

Last year Jamie Kristov of Auckland outlasted all others in the 2009 NZ Poker Open, winning an impressive $41,300.

Tournament regulars and SkyCity poker ambassadors, Lee 'Final Table' Nelson and Brooke Howard-Smith will be sitting down at the tables in a bid to add a title to the mantle.