Poker players hit town

Photo / Sarah Ivey

A royal flush of top local and overseas poker players have started to arrive in Auckland for a big tournament at SkyCity casino tomorrow.

The two-day Main Event at the inaugural Lee Nelson Deep Stack series has a $1100 entry fee, but a guaranteed prize pool of $50,000, which increases as more players enter.

Tony Dunst, a rising star in tournament poker in the last few years, has been confirmed to play in the Main Event. Originally from the US and now living in Melbourne, Tony has cashed in at prominent tournaments around the US and Australia and will be aiming to add a New Zealand title to his poker CV.

"I'm stoked to be playing at SkyCity", said Dunst. "Lee (Nelson) is one of the best and most classy ambassadors poker has, and winning his inaugural tournament would be sweet as," said Dunst.

Lee Nelson is one of New Zealand's premiere poker stars. Formerly a doctor, he gave up medical practice when playing poker went from being just a hobby to a fulltime job.

He earned the nickname "Final Table" because a casino manager once said Nelson made the last group in tournaments so often, he was like a piece of the final table furniture.

- NZHERALD STAFF