ANZPT -- Chris Levick Wins Melbourne Main Event

NOTE: All monetary values are in Australian dollars (AUD).

The final table of the PokerStars Australia New Zealand Poker Tour crowned another season-one champion on Aug. 27 at the Melbourne main event at Crown Casino. The field consisted of 218 players who bought in for $2,700 and created a prize pool worth $545,000. Chris Levick took home the first-place prize worth $158,050 and 528 Card Player Player of the Year points for the win. The three-day tournament welcomed nine players back for the final day of competition. Here is a look at the final table when play began:

Seat 1: Heath Chick — 283,000
Seat 2: Rodney Burles — 168,000
Seat 3: Sam Khouiss — 354,000
Seat 4: Chris Levick — 969,000
Seat 5: Jie Gao — 517,000
Seat 6: Ben Savage — 682,000
Seat 7: Gregory Shillig — 190,000
Seat 8: Peter Aristidou — 432,000
Seat 9: Kristian Lunardi — 713,000

Levick scored the first knockout punch at the final table when his pocket queens beat the pocket tens of Rodney Burles, who was eliminated in ninth place ($10,900). Ben Savage then fell in eighth place ($16,350) with A-10 in the hole, and Kristian Lunardi was eliminated in seventh place ($21,800). Lunardi’s pocket sevens fell when Gregory Shillig eliminated him with A-K thanks to some help from the board.

Levick then increased his chip lead even more when his pocket aces held up against the pocket fives of Jie Gao. Gao was eliminated in sixth place ($27,250), and Levick held more than 2 million in chips after the hand. Levick continued his tear and knocked out Sam Khoiss in fifth place ($38,150) and Peter Aristidou in fourth place ($49,050). Levick struck again when Shillig moved all in for 265,000 with K 9 in the hole. Levick held Q 10, and the board ran out Q Q 5 J 2. Shillig was eliminated in third place ($59,950), and action was down to heads up.

Thanks in large part to the six players he eliminated at the final table, Levick took a 50-to-1 chip lead into the final match against Heath Chick. Chick doubled up twice and fought back to almost even in the match when the final hand fell. Levick raised to 150,000, and Chick reraised to 300,000. Levick pushed all in, and Chick made the all-in call with Q Q. Levick flipped over A J, and the board ran out A 8 3 3 6. Chick was eliminated in second place ($103,550), and Levick was the champion of ANZPT Melbourne ($158,050).

Here is a look at the final-table results:

1: Chris Levick (NSW, Australia) — $158,050
2: Heath Chick (Tasmania, Australia) — $103,550
3: Greg Shellig (Queensland, Australia) — $59,950
4: Peter Aristidou (Victoria, Australia) — $49,050
5: Sam Khouiss (NSW, Australia) — $38,150
6: Jie Gao (Victoria, Australia) — $27,250
7: Ben Savage (Melbourne, Australia) — $21,800
8: Kristian Lunardi (Melbourne, Australia) — $16,350
9: Rodney Burles (Tasmania, Australia) — $10,900

The next ANZPT event will take place in Queenstown, at the Sky City Casino from July 20-25.

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