Poker players shuffle up and deal

Tony Hachem

Over 200 poker players are in action at Auckland's SkyCity casino this week, each hoping for a big slice of the over $650,000 up for grabs in the 2010 SkyCity Festival of Poker.

Notable players in the field included PokerStars.net Team Pros Lee 'Final Table' Nelson and Tony Hachem, kiwi comedian Mike King and 2009 Festival of Poker winner and World Series of Poker bracelet winner Simon Watt.

Around 20 countries are represented, including New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, United States, New Caledonia, Hungary and Russia.

Players competed in early elimination rounds Wednesday and Thursday for the right to continue on in the tournament today.

The final table action should be Sunday evening.

In a special "battle of the codes" poker tournament held at SkyCity last week, players from the Auckland Blues and the Warriors raised money and awareness for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of NZ.

- NZHERALD