It's not often you win a trophy for NOT cashing a tournament.

For Tony 'Unique' Tartaglia though, he did exactly that this afternoon.

Technically the award was for 'extreme loyalty to the ANZPT' but judging by the sly smile of ANZPT Commissioner Danny McDonagh there was a little more to the story.

If you've ever played an ANZPT Main Event, chances are you've played with Tartaglia. He's a familiar face on the circuit and was presented with his trophy at the first break here on Main Event Day 1A.

"He's a real character of the Perth poker scene" McDonagh explained.

According to The Hendon Mob, Tartaglia only has three live cashes to his name, but the story goes that when it comes to ANZPT Main Events he's 0 for 19 over the seven-year period.

While this may seem like an expensive venture for someone who finds in-the-money finishes elusive, Media and Events Manager Sam Dawson revealed that online satellites might be the key to Tartaglia's bankroll management.

"I know he plays online and he has definitely satellited into a lot of the ANZPTs. At least he's minimizing his losses that way" Dawson said.

Away from the poker table Tartaglia recently got engaged to none other than Amanda De Cesare. A successful player in her own right, De Cesare won the reality show The Poker Star in 2009, which was hosted by Australian poker legend Joe Hachem. She pocketed $100,000 for that victory before going on to find further success on the felt.

De Cesare went on to final table this very event back in 2010, ultimately finishing 4th for $53,855. Her biggest cash to date, however, came the year before winning the Joe Hachem Deep Stack Series Main Event for $77,500. With a resume like that we don't think De Cesare will be up for a 'Unique' award any time soon.

For now though Tartaglia is running hot. Level 5 has just begun and he's currently one of our chip leaders with 38,000 - almost double that of the 20,000 start bank. He told us that he managed to chip up after spiking a few sets.

Could this be the event that sees Tartaglia break the dry spell? We'll be tracking his progress this week to find out. Stay tuned as we follow him and all the action for ANZPT Melbourne!

And we're off!

The Crown Poker Room is bustling with an air of excitement this afternoon as the ANZPT Main Event finally gets underway. There are a couple of cash games still running, a few lurkers at the overlooking bar, but of course it's the tournament floor that has most of the attention.

It was at 12:30pm that we officially kicked off. Crown Tournament Director Joel Williams took to the microphone to welcome players and remind them about the mobile phone rule. Players must step away from the table to make a phone call, and must refrain from using their mobiles while they're in a hand. And with the formalities out of the way, the cards were in the air!

We're chasing another record here in Melbourne this week, and by all reports things are looking promising. Melbourne made ANZPT history last season with a 516-player field and a prize pool that pushed over the million dollar mark. ANZPT Commissioner Danny McDonagh confirmed that there have already been 300 satellites qualifiers, and as the poker room is now buzzing with a growing number of poker hopefuls, we could be on track to finish the ANZPT legacy with the biggest prize pool yet.

It's still early days but we've managed to spot a bunch of notable names. The other players at Table 33 look like they could already be running bad. They'll have to contend with one of the newest faces on the PokerStars Team roster, Taiwan's Chen-an Lin. Also making sure it's a tough table are 2012 APPT Melbourne champion Sam Razavi, and 2008 APPT Sydney Main Event winner Martin Rowe.

Another player who started off the year right was Aussie Millions Main Event Champion Manny Stavropoulos. He took home $1,385,000 for that victory and has pulled up a seat here today looking for another big score in Melbourne.

The plan for today is seven one-hour long levels so including breaks the action should wrap at 8pm just in time for the ANZPT Players Party. We'll be following all the action over the next five days, so be sure to stay with us for everything from ANZPT Melbourne.

And we're off!

The Crown Poker Room is bustling with an air of excitement this afternoon as the ANZPT Main Event finally gets underway. There are a couple of cash games still running, a few lurkers at the overlooking bar, but of course it's the tournament floor that has most of the attention.

It was at 12:30pm that we officially kicked off. Crown Tournament Director Joel Williams took to the microphone to welcome players and remind them about the mobile phone rule. Players must step away from the table to make a phone call, and must refrain from using their mobiles while they're in a hand. And with the formalities out of the way, the cards were in the air!

We're chasing another record here in Melbourne this week, and by all reports things are looking promising. Melbourne made ANZPT history last season with a 516-player field and a prize pool that pushed over the million dollar mark. ANZPT Commissioner Danny McDonagh confirmed that there have already been 300 satellites qualifiers, and as the poker room is now buzzing with a growing number of poker hopefuls, we could be on track to finish the ANZPT legacy with the biggest prize pool yet.

It's still early days but we've managed to spot a bunch of notable names. The other players at Table 33 look like they could already be running bad. They'll have to contend with one of the newest faces on the PokerStars Team roster, Taiwan's Chen-an Lin. Also making sure it's a tough table are 2012 APPT Melbourne champion Sam Razavi, and 2008 APPT Sydney Main Event winner Martin Rowe.

Another player who started off the year right was Aussie Millions Main Event Champion Manny Stavropoulos. He took home $1,385,000 for that victory and has pulled up a seat here today looking for another big score in Melbourne.

The plan for today is seven one-hour long levels so including breaks the action should wrap at 8pm just in time for the ANZPT Players Party. We'll be following all the action over the next five days, so be sure to stay with us for everything from ANZPT Melbourne.

Day 1A saw a surprisingly fulsome 88-strong field arrive at the Hippodrome to take their shot at tournament glory and when the day had drawn to a close, it was Frenchman Julien Rouxel who led the 27-remaining players with a mighty stack of 174,200.

12 whip-sharp 30 minute levels ensured the 25,000 stacks the players started with were soon shredded and redistributed - players busting out with great regularity throughout the day.

Some interesting stories developed along the way. The field was largely male dominated although the two ladies who did buy-in - Spaniard Cayetana Pastor Belsue and Lithuanian Irina Nikolaidi - both made hay and ran their stacks deep into the day.

Nikolaidi would perish just short of the end of the day - a victim of the rampaging Rupom Pal, who finished up in second place on the chip counts with 153,400. Belsue however managed to stave off elimination, though her short stack means there is a tough journey ahead of her if she has designs on the title.

One man who has made a name for himself already at The Hippodrome Casino is Rapinder Cheema - winner of the UKIPT5 London Event back in January this year.

Cheema's chip graph had a generally upward trend throughout the day, although it was the final level that saw him really fly - reaching 143,400 at the close - he will be well in contention when day 2 begins.

Here's how the top 5 stacks lined up at the close of play:

Julien Rouxel France 9 8 174200
Rupom Pal United Kingdom 8 2 153400
Rapinder Cheema United Kingdom 1 3 143400
Fengzhu Yu China 7 5 129100
Sebastien Jung France 3 4 123300

Click here to see the full chip stacks for all remaining 27 players.

Day 2 starts Saturday 17th at 1.00pm but before then we have the two remaining starting days back-to-back tomorrow to play through. With Day 1B starting at 1.00pm and Day 1C starting at 7.30pm, it will be a day packed with interesting poker.

To read updates from Levels 1-8, click here.

To read updates from Levels 9-12, click here.

Join the blog at 1.00pm for this epic day of poker- you won't want to miss how this will pan out. We'll see you then.

PokerStars Blog reporting team at UKIPT5 Super Series London: Rod Stirzaker. Photos courtesy of Mickey May.

We're back for the final furlong as the last four levels will play out here in London on this opening day of teh UKIPT Super Series.

It's been an interesting day so far, nearly half the 88 strong field shorn away - just 46 remaining as we head into the latter stages.

It should be a gripping finale so stay with us as we bring you all the thrills and spills of the remaining levels.

To read updates from levels 1-8, click here.

PokerStars Blog reporting team at UKIPT5 Super Series - London: Rod Stirzaker. Photos by Mickey May.

It might not have made the news where you live, but for one day last month an entire Island changed its name in the aid of a great cause. You might already have guessed, but I'll come back to that in a second.

That cause was the fight against prostate cancer, and the efforts of Prostate Cancer UK to raise awareness among British men. The way to do it? A lad's night in. Perfect.

For one PokerStars player that meant a VIP trip to London with a group of friends for a VIP home game with Team Pro Jake Cody, to challenge a pro and raise a few pounds along the way. For the record Jake doesn't live at the Hippodrome in London's West End, but as far as cards go technically he can "own" the place.

The winner of that trip was Phil Honey. To win he had to tweet his dream poker opponent(s) with reasons as to why they'd chosen them with #JCLadsNightIn. You can read up on Phil's picks here. Suffice to say the evening went with a bang.

"I have to say that the occasion got to me and maybe some of the others as we didn't really put up much of a performance against Jake," said Phil. "Despite us firing half a million questions at him he still managed to play properly and took down both the two sit-n-goes we played without any bother - even plying him with Swedish lager - we just could not distract him.

"The other thing we learnt is that Jake is an absolute legend. Such a true gent and made such an incredible effort to engage with all of us and even gave us back the money he'd won off us via the medium of several rounds at the bar. A superb ambassador for PokerStars. By dodging several bullets, nobody claimed the bounty on his head, so he also helped us raise even more money for Prostate Cancer UK and that was really what it was all about. Roll on next year's event!!!"

Poker, Swedish lager and a few quid raised for the cause? Sounds like a textbook Lads Night In.

Other fundraisers took place on the same night, including a Live Charity Media tournament at the Hippodrome featuring the likes of ex footballer and TV pundit Ray Parlour, indie band Blood Red Shoes, ex rugby star Kyran Bracken, and fitness guru Jamie Alderton. (Another ex-footballer Robbie Savage also makes an appearance in the video above).

Ray Parlour

Kyran Bracknel

Team Pros were also on hand, with Liv Boeree, Mickey Petersen and Jennifer Shahade fitting in well alongside staff from Prostate Cancer UK and PokerStars. In all tens of thousands of pounds have been raised for Prostate Cancer UK so far.

(left to right) Kyran Bracken, Jen Shehade, Liv Boeree, Chief Exec of Hippodrome Casino Lyd Simon Thomas, Ray Parlour and Jamie Alderton

What's more there's still time to stage your own Lads Night In, and make your contribution to the campaign. There are a few terms and conditions that you can check out here. Send it in before the October 26 deadline to get your donation counted and to havea chance of winning a trip to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. You'll find the details here.

To do so will be to follow the lead of Jake Cody and his home game pals, as well as countless others who held a great night for a great cause. Not to mention the good citizens of one Island, who were residents of the "Isle of Men" for once glorious day.

It's official.

This edition of ANZPT Melbourne not only marks the end of Season 7 but the last event on the Australian New Zealand Poker Tour ever. It's the end of an era, but that doesn't mean we can't cap off a seven-year legacy with a bang!

While many reflect on the good times the tour has delivered both on and off the felt, the more ambitious of the bunch have their sights set on making ANZPT history and claiming the last-ever Main Event title.

We're at Crown Melbourne once again this week for five days of exciting Main Event action before a champion is crowned come Tuesday. And to top off that action, in true ANZPT style, one thing is guaranteed.

Huge amounts of cash.

Melbourne went down in the record books last season as the ANZPT's first prize-pool to eclipse a million dollars. The official number was $1,032,000 after 516 pulled up seats, generating a top prize of $253,000 to play for. When all was said and done it was renowned Aussie Edison Nguyen who emerged victorious, pocketing $217,500 after a heads up deal with Corey Kempson.

With the last event ever on the schedule, hopes are high that players will be out in force to send off the tour with style. There's no denying that the ANZPT has played a pivotal role in Australia's poker landscape, and what better way to bid farewell than with a back-to-back Melbourne record?

Time will tell if we can set another poker benchmark here this week.

And for the railbirds, or those relaxing in between the grind, as always in Melbourne a world of entertainment awaits. Take your pick from the world-class restaurants, cafes, and beaches, all the while enjoying the (usually accommodating) Spring weather. Not only is Crown Australia's home of poker, but it also offers bars, nightclubs, concerts and live theatre sure to please anyone looking for a good time away from the tables.

On the felt, however, it'll be business as usual over the next five days. The action kicks off at 12:30pm Friday afternoon and will conclude sometime on Tuesday. Be sure to stay with us for everything you need to know from ANZPT Melbourne. The PokerStars Blog will have all your feature story needs while the PokerNews team bring you live reporting at the top of the main ANZPT Melbourne page.

The Asia Championship of Poker is the biggest and richest poker festival in the Far East and kicks off on October 30, 2015. Coming with the glory, fame, and life-changing prize money is an added level of stress you might not feel at other events. Clearly, the players have lots at stake but the moment isn't lost on the tournament staff either. Every decision on the floor gets reviewed under a microscope with an elevated state of importance.

The folks at PokerStars LIVE Macau know this.

Ready to sign up for PokerStars? Click here to get an account.

So how do you maintain a cheerful and comfortable environment when people are playing a game with so much on the line?

With more fun and games!

If you haven't been to Macau for a PokerStars tournament before then you are forgiven for not noticing the away-from-the-tables activities that occur regularly during the special events. At this year's 2015 ACOP many of the old favourites make a return while a new game has been added.

Here's the totally unnecessary list of things that have nothing to do with poker.

PLAYERS PARTY
Ever since PokerStars LIVE Macau moved to the City of Dreams Macau three years ago it's held a Hard Rock Poolside Party for during the ACOP. It's a gorgeous setting and perfect weather temperature for a region generally known for extreme heat. This year's Players Party will be held on November 11 at 10:30pm.

There's plenty of things to enjoy at the Players Party.

Obviously there's endless food and bottomless drinks.

Red Bull is the official energy drink provider for PokerStars LIVE Macau and besides providing your favourite mixer, they give you wings with some of the best DJs at the party.

When the DJ needs a break, there's nothing like a live show. Okay, it took me a while to figure out she was playing an instrument and even longer to determine which instrument it was.

Catching up with friends

And of course, there's the...

BEER PONG CHAMPIONSHIP
PokerStars parties are not immune to the fashionably late. But last year, for the first time EVER, players arrived early in order to enter the Beer Pong Championship before the 16-team limit (2 per team) was sold out (it happened within 30 minutes of registration).

This is where I'm supposed to mention Jono (AKA Jonathan Karamalikis AKA Monster Dong). He really really REALLY wants you to know that he is the only person to make the Semi-Finals in both years.

I will now proceed to insert ACOP Beer Pong photos from years past as I, in parallel, tell short stories about Jono and this event.

There are some ideas which are clear winners and some you question. When I looked at parties in Macau I noticed language being a major factor that split people into segregated groups. How do you engage people who want to interact with others but can't communicate with each other?

Enter beer pong. To be perfectly honest, I had no idea what the reception would be like.

So I'm having a drink one night with Jono and asking him if he's ever played beer pong. This is how I recall the conversation:

Me: Hey, you ever play beer pong?
Jono: Ya, I love it. Why?
Me: I'm going to organize a beer pong tournament.
Jono: Really? Where?
Me: At the Players Party.
Jono: (sits up, looks dumbfounded) You're having a beer pong tournament at the Players Party?
Me: yes
Jono: You are having a beer pong tournament at the PokerStars Players Party!?!?
Me: Yes
Jono: YOU.ARE.HAVING.A.BEER.PONG.TOURNAMENT.AT.THE.PLAYERS.PARTY?!

I quickly realized I wasted months of convincing Jono to come to Macau and commit to playing the 100k Main Event and 250k High Roller. I should have just had the above conversation to begin with.

Every year, for the last three years, Jono sends me a series of instant messages asking me the following 3 questions (and in this order):

1. Is there beer pong?
2. Something about the high rollers and player incentives
3. More questions about beer pong and exact date and times

So yeah, Jono made back-to-back semi-final appearances and I've been informed he has a new and improved partner to finally take down the title this year.

First, he'll have to dethrone the defending champs Luis Salter and Rory Brown (middle two, pictured above). In the true spirit of the competition, the winners gave one of their trophies to the runner-up duo of Team PokerStars Pro Vivian Im and her life partner Gabyong Kim.

DICE GAME & DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP
When you have a 17-day poker festival you can't solely rely on the Players Party for a single night of stress-relieving fun.

Enter the Danny McDonagh Drunk Think Tank who will be inviting all ACOP players to his favourite local bar called Music World on November 8 at 10:30pm for the Dice Game and new Darts competition.

The 'dice game' - also commonly referred to as 'liar's dice' - is a game very familiar to anyone who has drank at a Chinese-speaking bar. Foreigners that are novices or are new to the game will have a distinct disadvantage as the game requires a combination of math and people-reading skills that aren't always obvious from the onset.

Unsurprisingly, these friendly female faces (pictured below) obliterated the male-dominated field in last year's Dice Game Championship.

The inaugural ACOP Darts Championship kicks off this year in what could very well surpass the not-counting-Jono demand for beer pong. It's a hugely popular sport that no one ever talks about and it's actually kind of strange given darts has been a common pastime on the APPT for at least half a decade.

Oh, this is where I remind you that PokerStars urges everyone to drink responsibly.

The 2015 Asia Championship of Poker takes place at the 'PokerStars LIVE Macau' poker room from October 30 - November 15, 2015.

Ready to sign up for PokerStars? Click here to get an account.