I was expecting to be writing this blog post recapping my ANZPT preliminary results from the comfort of my hotel room in Adelaide . . . but unfortunately I’m about 711 kilometres away sitting at my desk at home.

Some of you may be wondering why I’m not in Adelaide . . . maybe it’s because I’m busto, or sick, or too lazy to drive / fly / walk to Adelaide after a semi-hectic Aussie Millions . . . but you would all be wrong!

David Galpin is the one to blame.

Now don’t get me wrong, I think David is a great bloke and tournament director, and I happily shared a few beers with him in a karaoke room once the inaugural ANZPT wrapped up last year, but he is the reason why I’m not in Adelaide.

It all started when he posted the structures to the full ANZPT Adelaide series in the PokerNetwork Forum. There were six events on the schedule that I was looking at playing with three of them being a lock. Event 1: Industry PLO Rebuy, Event 3: Industry NLH Freeze-Out and Event 6: NLH Bounty.

Before jet-setting to Adelaide I decided to just check that I qualified for Poker Industry by asking him in the thread . . .this was his response.

Hi Tim,

The Industry events are available for entry to any employee within the Australasian Casino or Poker Industry.

A reporter, blogger or photographer etc, employed by the Poker Industry is ineligible to enter such events.

Whilst this does preclude you from entering our Industry Events on these occasions, for next time though, I think it is well worth considering expanding the event and make it a Poker/Casino/Media employees event.

I will ask the entrants next week.

I am sure they will appreciate the extra value the media contingency might provide.

Regards,

David Galpin

I obviously was a little annoyed by his response as I believe that I – without being egotistical – am in the top tier of the poker industry.

In their structure sheets these ‘Industry’ events have the following information.

This event is only available to employees of the Australasian Casino or Poker
Industry. Entrants will need to be ACTION cardholders and have proof of
employment and photographic identification

I quoted this in the same thread but David hasn’t replied.

It just totally baffles me what the ‘Poker Industry’ is and why people such as me don’t qualify. Either it is false advertising if it is meant for just casino employees or the two people that do qualify for ‘Poker Industry’ must be the two luckiest people I’ve never heard of!

Of course I’m disappointed that I’m not able to make it to Adelaide to play cards with some of my mates who deal at Crown, but there is nothing I can do about it until next year.

The fact that David is actually turning people down from an events that are likely to get no more than 50 people astounds me because isn’t one of his roles as a Tournament Director to get more people into the poker room playing tournaments and turning over rake in cash games . . . maybe things are truly upside down in Adelaide.

What also makes me laugh about the whole situation is that David personally contacted me the other week in reference to a piece I wrote on this very website a year ago; The Eight Points of Enlightenment: ANZPT Adelaide. He wanted some details that I probably shouldn’t discuss publicly about conducting the tournament and ways to improve it, but with knowledge that I manage a poker website (kind of) it surely just provides more grounds for ‘Poker Industry’.

Although detailing this situation and my feelings on the issue may seem inappropriate to some, I believe that it needed to be said and be public knowledge (and also takes a huge weight off my chest).

Edit: Congratulations to friends and fellow ex-PokerNews employees Dane Jensen and Shane Beckham for taking out events in Adelaide.

Dane started with a third-place finish in Event 1: Industry $70 Pot Limit Omaha with $40 rebuys for a $1,055 collect before capturing the Event 3: Industry $265 NLH Freeze-Out title for a $5,635 payday.

Shane managed to win the Event 2: Turbo Charity Rebuy event where, after a heavy contribution of the prizepool, he collected $480 for his efforts.

Great effort boys!