The poker scene - It's everywhere

 Pubs, clubs, and the casino. The venues that hold poker tournaments and sit and go's in Sydney. It seems that every one of these gambling venues has held some sort of poker game over the last 8 years. When did it get so popular? Who's playing and where?

Joe Hachem winning the World Series 2005

In 2005 when Joe Hachem won the World Series of Poker, taking home a cool 7.5 million, Australia went through something called the poker boom! Suddenly everyone thought they could be a professional poker player and started hunting down those pubs and clubs that were hosting games and tournaments in hope to win even a fraction of what Aussie poker icon Joe Hachem won in 2005. The scene only grew and soon every club and pub were jumping to host poker games and tournaments to bring in the patrons to their venues and in hopes they would spend lots of money on drinks and pokies in the process. The Star City Casino also saw a rise in people on the poker tables and soon had to accommodate for all the new amateurs wanting a piece of the action.

Personally, I was 17 (2005) when I began playing poker in a club venue (I had my ways haha) and I still play in mostly club venues around Sydney today. There are many companies out there who run the poker scene but I prefer APL as I have found it to be the most professional. There are heaps of free rolls, tournaments you do not have to pay for because the venue puts up a prize pool, which is usually not bad considering it's free. APL will then offer tickets for the final table into a regional game that is run once a month. If in the month you make many final tables and you get heaps of tickets, you can use up to 10 to get more chips on your stack in the regional. This is great because you want to be rewarded for your wins. APL also run some other huge tournaments that you either have to qualify for or can buy in for some, where if you win, you will be seeing yourself to the World Series of Poker in Vegas baby on team APL! There are also some great cash prizes on offer. Though the way they let you qualify for some of the big tournaments is really in favour of those who can play 7 nights a week, which is not that many people, though you would be surprised. Another good thing about APL is that they are a huge advocate of charity games. There are many tournaments run throughout the year which raise money for charity. You will usually see celebs at these games and get a chance to talk to them and knock them out!

APL Play For A Cure 2012 Tournament

 What do I like about poker? I love the game and how risky or not you can be. Some people develop poker tactics but for me I like to see who I am playing with and try to adapt to play the best I can against the rest of the table.
What are the pros and cons of playing in this scene? The pros could be that you meet a lot of great people, many of whom you will see again and again at each poker game, as poker is a society. Or you could win some good tickets or cash which is what everyone wants. The cons though can be very heavy. As most games are held in huge gambling venues, there is a risk that you could develop a gambling problem as I have seen many times. This depends on the person though. Many people I play with would only occasionally gamble or not at all. There is a real divide between the people who do and the ones who don't.

For me, well I have been playing 8 years now and still going strong when I can find the time. Sometimes the pros can out-weigh the cons as poker really is a society and it is hard to get out once you’re in as most people playing the game don't do much else with their spare time.
If you want to find out where you can play a game, head to the APL website – www.playapl.com/.

APL Main Event

This post was written by Kea for Sydney Urban Life

History meets nightlife @The Rocks, Sydney

As you walk down the cobblestone streets and lane ways through the sandstone buildings you can't help but feel as though you have been transported back in time, a stark contrast to the modern city surrounds.
 The Rocks, Sydneys oldest preserved historic area and one of the most visited parts of Sydney. It is rich in Australian history with buildings that have been around since the colonization of Australia, and with the Harbour Bridge its neighbor, the Rocks is a popular destination for all who want to experience a meeting of old and new. Tourists flock to this historic precinct to visit the iconic markets on the weekend, enjoy the bars and restaurants, shop and visit the galleries and of course take in some of Australias history and best sights in Sydney.

But dont write this off as just another tourist fest, as a Sydneysider it is a great place to be day or night. The Rocks is home to some of Sydneys oldest bars, which play live music on a regular basis and as far as atmosphere goes, there is plenty on this pub scene.


There are also some great restaurants though you can expect to pay for it, or for something a little cheaper you can get a good pub feed at the majority of the historic bars surrounding. Weekends you will find are the best nights to go out for drinks and food as there is entertainment and the atmosphere electric. Or if you prefer to do relaxing activities you can visit the markets from 9-5 on the weekends and in the summer there is the moonlight markets on the Friday night.
Although a little touristy, you can walk around the harbour to the Harbour Bridge which is situated in Millers Point in the Rocks precinct and if your feeling energetic you can walk the bridge or climb it! Observatory Hill, located on the outskirts of the Rocks, is a beautiful spot to view the bridge and take in some of Sydney harbours sights. It can be very peaceful and serene sitting there and looking over some of Sydneys most beautiful sights, whether it be day or night. There is also Sydneys oldest observatory, hence the name Observatory Hill. You can visit the observatory for a fee, but the Observatory Hill park is free.
It is really hard to sum up the Rocks urban life as there is so much thats worth mentioning. Personally, this place resonates with me and would have to be my favourite place in Sydney.

View from Observatory Hill

This post was written by Kea for Sydney Urban Life.