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Poker is set to stay at SKYCITY Auckland, after the Casino announced that due to popular demand they had decided to rescind plans to suspend poker operations at the property. The original planned hiatus of the game in Auckland was seen as a big blow to poker in the region with Auckland’s Casino emerging as one of the Asia-Pacific market leaders in the product in recent years.

The SKYCITY Auckland poker room witnessed the emergence of New Zealand’s World Series of Poker bracelet holder Simon Watt as well as another Kiwi talent Danny ‘Brotha D’ Leaosavaii. While the room has hosted several large poker tournaments, including being annual home of the APPT Auckland since Season 2, the eight table room is also home to a vibrant and growing poker community.

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It was another big year for the game of poker in 2010 and the PokerListings news team was there to document it all.

From highs like Jonathan Duhamel’s 2010 WSOP Main Event win to lows like Amir Vehadi’s untimely passing, the year was filled with stories big and small.

As has become tradition, PokerListings will spend the final week of 2010 counting down the top five stories of the year the way only we can – With the thoughts, words and opinions of the protagonists.

We continue today with Jason Mercier’s consistency at Number 3:

“Why do you think the same five guys make it to the final table of the World Series of Poker every year? W

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Chris Bell took down the World Series of Poker Circuit Eastern Regional Championship in Atlantic City early Thursday morning.

The veteran pro, a former real estate developer from Raleigh, North Carolina, added $358,295 to his more than $2.5 million in career tournament earnings with the win.

Bell, who also won his first WSOP bracelet in 2010, took the lead on the event’s second day and although he entered the final table second in chips, he stayed patient as it took almost six hours of play before the first player busted from the final.

Eventually Bell managed to get heads-up with chip leader Chris Klodnicki almost even in chips.

He fell behind early before clawing his way back into the match and getting Klodnicki all in with a pair and a straight draw against his flopped set of threes.

The turn and river bricked, Bell’s set held and after the chips were counted and it became clear he had Klodnicki covered, the title was his.

The second of four WSOPC Regional Championships drew 136 players to Atlantic City this week, creating a $1,279,624 prize pool.

All nine finalists won seats into the $1 million-dollar freeroll WSOP Circuit National Championship at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas May 27-29.

Coverage of the final table will will air on the VERSUS Network in mid-2011.

Next up for the WSOPC is a stop at the Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma, just one hour north of Dallas, Texas.

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UB is set to kick off the New Year with the sixth edition of its Online Championship series and satellites have already begun.

UBOC6 is set to go off Jan. 6-30, 2011 with $5 Million in prize money over 29 online poker events, each hosted by a Team UB Pro.

“Not too long after those New Year’s hangovers wear off, get back on UB because it’s time for UBOC6,” said Team UB’s Joe Sebok.

“The UBOC’s are my favorite online tournament series because they just keep getting bigger and bigger every time out. Now, if I can just figure out how to win an event, the excitement will be complete.”

UBOC6 features a $2,000+$100 buy-in High Roller $750K Guaranteed event Jan.

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EPT Berlin champ Kevin MacPhee has grabbed the lead heading into Day 4 at PokerStars EPT Prague.

The 30-year-old Idaho native, who qualified for the event on PokerStars, leads a final 23 that also includes Season 5 EPT Prague champion Salvatore Bonavena, Team PokerStars Pros Marcin Horecji and Richard Toth, Season 1 Grand Final winner Rob Hollink, and the UK’s Roberto Romanello.

They will play down to a final table of eight in the Czech capital Friday.

Macphee’s career live tournament earnings are $1,778,695, more than $1.5 million of which were collected in 2010.

PokerStars EPT Prague officially drew 563 players from 47 countries creating a €2,730,550 prize pool with €640,000 reserved for first.

The €5,300 main event runs through Dec. 18 at

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How do you follow up winning $287k in your first day as a sponsored pro on PokerStars? If you’re Isildur1 you promptly lose $300k.

Isildur1, who some claim is Swede Viktor Blom, lost the majority of his stack playing $100/$200 PLO against savvy vet Phil “MrSweets28” Galfond.

Isildur1 is widely considered to be a better No-Limit Hold’em player so his losses in PLO were not a complete surprise.

Swings of this nature are no stranger to Isildur1. Last year Isildur1 went on the mother of all heaters spinning his Full Tilt account up to over $4 million before losing it all and more.

Over on Full Tilt Poker Patrik Antonious was the ultimate winner over a rather slow day. He pick

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As part of a new promotion, Betfair Poker will be giving away 12 $3,500 packages to New York City.

It’s all part of the Betfair Exclusive Big Apple Touchdown Final tournament on Nov. 10 at 19:00 CET.

Each package includes $1,500 flight tickets for two people, $1,200 accommodations for three nights at a four-star hotel, $200 in tickets to a football or basketball game, $300 for dinner at a high end New York restaurant and $300 for shopping.

There are a variety of ways to secure a seat in the Big Apple Touchdown tournament but perhaps the easiest is earning 1,000 player points between Oct. 19-Nov. 7. E

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Day 2 at the 2010 WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic saw a slew of big names climb the leaderboard and dozens take advantage of the Bellagio’s late registration policy in Las Vegas Saturday.

A total of 391 players entered the $10k event throughout the first day, but another 47 jumped in on the action on Day 2 by the time registration closed and the event’s ninth level began.

A grand total of 438 players created a $4,248,600 prize pool that will pay 100 spots with $870,124 set aside for first.

As the day wore on the field was whittled down to just 137 with big names like Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Sorel Mizzi, Vanessa Rousso and Faraz Jaka among the leaders.

But it was Antonio Esfandiari who grabbed the overnight lead heading into Day 3 at Bellagio Sunday.

The 2010 WPT Five Diamond will play down to a winner Dec.

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With the final table a little over a week away, the folks at ESPN and the World Series of Poker are preparing to show poker fans more Main Event than ever before.

The final nine will resume play at the Penn & Teller Theater inside the Rio All Suites Hotel in Las Vegas beginning at 12 p.m. PT Nov. 6.

They will play down to the final two and come back to to play heads-up for the title beginning at 8 p.m. PT Nov. 8.

Turning the raw footage around in no time at all, all the key hands and highlights will then air complete with Norman Chad and Lon McEachern commentating on ESPN Nov. 9 from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.

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Fresh off his runner-up finish at the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event, John Racener played host to the first event on the FTOPS XVIII schedule Wednesday.

The first of 34 events, the $200+$16 No-Limit Hold ‘em tournament came with an $800K guaranteed prize pool.

But a field of 4,500 laid that to waste, creating a $900,000 prize pool that paid 540 spots.

A three-way deal was struck leaving sir29 the biggest payday ($121,304.16).

Bbut he could managed no better than third as Pageh656 went on to win the event and collect $117,434.48 after beating ZLucky93 ($113,881.36) heads up.

Each tournament on the rest of the FTOPS XVIII schedule will be hosted by a Full Tilt Poker pro, including fellow 2010 November Niners Soi Nguyen, Michael Mizrachi, Fillipo Candio, John Dolan and Matt Jarvis.

Running through Nov.

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