Maddocks Mindset

12/05/2026

I got to sit down with Frankie Vlogger from the Crown Poker Media Team to discuss the Aussie Millions series, Maddocks Mindset and our recent client success!

05/05/2026

AUSSIE MILLIONS | Event #10: $2.5K 8-GAME

Now this is a first trophy! 🏆
A huge congratulations to Libby Thomson as she takes down the $2,500 8-Game at the 2026 Aussie Million Poker Championships!

Libby decided to only play 1 event this year, set her sights on it, and executed with precision. She came into the FT as chip leader and maintained it through until a see-saw heads up battle between herself and JC where they traded the lead back and forth.

Finally it was a massive PLO hand followed by a big 2-7 Triple Draw Hand and the 🏆 was locked up!

With this win, Libby secures her first major trophy and a new personal best! Congrats Libby! 🥂

1 Libby Thomson $55,280
2 John Caridad $34,295
3 Peter Vratsidis $22,525
4 Darragh Curtin $17,405
5 Harris Soetinko $13,820
6 Antonio Seremet $11,260
7 Lucas Durante $9,215
8 Jiang Pu $7,165
___________________
$2,500 Entry | 91 Entries | $204,750 prize pool | 14 Places Paid

23/04/2026

12 years ago I made a huge life decision - I moved across the world and landed in Melbourne, Australia.

It’s been my dream to play in the Aussie Millions, and you would think after living in Melbourne for 7 years and making Crown Poker my home… I would have had the chance to play it. But before I was a full time coach I was a full time software sales rep. And my sales career always came with Annual meetings every January back in Cleveland, Ohio.

There was never a chance to play. I would buy action and sweat my mates, but I’ve been waiting for my turn for 12 years.

This year it all changes. The flashy suit might not fit anymore and my country of residence is no longer Australia, but I’m here in Melbourne to finally play in the biggest series on Australian soil. To say I’m excited does not do it justice!

See you all at the tables!

03/04/2026

We have another Main Event Winner in the house! 🏆 Richard Pountney has smashed his career personal best by taking down $50,660 and a field of 1,040 players at the Kings Cup Main Event $400 buyin.

2026 is certainly the year of the Maddocks Mindset Tribe! That's 3 Main Event winners in less than a month 😅

Aussie Millions Main can't come soon enough!!

🏆 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥 - 𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧 🏆

In what must go down as one of the craziest runs to a Main Event title, Richard Pountney closes it out after an unbelievable comeback. Richard had been super short when 26 remained, sitting on about 2.5 big blinds, but spun that up to second in chips heading into the final table.

The final table would prove testing, as Richard again found himself very short with five remaining, but simply refused to die. He kept finding the doubles, bringing himself back to a playable stack, while Elie ran through the others, giving Richard a ladder each time.

Heads up would be where it all came together. Elie had an obscene chip lead at around 10–1, but something was smiling down on Richard. He had come heads up three times at Kings before, but never managed to get the trophy. Today, it was destined to be his day.

The first turning point saw Richard get it in pretty crushed, A5o versus AJo. The board came 7-7-10-10, giving the chop. The next three hands he would get it in as the underdog, but as he may forever be known, River Richard got there. Three doubles were enough to seal the fate, and from nursing crumbs only an hour before, he walks away with his long-awaited trophy.

An ICM deal was made three-handed with stacks fairly even, leaving $3,000 and the trophy to play for.

Richard commented on what a great day it had been, with a fun and respectful final table, but being the personification of “a chip and a chair” has a great way of lifting your spirits after staring defeat in the face so closely.

Many congratulations to Richard, and to all who cashed in the Main Event.

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦
1st - Richard Pountney $50,660*
2nd - Elie Toubia $49,990*
3rd - Justin Wong $46,290*
4th - Lida Chen $20,350
5th - Hu Chen $15,740
6th - Joe Nati $12,600
7th - Dane Alwright $10,750
8th - Jonathan Bennett $9,000
9th - Igal Leis $7,400
*𝘋𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦
⸻

🗓 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 - kingslive.com.au/
📈 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲 - kingslive.com.au/results/
🏢 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 - churchillsbar.com.au/
👤 facebook.com/kingspokerlivereporting

23/03/2026

Now THIS is making a statement. Why not make your first tourney win the bloody APLPT Main Event for $43,000! Insane stuff Drew John!!!

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰

22/03/2026

It's another first 1st! Ricki Neil Butler has secured his first win and $14,760 at PlayLive Melbourne. 93 total runners at $600 a pop, not bad for a Sunday!

This marks a new career best - and well deserved!

SIX HUNDY SUNDAY | RESULTS 💸 (22/03/26)

93 Total entries | $600 | $46,500 Prize Pool

1st - Ricki Butler - $14,760
2nd - Shurane Vijayaram - $9,200
3rd - Nathan Ong - $5,700
4th - Qing Ye Ching - $3,920
5th - Kim Au - $3,070
6th - Ash Ovens - $2,400
7th - Jason White - $1,880
8th - Krisztian Bite - $1,470
9th - Vittorio Gambetta - $1,150
10th - Jiaxu Chen Josh - $1,150
11th - Colin Flattery - $900
12th - Luka Djumic - $900

———

Never miss a game.
Check out our website for schedules, structures and event details.
https://playlive.melbourne

Watch us live!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelbournePokerRoom
Youtube: https://youtube.com/
Twitch: https://m.twitch.tv/playlivemelbourne

21/03/2026

Another win for Djumic Luka!
🔥 I’m running out of things to say - this man has been crushing live poker in Melbourne for well over 12 months. Wait until you find out just exactly what he accomplished in 2025 😅

🥊 FRIDAY DEEPSTACK RESULTS (20/03/26)

97 Total Entries | $250 | $19,400 Prize Pool

A deal was reached at the top to wrap up the Friday Deepstack, with Luka Djumic finishing on top on the night. 🤝🏆

Final Results

1st – Luka Djumic – $3,848
2nd – Luke Stanford – $4,327
3rd – Kim Au – $3,535
4th – Paul Rochford – $1,570
5th – Yuxiang Lei – $1,280
6th – Theo Gouskos – $1,050
7th – Michael (Chian Daw Lee) – $850
8th – Dennis (Xiaotian Ju) – $690
9th – Jim Robotis – $570
10th – Stephen Quon – $460
11th – John Nicholas – $460
12th – Ray Natoli – $380
13th – Liam Neeson – $380

———
Never miss a game.
Check out our website for schedules, structures and event details.
https://playlive.melbourne
Watch us live!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelbournePokerRoom
Youtube: https://youtube.com/...
Twitch: https://m.twitch.tv/playlivemelbourne

20/03/2026

The smile says it all - a moment you’ll never forget.
Congrats Bart Crowd on your first trophy🏆!!

👑

09/03/2026

Jim Andreadis is your APTLive Melbourne Champs Main Event Champion — taking home $100,000! 🏆🎉

What a moment. Jim just shattered his previous best of $31,000, turning a $1,650 buy-in into a six-figure score that most players only dream about.

293 runners. Multiple Day 1 flights. One winner.

If you watched the stream, it was a wild ride of strategic play and timely distribution that catapulted him into a big stack with 2 tables left before heading to the Final Table 2nd overall in chips. Jim never looked back, kept the pressure up, and cruised to the win at 4:30am local Melbourne time.

Goals that once feel out of reach have a funny way of becoming reality when you put in the work. Tonight, Jim proved exactly that.

Congratulations Jim — well deserved! 🙌♠️

01/03/2026

It's another 1st 🏆 Alert 🚨 in the Maddocks Mindset Tribe!

George Venianakis decides that he wants to make his first trophy a big one and brings home the APLPT Deep Freeze in Albury this week.

There is nothing quite like your first...

Please help me congratulate George on an awesome accomplishment! ⭐️