FRANK MARTINO IS THE 2018 SYDNEY CHAMPIONSHIPS OPENING EVENT CHAMPION! - $91,250

"I just had a feeling about this tournament,” Frank Martino told the Star Poker Live Reporting Team. “When it’s on the cards, it’s on the cards.”

And on the cards it definitely was for Frank Martinowho has outlasted a field of 1,108 runners to be crowned the Champion of the 2018 Sydney Championships Opening Event in the Star Poker Room picking up $91,250 for his efforts.

Martino used a combination of strong, aggressive poker and a steady calm temperament to make this final table his own. He picked up the chip lead early on in the day's proceedings and managed to apply pressure on his opponents from that point on playing an absolute textbook definition of big stack poker to get the result here today.

Whilst Martino's skill was on display for most of the final table the last hand was certainly one where luck played a big factor. He was all in preflop against runner-up Dmitry Tymoshenko and was dominated holding 7h 8d against Tymoshenko’s 8h 9s on a 9h 5d 7c flop. There weren’t many cards that could help Martino but one of them was the 7d which dutifully fell on the river awarding the pot and the title to Martino.

Dmitry Tymoshenko must receive a lot of credit for his play too. He came into the final table as one of the shortest stacks with just eight big blinds. He managed to hold his own throughout and picks up a great consolation prize of $56,360 for his second place effort.

"This was a great tournament,” Martino continued. “Well run and lots of fun to play from start to finish. I will definitely be back for the Main Event. I have a bit of a feeling about that one too”.

If Frank Martino's feelings about the Main Event are as spot on as his feeling about the Opening Event were then this may not be the only winner's post we write about Frank Martino during these Sydney Championships at the Star Poker Room!