Israeli Wins Seat in Master of Classics

ISRAEL – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Seventy-nine players entered the 2005 Israeli Poker Championship, paying a buy-in of approximately $255. The first prize was 30% of the total pot and a sit in the tournament in Amsterdam, including the transportation and accommodations. The total value of the first prize stood on about $7,500. The first 9 places were entitled to down-grading prizes as well with the ninth place taking home $550.

This year's tournament was considerably larger than the 2004 Israeli Poker Championship. Only 19 players entered 2004's tournament. Last year's Israeli poker champion, Haim Asulin, won $2,500 after defeating 9 players at the final table. The 2004 tournament had the same formation, a first qualification round and a final round.

The qualifying round took more than 8 hours and ended at 2am. Only nine players qualified to the final table. The winner Ilan Fox flew to Israel especially for the tournament from his residence in London. Fox, 31 years old, lives in London for over 13 years and works in technical support. Upon winning the tournament he commented that he usually plays only in online poker rooms and that this was his first live tournament. Fox ended the first round significantly short in chips and did not expect to survive in the final table, not to mention winning first place.

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