Gilmartin, Burns Inducted into Australian Poker Hall of Fame
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It is tradition ahead of the start of Day 2 at the Aussie Millions, for the members of the Australian Poker Hall of Fame to take center stage, recognizing the poker talent the country has produced over the years.
2005 WSOP Main Event champion Joe Hachem was on hand to induct two people for 2020. He was joined on stage by fellow members including former Aussie Millions Main Event champion David Gorr, Billy 'The Croc' Argyros, Tony G and Grant Levy, and they named Lynn Gilmartin and Kahle Burns this year's inductees.
WPT Anchor Inducted
"I've known this little girl since she started working here at the Crown," Hachem said. "She never walks around without a smile on her face. She loves poker, she loves people and she's just an amazing human being and a credit to us all in poker.
"Lynn Gilmartin started at Crown, went to PokerNews and now is an anchor for the World Poker Tour. She doesn't stop working and she's amazing."
Gilmartin then took to the stage, and thanked the members of the Hall of Fame who were there to greet her.
"What an honor to be standing among you legends," Gilmartin said. "The timing of this is extra special because I've never been prouder to be part of this community than I am right now. For the past couple of weeks, so much support has come in from around the world for Australia in the face of these horrific bushfires. I started a fundraiser hoping to raise A$10,000, and after being inundated with support from poker players around the world, we're creeping up to A$100,000 just two weeks later."
Click here to find out more about the Poker Players for Australian Wildlife fundraiser
Originally from Melbourne, Gilmartin was introduced to poker in 2008 after working in the Crown Casino marketing department. She began hosting for the Victorian Poker Championship and PokerNews Cup, and in 2009, Gilmartin started at PokerNews presenting coverage at the World Series of Poker.
In 2013, Gilmartin was announced as the host of the WPT Alpha8 series of super high-roller poker tournaments and was subsequently hired by the WPT in September of the same year. She has continued in that role in every season since.
"My commitment has been to shine a spotlight on this industry, this game and the players within it"
"My commitment has been to shine a spotlight on this industry, this game and the players within it," she said. "It's been a privilege. I have so much admiration for this game and for all of you who either play this for a living or just for fun. To receive this award means the world to me, and I'm just so very grateful."
She becomes only the second female inductee of the Australian Poker Hall of Fame after Marsha Waggoner.
Double Bracelet-winner Burns Also Honored
Hachem then took to the stage once more and introduced the second inductee to the Australian Poker Hall of Fame.
"I've been playing with this young man for many years, and I can honestly say I've given him more bad beats than he's given me," Hachem said. "He plays PLO, he plays hold'em and he travels the world. He's been on a tear for the last three years, and won two bracelets in Europe this year. Give it up for Kahle Burns."
"I start playing poker at 18 years old," said Burns. "I was just out of high school and this is the room where it all started. I didn't think it was something I could do to support myself. I just knew it was a game I really loved, and really appreciated the competitive side of things. I just wanted to help pay my way through university, that would be fantastic."
Burns admitted that a lot has changed since he first started playing.
"The game has evolved so much. The average quality of play is just so much higher. There are a lot of recreational players who make the pros from 10 years ago not look so good. I dropped out [of education] at 20 years old to take it seriously, and it's been a fun ride for 12 years.
"I spent the first half mostly in this room grinding cash and it's been cool to see the poker room grow since then. I want to congratulate the staff here at Crown for what they've done with the Aussie Millions as well, they've done a fantastic job."
Kahle Burns Bracelet Wins
| Event | Field | Position | Payout | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event #8: �25,500 Platinum High Roller | 83 | 1st | �596,883 | Recap |
| Event #13: �2,500 Short Deck | 179 | 1st | �101,834 | Recap |
Michael Addamo Wins Young Achiever Award
Aside from the Hall of Fame inductions each year, one player is typically singled out for the Young Achiever Award, marking them as a player to watch going forward.This year, Michael Addamo received the honor.
The Australian won two bracelets in 2018, and followed that up with seven six-figure cashes in 2019 including a third place in the WSOP $50,000 High Roller for $697,375.
Addamo recently moved into third place on the Australian all-time money list, behind Hachem and Burns, adding A$1,073,790 ($741,752) to his career cashes after victory in the A$50,000 Challenge at the 2020 Aussie Millions.
"This young man came out of nowhere a couple of years ago," said Hachem, presenting the award in Addamo's absence. "He had obviously been studying hard, and just tore the scene apart. He's been winning bracelets in Europe, winning 25Ks all around the world and I'm delighted to announce that Michael Addamo is our Young Achiever Award winner."
Australian Poker Hall of Fame Inductees (2009-2020)
| Year | Inducted |
|---|---|
| Legends | Joe Hachem, Jeff Lisandro |
| 2009-10 | Billy Argyros, Lee Nelson, Gary Benson, Mel Judah, Tony G, Maurie Pears, Marsha Waggoner |
| 2010-11 | Leo Boxell, Danny McDonagh |
| 2011-12 | David Gorr, Jason Gray |
| 2014 | Graeme Putt |
| 2015 | Van Marcus |
| 2016 | Joe Cabret |
| 2017 | Manny Stavropoulos |
| 2018 | Grant Levy |
| 2019 | Jonathan Karamalikis |
| 2020 | Lynn Gilmartin, Kahle Burns |
