Empire Poker - Brisbane

ATTENTION PLAYERS
Please Note NO MORE GAMES at Wantima..
However, BIG news incoming....
Please keep an eye on our socials for whats coming next...

🔥 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧. 𝗔. 𝗙𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗔𝗟. 🔥

Thirteen days ago, we opened the doors with one goal—to put on a poker festival that Queensland players would remember.

Today, we look back with an overwhelming sense of pride.

Over 23 incredible events, we witnessed unforgettable hands, heartbreaking bubbles, first-time champions, seasoned veterans proving why they're among the best, and a poker community that continues to grow stronger with every festival.

📊 THE EVOLUTION FESTIVAL BY THE NUMBERS

♠️ 1,572 Total Entries
💰 $389,230 Total Prize Pools
🏆 $15,395 Player of the Series Prize Pool

But these numbers only tell part of the story.

Behind every entry was someone chasing a dream. Every prize pool represented players willing to take their shot. Every final table created memories that will be talked about for years to come.

To everyone who travelled to play, qualified through satellites, battled from the first shuffle to the final river card, tuned into the live streams, shared our posts, and supported Empire Poker—thank you.

This festival wasn't built by one person. It was built by an incredible poker community that believes in what we're creating and offered help to get us over the line.

Congratulations to every champion, every cash finisher, every Player of the Series contender, and every player who pulled up a chair and became part of the journey.

The Evolution Festival may be over...

But this is only the beginning.

See you at the next Empire Festival. ❤️♠️🔥

🏆 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦 🏆

This is what tournament poker is all about.

It's not just about winning one event. It's about turning up, putting yourself in the arena time and time again, battling through the highs and the lows, surviving the bad beats, celebrating the big scores, and continuing to chase greatness.

Player of the Series rewards both excellence and commitment across the entire festival.

For 23 events, these players put everything on the line. Every decision mattered. Every point mattered. Every deep run mattered. The leaderboard was never guaranteed—it had to be earned.

🥇 Cadeyrn Barthelson
💰 $7,697.50
🎯 17 Games Played

An incredible performance from start to finish. Consistent, fearless and deserving of the title.

🥈 James Searle
💰 $4,618.50
🎯 17 Games Played

Pushing all the way to the final event and proving that every point counts in a championship race.

🥉 George Kabourakis
💰 $3,079.00
🎯 20 Games Played

Twenty events. An unbelievable display of commitment, passion and love for the game.

To everyone who chased points throughout the Empire Evolution Festival—thank you. You made this more than just a leaderboard. You made it a championship.

Congratulations to our champions, and congratulations to every player who took a seat, shuffled up and dealt.

The next Player of the Series starts at zero.

Who's ready to write the next chapter? 🔥♠️

🏆🔥 𝗧𝗔𝗬𝗟𝗢𝗥 𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗠𝗘𝗬𝗘𝗥 𝗚𝗢𝗘𝗦 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞-𝗧𝗢-𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞! 🔥🏆

👑 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧! 👑

💰 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗗 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦! 💰

What a way to close out the Empire Evolution Festival!

The Closing 1 Re-Entry – Evolution smashed its $5,000 guarantee, attracting 89 entries and building a huge $14,405 prize pool.

Fresh off winning the $60 Run It Up earlier in the day, Taylor Veltmeyer went back-to-back, producing another outstanding performance to take down the final major event of the festival and collect $4,600.

The win also adds another remarkable chapter to Taylor's Empire Poker résumé.

🏆 He's now won the Closing Event THREE times in the past TWO years.

That's an incredible record in one of Empire's most popular tournaments and a testament to his ability to perform when the pressure is at its highest.

Congratulations also to Krystal Razborsek, Peter Gray, and the rest of a tough final table who battled all the way to the finish.

🏆 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦

🥇 Taylor Veltmeyer — $4,600
🥈 Krystal Razborsek — $3,000
🥉 Peter Gray — $2,100
4️⃣ Samuel Dennis — $1,500
5️⃣ Pedro Mattos — $1,100
6️⃣ Sonny Tafilipepe — $725
7️⃣ Oscar Rouault — $525
8️⃣ George Alessios — $450
9️⃣ Susanne Martin — $405

📊 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆

🎟️ Entries: 89
💰 Prize Pool: $14,405
💵 Buy-in: $200
🃏 Game: No Limit Hold'em
⏱️ Duration: 5 Hours 57 Minutes

Congratulations, Taylor Veltmeyer, on an incredible back-to-back performance and an amazing achievement—three Closing Event titles in just two years. That's a record to be proud of.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀... 𝗜𝘀... 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲! 🔥👑

🏃‍♂️💨 𝗧𝗔𝗬𝗟𝗢𝗥 𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗠𝗘𝗬𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗨𝗡𝗦 𝗜𝗧 𝗨𝗣! 💨🏃‍♂️

🏆 𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗘𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗟𝗘! 🏆

💰 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗠𝗦 $𝟲𝟴𝟱 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗔 𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗧-𝗣𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗧𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘! 💰

Another $60 Run It Up is in the books, with 33 entries creating a $1,465 prize pool and delivering another entertaining afternoon of poker at Empire.

After just 2 hours and 34 minutes, it was Taylor Veltmeyer who came out on top, adding another Evolution Festival trophy to an already impressive series with a $685 first-place finish.

Taylor has had an outstanding festival, consistently finding deep runs and proving to be one of the most dangerous players in the field whenever the cards are in the air.

Congratulations also to Josh Barry, James Haycroft, and James Searle on another strong final table performance.

🏆 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦

🥇 Taylor Veltmeyer — $685
🥈 Josh Barry — $430
🥉 James Haycroft — $210
4️⃣ James Searle — $140

📊 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆

🎟️ Entries: 33
💰 Prize Pool: $1,465
💵 Buy-in: $60
🃏 Format: No Limit Hold'em | Self Dealt | Re-Entry

Congratulations to Taylor Veltmeyer on another fantastic victory and another Empire Evolution Festival title.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀... 𝗜𝘀... 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲! 🔥👑

🏁 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧'𝗦 𝗔 𝗪𝗥𝗔𝗣! – 𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗘𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 🏁

What an incredible way to bring the Empire Evolution series to a close!

A packed room on a Monday night, 84 entries, and an outstanding $14,405 prize pool for our Closing Event. What an amazing way to finish an unforgettable festival! 🔥

💛 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞 𝗬𝗢𝗨!

To every single player who travelled, supported the series, battled at the tables, and helped create such an incredible atmosphere... thank you. Events like these are only possible because of the amazing poker community we've built together.

👏 A huge congratulations to all of our champions throughout the festival. Every trophy, every ring, and every title was well earned.

🙌 A massive thank you to our incredible Empire staff who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, and to everyone who answered the call and stepped in at the last minute when we needed you most. Your dedication doesn't go unnoticed.

❤️ Thank you to our sponsors, our livestream viewers, our commentators, dealers, floor staff, and everyone who helped make Empire Evolution another huge success.

🚀 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚...

If you thought Evolution was big... just wait until you see what we've got planned next.

Trust us... you won't want to miss it. 👀🔥

Come join us today, Monday 3rd August for not only the final day of the Evolution Series, but our final events at Wantima.
$6,000 in GUARANTEES, 2 more trophies to be won and player of the series to be decided...

📌2pm - Run It Up🏆
🔥$1,000 GUARANTEED🔥
$60 Entry
30k Stack
15min Blinds
Unlimited Re-entries

📌5.30pm - Closing Event🏆
🔥$5,000 GUARANTEED🔥
$200 Entry
50k Stack
20min Blinds
1 x Re-entry

⭐️Player of the Series Leaderboard⭐️
https://empirepoker.com.au/player-of-the-series/

🏆🔥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗙 𝗘𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡! 🔥🏆

👑 𝗖𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗬𝗥𝗡 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗜𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗘𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡! 👑

💰 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗦 $𝟮𝟯,𝟬𝟬𝟬! 💰

🏆 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗘𝗦. 𝗙𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗜𝗨𝗠𝗦. 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦. 🏆

What a performance.

Cadeyrn Barthelson has capped off an unforgettable Evolution Festival by conquering the $75,000 GTD Evolution Main Event, navigating a massive 559-entry field to claim the title and the $23,000 first prize.

This wasn't just a Main Event victory—it completed one of the most dominant festival performances we've ever seen at Empire Poker.

🔥 Cadeyrn's Evolution Festival Results

🏆 Main Event Champion – $23,000
🏆 PLO4/PLO5 Rotation Champion – $3,400
🏆 NLH Jackpot Champion – $1,475
🥈 Run It Up – 2nd Place -$550
🥉 Triple Board PLO – 3rd Place - $470

Three championship trophies. Five podium finishes. Deep runs across multiple formats.

With this incredible result, Cadeyrn has taken over the Player of the Series leaderboard, and with only a handful of events remaining, it would take something truly extraordinary to deny him the title.

Congratulations also to our Main Event podium:

🥈 Sheraton Hall – $16,000
🥉 George Kabourakis – $12,000
4️⃣ Jo Bakker – $9,000
5️⃣ Jared Bancroft – $7,000

A huge thank you to everyone who made the Evolution Festival such an incredible success. The support, the atmosphere and the level of poker throughout the series have been outstanding. Just goes to show the talent on the north side of brisbane.

Congratulations, Cadeyrn Barthelson. A phenomenal series, a deserved Main Event title, and what looks set to be a well-earned Player of the Series crown. 👏🏆🔥

🤑🪙Main Event pay outs.
https://empirepoker.com.au/unique-tournament/?id=1274

🏆 𝗞𝗨𝗥𝗧 𝗧𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗣𝗟𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗣𝗟𝗘 𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗪! 🏆

The Triple Triple Draw Championship brought together the Empire Evolution Festival's finest mixed game players for one of the most technically demanding events on the schedule.

Featuring a rotation of Badugi, 2-7 Triple Draw, and Badeucy, the tournament demanded exceptional skill, patience, and versatility. From a quality field of 16 entries, it was Kurt Tucker who once again proved why he's one of the very best mixed game players around.

You'd have to say Kurt Tucker is now Mr. Empire Mixed Games.

With this victory, Kurt captures his second mixed game trophy of the year, further cementing his reputation as Empire's premier mixed game specialist. Whenever there's a mixed game championship on the schedule, Kurt continues to show he's the player everyone has to beat.

Congratulations also to Kota Kagasaki and Matthew Ginn, who battled through another elite mixed game field to complete the podium.

🏆 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦

🥇 Kurt Tucker — $2,250
🥈 Kota Kagasaki — $1,340
🥉 Matthew Ginn — $900

📊 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆

🎟️ Entries: 16
💰 Prize Pool: $4,490
💵 Buy-in: $350
🃏 Games: Badugi • 2-7 Triple Draw • Badeucy

Congratulations to Kurt Tucker on another outstanding mixed game performance and on collecting his second Empire mixed game trophy of the year. It's a remarkable achievement and one that firmly establishes him as one of the festival's standout mixed game champions.

This... Is... Empire! 🔥👑

⚔️ 𝗝𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗔𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗖𝗔𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗟𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗥! ⚔️🏆

The GLADIATOR – EVOLUTION $25,000 GTD once again proved why it's one of the Empire Evolution Festival's premier championship events.

A massive 105 entries stormed the arena, smashing the guarantee and creating an outstanding $34,150 prize pool. After more than 10 hours of relentless poker, only one Gladiator remained standing.

That Gladiator was Jordan Macaulay.

When the final hand was dealt, the emotion was impossible to hide. Overcome with joy, Jordan celebrated a remarkable victory through tears, a moment that captured just how much this title meant. Winning one of the biggest events of the festival is something every player dreams about, and seeing that genuine emotion made the victory even more special.

Everyone at Empire Poker is absolutely thrilled for you, Jordan. Congratulations on an unforgettable performance and a truly deserved championship.

Congratulations also to Shaun Daniels, Justin Park, James Searle, Jon Fulton, Mahdi Mohamadsadegh, Josh Malone, Pujan Shah, Nardi Dance, Lucas Cullen, Ameer Sabri, and ST**FY (Graham Hardstaff) on navigating one of the toughest fields of the festival.

🏆 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦

🥇 Jordan Macaulay — $9,600
🥈 Shaun Daniels — $5,900
🥉 Justin Park — $4,250
4️⃣ James Searle — $3,250
5️⃣ Jon Fulton — $2,550
6️⃣ Mahdi Mohamadsadegh — $2,050
7️⃣ Josh Malone — $1,650
8️⃣ Pujan Shah — $1,300
9️⃣ Nardi Dance — $1,100
🔟 Lucas Cullen — $950
11️⃣ Ameer Sabri — $850
12️⃣ ST**FY (Graham Hardstaff) — $700

📊 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆

🎟️ Entries: 105
💰 Prize Pool: $34,150
💵 Buy-in: $400
🃏 Game: No Limit Hold'em
⏱️ Duration: 10 Hours 13 Minutes

Some victories are measured by the prize money. Others are measured by the emotion they create. Jordan's win was both.

Congratulations on becoming the 2026 GLADIATOR – EVOLUTION Champion!

This... Is... Empire! 🔥👑