Online qualifier completes Poker Million semis line up - 21/07/2009

Online qualifier Peter Vasiliou beat four pros in a turbo heat to earn his place in the star studded first semi-final of the FullTiltPoker.com Poker Million VIII.

Walker and Wardrop lead the way in Devon

Vasiliou was runner-up in heat three and took his seat against WPT winner Gavin Smith, EPT champs Joao Barbosa and Mike McDonald, inaugural Poker Million champion John Duthie and fellow online qualifier Adam Carey. The senior travel consultant from Woolwich in London managed to get heads-up with Smith and defeated the Canadian to join the stellar line up in October.

WSOPE winner Annette Obrestad, two-time Poker Million finalist Tony Bloom, Premier League winner Juha Helppi, Luke "_FullFlush1_" Schwartz, Nam Le and Paul Zimbler will compete in the first semi-final, taking place on October 9 at Sky Sports studios in London.

"It's brilliant, I just can't believe it!" said the 36 year-old, who qualified online at FullTiltPoker.com. "I had a great time and I can't wait to come back in October and have another go."

Obrestad won the first heat of the event, getting past McDonald, Hendon Mobster Ram Vaswani, 2002 WSOP main event runner-up Julian Gardner, Josh Gould and Paul Hammond.

Luke Schwartz has created a storm winning millions of dollars online and showed he can do the business on TV, getting past Premier League Poker star Tony G, WSOP bracelet holders Bill Edler and Mark Vos and online qualifier Matthew Denmark before getting the better of John Duthie heads-up.

Bloom got the better of Vasiliou heads-up in a lengthy third heat which included fellow former finalist and WSOP bracelet holder Mel Judah, Hendon Mob man Ross Boatman, Richard Ashby and European Open champion Roberto Romanello.

Paul Zimbler defeated Carey heads-up, with the online qualifier man from Manchester making an incredible debut on television, knocking out Andy Greekfish with kings versus queens, WSOP bracelet holder Lee Watkinson with aces and ousting Marco Traniello before he and Zimbler saw off Liam Flood to go heads-up.

You can still qualify online at FullTiltPoker.com for the second set of heats which take place on October 6-8 - with Howard Lederer, Phil Laak, Jennifer Tilly, JC Tran, Tom "Durrrr" Dwan and Gus Hansen part of a all-star second set of players aiming to reach December's live final.

The first heats of the FullTiltPoker.com Poker Million VIII begin airing on Sky Sports from September 1.