November 2007 Archives

By Sean Callander, reporting earlier this week

Sydney is the talk of the TV final table here at the Grand Waldo Hotel and Casino in Macau. “Here comes Sydney, baby,” Scotty Nguyen just declared to the packed audience, referring to the PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour Grand Final which kicks-off on December 12 at Star City in Australia’s largest city.

Fittingly, we’ve just crowned a young Sydneysider the champion of the $15,000 APPT Macau High Roller tournament. Eric Assadourian, a 28-year-old from the Harbour City, honed his poker skills in the Star City poker room, and will be front and centre when the $6,300 buy-in main event kicks-off in his hometown in two weeks.



Assadourian has just bested a field of 64 of the world’s best players to win the first prize of $368,640. After 34 hands of heads-up play with Bo Sehlstedt, Assadourian confirmed his status as one of Australia’s best players and a rising star on the world stage when he called the Swede’s all-in bet of 101,000.



Holding an 8:1 chip lead, Assadourian said “let’s gamble” and showed 9h 8d. The flop is 5h Qc 9c, turn 10s and the river Jd gave Assadourian a pair of nines, sparking celebrations with his good mate Kenny Ng, who followed every hand of the final table.



This win continues a remarkable run for Assadourian over the past 18 months. He burst onto the scene to win the 2006 Melbourne Championships main event (worth $A80,000), knocking out Team PokerStars Pro Joe Hachem in third spot along the way.

He then made the trip across the Tasman Sea to Christchurch where he captured two titles, including the main event and $A100,000, in the 2007 New Zealand Poker Championships.

He also final tabled twice at the recent PokerNews Cup in Melbourne (eighth in Australia’s first H.O.R.S.E. tournament and fourth in the $ 200 No Limit Hold'em event).

Assadourian never looked overawed by the field in this $15,000 APPT Macau High Roller event, which included names such as Hachem, fellow Team PokerStars Pros Vanessa Rousso, Emad Tahtouh, Isabelle ‘No Mercy’ Mercier, Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier, Lee ‘Final Table’ Nelson, Masa Kagawa, Terrance Chan, Guillaume Patry, Dan Schreiber and Barry Greenstein.

Other entrants were 1998 WSOP champion Scotty Nguyen, 2007 WSOP $2000 Seven-card Stud champion Jeff Lisandro, John Juanda, APPT Macau: Asian Poker open main event final table participant Liz Lieu, Chad Brown, Gary Benson, Van Marcus, Yosh Nakano, Kirk Morrison and Nick Schulman.

Assadourian entered the final table in fourth chip position, with all the pressure on his good friend, Team PokerStars Emad Tahtouh. Aiming for his breakthrough win, Tahtouh held a massive chip lead over Sehlstedt, David Paul Steicke, US trio Liz Lieu (making her second final table appearance at the APPT Macau: Asian Poker Open), Scott Numoto and John Juanda, and the sole Hong Kong native at the final table Tony Ng.

Tahtouh rarely looked comfortable at the final table and when he bowed out in fifth just before the dinner break, it was game-on for Assadourian.

Sehlstedt was down to just 30,000 in chips early in the heads-up contest, but rallied back to more than 300,000. But displaying an uncanny ability to read the Swede to the river (he didn’t lose a single hand called to showdown), he rallied back and ended it all just as the clock ticked past midnight, just seven hours after the first hand was dealt.

It’s been an incredibly successful five days for poker’s first foray into the People’s Republic of China. Congratulations to all involved in the first PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour, which set a new record for the biggest tournament (352 players) ever held in Asia.

The APPT Grand Final is shaping as a massive climax to the inaugural APPT season, with more than 600 players expected to generate a prize pool in excess of $A3 million.

See you in Sydney.



PokerStars.net $15,000 APPT Macau High Roller final results:
1. Eric Assadourian, Australia ($US368,640)
2. Bo Sehlstedt, Sweden ($US184,320)
3. David Paul Steicke, Hong Kong ($US110,592)
4. Tony Ng, Hong Kong ($US82,944)
5. Emad Tahtouh, Australia ($US64,512)
6. John Juanda, USA ($US46,080)
7. Scott Numoto, USA ($US36,864)
8. Liz Lieu, USA ($US27,648)

By Sean Callender

Less than two months ago, the concept of a No Limit Texas Hold’em poker tournament in the People’s Republic of China was more hope than reality.

But having already achieved milestone after milestone in 2007 with the biggest poker tournament ever held in the Philippines and the first international event scheduled in South Korea, the PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour team pulled up its sleeves and made something out of nothing to break down the metaphorical ‘Great Wall of Poker’.

As the biggest gaming market in the world, it was only fitting that the poker fever swept into Macau like a typhoon swirling in from the South China Sea.

Over the past week, 352 players arrived at the Grand Waldo Hotel and Casino chasing a slice of poker history every bit as momentous as Johnny Moss’s World Series of Poker victory in 1970 and Chris Moneymaker’s WSOP success in 2003, which spearheaded the online poker boom.


Dihn Le winner of the APPT Macau 2007

The man who will occupy that most important page of poker history is an unlikely hero. A shy and soft-spoken 27-year-old from south London, Dinh Le, swept to victory and a life-changing first prize of $222,460.

Le’s hard exterior, which materialised in an often ultra-aggressive style over the three-day event, is tempered by his humble Vietnamese background. He even listed his occupation as a nail technician – not the hardware variety; his family actually run a beauty shop in south London.

And he exemplifies the poker dream that the APPT has already provided for hundreds of players from more than 40 countries around the world.

Dinh Le was making his first live tournament appearance in Macau – his only poker experience comes from a regular weekly game with some friends, who he described as being “three times better players than me”.

Though somewhat to the international Hold'em circuit, he brought plenty of bravado to the APPT Macau: Asian Poker Open, and showed a particular aptitude for his favourite move: bluffing.

Time and time again, vastly more experienced players were left scratching their heads as to the strength (or otherwise) of the two cards that Dinh Le was holding, right down to the final hand with Singapore’s Ivan Tam.

The 26-year-old Tam, who decided to combine a holiday with the chance to play in Macau (he won his way in via a Mega Satellite here at the Grand Waldo last Thursday), decided to take a stand just eight hands into the heads-up duel.

With the blinds at 20,000/40,000, Dinh raised to 240,000 before Tan bumped it up to 720,000. The impetuous Dinh Le, who had already pushed all-in out of turn on the first hand of heads-up play, again threw his hand in the air to indicate he was all-in, and Tan was quick to call.

Dinh Le turned over one of the most successful hands in major tournaments of recent years: pocket eights. It was the hand that steered both Greg Raymer (2004) and Jerry Yang (2007) to their respective World Series of Poker main event victories.

However, Tan was well in the game with As 10c, but the board of 6s 5s Qd 2h Jd completely missed Tan. However, a $129,536 prize wasn’t a bad souvenir for Tan’s holiday to Macau.

Another tournament first-timer, South Korea’s Sangkyoun Kim, qualified for his trip to Macau via a $11 re-buy tournament on PokerStars, and returned home with a massive profit ($72,864) on his investment.

Good friends and fellow Seoul residents Guillaume Patry (fourth) and Bertrand ElkY’ Grospellier (fifth) did Team PokerStars proud and again showed that they are among the most exciting and talented young players on the planet.

Young Australian casino dealer William Tam made a great decision to invest some PokerStars $W for his Macau buy-in, and recouped some tasty hard currency – $US40,480 – for his trouble.

Our top female finisher was another player of Asian descent, Liz Lieu, who was a most popular addition to the field. The Poker Diva’s seventh place finish was one of her best ever in a major tournament.

Team PokerStars Pro Joe Hachem was shooting for an unbelievable hat-trick of becoming the first player to win a WSOP main event, WPT title and APPT tournament. He fell short in eighth spot, but as always conducted himself admirably and again underlined himself as one of poker’s most esteemed ambassadors.

Simon Randall, a comedy club owner from the UK, made the most of his brief final table experience and the room beaming after collecting ninth spot and $US16,192.

PokerStars.net APPT Macau: Asian Poker Open final results
1. $222,640 Dinh Le (Vietnam)
2. $129,536 Zhong Wei “Ivan” Tan (Singapore)
3. $72,864 Sangkyoun Kim (South Korea)
4. $56,672 Guillaume Patry (Canada)
5. $48,576 Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier (France)
6. $40,480 William Tam (Australia)
7. $32,384 Liz Lieu (USA)
8. $24,288 Joe Hachem (Australia)
9. $16,192 Simon Randall (United Kingdom)

After all his time on the court, you might think Boris Becker would have had enough aces to satisfy him for life. It appears that is not the case. PokerStars has announced that the winner of six grand slam tennis events has joined its stable of players.

Becker is known worldwide as a champion on the tennis court. Now, after years of playing poker for fun, he is setting out to get as good on the poker felt as he was on the court.

“When I was still playing professional tennis, I started learning to play poker casually in-between games because it helped me to improve my concentration,” Becker said. “Now I want to develop my poker skills and challenge myself to become really competitive at the highest levels in poker.”



Though it would take a true student of tennis to understand the similarities in the game, Becker has already noted the strategy, psychology, and decision-making under pressure that is required of both endeavors. He has already embarked on a poker training program that will tap his champion's drive. He already has his eye on some of the biggest poker tournaments in the world.

Becker says we can expect to see him first on the European Poker Tour. He's planning to play at EPT Dortmund in his native Germany and the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo next Spring. The PokerStars blog will have all the news from Becker’s experience on the felt as it happens, plus information on future events he will be taking part in, so keep checking back here for updates.

Congratulations to Boris Becker and PokerStars on a relationship that was almost certainly...love at first sight.

Joe Hachem bouncing a basketball, Noah Boeken kicking a soccer ball into the net, and Daniel Negreanu doing all sorts of things with a hockey stick. What could this be other than the new commercials from PokerStars.net?

The ad campaign centers on that all important aspect that is the hallmark of anyone who reaches the top of their profession – practice. Whether it’s basketball, soccer, hockey or of course poker.

2005 World Series of Poker Champion Joe Hachem puts it nicely, when he says:

“At first you play and maybe you’re not so good. So you practice, and you practice some more, and you know what? Eventually you find your rhythm, your game, and you get better. And there you are - a poker player.”

That’s certainly keeping in the spirit of PokerStars.net, where you can practice for free at becoming the best poker player you can.

To see for yourself click HERE to see Joe, Noah and Daniel in action.

Noah Boeken at the EPT Dublin

There is something to be said for home field advantage. Just ask Team PokerStars' pro Noah Boeken.

The Masters Classics of Poker has long been the biggest poker tournament in all of the Netherlands. Held at the Holland Casino in Amsterdam, the tournament hosts some of the best poker players from all over Europe.

This week, Boeken once again showed his live poker prowess.

Up against more than 400 tough poker pros, Boeken went on the attack in his home city. Competing for a prize pool of more than €2 million, Boeken battled all the way to the final table. His fourth place finish earned him nearly €140,000.

It was not the first win he had that week.

"Straight back from my 14th place finish in the EPT Dublin, I arrived at the Amsterdam airport two hours prior to the start of the second tournament of the week," Boeken said.

That event was a €200 rebuy no-limit hold'em tourney. He sat down just in time for the first hand. His momentum from Dublin carried him forward. He finished second out of 298 players and picked up what he called "a small €30,000 payday."

After that, he went to work on the big event. Once he reached the final table, he was seventh place in chips. He said he couldn't get anything going ultimately busted in fourth place.

"Looking back at the final, I should be happy with my result," he said. "I didn't start with many chips and in the seven hours I was on this table, I had no other choice than to survive with the cards that where dealt to me. All in all, it's been a great two weeks for me and I hope I can continue my good run in the upcoming tournaments."

Congratulations, Noah, on a great finish.

In a good portion of the poker playing world the leaves have fallen off the trees, the air is growing colder, and the idea of wearing short sleeves is met with raised eyebrows. However, in the land down under summer is just getting started and if you're looking for warmer climes in which to get your game on look no further than the Asia Pacific Poker Tour's Grand Final in Sydney, Australia.

PokerStars is planning to send more than 200 of its players to Australia to compete in the big event which is already looking to have a prize pool of more than $2.7 million.

It marks a thrilling conclusion to the APPT’s first season, a far eastern rival to the EPT on European soil starting 12 December. Check back here for news of how the event unfolds.

The time, 10.45am UK time. The day, Wednesday 24 October. The place, table ‘ingwelde’. The result, not so good.

As detailed earlier on the blog I’ve set out on a round-the-games journey on PokerStars.net, playing all variants of poker, starting with the first leg, and hour in the rough waters of 2-7 Triple draw. “2-7 triple what?” I hear you say.

Well that’s the point. Poker goes far beyond just hold’em and I wanted to find out what other games are like. So armed with a few notes I got started. My head was full of ideas and of great things, and I expected the 2,000 starting stack I’d decided on to give me ample time to grip to grips with how things worked.

The reality was much different, and once again my optimism had been unable to keep pace with the reality of the scene.

Triple draw requires you to chase the lowest possible hand which on the surface sounds easy enough (doesn’t it?) but I came out at the other end battered, bruised and relieved of a good chunk of my starting bankroll. So what should I have done? What does it take it to punch your weight in a triple draw game?


Team PokerStars Pro Greg Raymer – a leading authority on triple draw

I’ll get to that. First my own opinions, based around my first thoughts following an hour of having it clearly shown to me that I was the worst player at the table. Ordinarily a good policy in these situations is to get up from the table and find another game. But with my fighting spirit, and utter professionalism, this didn’t seem right.

The intricacies of triple draw are numerous. Firstly you’re dealt five cards (yes five cards hold’em players) then a round of betting follows. A further two draws are permitted, each separated by a round of betting, which increases to the larger increment (e.g. 10 in a 5-10 game) for the last two rounds. The player with the lowest hand wins. Aces are high, straights and flushes are bad, making the best hand 7-5-4-3-2.

That’s the official version.

I managed to make such a simple process a very complicated and costly exercise. To begin with I noticed I was losing chips quite quickly, about a quarter of my starting stack of 2,000 every fifteen minutes. Well, I thought, at least I’ll survive the hour. But it’s always a good plan to plug up the leak – which in my case was as basic as playing too many hands.

As a beginner in triple draw the tendency is to think of the three draws as ‘three lives’, ample time to rescue an otherwise mediocre hand. I decided to play fewer hands. But this is easier said than done as, I find, in the right light most hands look pretty good.

4 6 7 5 T – looks okay. In early position I make a cheeky bet of 40 and get three callers. I swap the ten for a six to make a rotten pair. Not good. I make another bet of 40 (too low?) and still have three callers. This time I swap the six and get a four back, a lower pair now but still a pair. My plan to bet and chase people from the pot isn’t working so I sit back, checking and swapping the four for... a three! Great! No, wait... this makes a straight, 3-7. A good hold’em hand - a bad triple draw hand. For not considering what cards I needed and my chances of getting them I was down to 1,895.

This lunacy obviously had to stop so I knuckled down to play even less hands. I was effectively a spectator in the game now but at least the leak had stopped. Or it had until I was dealt a nine-high hand which I thought looked good only to be chased to the end of the hand with a player by the name of ‘Illinois 7’ with eight-low. You really do need the best of it to have any reasonable chance of winning.

Standing amidst the wreckage I was now down to 1,425. It’s easy to lose chips in this game, difficult to win them. Taking further drastic measures I decide to fold everything for 15 minutes.

Watching others play one important factor appeared to be getting a strong hand and playing it aggressively, something I knew but failed to put into practice. Without a seven low hand you had little chance of winning the pot. Too often I would settle for eight low, nine low and even ten low with predictable results.

Out of self-imposed exile I stand pat on a hand thinking I have the best of it, and feel and look stupid when it’s easily crushed by a player named ‘Koeloe’ who has the pleasure of seeing me call his all-in seven-low bet on the end. I feel stupid.

Suddenly I’m dealt an eight-low hand, 8-5-6-4-2. I bet the pot and stand pat; adopting the coward’s policy that anything I do now will only darken the situation.
I’m still standing pat when I bet again with two other players still drawing and calling. ‘Nette 26’ calls on the end and has an eight-low with 8-5-6-4-3, but my deuce is better. Finally I win a pot and to my shame type “woohoo!” in the chat box, which doesn’t go down well and in some circles is considered a sign of your amateurish status. It’s met by silence, like I’d offended the host of a party. They were well into the hand by the time I’d finished looking for praise in the chat box.

That was the high point. I quickly returned to my former ways, losing what I’d gained. By the end of the hour I was just happy to have chips I could take to a game next week. But I still wanted to play one last hand. However difficult triple draw is to get the hang of it remains one of the most fun to play. Four minutes left. “Be quick” I think to myself, ignoring another wise lesson of not chasing losses.

I get a jack-high hand. This will do. I bet big, getting an unwelcome call from ‘luckygalny’. I swap the jack but get an ace. From bad to worse. ‘luckygalny’ then bets and I call, knowing I should fold but still looking for one my swansong hand. Maybe I’ll catch a miracle? I discard the ace. I get an ace back. Now I know I’m being punished by the gods for trying too much. I’m stuck in no man’s land, no use pretending to be ahead. I give up the charade. He bets a few hundred and I fold. My hour is up.

I finish with 1,330. The flourish I’d been hoping for failed to turn up and I took a loss of 670 from the 2,000 I started with -- hardly sustainable. I came away with my own pointers. Play fewer hands, and when you do play aggressively and don’t expect draws to help you out. Also, remember that there are only four sevens in the pack, and other players will be looking for those too. You really do need the best of it to win.

Anyone trying triple draw for the first time will have their own experience so get in touch if you discovered your own wisdom along the way. As for my 1,330, I’ll just have to bump it up playing the next game in this tour around the tables. That will be Omaha.

EPT Dublin winner Reuben Peters

When Reuben Peters sat down at the table today he was the first player to go all-in. It was the first hand and he pretty much had to. As one of the short stacks he knew he wouldn’t have long to double up and position himself better to make it through the day. As it turned out no one called the all-in. Had they done it might have changed the outcome of EPT Dublin, but it was a fighting spirit that kept the PokerStars player from Colorado alive, and ultimately led him to the moment when he would seemingly defy logic and become the latest EPT champion.

How it looked at the start of the day:

Seat 1: Thierry Van Den Berg, 35, from Holland – PokerStars player – 274,000
Seat 2: Daan Ruiter, 24, Groningen, Holland – 646,000
Seat 3: Reuben Peters, 45, from Colorado, USA – PokerStars player – 176,000
Seat 4: Annette Obrestad, 19, from Norway – 788,000
Seat 5: Anders Pettersson, 20, from Sweden, PokerStars player – 166,000
Seat 6: Casper Hansen, 24, from Denmark. PokerStars player – 360,000
Seat 7: Trond Eidsvig, 22, Aalesund, Norway – 184,000
Seat 8: Michael Durrer, 42, from Germany, PokerStars player – 247,000
Seat 9: Reijo Manninen , 47, from Helsinki, Finland – PokerStars player - 480,000


In certain segments of society there exist people who are different to everyone else. Greeted in awe by the world’s followers these uber-folk are called by their first name and first name only. Ever since the WSOP Europe named its inaugural winner the poker world has known one of its number by the name ‘Annette’, and nothing more.

It has been a word spoken in reverential terms here in Dublin, even before she looked likely to follow her success in London by winning her first EPT. Miss Obrestad - and that may be the last time her surname is ever used - barged through to the front of the pack on day two and didn’t look back. And today she took an incredible lead all the way into the heads-up match with Reuben.


The final table gets underway

He had been just one of eight players treated like sparring partners. Deft at using her stack to maximum effect Annette doled out punishment at every turn with five players eventually done and dusted at the hands of the Norwegian.

First it was Casper Hansen. When he found queens he pushed in finding Annette meeting him there with pocket aces. The Danish PokerStars player took €30,630 for ninth place. Thierry van den Berg, another PokerStars player, went next 30 minutes later. He moved in on a flop featuring two aces only to be called by Dutchman Daan Ruiter who held a third. Thierry had tried the bluff and it had blown up in his face. Out with an ‘Oops’, Thierry took away €47,650 for eighth place.

The next twenty minutes saw a further two players exit, both PokerStars players from a six strong final. First it was the German Michael Durrer. He beat his 12th place finish in Baden last month, but was clobbered by Trond Eidsvig here when he moved in with A-Q only for Trond to show Q-Q. It didn’t finish Michael, but the 20k it left him with went in next hand. Annette added the finishing touches, sending Michael to the wings.

He was followed by Anders Pettersson, a 20-year-old PokerStars player from Sweden, who pushed in with Q-7. Trond called with A-3, the ace being enough. In a little over an hour we were down to five players, with Anders gone in sixth place for €83,380.

By now Annette had a stack of 1.3million, ahead of Daan Ruiter on 770k. But second in chips was no guarantee of safety and when Daan lost a pot to Reijo Manninen, which doubled up the Finnish PokerStars player, his tournament was suddenly in jeopardy. Moving all-in behind a raise from Annette, Daan cringed when his A-T was bettered by her A-J. It was the difference of one rank in the deck, but a huge difference in the tournament. The Dutch railbirds called out their support but the board brought no favours. Daan was out in fifth place for €105,510.

Meanwhile, with all attention focused on the Norwegian wunderkind, Reuben Peters tried hard not to be a piece of the scenery on Annette's road to victory. He moved in shortly before the break, Q-J diamonds against Annette’s A-K. The flop 9-2-8, with two diamonds, gave Reuben options with a gutshot straight and a flush draw. As it turned out he needed neither with the queen on the river doubling him up. Play merged into the break and players stretched their legs, and we’d seen the eventual winner flex a few muscles. But most people had missed it.

Such was the pace it was not long after the break that Trond Eidsvig’s tournament came to an end. Again it was Annette and for a second time she did the deed with aces. Trond left in a slight state of shock, his face pleading for sympathy from someone somewhere and it was easy to understand his confusion. We can only hope the €127,630 for fourth place will settle his shredded nerves.

It had now become even more one-sided. Was it simply a matter of time before Annette finished off Reuben and Reijo and cement her legend into fact? What if Reuben eliminated Reijo? He’d have close to a million chips and be a double up away from seizing the tournament by the throat? It seemed feasible for those wanting to deny one player’s dominance, but it wouldn’t happen.

When PokerStars player Reijo Manninen went it was Annette forcing him to leave. Behind on the showdown, A-3 to Reijo’s A-J, he would depart in third place when the three hit the turn. €178,680 for the Finn.


Reuben Peters and Annette Obrestad heads-up

Annette still had Reuben to beat. He’d seen the turmoil, the players repeatedly thwacked by the 19- year-old girl with a reputation that stretches back to Oslo. Not much was seen or heard of Annette even as she played in full view of the rail this week. Hidden by a fringe, sunglasses and a stack of chips to her chin, she only came out from behind her stack to shake the hand of the vanquished.

The hypothetical plot to topple Annette seemed crushed. Or was it?

Out of synch with events so far Reuben was thrown a lifeline, doubling up when he pushed with bottom two pair and found Annette calling with top pair. It gave Reuben the million chips he would need to have a chance of catching her, a pot which she would later say was a mistake to play.

Then the hand came that would turn the game on its head. Following a Reuben bet Annette re-raised, over 100k more. Reuben called, watching as Annette bet 420k. With a hand that would remain a mystery he moved all-in. Annette couldn’t risk it and folded. Suddenly the switch that no one thought possible just 30 minutes earlier had come about, and it would culminate with a stunning victory just a few minutes later. The flop read T-6-3. Annette bet 230k before Reuben made the decision to settle it then and there. "All-in."

Eyes were on Annette now. She reached for a bottle of water and took a sip, and another, and a third. After the fifth sip she slowly screwed the top back on the bottle, very slowly, like she was ringing its neck. "Call."

A-T for Reuben, pocket sevens for Annette who made an involuntary 'shh' noise when she showed her cards. A four on the turn - she would need a seven or a five. A three came instead and the EPT Dublin was all over. Annette would have to take second, but PokerStars player Reuben Peters from Colorado USA, was able to breathe a sigh of relief. He’d sealed an incredible and unlikely victory, become an EPT champion. He’s now €532,620 richer and has a place in the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo next year.


Quotes:

Reuben Peters, winner

“Today I was getting horrible cards and Annette just ran over the table. But the blinds weren’t big so there was no panic, I felt like I could take my time.

“I was not supposed to win this. I was down to five big blinds yesterday. I started as one of the short stacks and needed to double up. I got lucky, but it’s good to get lucky in poker.

“When I got some cards I was able to play back her. That’s the first time I’ve met her face to face. It’s by far my biggest win to date.”

What will he spend the money on?

A vacation and it’ll help pay for my kids education. Charlie, 12 and Martha-Jane, 14.


Annette Obrestad, runner-up

Going into the final, did you think you would win?

“Heads up I thought I could win. But I made a few mistakes. I meant to bet 220k but bet 420k by mistake. I also made a mistake on the two pair hand.”

You impressed a lot of people this week

“I’m not happy though.”

It’s fair to say that at the start of day three there were a few players expected to make it to the latter stages of today. Big chip stacks can be hard to shift and without a double up or two anything less than an average stack can quickly become fodder for the mammoths lurking in every hand.



Annette Obrestad was one such player most expected to see at the final after her burst of speed late last night. Andy Black too arrived this afternoon with a distinct advantage as chip leader. But whilst Annette makes her first EPT final table appearance tomorrow, it’s Andy Black who this week has peddled in on his bike from home to play, that is left out in the cold - tenth place, missing out on what would have been his second EPT final.

Going into the day Team PokerStars Pros Noah Boeken and Luca Pagano both had their sights on the prize. For Luca it would be the chance to better his third place finish back in Barcelona in season one; for Noah the chance to become the first player to win two EPT titles.

But it would not to be so for either player. Luca was out first today in 24th place, remarkably the third time he’s finished in that position, whilst Noah lasted longer but fell in 14th place, eliminated by Andy Black who at that time was dominating the table with a stack big enough to jeopardize the integrity of the table legs.

There were extremes, from Black’s lead to Finnish PokerStars qualifier Reijo Manninen’s heroic battle to hold on with his fingernails, spending what appeared to be the whole day as the short stack. In between were PokerStars players like Thierry van den Berg and Casper Hansen. Both had flirted with the chip lead this week but were now neither out front or lagging behind.

Along the way we lost PokerStars players Kenneth Hicks Jr., Zaid Kaady, Martin Green and Jan Veit. Arshad Hussein also suffered, eliminated in what was his best EPT performance since the Grand Final in season two, where he finished second to Jeff Williams.

But it was Annette Obrestad, who must be most people favourite to win EPT Dublin tomorrow, who maintained her dominance on 788k, safely amassing a chip lead that will be hard work to defeat tomorrow. Daan Ruiter, almost flying under the radar today, would finish the day in second place with 646k whilst Reijo Manninen, in a late run that started with polite humour, finished the day third in chips on 480k.


A full run down of tomorrow’s final looks like this:

Seat 1 – Thierry van den Berg – Holland – PokerStars player – 274k
Seat 2 – Daan Ruiter – Holland – 646k
Seat 3 – Reuben Peters – USA – PokerStars player -- 176k
Seat 4 – Annette Obrestad – Norway – 788k
Seat 5 – Anders Pettersson – Sweden – PokerStars player – 166k
Seat 6 – Casper Hansen – Denmark – PokerStars player – 360k
Seat 7 – Tronde Eidsvig – Norway – 184k
Seat 8 – Michael Durrer – Germany – PokerStars player – 247k
Seat 9 – Reijo Manninen – Finland – PokerStars player – 480k

It makes for six PokerStars players in the final nine and the distinct possibility that for only the second time the EPT will have a female winner.

As for Andy Black he proves yet again that he is one of the best tournament players in the world, but his collapse leaves him waiting a little longer to beat his 7th place finish at the Monte Carlo Grand Final earlier this year.

Just 24 players remain in the EPT Dublin, who staggered away from Industry Hall yesterday at close to midnight with a relieved look in their eyes. For some it was reward for an intense day at the coal face. For others it was a day of maneuvering for the big push that starts this afternoon.

By now there’s a certain familiarity in Industry Hall. It’s the fourth day here for some, the journey from the hotel to here has had a few minutes shaved off and Dublin is quickly becoming home. Others just want to hang around, dive into a cash game or explore the bar.

Dublin is world renowned for this flash of hospitality. As old rocker Ronnie Wood once said “I go off into Dublin and two days later I'm spotted walking by the Liffey with a whole bunch of new friends.”

I’m not sure I could find the river Liffey from here but I think I know what he means. It’s also said that in Dublin you are more likely to be bought a drink by a stranger than anywhere else in Ireland, although I’m still waiting confirmation on that.

Still, you might be more prone to feeling chipper here if it’s your chip stack measuring something like 300k and you’re guaranteed €10,210 no matter what. In that case everyone is your friend.

The last 24 who return tomorrow...

Andy Black – Ireland – 350,300
Annette Obrestad – Norway – 284,700
Simon Munoz – Spain – 278,100
Casper Hansen – Denmark – PokerStars player – 241,800
Johnny Lodden – Norway – 208,600
Ludovic Lacay – France – 200,700
Thierry Van Den Berg – Holland – PokerStars player -- 200,200
Noah Boeken -- Holland – Team PokerStars Pro -- 158,500
Kenneth Hicks Jr. – USA – PokerStars player -- 149,800
Kristian Kjøndal -- Norway – 144,500
Anders Pettersson – Sweden -- PokerStars player -- 126,800
Daan Ruiter – Holland – 114,700
Michiel Brummelhuis – Holland – 106,400
Reijo Manninen -- Finland – 103,500
Ziad Kaady – USA – PokerStars player – 97,200
Michael Durrer – Germany – PokerStars player – 96,100
Martin Green – UK – PokerStars player – 90,800
Tronde Eidsvig – Norway – 76,700
Jan Veit -- Germany – PokerStars player -- 76,400
Luca Pagano – Italy – Team PokerStars Pro – 55,200
Guillaume de la Gorce – France – 54,600
Reuben Peters – USA -- PokerStars player – 42,200
Csaba Malnai – Hungary – 30,900
Arshad Hussain – UK – 29,900

Talk about third time unlucky. For the third time in his EPT days Dave Colclough was eliminated on the bubble - it’s enough to make you pack it all-in. That was how day 2 of the EPT Dublin ended, the day the big stacks began to make themselves known, and one or two of those make even them look small.


Dave Colclough

It began with a contrast between the rich and poor. Seth Blackman was poorest of those. The PokerStars player returning today with 5k and made it through a good chunk of the first level of the day before the inevitable came.

But it was a strong PokerStars field with 43 players starting, some of whom with the added discomfort of a tough draw. Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano might have felt aggrieved to be alongside Brandon Schaeffer, Johnny Lodden and Alan Smurfit first thing this afternoon but made it through the day regardless. Noah Boeken too, still in the hunt for a second EPT title, made it through the day, hopping from tables with a stack that continued to climb.

There were mixed results for others. Runar Runarsson, the pilot from Iceland was on auto-pilot for a while before the wings fell off. He spent much of the day next to fellow PokerStars player Phidias Georgiou who looked set to repeat his EPT London heroics before crashing out within sight of the money.


Thierry van den Berg

Meanwhile the lead switched between a handful of players. PokerStars player Casper Hansen was one, dethroning the leader at the start of the day Frenchman Ludovic Lacay. At the other end some did their best to hang on. Jan Veit, who immersed himself yesterday with Irish tourist culture of the non-alcoholic kind by playing in a large green top hat, was earmarked to suffer, hanging on with below average chips as the money crawled closer from over the horizon. PokerStars player Thierry van den Berg put in a great performance, as did Kenneth Hicks Jr. and Anders Pettersson.


Andy Black earlier today

But the main story of the day was reserved for Annette Obrestad. The 19-year-old WSOP Europe winner had been in the middle of the pack all day. But like a sprinter kicking for home she emerged towards the latter stages, out done only by Andy Black and his huge wall of chips – and all to the amazement of the spectators on the rail.

Stirring stuff. The 24 survivors deserved their round of applause, even if it was at the expense of Dave Colclough. It’s all done. The money will be distributed as play continues tomorrow, but for now it’s time for sleep and a casual guess at who among those left has what it takes to still be here tomorrow night and in good shape to win.

A player's name is spelled wrong , it causes confusion, irritation and no one knows who any one is anymore.

Blogs, reports, official tournament lists - it makes for thousands of names written down by hurried staff processing hundreds of players in quick time –from America to Australia, Sweden to South Africa; from countries that rely less on consonants than some and more on letters absent from a standard keyboard than others. Sometimes the consonants get missed. Sometimes they're written in the wrong order.

The text book case of mistaken identity occurred at the World Series of Poker this year when a Swedish player handed over his driving license as identification, trusting that this would do for I.D. It did, and he was duly registered, only it was under the name ‘Sverige Korkort’ –the name he then went by for the duration of the Series. It was the equivalent of being called ‘Department of Motor Vehicles’ in the US or ‘Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’ in the UK. I suppose you’d add Mr or Miss in there somewhere but we may never know his real name. But we know he can drive.

That’s an extreme case but it’s something that crops up at event after event. Someone mishears a name or a player’s handwriting looks like he slipped and his name disappears forever, or reappears when you least expect it. It’s not deliberate, just the price of bigger fields, bigger prize pools and a higher profile for poker. We’ve come a long way since the days when you kept your name to yourself. I not sure we should go back to that, but at least I could have spelled it.

A new day, a new chance to turn your tournament around. Isn’t that the spirit? Some will think that, but if your chip stack makes more of a riffling noise when it’s tipped out of the plastic bag your sights will be on greater things. Then again if you believe in the romance of poker you might say anyone still permitted sit and pay tournament blinds has a chance of final table glory. Like the old lottery saying - you have to buy the ticket to have any chance of winning.

But luck forms only a part of a poker player’s repertoire – as anyone will say - and a little more is needed to prevail at this level. Enter the realists who might look towards the top of the chip counts, to people like Lusovic Lacay and Liam Flood, or PokerStars players Michael Martin and Phidias Georgiou, as among those likely to succeed. They are at the top of the pile, but such is the game their fall can come as quickly as the rise of tail end Charlie.

One thing is for certain. If the most valiant of valiant stories is to be written it will involve the man coming to Industry Hall today with the lowest number of chips, and for the sake of 150 that man is PokerStars player Seth Blackman with 5,000, behind fellow PokerStars player Mark Bointon with 5,150.


PokerStars player Seth Blackman

"I think it's pretty obvious..." said Seth, aware that his situation is most acute today. "I'll look for a chance to move all-in and see what happens. I figure I'm only four double ups from the chip lead."

It's the kind of spirit in the face of adversity that makes this game so great.

As the day winds on we’ll find out how much romance is left. We’ll also see just how likely a double EPT winner will be, with Team PokerStars Pro Noah Boeken, Andreas Hoivold and Poker Stars player Brandon Schaeffer still focused on that goal.

It was a tough day for some, a better day for others. Halloween is supposed to bring all sorts of weird creepy things into the world for a day, so the hyper-superstitious may have been a little weary as they settled down for seven levels or elimination – whichever came first.

A typically stronger field for day 1b which found few tables getting an easy ride. The plight of Justin Francis and Tom Bentham was explored in depth before Tom found his tournament hopes quashed in a late hand when it seemed a trip back here for day 2 was all but in the bag. It was not to be.

The same went for Daniel Tarnapol who’s day was divided into two. The first part was his several hours of comfortable chip building. The second part was the two minute hand that saw him out and heading for the hotel, out in level 5.

But anyone finding themselves on the rail was in good company. Past EPT Dublin winners Ram Vaswani and Roland De Wolfe were out in the early stages, so too Thomas Wahlroos. EPT Baden winner Julian Thew was also out, his A-K falling short to his opponent’s pair which was good enough.

The day was beset with exits. Roy Brindley was forced out in the closing stages of the day, so too Patrick Bruel. But it plainer sailing for other, including Team PokerStars Pros Katja Thater and Luca Pagano. They had spent the day together watching as a flurry of others stopped by their table before moving on.

But opening days are always volatile and there will always be dramatic exits. Tomorrow tooas the 75 survivors from today join with the 48 who made it safely through day 1a. Day 2 is just around the corner with the money on the horizon. Cards will take to the air once more at 2pm.

Industry Hall

Industries Hall has little left to show of its past and the factory that used to operate here. Big doors along each side - the type you’d see in aircraft hangers revealing a blimp or the space shuttle - are one of a few tell tale signs of what used to be. That’s all behind it now, a world of exhibitions, horse trials and the like are its main preoccupation now.

And of course poker.

In that case Industry Hall is not alone in diversifying. Poker players have varied backgrounds too, for example Luca Pagano used to run a disco. And he taught people to use computers - “A lifetime ago... maybe two or three lifetimes ago...”

What about everyone else?

EPT winner Pascal Perrault -- pharmacist
Hendon Mobster Barny Boatman -- journalist
Team PokerStars pro Noah Boeken -- door-to-door salesman
PokerStars player Phidias Georgiou -- civil engineer
Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier -- um, Starcraft player
Dave Colclough -- inland revenue
WPT and EPT winner Roland De Wolfe -- journalist
Team PokerStars Pro Katja Thater -- horse breeder
EPT Dortmund Champ Andreas Hoivold -- cartoon collector
Norwegian pro Age Spets -- real estate
EPT Baden winner Julian Thew -- draughtsman
Andreas Hagen -- school teacher
Team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri – Magic player
Tony Cascarino -- international footballer
Christiano Blanco -- sports journalist
Patrick Bruel -- actor and singer

Proof finally that you don’t need to have to be a maths genius (Thor Hansen excluded) or have just left college to make it in this game – although statistically that may help. It also pays to be good at poker, which is the running theme among all of the above.

Now of course their labour is poker, where the average player will work 12 hours a day with an hour break with no pension or health care provision, and an hourly rate than can vary between “I’d rather not say” and “can you carry that big check for me?” Hmm. The old job wasn’t so bad after all.