Posts Tagged ‘Jake Cody’
Sam El Sayed Wins WPT Amneville
While the attention of the poker world was focused on the 2010 World Series of Poker November Nine, the World Poker Tour (WPT) made its first stop ever in Amneville, France for a €3,200 event. With an outpouring of support from some of the best players in Europe, Sam El Sayed emerged as the champion of the tournament after a 12-hour final table.
WPT Amneville, sponsored by PartyPoker.fr, drew an outstanding 542 players to build a prize pool eclipsing €1.73 million. Among those who passed on the pomp and circumstance of the party in Las Vegas to battle for the latest WPT championship included former WPT Player of the Year Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, defending WPT London Poker Classic champion Jake Cody, and French poker superstars Arnaud Mattern, Nicholas Levi, Bruno Fitoussi, and Isabelle Mercier. Although none of these top pros walked away with any of the prize money, there was plenty of action on the tables to satisfy the European poker community.
El Sayed led the battle as the eight-handed final table started on Saturday afternoon. With over 4.8 million in chips, El Sayed held a sizeable advantage over his closest competitor, Ilan Boujenah, while the remainder of the final table looked to rise up the leaderboard. The players wasted little time in getting the chips flying on the felt, with the first elimination occurring slightly over an hour in when Georges Chehade held the sucker end of a straight against the nut straight of Wilfried Bresson.
El Sayed continued to apply pressure to the final table, winning many hands pre-flop against his wary tablemates. He would give up that lead, however, against the last woman standing in Amneville, Nesrine Kourdourli; the hand catapulted Nourdourli to the top of the chip counts and left El Sayed in second.
With the action down to seven players, it seemed as if everyone held the chip lead at some point. El Sayed stayed in the game by dumping Julien Robert in seventh place. Nourdourli, however, gave up the lead to a charging Boujenah after his top pair held up against Nourdourli’s wheel draw in a nearly nine million chip pot. Then, Franck Pepe surged to the point, spurred on when his nut flush trumped El Sayed’s king-high flush for over six million in chips.
With four players remaining, El Sayed sat on the short stack with Pepe, Boujenah, and Nourdourli arranged in front of him. El Sayed began a meticulous grind to outlast both Nourdourli and Pepe and, once heads-up action began, held a 2-1 lead over Boujenah. As the players moved into the 12th hour of action, El Sayed was able to chop away at the chip stack of Boujenah before taking him out.
On that final hand, El Sayed made a raise to 800,000 from the big blind, which was called by Boujenah. After a 6-4-10 rainbow flop, Boujenah check-called another 800,000 bet from El Sayed. The turn, a jack of clubs, completed the rainbow and opened the floodgates. Boujenah checked, El Sayed put in two million in chips, and Boujenah came all-in over the top. El Sayed wasted little time in calling, tabling pocket kings against Boujenah’s K-10. Once the river blanked with another jack, El Sayed was crowned the champion of WPT Amneville:
1. Sam El Sayed, €426,425
2. Franck Pepe, €229,613
3. Ilan Boujenah, €161,550
4. Nesrin Kourdourli, €109,886
5. William Bresson, €79,545
6. Jean-Paul Pasqualini, €62,323
7. Julien Robert, €46,743
8. Georges Chehade, €34,442
Along with the €426,425 for his first place finish, El Sayed also took home a WPT bracelet and, perhaps more importantly, a seat at the WPT Championship at the Bellagio in April. Pepe, in addition to his €229,613 payout, earned a seat at the 2011 WPT Rendezvous a Paris at the Aviation Club.
After the cash was awarded, WPT President Adam Pliska stated, “We’d like to congratulate Sam Al Sayed on his win and all the players that made the final table. We look forward to welcoming Sam to the Bellagio for the WPT World Championship. The tremendous efforts made by the Seven Casino and the truly impressive attendance record at the inaugural WPT Amneville, presented by PartyPoker.fr, cement it as a must-attend stop for players for the future.”
The WPT still has three non-U.S. stops on its Season 9 schedule, with one more occurring before the end of the year. The WPT will return to Marrakech, Morocco, from November 27th to 30th for its second ever tournament in North Africa. Reigning champion Christophe Savary is expected to defend his title against such notable professionals as Liz Lieu, Andy Black, and Liv Boeree. The non-U.S. swing of the WPT will finish with stops in Venice in early February and Vienna in late March.
Cody Back in France as Action Underway at WPT Amneville
A total of 260 players registered for the €3200+€300 event at Seven Casino d’Amneville in the north-east region of France, including famous French pros Nicolas Levi, Arnaud Mattern and EPT Deauville and WPT London champ Jake Cody.
112 players survived the day with Georges Chehade taking the overnight lead.
Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier is among those expected to play on the second Day 1 flight Wednesday along with fellow French pros Ludovic Lacay and Antony Lellouche.
A total of 57 players qualified for the event online through PartyPoker.
WPT Amneville runs through Nov. 6.
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Tags: Jake Cody
World Poker Tour Heads to Marrakech in November
This November, the World Poker Tour (WPT) will once again head to the historic and picturesque city of Marrakech, Morocco, for its second ever poker tournament in the North African region.
For this year’s version, co-sponsors Chili Poker and the WPT have teamed up to make the stop at the Casino de Marrakech a full-blown festival for poker players. The event will begin on November 20th with a €500 Deep Stack event. According to Chili Poker, professionals who will be on hand for the Deep Stack tournament include Chili Poker sponsored pro Liz Lieu, Irish poker professional Andy Black, and European Poker Tour (EPT) champions Sandra Naujoks and Liv Boeree.
The Main Event of the 2010 WPT Marrakech will be the €5,000 buy in No Limit Hold’em tournament that will begin on November 27th, with the champion crowned three days later. As an official WPT event, the victor will not only walk away with the Marrakech championship and first place bounty, but they will also earn the bracelet awarded to all WPT champions and a $25,000 seat to the 2011 Championship event at the Bellagio in April.
The 2009 version of the tournament was highly successful for the WPT, drawing a global field of 416 players from 32 different countries. The 2009 WPT Marrakech tournament, which Chili Poker and the WPT also collaborated on, was the first major poker tournament held in North Africa. The tournament featured such standout players as the aforementioned Lieu, former Main Event champion Huck Seed, and inaugural World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event champ Annette Obrestad. Christophe Savary defeated a final table that included such top players as Ludovic Lacay and Eoghan O’Dea to win the €379,014 first prize.
WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage will be on hand for the second year running to oversee the activities on the felt. “WPT Marrakech takes place in an amazing setting and, if last year is anything to go by, you can expect a loose, aggressive field,” said Savage during the announcement of this year’s event. “Casino de Marrakech is world renowned for its hospitality and WPT players can look forward to an experience unlike any other.”
Alexandre Dreyfus, Chief Executive Officer of Chili Poker, glowed about the locale of Marrakech along with the poker at hand. “Marrakech is a magic and relaxing place, so we are delighted to be bringing the WPT back to this mystical town in November,” Dreyfus commented. “We were so encouraged by turnout last year as well as the flawless organization and competitive hotel rates that, in 2010, we have built the Chili Poker Marrakech Festival around the prestigious WPT event.” Satellite tournaments for WPT Marrakech are currently running on Chili Poker and its French subsidiary, ChiliPoker.fr.
The WPT has been putting the “world” back in its name over the past couple of years after becoming almost exclusively U.S.-based. Earlier this year, the WPT held officially sanctioned events in Paris at the Aviation Club, the WPT Spanish Championship in Barcelona, and its most recent event in London, which was won by Jake Cody. Prior to the start of festivities in Marrakech, the WPT will make a stop in Amneville, France and finish its non-U.S. schedule come 2011 with a tournament in Vienna, Austria from March 24th through 28th.
EPT London Champ Does It Again
Just a day after picking up £900,000 and a seat in the EPT Grand Final, the 23-year-old Scottsman beat the eight UKIPT winners from the tour's first season in a winner-take-all Sit & Go to win a seat at every stop in Season 2, including the Grand Final at EPT London next year.
“After yesterday, it’s the icing on the cake,” Vamplew said moments after the win.
Vamplew got past UKIPT Champions Padraig Parkinson (Galway), Joeri Zandvliet (Manchester), Gilles Augustus (Coventry), Andy Couldridge (Nottingham), Femi Fakinle (Killarney), Jamie Burland (Brighton), Nick Abou Risk (Edinburgh) and Max Silver (Dublin) to seal the deal.
Season 2 of the UKIPT gets underway in Galway, Ireland on Dec. 2-5 with a €1,000+€100 main event at the Radisson Hotel.
In the meantime, Jens Thorson, younger brother of saavy pro William Thorson, managed to beat newly inked Team PokerStars Pro Liv Boeree heads-up to win a £2k side event at EPT London that also wrapped up Tuesday.
A total of 147 players entered the three-day event creating a prize pool of £285,180. First was worth £92,650.
EPT San Remo champ Jake Cody took third, EPT Grand Final winner Nicolas Chouity finished fourth and WPT Championship winner Yevgeniy Timoshenko ended seventh.
EPT London is now in the books and satellites are running on PokerStars now for the next event of the EPT's seventh season, the €5,300 EPT Vienna main event in Austria Oct. 26-31.
Satellites are also underway for the EPT Barcelona in November and the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas this January.
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Dinnertime! WSOPE Main Event finishes level four
World Poker Tour Borgata Open begins this weekend
The PartyPoker Weekly: Mike Sexton On Jake Cody, So Close for Tony G and New Depositor Freeroll Coming Up
Timoshenko, Hoy Advance to World Open VI Final
Yevgeniy Timoshenko, who was perhaps the hottest player in poker this time last year, having won both the WPT Championship and PokerStars WCOOP main event, has advanced.
He got past a heat that included recently crowned WPT London Poker Classic champion Jake Cody and 2009 WSOPE finalist Praz Bansi.
But Timoshenko’s toughest test was 2010 WSOP Player of the Year Frank Kassela, who only fell heads-up when he ran ace-king into the young Ukranian-American’s aces.
Dale Hoy, whose resume is filled with similar UK poker TV appearances, also pushed through to the final, getting past a heat that included World Open V winner Phil Laak and former WSOP Main Event winner Huck Seed.
The 48-player event will run until Friday with the winners of two more eight-seat heats making up the seven-player final table.
Timoshenko and Hoy join Sam Trickett, Andrew Robl and John Duthie as the five players with seats already secured.
The PartyPoker World Open VI buy-in is $10,000 with a total prize pool of $480,000 and $200,000 reserved for the winner.
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Duthie Through to World Open VI Final
Sucked out on in a massive pot that would likely have guaranteed him at least second-place money at the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, Duthie’s big hands held up this time around, pushing him into the final where previous heat winners Sam Trickett and Andrew Robl already await.
Getting there was no easy feat, however, as Duthie’s heat included 2007 WSOPE champion Annette Obrestad, veteran UK pros Barny Boatman and Liam Flood, plus online legend David ‘Viffer’ Peat.
The fourth heat will go off in London Wednesday and will include no less than WPT London Poker Classic champion Jake Cody, 2010 WSOP Player of the Year Frank Kassela, 2009 WSOPE finalist Praz Bansi and 2009 WPT Championship winner Yevgeniy Timoshenko.
The 48-player event will run until Friday with eight-seat heats putting seven players in the final.
The buy-in is $10,000 with a total prize pool of $480,000 and $200,000 reserved for the winner.
Phil Laak won in 2009.
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September 7th – Daily Deal
On today’s Daily Deal, Jake Cody wins WPT London, the sixth PartyPoker World Open begins, and the WSOP Circuit will make a stop in the Sooner State of Oklahoma! It’s all coming, right now!
Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily.
Jake Cody followed up his title in the European Poker Tour’s Dauville event in January in a big way. This time, he trumped the pack of the World Poker Tour’s first ever stop in London and racked up two-hundred seventy-three thousand British Pounds.
On the final hand of the WPT London Main Event, Nichlas Mattsson raised pre-flop with Ace-Queen of diamonds and ultimately ended up four-betting his chips into the center. Cody made the call after being dealt pocket queens and the board ran out five cards nine or lower. Mattsson collected one-hundred seventy-seven thousand Pounds for his runner-up performance.
Here’s how the final nine players cashed out in the Main Event of WPT London:
1. Jake Cody – £273,783
2. Nichlas Mattsson – £176,979
3. Bruce Atkinson – £93,316
4. Kristoffer Thorsson – £56,311
5. Giovanni Safina – £42,233
6. Sandiep Khosa – £34,189
7. Fabian Quoss – £26,144
8. Gareth Teatum – £18,100
9. Priyan de Mel – £12,871
Also taking place in London was the WPT’s High Roller event, which saw Full Tilt Poker pro Justin “Boosted J” Smith walk away with the title. Smith pulled down one-hundred forty-one thousand Pounds after trumping PartyPoker pro Tony G heads-up. The tournament sported a healthy buy-in of fifteen thousand Pounds and featured fourteen entrants.
On Wednesday, Phil Laak will return to defend his title in the PartyPoker World Open. The event is taking place all this week from London and features six starting heats of eight players each. Laak’s first round match also features Tom “durrrr” Dwan, undoubtedly giving him something to sweat about. The sixth PartyPoker World Open boasts a field of forty-eight players and the winner will take home two-hundred thousand dollars.
The WSOP Circuit will visit the Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma from January sixth to twenty-fifth for the first ever American WSOP event not held at a Harrah’s property. The Choctaw Casino WSOP Circuit stop will feature ten ring events. The Choctaw tournament means that there are now thirteen stops on the current WSOP Circuit schedule, with potentially one more to be added. The casino’s proximity to several large cities in the South – including Dallas, Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa – should provide for large and competitive fields.
Thanks again for joining me on The Daily Deal here at Poker News Daily. Be sure to bookmark our site and follow us at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson wishing you a profitable week at the tables!
BoostedJ Banks WPT London High Roller Win
After over 12 hours of final-table action, including 8.5 hours of eight-handed play, the 22-year-old Floridian, who now calls Los Angeles home, beat Tony G heads-up to win £141,000.
“It is brilliant to finally get a first place on the WPT after my near misses at the Bellagio,” said Smith. “This was quite some battle – the line-up was so tough. I am satisfied, but completely exhausted.”
Smith finished second and third, respectively, at the WPT Bellagio Cup the past two years.
“For me it wasn’t about the money it was about the pride of taking first place but what will be will be,” said runner-up Guoga.
French poker legend Bruno Fitoussi bubbled the money while Freddy Deeb finished third.
A day earlier, 22-year-old Jake Cody won the inaugural WPT London Poker Classic main event for £273,783. Cody is now two-thirds of the way towards winning poker’s Triple Crown after the UK native won EPT Deauville earlier this year.
The star-studded PartyPoker.com World Open V is now underway at the Palm Beach Casino.
Online high-stakes pro Andrew Robl has already won his opening heat, defeating a lineup that included Tom ”durrrr” Dwan, Brandon Cantu and Roland de Wolfe.
Sam Trickett was victorious in a heat that included James Akenhead and Neil Channing.
Phil Laak won the event last year.
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Jake Cody wins WPT London
Jake Cody won the WPT London Main Event and the £327,000 first prize. Cody is running really good this year as he won EPT Deauville in January as well.
Cody is only missing a WSOP bracelet to get to the very exclusive “Triple Crown” club.
Here’s a video of the winning hand and a fresh interview:
Final Table results:
1st: Jake Cody – £273,783
2nd: Nichlas Mattsson – £176,979
3rd: Bruce Atkinson – £93,316
4th: Kristoffer Thorsson – £56,311
5th: Giovanni Safina – £42,233
6th: Sandiep Khosa – £34,189
7th: Fabian Quoss – £26,144
8th: Gareth Teatum – £18,100
Source: PokerStarsBlog, FlopTurnRiver
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Jake Cody Wins WPT London Main Event
Jake Cody followed up his title in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) Deauville event in January in a big way. This time, he trumped the pack of the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) first ever stop in London and racked up £273,000. His EPT Main Event victory was worth a colossal €847,000.
WPT commentator Mike Sexton, who flanked Jessie May in the broadcast booth for WPT London after Vince Van Patten did not make the trip, commented in a press release distributed by tournament officials, “Jake Cody is an outstanding young player and, mark my words, when you see this action on television, this final table is something very special. I rate it as among the best poker I have seen in nine years commentating for the WPT. This is going to be a real treat when it airs; I can hardly wait.”
Cody’s rail featured Devilfish Poker front man David “Devilfish” Ulliott. On his second major live tournament title, Cody told PartyPoker staff, “This is crazy – I am so happy to win my first WPT title. It’s been an amazing year for me so far and to win a major tournament on U.K. soil is very special. I was totally aware there was huge pressure on Kristoffer because of the extra $1 million bonus. I thought he did well and actually believe he was the best player at the table.”
The “bonus” Cody referred to was a potential $1 million bankroll boost triggered if Swedish PartyPoker qualifier Kristoffer Thorsson took down the title. He would have made an extra $500,000 for himself and $500,000 to share among the qualifiers from the popular online poker site. However, Thorsson ultimately took fourth place, falling just short of what would have been a very memorable WPT title.
On the final hand of the WPT London Main Event, Nichlas Mattsson raised pre-flop with A-Q of diamonds and ultimately ended up 4betting his chips into the center. Cody made the call after being dealt pocket queens and the board ran out five cards nine or lower. Mattsson collected £177,000 for his runner-up performance.
Bruce Atkinson was the tournament’s third place finisher. In his final hand, Atkinson moved all-in before the flop with K-9 of diamonds. Cody woke up with A-10, but watched in agony as Atkinson flopped a flush draw. The turn gave Atkinson even more outs to a gutshot, but no help was on the way on the river and Atkinson departed £93,000 richer.
Thorsson’s dreams of a $1 million bonus were dashed when he shoved from the small blind with A-7 of clubs. Cody called from the big blind with K-9 offsuit and promptly spiked a king on the turn. While it wasn’t an extra $500,000 for his bank account, Cody, a 21 year-old, walked away with £56,000.
Here’s how the final nine players cashed out in the Main Event of WPT London:
1. Jake Cody – £273,783
2. Nichlas Mattsson – £176,979
3. Bruce Atkinson – £93,316
4. Kristoffer Thorsson – £56,311
5. Giovanni Safina – £42,233
6. Sandiep Khosa – £34,189
7. Fabian Quoss – £26,144
8. Gareth Teatum – £18,100
9. Priyan de Mel – £12,871
Also taking place in London was the WPT’s High Roller event, which saw Full Tilt Poker pro Justin “Boosted J” Smith walk away with the title. Smith pulled down £141,000 after trumping PartyPoker pro Tony G heads-up; the Aussie headed to the cage to collect £84,000. The tournament sported a healthy buy-in of £15,000 and featured 14 entrants. The only other player to make the money was Freddy Deeb, who took home £56,000 for third place.
Jake Cody keeps the WPT London on UK soil
BLOG – We can has a UK poker boom?
Cody wins WPT London, second leg of Triple Crown
“This is crazy – I am so happy to win my first WPT title,” he said. “It’s been an amazing year for me so far and to win a major tournament on UK soil is very special.”
The 22-year-old UK native earned a £273,783 payday and is now two thirds of the way to securing poker’s triple crown, needing only a World Series of Poker bracelet to complete the accomplishment.
Tournament sponsors PartyPoker were also breathing a sigh of relief with Cody’s win, as it saved the site from paying out a $1 million bonus if 21-year-old Swedish online qualifier Kristoffer Thorsson would have won the title.
“I was totally aware there was huge pressure on Kristoffer because of the extra $1 million bonus,” said Cody. “I thought he did well and actually believe he was the best player at the table.”
Thorsson finished fourth.
“Jake Cody is an outstanding young player and mark my words when you see this action on television this final table is something very special,” said WPT commentator Mike Sexton.
“I rate it is amongst the best poker I have seen in nine years commentating for the WPT. This is going to be a real treat when it airs, I can hardly wait.”
Action continued at the Palm Beach Casino in Mayfair this weekend with Justin “BoostedJ” Smith winning the £15,000 High Roller WPT London Poker Classic.
Smith beat Tony G heads up and a final table that included Freddy Deeb and Bruno Fitoussi to claim the £141,000 first-place prize.
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PartyPoker World Open VI Begins September 6th
Starting on Monday from the Palm Beach Casino in London is the sixth incarnation of the PartyPoker World Open. Last October, Phil Laak took down the title of PartyPoker World Open V champ after defeating a final table that included Luke “FullFlush” Schwartz, Laak’s girlfriend Jennifer Tilly, and World Poker Tour (WPT) host and Poker Hall of Fame member Mike Sexton.
This year, Laak will return to defend his title. A total prize pool of $480,000 is up for grabs in the $10,000 buy-in tournament. Forty-eight players will be in action across eight heats, the first of which features Victory Poker CEO Dan Fleyshman taking on Marty Smyth, Sam Trickett, 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Niner James Akenhead, Neil Channing, Lee Atherton, Peter Jetten, and U.K. poker pro Ian Frazer.
The second heat, which will be played on September 6th and 7th, features three of North America’s hottest players in Andrew “good2cu” Robl, UB.com’s Brandon Cantu, and former National Heads-Up Poker Championship winner Huck Seed. The group’s opposition in Heat #2 includes James Mitchell, Matt Perrins, Josh Gould, Dragan Galic, and Felipe “Mojave” Ramos.
The third heat of the PartyPoker World Open VI, which will pan out on September 7th, features young guns Schwartz and Full Tilt pro Annette Obrestad taking to the felts together. European Poker Tour (EPT) founder John Duthie and high-stakes cash game pro David “Viffer” Peat will join them, as will Liam Flood, John Eames, Barny Boatman, and Giovanni Safina.
That’s a lot of pros already and we’re only halfway through the opening seat of heats in the annual PartyPoker tournament. Former WPT Championship winner Yevgeniy Timoshenko will be part of Heat #4 on September 8th. His competition includes “Dixie,” 2010 bracelet winner Praz Bansi, Simon Zach, recent WPT London winner Jake Cody, Fabrice Souiler, and 2010 Aussie Millions Main Event champ Tyron Krost. This heat also has an open seat.
Laak will defend his title as part of Heat #5 on September 8th and 9th. However, he’ll have to get past Tom “durrrr” Dwan, who is in the midst of completing a pair of online Million Dollar Challenges against Patrik Antonius and Dan “JungleMan12” Cates. Others in the eight-player field will include John Tabatabai, Toby Lewis, Roland De Wolfe, Dale Hoy, Heather Mercer, and Jason Grey.
The final heat of the PartyPoker World Open VI will kick off on September 9th and feature some of the top talent Europe has to offer. Juha Helppi, David “Devilfish” Ulliott, Sandra Naujoks, Roberto Romanello, and Bruno Fitoussi will be a part of the Heat #6 field. Sexton, a sponsored pro of PartyPoker, will also be in the running, as will Titan Poker pro Sorel “Imper1um” Mizzi and Tilly.
The starting stacks in the PartyPoker World Open VI have been tripled and the final table, which is set to occur on September 10th, will be played seven-handed. The top seven players made the money during the fifth World Open, which also featured a field of 48. Heading into his title defense, Laak told PartyPoker officials, “Last year was a wild roller coaster ride. This year, I am looking forward to coming back to defend my title – it is ideal that it comes straight off the back off the WPT London Poker Classic – hopefully I can win both!”
Jesse May and PartyPoker’s Kara Scott will front the event’s broadcast, which can be seen on Five in the U.K. in late 2010. Spectators are welcome.
Qualifier Eyes $1 Million Bonus at WPT London
Day 3 ended Thursday at the Palm Beach Casino in Mayfair with 18 players left and PartyPoker.it pro Giovanni Safina on top.
Safina, a 44-year lawyer from Palermo, finished third in the PartyPoker.com Premier League IV, cashing for $156,000 and winning a $100,000 Team PartyPoker.com contract after qualifying for the event online.
However, his run is just the lede. The real story is 21-year-old Swede Kristoffer Thorsson sitting third in chips.
Kristoffer won the Amsterdam Master Classics this past November for €636,120 and qualified online for WPT London, meaning that if he wins, he’s entitles a part of a $1 million bonus from PartyPoker.
Kristoffer would earn $500,000 and the other PartyPoker London qualifiers would share the other $500,000.
“There is still a long way to go but knowing about the extra $1 million payout has given me extra pressure,” he said. “I know the other players are desperate for me to win and I will be doing my best!”
While names like Erik Seidel, Phil Ivey and Huck Seed all dotted the leader board early in London, the final 18 is filled with a group of lesser known players.
Perhaps the most recognizable is 2010 EPT Deauville champ Jake Cody, who currently sits fourth in chips.
WPT London drew 171 players creating an £820,800 prize pool. A total of 16 places will be paid with £273,783 reserved for first.
Play resumes at 12 p.m. London time Friday. A winner will be crowned Saturday.
In the meantime, the £15,000 televised high rollers event starts Friday at 3 p.m., with registration open until 9.30 p.m.
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Dramatic Start to Final Day
More players sent to the rail.
Tags: Jake Cody
Nicolas Chouity Wins 2010 EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final
PokerStars qualifier Nicolas “niccc” Chouity finished atop the pack in the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) Monte Carlo Grand Final in Monaco. His first place finish was worth a rousing €1.7 million and Chouity became just the second player from Lebanon ever to win an EPT title.
Last year, Chouity took 50th in the EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final for €31,000 and cashed in the EPT Berlin Main Event in March. He blasted through the final table in Monaco, taking out six of his seven opponents, and told PokerStars officials following play, “It’s a dream come true. I feel great. I had confidence coming into the final and I had the chip lead, but you never know with poker and I was going for first, only first.” Chouity came into the final table holding 40% of the chips in play and turned in a remarkable wire-to-wire run.
The EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final serves as the annual end-of-season stop for the roving tournament series, whose adventurous 2009-2010 schedule featured a high-stakes casino robbery in Berlin. Heads-up on the Mediterranean coast, Chouity defeated Josef Klinger with pocket aces against pocket eights. The board ran out K-10-9-4-Q and Chouity’s better pocket pair held to take down the EPT title.
Dominykas Karmazinas was eliminated in third place after his A-7 could outlast Chouity’s A-6. A six hit on the turn and Chouity staved off eight outs on the river to send Karmazinas packing. Chouity held better than a 5:1 advantage in chips entering heads-up play against Klinger. Then, Chouity joined Joseph Mouawad as the only Lebanese champions in EPT history; Mouawad chalked up a win in London during Season 4. According to PokerStars, the country of Lebanon boasts just one casino, which holds poker tournaments two times per week.
The worldwide affair attracted a starting grid of 848 players hailing from 51 countries around the globe. A total of 161 entrants, or nearly 20% of the field, won their way in through PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker site, and the feature table included representatives from six countries. Here’s how the eight-handed table cashed out in the 2010 running of the EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final:
1st Place: Nicolas Chouity (Lebanon) – €1,700,000
2nd Place: Josef Klinger (Austria) – €1,000,000
3rd Place: Dominykas Karmazinas (Lithuania) – €700,000
4th Place: Herve Costa (France) – €500,000
5th Place: Andrew Chen (Canada) – €400,000
6th Place: Aleh Plauski (Belarus) – €300,000
7th Place: Roger Hairabedian (France) – €200,000
8th Place: Mesbah Guerfi (France) – €140,000
According to PokerNews, the seventh season of the EPT will kick off in August in Tallinn, Estonia. The sixth season featured a bevy of name brand pros taking down titles, including UB.com’s Liv Boeree, who walked away victorious in San Remo. The total number of Main Event players during Season 6 was 8,912, a bump of 13% from Season 5, and the total prize pool grew to €56.6 million. All of this came despite a massive volcanic eruption prior to San Remo that caused travel tie-ups across the European continent. Here were the winners from EPT Season 6:
EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final: Nicolas Chouity
EPT San Remo: Liv Boeree
EPT Snowfest: Allan Baekke
EPT Berlin High Roller: Andreas Bauer
EPT Berlin: Kevin “ImaLuckSac” MacPhee
EPT Copenhagen: Anton Wigg
EPT Deauville High Roller: Martin Kabrhel
EPT Deauville: Jake Cody
PCA High Roller: Wlliam Reynolds
PCA Main Event: Harrison Gimbel
EPT Prague: Jan Skampa
EPT Vilamoura: Antonio Matias
EPT Warsaw Main Event: Christophe Benzimra
EPT Warsaw High Roller: Dario Minieri
EPT London Main Event: Aaron Gustavson
EPT London High Roller: Matt Glantz
EPT Barcelona: Carter Phillips
EPT Kyiv: Maxim Lykov
EPT Kyiv High Roller: Shaun Deeb
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Interview with ‘neverbluff67’ aka Jake Cody
Isildur1 Pulls Out of PartyPoker Big Game IV
In breaking news from London, Swedish online poker phenomenon Isildur1 has pulled out of the PartyPoker Big Game IV one day before its scheduled start. He was reportedly contemplating wearing a mask during his appearance.
Whether the announcement that Isildur1 was competing was simply a publicity stunt from the start remains to be seen. In a blog posted on PartyPoker, site pro Tony G expressed his frustration with the youngster withdrawing from the high-stakes 48-hour cash game: “To say I am disappointed is an understatement. I have spent so much time talking to him and reassuring him recently, but he’s just not going to come.” Tony G and Isildur1 had a 50-50 staking deal in place.
Tony G emphasized that Isildur1 originally approached him about playing: “It has left a bad taste in my mouth. What you have to understand is that he reached out to me first and asked and then agreed to play. As far as I am concerned, I am washing my hands with him and moving on.” The ring game begins at 8:00pm local time on Sunday from the Les Ambassadeurs Club in Mayfair, London and will conclude 48 hours later. PartyPoker personality Kara Scott, who is the floor reporter for GSN’s “High Stakes Poker,” will serve in the same capacity in London during the 7:00pm to 7:00am shifts.
Tony G cited “personal issues” as to why Isildur1 is officially a no-show. Isildur1 reportedly told Tony G that the stakes of the PartyPoker Big Game IV were too low. In addition, Tony G explained, “I know for a fact that he is soon taking his driving test.” Isildur1 originally accepted the offer to compete in the PartyPoker Big Game IV on March 31st. The mystery Swede is widely believed to be Viktor “blom30” Blom, whose blowup in the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event was shown during ESPN’s coverage of the tournament. Isildur1 has tangled with several of poker’s high-stakes elite, including Phil Ivey, Tom “durrrr” Dwan, and Brian Hastings.
Among those who haven’t backed out of the PartyPoker Big Game IV is Drag the Bar instructor Dusty “Leatherass” Schmidt, who will take to the felts to the tune of “Pass Out” by Tinie Tempah and be joined by fellow American young guns Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo and Isaac Haxton. Others heading to the London casino include Phil Laak, Jennifer Tilly, Neil Channing, David “Viffer” Peat, Roland de Wolfe, Bodo Sbrzesny, James Mitchell, Robert Williamson III, Andrew Feldman, Simon "Schnibl0r" Münz, Roberto Romanello, Andy Greekfish, Barny Boatman, Laurence Grondin, Jake Cody, Sam Trickett, Josh Gould, Richard Wheatley, and Paul Zimbler. In addition, Tony G has brought an “amazing player” with him to London. However, his identity is unknown.
As you’d expect, the reaction to Isildur1 pulling out of his highly anticipated appearance has been anything but positive. On the TwoPlusTwo online poker forum, posters were outraged over the cancellation. TwoPlusTwo member “inn_Nstruct” frustratingly penned, “What a joke. Lame way to get attention for this show.” Fellow community member “DangerError” added, “It’s all fake. I don’t believe Tony G, even a word.”
Isildur1 sent Tony G a text message simply stating, “Sry for not coming, take care bud.” The seven-word phrase has drawn criticism, with “GaryLQ” explaining, “This text message sounds totally fake to me. 'Take care bud' is a slang British phrase, most commonly used in the Southwest of England. I find it hard to believe it's the sort of language a Swede would use.”
Eddie Hearn, who has been organizing and promoting the PartyPoker Big Game IV for Matchroom Sport, told Poker News Daily on Saturday, "Obviously, it’s disappointing that Isildur1 couldn't join us for the Big Game, but the show must go on. I spoke with him at length on Thursday night and the magnitude of the media interest surrounding his appearance is something he was struggling to come to terms with. It’s a shame, as we would have liked him to be part of the new music walk-ons and evictions that have been introduced to this series. I'm sure you will see him soon though, perhaps at a more low-key event that doesn't reach such a vast global audience."
The news represents the latest twist in the Isildur1 saga, which began after the Swede stormed onto the high-stakes online poker scene on Full Tilt last September. His career peak according to PokerTableRatings.com was $5.0 million, which came in November. Three months later, he was in the hole $2.8 million. Isildur1 has taken $4.5 million off Dwan alone, but lost nearly the same amount to Hastings.
On the UB.com sponsored program “Poker2Nite,” Tony G confirmed that Isildur1 is under 21 years-old and indeed hails from Sweden.
Tags: 2009, high stakes, Jake Cody, Jennifer Tilly, kara scott, Online Poker, Phil Ivey, tournament, WSOP
More players head to Big Game IV
Yet again PartyPoker will sponsor the 48-hour long poker maraton, Big Game (IV). This big cash game is held in Les Ambassadeurs Club in London. There are some recent additions to the player list.
Is Viktor Blom entering the game in his ninja outfit?
The most interesting aspect in this year’s Big Game is the net sensation Isildur1. Will he actually join the game and is he disguised as ninja? Nevertheless, playing poker alone is very boring alone, maybe even impossible, so let’s take a look at the other players.
The most known players don’t need any introduction: Tony G, Phil Laak, Jennifer Tilly, Isaac Haxton, Dusty “Leatherass” Schmidt, Luke “Fullflush” Schwartz, Barny Boatman, Andrew Feldman, Roland de Wolfe, Neil Channing, Justin Bonomo and David “Viffer” Peat.
Jennifer Tilly has great boo… eh, hair!
Former players need no introduction, but Robert Williamson III is a bit less known pro player who actually cleaned out the table in Big Game II and Big Game III. We doubt he’s going to try to win less now.
Of course there’s a few other bit less familiar names confirmed: Laurence Grondin, Bodo Sbrzesny, Andy Greekfish, Jake Cody, Sam Trickett, Josh Gould, Richard Wheatley, Paul Zimbler, Simon Münz, Roberto Romanello and the Irish Open 2010 champion James Mitchell.
According to Pokernewsdaily, the aforementioned list of players is not complete and there can be some surprise players joining in, although the game starts already in few days.
Even though you can get a seat in the table, it doesn’t guarantee you a spot for the whole game. From time to time there’s going to be a vote and one player is cast out while a new player joins the action.
Also, all players will have their own entry music, just like the fighters have in boxing or MMA!
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Source: Pokernewsdaily
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PartyPoker Big Game IV Lineup Grows
On Sunday, the PartyPoker Big Game IV will kick off from the Les Ambassadeurs Club in Mayfair, London and the high-stakes cash game will continue for 48 hours. This week, additional poker players were added to the already impressive lineup.
Anchoring the group of players who will take to the felts in the British city is Tony G, a member of Team PartyPoker who has dominated past events like the site’s Premier League and also finished third in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo Grand Final High Roller Championship in 2009 for more than a half-million dollars. Tony G has been the main face behind this month’s running of the PartyPoker Big Game and the controversial pro will come out to the felts to Queen’s “Bicycle Race.”
Tony G was instrumental in bringing online mystery man Isildur1 into the fold. In fact, Tony G will stake the Swedish poker player, who may be wearing a mask to preserve his identity. Isildur1 has single-handedly pumped new life into the high-stakes cash game scene on Full Tilt Poker by competing against the likes of Phil Ivey, Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Brian Hastings, and Patrik Antonius. Joining Isildur1 and Tony G is embattled poker pro Luke “Full Flush” Schwartz.
The First Couple of Poker will be on-hand, as Unabomber Poker front man Phil Laak and actress Jennifer Tilly will head to London. Laak is a regular on cash game shows like “High Stakes Poker” and is one of the top minds in the game. Tilly won the Ladies No Limit Hold’em event during the 2005 World Series of Poker (WSOP) and is one of the only bracelet winners in the Big Game IV lineup. She’ll take to the felts to Hall and Oates’ classic “Man Eater.”
Drag the Bar instructor Dusty “Leatherass” Schmidt will head to London to compete in his first Big Game. The former StoxPoker personality and current member of Team PokerStars Online will have several other younger poker pros join him, including Isaac Haxton and Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo. Haxton was the runner-up in the 2007 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and the $40,000 commemorative event held during last year’s WSOP for a combined $2 million. Bonomo has more than $1.2 million in lifetime WSOP earnings.
Robert Williamson III, who was the most profitable player in the PartyPoker Big Games II and III, will attempt to three-peat when the event kicks off this weekend. 2010 Irish Open champion James Mitchell will be on location, as will Full Tilt Poker pro Roland de Wolfe. The latter will appropriately come out to Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like a Wolf.”
Players will be bounced from the table via a “Survivor”-like voting process on what will surely be one of the highest rated poker shows of all-time. Here is a look at the current player list for the PartyPoker Big Game IV along with announced entrance music:
Tony G – “Bicycle Race” by Queen
Isildur1
Luke “Full Flush” Schwartz – “Pass Out” by Tinie Temper
Phil Laak
Jennifer Tilly – “Man Eater” by Hall and Oates
Neil Channing
Dusty “Leatherass” Schmidt – “Flashing Lights” by Kanye West
David “Viffer” Peat
Issac Haxton
Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo
Roland de Wolfe – “Hungry Like a Wolf” by Duran Duran
Bodo Sbrzesny
James Mitchell
Robert Williamson III
Andrew Feldman – “Mamma Said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J
Simon “Schnibl0r” Münz
Roberto Romanello
Andy Greekfish
Barny Boatman
Laurence Grondin – “Rich Girl” by Gwen Stefani
Jake Cody
Sam Trickett
Josh Gould
Richard Wheatley
Paul Zimbler
Additional names will be announced later in the week in the days leading up to Sunday’s start. Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Big Game IV organizers Matchroom Sport, commented in a press release, "The phone is ringing off the hook - so many players want a piece of the action! One question we haven't answered yet is what is Isildur1's walk on music going to be."
Tags: 2009, 2010, european, full tilt poker, high stakes, Jake Cody, Jennifer Tilly, ladies, Phil Ivey, poker player, poker show, pokerstars, WSOP