The OLD BLOKES and The LOCALS
By
The Barracuda
Sunday is one of our main tournament days, all year round, for the local players at the CROWN Casino, so it was no surprise the small buy-in $300 Limit Holdem Tournament was scheduled for this day. One Hundred and six found the readies, very similar to the previous two years entry numbers. Once again, if you ever come down this way, don’t expect to arrive 1 minute late and think you will not have missed a hand : you may have missed your small and big blind because “We Start On Time”.
Once again, with so many Tournament players in the room and still several live-action games underway the place is packed to the rafters and gives off that extremely excited feeling.
We are being graced with the presence of many of the high profile European players this year, many will be known to some reading this report, no doubt I’ll have to sing their praises later in the week when the larger tournaments get under way. Their presence is due to the fact that the Poker Management have clearly aimed their overseas marketing at the European players. To this end “The Hendon Mob” ( www.thehendonmob.com) have come en masse. Today it was Ross Boatman’s ( see article on Super Satellite ) turn to have some chips and hence cop all the attention from Keith “Bendigo” Sloan on the microphone. Ross and Barney the brothers from “The Mob” take the extra attention well and if allowed to get hold of the mike give as good as they get. Ross made it to 5th today and as all the English guys keep saying “Limit- Its not our Game”, so well done.
Fourth in today’s event was Lee Nelson , NZeder but with a fairly heavy American accent. If you check results from the Australasian Championships from past years and this year you will keep reading this name. Lee is my overall pick for the Main Event later in the week – maybe because he got me in last year’s Event King King vs Jack Jack. A fine Tournament player – I’m sure I’ll be writing more about him later in the week too.
BUT on to the Locals. Third was John Maitland a relative youngster to the two who pipped him today. John plays most Thursdays and Sundays during the year and quite often sends me packing in the middle stages of tournaments – a great person to play with, well done. I quipped to John as he was winning his way into the main event in a satellite that the two that beat him had about 200 years combined experience over him so the result was inevitable.
Larry Jones and Leo Boxell, two good friends of mine split most of the remaining cash today – Larry ultimately taking the trophy. If I ever win half of what either of them have won I would be happy with my tournament career. Give it up guys let someone else have a go.
Both regularly play here and I’m pleased to say I have learnt a lot about live and tournament play from these two affable characters.
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