Event 1 200 pound PLHE Monday 17th March
"Sometimes the draw for the final table is all Important"
The first event in this year's British Open at The Grosvenor Victoria Casino ( "The Vic" ) was a 200 pound re-buy tournament. The original brochure advertised a 126 upper limit, BUT they found tables everywhere to accommodate a 152 player starting field. At the end of the re-buy period there was a further 166 re-buys / add-ons. A total of 63,600 pounds now up for offer ( about 180,000 in aussie dollars USD you'll have to work it out for yourself).
This is my first trip to the UK so the variety of accents has been amusing me no end. "I'm givin it loads", "There's two stars on my table", "OK? guv'ner" etc, so I was distracted no end and my first foray ended after three "quality" Ace Queens were "done in" at about the midway mark. Now the game was being played in three separate places in the Casino and at some stages I saw one player walk up and down stairs three times first aerobic poker tournament I have played in.
Start was 7:30 pm after an exquisite buffet in the casino's restaurant (price 10 pounds for players), service is very "English" as is the whole casino which for mine is a true delight. By 23:45 it was down to 45 players 5 tables. I asked and was informed the lone lady remaining was Tina Jordan. The level jumps were a little more gentle than the frenetic pace during the re-buy period and people were only slowly being eliminated.
Three tables at 1:00 am and a 15 minute break produced several cross percentage deals being done in the Gentlemen's toilet. A fellow player who had started on my table revealed that he was regular 200 penny player and hadn't had too much top level tournament play. Well with 16 left I saw him make a move (cards shown) that definitely won him 1900 pounds of real money raise before flop, the flop J 10 8, Vic goes all in for his last 28k with K Q and gets a pair of 7's to fold. Just before 2:30 am Mark Hall finds himself to be the player who misses the final table, he collects 1% = 636 pounds and we are set to go for the big money.
Please see results for final table players. It's Vic Foster with A 4 losing to A Q who comes 9th today well done for the collect, Vic, plenty of 200 penny game buy-ins there. Blinds now are 3K/6K and soon after a huge pot sees both players showing A 7. Chris Bjorin becomes the next to leave the table when Don O'Callaghan in the BB makes two pair on the flop with his 3 2 sorry missed Chris' hand. Chandra calls an all-in bet by Peter, Chandra K 10, Peter A Q hearts. The flop sees two hearts and the 7 of hearts turn gives Chandra no outs please collect 2544 as you pass "GO" had to get the "MONOPOLY" reference in there, I reckon you'll get a few more as the week goes on.
It was now that I noticed the first three to be eliminated came from seats 9, 7 and then 8 . Don sitting in seat 6 - LOOK OUT. Yep at 3:25 Warren with J J vs Don's A 6 board 4 K Q 7 5 eliminates the man in the hot seat. I quickly rushed off to get a bet on Paul Alterman (seat 5) being next man out. with WWW.SPORTS.COM having met betting Consultant Paul at dinner. Fortunately, I couldn't find him because Peter Nord (seat 1), with K 2 going all-in for 26K gets called by the SB and BB. Warren has A 2 and the 10 9 3 4 8 board makes the Ace good 5th for Peter.
It's 4:00 am now and I have to admit after the 23 hour journey last Saturday I had a few catnaps before the finish (sorry about the snoring guys- and many thanks to the member of staff who put the blanket over me). Should have followed up on the bet because Paul came 4th when he made 2 pair on the turn holding 10 8 with a 4 10 J 8 board but the same card fitted perfectly with Phillip's Q 9 to make a straight. Repeat Jack on the end and Paul collects 5000+ for his day.
Three left, chips Warren about 250,000 Phillip 250,000 and Steve 100,000. Bit of a chat, metaphorical shaking of hands and the pace picks up dramatically. Actually pace a bit too quick for me to catch the final few hands but they were not of great interest anyway due to the "handshaking". Didn't write down the final finish time, the Casino closes at 6:00 am but I think it was about 5.
Official results can be viewed above I would like to say well done to the three final place-getters at the sharp end of the money.
More tomorrow the 7 card event is a two dayer so I'm off to see the final table play at 2:30 pm.
More on the staff and the casino in other reports ONLY Complimentary, I can assure you.
All the best,
Chris "The Barracuda" Newton
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