Shaktar Donetsk vs Spurs 2-0
FC Copenhagen vs Man City 2-2 (FC Cop equalised in 91st min!)
Storhamar vs Stjernen 8-1 (easy!)
Donetsk covered handicap bet and both teams scored the Denmark.
Unfortunately I included Fiorentina on my betting slips, so the usual 'Allan fuckup' happened. Never mind. At least my blog picks were right... (snufs, snufs)
New picks tomorrow.
torsdag 19. februar 2009
Ding, Ding! My treble for today;
Shaktar Donetsk vs Tottenham / Homewin at 1.90
Corluka, Pavlyucenko, Keane, O'Hara, Defoe, King, Woodgate and Modric are all out of the Spurs squad. Harry Redknapp focuses on the relegation battle in the Premiership, and can't be arsed about this match. 4 matches in the next 11 days says it all. Shaktar beat Basel and Barcelona in Champions League, and despite in the middle of a winter break, home team should win this match.
I even try -1 handicap win for Donetsk.
FC Copenhagen not to lose vs Man City / 1X at 1.60
Robinho is out due to a minor injury, and Man City isnt the best travelling in European football. Poor away team. FC Copenhagen has good attacking qualities, and I think they will get at least one goal tonight. I was consider a bet on both teams to score, but Man City has struggled away to Stoke, Pompey and Boro. Ambitious FC Copenhagen managed by Ståle Solbakken will be a tough nut to crack, and I 'm confident the Danes will not lose this game!
Norwegian icehockey:
Storhamar vs Stjernen / home win at 2.00
I have been brought supporting Storhamar, and played 15 years at the junior levels there. Last year's champion starting to hit the home form as playoff is approaching.
Lost 1-0 at home to league champs Sparta a week ago although a good performance in which they deserved all three points - then won 1-0 at home to arch rivals Vålerenga. I think we can expect another home win tonight as Stjernen has faded a bit the last few weeks due to financial problems and having points deducted by the federation.
Good luck.
Corluka, Pavlyucenko, Keane, O'Hara, Defoe, King, Woodgate and Modric are all out of the Spurs squad. Harry Redknapp focuses on the relegation battle in the Premiership, and can't be arsed about this match. 4 matches in the next 11 days says it all. Shaktar beat Basel and Barcelona in Champions League, and despite in the middle of a winter break, home team should win this match.
I even try -1 handicap win for Donetsk.
FC Copenhagen not to lose vs Man City / 1X at 1.60
Robinho is out due to a minor injury, and Man City isnt the best travelling in European football. Poor away team. FC Copenhagen has good attacking qualities, and I think they will get at least one goal tonight. I was consider a bet on both teams to score, but Man City has struggled away to Stoke, Pompey and Boro. Ambitious FC Copenhagen managed by Ståle Solbakken will be a tough nut to crack, and I 'm confident the Danes will not lose this game!
Norwegian icehockey:
Storhamar vs Stjernen / home win at 2.00
I have been brought supporting Storhamar, and played 15 years at the junior levels there. Last year's champion starting to hit the home form as playoff is approaching.
Lost 1-0 at home to league champs Sparta a week ago although a good performance in which they deserved all three points - then won 1-0 at home to arch rivals Vålerenga. I think we can expect another home win tonight as Stjernen has faded a bit the last few weeks due to financial problems and having points deducted by the federation.
Good luck.
tirsdag 17. februar 2009
søndag 15. februar 2009
torsdag 12. februar 2009
onsdag 11. februar 2009
Dermot Dinan gives you his Festival thoughts
Dermot Dinan gives you his thoughts about Liverpool Winter Festival:
So the curtain has come down on the Liverpool Winter Festival of Poker 2009, and it was an unforgettable time for all those who are able to say "I was there!"
At the business end of things, three Scandies 'made the money' in the Main Event, which I am told, was the strongest poker field ever assembled in Liverpool.
Here is the result of the Main Event:-
PRIZE BREAKDOWN
Prizepool.....£57,500
Entries 115
Buy-in £500 + £50
1st...£13,900 .....Rayeez Mulla
2nd... £10,000.....Theo Droulias
3rd... £10,000.....Andy Bradshaw
4th... £5,200.....Jimmy Morgan
5th... £3,150.....Terry Nelson
6th... £2,600.....Ky Hutchinson
7th...£2,300.....Steve Helmsley
8th... £2,000.....Thomas Sande
9th... £1,700.....Zach Ford
10th...£1,450.....Ole Johan Steinvik
11th... £1,450.....Jonathan McCann
12th... £1,450.....Oyvind Efraimsen
13th... £1,150.....Tony Wooley
14th... £1,150.....Charlie Nelson
All in all, a tremendous showing from the Norwegian contingent and all of us here in Liverpool would welcome them back in a heartbeat.
Oyvind Efraimsen can consider himself a little unlucky, going out to the eventual winner Rayeez Mulla, after taking his time before calling Mulla's all-in from the SB. With his tournament life at stake, Oyvind was about a 4/6 favourite preflop showing A 9 to Mulla's J 8. The flop was bad news however with 8 6 5 and 3 then 4 on the river signalled the end for him.
Ole Johan Steinvik had been in great shape for a long time until this key hand came along.
Ky Hutchinson has A Q and is about an 11/4 chance vs. Ole's K K. The flop comes A J Q and only a 2-outer can stop the Hutch from winning this.It wasn't to be as a 4 -2 completes the board and Ole's stack is halved to about 140 k. Soon after the break he makes a move all-in and this time Andy Bradshaw's call has the best of it preflop, but Ole's only 7/4 against.
AB : A 10
OS : 8 9 flop is bittersweet with 5 9 10 ... the turn offers a little hope as a 7 gives Ole an up + down straight draw but the river Q is not kind and Ole is gone.
Thomas Sande was the only remaining Norwegian in the Main Event as Ole's exit meant that the prized Final Table of 9 players was upon us. It was around this time that messages appeared on the A World Of Poker Forum site with one from Thomas's sister which I thought particularly heart-warming, telling him how proud his family were of him, and how much they were enjoying watching the action back in Norway. Well done to CCTV and PeeKay of AWOP for passing that one on ! Those two lads worked their socks off to bring the event to life for those unable to be there ... a really great job, fellas !
Andy B 349 k
Zach F 319 k
Jimmy M 300 k
Steve H 253 k
Rayeez M 236 k
Ky Hutch 221 k
Thomas S 216 k
Terry N 159 k
Theo D 141 k
This is how the Final Table set up and as you can see, although Thomas was 7th in chips, he was not far off the pace. Naturally it was getting a bit tense out there and the blinds were beginning to bite. I suspect that Thomas had become a bit 'card dead' because he was uncharacteristically quiet. That was all about to change though as Zach Ford (who had been as low as 700 chips mid-way through Saturday), crippled by Mulla a few hands earlier,went out in 9th as he tried to double up.
The blinds went up again.
6 k / 12 k now with a 2 k ante meant that there was a minimum of 34 k in the middle for the remaining 8 players before a card was dealt !
Jimmy M made a raise from the button making it 32 k to go ... Thomas from the big blind moved all-in over the top for 140 k ... Jimmy called double-quick and they were 'On their Backs'
TS : A J
JM : A A Ouch ! Miracles need only apply ... Thomas is 12/1 against and the flop comes 7 6 4 Turn Q River 6
An eighth place finish in this particular field was nothing short of remarkable in my humble opinion.I got to know Thomas a little from earlier in the week and a very personable young man he is too.His appetite for poker is voracious, for example,during the 45 minute break on Day 2 of the Main Event, he nipped downstairs to play a few hands in a cash game, winning a few hundred pounds for himself while the rest of us were mostly feeding our faces! He looks like he shouldn't even be allowed to know all the moves he's got in his game, but those who under-estimate him will pay a heavy price. I hope this experience will have given Thomas's poker career a boost and I expect to hear bigger and bolder things from him in the future. The way this lad plays he probably doesn't need the money but £ 2000 is a nice reward for 3 days work.
Before the Festival started, Allan Aasterud asked me what I thought about the challenge from Scandinavia, particularly the 'online' generation,(my full answer is on a previous blog from the 3rd of Feb) and I don't think I stated the case strongly enough. In general,these guys seem to think deeply about the game,and displayed some real 'guts' in difficult spots, not just in the Main Event but in the side events too. The set up in Norway appears to be bringing players on in a different style to here and long may it continue.I'm just glad I stayed away from their cash games where I could have been eaten alive !
Theo Droulias merits a special mention too, as this was genuinely only his second live event, the first being a 10Kings Poker satellite in the Circus Casino!
I was a bag of nerves for ages in live games because my only experience of tournament poker came from the internet,w here the only thing I could get wrong was pressing the 'call'/raise' button instead of the 'fold' (which of course I have done).Pot sizes are calculated for me, I don't have to physically distinguish the different chip values, I can't make a string bet on the 'net (I didn't know what one was until I did it by accident in my first live game),and my opponents stack sizes are conveniently displayed for me. The machine makes very loud and irritating noises when it's 'my turn to act' so I was often day-dreaming in my first live tournies wondering what everybody was waiting for (oops)
Theo even survived a bit of a clash with Andy Bradshaw when it was 4-handed and came through it apparently unscathed.
I have only the slightest reservation about the deal Theo agreed to when there were 3 left. The original prize for 2nd was £ 9'800 with £ 6900 for 3rd place. Without knowing the chip stacks exactly, I can't say for sure whether or not the extra £200 Theo got for sharing 2nd and 3rd (ie £10 k each) was worth what he gave up for the chance to knock someone else out. My gut feeling is that Andy Bradshaw got the best of it but hey! ... that's poker.
Considering all of this though, many congratulations to Theo on his bumper pay day of £ 10'000.
I'd just like to say a few words about the English representatives. The Liverpool lads were great, the Nelson twins,Charlie (14th) and Terry (5th) both cashed, and they have another brother Ian who I got talking to on Saturday, who was brutally outdrawn on Day 2. These guys are very experienced players and regularly compete on the EPT with some success I might add.
Big Jimmy Morgan has been a regular player on the local scene for a while now and is clearly going the right way. The winner Rayeez Mulla is no stranger to the winner's enclosure and is well established on the national scene as are Andy Bradshaw,Steve Helmsley and Ty Hutchinson.
The team at Stanley Circus Casino have surpassed all expectations and their tireless efforts have made this Festival a complete success. Kevin Proctor,Paul Fox and Ged have developed a card room to be proud of without doubt. What a pleasure it was to play in this great venue where the standard of dealing was impeccable! I can't recall a single dispute over the five days as any contentions were dealt with swiftly and decisively.
Now they have shown they can handle events of this size and stature with such a level of professionalism I think they can look forward to accomodating many more satisfied poker fans and sponsors.
Having virtually lived in the Circus Casino since Wednesday afternoon I was able to enjoy the events unfold today at home,thanks to the technology provided by The Nutz.TV.The quality of the pictures from the live feed provided by Chris 'The Cub' were astonishingly good and with excellent commentary from Phil 'The Tower' (clearly these two are just poker nuts) I feel I saw more action today than I had seen when I was actually there. The two lads on the laptops giving live updates for the AWOP forum were just as dedicated, so many thanks to 'PeeKay' and 'cctv'.
'The Malmaison' where 10KingsPoker had put me up,was simply the best hotel I have stayed in. It's been a while since I've enjoyed that kind of luxury and would recommend a stay there to anyone coming to this rejuvenated City of Liverpool for a break.
I really have tried to think of something about the last 5 days that I didn't like but apart from not making it into the Main Event,there just wasn't anything. So in conclusion,thanks to Allan, Jostein, LK, Henning and all the Norwegians that I met that helped to make this event what it was.
So the curtain has come down on the Liverpool Winter Festival of Poker 2009, and it was an unforgettable time for all those who are able to say "I was there!"
At the business end of things, three Scandies 'made the money' in the Main Event, which I am told, was the strongest poker field ever assembled in Liverpool.
Here is the result of the Main Event:-
PRIZE BREAKDOWN
Prizepool.....£57,500
Entries 115
Buy-in £500 + £50
1st...£13,900 .....Rayeez Mulla
2nd... £10,000.....Theo Droulias
3rd... £10,000.....Andy Bradshaw
4th... £5,200.....Jimmy Morgan
5th... £3,150.....Terry Nelson
6th... £2,600.....Ky Hutchinson
7th...£2,300.....Steve Helmsley
8th... £2,000.....Thomas Sande
9th... £1,700.....Zach Ford
10th...£1,450.....Ole Johan Steinvik
11th... £1,450.....Jonathan McCann
12th... £1,450.....Oyvind Efraimsen
13th... £1,150.....Tony Wooley
14th... £1,150.....Charlie Nelson
All in all, a tremendous showing from the Norwegian contingent and all of us here in Liverpool would welcome them back in a heartbeat.
Oyvind Efraimsen can consider himself a little unlucky, going out to the eventual winner Rayeez Mulla, after taking his time before calling Mulla's all-in from the SB. With his tournament life at stake, Oyvind was about a 4/6 favourite preflop showing A 9 to Mulla's J 8. The flop was bad news however with 8 6 5 and 3 then 4 on the river signalled the end for him.
Ole Johan Steinvik had been in great shape for a long time until this key hand came along.
Ky Hutchinson has A Q and is about an 11/4 chance vs. Ole's K K. The flop comes A J Q and only a 2-outer can stop the Hutch from winning this.It wasn't to be as a 4 -2 completes the board and Ole's stack is halved to about 140 k. Soon after the break he makes a move all-in and this time Andy Bradshaw's call has the best of it preflop, but Ole's only 7/4 against.
AB : A 10
OS : 8 9 flop is bittersweet with 5 9 10 ... the turn offers a little hope as a 7 gives Ole an up + down straight draw but the river Q is not kind and Ole is gone.
Thomas Sande was the only remaining Norwegian in the Main Event as Ole's exit meant that the prized Final Table of 9 players was upon us. It was around this time that messages appeared on the A World Of Poker Forum site with one from Thomas's sister which I thought particularly heart-warming, telling him how proud his family were of him, and how much they were enjoying watching the action back in Norway. Well done to CCTV and PeeKay of AWOP for passing that one on ! Those two lads worked their socks off to bring the event to life for those unable to be there ... a really great job, fellas !
Andy B 349 k
Zach F 319 k
Jimmy M 300 k
Steve H 253 k
Rayeez M 236 k
Ky Hutch 221 k
Thomas S 216 k
Terry N 159 k
Theo D 141 k
This is how the Final Table set up and as you can see, although Thomas was 7th in chips, he was not far off the pace. Naturally it was getting a bit tense out there and the blinds were beginning to bite. I suspect that Thomas had become a bit 'card dead' because he was uncharacteristically quiet. That was all about to change though as Zach Ford (who had been as low as 700 chips mid-way through Saturday), crippled by Mulla a few hands earlier,went out in 9th as he tried to double up.
The blinds went up again.
6 k / 12 k now with a 2 k ante meant that there was a minimum of 34 k in the middle for the remaining 8 players before a card was dealt !
Jimmy M made a raise from the button making it 32 k to go ... Thomas from the big blind moved all-in over the top for 140 k ... Jimmy called double-quick and they were 'On their Backs'
TS : A J
JM : A A Ouch ! Miracles need only apply ... Thomas is 12/1 against and the flop comes 7 6 4 Turn Q River 6
An eighth place finish in this particular field was nothing short of remarkable in my humble opinion.I got to know Thomas a little from earlier in the week and a very personable young man he is too.His appetite for poker is voracious, for example,during the 45 minute break on Day 2 of the Main Event, he nipped downstairs to play a few hands in a cash game, winning a few hundred pounds for himself while the rest of us were mostly feeding our faces! He looks like he shouldn't even be allowed to know all the moves he's got in his game, but those who under-estimate him will pay a heavy price. I hope this experience will have given Thomas's poker career a boost and I expect to hear bigger and bolder things from him in the future. The way this lad plays he probably doesn't need the money but £ 2000 is a nice reward for 3 days work.
Before the Festival started, Allan Aasterud asked me what I thought about the challenge from Scandinavia, particularly the 'online' generation,(my full answer is on a previous blog from the 3rd of Feb) and I don't think I stated the case strongly enough. In general,these guys seem to think deeply about the game,and displayed some real 'guts' in difficult spots, not just in the Main Event but in the side events too. The set up in Norway appears to be bringing players on in a different style to here and long may it continue.I'm just glad I stayed away from their cash games where I could have been eaten alive !
Theo Droulias merits a special mention too, as this was genuinely only his second live event, the first being a 10Kings Poker satellite in the Circus Casino!
I was a bag of nerves for ages in live games because my only experience of tournament poker came from the internet,w here the only thing I could get wrong was pressing the 'call'/raise' button instead of the 'fold' (which of course I have done).Pot sizes are calculated for me, I don't have to physically distinguish the different chip values, I can't make a string bet on the 'net (I didn't know what one was until I did it by accident in my first live game),and my opponents stack sizes are conveniently displayed for me. The machine makes very loud and irritating noises when it's 'my turn to act' so I was often day-dreaming in my first live tournies wondering what everybody was waiting for (oops)
Theo even survived a bit of a clash with Andy Bradshaw when it was 4-handed and came through it apparently unscathed.
I have only the slightest reservation about the deal Theo agreed to when there were 3 left. The original prize for 2nd was £ 9'800 with £ 6900 for 3rd place. Without knowing the chip stacks exactly, I can't say for sure whether or not the extra £200 Theo got for sharing 2nd and 3rd (ie £10 k each) was worth what he gave up for the chance to knock someone else out. My gut feeling is that Andy Bradshaw got the best of it but hey! ... that's poker.
Considering all of this though, many congratulations to Theo on his bumper pay day of £ 10'000.
I'd just like to say a few words about the English representatives. The Liverpool lads were great, the Nelson twins,Charlie (14th) and Terry (5th) both cashed, and they have another brother Ian who I got talking to on Saturday, who was brutally outdrawn on Day 2. These guys are very experienced players and regularly compete on the EPT with some success I might add.
Big Jimmy Morgan has been a regular player on the local scene for a while now and is clearly going the right way. The winner Rayeez Mulla is no stranger to the winner's enclosure and is well established on the national scene as are Andy Bradshaw,Steve Helmsley and Ty Hutchinson.
The team at Stanley Circus Casino have surpassed all expectations and their tireless efforts have made this Festival a complete success. Kevin Proctor,Paul Fox and Ged have developed a card room to be proud of without doubt. What a pleasure it was to play in this great venue where the standard of dealing was impeccable! I can't recall a single dispute over the five days as any contentions were dealt with swiftly and decisively.
Now they have shown they can handle events of this size and stature with such a level of professionalism I think they can look forward to accomodating many more satisfied poker fans and sponsors.
Having virtually lived in the Circus Casino since Wednesday afternoon I was able to enjoy the events unfold today at home,thanks to the technology provided by The Nutz.TV.The quality of the pictures from the live feed provided by Chris 'The Cub' were astonishingly good and with excellent commentary from Phil 'The Tower' (clearly these two are just poker nuts) I feel I saw more action today than I had seen when I was actually there. The two lads on the laptops giving live updates for the AWOP forum were just as dedicated, so many thanks to 'PeeKay' and 'cctv'.
'The Malmaison' where 10KingsPoker had put me up,was simply the best hotel I have stayed in. It's been a while since I've enjoyed that kind of luxury and would recommend a stay there to anyone coming to this rejuvenated City of Liverpool for a break.
I really have tried to think of something about the last 5 days that I didn't like but apart from not making it into the Main Event,there just wasn't anything. So in conclusion,thanks to Allan, Jostein, LK, Henning and all the Norwegians that I met that helped to make this event what it was.
søndag 8. februar 2009
Top 3 winners
Well done to all!
Top 3 in the £500+£50 Main Event:
1st...£13,900 .....Rayeez Mulla
2nd... £10,000.....Theo Droulias
3rd... £10,000.....Andy Bradshaw
Lots of clips and pics to come:
See a pre-tournament interview with ex LFC legend Jan Mølby:
http://www.thenutz.tv/videodetail.php?video_id=68731
Only 12 players left in the £500 Main Event!
Click here for latest info on forum:
http://www.aworldofpoker.com/forum/about16237-0-asc-0.html
Watch it live here:
http://www.thenutz.tv/live
Final table next!!
Ole Steinvik...............247,000
Mulla.......................242,500
Zach Ford................239,500
T.Droulais..................234,000
Jimmy Morgan...........190,500
Thomas Sande..........188,500
Oyvind Efraimsen.......144,000
Johnathan McCann.....126,500
Charlie Nelson............118,000
Ky Hutchinson..........114,500
Andy Bradshaw...........92,500
Steve Hemsley..........38,000
http://www.aworldofpoker.com/forum/about16237-0-asc-0.html
Watch it live here:
http://www.thenutz.tv/live
Final table next!!
Ole Steinvik...............247,000
Mulla.......................242,500
Zach Ford................239,500
T.Droulais..................234,000
Jimmy Morgan...........190,500
Thomas Sande..........188,500
Oyvind Efraimsen.......144,000
Johnathan McCann.....126,500
Charlie Nelson............118,000
Ky Hutchinson..........114,500
Andy Bradshaw...........92,500
Steve Hemsley..........38,000
lørdag 7. februar 2009
Meet & Greet at Malmaison from 2:30pm
Nutz TV
Jan Mølby
Gillette Soccer Saturday
Team 10KingsPoker + guests
Feel free to come down and have a chat with us and watch football.
Jan Mølby
Gillette Soccer Saturday
Team 10KingsPoker + guests
Feel free to come down and have a chat with us and watch football.
fredag 6. februar 2009
LIVE streaming is running!!
Watch us live! Directly from www.liverpoolwinterfestival.com
Click on LIVE stream link
Click on LIVE stream link
torsdag 5. februar 2009
Meet and greet drinks in Malmaison Saturday from 2.30pm.
In cooperation with our sponsor Malmaison (www.malmaison.com) and their Business Development ManagerSharon Simens, 10KingsPoker.com will welcome all our guests to come down to Malmaison on Saturday at 2.30pm.
Malmaison is a fabulous hotel, and this is where we all stay during Festival. Team 10Kings, Nutz TV, Competition winners, poker pros - we're all booked in.
Saturday is Day 2 of the festival, and we will sit down, watch some football, talk about betting and relax ahead of another exciting poker night. Gillette Soccer Saturday on TV, Jan Mølby quiz and a good atmosphere. If you're out of the Main Event, you might even look at Malmaison's wine and champagne menu.
10KingsPoker & Circus Casino are proud to be associated with Malmaison, hope to see you on Saturday.
Live updates from Thursday's £100+£10 Freeze out
See http://www.liverpoolwinterfestival.com for live updates. Have a look!
Two Norwegians, One Swede and One Blackpool guy in Top 4.
It was a very good tournament leading up to Main Event which starts Friday evening.
Pics to come.
Two Norwegians, One Swede and One Blackpool guy in Top 4.
It was a very good tournament leading up to Main Event which starts Friday evening.
Pics to come.
Dermot Dinan blogs: We're off to a crackin' start in Liverpool!
A crackin’ start!
The Liverpool Winter Festival started yesterday evening. Allan , Joe and I were met at the Circus Casino by General Manager Kevin Proctor at about 6:30 pm who told us that his phone had been ringing off the hook with enquiries for Friday’s Main Event.
I had earlier asked Allan how many entries he thought there might be for the £30 semi – freezeout tonight and he declared 60 would be a very good number, as this would generate about 5 seats or so into the Main Event at £500+£50 a ‘pop’. Kevin meanwhile was confidently predicting 80 + runners and he was nearer the mark with an entry field of 90 players by the time 8:30pm rolled around.
Just to recap, a semi-freezeout is a neat combo of a re-buy and a once only buy-in (freeze-out) multi tournament. In this case, following a £33 registration for 4000 chips, you are allowed one re-buy at any time for another 4k of chips , and a further add-on and 4k after 2 hrs of play. So the most anyone can do in is £93. That’s 4 pints a lager and a chippie meal, eh?
After the dust had settled and the rebuy and add-ons had finished, £5,970 had been collected. This meant that 10 seats in Friday’s £500+£50 Main Event were on offer plus £470 cash for the 11th placed finisher…. But more of that later.
The first all-in arrived on my table in hand 2 …. AK outflopped JJ for a quick double up for seat 7 – that player seemed to be involved in almost every hand after that! I won my first pot of the night by checking my seat 5 BB after seat 2 had smooth called. My 69s was smacked squarely with a 7 8 3 … he bet a strange (to me) less than 1/3rd of the pot which I called and the 5 came on the turn. He moved all-in for about 2k and I called …. He showed 77 but didn’t manage to house up. I started to feel a bit more settled after that!
Martin Bosch (from Alta, Norway – close to the Arctic circle!) was unlucky to walk into AA with his QQ but he took it well, rebought and came back strongly.
Level 2 and 100/200 blinds, I look down at AKs and make it 600 and get 2 callers … flop comes K 9 7 and seat 7 pushed all-in, 2nd caller folds and hoping he didn’t have K9 I called …. He showed K 10 and got no help…. I’m above chip average for the first time so I’m feeling ok.
Just before the break and the end of additional chips, I’ve got AA in mid- position and raise to 600 and get a call from Dennis in seat 1 who’s been very busy of late, and is in the BB…flop is A Q 8 and he bets 1k … I set him in for 2400 and he calls … he shows Q8 and is dead in the water.
74 players remained after the break and my add-on took my stack to 17k with the average at 9k … ok so far but a long way to go.
Levels 3 thru 5 seemed to pass very quickly without too much happening except for the eventual loss of Martin who having been dealt a blow holding QQ once before, found the ‘Sisters’ again only this time they left him crippled. A showdown of 5 5 vs. 8 8 summed his night up really as no help came to the aid of his underpair.
Next up was Level 6 Blinds 600/1200 46 remain DD stack 21k Average 21 k
I met a young man named Jamie McCormack around about this time on a short break. I knew Joe was doing well at the time, on about 35 k + and was chatting to Jamie about the football (Get in you Blue Boys !!! ).
I casually asked him how he was doing and when he replied “ Not too bad thanks … I’ve got about 52 k in chips“ I realized he had to be close to the lead which he confirmed, not in an arrogant manner but as a matter of fact. Jamie told me he is from Blackpool, aged about 20,and has been playing poker for 2 ½ years or so. What struck me about this young man was how composed he was at the table and in conversation. It came as no surprise that he comfortably made a Main Event seat by the way. I wish him well for Friday and the future.
OK. Level 8 and it’s getting hot out there !
32 remain Average 25 k DD 17k Blinds 1k/2k
Norwegian Joe has gone … he rather fell on his sword with AK to AA … having asked a serious question with a good sized raise, Joe was quickly re-raised for all 40k+ of his chips…. I know Joe is not happy with his call in this spot and it is easy to see the case for getting away from this one but y’know, poker makes us all do strange stuff now and again.
I’m trying to hang on but am between two stacks of 80k + and with the blinds increasing every 20 mins now I need to pick a spot.
Level 9 27 remain Average 31k DD 22k
Blinds 2k / 4k
There is panic in the air and I can feel it … people are moving with ‘any old ace’ and the big stacks are mopping up.
I have AJ and small blind makes it 8k to go …. I think I have enough chips to make him think hard for a while and those blinds are coming around again soon. When it’s me to speak I’m ready and announce all-in for 22k … Babu as he is affectionately known (no really !) is thinking that I haven’t played many hands but 14k is still about 1/3rd of his stack …. After an age he calls and “On Their Backs” he shows KK …. Ouch ! Flop K 9 7 Turn 3 River K!
Out in 27 th and soon after ‘Team 10Kings’ member LK was cut adrift in 21st place.
Sorry to say that it seems there was no Norwegian representative successful in today’s attempt to qualify but …. The have a strong contigent of players already confirmed entries for Main Event.
Incidentally the final twelve players each put £20 into the kitty as a sweetener for the 12th placed finisher,which I thought was very democratic and Liverpudlian-like … d’you know worrameeeen like ?
My man of the LIVE satellite: Mark Blake (Wales) – keep an eye on him for the Main Event. The structure suits him perfectly, he’s in-form and a very disciplined player.
Liverpool Winter Festival Day 1 is over and we're looking forward to new tournaments over the next few days.
The Liverpool Winter Festival started yesterday evening. Allan , Joe and I were met at the Circus Casino by General Manager Kevin Proctor at about 6:30 pm who told us that his phone had been ringing off the hook with enquiries for Friday’s Main Event.
I had earlier asked Allan how many entries he thought there might be for the £30 semi – freezeout tonight and he declared 60 would be a very good number, as this would generate about 5 seats or so into the Main Event at £500+£50 a ‘pop’. Kevin meanwhile was confidently predicting 80 + runners and he was nearer the mark with an entry field of 90 players by the time 8:30pm rolled around.
Just to recap, a semi-freezeout is a neat combo of a re-buy and a once only buy-in (freeze-out) multi tournament. In this case, following a £33 registration for 4000 chips, you are allowed one re-buy at any time for another 4k of chips , and a further add-on and 4k after 2 hrs of play. So the most anyone can do in is £93. That’s 4 pints a lager and a chippie meal, eh?
After the dust had settled and the rebuy and add-ons had finished, £5,970 had been collected. This meant that 10 seats in Friday’s £500+£50 Main Event were on offer plus £470 cash for the 11th placed finisher…. But more of that later.
The first all-in arrived on my table in hand 2 …. AK outflopped JJ for a quick double up for seat 7 – that player seemed to be involved in almost every hand after that! I won my first pot of the night by checking my seat 5 BB after seat 2 had smooth called. My 69s was smacked squarely with a 7 8 3 … he bet a strange (to me) less than 1/3rd of the pot which I called and the 5 came on the turn. He moved all-in for about 2k and I called …. He showed 77 but didn’t manage to house up. I started to feel a bit more settled after that!
Martin Bosch (from Alta, Norway – close to the Arctic circle!) was unlucky to walk into AA with his QQ but he took it well, rebought and came back strongly.
Level 2 and 100/200 blinds, I look down at AKs and make it 600 and get 2 callers … flop comes K 9 7 and seat 7 pushed all-in, 2nd caller folds and hoping he didn’t have K9 I called …. He showed K 10 and got no help…. I’m above chip average for the first time so I’m feeling ok.
Just before the break and the end of additional chips, I’ve got AA in mid- position and raise to 600 and get a call from Dennis in seat 1 who’s been very busy of late, and is in the BB…flop is A Q 8 and he bets 1k … I set him in for 2400 and he calls … he shows Q8 and is dead in the water.
74 players remained after the break and my add-on took my stack to 17k with the average at 9k … ok so far but a long way to go.
Levels 3 thru 5 seemed to pass very quickly without too much happening except for the eventual loss of Martin who having been dealt a blow holding QQ once before, found the ‘Sisters’ again only this time they left him crippled. A showdown of 5 5 vs. 8 8 summed his night up really as no help came to the aid of his underpair.
Next up was Level 6 Blinds 600/1200 46 remain DD stack 21k Average 21 k
I met a young man named Jamie McCormack around about this time on a short break. I knew Joe was doing well at the time, on about 35 k + and was chatting to Jamie about the football (Get in you Blue Boys !!! ).
I casually asked him how he was doing and when he replied “ Not too bad thanks … I’ve got about 52 k in chips“ I realized he had to be close to the lead which he confirmed, not in an arrogant manner but as a matter of fact. Jamie told me he is from Blackpool, aged about 20,and has been playing poker for 2 ½ years or so. What struck me about this young man was how composed he was at the table and in conversation. It came as no surprise that he comfortably made a Main Event seat by the way. I wish him well for Friday and the future.
OK. Level 8 and it’s getting hot out there !
32 remain Average 25 k DD 17k Blinds 1k/2k
Norwegian Joe has gone … he rather fell on his sword with AK to AA … having asked a serious question with a good sized raise, Joe was quickly re-raised for all 40k+ of his chips…. I know Joe is not happy with his call in this spot and it is easy to see the case for getting away from this one but y’know, poker makes us all do strange stuff now and again.
I’m trying to hang on but am between two stacks of 80k + and with the blinds increasing every 20 mins now I need to pick a spot.
Level 9 27 remain Average 31k DD 22k
Blinds 2k / 4k
There is panic in the air and I can feel it … people are moving with ‘any old ace’ and the big stacks are mopping up.
I have AJ and small blind makes it 8k to go …. I think I have enough chips to make him think hard for a while and those blinds are coming around again soon. When it’s me to speak I’m ready and announce all-in for 22k … Babu as he is affectionately known (no really !) is thinking that I haven’t played many hands but 14k is still about 1/3rd of his stack …. After an age he calls and “On Their Backs” he shows KK …. Ouch ! Flop K 9 7 Turn 3 River K!
Out in 27 th and soon after ‘Team 10Kings’ member LK was cut adrift in 21st place.
Sorry to say that it seems there was no Norwegian representative successful in today’s attempt to qualify but …. The have a strong contigent of players already confirmed entries for Main Event.
Incidentally the final twelve players each put £20 into the kitty as a sweetener for the 12th placed finisher,which I thought was very democratic and Liverpudlian-like … d’you know worrameeeen like ?
My man of the LIVE satellite: Mark Blake (Wales) – keep an eye on him for the Main Event. The structure suits him perfectly, he’s in-form and a very disciplined player.
Liverpool Winter Festival Day 1 is over and we're looking forward to new tournaments over the next few days.
onsdag 4. februar 2009
Deadline for Team Competition
In agreement with Circus Casino and Nutz TV, we have set the deadline for entry to Team Competition at Friday by lunchtime at 12.00. Register a poker account with 10KingsPoker now!
If you have problems finding a team mate, let me know.
If you have problems register an account, let me know.
allan@10KingsPoker.com is my e-mail address
Registered entries so far:
* Team 10Kings
* 2 Brothers and a Donk
* The Fullring Nits
* Team UltraPervo
* The River
* Team Sandefjord
* Newcastle Poker Forum
* The Flintstones
* 3 Kings from The Castle
* Team Hartlepool
* Team Fart
* Team Salty Liquirice
If you have problems finding a team mate, let me know.
If you have problems register an account, let me know.
allan@10KingsPoker.com is my e-mail address
Registered entries so far:
* Team 10Kings
* 2 Brothers and a Donk
* The Fullring Nits
* Team UltraPervo
* The River
* Team Sandefjord
* Newcastle Poker Forum
* The Flintstones
* 3 Kings from The Castle
* Team Hartlepool
* Team Fart
* Team Salty Liquirice
Hurry up! £500+£50 Main Event filling up...
Hurry up, we now have 100 confirmed entries for £500+£50 Main Event!
If you want a seat, contact Circus Casino Liverpool directly asap.
There will be a LIVE satellite tonight which will open approx 10-14 seats depending on entries and rebuy/add'on.
Norwegians arriving at Casino around midnight, and we keep getting calls and buyins from all over UK.
Hurry up now - book your seat before it's too late!
If you want a seat, contact Circus Casino Liverpool directly asap.
There will be a LIVE satellite tonight which will open approx 10-14 seats depending on entries and rebuy/add'on.
Norwegians arriving at Casino around midnight, and we keep getting calls and buyins from all over UK.
Hurry up now - book your seat before it's too late!
tirsdag 3. februar 2009
Direct from Circus Casino: Dermot Dinan!
Please meet 10KingsPoker's expert blogger during Liverpool Winter Festival; Dermot 'Number Cruncher' Dinan!
This guy will praise, excite, provoke, critise - and 10KingsPoker is proud to have secured his services for the next few days while we bring the exciting game of poker to City of Liverpool.
Who is Dermot Dinan?
I am a 52 year old Irish born Wallasey man, although I have lived in London and Spain before returning to the Wirral in 1982, remaining here since then.
When did your interest for gambling start?
I started playing 3 card brag in school aged 11, frequently being punished for possession of 'The Devil's Bible' ! ... worth it though as 'ciggy' money was paramount in those days. After much dossing about in my late teens, getting married at 22 was a huge factor in getting only my second 'proper' job, as a Betting Shop Manager for Joe Coral in West London.I had been playing the horses recreationally since age of 15 with predictably poor results, and was sold on the idea of being paid to work in a place where I was spending too much time (not to mention money) anyway.
Dream job, eh?
Allan,listen. It's worth pointing out that back then (1978) the betting shop environment was totally different to today. Never any more than 2 afternoon meetings + 1 dog meeting, closed for night racing in the summer, open at 1030am and finished by 6pm at the latest. Yeah, it was a dream job. No all-weather nonsense and profit levels were more than acceptable. I only visit shops now under sufferance and even though they are virtually empty, the non-stop cacophony of 'cartoon' racing, American rubbish, dogs at all hours, all-weather, Lucky Balls every 15 minutes, and a minimum of 4 all-singing all-dancing roulette type machines..... as you can see,it really cracks me up!
It’s 24 hours business these days, mate. Times are changing…
Anyway, the cost of living enticed me to move back to the Wirral in 1981 and I went to work for an embryonic Stanley Racing .Most of their top-level management cut their teeth at Ladbrokes and after Stanley failed in some of their ambitious expansion plans, I was persuaded that Ladbrokes provided more opportunities for me. This was a big mistake and I can safely say, that a more immoral collection of yes-men and business graduates with no bookmaking experience, would be hard to put together in one company. What a complete shower they turned out to be! After 6 years of trying to do it their way I ultimately chose the highway.
You have never left the betting industry?
No, since then I have been on the periphery of some serious independent gambling circles where I got an invaluable grounding in spread-betting on eg, Winning Distances for Horse Meetings and the Bookings market in Football. As the Spread firms became educated over the years so indeed did the perceived value in both these markets eventually disappear. Not before I was able to flag up 6 consecutive winning years and a a very cheeky profit ‘thank you very much’ .... aaahhh those were the days!
Speaking about gambling circles… When did you enter the world of poker?
I learned to play 5 Card Draw at 15 but 7 Card Stud soon became the game of choice. Regular home games were the thing and although pubs didn't encourage us, the local snooker club saw some very tasty amounts change hands in the mid-70's ie £200 -£400. I was soon able to recognize the stronger players and made every effort to avoid them, the trouble was there were never any really weak games.
When did you first try online poker?
About 5 years ago I think, but it was definitely a small Sit & Go on Will Hill. I was a complete technophobe and was hoping for a gentle introduction as I wasn't sure about the buttons to call/rais. I was first to speak after the flop which came 777 ... all I could see was my KQ (I know, I know) and completely panicked unable to see the 'Check' button. I bet max instead much to the delight of the only other player left in who duly called with his A 7.....Ooops- ahem - bye! If I congratulated him on his Quads? Ahh come on, I couldn’t even find the chat box!
During Liverpool Winter Festival week you will face some of the young online poker Scandics. What do you think about them?
Overall I think the standard has improved across the board. While I feel it is wrong to generalise, the Scandys have certainly made their mark haven't they? I also think they have gone a long way to put to bed the argument that they "won't be able to get away with that in a live game",usually referring to a strong move out of position, UTG for instance seems to be a particular favourite.
I am also amazed at those who can play upwards of 6 games at once although that multi-tasking skill is not owned by just the Skandys.I can just about manage 2 games but always feel I'm missing something.
Looking forward to the Liverpool Winter Festival?
I really do! I love the buzz of a live event and having played the 10KingsPoker Invitational at Circus Casino last October I urge everyone who reads this to give it their support. As you know I will be trying to qualify for the Main Event via satellites so it suits all pockets. The Circus card room management are top-notch too, thanks in advance to Kevin, Paul and Ged.
How is the poker interest and knowledge on Merseyside?
Like a lot of cities poker in Liverpool has been around since before the advent of Hold-em, but it is television that stimulates the interest of non-players. Usually the basics of poker are taught at home but I suspect this tradition may not be as strong as it once was. The top TV tournaments covered by Sky still create talking points among sports fans though. Let me also say that there are some very good poker players on Merseyside, and this festival will be great venue for these to shine.
What are your poker strengths?
Unfortunately for me, outweighed by my weaknesses but I am much more patient in poker however, than I am in life. I do feel I am able to 'get away' from big hands in certain circumstances. I'm no graduate of M.I.T. but the old-fashioned method of settling bets I was taught by Joe Coral has meant that I had am a player who is strong percentage play. Stats are essential in evaluating most spread betting scenarios and have been known to unearth real value.
Any bad beats?
I'm bored listening to them so I try not to tell them but I like the story of the guy in Vegas who charges $50 per 15 mins to listen to your unlucky stories about any game... He charges double for losing Keno stories! Ha-ha.
Any bragging stories?
Quite a few! None that relate to gambling though…
Dermot, you have followed 10KingsPoker.com since early Summer, and you know our team well. How can we be successful in the long run?
I hate all the 'business speak' crap... you know .. blue sky this, out of the box that. It's just laziness in my opinion. I suspect you already know the answers but for what it's worth Allan, you can't do any more than market an honest, ‘value for money product’ that people find easy to consume/navigate. Word of mouth is still a very powerful selling tool, even in this multi-media market of today. Speaking about the Liverpool Winter Festival, you may not reap the benefits of your association with the City of Liverpool for many months but yes I would say, 10KingsPoker is on the right track.
Ok, enough talk. I will see you all down at Circus Casino Wednesday night for the LIVE satellite (£30 Rebuy + Add’on) for Main Event which starts Friday.
Dermot Dinan will keep you informed all festival long, and blog live from Circus Casino. And he does it 'Dermot-way'! 10KingsPoker has given him full freedom to write and say whatever he wants. We can guarantee more action from DD in a few hours...
Arrived in Liverpool
Checked in at Malmaison, done a quick interview with Nutz TV, got an update from Jan Mølby and booked transport for all Norwegian guests. It doesnt get any better, eh?
About to make a move, heading to Circus Casino for food, meeting with the one and only Paul Fox and later on playing the £40+4 Headhunter FreezeOut.
Good news from London too. 'Lobsterjo', LK and Klinge all arrived safe and sound at Stanstead - and now heading for action at VIC Casino. A warm up ahead of tomorrow's Festival start. Yippi!
mandag 2. februar 2009
ZZzznowstorm in London!
News from BBC:
Britain is bracing itself for further disruption as fresh bands of snow sweep across the country. South-east England has been hit by the heaviest snow in 18 years, causing trains and buses to be cancelled, and airports and schools to be closed.
There has been issued an 'extreme weather warning' for England, and passengers travelling to and from Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick airports have been warned to expect "significant delays and cancellations".
This is no good news for our festival guests who will start arriving tomorrow at Stanstead, Luton, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester. I hope to go by train from London/Euston tomorrow at lunch. Fingers crossed. Good night.
Caroline Cove and her big balls!
I have seen CC play both in Blackpool and Liverpool, and she sure knows the game of poker. I must admit I had a good laugh when a frustrated poker friend of mine described her this way after being knocked out in Blackpool; 'Allan, that girl must be at least 7 feet tall, she was talking nonstop but you really dont wanna mess with her!'
For the Main Event starting Friday let's welcome; Caroline Cove!
CC, I know you're an experienced poker player on Merseyside. However, not many Scandics know you. Can you tell us a bit more about yourself?
Alan I'm an open book :) Everyone who has met me at the poker tables knows I am a very refined, quiet and shy lady, who only ever goes in with the nuts. I have never - repeat - never been barred from any casinos for arguing. Vicious rumours.
Where are you from?
I have a pub in Town Green which is near to Ormskirk.
Somebody asked me if that 'shy blondy' qualified through the LIVE satellite at Circus last Monday? Haha, not sure if he meant you.
Yes, he will definitely have meant me. I'm actually surprised he even noticed me, I am that quiet.
Being a girl around the poker table, do you have any special strategies? You certainly know how to play.
Okay I'll take my tongue out of my cheek now and tell the truth. I am not a typical representative of a girl at the poker table. It has been said many times I have bigger balls than most of the blokes! I run a pub, I've never been a shrinking violet and I am a very confident, outspoken woman - the line I hear most often is "Caroline says out loud what everyone else is just thinking" and I'm afraid it's true. I love to play poker and I have worked hard over the past year to really improve my game, so I can back up my big mouth with the moves to match as part of my game. I can talk anyone into calling when I want them too. One of my weaknesses is talking them into calling when I DON'T want them to! I talk when I have a hand and I talk when I don't so at least I'm consistent.
How long have you played online poker? Your strengths?
My strength online is not playing! I find it too easy to go on tilt online, yet I never do live. I have had a bit of success online but I'd be lying if I said overall I was up. I don't play cash online at all, but do enjoy 10 seater Sit n Goes.
How have you been doing lately?
I seem to be on form, I've only played live seven times this month and have cashed in 5 out of those 7 tournaments, plus I have played cash 4 times and only left down on one occasion. Last Monday I won one of the 4 LIVE satellite seats to the main event at the Winter Festival which I'm really excited about!
Have you entered the team competition yet?
No! We are two members (Caroline and Colin) - one to find! If anyone wants to play with me... speak up now!
Any bad beat stories?
I tend to forget a bad beat as soon as it happens purely because I know how many times I've bad beat people myself! They tend to even out but I think people forget about the horrible calls they make and get lucky and only remember when it happens to them.
My personal moment of achievement was in Dublin last year at the Winter Festival. I played the £500 side event, which I was paid into by Betfred (I spent the money and then had to win a satellite!!!) and had a very hard game with a massive lack of hands. Anyway, I tend to play a short stack well, as my concentration really sharpens up, and managed to keep myself in with a series of steals, squeezes and bullying small boys till they folded. I was then moved to a table which really should have been the TV table - other players there included Julian Thew, Ciaran O'Leary, James Akenhead and a few online pros. I played my heart out and finally managed to make it to the last two tables - into the money. I do remember what I went out with - a guy had just made a really bad call and gone on tilt, all in blind last three hands. The fourth time he did it I found KK in the SB and called. He had JQ and the flop came rag, rag, rag.. followed by a jack.. and another Jack! Game over! 18th place, about €1K. Like I say though, I had been on borrowed time for the past two hours, so I really couldn't complain - I had sucked out a few times to get as far as I did.
Looking forward to see you in Liverpool, Caroline.
I can't wait!! Good luck to 10KingsPoker.com and Circus Casino.
lørdag 31. januar 2009
'The Fullring Nits' wants your chips!
Liverpool Winter Festival has an integrated Team Competition. Meet the latest team trio to enter a very prestigious competition - and these guys are hungry for your chips; 'The Fullring Nits'!
- Team captain Martin Rasch, sorry that I’m asking but is there a spelling mistake in your team name? 'The Fullring Nits' – is that correct spelling?
Ha-ha.
You got it all right. Haven’t you heard of us previously? 'The Fullring Nits'. Las Vegas, Monte Carlo, Bahamas – we turned up once and we will never be forgotten.
- Is that right?
No, just kidding! The three of us are mainly fullring stake grinders from no limit 1-2 to 10-20, including some successful and less successful attempts on even higher stakes. The guys are pretending to have a nitty image on the table, although that’s not always the truth. As we’re an ambitious trio, who is ready to challenge for the Team Competition glory, we needed a special name on our special team. Here we are , 'The Fullring Nits'!
- Who are the team members?
Mads Amot: 23 years old from Gausdal. Futsal player and pokerspiller
Ole Johan Steinvik: 25 years old from Dombås, sharing a flat with Mads in Oslo.
Martin Rasch: 27 years old from Elverum, football coach and poker player who trying to turn his attention from tournaments into cash games.
- Hmm... I don’t think this trio frightens ’The River’ or ‘Team 10Kings’. You need to play at the top of your game to beat these two teams.
Yeah, but let me finish then. . . I was about to give you some facts about my two team mates. OJ has spent a crazy number of hours playing online poker the last few years, and he has taken down most of his opponents. The guy has done very well lately, although he doesn’t play too many tournaments. However, he is the reigning Norwegian champion online (Riverblaster). He also cashed in APPT Macau 2008. A talented guy who could be a chippie after Day 1 in Main Event Liverpool.
Mads came 4th in Norwegian championship Limit Holdem 2008, and he cashed also in 2007. He has been dipping his toes in different prize pools lately, but haven’t made it all the way.
- Do you like the integrated Team Competition?
Yeah, absolutely. It gives added excitement to the Main Event, an extra competition for the players – a lot of prestige on stake. It will be interesting to see how long my team mates can keep their chips stack alive.
- Rumours are saying you are in great online poker form, Martin?
What? Is it a joke, Allan? You see, both my PCs crashed last week...
- Sorry to hear, I thought you had taken a much deserved online break.
True. I can’t complain. I actually won 10KingsPoker’s €3500 GUARANTEED back to back. Always a great feeling to win tournaments, a real confidence booster – although the starting fields were only 72 runners and 68 runners. Thanks for talking me into those tourneys, Allan – definitely value! Ha-ha.
- Been to Liverpool previously?
No, we havent. Definitely looking forward to it despite being Man Utd fans! We are a group of 5-6 guys, and we’ll up for it all. Poker, parties and football. Our travel guide will be Kent Stenseth who has numerous trips to England/Liverpool on his CV, and I’m sure he will be a good city guide.
- LFC fan Kent Stenseth? You better be joking?! I know that dizzy fella very well. If he’s going guide you, you won’t even make it to Circus Casino until Day 2! If he has booked your tickets, make sure you are going to Liverpool Airport and not Stanstead…
Ha-ha! We will keep an eye on Kent. The Fullring Nits is like Fergie’s Man Utd. We might be slow starters, lose a few pots early on - but when the big pots are on the table, don’t count us out.
10KingsPoker is proud to welcome 'The Fullring Nits' to Liverpool Winter Festival!
torsdag 29. januar 2009
Our exclusive hotel sponsor!
Welcome to Malmaison! Our exclusive hotel sponsor is a stylish hotel located in the heart of the historical city of Liverpool, and perfectly suited for Liverpool Winter Festival players and Team Nutz TV. Sharon Simons is Business Development Manager at Malmaison Liverpool, and she looks forward to welcome our guests.
Q1 - Thanks, Sharon. 10KingsPoker is proud to announce Malmaison as our exclusive sponsor, and a truly stunning hotel which will bring added style and elegance to Liverpool Winter Festival!
Certainly! Our friendly staff at Malmaison will do its best to make sure your stay is a plesant one.
Q2 - Where is Malmaison located in Liverpool?
Malmaison is on Princes Dock on the Mersey. About 15 minute taxi ride from the airport, and a quick 10 minute walk into the heart of the city centre.
Q3 - The Malmaison chain is wellknown for their boutique hotels.
Yes that's true. Passion goes a long way in Malmaison. All the way from the converted Episcopal church that is our hotel in Glasgow to fabulously remodelled prison in Oxford and beyond. With thirteen daringly different hotels in the UK, and more in the pipeline catering for the business of pleasure and the pleasure of business, it looks like passion is well and truly here to stay.
Q4 - When did Malmaison launch in Liverpool?
The new Liverpool ‘Mal’ opened on 29th January 2007, ready, willing and extremely able to welcome LiverBirds and City of Culture Vultures alike to a Liverpool hotel, bar and Brasserie with a new and different kind of sophistication that’s decidedly more 5th Avenue than Water Street.
Q5 - Why should choose Malmaison?
Malmaison dares to be different…
The hotel boasts 128 superbly welcoming, non-smoking rooms, many of which have river views, plus 2 suites, dedicated to the City’s favourite football teams.
The totally soft, purple Plum Bar is all waiter service and will be open from 10am every morning, serving an extensive repertoire of drinks, sublime cocktails and bar snacks – definitely the scene if you want to be seen.
The Brasserie serves classic French bistro dishes and locally inspired dishes available from the Home, Grown & Local menu. Least we forget the two private dining rooms The Boudoir, The Kitchen and a wine tasting cellar. For work and play, for those on business, the hotel also features 4 meeting rooms and an excellent Techno gym.
Q6 - A boutique hotel like Malmaison must be VERY expensive, Sharon?
The hotel is pure style and luxury; people may think its going to be expensive but Malmaison is different.. Rooms are from £75 room only (subject to availability), so its stylish yet affordable!
Q7 - Champagne bar, gym and Liverpool/Everton suites - what's that all about?
Malmaison not only boast sumptuous rooms, delicious cuisines and delectable cocktails..we also have a Veuve Clicquot Bar, this used for private functions but due to popular demand Liverpool Mal will be hosting a regular champagne tasting event!
The gym is fully equipped and one of our larger gyms out of the hotels..if you don’t want to work out, how about living it up like your favourite footballer and stay in one of our suites? The Suites are something else! Liverpool and Everton fans will be winners, thanks to its two premiership Suites.
‘The Kop’– a Killer corner Suite overlooking the Mersey, with double shower, saucy teak bath with huge plasma TV screen, table-top footie and Liverpool pictures and memorabilia everywhere.
‘The Toffee Shop’ –this stylish Suite comes with ‘team’ bed, plasma TV screen, state-of-the-art design with room to practice tackling!
Thanks to Sharon and we're looking forward to stay at Malmaison next week.
Personally I can agree with every word she says. I have just come back after business meetings in Liverpool, and Malmaison is a perfect place for a business trip or weekend away. A luxury hotel perfect located! My hotel room was very modern, comfortable bed and free wireless internet access. A fantastic bathrooms including a top class shower. Absolutely brilliant!
10KingsPoker can definitely recommend Malmaison as our favourite hotel!
Ranking status and Nutz TV
Liverpool Winter Festival now got European Ranking Status!
Nutz TV with Phil Heald & co will attend Main Event - and give you online stream and LIVE updates. Fantastic news! See them speak about Liverpool Winter Festival here:
(go to 4 mins and 30 seconds;)
http://www.thenutz.tv/videodetail.php?video_id=68655
Nutz TV with Phil Heald & co will attend Main Event - and give you online stream and LIVE updates. Fantastic news! See them speak about Liverpool Winter Festival here:
(go to 4 mins and 30 seconds;)
http://www.thenutz.tv/videodetail.php?video_id=68655
tirsdag 27. januar 2009
Hotel recommendation: MALMAISON !
Are you coming to Liverpool?
Malmaison Liverpool is the place to stay in The Official European Capital of Culture. Perfectly suited for a business trip or luxury weekend break, this is a truly stunning hotel which offers all the luxury you’d expect from a Malmaison boutique hotel.
http://www.malmaison-liverpool.com/the-hotel
Exclusive interview with Malmaison representatives to be launched online Wednesday.
Malmaison offer rates from £75 room only, subject to availability
ATTENTION: Payment Info
To be able to register your seat for Liverpool Winter Festival (4th - 8th Feb), you need to make your payment to Circus Casino now. Online or offline, please see below bank details:
* The UK based players can buy in at their local Stanley Casino. *
For non-UK players see bank details below:
Account Name: Stanley Casinos Limited Gaming Revenue Account
Account number: 41527615
Sort Code: 60-13-19
IBAN: GB41NWBK60131941527615
BIC: NWBKGB2L
Here are the tournaments:
£500+£50 Main event
£30+£3 Semi FreezeOut Satellite
£100+£10 NL Hold'em FreezeOut
£200+£20 NL Hold'em FreezeOut
£50+£5 NL Nold'em Semi-FreezeOut
Send me an e-mail to allan@10KingsPoker.com if questions.
PS! To be a eligble for tournament play, payment needs to be received by Circus Casino before start of tournament.
The normal way to do this is:
1) The player to contact Circus Casino to register for a tournament (register online, see www.liverpoolwinterfestival.com). He/she also gives a confirmation on mail or fax.
2) Circus Casino reserves one or several seats and give the player information to make a bank tranfer. (See bank info above)
3) The player transfers money enough to cover any tournament buyin.
4) Circus Casino receives the transferred money and buy the player into tournament.
5) If any money left, the player can collect them in the cash desk when he/she arrives at Circus Casino.
mandag 26. januar 2009
'10Kings Heads Up' tournament at 20:00 GMT
Monday, January 26, 2009: '10Kings Heads Up'
Don't forget tonight's exclusive €30+€3 Heads-Up tournament.
Only for 10KingsPoker members and Payout to Top 4. Max players: 64
Start: 20:00 GMT (10KingsPoker.com guarantees €200)
This is a tournament requested by some of the players who intend to go to Liverpool Winter Festival. The Top 4 will walk away with a bit of cash, and several of these players will meet up again in Feb - this time face to face in Circus Casino.
A lot of banter already, and there are some feisty heads-ups expected...
Don't forget tonight's exclusive €30+€3 Heads-Up tournament.
Only for 10KingsPoker members and Payout to Top 4. Max players: 64
Start: 20:00 GMT (10KingsPoker.com guarantees €200)
DnI/SXRg178BKTI/AAAAAAAAAr0/xIAA7jUbNHs/s1600-h/dec+jan+2009+031.jpg)
This is a tournament requested by some of the players who intend to go to Liverpool Winter Festival. The Top 4 will walk away with a bit of cash, and several of these players will meet up again in Feb - this time face to face in Circus Casino.
A lot of banter already, and there are some feisty heads-ups expected...
søndag 25. januar 2009
Home favourite Terry Owens looking forward to Festival!
Watch this guy! One of the local players aiming for a seat in the final and his hands on the £3,000 Team Competition prize is Terry Owens from Liverpool. As a friend of mine for several years, we had a good chat about his team, his worst bad beat and his restaurant.
* Hello Terry, you ok? I know you're an ambitious player who knows your game. Ready to challenge our 'Team 10Kings'?
Yes, Allan. We're ready. You know me, shy guy and all that - but I really fancy our team for the win and one of us to final table and possibly win it outright.
(Shy guy yeah. There you have Terry Owens. Ha-ha. No way!)
* What's the name of your team?
We have called the team The River after my restaurant opposite the casino. It seemed a natural choice for a poker junkie in a city with such a famous river running through it.
* Who are your team mates?
They are James Morgan and Andy Booth. James and Andy have steadily improved over the last year or two and have moved up from low stakes live poker to regular journeymen of the domestic poker circuit. They have also made the online game a regular choice as it offers great value and a chance to win those coveted places at live main events.
To this end James Morgan won so many GUKPT live event seats last year that they had to pay some of them in cash as there were no more events to win! Andy Booth also had a good run in that in one week he won four online tournaments netting him over $12k in the week, this had him placed in the Blue Square Hall of Fame!
* And last but not least, how are you doing, Terry?
Pretty well, mate. There has been four trophies awarded in Liverpool for festival events and I have been lucky enough to win three of them which earned me over £20k . Two of them were back to back which resulted in quite a party afterwards. James Morgan came 2nd and 3rd in two of those events. The three of us are active cash game players on various rungs of the ladder, but we would all consider ourselves tournament players first and foremost.
* Do you like the team competition integrated into Main Event?
We all do! The team competition is a great free extra laid on by 10KingsPoker and shows innovation. It gives the player added interest even when knocked out and improves upon many team games in that the individual player still gets the lions share of prize money if they place in the main event.
* How was your poker form in 2008?
I played quite a few gukpt events last year. http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=41422
I final tabled in the main event in Walsall winning about 8k, runner up in a GUKPT side event in Bolton and made the money in the main event, winning about 8k for the week. I also final tabled at a side event in Kent. I won one of the trophies in Liverpool earlier in the year at Leo Casino. Just recently I came runner up in the $500 online short handed main event on Blue Square. Losing head's up to Jeff Kimber who is a previous heads up world champion. (He is a lucky fish!).
* Any 'bad beat' story for our readers, Terry?
Bad beat stories, so many yet so few people want to listen. I shall recount only two!
Story 1: The first is an online omaha cash game. It's a $10K pot with three players. I started with double ace suited and the flop comes A 5 10 (rainbow). All the money (a lot!) goes in and we have one caller. Turn comes a 2 and the river comes a 5. I was the preflop raiser and the postflop loser as he wins the pot with quad fives!
Story 2:
We're at a live texas cash game at the Venetian in Las Vegas. I have about $7K infront of me making me about $5K ahead on the night. We are now three handed and I am about to leave. I am talked into staying by one player as the other is drunk has about $15K and is doing his best to dump it on us. I agree to stay another hour! I have Ace Ten. The flop comes Ace Ten Nine with two clubs. The pot gets big on the flop and we see a turn card. The A of clubs... This gives me a full house and puts a flush out there. All of the money goes in. Now up until now I had been playing at The Orleans hotel who had a bad beat jackpot of $50K and to win this you had to lose with aces full or better. The river brings the Seven of clubs. I am behind only to quad tens or so I think, and he declares flush and flips his cards over. I go to scoop the pot about $14k and the dealer declares straight flush ! The guy didn't see it and I couldn't believe it. A one outer, he had the six and eight of clubs !! Hang on, maybe a bad beat jackpot could get me out of it. NO, there isn't one at the Venetian!
Allan, why did you have to ask this gut wrenching 'bad beat' question?? Ha-ha.
* Oh that's a bad one, Terry. Your story must be the ultimate definition of a 'bad beat' story. Any advices for the newcomers we will welcome from Norway to the Liverpool Winter Festival?
First of all, we are looking forward to meet them. An international mix always spice up any tournament, and we have a lot of respect for the Scandics. Here you have my three tips for 'newbies':
1. Watch the players at your table and observe their styles and use the info later when it counts.
2. Use position as a weapon. eg. blind theft, squeeze plays and don't get out of line early.
3. Be able to lay a hand down if you think you are beat and you have time to recover.
* Any local players to keep an eye on?
Paul Marrow: Nicknamed 'The Diceman'. Unprediatable, aggressive and will either go out early or make a play for the win.
Joe Kershaw: Another player with the talent to win a big tourney if things fall his way.
Ian Nelson: He once described himself on a televised live final as the person with the biggest balls in Liverpool. Pass.
* I can strongy recommend any player to check out your restaurant 'The River'. Great food and service!
Thanks, Allan. 'The River' is opposite the casino, around 50 metres to walk. A good place to chill out if you need a break from the casino. I have two websites for the restaurants adddresses below, and I give 10% discount to all Liverpool Winter Festival players. We'll also organse breakfast and pre-tournament dinner at a set price for the players as it's a good meeting point for Scandics and local players. See you in Liverpool between the 4th to 8th of February!
http://www.haymarketrestaurant.co.uk
http://www.riverbarandgrill.co.uk
lørdag 24. januar 2009
Plenty of online action on 10KingsPoker!
Date GMT
25.jan 15:00 €7,500 GTD Super Sunday €70+€7 (Deepstack Tourney)
25.jan 15:00 €100K - 10 seats GTD €10+€1
25.jan 16:30 Irish Open Weekly €32+€3
25.jan 17:30 P.A.T Weekly €47,50+€2,50
25.jan 17:30 €250,000 Weekly €32+€3
25.jan 19:00 €100,000 Guaranteed €140+€10
26.jan 20:00 10Kings Heads-Up' €30+€3 (Exclusive for our members)
27.jan 19:00 €25,000 Freeroll (1,500 raked hands required)
01.feb 18:00 €250,000 Guaranteed €300+€20
15.feb 16:30 Irish Open Final €300+€20 (€5,000 winner package)
15.feb 17:30 P.A.T Final €450+€25
Daily satellites:
Irish Open Rebuy €2+20c
Irish Open Daily €3,5+50c
P.A.T Rebuy €3+30c
P.A.T Daily €5+50c
€100,000 Satellite €15+€1
€250,000 Rebuy €2+20c
€250,000 Daily €3,50+30c
25.jan 15:00 €7,500 GTD Super Sunday €70+€7 (Deepstack Tourney)
25.jan 15:00 €100K - 10 seats GTD €10+€1
25.jan 16:30 Irish Open Weekly €32+€3
25.jan 17:30 P.A.T Weekly €47,50+€2,50
25.jan 17:30 €250,000 Weekly €32+€3
25.jan 19:00 €100,000 Guaranteed €140+€10
26.jan 20:00 10Kings Heads-Up' €30+€3 (Exclusive for our members)
27.jan 19:00 €25,000 Freeroll (1,500 raked hands required)
01.feb 18:00 €250,000 Guaranteed €300+€20
15.feb 16:30 Irish Open Final €300+€20 (€5,000 winner package)
15.feb 17:30 P.A.T Final €450+€25
Daily satellites:
Irish Open Rebuy €2+20c
Irish Open Daily €3,5+50c
P.A.T Rebuy €3+30c
P.A.T Daily €5+50c
€100,000 Satellite €15+€1
€250,000 Rebuy €2+20c
€250,000 Daily €3,50+30c
fredag 23. januar 2009
Register your entry to Liverpool now!
Hey, are you going to Liverpool in february for http://www.liverpoolwinterfestival.com?
Have you registered your entry?
Which of the tournaments are you gonna play:
* £500+£50 Main event
* Team Competition
* £30+£3 Semi FreezeOut Satellite
* £100+£10 NL Hold'em FreezeOut
* £200+£20 NL Holdem FreezeOut
* £50+£5 NL Nold'em Semi-FreezeOut
Go to the festival site, click on register and send us your entry. We need to know now to be able to give you 1st priority.
Please do it NOW!
(10KingsPoker and Circus Casino will launch the payment options for non-UK players on Monday.)
http://www.liverpoolwinterfestival.com
Have you registered your entry?
Which of the tournaments are you gonna play:
* £500+£50 Main event
* Team Competition
* £30+£3 Semi FreezeOut Satellite
* £100+£10 NL Hold'em FreezeOut
* £200+£20 NL Holdem FreezeOut
* £50+£5 NL Nold'em Semi-FreezeOut
Go to the festival site, click on register and send us your entry. We need to know now to be able to give you 1st priority.
Please do it NOW!
(10KingsPoker and Circus Casino will launch the payment options for non-UK players on Monday.)
http://www.liverpoolwinterfestival.com
torsdag 22. januar 2009
10KingsPoker on Duncan Barkes Show!
10KingsPoker and Liverpool Winter Festival got a good mention on Liverpool's City Talk 105.9 FM Thursday morning!
The Duncan Barkes Show is on air every weekday between 9am and 12midday, and the host Duncan Barkes is portly, provocative and definitely primed.
The topic of the day was: Duncan was arguing that “online poker is for wimps”. He was saying the only way to play poker is face to face in a smokey room. We provided someone to defend online poker and sing its praises! It was great. You did well guys! Good PR for 10KingsPoker.com, Circus Casino and our Liverpool Winter Festival during the interview.
The show starts after 02:02:00. Small talk about for the first 17 mins, then I recommend you listen from 02:17:00 when 'Gary the Cabbie' comes on, followed by our good friend and ex Red, Pompey and Oxford, Mr. John Durnin!!
Listen to the debate on Duncan Barkes Show by clicking this link.
http://www.whatson.com/goto/?type=radio&station=citytalk&show=a_duncan_barkes___thursday
I don't think this link is available for Scandinavians.
The Duncan Barkes Show is on air every weekday between 9am and 12midday, and the host Duncan Barkes is portly, provocative and definitely primed.
The topic of the day was: Duncan was arguing that “online poker is for wimps”. He was saying the only way to play poker is face to face in a smokey room. We provided someone to defend online poker and sing its praises! It was great. You did well guys! Good PR for 10KingsPoker.com, Circus Casino and our Liverpool Winter Festival during the interview.
The show starts after 02:02:00. Small talk about for the first 17 mins, then I recommend you listen from 02:17:00 when 'Gary the Cabbie' comes on, followed by our good friend and ex Red, Pompey and Oxford, Mr. John Durnin!!
Listen to the debate on Duncan Barkes Show by clicking this link.
http://www.whatson.com/goto/?type=radio&station=citytalk&show=a_duncan_barkes___thursday
I don't think this link is available for Scandinavians.
onsdag 21. januar 2009
Newcastle to run a LIVE satellite!
There’s a LIVE satellite in Newcastle on Saturday 24th Jan. Fancy having a go?
Read this interview, join the action and try to qualify for a seat in Main Event at Liverpool Winter Festival. 10KingsPoker has had a chat to the local duo who have organised the Saturday’s poker night in Circus Casino.
Name : Scott Collins (son, age 20) & Dave Collins (father, age 53)
City : Newcastle upon Tyne
Q1: Why do you find the festival interesting?
The festival looks great, with an appealing schedule and festival site (www.liverpoolwinterfestival.com). That’s why we were so enthusiastic to organise a satellite for and hope to get as many players qualified for it through our forum. The structure looks great and the main event buy is affordable for amateurs to play in and get some deep stack live experience. Also, with a lot of Scandinavian online qualifiers it could be a very different experience.
Q2:Was it easy setting up the LIVE satellite?
There had been already been discussions of trying to get more members into bigger events and then we heard about the Liverpool Winter Festival. We knew we could get a good response from the local players so asked Circus Casino if something was possible. We have an excellent relationship with Circus and they were very happy to host the tournament even on a day where they don’t normally run tournaments.
Q3: How is the poker interest?
Poker is very big in Newcastle and is still growing. We’ve got 3 casinos up here all competing for business so it’s not difficult to find a game you like.
Q4: So tell us, who are the top players in Newcastle?
A VERY tough question! I can’t answer because there are so many local quality players in the area. However, I’ve dug out some threads on our forum which gives people’s opinions on who they think is good.
http://www.newcastle-poker.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=215
http://www.newcastle-poker.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=1926
Q5: Any feisty 'heads-up' expected?
Yes! Lots of banter already, it’s building up to a really exciting poker night in Newcastle. I will post clips and photos on our forum Sunday/Monday.
How is the relationship between Newcastle and Liverpool? I have also been told that Geordies and Scousers get on well. Is that true?
Yeah we’ve got a pretty good relationship with the scousers but I think they like us more than we like them and you’ll got the odd jokes like when they came to Newcastle on the train and drove back. Sorry, but that’s a classic. Ha-ha.
Q6: 10KingsPoker will be looking for new destinations for our Festival. Will Newcastle be a good place to be?
Absolutely! To the Nordic readers, I can only recommend anyone to come to play poker up in Newcastle or just for a night out as you are guaranteed a good time. Hopefully, Poker in Newcastle will grow even further this year and maybe host some big events.
NEWCASTLE:
Live Satellite for the Liverpool Winter Festival
Saturday 24 January at 6pm.
Location: Circus Casino Newcastle
The buy in is £35 + £2.50
A £700 package for every £700 in the prizepool (£550 seat + £150 expenses).
10KingsPoker.com will be adding a £110 seat for the bubble finisher if 25 runners.
A very talented Newcastle bunch - in many different ways:
tirsdag 20. januar 2009
Latest news about Festival (speaking to Paul Fox at Circus Casino)
Our members are looking forward to make the poker trip to Liverpool in Feb, and they have lots of questions. See below for current status as we have asked Circus Casino's Paul Fox 10 quick questions. (Thanks for taking the time to speak to us as you guys are busy preparing for Liverpool Winter Festival.)
Name: Paul Fox
Age: 30
Poker alias: Pafo777
Favourite team: Everton
Poker idol: Daniel Negreanu
Job: Cardroom Manager (Circus Casino, Liverpool)
Q1: How are you, Paul. Busy days as a cardroom manager, what's your background?
Doing fine, mate. I started working as a dealer in 2005 and having already had a keen interest in poker I took the opportunity to get involved in running the poker competitions at Liverpool Mint Casino as soon as it came up.
When I found out that the company would be opening a new Circus casino and wanted to have a strong focus on poker I knew that this was something I wanted to be involved in. I was given the role of Cardroom Manager and we haven't looked back since. We have been open for just over 12 months now and it has not been easy but we've finally established ourselves as one of the leading cardrooms in the north-west.
Q2: How has the last 6 months been at Circus Casino? You almost started from scratch and has slowly been building a new members base?
The last 6 months have been more enjoyable than the 6 months that preceeded it. We have gone from strength to strength in the latter part of 2008 and a lot of that has been down to the introduction of our £30 semi-freezeout tournament. I believe this competition to be one of the best value tournaments around; with a maximum spend of £63 and pots of around £5,000.
We finally managed a record field of 100 players on Sunday with the winner taking home £1865 for his £63 stake!!! I don't expect that record field to last long though with the upcoming Winter Festival looking like being a sell-out.
Q3: Is poker a popular game in Liverpool?
Poker, mainly Texas Holdem, is extremely popular in Liverpool and even in the midst of a credit crunch our numbers continue to rise. There are some really good players in the city and I'm looking forward to seeing some of them pit their wits against players like the 'Team 10Kings' of Nordic lads Henning, LK and Jan in the Main Event.
Q4: How's the interest for the Liverpool Winter Festival up in Liverpool?
The festival has created a buzz amongst local players that has surprised even me! It has been the main topic of conversation for the past few weeks. The best example I can give is the fact that we've tried numerous satellites for various comps over the last 12 months and never got them off the ground, yet in the last 2 weeks we have held satellites for the Main Event and have already allocated 6 seats.
Q5: We know you're busy guy these days. How do you prepare for the festival?
I'm basically preparing by eating, sleeping and living the Liverpool Winter Festival 2009!!!
Our 4 competitions a week (1 of which is a satellite to festival) are spent answering questions about the festival. When the tourneys are over I sit down with the casino managers and discuss all aspects of the festival week, staff, tables, chips, hospitality, etc.
On my days off I'm either hitting the poker forums, sitting writing notes or getting together with Ged (Cardroom Supervisor) and making sure we both know what we're doing when the time arrives.
We have hired extra staff, more tables, chips and a 2nd computer system to ensure we are prepared and myself and Ged will probably be working 11 days straight across the festival to ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible. Poker players are not shy and i'm sure we'll hear the verdict in 3 weeks time!!!!
Q6: The Circus Casino staff are highly rated by 'Team 10Kings'. Impressive performance by you in Blackpool (final table in the £100 freeze out.) You had any luck lately online or offline?
As you can gather by my previous answer I haven't had much time to play poker lately but I have made it my New Year's resolution to play more. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Blackpool with 'Team 10Kings' and to cash was an added bonus. Anytime you want the 10Kings logo on a final table just give me a call! Ha-Ha.
Q7: By playing in the Blackpool Festival, did you pick up any useful advices? Was it a learning experience ahead of Liverpool Winter Festival?
It certainly was. I'm always looking for little things I can take back and use to improve our game. The thing I was impressed with most in Blackpool was how they coped with the sheer volume of players through the cardroom. The registration process is something I'm hoping to get right in order to get the tournaments going without any major delays.
Q8: Hosting a festival of this size is a real challenge, and it's a lot of responsibility on both Circus Casino and 10KingsPoker. Where do you see the biggest challenge is? Where's your main focus?
We could have held festivals before at Circus Casino but I have purposely held it off until we had a sound setup and have had time to iron out any problems. I know have a very competent team in place and think we're ready for the challenge. The enthusiasm of 10KingsPoker certainly helps too!
I don't think there is any one think you can point to and say "this is important". I think it's about getting the whole package right. From the registration process, to getting the comp started smoothly, good hospitality service and a well run tournament. All these things come together and create the good/bad poker experience.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about hosting a big event like this one but i'm also excited about what Circus Casino, Liverpool and 10KingsPoker are offering and intend to deliver.
Q9: We know there's a lot of interest for the Main Event! Can you tell us a bit about the side events and cash games? How do you handle these tournaments? How to register for the tournament? Can we pre-book seats also in the side events?
The side events will be sell-outs I'm sure. We are currently taking pre-registration for the 1st 50 seats in the £100 and £200 freezeouts. Both games will be capped at 100 runners but will allow alternates.
The cash game side of things should be interesting. I'm expecting numerous cash games on all days of the festival and I'm guessing the action will be huge. We will make tables available as early as possible for the cash and dealers where possible.
Q10: For those who wanna win a seat in the Main Event, what do they have to do? When is the next LIVE satellite in the Circus Casino?
We have already awarded 6 seats through live satellites and are offering 2 more chances to qualify live. Next Monday 26th January will be a £30 semi-freezeout (1 Rebuy OR Add-on) 8:30pm start.
Then we have the Super Satellite which is Wednesday 4th February.
£30 semi-freezeout ( 1 Rebuy AND 1 Add-on). Expecting this one to be VERY busy as it will be the last chance for people to qualify and two days before Main event starts.
After speaking to Paul Fox at Circus Casino, I'm confident Liverpool Winter Festival is in safe hands. This team knows what they are doing!
Name: Paul Fox
Age: 30
Poker alias: Pafo777
Favourite team: Everton
Poker idol: Daniel Negreanu
Job: Cardroom Manager (Circus Casino, Liverpool)
Q1: How are you, Paul. Busy days as a cardroom manager, what's your background?
Doing fine, mate. I started working as a dealer in 2005 and having already had a keen interest in poker I took the opportunity to get involved in running the poker competitions at Liverpool Mint Casino as soon as it came up.
When I found out that the company would be opening a new Circus casino and wanted to have a strong focus on poker I knew that this was something I wanted to be involved in. I was given the role of Cardroom Manager and we haven't looked back since. We have been open for just over 12 months now and it has not been easy but we've finally established ourselves as one of the leading cardrooms in the north-west.
Q2: How has the last 6 months been at Circus Casino? You almost started from scratch and has slowly been building a new members base?
The last 6 months have been more enjoyable than the 6 months that preceeded it. We have gone from strength to strength in the latter part of 2008 and a lot of that has been down to the introduction of our £30 semi-freezeout tournament. I believe this competition to be one of the best value tournaments around; with a maximum spend of £63 and pots of around £5,000.
We finally managed a record field of 100 players on Sunday with the winner taking home £1865 for his £63 stake!!! I don't expect that record field to last long though with the upcoming Winter Festival looking like being a sell-out.
Q3: Is poker a popular game in Liverpool?
Poker, mainly Texas Holdem, is extremely popular in Liverpool and even in the midst of a credit crunch our numbers continue to rise. There are some really good players in the city and I'm looking forward to seeing some of them pit their wits against players like the 'Team 10Kings' of Nordic lads Henning, LK and Jan in the Main Event.
Q4: How's the interest for the Liverpool Winter Festival up in Liverpool?
The festival has created a buzz amongst local players that has surprised even me! It has been the main topic of conversation for the past few weeks. The best example I can give is the fact that we've tried numerous satellites for various comps over the last 12 months and never got them off the ground, yet in the last 2 weeks we have held satellites for the Main Event and have already allocated 6 seats.
Q5: We know you're busy guy these days. How do you prepare for the festival?
I'm basically preparing by eating, sleeping and living the Liverpool Winter Festival 2009!!!Our 4 competitions a week (1 of which is a satellite to festival) are spent answering questions about the festival. When the tourneys are over I sit down with the casino managers and discuss all aspects of the festival week, staff, tables, chips, hospitality, etc.
On my days off I'm either hitting the poker forums, sitting writing notes or getting together with Ged (Cardroom Supervisor) and making sure we both know what we're doing when the time arrives.
We have hired extra staff, more tables, chips and a 2nd computer system to ensure we are prepared and myself and Ged will probably be working 11 days straight across the festival to ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible. Poker players are not shy and i'm sure we'll hear the verdict in 3 weeks time!!!!
Q6: The Circus Casino staff are highly rated by 'Team 10Kings'. Impressive performance by you in Blackpool (final table in the £100 freeze out.) You had any luck lately online or offline?
As you can gather by my previous answer I haven't had much time to play poker lately but I have made it my New Year's resolution to play more. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Blackpool with 'Team 10Kings' and to cash was an added bonus. Anytime you want the 10Kings logo on a final table just give me a call! Ha-Ha.
Q7: By playing in the Blackpool Festival, did you pick up any useful advices? Was it a learning experience ahead of Liverpool Winter Festival?
It certainly was. I'm always looking for little things I can take back and use to improve our game. The thing I was impressed with most in Blackpool was how they coped with the sheer volume of players through the cardroom. The registration process is something I'm hoping to get right in order to get the tournaments going without any major delays.
Q8: Hosting a festival of this size is a real challenge, and it's a lot of responsibility on both Circus Casino and 10KingsPoker. Where do you see the biggest challenge is? Where's your main focus?
We could have held festivals before at Circus Casino but I have purposely held it off until we had a sound setup and have had time to iron out any problems. I know have a very competent team in place and think we're ready for the challenge. The enthusiasm of 10KingsPoker certainly helps too!
I don't think there is any one think you can point to and say "this is important". I think it's about getting the whole package right. From the registration process, to getting the comp started smoothly, good hospitality service and a well run tournament. All these things come together and create the good/bad poker experience.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about hosting a big event like this one but i'm also excited about what Circus Casino, Liverpool and 10KingsPoker are offering and intend to deliver.
Q9: We know there's a lot of interest for the Main Event! Can you tell us a bit about the side events and cash games? How do you handle these tournaments? How to register for the tournament? Can we pre-book seats also in the side events?
The side events will be sell-outs I'm sure. We are currently taking pre-registration for the 1st 50 seats in the £100 and £200 freezeouts. Both games will be capped at 100 runners but will allow alternates.
The cash game side of things should be interesting. I'm expecting numerous cash games on all days of the festival and I'm guessing the action will be huge. We will make tables available as early as possible for the cash and dealers where possible.
Q10: For those who wanna win a seat in the Main Event, what do they have to do? When is the next LIVE satellite in the Circus Casino?
We have already awarded 6 seats through live satellites and are offering 2 more chances to qualify live. Next Monday 26th January will be a £30 semi-freezeout (1 Rebuy OR Add-on) 8:30pm start.
Then we have the Super Satellite which is Wednesday 4th February.
£30 semi-freezeout ( 1 Rebuy AND 1 Add-on). Expecting this one to be VERY busy as it will be the last chance for people to qualify and two days before Main event starts.
After speaking to Paul Fox at Circus Casino, I'm confident Liverpool Winter Festival is in safe hands. This team knows what they are doing!
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