Virtual Felt with Snoopy
Thursday, 9 May 2013
Adam 'Snoopy' Goulding snoops around the world of online poker.
Last-minute Transfer
Call me sceptical, but I initially had my doubts about the ISPT. However, like a glory-hunting football fan, I've been forced to change sides, thanks to the recent transfer signing of Dusk Till Dawn. Donning cape and mask, Rob Yong and his team of Robins have flown in from Nottingham to save the day, becoming the official partners of the ISPT and embracing a challenge that would have even the most fearless of super heroes thinking twice.
Now enjoying its sixth year of existence, DTD boasts Europe’s biggest card room and has quickly become a firm favourite with poker fans thanks to its high level of customer service and numerous added-value promotions and overlays. As you may have read in this magazine last month, they’re now aligned with the ISPT and they’re putting their necks on the line once again by guaranteeing a €1m first prize.
But if anyone can pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat, it’s Dusk Till Dawn, who have already been working relentlessly to promote the ISPT through intense social marketing, accessible satellites and actual clarification as to how the event will play out. But most of all, they've lent the tournament their name, and the approval of the DTD brand, which for the poker community carries a tonne of weight.
It will be interesting to see how many players they manage to attract to Wembley stadium. With a date that will keep the bracelet-hunters at bay, it’s difficult to see how DTD’s late entry into the fray will be enough to bump up the figures and sell enough seats to justify the grandiose setting.
But what is costly for DTD is lucrative to the player, thus making this a hot prospect for anyone who enjoys the taste of value in their afternoon tea. The direct €2,700+300 buy-in might not be up your street, but there are numerous online €270+30 Day 1s, as well as a plethora of feeders, with guaranteed seats and juicy overlays to keep you busy over the coming weeks.
For me, the goal (pun unintended) for DTD should be twofold: to make the ISPT feel like an important date on the poker calendar and ensure everyone leaves with a positive experience of the tournament. If they can achieve that, then they'll have ample time to plan their strategies and develop momentum for the following year, which could truly be the event to remember, and one that would help push the game towards a new audience. Now, if they can just find an alternative to the “IWEMPLAY” tag line, they’ll undoubtedly be on to a winner.
Feeling Fine
The online festivities were in full flow this March as cyber warriors were treated to a poker feast in the 12th installment of the FTOPS on Full Tilt Poker, in which players battled it out for in excess of 15 million in prize money across 38 eclectic tournaments.
As well as the standard Hold'em and Omaha affairs, players were invited to chow down on fun and innovative formats such as 10-Game, Irish, Rush and Escalator, a novel concept in which the duration of the blinds increase the further you progress.
Poker’s global reach lead to a plethora of unfamiliar names capturing gold, although the British contingent got off to a flyer, with Thomas Middleton taking down the opening event for $60,880, only for Chris Moorman to repeat the feat in event #3 for $21,250. Meanwhile, Toby Lewis and Mathew Frankland earned silver medals to the tune of $53,306 and $116,805, the latter surviving the majority of a 2,995 field before being pipped at the post by two-time LAPT Champion Jose Barbero.
The Series culminated in a $600+40 Main Event with a $2m guarantee, a carrot that lured a gargantuan 3,653 onto the battlefield. The eventual champion was Russian enigma “feel fine”, who defeated Javier “anguila” Etayo heads-up to claim the title and $392,332.20 first prize.
1st: feel fine - $392,332.20
2nd: anguila - $271,783.20
3rd: RLOG - $194,631.84
4th: ydere - $144,658.80
5th: mrwhatFISH - $107,398.20
6th: Creachadoir - $74,521.20
7th: kmichael14 - $50,411.40
8th: argos94 - $35,068.80
9th: bv4ever - $24,109.80
Despite the success of the series, Full Tilt Poker has slipped behind Party Poker in traffic, with iPoker leading the chasing pack and Stars a monopolising first. However, Tilt have responded by relaunching their black card loyalty programme, which could well them see edge back in front of Party and aid their return to the glory days of yesteryear.
The Olympics may be done and dusted, but the games are set to continue in Stratford this month with the return of East End Live. Fuelled by a fresh tank of petrol, the Black Belt Live tour bus will be gracing the shores of Aspers Casino this May 10th to 12th, armed with a $200+25 buy-in and $50,000 guaranteed prize pool.
Everyone knows Channing loves a flutter, but he’s gone stark raving mad this time and is putting my future pay rise at risk by gambling $10,000 on the event. If an Orange Belt or above wins the tournament, then he’s going to put them into the WSOP Main Event, absolutely free!
Orange Belt is just the first step of the ladder on our Belt-Up Rewards System, so if you fancy playing the world’s largest poker event via the most fun one, then check out Blackbeltpoker.com now for all the details.
Busy Bee In 2011 a Phil Ivey sighting was about as rare as steak tartare, but since returning from his post-Black Friday hiatus he’s been a busy bee on both forms of the felt. While seven WSOP cashes and lucrative excursions to Macau have kept him occupied within the confines of brick and mortar, the nosebleeds on Full Tilt Poker have quenched his cyber thirst but led to a deficit of $1.6 million for the year.
Like many of the high-stakes pros, Ivey’s experienced some ups and downs, with seven-figure swings a regular occurrence. At the very tail end of March, the eight-time bracelet winner earned $736,844 in 48 hours and 1,126 hands – that's $653.39 per hand, if you were wondering – locking horns with the likes of “SallyWoo”, “KPR16” and “Isildur1”.
Away from the table, Ivey has been equally active, snapping up every man and his dog for upcoming website iveypoker.com. With Patrik Antonius, Jennifer Harman and WSOP Champion Greg Merson already signed, sealed and delivered, the army was extended to a whopping 33 recently with the acquisition of Lucille Cailly, Allen Kessler and Toby “The Jester” Lewis.