He may have endured a poor 2007, but Marc 'Mr Cool' Goodwin is right back in form after taking down Friday's Midland Masters. Although low numbers were predicted, a respectable 86 stumped up the £750 buy-in fee for what remains a highly celebrated event on the poker calendar. However, of those 86, very few could be classed as weak players, perhaps making this one of the UK's toughest ever fields.
If evidence were ever needed of how many sharp minds filled the Grosvenor Casino this week, then one need only look at the calibre of the final table:
Rob Reece -- 65k
Marc Goodwin -- 165k
Mickey Wernick -- 40k
Harpit Gurnam -- 85k
Steve Jelinek -- 120k
Martyn Cavanagh -- 140k
Dave Colclough -- 55k
Paul Jackson -- 80k
Joe Koumi -- 110k
Tucked away in a private soon to open backroom, the final table threatened to be a quiet affair, but with the vocal chords of Goodwin, Jackson, Wernick and co rattling along at break neck speed, a moment of silence became a bizarre rarity.
However, there was certainly a moment of hush and offer of hands as the legendary Mickey Wernick bit dust, the Worm's all-in with Pocket Fours running into the Bullets and failing to improve. Next to hit the deck would be Chicken Joe; the American Airlines once again taking flight as they brushed aside Joe's A-Q.
Steve Jelinek fell in 7th. Shoving with Big Slick from the button, he would ultimately feel the wrath of an upbeat Dave Colclough, El Blondie's Eights surviving a 6-4-T-2-4 board forcing Mr Final Table to exit the room like an victim of The Weakest Link.
Six left, and although heavily supported by his Welsh pals, Rana Gurnham had to settle for just over £3k, his Nines being met by, yep, you guessed it... those darn Aces again as Marc Goodwin chirpily added chips to his ever-increasing stack.
Just 15 minutes later, we lost local hero Rob Reece, the Chris Moyles spit shoving with Threes, but being looked up by Goodwin's Nines. Another blank board, and Reece was a gonna, out, but £4k to the good.
At this point, two things happened: (1) Jeff Kimber texted Jackson to tell him that the remaining players were a "Who's used to be who of Midlands poker" and (2) the word 'deal' cropped up. We're unsure if a deal was actually made, but if one did go through, it wouldn't be surprising considering the strength of the remaining players and the banter that was so rife between them. However, on the flipside, these are competitive men, and if a deal was made, it didn't necessarily show as the event was played out in good spirit.
With Cavanagh taking 4th (Tens versus Colclough's A-Q) and Colclough snapping up 3rd (K-J versus Goodwin's Aces), we were left with an all Brummie heads up encounter between Paul Jackson and Marc Goodwin, the latter sporting a new goatee beard that is sure to remain if he is the superstitious type.
Although Goodwin was understandably deflated when Jackson doubled up with Q-6 versus J-J, the former window salesman would finally triumph when his Pocket Sixes came up against Jackson's Pocket Fives and survived an action-packed 5-6-x Flop.
The fat lady started singing and that was all she wrote, Marc Goodwin was the 2007 Walsall Midland Masters Champion and a delighted one of that. Congratulations to the dapper Brummie, but also to all the finalist who made it such an enjoyable affair.
1st Marc Goodwin -- £23,210
2nd Paul Jackson -- £14,190
3rd Dave Colclough -- £8,260
4th Martyn Cavanagh -- £6,000
5th Rob Reece -- £4,000
6th Harpit Gurnam -- £3,030
7th Steve Jelinek -- £2,260
8th Joe Koumi -- £1,940
9th Mickey Wernick -- £1,610