Non-series festivals have been waning in popularity in the last two years. The advent of these big series with added value, notably the GUKPTs and the GCBPTs, has squeezed the likes of the Christmas Cracker and the Walsall Midlands Meltdown which used to be the staple diet of the British festival scene.However some traditions continue and the Luton Christmas Cracker was staged again this year coinciding with hosting the GUKPT season-ending Champion of Champions event.
The Champion of Champions event itself saw over 70 winners of GUKPT main and side events, as well as online festivals, take their seats for in effect a £75,000 one day freeroll. Starting chips were graded according to the buy-ins of the events won by the players previously and over 14 hours the field battled. The eventual winner was Ash Hussain, former European Number one ranked player taking £20,000 for his trobules. From a blonde perspective, well done to Ilfracombe's finest Tony 'Reenot' Ross for his top five finish and £7,000 cash.
It was a successful week for blonde members. The talented 'Michigan' Jeff Buffenbarger (above) achieved three consecutive top four finishes in the early part of the week including runner-up in the £500 No limit and the £200 Pot Limit Omaha. Also recording three successes was Graham 'Chompy' Wheldon, re-emerging from a self-confessed slump in form no doubt unconnected with a prolonged exposure on the forum to celtic and the Sicilian to final in the £250+£250, the next night's £200 and the festival closing Sunday £100.
Elsewhere Claire 'Claw75' MacGregor, described recently by tikay as a "dancer, not a grinder" had a profitable final festival weekend. Winning the £150 on the Saturday night ahead of Vinny 'celtic' Calenti and Nick 'ripple' Jenkins in a blonde tri-partite chop she then finalled in the Sunday event, only to run into Graham Wheldon (right) who strangely could not lay down K-Q on a K-Q-4 board against Claw's set of fours.Stephen 'Captain' Kirk is also a man in form. Second in the Friday £200 and then winner of the Sunday £100.
As to the £750 main event, this attracted a disappointing but not unexpected 29 runners. It was always likely to be the event to feel most the clash with the Gala Bristol Grand final and the DTD Anniversary cup, and unfortunate scheduling quirk that spread the higher buy-in runner base across the country simultaneously. In the Main event, Martin Lawton triumphed ahead of the very consistent Paul Parker from Brighton. Also cashing were blonde shareholder Denis O'Mahoney and newly returned from Vegas Rory 'rosyitb' Dawson.
Main event aside for the specific reasons outlined above, the volume of runners at 70 plus for each tournament seemed to confirm that demand definitely exists for these medium buy-in festivals. A few hiccups aside, Niall and his staff should be congratulated for running a successful week. A special well done to a number of new dealers thrown in at the deep end, and they coped admirably. Always good to see that huge and well-appointed card-room busy.
Well done to those successful blondes over the week, and here's to them re-investing their winners back into the room in the near future!