Gala Poker Tour Grand Final : Day 2 - At A Glance

[JungleCat03]

Welcome back for Day 2 of the Gala Poker Tour Grand Final.

Here are the opening chips counts for when the game resumes. Lots of big names are littering the field posing lots of interesting questions...

Can Antonio Esfandiari weave some magic and take down a UK event...?

Will the Hendon Mobsters, Joe Beevers and Barny Boatman, who are both well placed, show Ram how it's done...?

Can Jennifer Tilley add to her bracelet win after a strong showing yesterday where she dominated her table at times...?

Also well represented are the Hit Squad;  both their entries into the competition, Chaz Chattha and Priyan De Mel, made it into day 2 with healthy stacks and everyone knows they are capable of some great poker.

My money is on Dead Stack. His patient play on day one, picking the perfect time to double up off Barny Boatman was rewarded with a trip to day 2. If he can up the aggression factor just slightly, he's got to be in with a great shout.

Who's your pick to make it through to the televised final tomorrow? We'd love to hear your views..

[NoflopsHomer]

Table Draw:

Table 1

Jonothon Butters -- 47,575
Omar Ghandur -- 19,050
Rob Akery -- 72,325
Paul Gardner -- 40,450
Benedetto Passantino -- 21,425
Bobby Rach -- 12,975
Ian Woodley -- 34,775
Surinder Sunar -- 6,250
Joe Beevers -- 54,950

Table 2

Andrew Mitson -- 20,650
Jennifer Tilly -- 74,100
Richard Haile -- 20,950
Jitesh Thakker -- 36,625
Antonio Esfandiari -- 30,075
Joshua Tyler -- 10,700
Paul Gourlay -- 21,300
Stan Essen -- 53,400
David Lloyd -- 12,000

Table 3

Alex Torrance -- 13,825
Trevor Pearson --  26,775
Jeffrey Flewitt -- 33,200
Bambos -- 36,800
Pete Singleton -- 12,775
Albert Sapiano -- 46,350
Ash Abdullah -- 26,575
Jim Tierney -- 54,500
Manuel Palanca --  53,900

Table 4

Andrew Flemming -- 35,200
Neil Channing --  42,625
Carl Wahlberg -- 10,850
Michael Clees -- 27,625
Rakesh Gupta -- 8,600
Roland De Wolfe -- 29,950
Mark Mcgill  -- 17,775
Mika Ollila -- 42,850
Marcus Farthing -- 27,800

Table 5

Matt Tyler -- 21,700
Daniel Wilmer-Brown --  16,375
Tony Croalla -- 20,400
Chris Royle -- 33,475
David Harris -- 25,050
Priyan De Mel -- 17,925
Andrew Feldman -- 14,975
Mark Stuart -- 55,225

Table 6

Stuart Rutter -- 16,650
Peter Cockayne -- 28,875
Barny Boatman -- 36,500
Chaz Chattha -- 22,725
Mark Seagal -- 1,000
Danny Dodds -- 19,825
Jani Johansson -- 500
Jim Reid -- 12,600

[NoflopsHomer]

And the players are now filtering into the cardroom with an assortment of drinks, Matt Tyler -- Espresso, Albert Sapiano -- Some sort of Orange cocktail, Ian Woodley -- Cup of Tea.

There's a stench of salad dressing in the air... But that's mainly because Junglecat is eating.

Bizarrely we have two dead stacks, both on the same table again, so we're guessing a table may break pretty quickly.

[NoflopsHomer]

Blinds start at 400/800/75

We've just lost one of the two dead stacks, Jim Reid raising from the small blind to knock out Stu Rutter in the big blind, showing but finding himself behind to a pair of fours until he hit a nine on the flop to knock out one of them.

On the next table, Neil Channing had to pass his 3k raise to a re-raise all-in from Carl Wahlberg, who showed .

Can you spot a certain blonde-haired fellow in a suit in this photo?



Pete Singleton is OUT. We heard something about Kings vs Queens.

[JungleCat03]

Matt Tyler and Priyan De Mel's table is off to an interesting start.

Mark Stuart raises to 2.5k from UTG+1 and it is passed around to Priyan in the small blind who looks pained...

"I'm sure I've got the best hand" but eventually folds. Andrew Feldman also folds his 800 big blind and Mark picks up the 1800 in the pot. Priyan turns his folded cards over to reveal A-Q.

"That's my one hand of the day gone!" he says. Mark mucks his cards and Matt, not one to miss a trick or a bit of ribbing says "He had nothing..."

A few hands later on Matt's big blind, Mark now raises from the small blind to 2,400.

Matt asks him a few questions, "where are you from?", "what will you do on the flop if I call?" before eventually calling.

The flop comes .

Mark checks and Matt bets 3.6k which Mark eventually calls.

The turn comes the and both players check.

The river is the As and after Mark checks, there is a long period of  contemplation from Matt before he bets 7.5k, which eventually Mark folds to, claiming he had a straight flush draw...

A nice early boost for Matt...

[NoflopsHomer]

Tim Blake raises to 2,100 in early position, David Harris calls in the big blind the check/raises his 4k bet all-in on a board, Tim goes for it with for his last 10k or so, but Harris turns over the and scoops the pot. The only positive story out of this hand is that a coke for Tim suddenly appears moments after he leaves, one which I'm able to purloin.



A few hands later Harris doubles up Andrew Feldman with against on a board, all the money going in on the flop. "The one player I didn't want to see being doubled up..." sighs Matt Tyler.

Antonio Esfandiari raises to 4,400. A short-stacked Paul Gourlay pushes in for around 11,000. David Lloyd decides to go for it too and moves in from the small blind. As I'm taking the photo the big blind, Andrew Mitson, flashes me his cards which look to be which he then mucks as Antonio makes the fairly automatic call.

Antonio:



Paul:



David:



Board:



A clap of the hands from Antonio to take down the 35k pot or so. Paul is a bit fed-up, I'm not sure if he's cross about his exit or the fact he now has a five-hour train journey back to Leeds.



10 minutes of this level remain then it's 600/1200/100.

[JungleCat03]

Surinder Sunar just moved allin...

Facing a raise to 2.4k or so from Paul Gardner, Surinder moved in over the top.

With Surinder's small stack of only just about 5k or so, this was an auto call for Paul, especially holding 8-8 and he found himself racing versus Surinder's .

The gave a few additional outs to Surinder but the turn and the final decisive on the river gave Paul a set that was surplus to requirements, and consigned Surinder to the rail, meaning Surinder Sunar is OUT!

Incidentally, after Antonio won the giant pot Floppy has just told you about, I caught him looking over at the pretty brunette he was canoodling with last night and mouthing what looked suspiciously like "I'm going to win!" with a big grin on his face.

Not short of confidence then, and nor should he be as his stack and prospects for victory grow ever larger...

[JungleCat03]

I'm sorry to report Alex Torrance is OUT. I had a quick word last night with Alex, who came across as a really nice guy and he told me his son was enjoying reading the updates of how Dad was getting on.

Unfortunately he's now sitting on the rail, looking a little glum. "How did you go out?" he was asked.

"Power poker. I went allin with A-J, it's just a shame the guy had A-K..."

One more player down...

[NoflopsHomer]

Benedetto Passintino aka 'DaMatrix' has just doubled up through Ian Woodley after making a good call for his tournament life with . He'd button raised, Woodley had set him in from the big blind and eventually DaMatrix called. Woodley showed and the board came:

.

Stuart Rutter just got shoved off a raise by Jennifer Tilly, he made it 2,800 to play, she bumped it up to 12,000 and he passed after a short think.

Blinds are now 600/1200/100, they're just racing off the 25's.

[NoflopsHomer]

That Neil Channing is one sick puppy. He's just been all-in preflop with against Mika Ollila's . The board came:



Conversation heard from the same table.

"I saw there was that Robert Williamson III playing the other day. Is that old Bob the local guy?"

"Nah, he's some American geezer."


Stuart Rutter has knocked out Jim Reid, they checked a 5-7-7-7-9 board to the river, where Jim bet 800, Stuart made it 2,800 with A-9 and then Jim moved in. Stuart called and Jim mucked.

[JungleCat03]

Paul Gardner, Roland De Wolfe and Mark Mcgill have just been tangling.

After Paul raised to 1800 or so preflop, Roland reraised to 4k and Mark Mcgill behind moved all in for 14 k or so. Paul now reraised to isolate and Roland was seen shaking his head as he passed...

Their cards were revealed and Paul was well in front with Q-Q versus Mark's A-J.

After a flop though, Mark had more than doubled up as he swept in the 30+k pot and Paul's stack has been damaged by that beat.

Speaking to Alex Torrance, he told me that Mark is one of the local Bristol lads left in the competition. He described him as a very strong cash player, who likes to defend his big blind ferociously.

[JungleCat03]

I just had a chat with the jovial Matt Tyler. He told me that he was bluffing in that hand with Mark Stuart earlier , on the board and fancied he could take Mark off the hand on the river. It was a risky move given he only had 6 or 7k back but he pulled it off successfully and he seems happy with the way things are going.

As I watch his table, Matt is again in the big blind. He tells the table "give me a walk one time and I promise I'll shut up" referring to the constant stream of banter he has kept going since the day started.

Joshua Tyler passes in late position "seeing as you have the same surname as me" and Mark Stuart, no doubt still smarting after getting his fingers burnt by Matt earlier also passes, giving Matt the walk he asked for.

"That's the way lads, well done"

Someone grumbles "thought you said you'd shut up Matt!"

Matt: "I'm a poker player, I'm allowed to bluff aren't I?"

[NoflopsHomer]

Stuart Rutter is OUT. no good against .

Also gone, much earlier, was Priyan De Mel, who pushed with Q-4 into Andrew Feldman's A-9.

[JungleCat03]

Joshua Tyler and Mark Stuart have just played out a big pot.

The preflop action was unseen but there was 5k or so in the pot preflop...

The flop was checked by Josh then checked by Mark.

The turn was the , checked by Josh and now Mark bet out 2.2k.

"Are you stealing it?" asked Josh "Or do you have a T?"

"I'm going to test you out" said Josh before check raising Mark's bet. Mark moved in and Josh called instantly.

Cards on their back, Josh had As for trip tens, but Mark was holding 5-5 for a full house.

The on the river was an inconsequential brick and as Mark had Joshua covered, that meant Joshua Tyler is OUT, eliminated at the hands of Mark Stuart.

Matt said he is enjoying playing his table at the moment as he feels the dynamic is perfect for him to pick up chips. He is currently sitting on 40k or so...

[NoflopsHomer]

Chaz Chattha is OUT. Fives into Joe Beever's Aces. Didn't sound like he'd had many hands today.



Fellow mobster Barney Boatman cheekily checked the board to Jennifer Tilly, only for her to check behind him and Barny to ruefully show . Jennifer had raised his flop bet but the turn killed his action from her, most likely, medium pair.

Mikka Ollila is OUT. I think he was a little tilted after losing with his aces and his came unstuck against Aces on a Q-6-6 board.



Josh Tyler is OUT. Say goodbye to his colourful hoodie.