Bluesq.com GUKPT Grand Final: Day 1A - At A Glance

[NoflopsHomer]

Welcome to the final GUKPT event of the year, the Grand Final at the Victoria Casino in London. This one is the biggy so for that reason, and also the sheer distance from the pressroom to the cardroom, there will be three of us covering this event. (Well the beagle will be getting the final day off).

By now, you're probably wondering what that item at the top of the page is. Well, now I'll tell you, it's the brand new Blonde clock that Bongo and I came up with a couple of months ago and have managed to implement into the updates. Basically, it works like any other tournament clock you're likely to see in a casino and will run in real time, and the updaters will manually keep it up to date during a tournament. So, no more needing to ask about the number of runners left, the blinds or indeed how much time left in this level. Yes, less work for everyone, hurrah! It's also exclusive to the Blonde updates, (Until the other sites all nick it off us).

With the buy-in starting at £3,000, this should weedle out all but the best players, and hopefully set us up with a high class field and some top quality play.

I think Flushy is playing too.

Play will start at the ungodly time of 1.30pm. Come and join us!

Or for a more indepth update, please head over to the 'Interactive' thread, where pictures and the ability to interact with the updating team and ask them for specific chip counts or news is available: http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=29257.0

[NoflopsHomer]

We have lift-off...Play is underway.

(Note: If the clock isn't working on your computer, i.e not properly counting down, try pressing crtl and f5 at the same time to refresh)

101   Jason Shellum
102   Fowzi Baroukh
103   Brian Gilbert
104   Huseyin Yilmaz
105   Chris Moore
106   Zafar Aslam
107   James Moult
108   Ben Grundy
201   Josh Gould
202   Trevor Pearson
203   Ali Zihni
204   Hongi Liu
205   Eughan Odea
206   Gary Wilson
207   Priyam Demel
208   Mickey Wernick
301   Arshad Hussain
302   Haran Paheerathan
303   Jeff Buffenbarger
304   G Garcia
305   Les Kerrigan
306   Martin Vallo
307   Jim Reid
308   Michael Denton
309   Jeff Duvall
401   David Smith
402   G Shaw
403   William Martin
404   Carlos Walker
405   Craig Owen
406   Jonothon Butters
407   Mazhar Nawab
408   Danny Dborin
409   Robbo Karoly
501   Sam George
502   Chris Sokrati
503   Barry Earnshaw
504   Horace Harvey
505   Panicos Ellinas
506   Pawan Nayyar
507   Robert Boon
508   Lalit Khajuria
509   Surinder Sunar
601   Kyle Macpherson
602   Daniel Smith
603   Michael Trimby
604   Dan Carter
605   Dan Samson
606   Dave Colclough
607   Anthony Hardy
608   Mark Forrester
609   Roberto Romanello
701   Dave Mayall
702   Patrick Slusarek
703   Maria Maceiras
704   Ketu Nathwani
705   Paul Leckey
706   David Gross
707   F Lopez
801   Ian Frazer
802   Marc Goodwin
803   John Duthie
804   Ian Nelson
805   Talal Shakerchi
806   Richard Herbert
807   Neil Channing
901   Barney Boatman
902   F Secola
903   Ben Akiva
904   Sami Yusuf
905   Jeff Rogers
906   Antony Phillips
907   John Murphy
1001   Ray Wyre
1002   Alan Dean
1003   Davood Mehrmand
1004   Dave Gregory
1005   Manuel Palanca
1006   Jon Heath
1007   Ken Wong
1101   Robin Keston
1102   Bambos Xanthos
1103   John Kabbaj
1104   Carl Buskirk
1105   Jan Brevik
1106   Ashley Alterman
1107   Alan Vinson
1201   David La Ronde
1202   Victoria Coren
1203   Scott Chaudhry
1204   Patrik Selin
1205   Nathan Lee
1206   Jeff Burke
1207   Stuart Fox

[NoflopsHomer]

Robin Keston bets 5k into what seems to be an 1,800 pot on a board. Perhaps trying to get a push from a smaller set?

Vicky Coren bets 600 on the river of an A-2-4-T-J board, her opponent mucks an Ace, she shows 5-3.

Manuel Palanca looks to be the early chipleader after Dave Gregory played his aces very strong on a board, looking to include a 6k river bet. Manuel had flopped a set of threes and called him all the way.

Dan Carter is extolling to me the virtues of Guitar Hero 3 for the XBox/PS2 whilst limping UTG. He says the only disadvantage from playing it so often is the crippling arthritis you get from the mini guitar you get with the game... Anyway, the button raises and Dan is the only caller.

Both check the flop, Dan bets 250 on the turn and then 500 on the river, both times he's called, but his is good.

[snoopy1239]

Whether you have 15k or 10k, it doesn't take long for those chips to go hurtling into the pot, and young Ketu Nathwani was all-in within the first 20 minutes. His opponent was a voluptuous and exotic Maria Maceiras, one of several Spanish players making the trip over to sunny Edgware Road today.

The Flop read and Maria's 1.3k bet had been raised to 3.1k by Ketu. With a pained expression, and a dwell that would turn Carlo Citrone green with envy, Maria made the call before checking in the dark, which, in my experience, is often a sign that they want their opponent to check behind them.

However, with the Turn bringing a , a check was the last thing on the mind of Ketu, who bet out 2.7k. Grimacing in equal measure, Maria once again called.

The River was a , which triggered a bizarre 1.8k bet from Maria. With his eyes darting around like nervous jelly, Ketu paused before announcing all-in in that funny quick push Hellmuth motion.

After a long long loooooooooooooooooooooooooooong dwell, Maria folded face-up.

[NoflopsHomer]

Two players are OUT. One being Carl Buskira who had two pair against Robin Keston's set. The other player is unknown so far since he's an alternative who held 8-4 vs 2-2 on an 8-4-2-K-5 board.

Stuart Fox, Jim Moult and Ben Grundy are all sitting together, though it looks like Grundy has already lost half his stack, and Fox, a third.

Ben just took a 2k+ pot from Foxy though, betting 500 on the turn and river of a board with and getting paid off.

P.S Don't tell Foxy the players that there are free cheeky vimtos at the bar!

The tinternet connection here at the Vic, is, as usual incredibly stupidly slow meaning it takes an age to get photos.

[NoflopsHomer]

Just a message for all the guests who haven't signed up to blonde yet.

Click to see full-size image.

[NoflopsHomer]

Short-stacked Dave Gregory is out courtesy of Davood Merhmand A-K into Aces.

Other exits are Jeff Duvall who slowplayed Kings against Roberto Romanello, but allowed Ash Hussain to come into the pot with and flop two pair on a Q-2-3 board.

It's not all smiles for Travolta Hussain though, as Zafar Aslam is OUT, holding versus Chris Moore's flopped flush on a board.

[NoflopsHomer]

We're on a break. Oh but you already know that because of the clock...

Meanwhile the players have been told about a wrap awards ceremony taking place on Monday night, which includes a player of the year, best/worst move, bad beat of the year and a best dressed player of the year and a worst dressed player of the year.

I'm backing Paul Parker for the last two awards.

[NoflopsHomer]

Ben Grundy is no longer on tilt, he's back over his original stack just having been paid off for 3,600 by Huseyin Yilmaz on a board. Grundy showing the .

Michael Trimby raises from the cutoff, Dan Carter calls from the button.

Flop:



Trimby bets 850, Carter makes it 2k, Trimby decides that's not enough and bumps it up to 4.8k. Dan Carter now moves in for 10.1k and Trimby ends up passing.

[snoopy1239]

The Poker Gods are a cruel bunch. Most of the time they keep relatively quiet, perhaps deep in sleep or watching something on the box, but now and then, they awake from their slumber or daily dose of reality TV to strike down a lightening bolt of misfortune on the table, if only for their own amusement. The victim this time around was a battered and bruised Chris Moore, his dejected, yet composed face taking one on the chin and forcing him to simply shrug in that 'what can you do' way.

The hand itself actually caught my attention when the dealer abruptly called out for a ruling. I, along with the TD that I virtually pushed out the way, raced over to the table to see what all the fuss was about. When we arrived, all eager eyed, the situation was that Fowzi Baroukhi had limp-called a 1,150 raise from Huseyin Yilmaz only to be told that Chris Moore had made it 6,125 from the small blind.

Slightly panicky that he might have to stick in half his stack, Fowzi was relieved to learn that he could fold and sacrifice the extra 850 that he'd put into the pot. And indeed, he did fold, leaving Huseyin to push all his chips in behind him. Chris made the obligatory call, but would have done so whatever the price was. What was most surprising, however, was that his was up against a rather paltry (!).

"That's what happens when you're on tilt," reveals tablemate Ben Grundy. "Big tilt," adds neighbour Jim Moult.

But tilt or no tilt, it's a funny old game as Jimmy Greaves once said, and as the dealer popped out a Flop, I think we all knew what was coming, even when the Turn brought an innocent .

River =

Ouch! 1-0 to the Poker Gods.

[snoopy1239]

You want action? Well, we'll give you action. In fact, one moment, let me just dig out the action shot we have...



There you go! Kaboom!

It was a simple affair really, some pre-flop action and a Flop triggering a 6k bet from Tony Phillips, followed by a brisk all-in from Selin before a final call from Tony.

The 2007 Gutshot Series of Poker Champion, Tony, seemed a little reluctant even as he called, but felt that he couldn't fold. He was right to be fearful in the end, as his were in deep doggy doo against Selin's .

Turn =

River =

Cruel blow for Phillips and his Pocket Rockets, but elation for Selin who takes a commanding chip lead in this GUKPT Grand Final.

[NoflopsHomer]

Alan Vinson -- 6k and looking a bit glum

Dan Samson has doubled up thanks to Sam George who called his all-in push with on a board only to find himself up against and in trouble, the offered that glimmer of hope that so often comes...but was equally quickly dashed by the river.

Ray Wyre, one of only 7 players to have played every GUKPT event this year, (Thewy and Channing being amongst the others) is out.

[Chili]

News of the exits of Craig Owen & Jonathan Butters.  Not in the same hand but no other details.

[NoflopsHomer]

Maria Maceiras, the sometime spanish-updater, is OUT with Eights against Paul Leckey's Fives on a 9-7-3-9-5 board.

The dinner break is 30 minutes long at the end of this level. But the players have all already been served food, (which didn't seem too popular, the food that is, not the being served at the table). So we're all off to rush to McDonalds for some healthy food.

[Chili]

Marc Goodwin is OUT

All I know is on a board of

     

They were on their backs with Marc holding  but his oppo already flopped the hand with  .