Expekt.com Norwegian Poker Championships ME : Day One - At A Glance

[Djinn]

Mick Jones is OUT - I got the lowdown from Nick Gibson, who is quite comfortably heading past the 20k mark and as chirpy as ever... He had K-Q, apparently, all in on a board.  Yep - the temporary nuts - taken down by Matey's which found another spade to bust him (he was already down to c. 5k, however).  "I want to be in the story," insists Nick.  "I had .  But I folded on the flop.  Want any more stories where I limp-fold?"

I politely declined, and left him to accumulate more chips.

[JungleCat03]

Ok, now someone way back when was asking for a closer view of the blonde dealers and to this end I bring you...

Blonde dealer one (+ bonus shot of back of gwibbo head - intentional obv)



Or perhaps you were making reference to blonde dealer two?



here we have Michael Greco, insisting his tablemates refer to him as Beppe (that's what Jen told me anyway...)



Finally, during my time as an updater, one of my trademark skills, which I beleive to be a unique abillity amongst the rest of the updaters is my propensity to take random pictures of objects as the camera takes a shot whilst tilted at a random angle.

(yes my equipment regularly goes off in my hand Kev)

Here is today's offering. I give you "Accidental shot of the day"

[Djinn]

Extra English person!

Daniel Ward!  Here he is, next to that popular lady.  He seemed reluctant to be fussed over, but that's probably because he's only got 5.025.  I'll go back when he's quadrupled up and he'll probably be happier to be updated on.



Sharing his table is this other lady, whom I think is Hanna Nilson -- 11,200, here demonstrating the finger positions for playing Streetfighter 2 when you don't know any of the moves (as taught to me by my brother).

Click to see full-size image.

[JungleCat03]

Des Jonas is OUT.

I saw him participating in one of the many, many cash games underway and he told me glumly his exit hand was T-T v 9-9.

"9 on the river" muttered Des sadly. Average bicep width of the tournament player's just dropped 2 inches, I thought whilst shaking my head in sympathy.

[JungleCat03]

Or perhaps you were making reference to blonde dealer two?

The Dealer in the middle pic goes by the moniker of "Baby-Doll". She will appear on Sky Poker as a guest quite soon. I was attracted by her fine mind.

"Baby Doll" just sidled by the media zone and we had a quick chat...

She was delighted we had put a picture of her up, but once again my amateur photographic skills proved to be my undoing as she was saddened by the fact her eyes were closed in the snap.

Eager to make amends I snapped her again, this time without eyes wide shut.

Other than the lovely baby doll in the foreground though, was the exciting discovery of what appears to be an illicit affair occurring in the background.

"He's onto us! S**! I'm going to pretend to clean the table!"

It takes more than a spray and dirty cloth to pull the wool over Junglecat's eyes I'm afraid...

[Djinn]

Dave Smith Update...

He had previously made it up to the dizzy heights of 40k or thereabouts, and a Norwegian informer on his table told me how he'd headed there...

Early:  He raised to 275 in Level One with J-J, flopped a flop, bet pot, called by Matey.  The turn brought an offsuit Q... check from the behatted one, call of Matey's 2k.  River:  2 (or similar) - and again, a check call of 4k won him a tidy early pot.

Mid:  A Mick-Fletcher-y Flopped Nuts Matey (T-J on a 9-Q-K board) bet out into Smith's Q-9, received a small raise, threebet it and received a call.  A Nine on the turn saw the straight FNM betting again, and then getting moved all-in on.  It wasn't too much more, and the call and stack went to Smith.

Later:  A board of saw AK 56 and K5 (Smith's) get involved, as one might expect.  The Ace-King was the only hand to pass as top'n'bottom pair stacked bottom-two for another rise in chip towers.

SO another meteoric start for the local - will he keep hold of it through the next four days? 

[Djinn]

CHIP COUNTS from the break which has just ended... tyvm dtd...

Barlien Sondre   23   8   54000
Mazhar Latif   34   2   47150
Martin Gudvangen   24   1   47050
Kim-ove Hagerup   35   6   43050
Geir Lian   68   4   39700
Waheed Ashraf   23   9   37500
Lasse Lien   68   9   35900
Richard Larsen   33   9   34450
Platten Daniel   48   3   32500
Edvard Hatle   25   6   32300
William Bugodt   31   4   29300
Bjørnar Koss   66   4   29125
Frode Hoel   31   3   29025
Jørund Berstad   37   5   29025
James Keys   66   3   28975
Ivar Borthen   66   5   28075
Daniel Rudd   47   4   27975
Paul Gourlay   47   2   27225
Kim Rud Pedersen   24   9   25875
Erik Kindlien   47   7   25750
Billy Ngo   36   4   25525
Kenneth Strandli   33   7   25500
Acid Nilsen   37   2   24400
Paul Newman   25   7   24375
Fredrik Helness   34   6   24000
Brede Sandkjernan   48   4   23850
Kristoffer Ustad   36   5   23600
Tage Skare   58   4   22500
Andreas Forshaug   33   1   22325
Therse Andersen   48   2   21750
Alf- Eirik Klinge   31   2   21650
Bjørn Andre Hovden   21   6   21500
Anders Pettersen   48   9   20725
Neil Henshaw   24   4   20225
Ken-vidar Sara   47   5   19475
Daniel Steine   34   1   19100
Jarle Utne   26   7   18675
Mads Aamot   37   3   18400
Stian Bruheim   34   5   18000
Daniel Gulaker   37   9   17950
Jon Somby   37   6   17600
Fredrik Alexander Skalmeraas   21   3   17500
Lars Gaustad   31   1   16800
Cato Vonheim   58   3   16800
Glenn Anders Karlsen   33   5   16750
Bjørnar Thomassen   37   1   16600
Carsten Syvertsen   33   3   16350
Sven Hugo Vian   66   1   16125
Michael Greco   26   5   15750
Anders Arntzen   24   2   15525
Pål Knudsen   58   8   15250
Helge Stjernvang   58   6   15000
Vegar Mandal   66   9   14925
Erik Borkvik   36   8   14275
Chriss Jonassen   24   6   14175
Erik Johansen   47   9   14150
Liaquat Javed   26   9   14150
Chin Chai Koh   26   2   14125
Kai N. Andersen   47   3   14075
Trond-arild Elvan   31   6   13975
Ole Morten Melby   35   4   13925
Lars Sverre Wik   58   5   13575
Anders Brenden   36   7   13400
Kristian Walle   58   7   13325
Christoffer Nilsen   23   4   13275
Kristian Heimstad   48   5   12900
Hanna Nilsson   21   1   12100
Andre Hansen   34   3   11800
Daniel Nilsen   36   6   11675
Runar Pedersen   25   1   11600
Nick Gibson   37   4   11125
Frank Wikne   58   9   11050
Alexander Hagen   23   6   10825
Kai Danilo Paulsen   26   3   10800
Yngvi Bjarnason   24   5   10775
Kjetil Skau   33   4   10500
Erling Marthinsen   35   7   10350
Knut Nystedt   66   8   10150
Gary Christopher   58   1   9900
Håvard Holder   24   7   9875
Lars Farstad   25   5   9875
Ivar Kleive Voll   33   6   9725
Barte Ervall   35   9   9675
Pal Kristiansen   24   8   9600
Backe Catheine   48   1   9500
Karl Inge Skogholt   23   2   9400
Asbjørn Lunde   66   7   9175
Julian Thew   68   5   9050
Germund Volden   25   3   9025
Ole Christian Andersen   68   6   8700
Janne Helen Overaa   24   3   8525
Holger Pedersen   26   1   8150
Mads Erland   26   8   8125
Richard Holtet   21   5   7800
Christoffer Heien   48   7   7775
Andreas Prytz   31   9   7600
Paul Valle   26   4   7275
Andre Alvarez Brobakken   58   2   7175
Kristian Aksnes   31   7   7150
Borge Sandsgaard   47   1   7050
John Stanley   31   5   6650
Johansen Christer   37   8   6500
Linda Kristin Suhr   36   3   6475
Daniel Molund   25   9   6450
Erling Voje   48   6   6425
Andreas Hagen   34   4   6250
Jørn Eriksrud Bye   47   6   6250
Arild Blålid   25   2   6075
Christian Berland   21   2   6000
Efraimsen Oyvind   21   4   6000
Håvar Olsen   68   7   5950
Frank Porturas   48   8   5775
Alf Johannes Jacobsen   23   1   5700
Eirik Svanes   23   7   5625
Eirik Staddeland   66   6   5375
Askild Sjoeng Hansen   25   8   5350
Jon Eirik Einarsveen   66   2   5250
Geir Andersen   33   8   5225
Kai-are Hauge   36   9   5100
Fredrik Kjeldsen   26   6   5000
Andreas Pettersen   35   1   4900
Kjell Roger Muldbakken   33   2   4575
Stephen Best   37   7   4500
Egil Olsen   36   1   4200
Lasse Aastad Kjøs   36   2   4200
Jan Roger Larsen   35   5   4175
Keith Johnson   35   8   3875
Kristian Sæthre   21   8   2800
Kjetil Kemi   34   7   2750
Karl Bullock   34   8   2500
Bjorn August Lindback   21   7   2200
Lars Heldal Bakkevig   34   9   2000
Age Spets   68   3   1900
Finn Arne Langeland   68   1   1850
Peter Lars Micael Lindstrom   68   8   1300
Shaun Cook   35   2   1050
Geir Ståle Plassen   25   4   1000

[Djinn]

what happened to Barry Neville ?

He's still rolling, if not as strongly as before... "I just lost 17k with Tens twice."  I presume it was 17k in total lost, which actually took him right down to 4,500 at his lowest ebb, before he bounced back to 10,500 now.  The first loss occurred on a Nine-high flop (his opponent had flopped a set of Fours), and the second was against Jacks. 

Here he is pictured like he might be about to eat his young Scandie rivals whole like some kind of Northern Terminator.

[JungleCat03]

Ok, one for the football fans here.

Who remembers when Norway unceremoniously dumped England out of qualification for the world cup by defeating them comprehensively in Norway? I do!

And the villain of the piece, at least to the partisan eyes of the england fans, was the Norwegian coach Egil Olsen. Egil has had a chequered, though largely successful career. Other than his celebrated stewardship of the Norwegian national team, he managed premiership club Wimbledon briefly and less successfully, before joining expekt.com and even managing to fit in managing the Iraqi football team for a soirt while.

His association with expekt.com has led him to be playing today, and though he currently has a short stack, Egil, who was always regarded as a deep tactical football manager, will be harbouring hopes of showing excellence in another forum as he makes his assault on the Norwegian Championships today.

Good luck to the man I say! Here he is...

[Djinn]

Anthony Nicholls surprised us in the dinner break, drawing our attention to the fact that he is (a) playing and (b) fairly chipped up.  We are always sad to have missed people we know in the throng of new faces we are trying to familiarise ourselves with so here I present: 

Anthony Nicholls - This Is Your Update...

You started the day with 10k.  You now have over 33k. 


_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

And having sounded so optimistic about Mr. Neville, I now have to report some worse news.  From the man himself:  "I made a squeeze play."  Uh-oh, I think, this didn't end well, considering as you're now standing up by the side of the table with no visible stack.

"There was a raise to 600, a flat call, then a raise to 2,500.  I'm in the big blind with Fives.  I push all in for 10k.  The first guy passes but the second one dwells up for like two minutes with Jacks!"  There was even a glimmer of postflop hope: "The flop was 4-6-7 - I'm anything..." he trails off wistfully as he relives his draw missing, but doesn't seem to despondent overall.

[JungleCat03]

Paul Gourlay just tangled with the archetype scandinavian, who unfortunately I have yet to learn the correct name of...

I joined the action on  the river of an As board and our spikey haired new friend had just bet out 3k...Paul thought for a while before reluctantly calling, only to be shown A-2 for 2 pair, which was good...

"Did you have K-J?" enquired the man wearing the blonde porcupine...

"I 'ad a better ehs than that!" countered Paul a tad sulkily, admitting a worse hand than that which was inferred by the human version of Sonic the Hedgehog, who cooly swept up his chips into his stack without ruffling his neatly ironed blue shirt,

[Djinn]

BA Kildalen and Alan Stearn have been in a couple of confrontations in a row just now.  Neither of them are even heading towards short stacked, and there could have been fireworks potentially on either of these... but instead... oh you'll see. 

HAND 1:

Small blind Stearn raises big blind Kildalen +900 (at the tail end of the 150/300/25 blind level).  Call.
Flop:    Stearn bets out 1,500, and finds a pretty immediate raise to 4,500.  He thinks for a good while before passing - and is shown for his inner torment.

HAND 2:

Button Stearn limps, small blind BA limps and there's no raise.  The flop comes:    Check to Stearn who bets 1,400 and picks up BA as a caller (just can't shake him).  The turn is a double-checked .  The river brings the , and a 2,075 bet out from the behatted Norwegian.  Another wearyish pass, but again he's rewarded by a glimpse of the in BA's hand.  So much showing of the cards...and they've been pretty good...now when he raises with 6-2 utg he might get some undeserved respect...

[Djinn]

Anthony Nicholls:  Your Story Continues, in what is actually a series of the most dramatic hands seen tonight (by us, anyway):

M*** Mc**** raises to 1,200 pre.  Anthony Nicholls re-raises to 4,200.  Call.
Flop:  6-2-3  Nicholls bet 2k... and found McC. moving all-in for around 25,000!  Call.
Nicholls shows: 
McC shows:  A-5
Turn....2 river....   .....     .....        .........  4.    Down to just 600 chips, and it all looked a little bleak.  THEN

Two hands later, and he's all in against two players.  He's standing up, looking at a flop of and despairing as the side action kicks off.  Vidar Sabbasen has bet out 2,025, and Andreas Berge (the spiky haired one, we reckon) has raised to 6,525.  A long think...then Sabbasen moves in.  The think now belongs to Berge, who gets very animated, saying "In a cash game I instacall.  Instacall."  He calls, but not insta.

On their backs!

Anthony Nicholls (despairing): 
Vidar Sabbasen (anxious): 
Andreas Berge (also anxious, and covered, just): 

Turn: 
River: 

Giving Anthony Nicholls the side pot of just over 2k, and knocking one of the Norwegians to the felt.

P.S. Literally seconds ago, Nicholls busted, called blind by 9-2 when he held T-J.  "At least I got to play one hand on the feature table...."

[JungleCat03]

Way to bok Egil by me. Shortly after that mini bio I wrote, he lost his short stack...

What was quite touching was as he lost the remainder of his chips, there was a round of applause from the rest of the table, marking the occasion of his exit. This wasn't unique to Egil simply because he is a Norwegian personality though. Most of the players' exits have been treated in this respectful fashion by the Norwegian players, which I think is a great little tradition that we would do well to introduce into our game over here, but probably never will!

Here is Egil leaving...

[Djinn]

CLIMBER OF THE DAY

Although we're just about to have our Level Seven break here, and there are still two long hours of hard-fought poker to get through before this award can be confirmed - I would like to suggest Julian Thew for our climber of the day. 

Early in the day it did look bad for him, but once again, he has turned some into many - approximately 45,000 (full counts coming after the break).  He's featured, actually, so those of you watching the feed will be able to watch him in action - no - wait, he's just been moved off somewhere.  Dave Smith appears to have filled in the gap on the TV table.  You know that the Norwegians vote on which table they want to cycle through the TV table next... maybe they voted Julian off like on Big Brother....