Pokerstars.com EPT London: Day 1A - At A Glance

[JungleCat03]

Dave Colclough is sharing the felt with tiny titan, Freddy Deeb, who was tucking hungrily into a sandwich as I joined his table. He had time to bet out 600 on the turn of a #9c #2h #6c #2s board though, his neighbours passing, before he turned away to take another bite.

Deeb up to 20,000. Easy game this!


The EPT has really grown in stature since its inception. At first, it was really only an attractive proposition to the creme de la creme of europe, but its reputation has blossomed to the extent that now, the World's elite are attracted by the allure of the tournaments.

This makes for some exciting mixes of European and World stars.

One table that has a good flavour of both is Table Antonius, the Finnish star the most celebrated player at the felt.

He won't find it too easy going though, with recent GUKPT Luton winner Sam Trickett, perennial UK circuit player and fierce competitor Jim Reid and David Benyamine's better half Erica Schoenburg joining him at the table.

So far Sam and Erica have close to their starting stacks, but Jim is doing well with 13,000 or so to his name. Meanwhile Patrik has not had the auspicious start you might expect and is languishing behind these three with just 7,000 to his name at present.

Some other random names and counts...

Jeff Kimber - 20,000  (Go Jeff!)
David Benyamine - 8,500 (Try and keep up with the missus David!)
Beth Shak - 9,800.

Incidentally with beautiful women like Beth and Erica playing, you can rest assured I will be snapping them at some point. At present though we are reduced to one camera between us and Floppy has temporary control, though the battle is far from over!

Fear not, norkage fans. Totty coming soon!

[NoflopsHomer]

Nick Gibson and Craig 'The Apple' Hopkins, discovered in the restaurant area on makeshift extra tables.



Sam Trickett and Erica Schoenberg



Sam just bet 200 on a flop which Erica flatted. On the turn , Sam check/called a 400 bet and then a 1,000 bet on the river. Erica flipping as Sam grudgingly mucked. Meanwhile James Akenhead has doubled up meagre stack with against Durrr's which was trying to squeeze a raise and call.

[NoflopsHomer]

Antonius, so good he drains the colours out of the other players.

[JungleCat03]

Meanwhile, here's some eye candy for you to look at.

Jim Reid, what a fine specimen!



Ok, so that's a joke. No offence Jim and Sam but it's David Benyamine's glamorous other half, Erika Schoenberg who steals the show in this picture.

Because I know how greedy you are, here's another shot of the photogenic young lady...

[JungleCat03]

On the subject of pretty ladies, here we have Beth Shak adding a touch of glamour to her table. Beth has employed one of the most feared poker moves during the early levels to boost her stack up to the lofty regions of 20,000. That move is known as "The Shak Attack!"

Due to this, and the fact she is easy on the eye, she deserves to be snapped and thus she has been.

Sadly the Vic is crammed close to capacity at the moment, meaning taking a good shot involves wading through a vibrating scrum of Italian reporters, waitresses and poker players rushing for a cigarette. That's before you have to contend with the railbirds...

Getting a good vantage point can prove a challenge so please excuse any blurriness. It's Snoopy's fault.



And a profile shot (weak euphemism for "she turned her head at the wrong moment" shot)

[NoflopsHomer]

any news on allinstevie please?

Sorry Pab, both myself and floppy have scoured the room, but he appears to be tucked away somewhere in the depths of the Vic. We've just received a player list however so that may help us track him down if he hasn't moved yet.

Hold tight!

Just found him, he's got about 15,500 with Gus Hansen a couple of seats to his right and Vicky Coren a couple of seats to his left.

[JungleCat03]

The Hendon Mob Fortunes

Diverse I think you might say.

First off, there's Barny, having a whale of a time, with plenty of chips - close to 20,000.

He was heard warning his table partner to "be careful" as I took this picture, not so much in a "godfather you'll sleep with the fishes" way, more in a "haha, we're having a laugh at the table huh? Or are we?" undertone-of-menace type way.
 


He is doing a lot better than his brother or other mobster Joe Beevers, both of whom have perished at this early point.

Also gone is James Akenhead, so close to winning a bracelet in the summer, he'll have to put any thoughts of following that up with an EPT success on ice for now.

[NoflopsHomer]

Meanwhile, here's some eye candy for you to look at.

Jim Reid, what a fine specimen!



Ok, so that's a joke. No offence Jim and Sam but it's David Benyamine's glamorous other half, Erika Schoenberg who steals the show in this picture.

Because I know how greedy you are, here's another shot of the photogenic young lady...

Speaking of Beyamine, and in no way an attempt to just add the Erica Schoenberg photos to another page, the high stakes Frenchman has just eliminated another player after flat-calling an initial raise with kings, only for the small blind to squeeze with .

[JungleCat03]

The Colclough Report

El Blondie himself is not faring great at the moment with a mere 6,000 or so...

He looks happy nonetheless and is bedecked from head to toe in the apparel of his new sponsors Full Tilt. Here we have him, looking primed for action if short on chips...




What's that you say?

You want more salacious rumours and interesting titbits on Frenchmen?

Mais bien sur!

Here we have Pascal Perrault, who has recently started wrestling part time. His finishing manouevre is called "Le Baguette" and involves him smearing his opponent with butter and melted brie before bodyslamming him onto an enormous piece of bread, which he folds over him before getting the pin.

So far he has a professional record of 4 and 0.
*
He has 13,000...

*Italicized sections may not be true...

[NoflopsHomer]

James Akenhead is out after raising from the cutoff with Q-Q, calling the donk lead from the blind on a A-7-6 board. The turn was a Q and James again flat-calling before his opponent shoved the 8 river. James called but had walked into the miracle gutshot that his opponent had hit with T-9.

Meanwhile Tony Cascarino is continuing his good run of form, he raised to 600, Mark Teltscher reraised to 1,700 and then the small blind made it 3,600 with about 4,000 behind. Cascarino moved in and Teltscher huffed and puffed and threw his hand away, Cascarino revealing against his opponents and winning after a blank bricky board.

Teltscher in his typically fast staccatto voice, "I folded kings, what else can he [Cascarino] have? Aces or kings, he folds queens."

[JungleCat03]

Priyan Demel - 13,800.

Priyan always seems to draw plaudits for his table presence from fellow players, but as yet a big result has just eluded him. Perhaps this time he can run good!

[JungleCat03]

Here's a report on a player that will satisfy both the norkage hungry amongst you and those who are more focused on the serious business of who will ultimately prevail in this EPT.

I give you Vicky Coren, a lady who seems to never age, looking lovely as always, with a rather meaty looking stack of 32,000.

As I took the picture, an interesting hand played out between Vicky and one of her tablemates.

100/200, Vicky raised it up to 600 from early position and was called by a player in the cut-off.

The flop fell and Vicky led for 1,200, only for the button to call...

Vicky looked puzzled at this, saying "You can't have a three? I guess you're on a flush draw then!"

The turn fell the and Vicky quickly tapped the table to check, checked behind.

"No club on the river please" Vicky implored the dealer who spectacularly failed to oblige, delivering the in spite of Vicky's heartfelt request. "I didn't ask for much did I?" said Vicky before checking and watching the cut-off curiously.



He checked also and Vicky announced "two pair" showing pocket eights, only for the late position player to reveal a superior pair of knaves in the hole.

"Well played" commented Vicky, hitting the table to confirm this.

Still on 30k+ though, she will be a danger to collect her 2nd EPT title if she continues accumulating chips as adroitly as she has thusfar.



"Well played sir!"

[JungleCat03]

It's not exactly filled with light in the Vic but some people still feel the need to wear shades.

Here we have Nicholas Levi, circa 8,000 chips, realising the light is just too much and throwing on the shades.

As I took the consecutive pictures, Nicholas (who thank god has his hat back on*) told me "that will make a nice little story!"

So here is the story of Levi and his shades...



* His hat was stolen while in Spain. Police are still searching for the culprit although some video footage of a man wanted by the police in connection with the crime has been released. Sadly he is in disguise but looks strangely familiar...

[JungleCat03]

Some people have cast doubt on the veracity of Pascal's part time wrestling hobby.

Yet as luck would have it, as I perambulated through the card room, they showed a clip of Pascal picking up his first title.

And we know TV doesn't lie!

[JungleCat03]

News of the Norwegian prodigy Annette Obrestad.

She is in fine shape, doubled up to 20,000 or so at this point...