The first leg of the GBPT was played at the Gala Casino in Edinburgh and a Scotsman took it down
Scottish poker player Eddie Gaines is looking forward to the final of the Great British Poker Tour after winning qualification, and a tidy sum of cash at the recent Edinburgh Festival in Scotland’s capital.
The victory earned Gaines nearly £25,000 and a seat at the Grand Final where the ‘Great British Poker Champion’ will be crowned.
This was the first stop on the Tour staged by Gala Maybury Casinos, which will continue to travel around the country before finishing up at the Grand Final at the end of October at a venue to be confirmed.
Father of two Eddie, from Dundee, beat 129 other players over the two day Main Event, in a series of gruelling high pressure hands at the Gala Maybury Casino in Edinburgh (24 – 25 February).
His prize includes £24,500 winnings and a package to the £2,500 Grand Final Main Event to be played in October 2007.
The Edinburgh festival was attended by a host of pro players including Dave ‘El Blondie’ Colclough, ‘Hendon Mobbers’ Ross and Barny Boatman, and Joe Beevers, WPT Paris winner Surinder Sunar, Neil Channing, Arshad Hussain (European Rankings winner 2006) and Iwan Jones. However all pros were knocked out before the final table.
Final Table Results:
1. Eddie Gaines £24,500
2. Gerry O’Farrell £14,500
3. Stan Essen £9,240
4. Scott Morrison £6,300
5. Steve Jelenik £4,550
6. Tony Croalla £3,500
7. Irinia Leipini £2,590
8. Andrew Feenan £1,890
Eddie said of his win “I’m over the moon – the Great British Poker Tour is the best chance UK players have to show off their skills at home. There is a lot of UK poker talent to face, but I’m hoping I can bring the overall title home to Scotland”
He continued “I felt was comfortable playing, even on the final table. I had a strategy that fitted the style of game being played and fortunately it all came together at the right time.”
The next stop for the GBPT is Teesside 4th – 8th April. Interested players can qualify by playing on www.galapoker.co.uk or at selected Gala Casinos throughout Great Britain.
