Team GB win gold

	Neil Channing: “I am just as proud of this as I am of my win in Ireland, it was an honour to be picked to represent my country"

Great Britain are the winners of the 2008 PartyPoker.com Poker Nations Cup! Team Great Britain, captained by Roland de Wolfe and featuring Neil Channing, Surinder Sunar, Joe Beevers, Ian Frazer and PartyPoker.com VIP online qualifier Charlie Durbin overcome Ireland heads-up to take down the prestigious title.

The team event also featured world class line-ups from the USA, Germany, Holland and Sweden and there was no surprise that it was man of the moment Neil Channing who eventually brought the cup home for Britain. All six teams competed in a “tag” final where each team captain’s judgement was vital, as it was up to them to make tactical substitutions and strategic “time outs.”

“I’m absolutely delighted,” said team captain de Wolfe. “In many ways it is even better to win a team event for your country than win an individual title. I am so proud that the selections for my team were vindicated,” he added.

Neil Channing anchored Great Britain to victory in a tense heads-up with Ireland’s Donnacha O’Dea. After a number of swings, the key turning point was when Channing went all-in with 8 4 off suit, only to get called by O’Dea’s 2 2. The Irish Open champion was behind on the flop and the turn only for a 4 to hit on the river and cripple the Irish. Very soon O’Dea was all-in with 10c 3c, only to be called by Channing’s 10h 9h. The 10 on the turn was enough to win Great Britain the cup they had previously won in 2006.

Channing was originally pencilled in as a television reporter for the event coverage but after his Irish Open win was asked by captain de Wolfe to take his place in the line-up. “I am just as proud of this as I am of my win in Ireland,” said Channing. “It was an honour to be picked to represent my country and great to be chosen to play the crucial final leg for the team.”

After six heats Britain arrived at the final table joint second in chips with Holland, just behind leaders Germany. The action started fast and it was all Holland as online qualifier Quirijn Van der Peet dramatically took down a massive pot against Germany’s Benjamin Kang to turn the tournament on its head. This triggered a number of substitutions, particularly for Ireland, who used their full quota of replacements in a short period of time. After starting with Marty Smyth, followed by Liam Flood, captain Padraig Parkinson put himself on for one hand only to substitute himself straight away as his view was that he had to play Donnacha O’Dea for as much of the final table as possible. It was a tactic that very nearly paid off and there was no doubt that Ireland were the team with the most support throughout.

Team USA started as the short stack and departed first. USA captain Robert Williamson III had understandably put in Chris Ferguson to start and try and make the best of a bad situation after a terrible week. Ferguson’s 9 9, however, ran into O’Dea’s A K and an A on the river sent ‘Jesus’ and his team to the rail.

Sweden went next as 2006 Poker Nations Cup hero Anders Henriksson’s A 5 got busted by O’Dea’s 10 10. The flop went 4 J J and nothing on the turn or river saw them crippled.

Even after a fine comeback, it was Germany who fell next. The blinds were going up and Channing continued to bully the table. Channing pushed with 9h 7h only to get called by Thomas Bihl’s 5 5 but a 9 on the flop gave Great Britain the massive pot, crippling Germany and leaving Marcel Luske to finish them off next hand.

Next to go was Holland, who had been up and down throughout the final table. Luske’s 10 s 9 s was busted by O’Dea’s A K off suit after two kings had hit the board.

This left O’Dea and Channing heads-up, only for the Irish Open champion to eventually conquer the Irish poker legend. Ireland captain Padraig Parkinson was philosophical about the defeat: “We were the oldest team in the tournament. It’s quite obvious that poker is a young man’s game.”

A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: “Neil Channing is running so good that Great Britain looked like the winners when it got short handed. Full credit must go to Ireland, however, who brought a great atmosphere to the tournament and very nearly pipped them at the post. On paper, the likes of Chris Ferguson and Jamie Gold for Team USA look very intimidating but it seems like when they cross the Atlantic for these tournaments they just can’t quite get it right.”