Welcome to Running It Twice, a round-up of the last seven days on PokerPlayer.co.uk and the world of poker!
And there’s been plenty going on as the EPT Deauville and WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open festivals reach exciting conclusions.
Add to that the GPI European Poker Awards and some exclusive PokerPlayer interviews and it’s all been a bit of a blur this week in the PokerPlayer office. Need a recap? Good, so do we…
David Williams in honest poker player shock
If you read the first part of my interview with PokerStars Pro David Williams you might have been surprised. There was no pretence and much like Liv Boeree last week, a brutal honesty about an awful past year in the game.
It was also fascinating to hear just how much pressure there is at the top of the game. Williams finished second in the WSOP Main Event for $3,500,000 and yet likened his wait for a first major tournament win as having a “noose around his neck.” I told him afterwards that’s never been a problem for me, that GUKPT side event title will last a lifetime…
The 33-year-old loved to talk and as such I’ve split the interview into two parts. Fear not though, the second instalment is juicier than an Innocent smoothie and his opinions on the problems in poker are well worth a read. Keep an eye out next Wednesday…
PokerStars UKIPT President Kirsty Thompson speaks exclusively to PokerPlayer
There’s been plenty of debate about what direction the UKIPT is heading in so PokerPlayer Editor Ross Jarvis sat down with Kirsty Thompson to get the inside scoop.
It’s not been particularly clear recently whether UKIPT tournaments have been aimed at the pros or the everyday man, but that’s all cleared up with this quote: “From day one of the tour I always wanted the UKIPT to be about the guy who works at Tesco coming over to win £90,000. Obviously the pros still come because it’s great fun but this tour is for the people.”
It’s nice to hear that it’s not all about the big names and PokerStars are focusing on the little guys after all…
EPT Deauville down to nine
We’ve been keeping a beady eye on Northern France as EPT Deauville shapes up for an intriguing final table. Greek pro Sotirios Koutoupas leads the way with a sizeable chip lead but all eyes will be on Eugene Katchalov. The PokerStars Pro is seeking to become just the sixth player to win the live Triple Crown and he lies second in chips.
Commiserations go out to UK pros JP Kelly and Alex Goulder who fell desperately short in 10th place and 11th place. You can read a full review on the PokerStars blog here and don’t forget you can watch all the action from the final table on PokerPlayer.co.uk NOW!
Simon Deadman runs deep in the FPS High-Roller
It would be hard to miss the start Simon Deadman has made to 2014. Just two weeks ago Simon Deadman finished runner-up at GPS Nottingham for £70,000 (but dealt for more than the winner) and it was quickly followed up by another second place in the FPS Deauville High-Roller
For tongue-in-cheek questions like “can you teach us how to finish second in live tournaments”, stay tuned to PokerPlayer.co.uk over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a Q&A with the in-form man on the way…
Top five EPT hands
To celebrate the 10th season of the European Poker Tour and it’s latest stop in Deauville I decided to look at it’s most memorable hands over the last 10 years.
Of course you’ll already know my favourite if you’ve had a look at the piece, and I hope most of you agree. The most impressive part about Jason Mercier’s hero call was the sheer bravery of it.
With just four players left and an EPT title up for grabs, 99% of Pros would have folded, not wanting to take any risks at the most crucial of times. But Mercier went with his read, and as you’ll see from his celebration he was rather happy with the outcome.
It’s a lot of fun doing video features and I’ll be doing a lot more of them. If you’ve got any suggestions for what you’d like to see then tweet us at @PokerPlayerUK!
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