Battle of the Mags result

It was not to be for Tina Walker at the televised live final of Paddy Power Battle of the Mags, held in London on 8 November, but she vowed the experience will spur her on to bigger and better things.

The final took place at Wapping Studios, home of the infamous Poker Bowl with the TV side of things looked after by SO Productions.

The final table featured eight players competing for a prize worth £14K – entry into 3 major poker tournaments on the European scene (most likely 2008 Irish Open ticket and 2 EPT events over the course of the next year).

The UK poker publications represented were: Card Player Europe, Flush, Gambling Online Magazine, Online Gambler, Poker Europa, Poker Pro Europe.

John Donnelly, a hackney driver from Maynooth, Co. Kildare, representing Poker Pro Europe, emerged after 7 hours of play. Donnelly eventually defeated Cardplayer’s Krzysztof Zajac in a nail biting heads-up encounter to win entry to the €3 Million Guaranteed Irish Open 2008 as well as the EPT events in Prague and Copenhagen.

Battle of the Mags comprised a series of tournaments designed to find the most skilled poker player from the readership of Europe’s top poker magazines. The cosmopolitan Grand Final featured players from Ireland, the UK, Poland, Germany and Denmark, each of which had already overcome more than 9,000 competitors by winning their respective magazines exclusive MTT satellites on paddypowerpoker.com.

Tina had the following to say of her experience: “I can honestly say that the Battle of the Mags event was the most enjoyable live event I have been to …. obviously I haven’t been to the Poker Player Grand Prix yet but I am going to try and qualify for the PokerPlayer Betfair Grand Prix IV live final.”

”I really felt comfortable on the TV table despite being the only female and the only one from the UK. I wish to capitalise on this event because although I didn’t win I only lost with a marginal hand against a marginal hand (A-4 v K-10).

Undeterred, it seems Tina has really taken to live tournament poker, and she has already targeted the Ladies Event at next year’s Irish Open as a must-qualify.

“I feel confident of a very good run and my performance in London has put me in good stead experience-wise for any future live events – I am determined one way or another to ensure I sit down for the first hand and the last one.”

Eric Booth, Marketing Manager at paddypowerpoker.com, was thrilled with the success of the tournament. “The great thing about the Battle of the Mags promotion is that it gives the everyday reader of poker magazines the chance to experience the atmosphere of a live televised poker event, as well as the chance to live the life of a poker pro over the coming year.

“I feel that this promotion epitomises everything about the Paddy Power Poker brand in that it was Fun, Fair and Friendly – something which I think all the players really responded to.”

The Battle of Mags Grand Final will be shown on SKY channel 843 at 8pm on Friday, 14 of December. Subsequent repeats will air at 7pm on the 16, 18 and 20 December.

Final results:
1. John Donnelly, Ireland, Poker Pro Europe
2. Krzysztof Zajac, Poland, Cardplayer
3. Lars Henrik Buschman, Denmark, Online Gambler
4. Tina Walker, UK, Total Poker
5. Grzegorz Swieboda, Poland, Antepost
6. Ronan Mc Laughlin, Ireland, Poker Europa
7. John Duffy, Ireland, Flush