Get It Quietly

Football, bollocks and a bit of poker if you're lucky.

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Location: Enfield, London, United Kingdom

Friday, March 10, 2006

A Freeze-Out, Yes, We Get It

You have to hand it to Interpoker. They make their doggies jump for their titbits. From an Email I received today :

"Here at InterPoker we're taking our much-loved game to new, exciting and slightly dangerous frontiers through our very own Extreme Poker events...

Last year we held the world's first underwater poker game in St Kitts, this month, on March 29th, we're taking poker to the arctic ice fields of Finland and shuffling up in world’s largest snow castle for an Arctic Freeze Out Tournament!

If you think you're up to the challenge, we're giving you the chance to take part in the "Artic Freeze Out" against InterPoker pros Juha Helppi and Rob Varkonyi...!"

I hate the cold. Goes right through me. You should see me in my Albert Steptoe thermal underwear. Poor old Robert Varkonyi, hit the jackpot a year too early. While the next three are playing $20K Sit and Goes in Monte Carlo with Pokerstars picking up the tab, Rob gets to freeze his nuts off in Finland.

2 Comments:

Blogger David Young said...

I was in Binion's during the 2002 WSOP when Varkonyi won. I vividly recall Jesse May coming up to me and Francis Rohan when the action got three handed to tell us that Varkonyi had declared to the others that he was open to a deal, provided he was guaranteed $1.9m! Given that the official top prize was $2m, the others understandably told him to get stuffed.

It's such a shame that Julian didn't beat him after that. The sad fact though is that IMHO, Julian played badly at the heads up stage. It became clear that Varkonyi was a bit of a calling station and that he didn't intend to raise a lot preflop. In these ideal conditions all Julian had to do was wait for hand. Instead he went all-in with a flush draw on the flop when there was no need to.*

I've not written this before, as I know it looks odd to criticise the play of someone who made it to the last two of the WSOP championship event, but that's my honest feeling. I suspect that it's hard to play your A game for several days though. I was exhausted after only nine hours in Vienna.

It does make me wonder how much fun a three day+ comp actually is.

DY

* given that Julian made a flush against a full house on the river in that hand, it's possible that it would have crippled him anyway.

2:03 PM  
Blogger Andy_Ward said...

The mental stamina you need in one of these events is underestimated by everyone who hasn't played in one. If they even think about it.

Unless you're used to it you have to gear down every now and then. If you spend every minute glaring at people and trying to "read their hand" you'll be a wreck inside a day and a half.

Andy.

6:26 PM  

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