Monday 28 June 2010

'Top three' achievement on Dusty's road

We caught up with the WSOP Event #45 ninth-place finisher and ParadisePoker pro Johan "Dusty_Rat" Jakobsson at the Rio.

Here's what he had to say for conquering all but eight of the 3,097-strong field.

So how does it feel to have finished in ninth place at your first WSOP event?
It feels really good. I didn’t expect to make it this far when I started on Friday – I thought maybe I’d only be around for two hours! I don’t consider myself a tournament player at all. To be honest, whether it’s the World Series of Poker of just a home game, it doesn’t matter to me, but the best thing was that I came ninth in a field of over 3,000 players.

How did you cope with the three-day schedule? It’s tough isn’t it?
I’d never played in a tournament this long before and I miss my bed at the moment! I’m very tired and my neck hurts, but that’s because I’m not used to playing live poker for so many hours in just three days.

Were you happy with how you played at the final table?
The only hand that wasn’t standard was when I re-raised pre-flop with 8-7 off-suit against the tightest player I’ve ever sat with. I thought there was a great chance he’d fold, but equally if he comes back over the top of my raise, my decision is easy. If he calls, I know exactly what he’s got. He called and I put him on Ace-King, so when a King hit the flop, he bet out and I knew I had to fold. The final hand, when I got it all-in with 10-10, was against a really aggressive player who had been raising a lot. He had been raising with almost any two cards and with only 1,000,000 in chips to start the hand, I was always going with it. I was hoping for a flip and that’s if he even calls.

And what about your overall play across the three days?
I remember two hands in particular. Folding Ace-King with top pair, top kicker on the turn when a strong player check-raised me and another incident with 10-10. There were some difficult spots in there; I wish it was always easy with Aces or 7-2, but poker isn’t like that. Overall I’m happy with how I played though.

Obviously the cash games on ParadisePoker are your bread and butter, but will you look back and count this among your finest achievements in poker?
Yeah it’s certainly up there in the top three. At the moment I’m quite fed up with tournaments (he grins) but when I wake up tomorrow morning, I’m going to feel very proud of this.

And so the WSOP dream ends in ninth...

The final table proved a rapid roller coaster for Paradise Poker pro Johan Jakobsson, as despite doubling through in the first hand, his WSOP 2010 came to an end in ninth place.

The result, which paid out a hefty $53,892 prize, came with mixed feelings for the Swede, after he had manouvred into a great position early on.

With the stacks evenly spread, a double up in the very first hand with 10s vs 8s was just the start the man known as 'Dusty_Rat' wanted, but it proved a false dawn.

Two more shows of pre-flop aggression were met with greater resistance, dragging Johan back down to 1,000,000 chips, so when he picked up 10-10 once more, fireworks were a safe bet.

Dusty raised utg and it was folded to the aggressive Jesse Rockowitz in the big blind, who re-popped to 280,000, prompting an all-in from the Paradise man.

The snap call duly followed and when the cards were flipped, Jakobsson was a big dog versus QQ. The board had no drama to offer, let alone help, and the long walk to the payout department followed.

The Paradise blog spoke with Johan in the aftermath and you'll find the interview in full, right here on the WSOP blog, in the near future. Check back for his exclusive reaction!

Stalemate breaks in time for dinner

With less than five minutes to spare before the dinner break, the final table is set - and Johan "Dusty_Rat" Jakobsson will be pulling up his chips and a chair.

The WSOP Event #45 had stalled at ten players, as the short stacks took it turns to double through or squirm out of trouble.

Dusty had been at risk at one stage, as having limped from utg+1, he saw an opponent shove from late.

The big blind, who had not long multiplied his chips with AK vs AJ, went into the tank, but when he eventually folded, our man's decision was far quicker.

The swell of excitement in the crowd was soon dampened however, as both players rolled AQo and split the pot.

After some time it was Edward Yoo, whose tower had dwindled to around 500,000, who left as the final table bubble boy.

Yoo made the move pre-flop with pocket 8s, only to run into Steven Brown's 10-10, and when the flop brought the 10♥, the game was up for the American.

Dusty will return from dinner with 740,000 to put to work at the final table, but he has some ground to make up as the table short stack.

15 left at the first break, but Johan takes a hit

After a blistering start to Day Three, the cards turned on Johan "Dusty_Rat" Jakobsson and brought him back among the poker mortals.

First he found AJ utg, three callers for his pre-flop raise and even an Ace on board to boot, but a medium stack shipped on a textured board and Johan found himself in a tough spot.

“I was near enough 100% sure he had AQ but I still made the call and I was right,” explained the Paradise pro.

“I could have saved myself the 400,000, although he might have been on a draw. I’d not played with him before so I couldn’t be completely sure, but 99 times out of 100 he has AQ.”

Lady Luck had more torment in store when then went toe-to-toe with his replacement as chip leader, but he felt good about the fold he eventually made with 10s in the hole.

“The second hand was against another guy I hadn’t seen play and he was the big stack, so when the button raises to around 52,000 and he three-bets, I wasn’t sure what to do.

“I didn’t want to be all-in there but I didn’t want to fold either, so I smooth-call then take a shot at it by raising his c-bet on an A-J-7 flop.

“I make it 315,000 and before I’ve even finished raising, he announced re-raise for around 500,000 and that he’s going nowhere. I’m quite lost in that hand, but I had to fold."

The two hands combined to rob our remaining representative of around half his chips, although he remains in fifth place with a little over 1,000,000 at his disposal.

“There are still 15 players left so if I’m going to be happy now, I might as well go home,” added Johan when asked about his serious table demeanour.

“I’m surprised how quickly the field has reduced from the original 36 players. There’s been a lot of all-ins and nobody seems to be folding – so I should probably have tightened up!

“I’m not frustrated about losing the chips, but I am confused about those tens and to a lesser extent about the AJ hand.

“I’m going to be patient though because soon there’s going to be a new hand.”

Prize Pool Reminder
1st $721,373
2nd $446,274
3rd $315,828
4th $228,614
5th $167,405
6th $124,006
7th $92,900
8th $70,365
9th $53,892
10th-12th $41,725
13th-15th $32,653

Rolling Rat… Dusty takes the chip lead

Having already doubled his stack early on Day Three, Johan Jakobsson was far from finished before the first break as he took down another huge pot to steal the chip lead.

With around 2.4m in front of him and only two tables remaining, the online pro (pictured) is in a strong position to at very least achieve his goal of reaching the final table.

The decisive hand came when the villain of our latest twist raised pre-flop to just over three-times the big blind, making it 66,000 to go, and Johan made the call holding 8♣9♣ in position.

The flop brought 5♥-6♥-8♠ and when his opponent overbet the pot, the fearless Jakobsson shoved his huge stack into the centre.

The call followed and though our hero found himself behind to K♣K♥, the river duly delivered a 7♣ and another big win.

Sunday 27 June 2010

Dusty doubles up through overnight chip leader

Johan Jakobsson made a cracking start to Day Three as he took on the chip leader for his tournament life - and emerged the victor.

The monster pot puts 'Dusty_Rat' second in chips with 1.35m.

UK player Sam Trickett - who was sitting on around 1.5m chips after continuing his Day Two ascent - three-bet the Paradise pro's utg raise, only to find himself put to the test by the talented Swede.

Johan shipped the chips into the middle, and after some thought, Trickett made the call and was dismayed to see AA in his opponent's hand.

His A♥K♥ held brief hope of a split pot when the flop came 2-3-5, but a 9 on the turn and river blank meant Dusty's hand held up.

Final day, final target... Can Dusty bring home the bracelet?

Johan "Dusty_Rat" Jakobsson returns to the Rio for Day Three of the Event #45 within touching distance of a final table in his first ever WSOP.

The ultimate target will be the coveted gold bracelet, and as if to remind the Swede of his chance to join such an exclusive elite, we arrive at the Rio as the WSOP Tournament of Champions gets underway.

On the perimeter on Event #45 tables sit Phil Ivey, Johnny Chan and Joe Cada, with Dan Harrington and Phil Helmuth across the room and Daniel Negreanu and Antonio Esfandiari sitting at the feature table.

Unphased, the Paradise player pulls up his chair and stacks his 522,000 in chips.

Let the bracelet hunt begin!

Last Stack Standing

Johan "Dusty_Rat" Jakobsson is the last Paradise stack standing in WSOP Event #45, but the Swedish pro takes a respectable chip count to take into Day Three.

Finishing on 522,000, he is ahead of the average stack (387,000) and only one double through from the chip lead, which is held overnight by UK player Sam Trickett.

And having shown a great mix of aggressive pre-flop and perceptive post-flop play, there is little doubting Jakobsson's ability to go all the way.

There are 35 other players still to overcome for 'Dusty' to realise his ambition of winning a famous WSOP gold bracelet, so keep reading the Paradise blog to find out just how close he can get!

Bracelet dreams falter in the early hours, as two more hit the rail

The clock ticked it's last for two more tournament lives this hour, as a pair of Paradise players missed the cut for Day Three.

Having promised to make his move quickly after the interval, Didier Erb (pictured) was the next Paradise player to come undone, finishing 52nd in the WSOP Event #45.

And he was swiftly followed by Hungarian Zsolt Cserhati in 43rd, as the field was further eroded by the soaring blinds and antes.

Didier showed his intent with a pre-flop raise from the button with J8 suited, and when set in by the heavily stacked big blind, he made the decision to race with clean cards.

A flop of 4-4-K proved no help against his opponent's A10, before a 7 on the turn and river 9 teased him with the prospect of a double through.

Instead Didier walked away with $11,246 and an smattering of pride, even if defeat at had not been part of the masterplan.

"I'm happy to have gone so close but when you dream of winning the bracelet, this isn't easy to take," he told the Paradise blog.

"It's a nice amount of money though and who knows, I could be back next year to win the tournament."

Garland knocked out in 65th by one of his own

The Paradise Team suffered a little in-fighting as long-term short stack Tom Garland ran into Johan "Dusty_Rat" Jakobsson's big slick and slipped to a 65th-place finish.

The UK player has been battling a shortage of ammo for much of the second day, so despite coming back from the dead on several occasions, his luck ran out against his fellow Paradise representative.

Working with the infamous ten bbs, he shoved from late middle position with JQo, only to see his 'ally' isoltate him AK. The board offered no help for Tom and he was sent to the rail to contemplate his WSOP debut.

"I'm exhausted right now but I know it's an amazing achievement, especially against such a big field," he said after picking up his $7,860 cheque.

"It's the largest prize I've won playing poker and while there's part of me that thinks I could have made it to the next step in the money, I had to make a move eventually.

"Poker tournaments are so often tinged with a little regret, with what ifs but it's been a great experience and when I wake up tomorrow, I'm going to feel really proud."

Replacing him as the short stack was Didier Erb, who was forced to lay down JJ when the action intensfied in front of him.

An all-in and call from the table's dominant stack left the French player contemplating his opponents' range, but having opted to fold, he was dismayed to see A6 and A10 flipped on their backs.

A Jack on the flop only served to increase his anguish, but he was promising to up the aggression before Day Two was out.

"If I had won that pot I would have tripled up to over 300,000," he vented, "but instead I'm now on around 77,000.

"I'm looking to double up in the next couple of hours now because otherwise it's finished."

A run in with Ramdin? No sweat for Paradise pro

Johan Jakobsson shrugged off the arrival of a famous face at his table to maintain his Day Two momentum.

Victor Ramdin (pictured), who has been a regular entertainer in the WSOP Main Event coverage of recent years, was the respected pro pulling up a chair two seats to our man’s right, but ‘Dusty_Rat’ refused to panic.

The Paradise player flopped a set of threes against two other opponents to double through, but couldn’t resist taking on the infamously aggressive Ramdin in a later pot.

“I raised his big blind with 6-3 of diamonds and obviously he can’t just let it go, so he re-raised me pre-flop,” explained Dusty. “But I wasn’t about to fold either, so I called him.

“The flop came 7-7-5 and he checks to me. I don’t like the check there, I’d prefer him to bet there so I take a free card because I’m 100% sure he’s going to check-raise. A King hit the turn and he bet out, so I folded and he showed Queens.

“It doesn’t make any difference to me that I’ve seen him on TV,” he added, “I don’t know his game any better because although I’ve heard of him, I’ve maybe only watched him in one tournament.

“At the moment I’m just focused on making the end of the day because right now I’m pretty tired and need to sleep.”

Tom Garland continued his short stack survival act by doubling up moments before the last break, getting it in with JJ vs 88 to hit six figures for the first time.

Fellow Paradise qualifier Didier Erb (pictured below) has a similar stack on around 132,000 after taking down a nice pot with a flopped pair and flush draw before going uncontested again in the second betting round, holding AJ.

The Frenchman remained focused on one goal however, despite falling below the average – which now over 150,000 chips.

“I’m very happy to be in the final 100 players but as I said before, I’m playing for the final table so whether I finish 85th or 48th, I’m not happy because I want to go further.”

Prize Pool Reminder
1st $721,373
2nd $446,274
3rd $315,828
4th $228,614
5th $167,405
6th $124,006
7th $92,900
8th $70,365
9th $53,892
10th-12th $41,725
13th-15th $32,653
16th-18th $25,838
19th-27th $20,653
28th-36th $16,681
37th-45th $13,629
46th-54th $11,246
55th-63rd $9,365
64th-72nd $7,860
73rd-81st $6,689
82nd-90th $5,727

Poker royalty drags in pot for Zsolt

Hungarian player Zsolt Cserhati put his faith in the poker royals as his KQ took another scalp for the tournament and maintained his sizeable stack.

With the average standing at 126,695, the Paradise card sharp had to wait until the river to see a cowboy ride to his rescue, beating his opponent's JJ and edging us close to the final 100 players.

He now wields around 160,000 in chips and trails only Johan 'Dusty_Rat' Jakobsson, who has a monster 250,000 to work with, among our players.

Didier Erb has built his tower back to six-figures but perhaps the biggest surprise is the continuing survival of Tom Garland, who has around 20bbs on 73,000.

Level 16 is making players pay 2,000/4,000 per orbit, plus an ante of 500 on each hand, but the Paradise Team continues to make a strong impression on a field that started with over 3,100 entrants.

Just 150 stick around for dinner. Four Paradise players live on

Johan “Dusty_Rat” Jakobsson continues to show why he has Paradise backing in this tournament, as his fearless aggression at the baize propelled him to 146,000 chips by dinner.

The Swedish pro (pictured) admitted he was “playing a bit weird” at the interval, but insisted it was due to him trying to tailor his game to the tournament.

A cash game specialist by trade, Jakobsson revealed his usual cash game style would not be effective in this game and so was making necessary the adjustments.

“My stack is at around 146,000 but I just lost 35,000 on the last hand, bluff-raising a flop with 7-4 of spades,” he explained of his typically relentless style.

“I’ve been moved four tables in half an hour though and it’s hard to play the player when you’re only at a table for five minutes.

“I did make one good play - probably my best of the day - when the button opened with a raise for the fourth time in about eleven hands since I sat down.

“I found pocket tens but after looking at the big blind’s chips, I thought he had the perfect stack for a re-steal, so I smooth-called and then snapped him off when he shoved.

“He had A8 and my tens held up, so I felt it was pretty much the perfect play in that spot.”

Zsolt Cserhati joins him on over 100,000 chips, but lost a significant pot when he took on a short stack with KQ, while there were also tough hands for Didier Erb and Tom Garland.

The Paradise qualifiers were both forced to make big lay-downs in the last two hours, with AQ coming under pre-flop pressure in both spots.

Didier was then forced to fold Jacks pre-flop after the table big stack four-bet all-in, leaving him on 83,000.

Having built his stack up from near elimination at the start of Day Two, Tom admitted he was feeling the strain of two long days at the Rio.

“I’m still fighting but there are some really strong players on my table and I’m absolutely shot to bits,” he confessed.

“I’ve even been making mistakes with the antes so I’m really pleased to get this break. I’ve not played for this long live before and it’s not like the internet, where you can go and grab something to eat or drink when you need it.

“That’s probably been my worst two hours but I haven’t thrown it away and after a breath of fresh air and bite to eat, I can go back with no fear.”

Chip Count
Dusty - 146,000
Zsolt - 119,000
Didier - 83,000
Tom - 30,000

First Paradise player falls as the field thins

Luis Rufas is our first victim of Day Two, as two critical hands proved his downfall at his debut WSOP.

The Spanish Paradise pro (pictured) was in good form on Day One, but with the blinds reaching 1,000/2,000 with a 300 ante, his card dead spell before the first break put him in precarious territory.

"I finally picked up a hand in the small blind when I found AJ, and with a small stack of around 22,000 going all-in from middle position, I felt he could easily be holding a small pair or a weak Ace and I called," outlined the man known as 'Repicas.'

"He turned over Aces to leave me short stacked, so when it was folded to me on the button a few hands later, it didn't matter what cards I had - I went all-in and was called by the big blind's KJ, which beat my J5.

"Tomorrow I will be happy with my performance," he added, "I wanted to go further in the tournament so I'm a little frustrated right now.

"But this is my first World Series of Poker and I made the prize money (he won $3,400), so I have to be happy. I'll be back, that's for sure."

Meanwhile, Didier Erb also took a hit to his chances when his set of sixes was cracked by runner-runner help for his all-in opponent and Tom Garland dropped below the average to 50,000 chips.

There was better news for Hungarian Zsolt Cserhati however, as he hit the Paradise peak chip count with 140,000 now at his disposal, while 'Dusty' has also been on the up as he reached 90,000.

Confidence swells along with the Paradise stacks

Didier Erb continues to lead the way in Paradise colours, topping 100,000 chips for the first time in WSOP Event #45, but it was Tom Garland who was making the biggest moves.

Billed as the underdog of Day Two, Tom (pictured) had already doubled through by the time he moved tables and fortunately his hot streak followed him across the room.

“I got through the bubble and admittedly I chilled out once I made the money,” he said, “I re-raised once pre-flop with Jacks then picked up Queens and took the blinds.

“About four hands later I looked down at AK and had another player come over the top of my pre-flop raise.

“I’d seen him make a loose play with A9 only five minutes earlier and got the impression he was trying to bully me – but when we got it in he had Jacks, only for me to hit the Ace on the turn.”

Our chip-leading Frenchman meanwhile was in aggressive mood at the table, putting one player to the test for all his chips with 9s (and getting a call from 7-7) and stealing the blinds on a trio of occasions.

“It’s a good table, although there is one other big stack to my right, but I haven’t had any action against him for the moment,” revealed Didier.

“My objective to reach the final table so I won’t be looking at the levels in prize money, I’m playing for the win now.”

Also aiming high were our remaining professional players, “Dusty” and Luis Rufas, but both were finding cards hard to come by in the first two hours.

“I have been dealt nothing,” said a frustrated Luis, “I haven’t seen an Ace at all so they have to arrive eventually!”

Dusty meanwhile, had at least managed to execute a pair of bluffs to keep his stack moving in the right direction.

“I pulled off two huge bluffs and to be honest I’m still not sure if the first was a good one!” he grinned. “I raised from the button with deuces, got a call from the big blind and saw the flop come A-J-3.

“I c-bet and he called, we checked a Queen on the turn and the river came a four. He bet really small and I figured he was quite weak, especially as he’d looked nervous throughout the hand, and so I moved in.

“I’ve got a much stronger table than yesterday though. I’ve been re-raised pre-flop three times in the first two hours and that only happened maybe three times all day yesterday.”

Latest Chip Counts
Didier – 100,00+
Tom Garland – 70,000
Johan/Dusty – 60,000
Luis – 50,000
Zsolt Cserhati – 47,000

Saturday 26 June 2010

Bubble bursting, final table dreaming… welcome to Day Two

We’ve moved to the Amazon Room for the start of Day Two and the Final Table is quite literally in sight, especially after the bubble burst within the first hour.

No poker tournament is complete with a little sweat, a few tears and the crushing reality for at least one unlucky player. In this case, 349 returned but only 324 will be paid – but all five remaining Paradise players will be picking up a cheque at the end of play.

Englishman Tom Garland was most at risk at the shuffle up and deal but a double through on the first hand, holding AK vs A9, and further win with his 7s cracking 10s, suggests Lady Luck is on his side today.

He started the day sitting on just 10,000 chips - less than half the average stack - and with nearly half of those set to be eroded on the first orbit alone, he was glad to find big slick in the very first deal.

In a more comfortable spot were Swedish online pro “Dusty_Rat,” who was overnight 'unmasked' as Johan Jakobsson, Spanish poker star Luis “Repicas” Rufas (both pictured), Hungarian Zsolt Cserhati and confident online qualifier Didier Erb.

Johan was feeling fully refreshed after getting a good night sleep and two square meals ahead of Day Two, and was confident it would leave him a more dangerous player.

“I hadn’t had a proper night sleep or eaten a decent meal for three days before today, and it affected my game yesterday,” he explained.

“I misread a few hands, especially towards the end of the day, and I must have counted my final chips three or four times before I got it right!

“I’m expecting to be a lot sharper today so I’m confident I can go a long way in this tournament.”

Didier was also in good spirits and insisted his nerves were at a minimum thanks to previous experience.

“This isn’t my first big competition so I’m not nervous – well maybe a little bit!” he smiled.

“I’m pleased it’s a table re-draw today though because I had some huge stacks on my table last night, with most of us having around three times the average or more. I'm looking forward to it.”

Day Two - we’ll see you in Paradise

The curtain has fallen on Day One and the Paradise Team still has a number of players in the race for the 45th bracelet of the 2010 WSOP.

Congratulations to our pros and qualifiers alike for conquering over 85% of the 3,097-strong field, and making it to Day Two alongside the likes of Chino Rheem, John Juanda and Victor Ramdin.

Here are the Paradise players we’ll be following tomorrow:

Zsolt Cserhati - Hungary
“Dusty Rat” - Sweden
Luis “Repicas” Rufas - Spain
Didier Erb - France
Tom Garland (pictured) - UK

Paradise Pros have the edge, but qualifiers still running hot

The Paradise pros have been bamboozling their opponents of late, but our online qualifiers are not far behind in the chip count as we enter Day One’s final straight.

Luis “Repicas” Rufas (pictured) continues to show his quality on poker’s biggest stage here in the Rio, as the Paradise professional has swelled his chips to over 60,000.

After stacking one opponent with a set of fives, Rufas has proved himself a master of the big stack, applying relentless pre-flop pressure and dominating the table.

“I have a lot of chips now so I can raise a lot and bluff a little too,” he smiled, “I’ve been the most aggressive player at the table for sure.

“I have to take advantage of having the chip lead and that means I need to raise a lot. I’m being careful with three-betting pre-flop though, as the short stacks are going to have to go all-in.”

Swedish card shark “Dusty Rat” meanwhile is confident he has his table well and truly confused, with some players accusing him of playing every hand – and others convinced he always has the nuts!

“I started playing almost every hand and the guys on the table started getting very upset, so they began raising me – but I flopped three sets in a row!” he explained.

“That was great timing but it was cancelled out by another hand when I got involved in a raised pot with 6-6, hit a set on the river only to find my opponent had slow-played a set of Queens on the flop.

“After that I’ve had to slow down because my stack isn’t that big anymore. I’m down to about 28,500 from around 60,000.”

Sitting on a 51,000 tower is Didier Erb (pictured), who made a big call with 10s despite an Ace on board to take down a sizeable pot, then culled some short stacks to further strengthen his case for a Day Two appearance.

German player Robert Heich – who is owed an apology for not appearing sooner on the Paradise blog – was feeling less happy with his luck however, having finished on the wrong side of a 50,000 coin flip with QQ vs AK.

Elsewhere in the Rio’s Pavilion room, Tom Garland, who had previously been cruising through the field, ran aground as he went card dead for two hours.

Even his attempts to manoeuvre some chips into the equation were met with stern pre-flop resistance, leaving him teetering on the edge of elimination with 15bbs.

Our Hungarian pair have struggled too, with Péter Csecsetka making his exit and Zsolt Cserhati being shorn of half his chips.

Show me the money!

The field is now at 600 players and while it still needs to all but half before we can celebrate the paydays, we thought we'd have a peek at the prize pool breakdown.

PAYOUT STRUCTURE

1st $721,373
2nd $446,274
3rd $315,828
4th $228,614
5th $167,405
6th $124,006
7th $92,900
8th $70,365
9th $53,892
10th-12th $41,725
13th-15th $32,653
16th-18th $25,838
19th-27th $20,653
28th-36th $16,681
37th-45th $13,629
46th-54th $11,246
55th-63rd $9,365
64th-72nd $7,860
73rd-81st $6,689
82nd-90th $5,727
91st-99th $4,975
100th-144th $4,348
145th-189th $3,846
190th-234th $3,428
235th-279th $3,093
280th-324th $2,801

Internet troubles in the Rio, but the Paradise players march on

We’ve been denied internet access for a few hours so apologies for the lack of updates, but Paradise fans will be pleased to know we still have a strong contingent in the mix as we hit level 8.

At the last chip count, our boys were led by Zsolt Cserhati (pictured) on 28,000, Didier Erb with 27,000 and Luis Rufas’ 25,000 strong stack.

With the average stack just shy of 15,000, Tom Garland’s 18k, Peter Csecsetka’s 19k, as well Paradise pro “Dusty Rat’s” 14,000 all look like keeping them in the mix for Day Two.

The short stacks now include Carlos Oliveira (6k) and Arrigo Forzani (5k), while others have fallen victim to the 200/400 blinds plus 50 ante in Level 7.

Libor Glos felt the deck’s wrath as his Kings were cracked by AK, while both Kadir Ucyildiz and Paradise staff player Miguel Russo were forced to make their move as the chips dwindled.

Kadir found his 8s had no response to KK, while Miguel tried his luck with QJ, only to run smack bang into Aces.

Earlier Bright Ibhadon (pictured) had been on the end of a bad beat, as he shoved over the top of a button raise from the big blind with kings, only for the aggressor to make a big call and catch a set on the flop.

With less than 850 players remaining now, the money is drawing on to the horizon and there is confidence in the ranks.

“If you’d offered me this position at the start of the day, I would have bitten your hand off,” said UK player Tom Garland.

“I’ve continued to pick up hands in good spots and I feel like I’ve got a good read on my table, with five or so of the same players remaining from the start of play.

“I don’t want to get overconfident but I feel really good right now, so hopefully I can make it to Day Two.”

Smooth progress in Paradise, but Jesus hits the rail

The Paradise players are just getting into their groove after four hour’s play, with some making a comeback from a poor start and others continuing their good form.

That’s more than can be said for Chris Ferguson (pictured), who was knocked out before our eyes after getting into a big hand with a ‘friendly’ rival.

After chatting with “Jesus” for a while, Kenneth E. Sheldon put a beat on the renowned mathematician when both men flopped big draws.

Ferguson had a big edge however, with his A9s having made middle pair with a flush draw versus his opponent’s open ended straight draw holding JQ, but Sheldon spiked a river Queen to knock out his rival – then confessed a friend had knocked the pro out of the $1,000 event.

“Bad Beat” Brandon Blake, as known by his pals, had been the man to cause Jesus pain in Event #36, but to his credit, Ferguson was gracious in defeat.

Amongst our own players, the chip leader is Paradise pro Luis "Repicas" Rufas (pictured left), who has been playing table captain as he racked up around 24,000 chips.

“I’m having a great tournament so far and my chips mean I can see a lot of hands, bluff my opponents and I feel comfortable at the table.

“My best cards pre-flop have been deuces and AK, but there was a raise and an all-in and call in front of me, so I went over the top and got the other guy to fold.

“The player who was all-in had AQ and I hit a king on the flop – and that sums up my tournament so far!”

Online qualifier Tom Garland (pictured below) meanwhile is also running well after settling the early nerves with some big hands.

“I was nervous the first hand but I limped in and flopped a broadway straight, which helped!” he smiled. “I then had Aces and got re-raised pre-flop, so I was loving it as I got up to about 9,000 early on.

“I made one mistake when I tangled with the strongest player on the table, trying to lay down a marker, but I’ve since calmed down and I’m trying not to do anything stupid.

“The last hour I had no action but in the third hour of play I had Aces twice inside six hands and I’ve generally played my cards well.

“Everyone at the table is a good laugh so there’s been some good banter too, so I’m feeling a lot more comfortable than I was this morning!”

More good news came in the form of Portuguese Paradise pro Carlos Oliveira, who has made a comeback since being reduced to a mere 1,500 stack at the first break.

“Doubling through with AQ vs AJ first, I started winning some small pots and then took down a big hand to make it a good couple of hours.

“I called a pre-flop raise in the cut-off with 9s and it came 10-9-7 and the guy open shoves on that flop with KK and I obviously call.

“That leaves me on about 7,900 but that’s still not a big stack to be honest because of the blind structure. Still, let’s see how it goes.”

Other success stories have been Hungarian duo Peter Csecsetka (19,000) and Zsord Cserhati (12,500).

Less content was compatriot Miguel Russo, the Paradise Poker manager in Portugal, who is representing the staff at the WSOP but had a tough couple of hours after a quick start.

Having spun up a 15,000 chips, his trip Aces ran into a bigger kicker and sent his stack spiralling back towards the average, which stood at around 6,000 at the interval.

Frenchman Christophe Guyard was also out of luck, as the dreaded table move robbed him on his momentum and without so much as a bad beat to report, he found himself all-in and knocked out in rapid time.

Friday 25 June 2010

The first break arrives… along with the big names

Suddenly the room is full of pros as we reach the first break, with the likes of Antonio Esfandiari, James Akenhead, John Juanda and Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier all in the game.

Paradise Poker’s very own Didier Erb (pictured) was seated next to Tom ‘Durrrr’ Dwan at one stage, giving him a tough welcome to the WSOP, but he looked happy to be mixing it with the internationally revered player in this shot.

In fact, our Frenchman not only took a pot off Dwan, but also discovered his first online poker site was Paradise!

“I saw the Full Tilt logo first and thought I recognised him, so when I realised who it was, I was a little scared!” smiled Didier.

“It was a little stressful but he’s a poker player, so he’s just a human, not a machine. Still, whenever you see someone who plays high stakes poker you have to have respect for them.

“It’s possible to beat him and I proved that when I won that pot against him with AQ, but I was still glad he folded because he can play any hand, any way.”

Dwan has since been moved to another table, giving our man some respite, and Didier has taken advantage by nearly trebling his starting stack.

“At the break I have around 11,000 chips, so I think I am the table chipleader after I won a big pot.

“It was limped round to me and I completed in the small blind with JQ,” he explained, “The flop came 8-9-10 and I checked, there was a bet and call and pushed all-in as there was a flush draw on board.

“I was called by J7 – a smaller straight – just before the break and that’s put me in a good position, so we will see.”

Other news on the Paradise Team was less positive for last year’s WSOP Main Event representative Jeff Cuccurullo, who was knocked out when his AK ran into Aces pre-flop.

The same fate awaited Hungarian duo Zoltan Kapitany (pictured) and Gyorgy Zentai, who both depart within the early levels.

Sponsored Paradise player Carlos “Cmpjo” Oliveira was also unfortunate as his pocket Jacks were cracked by some loose play from his opponent.

“I raised pre-flop with Jacks and only the big blind called. The flop came 8-5-2 and he bet into me, so I raised and he called with nothing.

“He had K-10 and hit his king on the turn, we both checked and he spiked two pair on the river as well. It was strange play and it means I’m down to just 1,500 chips, so I have to go for it already.”

Experienced Swedish player Tommy Ahmedof, who had promised to go deep in this tournament before the first deal, sensed a missed opportunity after some fast action forced him to fold on a near dream flop.

“I was in a hand with KQ of spades and the flop came K high with two spades, but there was a bet and all-in in front of me, so I decided to fold and it turned out both players had a set.

“It was the correct decision but I would have made my flush and trebled through, so I’m sitting on a starting stack when I could have been on 15,000!

“It’s frustrating, especially as my table has got some good players on it, but I’m just playing my game and checking the table out.”

Experience could be key for Cuccurullo

Many of our qualifiers are playing in the WSOP for the first time, but one man who won’t be overwhelmed by the sense of occasion is Jeff Cuccurullo (pictured right) after he cashed in the Main Event last year.

Having qualified with Paradise Poker, the Canadian finished in a hugely creditable 284th place, winning over $30,000 for his troubles – and even making an appearance at the feature table along the way.

Although the hands didn’t come during his time in the spotlight, keen WSOP viewers will remember one hand that took place before Jeff’s eyes, as Russian pro Vitaly Lunkin had his Aces cracked by 5-2 off.

“It looked like a crazy play on TV but Lunkin had been raising pre-flop a lot, so the guy was entitled to three-bet on his table image alone,” recalled Jeff, “But of course he got lucky in the end.”

Joined by friend and fellow Paradise player Robert Lima (pictured left) in today’s event, Jeff admits he hasn’t been running particularly well of late, but is hopeful he can make an impact.

“I had to accrue 32,000 FPPs to earn this package, while Robert used his FPPs to buy-in to one of the freeroll events,” he began.

“Neither of us is a professional so it’s just a great chance to enjoy a holiday in Vegas and entry into the WSOP.

“But that doesn’t mean we won’t be taking it seriously, we’re going to play our game and with a little luck along the way, we’re hopeful we can do well.”

Shuffle up and deal!

We're under way at the Rio and there's a sense of anticipation in the pavilion, with the chatter centred on which big name pro could be seated at their table.

Sponsored players, VIPs and qualifiers alike will all be craving the WSOP bracelet on offer at the climax of Event #45, but they must first negotiate a field containing the likes of Phil Hellmuth - even if he is yet to turn up!

The $1,500 buy-in has once again attracted a large number of players, with the game’s recognisable faces expected to join the poker mortals as time goes on.


The structure is one of the more aggressive in the WSOP, with 4,500 starting stacks soon put under pressure by the introduction of antes at Level 5, so expect some fireworks on Day One.

We’ll be following the Paradise Team throughout as they seek to make their mark on the world’s best poker festival.

Thursday 24 June 2010

Good times, great shots at Lavo

It was a night to remember as the Palazzo's own Lavo played host to the Paradise VIPs on Wednesday, with a few sore heads - but some great photos - from our big night out.

Our players were treated to bottle service on a private balcony, before moving upstairs for drinks and the dancefloor.

And even when the lights came on at 4am, there was no stopping the party spirit, as our 40-strong group hit the gaming floors and bars on the Vegas strip.

Here are the photos...










Party Time!

Paradise knows how to party in Vegas and right now we're engaging in a little pre-party drinks in the Palazzo suite.

Next stop is Lavo, the Italian restaurant/nightclub downstairs, but for now we can make do with a free bar, karaoke and some pool!

Check out the pictures below...









Wednesday 23 June 2010

The United Nations of Paradise

The considerable English contingent braved hangovers, jet lags and sleep deprivation to support their boys in the World Cup this morning.

With the US playing simultaneously on another screen, even the effects of a first night in Vegas couldn't keep the fans down, as the nerves jangled until the final kick.

There was jubiliation first at Jermaine Defoe's opener and further girlish screams as Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard all had chances to make it more comfortable - yet the celebrations at the final whistle were quickly muted by a late USA winner.

It meant England lost the Group C summit to their trans-atlantic cousins, leaving little sentiment for the 'special relationship' in the Palazzo Suite.

The result also means another early morning on Sunday for the English, giving the US soccer team even less fans than on the gaming floor downstairs! ;-)

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