WAR ZONE POKER - AFGHANISTAN

Cash Stakes Poker In War Torn Afghanistan 2008 ….

Believe it or not, a weekly cash stakes poker game is held in Kabul (2008).
You have to be really ignorant not to realise that there is a war going on in Afghanistan and that Kabul is not away from the conflict.
The players who play the poker there, are a mixed bunch and driven to the games via armed guards and through multiple police checkpoints.

The security companies who protect the ex-pat community in Afghanistan have to deal with a lot just to get players to the table and it’s not uncommon for an explosion or two to be heard nearby.

There’s a Piza joint in Springfield, Kabul that holds the poker and some of the players pack a weapon , though not all and it’s good news to know that no wild west poker has been recorded as yet between the players.

The small organisation that deals with the poker in Afghanistan have labelled themselves the KGB ( Kabul Gaming Board ) in a nod at the prior Soviet occupancy in the 80’s and obviosuly this poker is not for the faint hearted and is as real as you can get.

The poker starts with a $100 buy-in and max $500 rebuys ( conflict zone wages are good nowadays especially when working for security forces )
Blinds are typical at $1-$2 and with the rebuy at $500, on form player stacks can build very quickly and even more so when folds are not common and raising is which is understandable when playing in an area with so much tension, the fear of losing a hand comes second place.
There is also monthly event with blinds at $5-$10 and creates a lot of cash action between allies.

After the game started to grow in popularity early in 2007, the KGB needed real chips which are now supplied by CHIPCO. They have been specially designed with the Afghan TRI COLOUR red, green and black flag, 2 AK47’s crossed with and the chip value under the flag.

One of the most successfull players is a mild mannered and wild haired Dutchman named Janno Cazemier who is reputed to be one of the only true bullies at the table and hardly ever gives away a card if he can help it so pushes on every community card laid on the table, he never talks and drinks Heineken….:-)

The KGB’s first Bad Beat Jackpot of $8,000 ( accrued by taking $2 from every pot played) was won by Christoph, a big mad German who speaks local Afghan Dari and a huge presence of a man at 6ft 5 and over 300lbs with no hesitation of going all in and the whole structue of the game played there still confuses Afghan-Canadian Abdul Latiff who has been playing poker in Kabul for 2 years.

The poker doesn’t end there though because a lot of the players play online satellites and some have made it to the APPT and two other players reaching the 2007 WSOP via Rio Satellites with another player just missing out on $6000 at the Copenhagen EPT event. Some of the KGB players are planning to be at the Rio for the WSOP this summer (08).

Vegas of course is a huge contrast to playing where power is constantly down, a war is going on, luxury is almost unheard of and going all in, in the dark, has a whole new meaning and the name of one of the players favourite movies.

Thankfully though, cell phones are carried by people even in Afghanistan and when there is a power down situation, the cell phones that are essential for security and contact are then used to illuminate the poker table.

Welcome to poker in a real war zone.

(Information source, Card Player)

UK NATIONAL POKER CHAMPIONSHIPS

Genting Stanley Casino
UK National Poker Championships

Circus Casino in Manchester, Mint Casino in Southend and Circus Casino in  Nottingham were the host venues for the very first Genting Stanley National Poker Championships which were held over 5 days and £150,000 of guaranteed prize money to be won.

187 players took part in the £500 Manchester event which was played over two days and an £83,00 prize pool.
The first day was in the hands of the up and coming players with 3  professional players being pushed out early and Jack Powell who qualified for the even online, was chip leader at the end of the day with £77,150 in chips.

Day two, Bet Fred Ladies Champion Lynne Beaumont escaped the bubble and was given a chip set signed by WSOP Bracelet record holder, “Poker Brat” Phil Hellmuth Jnr and the final two Scandinavian players went all in blind on their first hand in their heads up ending with Hannu Korva’s A-7 winning over 9- offsuit.

Mint Casino in Southend saw a good group of poker players from around London plus online qualifiers from Scandinavia and Poland
This event attracted some well known circuit names like Parker, Barnes and O’Reilly who joined to make 160 players going for the £80,000 pool.

Day one saw 97 players eliminated and Hassan Mustapha as chip leader on 72,200 chips.

Day two saw another 84 players elimiated, including the previous days chip leader Mustapha, to leave only 13 remaining players at Southend.

Day 3 started with Ian Brennan as chip leader on 200,500 chips and it wasn’t long before the final table approached after a butterfly belly split pot all in call by two players and 5 players left at the table and a great show of sportsmanship by all - they agreed to split the pot between them - £11,500 each and played the rest of the final table poker for the Trophy only, with Tony Chapman winning it.

Nottinghams Circus Casino poker event started with 89 players and a prize pool of £44,500 which was then ‘topped up’ by the Genting Stanley management to £50,000 which was played for by a lot of experienced players including 6 regular Poker in the Pub.

Day two saw only 50 players return to play poker with the days starting chip leader being Thomas Lind with 77,750 in chips with Pete Linton close behind him who had only a few days earlier finsished 11th in the Irish Open.
The final table saw Nichiei Hicks take top spot with the days chip leader Thoams Lind in 2nd place taking a joint £12,825 each.

All three events made for 5 excellent days of competitive poker and almost £250,000 in total oprize money being won.

All that is left now is to look forward to the next event to be hosted by the well organised and highly Praised Genting Stanley Casino group and their first GSNP Championship.
(article courtesey of Card Player)

IRISH NATIONAL STUDENT POKER

Irish National Student Poker Championship

Computer science student from Queens University in Belfast, won the 2008 Irish National Student Poker Championship that was sponsored by DevilFish Poker.
The event attracted 278 players who gathered at the Regency Airport Hotel in Dublin.
Buy-in was €65p plus €7 reg fee and was dealer dealt throughout with an overall prize pool of €18,070 and the top three players taking €10,330 between them and one friend of the winners wailed “Whooahh ! 4 grand,that’s life changing money.

Overall 27 players managed to win some of the pot with Scullion taking top prize of €4,000.
The event was organised by PokerIreland.ie and a great atmosphere was had by all, poker players, staff and organisers with the final quote being “This is what poker is all about, having fun, a good laugh and experiencing a really good competition”.

IRISH OPEN 2008

Irish Open 2008 - sponsored by Paddy Power Poker

Paddy Power Poker and the Irish Open European Poker event, came of age last year in 2007 after attracting the biggest player turn out in European poker history, then this year in 2008, it really did establish itself as one of the biggest and brightest, most enjoyable poker tournaments in the poker world when word got out that there was €3,000,000 guaranteed prize money pool up for grabs.

Players from around the world wanted a peice of the action and some of the best players in the world joined the pilgrimage to make 667 players heading for the much coverted Terry Rogers Trophy with Paddy Power adding €200,000 to the prize money.

There were 100 tables at the start, include side games and you can imagine the sound of the chips being very load indeed and the atmosphere buzzing as the bucking Bronco threw Andy Black around on the artificial rodeo and Devil Fish Ulliott played blue grass with a band, it was a real party atmosphere.

Doyle Brunson was there too and stole star position at the ‘party’and he was prouder than ever as his old pal Terry Rogers, who has now passed away, actually opened the first Irish Open. Brunso who played some of his best ever poker was pushed out after the field narrowed greatly with players falling like flies in the competition and Brunson exited unluckily but to a huge round of applause for his efforts and said later that he had never met so many nice people who were also proud of their country.

Day three saw only 52 players left standing and with Brunson out, all eyes were on the favourite to win, Padraig Parkinson who is almost unreadable during a hand but he finished 26th with €18,000 for his efforts

Day four saw only 6 players take to the final televised feature table and they received a standing ovation before play commenced. The final 6 were in finishing order and winnings :

1) Neil Channing - €801,400
2) Donal Norton - €420,000
3) Thomas Dunwoodie - €275,000
4) Tim Blake - €220,000
5) Danilo Paulsen - €175,000
6) Edwin Tournier - €135,000

On winning, a gleaming Channing said “I tyhnk it’s great what Paddy Power has done for the Irish Open.They ran a great event, even added €200,000 to the prize pool and offered a really good book on the tournament. They went a lot further than many other book makers would go.”

The Irish Open is about Tradition and the winner Channing was crowned in front of a guard of honour by previous winners, including, Liam Flood, Padraig Parkinson, Ciaran O’Leary and Jesse May.

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