Visitors to London’s Leicester Square this past weekend noticed something a bit out of the ordinary. As is the case in any weekend in central London, Leicester Square was packed with people. However, they were all playing poker. This past Friday and Saturday, Poker in the Park 2008 showcased some of Britain’s top poker talent and gave the general public an opportunity to mingle with and learn from some of the greatest poker minds from across Europe. Invading Leicester Square – which is just a stone’s throw from St. James Park – were poker newcomers, veterans, instructors, and a variety of industry sponsors. Let’s check out the action from this London extravaganza.
London is one of the most expensive cities on the face of the Earth. A night at the movies for two will run you at least US $50, making a visit to one of the most historic cities on Earth far from a cheap affair. However, tournaments held as part of Poker in the Park 2008 were freerolls, attracting a wide variety of skill levels and ensuring that no one would be left out. Tournaments offered included a series of Gambling.com Sit n’ Gos, the England Poker League Cup, the Royal Surrey Trophy, and the iGaming Business Open. A press release distributed by Poker in the Park’s media team noted, “Players had their first taste of professional quality poker, with special guest commentator Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott overseeing the final table of the Bluff Europe Championship event.”
Some of Europe’s top poker pros also offered free lectures. Tony Holden read straight out of his newest book called “Bigger Deal,” Ian Frazier discussed short-handed ring games, and Paul Jackson taught a course on how to pick up on live poker tells. Others who were featured included Liv Boeree, Nik Persaud, Neil Channing, Marc Goodwin, and Tom Sambrook. One of the main faces of the two-day event was David “Devilfish” Ulliott, who gave commentary in the Championship event and also talked about manipulating a player’s table image.
Poker in the Park 2008 was sponsored by Bluff Europe, Aces Royal, Poker Kings, PKR, and Cardoza Books among others. Bluff Europe Editor-in-Chief Michael Caselli commented in a press release distributed by Poker in the Park, “This event proved that the UK loves poker just as much as Americans do, but more importantly that it plays poker for fun and entertainment in a measured and responsible manner.”
Next month, Leicester Square’s own London Clubs International Casino at the Empire will host the 2008 World Series of Poker Europe. The event kicks off on Friday, September 19th, with the £10,000 buy-in Main Event (which is nearly US $20,000) starting on Saturday, September 27th. Last year’s Main Event was won by online poker phenomenon Annette Obrestad, who defeated John Tabatabai heads up. Gus Hansen landed in 10th. Obrestad won $1 million for her efforts. Notable names who made the money in 2007 included Kenny Tran (16th), Annie Duke (21st), Marco Traniello (22nd), and Erick Lindgren (26th). There were 362 total entrants and the top 36 took cash home.
Here’s a look at the 2008 WSOP Europe schedule. All of the following tournaments are freeze outs; no rebuy tournaments are part of the 2008 WSOP Europe lineup.
Friday, September 19th at 1:00 PM
No-Limit Hold’em (Event 1)
Four-Day Event
£1,500 + £75 buy-in
Monday, September 22nd at 5:00 PM
H.O.R.S.E. (Event 2)
Three-Day Event
£2,500 + £150 buy-in
Wednesday, September 24th at 5:00 PM
Pot Limit Omaha (Event 3)
Three-Day Event
£5,000 + £250
Saturday, September 27th at 1:00 PM
WSOP Europe Main Event (Event 4)
Six-Day Event
£10,000 + £350 buy-in