Boltneck
Rock Star
Silver Level
I'm not an avid watcher of telivised poker. The 2 hours of edited highlights that you get on British TV really does nothing for me. However, as the Poker Million was "live and uninterupted" on Sky TV last night, I thought I'd tune in. I was riveted to the TV for the full 6 hours plus!
To be quite honest, I was surprised at how many hands were played - just over a hundred. Although it lasted 6 hours, there were ad. breaks every 20 - 30 minutes, interviews with the players as they were knocked out and interviews with the players family and friends. There was probably about 4 - 4.75 hours of action so I'd guess that they must have ben getting through 20 - 25 hands per hour if you take out the interuptions.
The second surprise was the number of showdowns (or rather lack of them). I've been trying to get hold of some stats. but can't find any yet.
Howard Lederer went into the final as a big chip leader, and hot favourite to win, but went out in 5th place. The player that impressed virtually everybody was a guy called Liam Flood (I must hold my hand up and say I'd never heard of him). He claimed not to be a professional, though has been playing for 20 years +. He qualified online for $60, but took him as long to work out how to use the PC as it did to qualify by the sound of it. The guy was a real character, and I was really rooting for him. He got to chip leader at one stage, and was ultra aggressive. He lost a couple of fair sized pot in quick succession, but still maintained his relentless aggression. It has to be said that his exit was pretty unfortunate - all-in preflop with 66 against the eventual winner (who had 22). A 2 came on the flop, and that was that.
The eventual winner was Joe Beevers. I'd have to say that he had the best of any good luck that was on offer, but made the most of it.
One final comment to the "online poker is rigged" brigade - if you want to borrow the DVD of the entire final I will happily lend it to you and you will then realise that the best poket cards don't hold up that often at live games either!
A great 6 hours of entertainment.
To be quite honest, I was surprised at how many hands were played - just over a hundred. Although it lasted 6 hours, there were ad. breaks every 20 - 30 minutes, interviews with the players as they were knocked out and interviews with the players family and friends. There was probably about 4 - 4.75 hours of action so I'd guess that they must have ben getting through 20 - 25 hands per hour if you take out the interuptions.
The second surprise was the number of showdowns (or rather lack of them). I've been trying to get hold of some stats. but can't find any yet.
Howard Lederer went into the final as a big chip leader, and hot favourite to win, but went out in 5th place. The player that impressed virtually everybody was a guy called Liam Flood (I must hold my hand up and say I'd never heard of him). He claimed not to be a professional, though has been playing for 20 years +. He qualified online for $60, but took him as long to work out how to use the PC as it did to qualify by the sound of it. The guy was a real character, and I was really rooting for him. He got to chip leader at one stage, and was ultra aggressive. He lost a couple of fair sized pot in quick succession, but still maintained his relentless aggression. It has to be said that his exit was pretty unfortunate - all-in preflop with 66 against the eventual winner (who had 22). A 2 came on the flop, and that was that.
The eventual winner was Joe Beevers. I'd have to say that he had the best of any good luck that was on offer, but made the most of it.
One final comment to the "online poker is rigged" brigade - if you want to borrow the DVD of the entire final I will happily lend it to you and you will then realise that the best poket cards don't hold up that often at live games either!
A great 6 hours of entertainment.
