James Akenhead wins Poker Million

Poker News / Matthew Pitt / 07 December 2009 / Leave a Comment

James Akenhead can seemingly do no wrong right now and has capped off a fantastic year by taking down his first major tournament of 2009, the Poker Million.

Over the weekend Akenhead played the final table of the 2009 Poker Million aiming to win and add $500,000 to the $1,442,077 h had won this year all ready. After seeing the likes of Taylor Caby, Dag Martin Mikkelsen and Luke "Full Flush" Schwartz hit the rail, Akenhead found himself heads-up against Finnish veteran, Juha Helppi.

After a tense battle Helppi found himself all-in preflop with a pair of sixes against Akenhead's pocket tens. This time the powers that be allowed his hand to hold, awarding him the title and another half million dollars, taking his career earnings to $2,699,071, putting him 7th in the England all-time money listings.

Born in London in 1983, Akenhead first got into poker whilst travelling the professional pool circuit. The former train driver then read every poker related book he could get his hands on in order to try and become one of poker's greats.

It was not long after discovering poker that Akenhead, Praz Bansi, Chaz Chatta, Sunny Chatta and Karl Mahrenholz created "The Hitsquad" a group of friends who ate, lived and breathed poker together. To this day the five friends still travel the tournament circuit together discussing strategy and swapping percentages.

However, it was a sole mission that kick-started Akenhead's career. Almost four years to the day Akenhead called in sick at work, hence the nickname "Sickdog", and headed off to France with his entire bankroll and a dream. He came 12th in a €30 Progressive No-limit Hold'em event for €335 and he was hooked.

His first real victory came at the 2006 Caribbean Poker Classic in St Kitts where he outlasted 96 players in a $300 freezeout event to win a career best $9,500 but it was 2008 that he really burst onto the poker scene.

Akenhead had some very good results in England, mainly from the GUKPT where he is a regular face, and he was trying his best to reproduce this form across the pond at the WSOP. He almost won a bracelet during one of the first events of the 2008 WSOP when he lost cruelly to Grant Hinkle heads-up after battling through a mammoth field of 3,929.

When play was heads-up, Akenhead had completely dominated his opponent and this showed as Hinkle decided to move all-in with the lowly ten-four. Akenehead made the call with Ace-king and it looked like the young Brit would take the title. However, a miracle flop of TT4 saw his dream turn into a nightmare and his fate was sealed when Hinkle turned quad tens! The $520,219 would have eased the pain somewhat but Akenhead wanted the win.

2009 has been Akenhead's best year yet, cashing ten times, making eight final tables and winning two tournaments. Not only did Akenhead make it to the final table of the World Series Of Poker Main Event, where he finished ninth, he also made the final table of the WSOPE Main Event too, again finishing ninth.