WSOP Europe / Dave Allan / 27 September 2009 / Leave a comment

The Main Event is looming ahead for Betfair's Simon Zammit as he takes us through another behind the scenes look at events at the World Series of Poker Europe 2009

Wednesday September 23rd

I did not hear the alarm go off and to my horror; it was already 10:43, meaning I was late! Was very tempted to skip a shower and run to the Empire but I knew I wouldn't be able to wake up unless a cold shower was taken. As soon as that was done, I sprinted towards the casino and immediately started helping our Richard with accreditations, etc.

Soon after, the Annette, Sorel and Peter turned up and sat down to start their adventure in the £5k PLO Event. Peter and Sorel were drawn the same table whilst Annette was sitting on a table of unknowns. About half an hour after the tourney started, everything seemed to calm down and I was able to get some food and catch my breath.

On the first break, Annette was down to 18k chips, Peter up to around 35k and Sorel had pretty much the same as starting stack. We quickly caught up and had a chat but as the break is short, they had to run back to the tables mid-conversation. I took the opportunity to answer a few pending emails and the first casualty came to say hello, Annette. No cards and a table full of fish made it tough but at least she was in good spirits and even had time to answer a few questions and take photos with the crowd.

Upon answering the emails, I then went to Sorel & Peter's table to find that Sorel's chip had grown whilst Peter's had diminished severely! Peter sarcastically smiled as he explained that Sorel had actually taken a huge pot from him.. On the other side of the casino, Paul Zimbler was almost 75% into the World Record attempt so I decided to go check on the man. Amazingly, he looked as fresh as ever and the donations tally was very nice, showing that over £25,000 was collected for charity at the time.

My phone then rang and Mr Jepsen informed me that Event 3 is over for him - poor guy! After saying a few words, he then left and to be honest, I was so busy that the day flew by. By the time I checked my watch, it was already 21:00 and my work day was over! I took the opportunity to have a beer and sit down with Paul, Amy and a few other colleagues and was back in my room at 22:30 to have a chat with Dawn. Day 10; complete!

Thursday 24th October

Over the night, Sorel had shown what he is made of and ended Day 1 with just over 170,000 in chips, 3rd overall. Play was due to resume at 14:00 so I did have some time to take it easy in the morning. I sat down at a café, had a good, filling breakfast and arrived at the casino around 12:30. Everything seemed fine and there was an air of anticipation as Paul was due to break the record in a couple of hours!

As the day went by and play resumed, I was shocked to learn that Sorel had busted with just an hour of play time. I felt so bad for him but these things happen I guess and to be honest, I was too busy helping Richard to really have a moment to chat. After most of the stuff was sorted, it was time to follow some WSOPE action and Howard Lederer was involved in some interesting hands, which obviously were a treat to watch!

Then, around 18:00, the crowd started to gather near Mr Zimbler who was just minutes away from breaking the record. He was visibly exhausted and struggling to continue but thanks to the support of his friends, the people cheering and his opponent, none other than Mike Matusow, he finally made poker history and went on to achieve the dream! Such an amazing accomplishment also brought rewards for needy children as more than £35,000 was raised in aid if SPARKS and Make a Wish - thanks to all who donated!!

I stuck around for an hour or so more after that but the day had taken its toll so I packed up and went to my room. I managed to borrow a cool DVD which got my mind off the stress and also was a good watch. Come 22:00, I then rang up my family to say hello and fell asleep like a baby!

Friday 25th October

Another non-stop day awaited me as I got myself out of bed and literally crawled into the bath tub. The much-awaited and star-studded Caesars Cup was due to start in a couple of hours. To make things even more exciting, WSOPE £5k PLO was also down to its last few players meaning a new Champion would be announced!

But wait - there's more! To top the day off, Betfair would also be hosting a VIP Party to all the Main Event players that either bought in or qualified via Betfair Poker! Yes, it was going to be one very looooong day!

Still in the hotel room and to my horror, I realised I was running low on clean underwear and yes mum (if you are reading this), I actually washed some clothes! Of course, this just involved hot waiter, hand soap and a bathroom sink but at least it counts for something! I then removed some of my shoelaces and tied them from one end of the bath to the other and hung my socks and boxers to dry!

The Empire Casino was full of people at 10:00 - cameramen, sound technicians, journalists, fans - absolutely everyone. Of course, the stars of the poker world soon started turning up and the hordes of poker enthusiasts didn't want to miss out. Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Patrick Antonius, Gus Hansen, Phil Hellmuth, Peter Eastgate, Daniel Negraneau and of course, Team Europe captain Annette Obrestad formed part of the elite group of players taking part in the first ever Caesars Cup.

It was amazing to watch the amount of preparation finally pay dividends and before you know it, the tournament was underway and the winner would be the first team to make 4 points. I would have loved to watch the whole thing but I also had to sort out interviews for John with various journalists as well as make sure any new pictures and videos were on the Betfair website.

I was then told that Peter Jepsen, his girlfriend Frida, Stephan and I would be going to an early dinner to catch up before attending the party. A quick call to Nobu (at Peter's insistence) and everything was sorted. Of course I wish I had a chance to shower but time flew by and at 18:00, we all started walking to the restaurant.

Thankfully, my sense of direction was not affected from the alcohol and we all made it safely to our destination! Since Sorel was not around to make the order, Peter took charge and he knew exactly what to get. Frida mentioned that Nobu is his favourite and that he had dined in various Nobu's around the world. The conversation at dinner was quite good and it was fun having another Team Betfair meal. Peter had a chance to discuss and mention certain ideas with Stephan and I whilst eating the best fish in town!

After dinner, we took a cab home and the driver decided to make more money by taking a really long detour for absolutely no reason at all. We finally made it back to Leicester Square around 21:00 and I left the gang to go shower and change. I had arranged for a Swedish TV channel to interview both Annette and Peter that night and of course, the phone rang as soon as I stepped into the bath! At least the news was good as Team Europe whooped the Americas 4 - 1 to take home the trophy.

After putting on a shirt and suit, I made my way to the Icon Bar and got Annette and Peter back outside so the filming can be done. Half an hour later, Peter and I headed back in whilst Annette went to get some well-earned sleep. Beer was the only thing on my mind by then and thankfully, the bar wasn't too crowded and I introduced a Corona to my belly! Followed by numbers 2, 3, 4 and possibly 5 - hehe

Peter than challenge me to Wii Tennis and as confident as I was, that Danish gorilla really is quick and beat me every time. Frida then stepped in to teach him a lesson and I am sure he felt the pressure as he had to cheat to win! Julian then surprised us all as his plane had literally just landed and it was good to catch up with my old boss from back when I was part of Poker Tournaments!

We all then headed down to the feature table to see Betfair player Jani Vilmunen beat Lederer and become Event 3 Champion! Well played sir! All this poker made us eager so we then went and sat down on a £1/ £2 table and it was the worst ever for me... I honestly never was so card dead in my life. Best hand for an hour was KQ suited which missed and in 4 hours, I had only seen 5 flops and managed to win them all.

At about 03:30, I was thinking of going home but finally, I got a hand I can play, KK right after the BB. I bet out £20 which was called by the biggest fish on the table, directly to my left and raised by seat 5 to around £50. Seat 7 called and the action was over to me. I pushed all the money I had in front of me and "Big Fish" instantly yelled call. The other 2 commented that after folding a million hands all night, they did not trust me bluffing so folded and showed 10,10 and AK..

With so much money in the pot and KK, I was feeling pretty good, especially since Big Fish showed A5 off!! Of course, being a special night, an Ace on the turn sent me packing and I went back to the hotel. I honestly was not angry to lose the money, I was just gutted that the only chance I had to play poker I was card dead all night.

Tune in next time for some more tales from the Vegas Virgin as we start the big one, yes, Event 4, the Main Event!!

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