Introduction

The WSOPE reached the six day Main Event stage in London, UK, last weekend. Seated at the tables who, along with the usual professional and top ‘celebrity’ players included a few who had qualified via online poker satellites. One particularly interesting inclusion in the professional’s field was ten times WSOP bracelet winner and poker legend, 76 year old Doyle Brunson.

Before the final day

Perhaps the most significant early casualty was Phil Ivey who, with all the chips in the middle went out with a straight when Erik Friberg laid out a flush. Showing early promise was UK celebrity and favorite Vicky Coren (2006 EPT winner), but being short-stacked wouldn’t be around for much longer. Another UK celebrity Teddy Sheringham (runner-up in an ‘Ante Up for Africa’ pro-celebrity tournament in back in April) was also going well, finally going out in a very respectable 14^th position on the penultimate day. Having not featured strongly before, Doyle Brunson also started to show his class finishing well up leader-board, but also not making it to the final day ruining his hopes of an 11^th bracelet. Matt Hawrilenko played strongly from day 3 onwards and looked set for a big win going into the final day, along with Barry Shulman and the ever present in the leading pack – Daniel Negreanu.

The day before the final the chip leader was Jason Mercier with nearly 1,300,00 chips and the short stack in 18^th place was Sandor Demjan on just 150,000. Needless to say it wasn’t long before Demjan had to go all-in, against Praz Bansi, which wiped him out when Bansi made a straight, but don’t feel too sorry for Demjan – he still collected $50,000 in prize money.

The WSOPE Main Event Final Day

At the final table of 9 professionals, a £10,000 (about $16,000) No Limit Hold ‘em game, six of them already had at least one bracelet, but it was Jason Mercier with the biggest stack that they all had to beat. In the end the 1^st prize of £801k ($1.25m) and his second bracelet went to Barry Shulman, defeating Daniel Negreanu with three of a kind, three 10s, from the flop in the final.

In what must seem like a ‘rags-to-riches’ story, a British poker player has again proved that anyone who is a competent and confident poker player can make the move into the ranks of professional poker players – and make a living out of it.

A poker success story.

40 year old Richard Hemmington who lives on the outskirts of London was, just a few months ago, your regular-guy with a nine-to-five job in IT Sales. When in February he was made redundant as the company he worked for struggled in the recession, Richard took what he knew would be a once in a life-time opportunity; to quit the corporate life and test himself out on the professional poker circuits. Whilst his previous job in IT sales was well paid even he has been surprised by his ability to win, or earn if you prefer, good money as a professional poker player; winning almost $200,000 in just the last three months.

Nearly the winner in Manila.

Richard has only been playing poker seriously for about 5 years, having started playing online poker his enjoyment from that led him to also try side-games and, with what sounds like typical British reserve, says he “seemed to have a flair for it”.  Having done well out in the Philippines for the APT Manila Tournament he has, since February, been working hard to improve his professional game. His next tournament is the Seefeld Poker Masters to be held in Austria this month, June 2009, after beating many other players through the qualifying matches. He will be sponsored by one of the online poker sites for $5000 at this tournament and could win another $200,000 outright in one go; just like Neil Acre the eventual winner in Manila. Should Richard win in Austria then he must surely be setting his sights on one of the summer poker tournaments in either New York or Las Vegas.