Eye of the Tighe

I’ve lost count of the interviews I’ve had with impressionable twenty somethings where Late Night Poker has featured in their back story, the revolutionary late night (or early morning) Channel 4 broadcast introducing us to the world of TV poker, and subsequently propelling UK poker into a wild hysteria that even Mystic Meg couldn’t have predicted. As well as under-the-table cameras, the show took seasoned pros such as Devilfish, Simon Trumper and The Hendon Mob and transformed them into household names, whilst simultaneously introducing us to future ‘celebrities’ Hellmuth, Negreanu, Luske and the like.

Despite a brief hiatus and the inclusion of a Late Night Poker Masters – won, incidentally, by Brown Belt David Tighe – the show returned in full force last year and showcased a line-up that would make Celebrity Big Brother look Z-list. For 2009, the show was equally star-studded with sponsors Full Tilt Poker showcasing its major players amid some of the UK’s finest, including two Brown Belts Nik Persaud and David Tighe.

Replacing Neil Channing, who’d been hit with swine flu, David Tighe returned to add another Late Night Poker title to his mantelpiece. Sharing a torrid heat with Roland De Wolfe, Annette Obrestad, Richard Ashby, Sam Trickett and Robert Williamson III, David didn’t have time to be intimidated as he was rushed in at the last minute. He more than held his own nevertheless, doubling up his 10,000 starting stack with 8-8 versus Williamson III’s A-2 on an A-8-2 flop. Sadly, and after seeing his 7-7 unravelled by A-7 which four-flushed to double Trickett up, David exited at the hands of 2007 WSOPE Champion Obrestad. In a raised three-way pot, David raised half his stack on a T-5-2 two diamond flop with 9-9 only for Obrestad to make the call. All the monies went in on the 7 turn, with Obrestad taking the scalp with pocket sevens.

“I was gutted,” David later confessed. “It was a strange call by Annette on the flop, and when I went out she actually said, ‘I never feel bad, but I might do there.’ Overall, it was a great experience. The player who I found most troublesome was probably Richard Ashby.” But although David enjoyed his return to Cardiff, he couldn’t help but comment on the depleted prize pool. “It was a bit of a disgrace really. The prize pool was meant to be a million, but they dropped it down to half a million at the last minute, meaning there was only 10,000 added value. I probably wouldn’t have bought in if I’d have known.”

Also falling at the first hurdle was Black Belt Poker co-founder Nik Persaud. Nik was up against Mike Matusow, Roy Brindley, Huck Seed, Paul Zimbler, and Gavin Smith, and despite grinding up to 13,000 early doors, lost a coin-flip to eventual winner Seed to depart in fifth place. “It was an uneventful heat for me really,” he reported. “There were some big names, but I didn’t feel out-classed at all.”

Meanwhile, Sida Yuen had ventured into rather more exotic pastures, “frying some Asian fish” at the APPT Macau. Having survived his opening day (see previous report), Sida was fighting it out for the chip lead with around 80 players left, but suffered a cruel string of coolers before hitting the curb just before the money. “So sick,” he said dejectedly. “I really thought I was going to take the tournament. I bustoed around 70th when I had five times the average stack. I lost A-K versus J-J, then Q-Q versus A-A all in versus this aggressive player, then got A-4 of hearts in on an 8-8-3 two heart flop versus 9-9.”

Finally, yesterday saw the conclusion of our inaugural White Belt Freeroll. With a $50 prize pool and $15 to the winner, this was a great chance to get some tournament practice and turn nothing into something. 99 players took their seat in all (although some were, admittedly, playing rather tight) and after a total of four hours and one minute, it was Ben ‘RazzHands’ Pooley who emerged victorious with the appropriately named Steve ‘Gnomeeee’ Cash picking up second. The White Belt Freeroll is available to all White Belts and takes place every Tuesday at 6pm. Tonight witnesses the first ever Yellow Belt Freeroll, free to any Black Belt Poker community member who has made a minimum $10 deposit. The tournament kicks off at 6pm, and like the White Belt Freeroll, will become a weekly occurrence.

1st RazzHands -- $15
2nd Gnomeeee -- $10
3rd Elysiumjay -- $6.25
4th FastFuse -- $4.75
5th Ridgeboy83 -- $3.75
6th Gst49300 -- $3
7th Ka7ieVick -- $2.50
8th AIDZTHEAXE -- $2
9th LockhartFlawse -- $1.50
10th Ctfcn2204 -- $1.24