Kickoff of Beer Poker Tour Event in London, Featuring Friendly Gambling and Ales
Hop into the buzzing atmosphere at Genting Stratford's Beer Poker Tour, a lively event that's all about the good-natured banter and camaraderie. On day one, the energy was electric, especially when pro Will '9-high like a boss' Kassouf grabbed a seat, ready to live up to his reputation.
The day commenced with a freeroll, offering five tickets to the Main Event. Not to be missed – there's another one on Thursday at 1 PM, with 5,000 chips on the table, £10 rebuys available for an added edge.
As the UK's live poker circuit's new sensation, the Beer Poker Tour pulled out all the stops for the evening, with pints aplenty at the casino bar and a couple of poker tournaments to keep things interesting.
Nine Advance from Day 1a of poker.pro PLO
Kicking off the evening was the first event of the PLO, sponsored by poker.pro. The turnout exceeded expectations, with 38 players showing up, and 19 of them giving re-entries a whirl.
The start was slow, with a mere handful of exits before the first break. But the arrival of Will Kassouf took the action to the next level. True to form, Kassouf, typically a Hold'em player, couldn't resist the PLO and started playing – raising the potty, proclaiming his 9-high triumphs, and even joking about his poor understanding of the game.
After a series of good hands, Kassouf found himself in a 3-way all-in with Glenn Brown. Alas, both players hit the rail, and the hand, expertly covered in the live blog, went to Anthony Robert. Kassouf, not one to let that disappoint him, quickly moved on to the Beerpot side event.
Following the break, the pace of eliminations picked up, leaving just 14 players standing when late registration closed at the end of level 10. Despite a short stay at the Beerpot, our favorite character, Will Kassouf, made a swift return, but his second bullet in the Omaha tournament proved unlucky, as only nine places in Day 2 were available and he busted shortly after joining the action.
Jason Glatzer, the tournament organizer, came close to sneaking into the money, but just missed out, finishing in 12th place. Undoubtedly, he'll be back for more.
Justin Kyriakides bagged the largest chip stack of 1.127m, which amounts to almost 23 buy-ins in the tournament and around 40% of the chips in play. Anthony Robert followed closely behind with 726,000, with Sam Acheampong in third place with 247,500.
John Kelly Wins the Beerpot
The Beerpot, a unique take on a regular NLH tournament with beer vouchers in play, was won by John Kelly. After a deal was struck heads-up, Ionut-Madalin Badea claimed a handsome £1,590 prize.
Wednesday's Action at the Beer Poker Tour
Wednesday at the Beer Poker Tour is jam-packed with action, featuring three events: another Main Event satellite at 1 PM, £25 to enter with five seats guaranteed; two flights of the poker.pro PLO event, one at 2 PM and the other at 6 PM; and a £100 Beer KO tournament at 7 PM.
Tickets to the piano, anyone? You know, the one they call "The Eliminator." Every player has a beer voucher on their head – knock them out, drink their beer. Let's get this party started!
The Beer Poker Tour, despite primarily being associated with poker, also includes a variety of events that can be considered sports-related, such as the upcoming Main Event satellite at 1 PM on Wednesday, which will test players' strategic skills and reflexes. Furthermore, poker tournaments, including the poker.pro PLO event with two flights on Wednesday at 2 PM and 6 PM, can be seen as a sport, given the level of competition and skill involved.
