UNIBET OPEN NEWS

Pedro Guedes, winner of the €500 side event at Unibet Open Budapest in March for €16,200, tells Unibet about his start in poker, first place finish in Hungary, and how he got from one to the other (via the beach…)

How and when did you first start to play poker?

I started to play poker about two years ago in the company of friends but I was not really aware of the rules at the time. At the moment I am having lessons with a player from the Unibet Team Pro from Portugal André “Wade” Santos.

What was your first big live tournament?

I had previously participated in a tournament in Estoril (Portugal) last year where I lost with pocket aces! But I have to say that the biggest one was Unibet Open in Budapest because the competition was tough but always passionate – especially for people that like adrenaline.

What was the reaction at home when they heard that you had won the side event?

They were happy for the excellent result. My wife knew how many hours of study I have dedicated to the game and that I was really determined to get a good result on the tournament.

On average, how many hours do you play on a daily/weekly basis? Any good results?

I play a bit every day because all my friends play as well. As for results, nothing special, but I definitely have lots of fun!

What is more exciting – the poker game or the winnings?

First of all I have to say playing poker and studying other players – that can always be unpredictable. Obviously it is very rewarding to reach some ITMs [cash].

What tournaments do you like the most? Online or live?

Well when it comes to Unibet Open it is very difficult not to like it because you will breathe poker 24 hours a day with the sound of chips going on the background. But I think in online poker you can feel your maximum potential when you manage to beat a field of 2000 to 3000 players. Online you are able to find all varieties of poker every day at anytime.

What is your opinion on Unibet’s live tournaments?

I would definitely recommend them, not only for the money but also because you are able to interact at the table and make friends with players from other countries.  The entire tournament is made with players in mind and all is at hand so we can relax and play.

Which player are you most afraid of live and online?

Well… I would have to say myself because we can play against other opponents all the time on the same table for 2 to 3 hours but we have to always be very concerned about our actions all the time.

Do you adopt an alternative image for live tournaments?

I usually wear glasses and headphones so I can isolate myself in my world, without ever losing any bit of what is going on at the table. Of course at home I do not wear glasses and the hat.

At which website do you like to play?

Unibet. The graphics are very simple and quick and the level and variety of players is accessible and relaxed.

What is your nick?

GBROTHER

Why did you choose that nick?

It means G for Guedes brother.

Do you think poker is a game of skill or luck?

Skill at 99% and 1% luck because you will need to get more chips in a crucial part of the tournament when you push your stack to the middle of the table. Without strategy and knowledge of the game and your opponents you end up not lasting very long.

You set an example for the younger generation – what advice can you give them?

If they are starting on poker then start playing in play money and study the game a bit. Today there is always good advice on how to play on most of the online rooms. Always play with moderation and peace. When the weather is good play at the beach!

Dan Glimne has so many strings to his gaming bow it’s practically a harp.  The Swedish poker expert, author, gaming pundit and inventor can be found commentating on the action, travelling the world in search of gaming experiences from Cuba to Hong Kong, or sat at the felt putting theory into practise at Unibet Open.

Having played five Unibet Open tournaments so far, he has yet to make his mark on the leaderboards, although he’s enjoyed previous success at the WSOP and Master Classics of Poker (at which he came third in 2005 for over €35,000).  He has, however, been known to go deep in a side event or two on the tour, most recently and perhaps unexpectedly the Maria Poker Ladies’ Event at Unibet Open Budapest in March, where he finished as runner-up!

When asked what he thought it took to succeed in poker these days, he replied, “Mental discipline, and a willingness to absorb new ideas and constantly improve your game. Winning at Texas hold’em ten years ago, live or online, was no problem; but these days the competition is fierce and everyone studies poker theory.”  He’s been playing long enough to have an overview of the game’s development too – as he recounts with almost glamorous underworld detail, “I still remember the illegal so-called “black clubs” in Sweden, where you had to knock on secret doors and identify yourself before stepping into those smoke-filled rooms…”  Playing seriously for 20 years, Glimne recalls a time before the present boom which has been so beneficial for students of the game, making online celebrities out of its top players (his opinion on who Isildur1 may or may not be is also floating around the internet).

In between appearing on the live mike, Glimne recently made a series of short videos called Dan Glimne’s Poker Curiosities for Unibet Open in Budapest, relaying in his inimitable style (and Swedish accent) stories from Binion’s in Vegas, the early greats, apocryphal tales and that Sting worked in a funeral parlour before moving into music (part of his Curiosities Part 3 – What Players Did Before They Went Pro…).  His interest in all aspects of the game of poker is infectious and doesn’t stop at the door of the cardroom.  In his own words:

“I have been in the games industry in the wide sense for thirty years now, writing books, working as a consultant in the casino sector, and inventing board and card games with over 1.5 million sold in over twenty countries. Apart from poker I play mainly mahjong (one World Championship and two European Championships, apart from playing the brutal cash game form of the game in Hong Kong clubs), Othello (third in the Swedish Championship) and a variety of others for pleasure. And I collect pretty much everything in the way of dice and dice-related objects, which has led to some pretty interesting encounters with – among other people – witch doctors in South Africa and santeria priests in Cuba. One day, when I am ready, that collection will be put on exhibit in a museum. I guess I would have to say that gaming is a life-long love affair for me!”

London’s Les Ambassadeurs Casino was the host this week of one of the most gruelling poker games ever committed to film – the non-stop 48 hour high stakes cash session known as The Big Game.  Homegrown favourites like Neil Channing, Roland de Wolfe, Luke Schwartz and Andrew Feldman took on a wide selection of very well-known trans-Atlantic competitors, like Phil Laak, David ‘Viffer’ Peat, Isaac Haxton, Justin Bonomo and Jennifer Tilly.  Wild cards were thrown into the deck in the form of several satellite and freeroll entrants, who quickly found that £5,000 was a short stack indeed on a table where players occasionally found themselves with 1000 big blinds.  Meanwhile a stream of pros and high-stakes regulars waited patiently on the list for their turn at the felt and on camera – some for over a day as the stamina of the original lineup was put to the test.

Although many may have come with the inkling to stay and play continuously for two days straight, only one actually managed it, and he was also the biggest winner in the game.  David ‘Viffer’ Peat will be instantly recognised by High Stakes Poker viewers (and he’s come across Laak in that context too) and from the very first hand he stepped on the gas and ran the tank dry to the final card dealt.  His continual activity and fearless style soon left the ever-changing lineup with a big headache, and despite suffering some hefty setbacks he came out nearly £150,000 ahead.

The initial sit-down favoured by the players was either £10k or £20k (the latter being the max, the blinds starting at £25/£50 but soon escalating with the inevitable straddles), and it was quickly apparent that no dust was going to gather on those chips.  The first to take a big lead was Jennifer Tilly, who was unfazed by Viffer’s constant pressure and finished her nine-hour session with £33,000 more than she sat down with.  She topped the leaderboard of winners for most of the time the game ran, joined by formidable female opponent Laurence Grondin whose £20k profit announced her arrival to players to whom she was a worryingly unknown quantity.

There was a twist in the tail for everyone who wanted to keep their seat for long, however.  In a reality-TV style endeavour to mix it up, every few hours all the players in the Big Game had to vote on which of them to send to the rail, winner or loser, and welcome a new face.  Recent arrivals were immune from eviction, as was the most aggressive player in the preceding session.  This meant that Viffer was never in danger of losing his permanent place, but it did mean that a succession of people found themselves in the eye-watering position of coming to the table, losing chunks of money, and then getting voted off it again.  This was especially harsh for the reluctant leavers, like Dusty ‘Leatherass’ Schmidt, and later (briefly) Neil Channing and Isaac Haxton.  Tony G proved himself the master of the tactical vote, but also mixed up his (comparatively) brief time on the table with flair and a permanent massage.

Schmidt’s voted exit from the game came as a blessing in disguise, perhaps, for commentator Jesse May, who found a hitherto-untested but very capable co-commentator who proved his own stamina with over a day straight talking over the action with him.  Popping in and out for a shot at the mic (and a fascinating real-time view of the table’s hole cards and action) were also Justin Bonomo, Andrew Feldman, and Irish Open winner James Mitchell.  While no one came close to the profit shown by Viffer, Phil Laak made a good showing (and some rather unorthodox plays which had the table in knots at times) with around £25k, and Bodo Sbrzesny, Ellis Reuben, Paul Zimbler, Tilly and Grondin all leaving ahead.   The whole dramatic session will be shown over sixteen 45 minute episodes, and with bluffs, outdraws and the Seven-Deuce game wreaking havoc on the table all the way through, it should be a thrilling ride.

Direct buy-in for the next Unibet Open event which will take place at Golden Sands in Bulgaria from the 3^rd-6^th of June is now open!  You can now reserve your seat at this beachside extravaganza of poker and parties well in advance, and guarantee that your section of the felt is held for you.  If you’re more of a last-minute globe-trotter, or want to take part in one of the many online satellites which could bag you a Bulgaria package for a tiny price-tag, then now is the time to start qualifying.

Every Sunday at 20:30 CET Unibet run a €275 +€25 super-satellite with five packages guaranteed!  With a 5k starting stack and 15 minute levels, the same skills which take players through four live days at Unibet Open reward at least five people per week with the full trip, accommodation for five nights and a chance at a title and six-figure payday.  If that doesn’t fit your poker budget, satellites to the weekly final are running all week long, starting with €5 rebuys or €30 freezeouts straight in, or you can even start with a freeroll!  Whatever your tournament bankroll, a place at Unibet Open Golden Sands can be won over the next six weeks.  Each event on the Unibet Open tour welcomes greater numbers of qualifiers to the excitement of competing in the live arena for huge prizes – whether it’s your first live event or a regular stop on the tour, the atmosphere and competition in Golden Sands will be the best yet.

Full details on how to qualify, and information on all levels of satellites can be found here.

Anthon-Pieter Wink, Champion of Unibet Open Budapest, has experienced the poker world from several viewpoints.  Playing since the age of 18, he’s no stranger to the live felt, occasionally takes a seat at the virtual one, and is also editor of Card Player Nederland.  Despite the Dutch player’s workload, he took the trip to Hungary to play in the Unibet Open event in March, saying that although it was his first appearance, “We have covered all the 2009 events in Card Player Nederland, so I kind of felt like I had been there before.”

Wink’s calm and considered manner showed his comfort at the table, and his sanguine approach to the swings of tournament play meant that he was unfazed when he dropped down the chip leaderboard, making the second day’s dinner break as the shortest stack still left in.  It wasn’t quite a chip and a chair comeback to challenge the lead over the next day and a half’s play, but it was close, with the turnaround in fortune in full swing by the time the final table was announced.  He started the final third in chips behind Belgium’s Nils Ral and Russian Maksim Tyurin, but only just, and eventually eliminated the start-of-day leader in a race which propelled him to a comfortable lead.

Changing gears and alternating quiet periods with orbits where it seemed he was raising every hand, Wink never seemed to lose his composure.  His background playing live regularly has surely been beneficial.  He says of his poker introduction, “Since I was about 18 I’ve played draw poker with friends. In 2003 (after Moneymaker) we started a home game of hold’em and Omaha that is still running. I play online every once in a while but not on a professional level.”  When asked what he thought made a good poker player, he replied, “Love of the game, enthusiasm, willingness to study and discussion with friends.”

Outside the tournament arena, Wink is unusually active for a poker player.  “I’m pretty sporty. Besides poker my hobbies include football, snowboarding and surfing. Winning the first Unibet Open for Holland is pretty cool, although I’m only nationalistic when it comes to sports. I love writing and editing Card Player, and the Unibet Open has been a great experience for me. Not only as a turning point in my poker career, but also for the kindness of the press, the players and the organisation.”

The first Champion from Holland to raise a Unibet Open trophy (and take down a chunky €172,500 top prize), Wink may now be in the awkward position of having to interview himself…

Heads up for the ladies now – Maria Poker, whose distinctive logo has been adorning the clothing of more than a few players at recent Unibet Open tournaments as ever greater numbers of women take to the tables, is planning a special live event this September.

The €330 buy-in main event will take place on the 4^th-5^th September 2010, on the beautiful island of Malta.  Hosted at the Casino at Portomaso, which has been providing a glamorous venue for gaming since opening in 2006, the tournament expects to attract 150 players who will be able to enjoy both a weekend of poker and the fashionable surroundings of the St. Julian’s district on the island’s north-eastern coast.  The Hilton Malta in the same marina complex will host the players (and a guest for no extra accommodation charge) for two nights, and there will be a welcome party on the evening of the 3^rd.

Women are encouraged at Maria Poker to get started online with comprehensive and clear tutorials on the game and the software, and the special tournaments on offer are geared toward female players of all abilities.  They’ve recently sent satellite winners to Unibet Open in both Warsaw and Budapest and at the Hungarian leg of the tour hosted their own €100 Ladies’ side event (these are now in the pipeline for all forthcoming Unibet Open destinations!).

Daniela Caserotto, spokesperson for Maria Poker Live, says, “Maria Poker is the leading female poker brand in Europe, where women are more than welcome to challenge what is so far a man’s game, and the idea was to help them feel more confident about playing, and hence organised the side tournament during Unibet Open.”  There were a couple of extras involved (and the lucky ladies playing in Malta may have similar things in store) – goodie bags greeted each player on arrival, there was a friendly coaching session before the start to teach or refresh those who hadn’t played before, and at the last minute eight men entered the tournament, which ran with 40 runners for many hard-fought hours, until Swede Andreas Hoglund took the top spot, although admitted, “I was impressed. The girls were really focused and good, realizing that there is not really a difference between men and women playing poker.”

For a glimpse of that tournament, and a hint of things to come for Maria Poker, watch the video from Unibet Open Budapest here.

The second leg of the Unibet Open tour, which will take place at Golden Sands in Bulgaria from the 3^rd-6^th of June, now includes accommodation from the 2^nd-7^th, giving every package winner a chance to soak up the atmosphere (and the sun) in the resort for a little longer.  No airport-table-airport rush this time round, as players will be able to fit in some proper rest and relaxation, or various interesting-sounding diversions which a quick search on the www.goldensands.bg website brings to light; ‘balneotherapy’, ‘congressional tourism’ and ‘night fun’ are just a few categories which intrigue the casual eye (although you’ll probably have to experience them to know exactly what’s involved).

The tournament itself will be the usual Unibet Open format – four days of non-stop poker as the Main Event gets underway with two starting days on the 3^rd and 4^th June with side-events and cash games following in the luxurious Casino International.  Players taking their seats for the Main Event on the second start day will effectively have two nights and a whole day on their arrival in Bulgaria to take full advantage of this exceptional location, not to mention the Welcome Drinks on the Thursday night.

For more details on this next event, and to find out how to qualify now, visit the Unibet Open Golden Sands page!

Alex Rousso is one of the Unibet Pro players you may have seen around the tables, distinguished by this label upon his shirt and, as you’ll see from his interview, a fascination with the strategy and statistics involved in the game – the ’science of poker.’  His PhD in Social Sciences may have contributed to a drift from the family pickle business into the game as lifestyle, job and research interest, and he’s now to be found writing, playing Omaha, and heading live Boot Camps with the Bluff Poker Academy.  He’ll be on the road with Unibet Open in 2010, with one eye on the prize and one on whatever his latest writing concern may be (he spent Budapest making notes on the number of players remaining per level, their changing attrition rate and the implications of the structure!).   London-based, Rousso has finalled a good number of tournaments in his hometown in 2009, and is looking to continue this trend further afield in 2010.

How/when did you start playing poker?  When did you start making proper money?

I played poker for pennies back at school but didn’t really know what I was doing. One day at the work poker night I had a hand where I had mid pair and was facing a bet. I thought to myself “this is ridiculous, I don’t have the first idea what to do!” Internet poker was just getting big (this was 2002), so I resolved to get online and get myself an education.

I put $300 in an online account and read Lee Jones’ “Winning Low Limit Hold Em” while playing. I read it through twice in 3 weeks, and went no more than $80 into the red playing $0.25/0.50 limit hold’em. By the end of the third week, I was back in the black and have never been in the red since.

I started making proper money around 2006 when I migrated to the then very juicy Omaha Hi/Lo. I was very unhappy running the family business (importing pickles – hence the name “Pickleman”) and noticed that in hourly rate terms I was actually making more money from poker than running the business. The business was sold in 2007 and here we are.

What is your niche/regular game?  Why do you like it so much?

I play Pot Limit Omaha 6-max cash. I much prefer Omaha because it’s more mathematical and it has a very long learning curve – meaning that good players can find an edge as long as they keep one eye on game selection. Gamblers love the action of Omaha so as long as you can handle the volatility, the rewards are fantastic.

So many Hold em tournaments for example are just filled with players who know what they’re doing – how can you have an edge in that game? Granted, if someone picks up poker for the first time, they’ll play Hold Em not Omaha, so the real beginners are there, but I feel I have a much better control of my destiny playing cash games, and even more so playing PLO.

Who is Pickleman, and what is he all about?  Where can I find his writing?

I write a monthly column for Bluff Europe and I also head the Bluff Europe Poker Academy, which runs poker seminars. At present, we’ve only done seminars in the UK and Ireland, but we’re hoping to be in Europe by the end of the year.

The column is supposed to be anything and everything poker, but I have to say I’ve focussed on research-based stuff more lately because that’s my background (I have a PhD in the social sciences). When I was starting out playing poker there were almost no studies to answer questions such as “What percentage of poker players are pros, and how many are losers?” and “How do you compare tournament structures?” My column is an attempt to answer questions such as those using real stats and research.

Although poker is my job I like to have fun playing. When I’m at a live tournament I always try to talk to people and have a laugh. My real job is playing the PLO cash games online. The tournaments are also about getting out of the house and meeting people!

What do you like about the Unibet Open tour, seeing as there is so much tournament action to choose from these days?

Well, if you’ve read any of my Unibet Open tournament reports you’ll know how much I love them and I’m chuffed to bits to be working with Unibet. They basically have the right attitude – let’s have some fun and play some poker. And the players – both the sponsored ones and the others – echo that sentiment. It’s a big happy family.

What do you think are the main things players should focus on when preparing for a live tournament?

If you want to take live tournament poker seriously, you’ve got to treat it like a sports event. Early nights, no drinking and lots of exercise (not easy at Unibet Open!). If you look at the interviews with James Akenhead on the Bluff Europe website, you’ll see what I mean. This is a guy who takes what he does seriously. By the way, those interviews were filmed before he made both WSOP ME final tables and won Poker Million.

How do you organise playing online with writing for Bluff/yourself?  Do you find the poker lifestyle is not compatible with doing other things?

The most difficult thing is synchronising one’s life with when the poker tables are juicy. On US-focussed sites, that’s usually early morning, and on European sites, it’s in the evening. That means sacrificing a few nights out with mates.

Live tournaments and our seminars are on weekends, so that can be a bit of a dealbreaker! Especially when you have to set aside an entire weekend for a tournament. If you bust out half way through day one, you now have an entire weekend free that you had earmarked for poker!

I love the writing and it’s easy to find time to do it when the tables aren’t so busy (usually during the day). Every time I sit in Costa coffee in Belsize Park with my laptop I think to myself “this is the life!”

You went out in a series of unlikely outdraws in Budapest, but took it with a smile – are you in danger of becoming a poker pessimist, or genuinely unaffected by the swings of the game?

You should try Omaha . . .

Seriously though, volatility is something that you (almost) get used to. There is definitely a sense of “been there, done that” when it comes to bad beats. Sure, every now and then, you’re tired, it’s the fifth time in a row that it’s happened, and to cap it all, you’re on life tilt right now too. In those situations, I can blow up, but I’m happy to say they happen far less frequently these days (and I’m very happy to say that poker has helped me immeasurably with life tilt, BTW).

Let me say that regardless of what anyone tells you, no one is immune from tilt and from feeling the emotional rollercoaster. You get better at dealing with it in time, however. When you’ve only played 10k hands a cooler such as over full versus quads can seem like somebody’s out to get you. Put in 500k hands and it won’t.

Can you give any advice on the mental attitude of the tournament player? How do you stabilise the emotional rollercoaster and stop tilt?

Well, play more hands so that you get used to it, as I say above. Beyond that, I’d say read the two books by Larry W. Phillips on Eastern philosophy and poker. There’s some sage advice there.

By the way, if you’re not getting used to it, you have a wider problem, and it’s probably to do with your life in general. Something, somewhere in your life involved or involves a great miscarriage of justice and you play probably play poker at some level in order to redress that balance. When that “system” fails because of a bad beat, you’re back to square one – poker has fulfilled the prophecy that life is unjust, and now you can rail against poker/howl at the moon for all its injustice. You know what to do: fix the original problem and the sense of injustice will go away.

Bit heavy on the old psychoanalysis, there, Al!

Another major, major factor is playing within your bankroll. So few players I know do it, but it’s absolutely central to maintaining an even keel. I’d advocate playing with a bankroll at least fifty times your cash game or tournament buy in. If you can’t do that, drop down the levels.

Put it another way. How the hell can a bad beat hurt you at $1/$2 if you have a bankroll of $50k? You’d just laugh and move on. Most players know about the dictum that a bad beat is basically the thing that keeps bad players in the game. Without bad beats, there would be no such thing as a professional poker player, end of story.

And if you are on a huge downswing, TAKE A BREAK AND REGROUP. Analyse your play. Do something else for a while. It’s very, very difficult to realise whether you’re tilting when you’re in the middle of a huge downswing.

Last of all, it’s a game. Enjoy it. If you’re not enjoying it, don’t play. And if it’s your job, remember that this is just your job. There are plenty of other things going on in your life and all of them are what you live for.

Unibet Open has a new feature for 2010 – the Leaderboards.  Visit the Unibet Open Homepage to view the top nine players, cash winners and countries who’ve taken the first event by storm.  At the top of the first two after Budapest is Anthon-Pieter Wink, who took down the €172,500 top spot ahead of Sweden’s Peter Skaj (who is, as you may have guessed, in second place).  The final nine from the event in fact hold all these coveted Leaderboard spots only until the next tournament, however, when your name could be appearing among them…

The great turnout for the Hungarian and Finnish players – and their cash results – got their countries higher on the Leaderboard or just squeaked them on there (Finland comes in 9^th despite not having any leaders in the top nine for points).  In previous Unibet Open seasons, Swedish players have captured titles no less than three times out of nine (the champions being Jimmy Jonsson, Fuat Can and Simon Johansson) while Portuguese winners were seen twice (Andre Dias and Joao Barbosa).  Sweden in fact holds the lead on the country Leaderboard, ahead of Hungary in second and the Netherlands in third.  With four more events planned for this year, there’s plenty of time to join the race, however, and Unibet Open looks forward to welcoming old winners and new faces in Golden Sands, Bulgaria at the next event running from the 3^rd-6^th June 2010.

Dutchman Anthon-Pieter Wink has captured the title and the €172,500 first prize at Unibet Open Budapest.  Fighting back from the shortest stack in the race mid-way through Day Two, Wink overcame tough Swede Peder Skaj heads up (and a tricky final table lineup all round) to bag the top spot.  Full results:

1 Anthon-Pieter Wink - €172,500
2 Peder Skaj - €110,400
3 Joachim Buch -  €74,175
4 Maksim Tyurin -  €53,475
5 Claus Nielsen -  €41,400
6  Danny Dabbagh – €28,290
7 Nils Ral – €21,045
8 Zsombor Gall – €14,835
9 Christian Kall – €12,075
10 Mitrovic Hrvoje – €8,970

Wink will have to wait until June to defend his title at the next stop on the tour – in Golden Sands, Bulgaria, where the cards will return to the air, the commentators to the livestream and hundreds of players to Unibet Open.

Day Two at Unibet Open Budapest was a hard-fought ten-level battle to get down to the final table, whittled down from the huge field which gathered in Budapest to play poker this weekend.  105 players reconvened today at the Sofitel Hotel to be mixed in with their alternate starting day brethren and left to fend for themselves.  Leading the field at the start of the day were Hungarian Zoltàn Toth, Swede Mats Rahmn and Dane Claus Bek Nielsen, who’d had a substantial stack all the way through his start day and was to continue to finish the second day’s play in third place.

Half way through the day and it looked like a Scandinavian monopoly on big stacks had been set up (with the exception of Spaniard Gonzalo Sanz Santos and Russian Maxim Tyurin).  The top nine players at the dinner break were Scandinavian, while Bulgarian Petar Zografov was tenth – he went on to finish 13^th, cheered on by his supporters.  Amazingly, the player in last place at this stage went on to make the final himself – Dutch Cardplayer editor Anthon-Pieter Wink turned 26,500 into the chip lead by the end of the day.

Also in the top ten at the outset were eventual finalists Joachim Buch and last-two-tablers Petar Zografov and Tapani Miska Lahti; it’s unusual for so many of the day’s leaders to make it to the final 10 and the top prize-money of a tournament.  Buch especially has had an impressive run: this result means he has made back-to-back final tables at Unibet Open events!  The young Norwegian will start Day Three as a shortstack, but shouldn’t be discounted yet.  The lineup in full:

Anthon-Pieter Wink      730000
Christian Kall    235000
Claus Bek Nielsen        576000
Danny Dabbagh            464000
Gáll Zsombor   222000
Joachim Buch   270000
Maksim Tyurin 758000
Mitrovic Hrvoje          139000
Nils Ral            898000
Peder Skaj       309000

One of these players will win the first Unibet Open event of 2010, as well as the first prize of over €170,000!  Join us from 2pm for coverage of the final.

As Day 1b draws to a close, the entire field has now had a chance to test themselves against 229 others per day, with just a fraction heading forward to the second day.  Of course, a chip and a chair are famously enough to win a poker tournament, so the many short stacks heading back to take a shot at the prizes are still definitely in the running.  However, it’s players like Mats Rahm, Claus Nielsen and Espen Kristoffersen who are ending the day in pole position, as it were – stacks to rival the top finishers of the first flight, all of these, and possibly one or two more who used the last four hands of the night which are played with no spectators to rocket past the 100k mark.

The day took much the same route to player elimination as the first flight – cagey at first, with a gradual acceleration, then after the dinner break a lot more action, culminating in a final level slowdown, when the big stacks were playing each other and the short ones were picking their moments.  An aggressive bunch, most of these Day 1b players, and when they’re added to the 51 remaining from yesterday it should be an exciting mix.

The prizepool has been set – a huge €172,500 for first, with those reaching the top 54  guaranteed at least €2,070.  Expect fighting to be fierce as the field is whittled down to the final table when play resumes at 2pm tomorrow; follow the live blog from the first hand, and the livestream of the feature table from 4pm.

The first day of Unibet Open Budapest saw 230 players attack the tournament like the chips were small round weapons to be hurled into pots for ten hours until only 52 remained when the last three hands were called.  A packed tournament area started off quietly concentrating, but gradually the atmosphere grew more excited as players started to manoeuvre their way towards bigger stacks and tables were broken and rearranged.

When the dust settles, we’ll have the full chip counts available on the LIVE tab under Live Updates, but it looks like one of Raul Mestre, Petar Zografov, Mikael Johansson or Sergey Rybachenko might have grabbed the overnight top spot.  Early leaders rose and fell in the sumptuous surroundings of the Sofitel Hotel Budapest, and the ones that fell were treated to one of Unibet Open’s excellent welcome parties in the bar.  Pictures from that might make their way into the live updates tomorrow…

You can review the day in words and pictures at the Live Updates – streaming from the featured table will recommence tomorrow.  In fact everything starts again from scratch tomorrow, when hundreds of new, fresh, rested players take their seats in the same room, with the same 10,000 chips, to see if they will be in the 20% or so who make it to Day Two, and closer to a share of the near €700k prizepool!

Mads Mikkelsen, known to cinema-goers as Le Chiffre in Casino Royale, is set to play poker without the cinematic cold deck (unless the live stream has some surprises in store) in Budapest this week at Unibet Open.  Mikkelsen is no stranger to the felt, cutting his teeth in a Danish poker tournament (which he won) back in 2006, and having played the game since childhood.  He’s been keeping his double life balanced by popping up at the European Poker Tour and the European Film Awards alike in subsequent years, and while the stakes on the European circuit might not be as high as those he played for against Bond, he’s guaranteed all the action he can handle at the Las Vegas Casino in Hungary this week.

The Danish star is scheduled to play Day Two in Budapest, and while he might only know a handful of his opponents at the tables, he’s guaranteed to be recognised by almost everyone.  He may find the same target on his back as those at the top of the tournament game seem to have when faced with opponents keen to take a famous scalp, and will need all the wily tricks of the villain he played with such aplomb to make it through the field.

The first leg of the Unibet Open tour 2010 is only a week away.  Budapest’s aptly name Las Vegas Casino will host the €1,500 event conveniently in the very hotel in which players will be staying from the 4^th-7^th March.  With two starting days, those who play the first flight might be in a better position to enjoy the Welcome Drinks on the evening of the 4th, but everyone should be ready for the Unibet Player Party on Saturday night.  A mixture of entertainment and action is what players have come to expect from the Unibet Open tour, and this venue and event are unlikely to disappoint.

Side events will be keeping cards in the air throughout the week, kicking off with a €200 + €20 one-rebuy super-satellite to the Main Event on Wednesday 3^rd March for the early birds or last-minute rushers (depending on how you look at it), and continuing on Saturday the 6^th with a €500 +€40 freezeout.  The final day’s €200 +€20 freezeout will wrap up the tournament action, but cash games will be running 24/7 if sightseeing (well worth the trip in itself) isn’t on your agenda.

The usual heady mix of amateur and professional players will be in attendance, making for a guarantee that the live coverage of the event will be as unpredictable and entertaining as the previous tournaments’.  One player who will be instantly recognisable is James Bond’s opponent Le Chiffre – a.k.a. tournament regular Mads Mikkelsen – and he will be joined by previous champions, up and coming pros and a generous handful of rail-supported players from all across Europe, generating fierce competition and a prizepool to match.  Stay tuned for all the news at unibetopen.com.