This year, the Maxim King of Poker Grand Final was held at Cafe de Paris, London. Joining the back of the queue to get in at around 6:30pm, my two guests and I were looking forward to the night ahead. Infront of us in the queue were two women old enough to be our mothers and we speculated whether they were here to play. The information that I had was that there would be at least 2 female players and my guests kindly noted that it would be funny if I'd get busted my a woman.
Starting out as the reigning champion in the field of 40 players, I was confident of making the final table. With a structure of 2,500 starting chips and 20 minute blind levels, winning a coin flip or two at the later stages would be important.
The first major pot I won was when I rivered a set of 3s against Spurman on my left in a battle of the blinds. I had to call Spurman's small bet on the turn knowing I was behind, especially since Pocket 3s had been the lucky hand of a home game I'd played the night before.
That pot propelled me to chip leader on my table, but with the blinds increasing rapidly I knew the other stacks were getting desperate and that I'd probably have to win a coin flip for a major part of my stack.
Blinds 250/500. Table chip leader with about 5,000. UTG SHed, raise to 1500 with 88, "Kenny" in late position pushes all in, making it 1800 to me to call to win 5,500. He had the second largest chip stack on the table and was the last person I wanted to race against as I would be crippled with the big blind hitting me next.
Nevertheless, after a dwell, I have to call since the event was a winner take all and I was almost certain he just had overcards. I call, he turns over AQ but the first card out of the deck is an Ace!
In trouble now but I manage to pick up uncontested pots with junk such as 9-high and Q2 before the break.
King of Poker@Cafe de ParisDuring the break, I manage to do a bit of celeb spotting. I had a chat with DJ Sassy and also notice Barny Boatman and Vicky Coren walking around but had no time to say hello as the tourney was kicking off again.
Celeb/Media Table
Bird & GrecoAfter the break, with blinds at 350/700 I go all in in my first two hands to pick up the blinds. A couple of new players, including the woman from the queue, had joined the table so it was a good time to do this and as a result I'd built my stack up to over 4k.
The woman two to my right had won a pot by limping in with QQ and then calling off her short stack as Kenny (who had been winning almost every race) with KJ led out with his top pair on flop and turn. That double up for her now meant that she had me covered too.
My final hand was reminiscent of how I'd been busted in a home game the night before. After 3 limpers I moved all in with AT from the BB to pick up the weak money and add 30% to my stack. My bro called with the night's lucky 33 to bust be with a flush after I'd flopped 2 pair.
Spot the womanAt the Maxim King of Poker, my final hand unfolded almost the same way. Blinds still at 350/700. Short stack goes all in for his 700, woman on the button limps-in, small blind completes. Finding 98s in the BB, I push to isolate myself with the all-in player and have a freeroll at winning 2,800 chips and almost doubling my stack. I was about 90% sure the 2 limpers would fold, but when the woman asked how much she had to call I knew it was check-mate. She turned over AA to win a big pot and bust me out in around 20th place.
McCririck & TeddyAfter a drink or two and going out for a bite to eat just as Teddy Sheringham was entering the club, My two guests and I returned during the pre-final table break. The woman that had busted me had made it to the final table in great chip position.
We left just as the final table action restarted though, did the woman become the Maxim Queen of Poker?
Unfortunately not, as PsychoSi beat the woman, HulaGirl, heads-up. No deals were made and so PsychoSi (Simon Pettet) became the new Maxim King of Poker, scooping around £15,000 in prizes!
More Maxim King of Poker 2006 Photos.
