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Poker’s sexy art of seduction attracted Paul Newey to The Hendon Mob in 2012. He’s racked up 57 tournament results in that time, but never a win, irrespective of the theatrical nature of the stage – until now.

Newey took down the 46-entrant Event #3: £10,000 No-Limit Hold’em at the British Poker Open, welding some of the best players to the rail, in a Day 2 that turned into a barnstormer for him, and a dilapidated durge for everyone else.

The win sees the UK businessman move into the number 2 spot in the overall rankings. The reigning Poker Central, High Roller of the Year, Sam Soverel, takes over from George Wolff at the top of the pecking order, after finishing runner-up; his second ITM finish of the series.

Let’s see how TOPDOLLARMAN banked top dollar.

Day 2 Final Table Seat Draw

Seat 1: Sam Soverel – 1,735,000
Seat 2: Cary Katz – 730,000
Seat 3: Mikita Badziakouski – 345,000
Seat 4: Elio Fox – 1,005,000
Seat 5: Paul Newey – 360,000
Seat 6: Sam Greenwood – 435,000

The Action

Yesterday, Luc Greenwood won his first major tournament in a long time. Today, it was his brother Sam’s turn to send a trophy back home to mam and dad. The day started well when Greenwood moved all-in holding Ah3s and outdrew the AdTs of Sam Soverel when a second trey arrived on the flop.

Then Paul Newey doubled up.

Greenwood had opened to 800,000 holding Ad9d, and Katz had called with JsTs until Newey moved all-in. Greenwood folded, Katz called, and the board ran out favourable for the ace-high.

Ace-nine may have been the jockey that rode Newey’s hand over the finishing line, but it turned out to be a donkey for Katz. The Poker Central founder moved all-in holding Ac9h, and Mikita Badziakouski made the call holding Ah7s. Katz was as happy as fungus in a wet wood until a second seven hit the turn, and Katz was our sixth-place finisher.

Greenwood doubled through Elio Fox when AcJs beat Qh9h, but it wasn’t the injection of luck that Greenwood hoped would help him get more rooted in this thing. The Canadian star opened with AhKh, and Newey made the call with Jd9d. The dealer placed a radioactive flop of Ad7d6d onto the felt, and both players each set their bear trap by checking. The 4s darkened the board on the turn, Greenwood bet 90,000, Newey raised to 225,000, and Greenwood called. The final card was the 3c, Newey moved all-in, and Greenwood called, removed his microphone and headed back home to preen his dandelion roots or whatever else it is that Greenwood gets up in his spare time.

Then we lost Mikita Badziakouski.

Wearing more patches than a Grand Prix driver, the Belarusian moved all-in, holding AdJc and found a caller in the shape of Newey holding AcQh. There were no ransom demands, no extortion – Badziakouski went quietly, just another tournament for a man who typically strangles the thing for a living.

Event #3 reached heads-up after Elio Fox exited stage left.

Fresh off his €25,000 No-Limit Hold’em win at the European Poker Tour (EPT) in Barcelona, Fox put in another impressive performance, finishing third. Fox opened to 290,000, holding Qh9h, and Soverel put him all-in with pocket kings. Fox called it off, and scurried back to his hole, beaten and whipped, after a runout that held no salvation.

Heads-Up

Sam Soverel – 2,480,000
Paul Newey – 2,120,000

With stacks as even as a spirit level, this one could have kicked off. Instead, it frizzled and fell as flat as a broken firework after one tournament defining cooler.

Newey made it 150,000, holding pocket nines, Soverel three-bet to 525,000 holding pocket jacks, Newey moved all-in, and Soverel snapped his hand off like a hungry piranha.

Soverel was on his way to his fifth tournament victory of the year until a pesky nine arrived on the turn to cripple Soverel.

“Sorry son, I guess it’s my lucky day,” said Newey.

Check it out.

When the dust cleared, Soverel had 50,000, and he flicked it in when he looked down to see the not too shabby looking AdQs. Newey called with Th6s, missed everything, and Soverel had 100,000. Once again, Soverel moved all-in, this time holding Kd2c, and Newey called and hit a wheel holding 5c4s to claim the title on the eve of his birthday no less – cue kazoos, and musical chairs.

Final Table Results

1. Paul Newey – £156,400
2. Sam Soverel – £101,200
3. Elio Fox – £69,000
4. Mikita Badziakouski – £46,000
5. Sam Greenwood – £36,800
6. Cary Katz – £27,600

British Poker Open Championship Standings

1. Sam Soverel – £179,200 (280 Points)*
2. Paul Newey – £156,400 (200)
3. George Wolff – £120,000 (200)
4. Luc Greenwood – £119,600 (200)
5. Steve O’Dwyer – £72,600 (140)
6. Stephen Chidwick – £71,000 (140)*
7. Elio Fox – £69,000 (100)
8. Robert Flink – £41,600 (100)
9. Mikita Badziakouski – £46,000 (80)
10. Gavin Cochrane – £30,000 (80)

*Cashed in two events.

George Wolff earns his money away from the live tournament tables, and so it would have stung more than a reg when he lost when heads-up against Paul Snead in a $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em event during the World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, and again in the summer, losing against Luke Schwartz in the $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship.

Today, he’s healed that hurt.

Wolff beat Sam Soverel, the reigning Poker Central High Roller Player of the Year, and current leader, in a heads-up war, to win Event #2: £10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha at the British Poker Open.

The win was Wolff’s first of his career, and he took it down, playing against a man who has made the top 3 spots in 11 2019 events, winning four of them, and with two previous Pot-Limit Omaha live tournament wins tucked in his boxers.

The Action

The tournament attracted 30-entrants, and by the end of Day 1, Stratford locals heard George Wolff as he howled to the moon in celebration of leading the final six players.

Day 2 Seat Draw

Seat 1: George Wolff – 1,722,000
Seat 2: Stephen Chidwick – 593,000
Seat 3: Gavin Cochrane – 194,000
Seat 4: Jens Kyllonen – 97,000
Seat 5: Joni Joukimainen – 272,000
Seat 6: Sam Soverel – 878,000

It was a perfectly symmetrical final table with two players each from Finland, the UK and the US.

Only one would leave feeling as cantankerous as a castrated crocodile, and it turned out to be Jens Kyllonen.

The former winner of the World Series of Poker’s (WSOP) $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller got it in with 9h8h6d6s but lost against the AdQsTs9d of Sam Soverel.

There would be no Finnish blood at the coronation of this thing after Joni Jouhkimainen followed his compatriot out of the door in the fifth place. The partypoker ambassador was all-in pre-flop holding AcJh9s6c, and Stephen Chidwick threw him into the water and stepped on his head as QcQs9c5d flopped a boat.

Gavin Cochrane was next to seek out a new horizon when he moved all-in on the fourth street holding AhKh8s7d on Qh2h6d4c. Soverel made the call holding Qd8h4d3s for the two -pair hand, and Cochrane missed his flush, before collecting his £30,000 price.

The three-handed play belonged to Wolff as he tore through his opponents without ever finding the carotid. But he went into heads-up without the chip lead, after Soverel busted Chidwick in the following hand.

Chidwick held KcQc9d6s against Soverel’s KsJs4d3s when the pair stared at a flop of KdKhJd. Chidwick held trips, but Soverel had flopped a full house. Fireworks? Nope. Both players checked. On the 2c turn, Chidwick bet small, 75,000, and Soverel made the call. Then the 2d finished off the action, Chidwick bet 230,000, Soverel put him all-in, and Chidwick made the call. Chidwick won his first WSOP bracelet in the summer, playing in a PLO event – he wouldn’t be following it up with another one here in Stratford.

Heads-Up

Sam Soverel – 2,125,000
George Wolff – 1,625,000

The chip lead changed hands more times than the US and Russia used to exchange spies during the Cold War before Wolff closed it down.

The pair got it in on a flop of Ah7c6d with Soverel shipping the lot, bar one chip. The Poker Central patriot held AcJh9c5s for the best hand. Wolff, who had flopped a wrap, made Soverel play for that last chip and turned a two-pair hand when the 4s joined the fray. Soverel needed help from the deck to stay in the competition, and the Qc was not what the Soverel had ordered. Wolff was declared the champion.

ITM Results

1. George Wolff – £120,000
2. Sam Soverel – £78,000
3. Stephen Chidwick – £48,000
4. Gavin Cochrane – £30,000
5. Joni Joihkimainen – €24,000

British Poker Open Championship Standings

1. George Wolff – £120,000 (200 Points)
2. Luc Greenwood – £119,600 (200)
3. Sam Soverel – £78,000 (140)
4. Steve O’Dwyer – £72,600 (140)
5. Stephen Chidwick – £48,000 (100)
6. Robert Flink – £41,600 (100)
7. Gavin Cochrane – £30,000 (80)
8. Sam Grafton – £26,600 (80)
9. Joni Jouhkimainen – £24,000 (60)

Remaining British Poker Open Events

Event #3: £10,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #4: £10,000 Short-Deck
Event #5: £25,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #6: £25,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #7: £25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
Event #8: £25,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #9: £50,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #10: £100,000 No-Limit Hold’em

The Poker Gods favour the pendulum, and as you throw your apple core to the magpies, it’s swinging in the face of Luc Greenwood. Of the two Greenwoods competing on the high roller circuit, Luc has the fewer stripes, but he’s there at every event, plugging away, and in London, the Gods rewarded him with his first title since 2017. And, like Dracunculus medinensis about to burst through the cheek of a small African child, you could see it coming.

Greenwood competed in 12 Triton events without a return on investment before finishing runner-up to Linus Loeliger in the £25,000 No-Limit Hold’em Six-Handed at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series in London for £466,600.

Armed with the feel of an ITM slip still on his whorls, Greenwood headed to Barcelona for the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) and made money in four events, including the final table of the €50,000 and the €100,000.

Let’s just say that by the time the Canadian arrived in The Aspers Casino in Stratford for the British Poker Open, he was feeling more cravat than crappy nanny’s woolly scarf.

Event #1: £10,500 No-Limit Hold’em attracted 26-entrants, and Greenwood won his first title since winning the $25,500 at the PokerStars Championship in the Bahamas in 2017.

Let’s see how he took it down.

The Action

Day 2 Seat Draw

Seat 1: Luc Greenwood – 746,000
Seat 2: Steve O’Dwyer – 365,000
Seat 3: Sam Grafton – 734,000
Seat 4: Mike Watson – 581,000
Seat 5: Robert Flink – 165,000

26-entrants dug their spurs in, and at the end of Day 1, only five remained on the horse. With only four places paid, one person was going home with murder on his mind.

Robert Flink was the first person to put it all on the line when he moved all-in with Ah9c and found a caller in the shape of Sam Grafton holding QhJc. The board remained lower than Shemika the Limbo world record holder, and Flink doubled-up.

Mike Watson took the chip lead.

Greenwood took the lead.

Flink took the lead.

Then we lost Watson.

The Canadian moved all-in for 570,000, holding AhJc, and hit the rail after Flink called with KhJh and turned a second king. It was another near-miss for a man who has been so close all year without received his just rewards.

Greenwood then doubled through Flink when KdJd beat pocket deuces, and then we were three-handed.

Sam Grafton is the new kid on the high stakes block, and he came into the British Poker Open on top form after finishing runner-up to Sergi Reixach in the €100,000 No-Limit Hold’em in Barcelona for a career-high $1.4m. Grafton continued to prove he has the minerals to make his mark at this level finishing fourth after running pocket eights into the tens of Steve O’Dwyer and the AK of Flink. O’Dwyer’s hand won, to double up through Flink, and Grafton exited in the fourth place.

That hand gave O’Dwyer the chip lead, and he clung onto it despite doubling up Flink Ks3s<JcTs, but he couldn’t hold onto it after a tournament defining clash against Greenwood.

O’Dwyer opened to 110,000 holding pocket sevens, and Greenwood moved all-in for 830,000 holding AhKd. O’Dwyer made the call and ended up with a mere 85,000 chips after an ace landed on the flop.

With everyone in the room assuming O’Dwyer would bust in third, this happened.

First O’Dwyer doubled through Flink when Kd4c beat Td5d. Then Flink moved all-in holding pocket deuces and exited in the third place when Greenwood called with KdQs and hit a Ks on the river.

Heads-Up

Luc Greenwood – 2,400,000
Steve O’Dwyer – 200,000

In terms of gross live tournament earnings, O’Dwyer has not seen his tournament bankroll this low since 2012. Given his paltry starting stack, £72,700 seemed the likely number.

It was.

O’Dwyer doubled up in the first hand when KdJs beat Ac9d, but he couldn’t repeat that trick when he found pocket tens shortly after. O’Dwyer moved all-in, and Greenwood called with KcTd and spiked a second king on the turn to claim the first-ever title in British Poker Open history.

ITM Finishes

1. Luc Greenwood – £119,600
2. Steve O’Dwyer – £72,700
3. Robert Flink – £41,600
4. Sam Grafton – £26,000

Remaining British Poker Open Events

Event #2: £10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
Event #3: £10,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #4: £10,000 Short-Deck
Event #5: £25,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #6: £25,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #7: £25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
Event #8: £25,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #9: £50,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #10: £100,000 No-Limit Hold’em