The World Heads Up

Author: Simon Dexter

If there is one direct, but often overlooked, benefit of poker’s relentless boom, it is that poker tournaments are no longer held in questionable out-of-the-way locations from which you feel happy to have escaped with your life, never mind your bankroll. Nowadays, if you’re hosting a poker tournament, why stage it in Hicksville-on-the-Marsh when more glamorous locations are falling over themselves to accommodate players, their wives and girlfriends and, more often than not, the television cameras? Or you could of course play poker online; so you can enjoy a poker game without even having to leave the house!

Already this year, I’ve been at poker tournaments in London, Dublin, Paris and Venice, while later this month, I’ll be in attendance in Monte Carlo.

Most recently, it was Barcelona, perhaps the most dynamic city on the Mediterranean seaboard, for the World Heads Up Championship. A stylish, artistic metropolis, home to the Nou Camp, a magnificent Olympic stadium and Gaudi’s unique architecture, Barcelona is the only city in the world able to boast an underground train that takes you straight to the beach.

The World Heads Up (WHU) is the brainchild of an eclectic triumvirate : Nic Szeremeta, the former editor of Poker Monthly, Poker In Europe’s Jon Shoreman and gaming journalist Rich Geller. The trio staged their first event in 2001 and, like almost all poker tournaments across the globe, it has grown inexorably ever since.

Just over a week ago, a total of 128 players, including our own Tony Chessa, stumped up 2,500 euros each (approximately £1,785) to participate in another sell-out poker game at the Gran Casino de Barcelona and play occasionally tense, often exciting, head-to-head poker for a first prize of 125,000 euros (£89,285). Players started with 20,000 in chips, while the blinds opened at 100-200, eventually moving to a maximum level of 200-400.

This proved an accommodating risk/reward mix for most, although such was the WHU’s scale that the opening round had to be played over the two days and, as might have been expected, there were several high-profile first day casualties, including the well-backed Dave Colclough and Rob Hellnick.

With the arrival of the television cameras on the second day, Tony Chessa played his opening match against Max Winberg. In less than two-an-a-quarter hours, Tony had eased through without too many concerns and managed to look relaxed in the process. One of the more amusing features of the poker tournament’s second day was to catch a glimpse of a tiny Cross of St George adjacent to Tony’s name on several websites reporting on the action ; as anyone who has ever heard him speak will know, he can sometimes make Billy Connolly sound posh.

Nevertheless, as several WHU favourites had bitten the dust earlier than might be expected, including Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliot on day two, Tony approached his second poker game against Richard Redmond in confident mood. It proved well-placed, especially when going all-in with his aces before the flop, a move which effectively secured a third round berth.

Not surprisingly, therefore, by the end of the second round, Tony’s name had moved further up the list of favourites, although Woody Deck, perhaps the world’s most consistent heads-up poker player, looked like the man he might have to beat to secure this coveted title.

Before then he faced the inscrutable Tsai Chen of Holland in the third round and a chance to move into the money, albeit for a fairly modest 11,250 euros.

Chen, originally a blackjack player, was only recently persuaded to try poker tournaments, a move determined by her unique style of play. Difficult to read and with a solid grounding in card competition, she and Tony staged one of the WHU’s most fascinating and controversial matches at the televised table

At one point, Chen found herself down to 11,000 when she tried to raise Tony’s 1,300 bet, but put two 1,000 chips in the pot by mistake. A ruling was called for, after which she was allowed to make a minimum raise. Instead of grumbling, however, Tony called, leaving a standard bet on the turn. Attempting to establish what type of hand Chen had, he then check-called on the river. At that point, it became evident that Chen thought she had lost, but in fact, she hadn’t. It proved to be a turning point in the match because immediately afterwards, she won another significant pot which gave her a commanding – and ultimately winning, lead.

Understandably disappointed following his unexpected elimination, Tony at least had the consolation of scooping a chunky ,315 (£8,060) first prize in the Barcelona Casino’s No-Limit Hold ‘Em tournament the day after the WHU final had finished.

Of course, he would have preferred the title of WHU champion, an accolade eventually bestowed upon the Spaniard Isaac Mayolas De Vega, but given the manner in which he quickly bounced back in the No-Limit tournament, this setback has served to strengthen Tony’s resolve. He’ll want to get rid of the Cross of St George before his next appearance though, no matter how exotic the location.

Tags: Rich Geller, WHU, World Heads Up

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 1st, 2006 at 12:20 pm and is filed under Poker Tournaments.