THE PLAYERS
 
Gary "Stonefish" Young
The well known ex-champion has established himself as one of the greats, but is he over confident with his "needs the money" attitude to the game? Will the Stonefish play like a Rock as his name suggests or come out with all gun blazing? Expect caution as he assesses the opposition then he'll go in for the kill.
 
Fiona "Crazy Cards" Nisbet
A relevative newcomer to the poker scene, this will be Crazy Cards first move up to this level of game, but already brimming with confidence and a "bring it on" attitude to the game. Expect big plays and, who knows, maybe some "crazy" hands?
 
John "On the Ace" Simpson
Not so much known about "The Ace" Simpson, but he's a long-time player at the high-level, so expect solid and inventive play. In this company we may see some extra devious play from this poker star. The Ace is definitive one to keep a careful eye on.
 
Sara "Sharp Jacks" Godfray
Another rather unknown quantity. Not displaying the outward over confidence of some other players which immediately sets the alarm bells ringing. Given her sister Jenny "Diamond Cleopatra" Godfray's previous wins in similar competitions, Sharp Jacks is likely to be a very dangerous opponent.
 
Nick "The Cowboy" Stewart
The Cowboy knows his game, but will he be "bluffing drunk" as has been known. Performance and play style made depend on earlier presence of "free drinks at work". The Cowboy is a bluffing master, but will he be holding the hands when the play gets called? Expect the unexpected from the Cowboy.
 
Iain "El Diablo" Craven
El Diablo may need no introduction, but his play certainly does. Will he neck a bottle of Gin pre-game and come out with full-scale nuclear attack, or sit tight like a snail in his shell, only popping out to pickup the blinds? Who knows, but you can be sure he'll be a difficult player to beat.
 
THE GAME
 
Lordy, Lordy, what a start to the new season. High stakes and high drama; I think we'll all be reeling from the excitement well into next week !
 
Last night saw a explosive mix of the long-time old pros versus the new breed of "happy go lucky" player - Sara "Sharp Jacks" Godfray, Gary "Stonefish" Young, Fiona "Crazy Cards" Nisbet, John "On the Ace" Simpson, Nick "The Cowboy" Stewart and Iain "El Diablo" Craven. What a collection of players at the one table at the one time!! Can't say much more than ... WOW.
 
From the off it was no-holds barred with the first blood going to El Diablo as his pocket 6s hit trips against The Ace's strong King pair. Another player getting into early difficulties was Sharp Jacks whose pocket Aces and heavy betting got taken down by a straight on the river. That spot of bad luck put Sharp Jacks on the back foot and a short stack. However, she wasn't the first player to blow out as The Cowboy ran into a Big Blind Special 2 5 pair of pairs from The Ace - definitely Bad Beat of the Tournament that one.
 
Sharp Jacks couldn't keep the short stack going for ever and wasn't too far behind the Cowboy "heading home to the ranch". That opened the doors for some true-to-name crazy play as Crazy Cards built a substantial chip lead on little more than a wing and a prayer. This ended in a huge pot as Cards took on the Ace in a bluffing run that neither player could back out of. There could only be one end to crazy play like that and ... BOOM ... The Ace was out and surely rueing his luck in running into Crazy Cards on a roll.
 
Down to three and Crazy Cards was looking unbeatable, but she hadn't reckoned on Stonefish and his velvet jacket. Tightening up her game wasn't enough to stop the Stonefish pouncing and then there were two. El Diablo had been bidding his time, but maybe for too long as Fish had by now built up a huge chip lead. A nice double up from suited A J offered a glimmer of hope, but in the end it was too much to ask and Stonefish saw off the final player to take the huge top prize.

Phew, if the series keeps on at this pace we're in for a treat.
 
Til next week poker fans.
 

THE PLAYERS
 
Well, with the big day approaching and the excitement mounting its time to give everyone a bit of background and a "heads up" on who their opponents are in tomorrow's truly massive showdown game.
 
Gary "Stonefish" Young
Fresh from last week's victory, the Stonefish may be feeling unbeatable. But as we know only too well - at the top level no-one's invincible. A turn of a card, a misjudged bet, with all the focus on him Stonefish will be literally treading a tightrope ... with absolutely no safety net. Expect mistakes as Stonefish struggles to deal with the pressure and expectation that is part and parcel of being the champion.
 
Iain "El Diablo" Craven
Still reeling after last week's shock defeat; for El Diablo upping his play is the only option. No iffs or buts, El Diablo knows that if he is to make it big-time he simply has to move to the next level. Expect a strong game, but will trying too hard lead to an early exit?
 
Katharine "Your Chips Are Mine" Hodby
"Chips" fine tuned her game under the highly, highly dubious "tutorage" of El "Bottle of Gin" Diablo. Only time and cards will tell if this has helped or hindered her game ... or resulted in passive alcholism. With Chips at the table be sure to keep an eye on where your bets are headed ! Expect careful, tactical play with maybe a little bit of cheeky out-and-out bluffing, but overall expect a lot of your chips to disappear to Chips.
 
Emma "Deception" Perfect
Well, I think all tomorrow's players can safely say "I have made it" once they've sat at the table with Deception. Starting out as a professional card shark at the tender age of 8 she then became the youngest ever World Series champion aged only 13. With all those years of experience behind her she has seen it all, beaten it all and then rewritten all the books on it all. Expect to get a beating off Deception!
 
Eilidh "V Fab" Budge
A last minute wildcard entry for tomorrow night replacing the Professor and Diamonds Cleopatra, but V Fab is as far from a wild player as you'll find. V Fab built her name on absolutely fabulous play and so do not NOT let her fool you with any novice pretense or tricks out her extensive Abby Fabby Plays book. Expect, despite my stern warnings, to still underestimate V Fab.
 
"King" James Stewart VII
Until recently a long time house pro at the Royal Lauder Casino; the King learnt his trade against best of the best - the likes of "Widow Maker" Roberts and "Who'd've Thought It" Tait. Sometimes regarded as a safe playing Rock, but when he does start bluffing watch you don't fold your chips down the royal drain as you battle to get a read on the king without losing your stack. Expect tight, defensive play from the King ... or maybe not now he knows I've told you to expect tight play ... argh ... or he'll actually play tight again cause he knows I've warned you he might not play tight now that ..., or, ... oh bugger, ... who knows?
 
Well hopefully that gives you an idea of who to fear and who to be out-and-out terrified of.
 
THE GAME
 
They say in high stress situations you can cut tension with a knife; well last Thursday night you could have got the knife and fork out; cut some tension ... and eaten it. A room full of players who are used to the rough and tumble of the high stakes game, but never before had these elite players had to cope with quite such an extraordinarily high pressured game and for some it really showed.
 
Pre-game and it turned out that Deception was the "Sweaty Betty" World Champion rather than Texas Holdem which brought a wave of relief to the terrified opposition. However she had beaten her entire family to claim the title so was still an obvious force to be reckoned with. Stonefish also made a strong play before the cards fell - deploying hundreds of his tactically genuis "minus three of a kind" decoy handlists. With these lying everywhere you just couldn't help but underestimate the power of three of a kind and I think everyone mistakenly folder trips at least once in the evening - truly a master stroke.
 
Early play was dominated by one hand - the gigantic stakes El Diablo v Chips v Deception big "stack shifter" of a play. Deception hit high two pair, but couldn't kill of the chasers and firstly El Diablo hit a high straight, followed incredibly by Chips making the unlikely flush. Betting had rather gotten out of hand and both El Diablo and Deception were in big trouble after this power play from Chips.
 
General pattern of play was "nothing for free", very few pots were left alone, some players regarding "Check" as the ultimate sign of weakness - so most pots ended with a big winner ... and big losers. El Diablo looked like he might have been off to take an early (corner, offset) bath as his chips dwindled right down to the lower depths, but a change of luck brought him right back into play for the next period of the game. Despite this respite it was still El Diablo who was the first to leave, the atmosphere was an absolute pressure cooker and maybe just too much as El Diablo lost out blaming the "outside noiseyness" for the loss - very odd and maybe a little worrying?
 
Chips had controlled the most part of the game, building, losing and rebuilding substantial chip leads through out the early play, but she got herself into deep water against the deadly Stonefish. Already admitting to feeling like spewing on the extra-big hands, she was now swimming out of her depth with Stonefish around - always a risky business, and Chips wanted those chips just too bad; getting herself stung not once but twice, as she sank under the water and out of the game.
 
However the Chips v Stonefish battle gave us an incredible insight into the enigmatic Stonefish. Chips might have worried about keeping her pizza down, but Stonefish was also beginning to lose his cool - eyes closed, shades on, hat pulled down, head on the table - was he bluffing or was he was really trying to escape the fear. Despite the game ending in his second win, during these crucial hands against Chips he has never looked so vulnerable - he came out with the win, but definitely looked more beatable than ever before.
 
Chips' departure left the King and Deception. Deception had been one of the biggest losers to Chips and was dicing with the dregs of her chip stack and a series of all-in plays finally ended her attack on the title - still adjusting from the switch away from Sweaty Betty - but Deception looks like she will very soon be adding the Texas Holdem World Championship to her CV.
 
The King had played a solid, faultless game to this point, but despite his calm exterior there's no doubt the pressure was affect him as well as everyone else. The show-down with the Stonefish looked for a time like the King was going to take the throne, but the Stonefish managed to limit the King's moves, cornered him and moved in for the kill. But with strong play like that - it wont be long before the King is back on the throne.
 
Next week we will have a paramedic on standby as this really was too dangerous a level of game to be playing without medical supervision.
 

THE PLAYERS
 
Well we have a cracking lineup tonight including a very special International Guest Player.
 
Robin "Mad Dog" Metcalfe
Mad Dog got his reputation early in his poker career as a player with blantant disregard for the cards in his hand and the Mad Dog tag stuck. But as time went on it became clear that this was simply a careful, calculated, long-term bluffing tactic as player after player discovered that when the stakes rise this Mad Dog really can bite.
 
Ric "The Hitman" Davey
The Hitman - relatively new to the high-stakes poker scene and still to "make his bones", but he'll be looking to take out the whole table with his brutal, uncompromising play. His methods made be questionable and his morals non-existant, but the Hitman nearly always gets the job done.
 
Fiona "Crazy Cards" Nisbet
After her previous strong showing everyone will be scared to get involved with Crazy Cards. The plays can be crazy, but if her chip count rises as quick as on her last visit then no-one can afford to take any risks against Crazy Cards.
 
John "On The Ace" Simpson
The Ace is no stranger to the Angle Park high stakes game and he'll be look to avenge last time's defeat, but will this mean getting into the crazy plays that landed him in hot water last time out? Or will he play safe and make his long years of poker experience count - we'll find out tonight.
 
Gus "The Fundi" Carmichael
ALL THE WAY FROM THE EAST COAST OF AFRICA - Gus The Fundi has flown in specially for tonight's game. In his part of the world a Fundi is a man who can fix anything with anything and this is Gus' greatest strength. Whatever the cards in his hand, whatever the cards on the table - nothing is unfixable even with the most unlikely of tools. Best make sure your not on the receiving end when The Fundi pulls a miracle out the bag and takes your chips as his reward.
 
Iain "El Diablo" Craven
El Diablo is putting aside the disappointment of the last couple of weeks and coming out "no holds barred" for tonight's High Stakes International game. With the increase in players he has reserved his lucky "swirly chair" for tonight's game and seated in his favourite chair he will be truly unbeatable.
 
Gary "Stonefish" Young
As the reigning champion Stonefish is still the player on form. Everyone will be after him and he knows it. He's ridden the pressure waves and weather the weak hand storms, but will tonight be the night his boat capsizes?
 
THE GAME
Well the tide has finally turned and Stonefish's reign is at an end. Last Thursday saw an International High Stakes Match with a record number of players and after last week's highly tense game we though things just couldn't get any tougher ... we should have know better.
 
Star guest at the table was Gus "The Fundi" Carmichael who had flown in at short notice from the other side of the world to take a seat at the legendary game. 5000 miles is a long way to come to leave with your tail between your legs, so was The Fundi going to play a tight careful game to make his trip worthwhile or blaze a jet trail of all or nothing glory across the game?
 
Play began strong - no warm up here and it didn't take long for The Ace, Mad Dog and The Hitman to get the chips flying and build up the air of tension which has become a feature of these games. Snarling from the Mad Dog kept everyone on their toes - ready to run if they thought bark would turn to bite.
 
There were a couple of hairy moments as hands ended in showdown between Mad Dog and Crazy Cards - you could feel the impending carnage as the two betting Live Wires threatened to short circuit the game. Luckily though sparks flew, explosion was avoided as both players ended these showdowns with at least some chips left to play.
 
However, first to bottom out their chip stack was Crazy Cards - not quite having previous week's nerve for the big bluffs and the cards stayed sane resulting in a dedicated dealer to keep the rest of table in order.
 
The Ace and Mad Dog seemed the players to come out worse from mid game play, up and down at first it looked like there'd be no big losers, but as we know - there's always a loser in the end and this time it was Ace, when the big plays came he wasn't On The Ace tonight and was out of the game, but sure to be back to extract a win shortly.
 
The Fundi was having no play from the cards, and his bluffs seems a little off time - probably jet-lag from the long haul flight. Losing chips to El Diablo was not in the Fix It manual. Everyone was cautious though - the warnings were there - The Fundi could still fix it, right up to the last chip, but alas, no, the brave effort was in vain as The Fundi set off on his long trip back to Africa.
 
By this point the Hitman was stalking. He'd been watching, waiting, feigning and diving back into the shadows, by this point he'd already put down the Mad Dog and started to make his move on Stonefish. First attack was parried by Stonefish - a completely unlikley, off-the-wall straight defending him from Hitman. Second attack looked a killer blow, but NO, AGAIN Stonefish hit the most unlikely of hands and SLAM, the attacker became the victim, mugged against the odds as Stonefish took all the luck going and turned it against the Hitman.
 
That left just the Stonefish and El Diablo - we'd been here before and Stonefish had won the day, but tonight was different. El Diablo literally buzzed with confidence whilst Stonefish seemed nervous, unsure and under pressure. El Diablo was playing the heads up patient game whilst Stonefish just wanted it all over - not a recipe for success. Stacks switched around as the cards hit and missed, but when the inevitable huge hand came it was El Diablo in the driving seat and taking the chequered flag with ease.

THE PLAYERS

Phew, the pressure was turned back down a notch for last night's high stakes game - at times you could almost have mistaken it for a simple mid-week social game ... ho ho - not quite, but after the heart attack inducing stress of previous weeks, the paramedics on standby looked just a wise precaution rather than a basic safety essential.
 
The player making the early running was Crazy Cards - strong play from the off and it looked like she really had the read on the whole table. Everyone was under pressure and when they finally called her "big bluff" - SHOCKER - three of kind ain't anyone's idea of bluffing and Crazy Cards was raking in the chips.
 
Early play was quiet, no-one making big moves, everyone biding their time. Then the carnage began ... three hearts down off the flush and trouble was brewing, everyone looked like they'd seen something they liked, and then SLAM another heart on the turn and everyone started to look a bit nervous - had anyone's flopped low end flush now become a liability, everyone hung on. Then WHAT WERE THE CHANCES - another Heart on the River. Everyone sitting showing the flush already, but OH OH, not just the flush to worry about - there was definite straight flush potential here.
 
El Diablo was lucky to escape, his Queen high flush looked promising, but something about the look in Who'd've Thought It's eyes said "I have the hand you don't want me to have" and he bailed out. Crazy Cards and Mad Dog weren't so lucky ... cards were turned and - Who Would Have Thought It - a Straight Flush. Big losers and one big winner here.
 
Razor and El Diablo were next to get into a situation, each had hit something they really liked each with a K T straight and haha each of them thought they were going to be big winners, the big betting started, but they were wary of the full house potential. El Diablo felt confident as he turned over his straight, certain there was no full house from Razor, then ... big build up to big disappointment - straight v straight, split pot, it was all for nothing.
 
After hours of conservative play there was a sudden dramatic change of pace. Crazy Cards appeared to be the first to hit trouble, although it turned out she didn't lose, instead deciding to switch play and focus on the fantastic loser prize. Putting her skills to good use she managed to play the reverse bluff, cruelly denying Razor in his full-on effort to win the prize - nicely done.
 
After that it was bye-bye game as all the players hit the ropes in short order. El Diablo just couldn't keep his focus - needing to work on his problems with the Bloody Noisy Buses he still was looking strong right up until his suited A K got taken to bits by Widow Maker's flush. Bad luck, but maybe needing earplugs (or medication) for the next game?
 
Razor followed closely behind as the Mad Dog bit him once too often leaving just the Lauder Casino pair fighting what was now a cornered and desperate Mad Dog. Everyone had been ignoring the "Do Not Feed the Animals" signs all night and had been throwing fistfuls of chips to the Dog just like old people feeding the ducks, but now Thought It and Widow Maker had put down the chips and picked up bricks as they battered the Dog over the head and out of the game.
 
Then it turned to frantic all in play, with Thought It turning a short stack straight into a rather large stack and putting Widow Maker on the back foot, but Widow Maker Roberts is no mug at the heads up game and fought right back as both players continued to hit "all in" hands. In the end Widow Maker put his know-how to good use and walked away with the top prize.
 
That's it for this week, but don't forget Twin Table Super Saturday 5th August with its $100K* jackpot prize.