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8/06/2010 No. 87
he Guardian Poker Column
 
   
 
 
Victoria Coren
Tue 8 Jun 2010
 
 
 
Brits storm World Series of Poker

Bracelets and medals galore for British players in Las Vegas

The British contingent is storming this year's World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Just a week in, and already Praz Bansi has won his second bracelet (this year in the $1,500 No Limit Holdem). There was also a bracelet in the $1,500 Pot Limit Holdem for James Dempsey (who, despite his redoubtable poker skills, has never previously won a live tournament outside Brighton), and a silver medal in the $5,000 Holdem Shootout for Neil Channing, popular MD of new poker website BlackBeltPoker.com.
 

Here's a hand I enjoyed from Praz Bansi's heads-up battle with Canadian opponent Vincent Jacques. Following online coverage, you can never be 100% sure the bet sizes are correct, but the story is clear.

With Bansi as significant chip leader, both players saw an unraised flop of 10d 6c Qc. First to speak, Bansi bet out 150,000 (with blinds at 50k-100k, this was three-quarters of the pot). Jacques called. The turn was Ad and Bansi checked. Jacques bet 300,000 and Bansi called. The river came 7c: bingo. Bansi bet out 1m in chips, and Jacques folded.

Because this was not a televised event, and did not go to a showdown, we don't know the hands. But that's exactly what I like about it. With his big blind unraised, chip leader Bansi can bet the flop with anything at all. On the turn, there are two flush draws and several straight draws: this turn is perfect for "floating", ie calling with nothing to bluff any of the danger cards that are likely to come on the river. When the river brings one of the flushes and one of the straights, Bansi is certainly good enough to make his chunky bet with or without.

The nuts or nothing? If you just don't know, then the man deserves a bracelet.
 
 
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