The rules?
Best of 100 HU matches.
3k chips
10 min blinds
Rollz: small
With the challenge series just 9 matches in, Jabba caught up with Danski and Scott to find out how the contest is progressing...
Jabba: So, a battle to the death! (or death of wages and confidence, at least). How did the challenge come about?
Danski: Scott has money. I need money. Easy, really. Also, it's about reducing poker to it's purest form, improving, discussing hands, meta game etc, and there's nothing in the world like good ol' fashioned rivalry between friends of closely-matched skill. Winning is everything. Making progress is a good side-effect.
Scott: I kept finding myself coming into work, passing Dan’s desk and hearing egotistical comments coming from his mouth. I felt it was only right I put an end to this and hopefully silence him. On top of that, this is great way for us both to improve our HU STT game. I’m hoping the words “unlucky my friend” are being used often from my end of the chat box!
J: So lads, how does it stand? A close call at the moment?
D: I'm 6-3 up but it's early days. We're still settling in, making some initial adjustments. There's a long way to go.
S: Yeah we have been kind of slow getting going with it, work schedules and prior arrangements are the main reasons, plus Danski feels I've been running from him. You’ll be alright!
J: What have you gleaned from each other’s style of play so far?
D: Well, I'm not giving too much away, (sorry Scotty), but so far I think he has one or two areas I can exploit. I'll be hoping to widen a few cracks in his game and and see how he reacts. Of course, I suspect he has found one or two in my game, so it's a constant battle, trying (to borrow a cricket phrase) to shore up my own end while scoring freely at his :)
S: I have to admit it, from the 9 games we have played, I'm quite impressed with Danski's play, he has given me far more tough decisions then I would have expected. As he has confirmed with me, he had been mixing up strategy game to game, probably trying to work out the best way to counter my awesome play :)
J: What did you individually see as the advantages of this challenge, and how are they working out?
D: I'd hoped to plug some big leaks in my heads up game, and become more fluent/skilled at playing the bottom 80% of hands! As primarily an MTT player and 6-max cash grinder, I had very little experience at heads up where there was tons of play. Also, playing a good mate whose skills you respect (which differ from yours, incidentally), is crucial. You have to be able to discuss hands candidly after each session, and often immediately after (I suspect) he's got me off the best hand! For me this was the most efficient way of making that next leap of progress, having remained at the same level now for about 12 months.
S: I think Dan has covered all of it, we both are primarily MTT players, saying that I feel I've had more experience in HU STTs. I have had quite a few good results in HU MTT’s but find it more of a challenge playing someone I know. The best thing by far is the banter and discussion after the games have finished, this is the first time I have done something like this and so far have found it very interesting and informative.
J: The structure is pretty good. What's the average length of match, and how much of a say has luck had so far?
D: Well, it's a decent stucture with matches routinely passing the 30 minute mark. Longest was 55 minutes, and that was only 100/200 at the finish. But luck has definitely had a say. A couple of matches have come down to flips, one to a set v flush draw. We've not seen any really sick beats, though Scotty thinks I run like Linford Christie, so you'll probably hear a different version from him.
S: If I’m going to be honest, luck hasn’t had too much of a factor yet, there have been barely any coin flips, yet a certain rivered two outer once we got it in on the turn still makes me feel sour! And for those out there that don’t know, I don’t run like Discomonkey.
J: How do you both feel about the rest of the match? Give us a winner and a likely score...
D: Dan ‘Danski’ Grant from PKR TV, by 51-41. Chicken dinner.
S: Scott ‘The Nit’ Shelley, 51-46. Shipideeeeeeship!
J: Give us an insight as to what will happen if you win...
D: After a handful of live matches against last year (featuring deep, deep ownage by me), I am, most days, almost unbearable anyway, but a win in this series would be better than a Main Event bracelet. I would retire to some obscure banana republic, sending periodic emails to PKR Towers picturing the nice mahogany cabinet in which I proudly display Scotty's soul.
S: I’m thinking that nearing the end of the challenge, going out to get some sort of trophy, that way, once I have won, I will display the trophy proudly at my desk. I’m not sure if I would take this win over a Main Event bracelet, but I can imagine the feeling of owning Dan would be just as good!
J: Lads, I wish you the worst of luck :) I guess it will last a good month or two, so drop in once in a while to let us know how it’s going!