Six seasons into the European Poker Tour and a peculiar anomaly remains: through 51 tournaments in cities across the continent, no one has ever won two main events. The list of winners reads like a who’s who of poker’s brightest talents – Jason Mercier, Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier, Patrik Antonius, Roland de Wolfe, Mike ‘Timex’ McDonald. But, although McDonald came very close in Deauville last month, none have managed to secure a second title, and it’s not getting any easier out there.
This year the EPT has introduced a new structure, with bigger stacks, longer levels and an extra day of play – a move that has delighted players and spectators alike. The improved playing conditions, however, have also now tempted the most fearsome online sharks into the live environment, with heads full of the most innovative tournament strategy honed on internet strategy forums.
In Barcelona, the 20-year-old American Carter Phillips took down the €850,000 first prize, beating the British live pro Marc Goodwin heads-up. In London a couple of weeks later, it was the turn of the 23-year-old Aaron Gustavson to strike another blow for the online battalion. He was followed every step of the way on the Two Plus Two forums, where he is a regular contributor, as he destroyed a record field for a major tournament in Britain. Gustavson took another £850,000 back to the virtual tables, with echoes of ‘sick score, dude’ ringing in his ears.
Online/offline
Online players prevailing on the EPT is hardly a new thing. Jeff ‘YellowSub86’ Williams won the second Grand Final in Monte Carlo, and ElkY is no slouch with a mouse. But the recent invasion has the potential to change the tour forever. The fearlessness and monstrous bankrolls that characterise the online pros, coupled with the sheer number of top-class players with almost no flaws in their strategy, will render the life of a ‘live’ tournament player almost impossible to sustain.
During the early stages of the London EPT, for instance, the table draw placed the online phenoms Annette ‘annette_15’ Obrestad, James ‘Andy McLEOD’ Obst, Laurence ‘rivermanl’ Houghton and Richard ‘CHUFTY’ Ashby all on the same table, where they were joined for good measure by Gus Hansen and Jeff Lisandro. The early success stories of the EPT used to build their game around staying out of trouble and picking on the weak. Increasingly no such luxury remains.
Some of the game’s innate character may depart with the old-school – Phillips and Gustavson were terrifically amiable and approachable, but neither provides the copy of a Goodwin. The modern poker purist, however, will be unconcerned: the play will make anyone purr.