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Congratulations to Everest Poker's Koen de Bakker!
In his first live event as a sponsored Everest player, Koen finished posted one of the top Everest finishes at the Main Event in Deauville, finishing 92nd out of over 700 players and taking home €8800!
The 25-year-old Dutchman has been very busy since making the 2010 Live the Dream Team. "First, all of my friends and family congratulated me with making the Team, but of course, I then had to explain to them for what it was they were congratulating me."
Amazingly, Koen managed to fit some serious online tournament action into his crazy schedule before heading off to Deauville. "Later on during that first week, I even found some time to play poker. I got second in the $100,000 Guaranteed and won $15,000!"
In his first week as a Live the Dream player, Koen did three interviews with the Dutch press — including excellent Q&As with both Poker News and NederPoker about his Live the Dream experience, and also wrote two articles of his own for two of the Netherlands' biggest poker sites! Check out Koen's wrap-up of the events in Vienna on the PokerInfo.nl forum, and read his advice on how to beat a sit & go at NederPoker. It's also an opportunity to learn poker strategy from some of Everest Poker's finest — Koen and Team Everest's Steven van Zadelhoff will be writing many educational pieces at NederPoker in the months to come.
And if his performance in Deauville is any indication, the world will be seeing a lot of Koen de Bakker in 2010.
After being selected for the 2010 Live the Dream Team , Denmark's Thomas Froslev (Danny McCoy--) went back to school — literally. The economics student is in his final semester of classes, so it was back to the books after Vienna. Of course, Thomas won't have to worry about looking for a job after graduation — he's secured a year-long sponsorship worth $100,000 with Everest Poker!
"I’ve been interviewed by a lot of journalists from online magazines, television and newspapers. It is almost unreal," says Thomas. Since winning, Thomas has already spoken with such widely-read Danish publications as Tipsbladet and JydskeVestkysten.
"But most of my time has been spent in school or with my family and friends — CELEBRATING, of course! And I’ve been thinking a lot about what tournaments I want to play."
Leonard Truche finished 19th of the 1 000 € HNL EPT Deauville and has completed his first performance sporting the Everest colors.
21h00 One of our French players is truly living his dream and has posted his first in the money finish as a sponsored Everest Poker player.
We are proud to announce that one of the three French players of the 2010 Live the Dream Team — Leonard Truche (Leoledingo)— has passed the bubble of the 1 000 € tournament HNL after 10 hours of play.
We're at level 16 with blinds of 2 500 / 5 000 and 500 ante.
There are 25 players of the 252 that were present at the beginning of the tournament last night and the prize pool is 241 920 €.
Leoledingo has a stack of 90 000 for an average of 75K and enjoys a strong position at his table which allows him to consider the tournament more serenely.
15h30: Well we can not say that our two players had any luck being caught side by side.
Initially, Koen de Bakker who had been card dead since the start of the day, decided to push all in and was called by one player. Our Netherlands player showed KK, which largely dominated the KJ of his opponent. However, his pair of Ks will not last for long, and our pro player is out.
A few hands later, Laurent Bachelet suffered the same fate with QQ against AT.
Congratulations to both our Everest Poker players for their in-the-money finishes!!!! Koen finished in 92nd place, and Laurent in 90th. Both players take home €8,800 — an excellent accomplishment considering over 700 players entered into this year's Deauville event!
14h48: The bubble has burst! First tournament and ITM for Koen de Bakker since he won a year-long sponsorship with Everest Poker worth $100,000. Now it will reach to double again and again his 60k chips with blinds at 3k-6k and 500 ante. The average is 225k.
Other players of the Everest Poker community are in the money.
- Laurent "MacQueen" Bachelet: 70k.
Hazard of the draw, Laurent and Koen found themselves side by side.
14h22: The atmosphere is unbearable here in Deauville. There are no more than 105 players and only 104 will be paid. The tournament is currently played "hand by hand" and tournament directors have asked the full press to stay outside of the aisles of the tournament so they can move freely and comment on hands. Koen de Bakker is still there and fighting to try to make his first GTI in EPT since he signed with Everest Poker. Come on Koen, we're all behind you!
14h11: There are 107 players, but we know that there will be only 104 who will return in the money. Since the beginning of the day the short stacks are obligated to be very active which significantly reduces the margin of maneuvers. Koen's card is dead and saw his stack melt like snow in the sunshine. Go Koen ... More!
13h50: We are now at level 17 with blinds at 3k-6k and 500 ante. There are 109 players and the average is 211k.
13h45: Here are some chip counts
- Koen de Bakker: 75k
- Christian Debeil: 170k
- Laurent Bachelet: 130k
- Armijn: 240k
13h30: 15 min break.
13h23: There is an electric atmosphere here in Deauville. While five players have been booed by the lady participants, the bad beat rain has continued at Tristan Clemencon's table. The player who scored the last bad beat is obviously on tilt and had to be reprimanded by the floor manager.
Very strange day here in Deauville. While we follow the action at Koen de Bakker's table, an Italian player who was consuming spirits to the left of the dealer, chokes and spits a large amount of water on the dealer's head. The dealer becomes very angry, but we understand!
Then a few seconds later, three men are heavily booed by hundreds of female players while they register for the Ladies tournament.
At the same time, at the next table, Cristian Clemencon with AA is all in and his called with QJ on a board of 9 K 9 ... Turn Q, river ... Q! Sad way to get eliminated to the doors of places paid!
We are back for Day 3 of EPT Deauville. Of the 746 players who began the tournament, there are only 133 players remaining that can expect to share a portion of the prize pool. Among them are the new rookie of Team Everest Pro, the Dutchman Koen De Bakke. In table 7, his stack grew to about 128.000 chips.
We're at level 16 with blinds at 2500-5000, 500 ante. The average is 173.500.
Like yesterday, the tournament is structured so that the players play 6 levels of 75 minutes each.
We will keep you informed throughout the day with the progression of our pro players, as well as some Everest regulars who came to participate in Deauville for the EPT.
20:20 End of Day 2
We are sorry to announce that we have just one player remaining at the European Poker Tour taking place in Deauville.
From the 6 players of the Everest team who qualified, only our Dutch player, Koen de Bakker, has made it through this terrific Day 2 with a stack of 125 000 chips.
Of the 136 players remaining, Koen hopes to achieve one of the 104 seat sin the prize pool. We're all supporting you Koen!
20:20 After dropping to 40K, Koen de Bakker just made a nice shot.
A player in middle position announces an opening 12K, forcing all other players to fold; Except Koen who is the last one to go, saying "all'in" and pushing his last chips in the center of the table for $ 48 000. His opponent shows AsKd while Koen shows Ah9h.
The board will come to the aid of our players with
5c5h9d 4d 9c
Our last player doubled his stack and now has advanced more than 96 000;
This remains below the tournament average of 160 000, but it gives us hope to see one of our players on the run for a victory!
18:20 Players took advantage of 15 minutes of a well deserved break and are now back to the tournament hall, to play the last two levels of the day.
We're at level 14 with blinds at 1,500-3,000 and 300 ante. The average is 125.200.
17:50 Here is a chip count from our players.
- Cristiano Blanco: 70,000
- Koen de Bakker: 70,000
16:00 Elimination of Antoine Saout! After increasing from 35k to 130k, Antoine Saout continued to be very active at his table. After a few misses, he falls back to 70,000 and he decided to revive 5.500 in late position. The BB decides to 3bet to 15k and after a short discussion, Antoine sends all'in for 70k. Insta strange call by AJ offsuited, which dominates the A7 of Antoine Saout. No miracle will save our November Nine.
14:56 Elimination of Sigurd! After being dropped to about 30k, Sigurd decides to send All'in, but another player decided to call after him. AT vs AQ. No miracles happened to save our Norwegian player.
14:18 With blinds at 800-1600, a player in middle position raises to 5,000. The SB and our pro gamer from the Netherlands, Koen de Bakker call at the BB position.
Flop: 4d 4s 5h
The SB opens at 7,000 and Koen call. The initial raiser abandoned.
The turn was 6h. SB maintaining the pressure by beting 15,000. Followed by a very long period of reflection from Koen, who finally announced all'in for 25k more. The SB finally gave the blow by allowing Koen pointing now at 85k.
14:12 Antoine Saout has a relatively short stack at the start of Day 2 and he's very active at his table. On his last move to date, he goes all in with 6s 7s against an opponent who called with a 44. After hitting a straight draw at both ends, he finally won the shot with a flush. Following this coup, Antoine's count is now around 60k.
13:58 Here are the chip counts from our players.
- Antoine Saout: 28,600
- Cristiano Blanco: 42,000
- Fabien Perrot:33,500
- Sigurd Eskeland: 56,000
- Koen de Bakker:38,000
Among the familiar faces of the Everest Poker community, we find:
- Cristian "Oracle" Debeil: 40,000
- Stephan "Bouyonnette" Fajg: 32,000
- Laurent "McQueen" Bachelet: 80,000
13:30 15 minute break.
13:28 With his last hand before the break, Sigurd Eskeland bet to the button with 3.1 K. The SB folds and BB 3bet 12k fairly quickly. After counting the number of chips he had left, Sigurd decides to 4bet all'in to 42.1 k. This is followed by a long period of reflection by his opponent who eventually folds. His opponent shows TT and Sigurd shows Kc8c! With this move Sigurd amounts to 56k.
12:39 In only a few minutes the tournament has taken over and our player Leo Truche is all in.
Having relaunched in position 3k, the SB decides 3bet to 14k. After checking his cards again, Leo decides to shove all'in for 26.5 k more. His opponent did not take long to call back and JJ face the Leo's AK ... continues to be a flip!
Board: Th 8c Ts Td 3c
The board will not help our Frenchie who finds the way out prematurely.
=====================================================================================
We are back at EPT Deauville for the coverage of the Team Everest Pro Poker.
On the agenda today: Only six levels, unless yesterday's 0. This time, the levels are 75 minutes. The first level is 600/1200 with 150 ante.
411 players have passed the milestone of Day 1 and some serious playing can finally begin.
23h42 It's the end of Day 1B. Fabien Perrot, Leo Truche and Sigurd Eskeland will come back tomorrow to play Day 2 alongside Antoine Saout, Cristiano Blanco and Koen de Bakker.
Ismael Arribas was eliminated today:
23h25 When wandering the aisles of the main hall at EPT, we found two new Live the Dream recruits, Fabien Perrot and Sigurd Eskeland. They have crossed paths with an old friend from the Everest Poker community: Nicolas Babel (nicbaboul). Unfortunately, they have not had the chance to sit at the same table for long. Wile Nicolas and Fabien were blinds, one player went all in for 38k (blinds 500-1k) and returned Nicolas Babel to the floor.
After a moment of reflection, Nicolas finally decided to play with JJ and his opponent reveals AQ for a flip form factor.
Board: 8d 4c Tc Ah 3d.
23h04 Our players are struggling a bit today. After our qualified player recovered to 3.5k, Franck Calonnec, another player payroll and a third decided to squeeze to 14.4 k. After long consideration, Frank calls and the second player folds.
Both players shot down 99 for our Frenchie Vs AK to his opponent.
Board: 7s As 2d 8h 6c.
22h56 The players enjoyed 15 minutes of break time to relax in order to face the last part of day 1B.
22h11 Luis Ubierna is OUT. He gets some 40K chips and it takes a few hands for the next move to occur.A player raises to 2k, 2 players call and Luis decided to do the same with 66.
Flop: Ac Jx 6x
The 4 players check.
Turn: 9c.
The SB opens at 4k, Luis Ubierna 3bet to the 16k and everyone folds to the SB that called.
River: 3c which return the color.
The SB check and Luis does the same.
His adversary reveals Jc Tc.
Following this move, the Luis's stack is 12k.
On the last shot, everyone folds to hi jack to limp to 800. Luis bets 8k (last chips) with A8 and calls with 22 and wins the flip!
Second from the Spanish Everest Poker community to be eliminated at EPT Deauville!
21h21 We are sorry to announce that Steven Van Zadelhoff will not play Day 2B at EPT Deauville. After paying a large number of shots with prints that are not entered and with good starting hands, our Holland player found himself with only 12k of chips at dinner.
Finally, after an opening 1,750, Steven decides to go all'in with is last 12k chips.
After a moment of astonishment, the enemy decides to call with 55, which gives us a classic flip.
Steven unveils AT vs 55 to his opponent. Unfortunately for Steven, a flop comes 5 to condemn him. Unfortunately, Steven is now out.
21h15 We cannot say that things are going well for members of the team since we returned from lunch.
Indeed, after opening with 1600 by David Colin, an opponent 3bet to 4.5 k. .. our Frenchie decides to 4bet to 26k and go all in which puts his opponent in trouble. After a long consideration, he finally plays a QQ, which dominates David Colin's JJ, who in turn found his way out.
Note that we'll find David Colin next week at the Aviation Club de France for the rest of the French Poker Tour where he is still racing for Day 3 with Fabrice Soulier.
20h59 When it does not work...
Fabrice Soulier left the tournament a few minutes after the restart. Our pro player of Team Everest raised 1,500 and an opponent 3bet to 6000 ... Fabrice simply pay with 77.
Flop: J 8 7.
After a check of Fabrice, his opponent bet all in and Fabrice instantly called with his hand. His opponent showed QQ.
Turn: 8.
River ... Q!
We find Fabrice at the Aviation Club of France next week for the Day 3 of the French Poker Tour.
20h32 The players have enjoyed a lunch break and are now back for more with three levels in an hour.
We are at level 7 with blinds at 300-600 and a 50 ante. From the 429 players who had seats earlier, 324 are still in the race. The average is 39.700.
19h12 Just before the break, Javier Martinez failed to negotiate a bluff facing an inexperienced opponent. Following this ordeal,the young Spanish player's stack went from 35k to 13k.
From there, he ended up going all in with a short stack, but once again he lost the blow ... this time with the best hand and fell to 7.800 chips.
Finally, following a raise of 1k, Javi decides to shove all'in with AK suited, paid by a 7-8 suited ... and again he loses the spot and found his way out.
Of course, you can count on Javier to keep supporting members of Team Everest and its fellow "regulars" still in the race.
18h43
Here is an updated chip count for Team Everest and the Live the Dream Team:
- Fabrice Soulier: 20k.
- Fabien Perrot: 28k.
- Leo Truche: 40k.
- Sigurd Eskeland: 34k.
- Javier Martinez: 15k
Here are some bulk chipcounts for the Everest Poker regulars:
- Pablo Ubierna: 36k.
- Luis Ubierna:23k.
- Nicolas Poloniato: 30k.
- Ismael Arribas: 15k.
- David Colin: 24,5k
- Armijn: 43k!!!
- Sybrard: 49k.
18h09 This tournament will not be one of Julien "Garrincho54" Claudepierre's favorite memories. Since the beginning of the day he was unable to increase his stack as he would have liked. Quite the opposite happened: he melted like snow in the sun to the threshold of 13.000 chips.
With the blinds at 150-300, the UTG player makes an opening 800 and Julien decides to follow. Everyone fold to a player who decides 3bet to 3,300. Everyone fold up, Julien decides to push his last chips in the middle for 9,000 more. His opponent thought for a long time and finally called.
At slaughter, Julien reveals 8s 9s and a hand that is largely dominated by As Js.
Flop: 8d 9h Ac
Julien then produced a two pair that puts his opponent in a state of rage.
Turn: 3d
River ... Jh.
While the flop looked promising for our "rookie," ultimately the logic of starting hands was respected and Julien "Garrincho54" find his way out prematurely.
18h00 Our Live the Dream Team player from Hungary, Viktoria Szilasi (SexyGirl) has not found herself very fortunate, and even less success in her first tournament as a sponsored player. In fact, we had told you she had known the folder KK AA against his opponent on a board that consists of small maps. Following this blow, her stack dwindled considerably. Then came a confrontation similar to the previous one, but this time the limited depth available led the competition to push all his chips to the middle. Unfortunately for her, she failed to obtain the miraculous cards that would have allowed her to double up and get back into the race.
17h33 We are back at the exciting EPT Deauville. We're at level 5 with blinds at 150-300 and 25 ante. 376 players are still competing in Day 1B. For now, all our Everest Poker representatives are still in the race.
17h: Our pro player, Fabrice Soulier lived a nightmarish afternoon. We arrived at his table and he was in action ... He finally gave up the blow and fell to a few 6.300 chips . Following this move, he takes a few seconds to go breathe some fresh air.
This break seems to have made a difference since just back, he won a deal that allowed him to go to about 9,000 chips. He then finds himself in a confrontation with Luca Pagano and another opponent.
On the next stroke, Fabrice recovers his position 500 of blinds at 100-200. Luca Pagano and his neighbor blinds pay both.
Flop: Kh 4d Ah
Pagano check, the BB open at 1,200 and Fabrice and Italian pay both.
Turn: Qd
Check for Pagano, BB continues to maintain the pressure and put again to 2,400, paid by Fabrice who has a very good hand (Jh Th), which gives it a straight draw and a royal flush ... also paid by Luca Pagano.
The river is a 6d causing a double check of the blinds and placing 4,800 of "Fabsoul" trying to materialize an uprooting of his opponents. Pagano ends up paying and won the shot with a backdoor flush with Kd 9d and therefore won a pot.
Meanwhile, Fabrice is down again around 6,000 chips!
15h30 Here's a little photo shoot with members of the Team in action, as well as Everest Poker "regulars":
On the French side:
- Leo Truche:
From other nationalities of Team Everest:
- Sigurd Eskeland from Norway:
- Viktoria Szilasi from Hungary:
==================================================================================
Players have returned to their seats with blinds at 100-200. 17 players have already found the way out in the first two hours of playing. The average is now 31.200 chips.
14h45 Players now enjoy 15 minutes of a well deserved break.
After several incidents beyond our control, we were not able to give you more news from the members of Team Everest, but now:
14h37 Here are the updated chip count from our representatives of Team Everest and the new Live the Dream Team:
- Fabrice Soulier: 30k.
- Julien Claudepierre: 30k.
- Fabien Perrot: 31k.
- Sigurd Eskeland: 30k.
- Viktoria Szilasi: 24k (After a big confrontation AA Vs KK fold with reluctantly by our favorite)
- Javier Martinez: 32K
Here are some bulk chipcounts from our Everest Poker regulars:
- Pablo Ubierna: 22k.
- Luis Ubierna:30k.
- Otto Richard: 7k.
- Nicolas Poloniato: 15k.
- Ismael Arribas: 36k.
- David Colin: 46k!
- Franck Calonnec: 30k.
- Armijn: 35k.
- Sybrard: 24k.
We will return shortly with fresh news.
Javier Martinez
Viktoria Szilasi
Julien Claudepierre
Fabien Perrot
23h57 The results of Day 1A:
The first day was very eventful. Of the 349 players that started the day, only 198 finished. Their average is about 51K.
Overall, Team Everest Pro performed well. Here are their results:
- Cristiano Blanco: 55,000.
- Koen De Bakker: 38,000.
- Antoine Saout: 40,000.
23h15 Last minute details:
30 minutes of play remain during Day 1A. We're at level 9, with blinds at 500/1000 and a 100 ante.
Antoine continues his performance and now points to 92 000 ... no comment!
22h55 Superb performance!
After dropping to 5K, Antoine Saout proves once again he has mastered his craft by achieving a comeback of 80K, while the current average is about 46K!
While playing in the EPT Deauville tournament, he won two 2009 French Poker Awards:
- Improved Performance of the Year
- Best Newcomer of the Year
Also, he finished second in the category "Public Vote".
22h50 Some figures:
Here's a quick update of Team Everest Pro's standings:
- Cristiano Blanco: 60,000.
- Koen De Bakker: 42,000.
- Antoine Saout: 80,000.
21h10 The shock:
Voitto Rintala and Antoine Saout found themselves at the same table and the feared confrontation of two Everest Poker team members took place.
The heads-up came quickly: Voitto bet 1 600, followed only by Antoine Saout from BB.
With a flop of Qd Js 6d, both players check
The turn Announces Td
While Voitto check, Antoine bet 2 500
After a long thought, Voitto announces "All In" pushing the middle of the table with his 13 000 last chips. Antoine Saout hesitates but finally chose to call.
Voitto shows Jd Ah, while Antoine has a Qh 7h
The river will end the brotherly duel with a Qh - synonymous of a trips playoff for Voitto Rintala
20h10 The breathtaking tournament performance of Antoine Saout
While there is no more than 260 remaining players in this day 1A, 3 hours to play and blinds at 300/600 with 75 ante, Antoine Saout provides a fabulous shot against Patrick Masliah.
After a Bet/Call of 4 125 by Antoine, Patrick Masliah announces "all in" and gets an immediate response to Antoine Saout that follows showing Ah Ac while his opponent showed an ace Kh.
The board will not come to the aid of Patrick Masliah with Qs 4c 3s 4d 8c
Antoine doubled his stack with a good return of 38 000
19h10 Dinner Break: Players now have to 1 hour break for dinner.
18h47 Antoine Saout continues to be very active at his table and has begun Operation Come Back.
Our November Nine calls a raise to 1,000 of his opponent since the BB.
Flop: 7H 5D TH
Saout opens with 1,000 and calls his opponent fairly quickly.
Turn: 8C
Antoine bets 2,000 and calls his opponent again.
River: QH
Antoine maintains pressure with 5,000 chips remaining ... This time his opponent abandons the spot and drops her cards in the muck.
With this move, Antoine climbs to 13,000.
18h34 Antoine Saout went into attack mode by stealing a large number of small pots and he was forced to put his stack into the middle to win the pot ... his chip count is now up to 8,000.
Here the most recent figures for a few members of the Everest Poker Community:
- Cristiano Blanco: 30,000.
- Voitto Rintala: 19,000.
- Koen De Bakker: 34,000.
- Christian Debeil: 41,000.
17h15 Here is an updated chipcount for the members of Team Everest and some Everest Poker regulars who have qualified for this tournament.
- Antoine Saout: 7,200.
- Cristiano Blanco: 50,000.
- Koen de Bakker: 40,000.
- Voitto Rintala: 28,000.
- Christian Debeil: 31,000.
- Stephan Fajg: 28,000.
16h45 Players now have the chance to take a much needed 15 minute break.
16h00 The "rookie" of Team Everest, Koen De Bakker is doing rather well for his first EPT appearance. After losing a few hands early in the game, the tables turned in his favor when he won a large pot.
With the blinds at 100-200, the young Dutchman raises to 800 and the SB 3bet to 2,200 and he calls.
Flop: 9 5 J
Both checked.
Turn: 4
The SB checks, Koen bet 2,600 and the opponent calls.
River: 2
The SB checks again, Koen puts up 7,000 and calls his opponent.
Our Everest Poker player reveals a pair of 4s-making a trips-and his opponent sends his cards to the muck!
15h30 Antoine Saout is experiencing a slump and has lost some big pots. With blinds at 100-200, Antoine raises to 600 and 2 players call.
Flop: 8c 5d 8d
Antoine CBET to 1,100, one player calls and the second folds.
Turn: 8s
Antoine bets 2,900 and the player calls again.
River: Qs
Antoine bets 5,000 again and his opponent raises 11,000.
After a period of reflection, Antoine folds.
14h56 Players were allowed a well deserved 15 minute break.
14h30 After losing about 5,000 chips early in the game, Team Everest's Cristiano Blanco came back in the next stroke:
With blinds at 75-150, Cristiano discovers As Ks and decides to open 400 ... called by the BB.
Flop: 2c 4c Qs.
The BB checks, Cristiano bets 850 ... players call.
Turn: 7s.
The other players check again and Cristiano decides to check too.
River: Ts.
The BB opens at 2,000 and after a little "acting" to relaunch the Cristiano 5.500 ... paid by the BB.
Cristiano wins then the pot with a nut flush.
14h20 Here is an updated chip count for our Everest players:
- Antoine Saout: 34k
- Voitto Rintala: 33k.
- Cristiano Blanco: 35k.
- Koen De Bakker: 19,1k.
- Cristian Debeil: 40k.
- Stephan Fajg: 30k.
14h10 Antoine Saout just won a hefty shot. After a raise to 350, Antoine decides 3bet to 1,200 ... everyone raises to fold initial call.
Flop: 2d Ts 7d.
Players check in and Antoine CBET 1600 ... call.
Turn: 6h.
The players check again and Antoine bets 2.900.
River: 3d.
Both checked.
Antoine shows Td Jc and his opponent put his cards in the muck!
==================================================================================
Welcome everyone to the coverage of Team Everest at EPT Deauville! Hosted by PokerStars.com.
349 players have participated on Day 1A, among these are Antoine Saout, Cristiano Blanco, Voitto Rintala and the young rookie from the 2010 Live The Dream Team, Koen De Bakker.
Also, note the presence of familiar faces in the Everest community: Cristian "Oracle" Debeil and Stephan "Bouillonnette" Fajga.
The prize pool is estimated at € 2,702,400 but is not yet final. Players begin the tournament with an initial stack.
We will keep you up to date on their progress throughout the week.
Finally after two days of hard work and even more difficult decision making, it's the moment we've all been waiting for...here is your new 2010 Live the Dream Team!
Fabien Perrot (FR)
SchumyFab
Ronny Pickard (DE)
Spadesman
Koen de Bakker (NL)
koendb
Javier Martinez (ES)
elflacokanu
Sigurd Eskeland (NO)
TheBigViking
Viktoria Szilasi (HU)
SexyGirl
Leonard Truche (FR)
leoledingo
Tobias Wagner (DE)
Tobestar11
Thomas Froslev (DA)
DannyMcCoy--
Julien Claudepierre (FR)
Garrincho54
Experience a bit of this once-in-a-lifetime event and watch Team Everest's Cristiano Blanco and Maria Macieras announce the winners in Vienna, and see the winners describe the announcement in their own words.
Before the 2010 Live the Dream Team was announced, PokerTube talked to two individuals influential in today's decision-making process. Esteemed international tournament director Thomas Kremser of TK Poker Events and Chief Marketing Officer of Everest Poker, Jennifer Joyce.
Both Kremser and Joyce were very pleased with the outcome of this year's competition and look forward to seeing more of the 2010 Live the Dream Team.
MTT and Sit'nGo tournament player Leonard Truche (leolelingo) is so skilled that he actually qualified for Live the Dream twice via the All-France Live the Dream Direct Entry. Leo has had a passion for games since he was a kid -- when he and his friends started watching poker on TV and were soon hooked. Four years ago, Leo discovered Everest Poker with a simple "online poker" search. and stayed because of the user friendly software that enabled him to get started.
He has always enjoyed the combination of online and live tournament play. Online, he recently finished third in the Everest Poker $100K Guaranteed, and has also won both $30K and $25K Guaranteed Tournaments. He also qualified online four times for the Montesino Grand Slam and twice for the SPT Finale in Gran Canaria. He has also played in tons of other live events, including the WSOP, 2007 EPEC (Portugal) and four SPT events.
But Leo isn't all about poker. A former physical education teacher for special needs and disabled children, Leo enjoys spending time with family and friends in Besançon, France. His free time snowboarding and playing handball.
Italy's Davide Rugi (M@t@ciclista) is a motorcycling enthusiast from Plato, a town near Florence, and one of the most popular players in Everest Poker's Italian community.
Davide first heard about online poker from a family friend in 2006, and he started off playing for free, moving onto real money games in 2007 with an initial deposit of $25. Davide's first foray into real money poker was the Everest Poker's Chip and A Chair tournaments. "I was waiting for 10 minutes before starting for my first online tournaments, even with such low buy-ins," Davide recalls.
Davide has posted a fourth place finish online at Everest Poker’s $100,000 Guaranteed, but spends the majority of his time at the cash game tables (ranging from $2/$4 to $5/$10). Currently, the full-time businessman still manages to spend at least 30 hours per week playing online poker…and also fits in a little time with his girlfriend.
Julien Claudepierre (Garrincho54) is one of the most well-known and well-respected players in not only the French-speaking, but the entire Everest Poker community. The recent graduate of one of France's top-ranked and highly-competitive engineering programs also worked as an intern for the online poker education website DeucesCracked in New York City.
"I loved living in New York for three months, but it was also very rewarding to spend so much time around world-class poker players."
In addition to numerous live tournaments in his native France, Julien has played in both the WSOP and the WPT Marrakesh and can often be found at Everest Poker's NLHE 6-max and Heads Up tables, as well working on his Pot-Limit Omaha game.
"In 2010, I want to make the successful transition from being a solid cash game player to becoming a formidable opponent in live tournaments around the world."
Belgium's Jonas T'Syen (GiveItAll) lets his screen name — and tattoo — do the talking. "It's a popular song from the band Rise Against, but it also explains how I am," he says. "I always make the best of it".
The manager of a mobile phone store, Jonas hits the 6-max NL cash games ($100–$400) on Everest Poker whenever he's not working. He started playing 5-card draw as a teenager while on a school trip. When Jonas turned 18, he started giving it his all online and began playing NLHE every day.
Jonas began playing with Everest because of the benefits offered through the VIP Summit Club. "The structure of it benefits the more hands you play. For the last two months, I've been in the Death Zone, and receiving about $2000 in bonuses! No other poker website gives you such a thing. I also like the being invited to live events organized for the players, and the better customer support I receive as a member of the VIP club."
Italy's Francesco De Vivo (raffa.de) began playing poker in 2006. The 2007–2008 Italian Champion plays online up to 12 hours a day and considers Everest Poker the best online poker room. "Everest has a lovely MTT structure, and I also enjoy the $5/$10 cash games."
Of course, the full-time poker player also finds time to enjoy life’s simple pleasures when he's not at the tables. "I sometimes find time to do things like normal people," Francesco says with a smile. "I always find the time for girls."
German finalist Ronny Pickard (spadesman) spends his days working in a bank and, when he's not playing poker, he also plays midfield on a local football team and analyzes potential patterns in stock market activity. "I'm a real worker", he says and he clearly brings that dedication to his poker, qualifying via the LTD Summit Point Leaderboard.
Ronny first learned poker when he was just 15, playing five-card stud with friends. He is another player who has been with Everest Poker since the beginning, starting on the No Limit Hold'em tables in 2004."Everest was my first room; sometimes the first love stays, so to speak. Everest gives me everything I need. Tournaments, cash games, good stuff." Ronny has blogged about many of his some of his tounament results on his blog.
Spademan's dream is to finally play the WSOP Main Event. He missed it in 2009 due to a last-minute conflict, but this year he's definitely not going out on his shot at glory at the world's premier poker event in Las Vegas.
Germany's Tobias Wagner (tobestar11) began his poker career online with Everest just two years ago, grinding away at the lowest cash game levels, eventually graduating to higher-stakes ring games and the top of the VIP Summit Club. "I started playing on Everest and I've never stopped," the Nuremberg resident says. "I have always loved the community, the staff, and the events I've been able to participate in. Even before Live the Dream, Everest had already changed my life in many aspects"
Although he is a hardworking university student majoring in English and Physical Education, and the leading three-point shooter in his basketball league, is spent playing online poker. Everyday, Tobias can be found playing Everest cash games, particularly the NLHE $1000 (6-max and full ring) and $10,000 Guaranteed tournaments, the latter of which he has won several times and frequently makes the final table. Although he describes himself as primarily a cash game player, Tobias plays seven tournaments a week and usually plays an average of 10 tables online every time he logs on.
Tobias' is a two-time SPT qualifier and is active within both the German and VIP Summit Club communities. He was also a member of the winning 6inVegas team, where Everest sent one winner to the tournament and five of their poker-playing friends to cheer them on. Although he didn't win the actual seat, he used this this trip to take his game to some of the Vegas' legendary cash tables at the Venetian and Bellagio. Tobias wanted to Live the Dream with Everest Poker so he could travel to even more of the world's biggest cash games, as well as devote serious attention to developing his live event skills.
"I have won a lot of cash games in Vegas, but I want more. And I want more great live poker tournament accomplishments. Live the Dream can help make this happen and it is why this contract means everything to me."
Only minutes ago, the Netherlands' Koen de Bakker was named to the 2010 Live the Dream Team!
I was able to interview him as he waited for the results and PokerTube caught a bit of the action.
It is common on TV that people who take part in competitions are usually interviewed in a "Green Room" when waiting for the results. Now Everest Poker's Melinda Green is taking care of the blog on everestpokerblog.com and here is an example on how it works when she is interviewing one of the qualifiers - Koen de Bakker.
The Netherlands' Niels van Gent (Nielis) plays on Everest Poker alongside his brother, fellow Live the Dream qualifier Mysticus1. The 29-year-old Personal & Labor student from Groningen has won every big tournament he has played on Everest Poker — all except one.
"Every time I have played the $100,000 Guaranteed, I always get in the money. But then there is a big suckout and I’m gone. It gets frustrating." Niels' biggest live achievements include a fourth place finish at the SPT Valencia, qualifying for the WSOP Main Event twice, and winning several smaller tournaments in his native Holland.
"My passion for poker comes from the feelings to always want to be the best. Money comes second. My goal is still the same as when I began playing — to win a major live event and to be one of the best. And if you want to be the best, you have to play the best."
Since observing an increase in the popularity of Omaha throughout Europe, Niels has also been developing his skills with a steady schedule of online Omaha tournaments. "If you look at big television players, they play more online Omaha than Holdem right now."
"I like the action of Omaha, its an aggressive game, its a swing-related game. Harder to maintain steady bankroll when you play Omaha."
When he's not grinding away online at Everest Poker, Niels can be found spending quality time with his girlfriend, whom he lovingly points out is his biggest fan. He also is a prolific reader and makes sure he squeezes one book into his busy schedule every week.
Brazil's Norson Shinti Saho (JenniferWood) discovered poker after a very successful career playing Age of Empires professionally. The 2004 Age of Empires World Champion and former game tester for Microsoft is now a full-time poker player, and also offers his services as a poker coach one day a week.
Norson selected JenniferWood as his screen name because it was a very general, natural-sounding female name. It is common for players to use a distinctly feminine name in order to throw off their opponents, which is precisely why Norson chose his particular online moniker. A fan of the deep stack tournaments at Everest Poker, Norson started out at the S&G tables before moving onto MTTs.
"I started playing freerolls on Everest 3 ½ years ago," says the Sao Paulo native and avid football fan. "I deposited $20 and began playing $2 S&Gs. I never made another deposit. I ended up going from $5 to $10 and eventually $500."
A keenly intelligent and analytical player, Norson knows his game of choice is more about skill than luck. "I see poker as an investment. It's not a gamble. It's an investment."
A former professional mahjong player, Shingo Nozaki (-45-) is already one of the best-known poker players in Japan. "We believe in his limitless potential in the Japanese market," says Everest Poker's Japanese Manager Lina Yamazaki and Team Everest's Kim Wooka. As part of a new generation of Japanese poker players who have emerged onto the scene within the past year, Shingo is an exceptional cash game player and makes over $100,000 a year from online ring games alone. Since there are no land-based casinos in Japan, he often travels to Las Vegas and Korea for live events, including the WSOP.
"I play with Everest Poker because it is the best online poker room in Japan. They are the most famous, and they have always provided me with better Japanese support whenever I have needed anything."
Why did Shingo give up a successful professional mahjong career? He felt poker presented him with limitless challenges and possibilities. "Poker takes more skill and is easy to access online. It is more fun. In mahjong, you are always limited to only 4 players," he says. "What I love about poker is that you can play with one other person, or you can play with hundreds of thousands of other players. This is what makes poker a special game."
One of nearly 20 Brazilian qualifiers and one of two in the Top 21 Finalists, Marco Cesar (XT@TX) comes to Vienna from Indaiatuba, a small town located approximately 200km from Sao Paulo. Well-known within the Everest Poker Brazilian community, Marco came to Austria with fellow Brazilian qualifier, ADOLPH88. Although they have played together and kept in touch online for some time, their trip to Live the Dream was the first time they had met in person.
A prolific online tournament player, Marco qualified via the Live the Dream MTT Leaderboard during the first week of qualification. Technically, he qualified another SIX TIMES. Marco began playing poker five years ago after watching the WSOP on ESPN. Upon learning one of the players qualified online. So he looked up poker online and found Everest Poker. He downloaded the free poker software, started using the online tutorial and then...well, the rest his history.
Chances are you should be a little scared if you end up in a Sit & Go with the Netherlands' Koen de Bakker (koendb). Topping the S&G Leaderboards was how he earned his ticket to Live the Dream. Just last year, Koen qualified for the WSOP Main Event by climbing the Everest Poker Steps alongside Team Everest's Steven van Zadelhoff. “We played a bunch of Step 6 S&Gs together until we both qualified,” Koen says.
Splitting his time up between the tournaments and the cash game tables, koendb has always been dedicated to improving his all-around poker skills. Like many of Everest's top players, Koen honed his skills at the Shasta freerolls, steadily built his initial bankroll with tourney play for about six months until graduating to $25 NLHE and eventually $1000 NLHE 6-max cash games.
“I've tried other poker sites, but always came back to Everest. For me, Everest Poker is like home,” says Koen. “I enjoy the variety of the tournaments, the cash games, and especially the live event opportunities offered to players.”
In addition to playing his first WSOP, Koen took his seat in nine other international tournaments spanning the globe from nearby Amsterdam to far-away Asia during 2009.
In the relatively short time Koen has been laying the groundwork for a solid career in poker, he has also been working towards the completion of an economics degree. It's not difficult, Koen says. Because it has made him a better student. “Poker sharpens my mind. It helps me study better by keeping me focused. And there are many things about poker and economics which are similar.”
23-year-old university student Thomas Frøslev (DannyMcCoy--) may be finishing his economics degree in May 2010, but he has already secured himself a $100,000 sponsorship with Everest Poker.
DannyMcCoy-- is one of most formidable ring game regulars at Everest Poker. Twice qualifying for Live the Dream via the Cash Game Races, he prefers playing shorthanded and heads up NLHE games up to $10,000 (blinds 50/100) for the constant intensity. “It forces you to play more. You have to think,” says the Esbjerg, Denmark resident. “At a 10-person table, you can get away with playing as few hands as possible.”
Although Tomas played seven events in the WSOP and played 14th in an ECPT event in 2009, Thomas believes that an Everest Poker sponsorship will help him achieve his current goal of gaining more live event experience, as well as using what he's learned from others to help novice players. “I want to give my knowledge back to the poker community, because if it weren't for poker forums and high rollers, I wouldn't never have gotten this far in poker.”
Like many young players, he got hooked during the “poker boom” of four years ago, and honed his basic skills in home games with his friends. But for Thomas, poker less about money and more about the strategy, competition, and the relationships he's cultivated with other players. Although he has enjoyed much success as a cash game players and has posted impressive finishes in some of the biggest online guaranteed tournaments, at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that he is having fun.
“But when it comes down to it, enjoying life is what matters and when I play poker, I enjoy life,” he says.
Germany's Mark Willeke (razello) was once an aspiring politician, but he gave up a government job to pursue his dream full time. He is very committed to teaching and both studying poker, and devotes several hours a day to both activities in addition to playing online over six hours everyday. You can even check out a bit of Mark Willeke's video poker blog on YouTube! Within the Everest Poker community, Mark is well-known and a master at social networking, and one of his favorite parts about qualifying for Live the Dream was that he got to reunite with many of his poker friends.
Mark plays at Everest because he loves the live event offerings, the MTT structures, the VIP Summit Club, and most of all his fellow players. "I love the community, and everything Everest stands for," says the WSOP, SPT and Montesino Grand Slam qualifier. "Everest is not only where I started playing poker, but it is also where I have gotten to know many of the players, who I now consider my friends."
With her outspoken intelligence and alluring screen name, Hungarian player Viktoria Szilasi (SexyGirl) always gets noticed. But once you sit down at a table with her, you'll soon realize that she is a force in which to be seriously reckoned. She proved it at the 2009 WSOP, Victoria turned in one of the top 5 female performances, playing in three events and cashing $40k in one, and is very well-known in her home country of Hungary.
Viktoria got her start in poker when her now husband taught her the rules and then proceeded to take her for quite a large sum. Viktoria was hooked and decided to learn everything she could to be a winner. Not only did Viktoria fall in love with her husband, she also fell in love with poker. Although her husband prefers to play live cash games, Viktoria is a skilled tournament player with great results both online and live.
Her transition to professional poker player wasn't always easy. Her parents really didn't understand poker or how their cherished daughter could choose a career as a professional gambler. She laments, "It was sad, but when it changed and I started winning more in tournaments and becoming more well-known in Hungary, my father started to become very proud."
One of Hungary's biggest names in poker could very well be one of the next great players. And if Viktoria gets her dream, well, this is only one part of the equation. She is already thinking about the WSOP bracelet she plans on claiming sometime very soon.
Talk about taking your game to another level. Fabien Perrot (Schumyfab) decided to change up his game by spending more time in the MTTs than he did at the cash game tables. Not only did he meet more fellow players within France, Germany, and in the greater Everest Poker community, he also also posted victories in the $500,000 Guaranteed -- Everest's largest-ever online guarantee tournament -- and won a trip to Las Vegas, but also won the $50,000 Guaranteed during Everest Poker Winterfest.
"I met more players when I started doing the MTTs. There is not enough time to talk in cash games, but you can chat in longer tournaments," says Fabien, who speaks French, German, English, Spanish and Italian fluently. "I decided to play more of these not just because of the money. The deep stacks on Everest mean are the perfect size, and you can play very high-quality online tournament poker."
If chosen for the 2010 Live the Dream Team, Schumyfab hopes to improve his live tournament skills. If he does duplicates his online success, its safe to say we could be looking at top professional contender.
An schoolteacher and doting father of two young daughters, Sigurd Eskeland (TheBigViking) took the invaluable experience he gained with a world championship career playing both Diplomacy and Magic the Gathering before setting his sites on the game of poker.
Sigurd has already played and cashed in several WSOP Events, including the 2008 Main Event, but his life as a poker player have been anything but dull. Since he began playing five years ago, TheBigViking has not only encountered poker's most intimidating players, but has also endured some frightening experiences in his quest to play the game he loves.
"A couple of years ago, I was in the final table of a large Norwegian tournament. There were only five of us left and out of nowhere, two men entered the building and held us up." Although he escaped unharmed, the terrifying incident kept Sigurd from playing live poker in Norway for well over a year.
The stories of armed robberies at poker clubs in Norway are now legendary, and as a sponsored player, Sigurd hopes to open up discussions about the dangers he and his fellow Norwegian players once faced. But it did not take armed robbery to make Sigurd appreciate the things he treasures most in life.
"I have never felt unlucky," he says. "Luck is impossible to measure. I do not ever complain about anything. I have a good life — I am able to do the thing I love AND get paid for doing it."
France's Jerome Senac (jeje130014) has been with Everest Poker from the very beginning -- almost six years ago! He credits the easy-to-use Everest software with enabling him to get started and quickly build his skills. Since then, he occasionally checks other poker sites, but always finds himself coming back to his home at Everest, where he is a well-loved fixture in the French Everest Poker community. Jerome was looking for a new challenge and recently shifted his focus from cash games to multi-table tournaments. "I wanted to try something new," he says. "Lots of his friends went to MTT. Winnings are higher, even if its more work to win, but it is also more of a strategic game. And I like that."
Jerome's "day job" doesn't allow much time off for live events, so Live the Dream is his chance to take a sabbatical from the hardware store in Marseille and the opportunity to translate to his online successes into cashes the major live poker events in Europe.
Named after the famed German football player, a close friend of his father, Gavino Bechembauer Virdis (bechembauer) comes to Vienna from the beautiful island of Sardinia. An Everest Poker (and online poker) player since 2005, he is also the owner and chef of a Mexican Restaurant in Sassari. While it keeps him busy, he still makes time to hit the MTT circuit online at Everest. I play for 4-5 hours until leaving for the restaurant in early afternoon," says the All-Italy Live the Dream Direct Entry winner. "I keep a computer in the kitchen so I can play when it's not busy."
If chosen for the Live the Dream Team, Gavino hopes to build his live tournament experience and represent his favorite poker room throughout not only Italy and Sardinia, but also the world. "My favorite part about playing at Everest Poker is that I've built up a very good network of friends, close to home and beyond."
The 2008 Campeon de Espana, Javier Martinez (elflacokanu) learned the game of poker while attending university with his close friends, the Ubierna brothers (Everest Poker players Morpheo and Luigy). "We started out at the Shasta tables, eventually going up in limits." Together, the friends created a popular Spanish poker site, From Flop Turn The River.
The civil engineering student plans on finishing his degree within the next few years, but right now, he is happy making poker his full-time career. Cashing in many online multitable tournaments and sit & gos, elflacokanu has also cashed at the World Series of Poker and made the final table of multiple stops on the Spanish Poker Tour.
Thibaut Durand (pototib) is one of France's rising poker stars, going from the Shasta tables at Everest Poker to earning $280,000 in live events and cashing $200,000 online. One of the Everest's weekly MTT leaders, the former engineer discovered he was a better tournament than cash game player not long after he began his poker career four years ago.
A highly observant and strategic player who fell in love with the game because of its mathematical and psychological nature, popotib has the drive and focus to become one of the world's best players. In June 2009, pototib made the final table of Event #51 of the World Series of Poker, cashing $115,817 and finishing in 6th place.
This morning, Team Everest's Voitto Rintala said no one would bust him out of today's $10,000 Live the Dream side event freeroll, but he received much competition from some great Everest Poker players.
"I look at it as a learning experience," says Voitto, the eventual third-place finisher. "I went up against a lot of good players today.
In the end, Brazil's Lucas Morias (LucasTheKid) beat out Germany's Mario Hellmich (Marcho007) for the $3500 WSOP Side Event Prize Package. (Hellmich, Voitto and the thirteen other top finishers each received a Step 5 token for their valiant efforts.)
Congrats to both LucasTheKid and Marcho007 and all the freeroll participants for providing the Palais Auersperg with exciting tournament poker on this Sunday afternoon
What is Everest Poker looking for in the next Live the Dream Team? How does the process work? Learn a little more about the final day of competition from some of the Everest Poker staff.
This year, Live the Dream contestants were scored on a 100-point system. The were four parts to this year's voting:
Online Poker Skills (35 points)
Live Poker Ability (25 points)
Popular Voting (20 points)
Ambassador Quality (20 points)
These are the scores.
| Screen Name | Total Points | Online Poker Skills | Live Poker Ability | Popular Voting | Ambassador Quality |
| TheBigViking | 83.50 | 31.00 | 15.00 | 18.00 | 19.50 |
| jeje130014 | 82.75 | 31.50 | 19.00 | 18.75 | 13.50 |
| leoledingo | 78.75 | 20.00 | 21.00 | 18.00 | 19.75 |
| raffa.de | 78.50 | 22.00 | 20.00 | 16.50 | 20.00 |
| Schumyfab | 78.00 | 28.50 | 20.00 | 10.00 | 19.50 |
| DannyMcCoy-- | 76.00 | 18.50 | 21.00 | 18.50 | 18.00 |
| Spadesman | 75.25 | 23.50 | 21.00 | 12.25 | 18.50 |
| SexyGirI | 75.00 | 21.00 | 15.00 | 19.00 | 20.00 |
| koendb | 74.75 | 23.00 | 21.00 | 10.75 | 20.00 |
| m@t@ciclista | 74.75 | 24.50 | 18.00 | 14.25 | 18.00 |
| nielis | 74.25 | 29.50 | 16.00 | 10.75 | 18.00 |
| XT@TX | 73.75 | 24.00 | 20.00 | 17.75 | 12.00 |
| elflacokanu | 73.50 | 25.50 | 19.00 | 10.00 | 19.00 |
| razello | 73.00 | 25.50 | 16.00 | 14.00 | 17.50 |
| -GiveItAll- | 73.00 | 21.00 | 21.00 | 15.00 | 16.00 |
| JenniferWood | 71.75 | 19.00 | 15.00 | 19.25 | 18.50 |
| tobestar11 | 71.50 | 23.00 | 21.00 | 9.00 | 18.50 |
| garrincho54 | 71.25 | 20.50 | 18.00 | 13.75 | 19.00 |
| -45- | 71.00 | 17.50 | 21.00 | 13.25 | 19.25 |
| bechembauer | 71.00 | 19.00 | 20.00 | 17.00 | 15.00 |
| popotib | 71.00 | 22.50 | 18.00 | 10.50 | 20.00 |
| rfl81 | 70.50 | 21.50 | 20.00 | 15.50 | 13.50 |
| sirpaul | 70.50 | 28.00 | 15.00 | 7.50 | 20.00 |
| Puzo | 69.50 | 26.50 | 21.00 | 7.50 | 14.50 |
| -MJP- | 69.25 | 22.50 | 17.00 | 13.75 | 16.00 |
| nkeyno | 68.75 | 23.00 | 15.00 | 14.50 | 16.25 |
| Ronaldinho38 | 68.75 | 24.00 | 17.00 | 15.25 | 12.50 |
| maju2280 | 68.25 | 14.00 | 19.00 | 18.25 | 17.00 |
| adosso | 68.00 | 16.00 | 17.00 | 18.50 | 16.50 |
| -uvnler- | 68.00 | 23.50 | 19.00 | 13.50 | 12.00 |
| paskuda84 | 68.00 | 19.50 | 20.00 | 11.50 | 17.00 |
| EvaAngelina | 67.50 | 20.50 | 15.00 | 17.00 | 15.00 |
| -ORACLE- | 67.25 | 16.00 | 19.00 | 15.25 | 17.00 |
| ADOLPH088 | 67.25 | 17.00 | 17.00 | 16.75 | 16.50 |
| LucasTheKid | 66.50 | 18.00 | 21.00 | 11.50 | 16.00 |
| RichyChip | 66.50 | 21.50 | 16.00 | 13.50 | 15.50 |
| toaster | 66.25 | 28.50 | 15.00 | 8.00 | 14.75 |
| ryanghall | 66.25 | 17.00 | 15.00 | 16.25 | 18.00 |
| Aasisdebaas | 66.25 | 18.00 | 19.00 | 9.75 | 19.50 |
| orka76 | 66.00 | 20.00 | 17.00 | 17.00 | 12.00 |
| Tooren | 65.75 | 21.50 | 17.00 | 13.25 | 14.00 |
| Marcilan | 65.75 | 13.00 | 21.00 | 14.25 | 17.50 |
| U_R_MY_GIMP | 65.25 | 25.00 | 16.00 | 7.75 | 16.50 |
| macqueen | 65.25 | 21.00 | 19.00 | 9.25 | 16.00 |
| SoSick_84 | 65.00 | 22.00 | 14.00 | 13.00 | 16.00 |
| blurrrr | 65.00 | 22.00 | 19.00 | 7.50 | 16.50 |
| ExaMeter | 65.00 | 19.00 | 19.00 | 9.00 | 18.00 |
| chachoo | 64.50 | 16.00 | 16.00 | 18.50 | 14.00 |
| cobretti | 64.50 | 15.00 | 19.00 | 14.50 | 16.00 |
| Fabio65 | 64.25 | 14.00 | 14.00 | 18.25 | 18.00 |
| ggmanutd | 64.00 | 12.00 | 18.00 | 19.00 | 15.00 |
| andreosa | 63.50 | 17.00 | 18.00 | 9.00 | 19.50 |
| morpheo | 63.50 | 21.00 | 19.00 | 3.50 | 20.00 |
| choiinwook | 63.25 | 19.50 | 16.00 | 10.00 | 17.75 |
| SpaceyFCB | 63.00 | 18.00 | 15.00 | 11.00 | 19.00 |
| jahguide | 62.25 | 19.50 | 14.00 | 18.25 | 10.50 |
| Jack. | 62.25 | 15.00 | 20.00 | 15.25 | 12.00 |
| Tribupoker | 62.25 | 13.00 | 18.00 | 15.25 | 16.00 |
| Black255 | 62.00 | 13.00 | 17.00 | 19.00 | 13.00 |
| Davidamon88 | 61.75 | 19.50 | 19.00 | 10.25 | 13.00 |
| Germain133 | 61.50 | 18.50 | 13.00 | 10.75 | 19.25 |
| curtez86 | 61.50 | 20.50 | 14.00 | 16.00 | 11.00 |
| Romgrav | 61.50 | 15.50 | 19.00 | 13.00 | 14.00 |
| Ekzism126 | 61.50 | 24.00 | 16.00 | 4.00 | 17.50 |
| blesss | 61.25 | 19.00 | 16.00 | 14.25 | 12.00 |
| Tommy1000 | 61.25 | 22.00 | 18.00 | 8.25 | 13.00 |
| tbotoi | 60.75 | 24.50 | 18.00 | 7.25 | 11.00 |
| LOL_U_91 | 60.75 | 19.00 | 20.00 | 11.75 | 10.00 |
| Tidus29 | 60.50 | 24.00 | 15.00 | 8.50 | 13.00 |
| Filth22 | 60.00 | 19.50 | 14.00 | 11.00 | 15.50 |
| Pragmos | 59.75 | 11.00 | 20.00 | 12.25 | 16.50 |
| MarcoAzul | 59.50 | 20.00 | 18.00 | 9.50 | 12.00 |
| GuilhermeOSA | 59.50 | 12.50 | 21.00 | 10.00 | 16.00 |
| Golden.Moon | 59.50 | 11.50 | 18.00 | 10.50 | 19.50 |
| burle25 | 59.25 | 20.00 | 16.00 | 10.25 | 13.00 |
| ItalArtist | 59.25 | 18.00 | 21.00 | 10.25 | 10.00 |
| donkey321 | 59.00 | 13.50 | 19.00 | 8.00 | 18.50 |
| yostyle | 58.50 | 19.00 | 18.00 | 5.00 | 16.50 |
| Sky141 | 58.50 | 12.00 | 18.00 | 12.00 | 16.50 |
| MrMister82 | 58.25 | 24.00 | 13.00 | 9.75 | 11.50 |
| Anttitoto | 58.25 | 13.00 | 17.00 | 11.75 | 16.50 |
| tollefomholt | 58.25 | 19.00 | 17.00 | 9.25 | 13.00 |
| Carnicero67 | 57.50 | 16.00 | 18.00 | 12.00 | 11.50 |
| pierluca | 57.50 | 20.50 | 14.00 | 8.00 | 15.00 |
| Agasajo1 | 57.50 | 14.00 | 21.00 | 14.00 | 8.50 |
| Valentino86 | 57.50 | 17.50 | 15.00 | 8.00 | 17.00 |
| kaleids | 57.25 | 22.00 | 13.00 | 9.25 | 13.00 |
| nicbaboul | 57.25 | 15.00 | 21.00 | 3.75 | 17.50 |
| zerfer03 | 57.00 | 20.50 | 13.00 | 4.50 | 19.00 |
| pokerjo18 | 57.00 | 19.00 | 13.00 | 14.00 | 11.00 |
| Big_Jaws | 57.00 | 13.00 | 14.00 | 19.00 | 11.00 |
| Prcris05 | 57.00 | 16.00 | 20.00 | 10.00 | 11.00 |
| TheSystem | 56.50 | 16.00 | 15.00 | 14.00 | 11.50 |
| karaknobba | 55.75 | 21.50 | 14.00 | 10.75 | 9.50 |
| torciec | 55.75 | 11.00 | 18.00 | 10.25 | 16.50 |
| TheSnip | 55.75 | 14.00 | 18.00 | 6.75 | 17.00 |
| Caio-Schmidt | 55.50 | 14.00 | 16.00 | 15.00 | 10.50 |
| sebprochess | 55.50 | 18.00 | 21.00 | 6.50 | 10.00 |
| Khimboo | 55.50 | 17.00 | 20.00 | 0.00 | 18.50 |
| Nollipap.de | 55.50 | 14.00 | 15.00 | 9.00 | 17.50 |
| Husmusen | 55.00 | 25.00 | 16.00 | 6.00 | 8.00 |
| smalMike | 55.00 | 7.00 | 17.00 | 16.00 | 15.00 |
| pierroo | 54.75 | 15.00 | 15.00 | 10.75 | 14.00 |
| hetbuffeltje | 54.75 | 15.00 | 16.00 | 7.00 | 16.75 |
| frantina | 54.50 | 15.00 | 17.00 | 13.00 | 9.50 |
| Goalgetter76 | 54.50 | 13.00 | 20.00 | 11.00 | 10.50 |
| magico. | 54.25 | 17.00 | 14.00 | 14.25 | 9.00 |
| Imobe | 54.00 | 6.00 | 19.00 | 17.00 | 12.00 |
| diesereine1 | 53.75 | 13.50 | 19.00 | 2.25 | 19.00 |
| 69chris669 | 53.25 | 18.00 | 15.00 | 4.75 | 15.50 |
| serena90 | 53.25 | 15.00 | 20.00 | 6.75 | 11.50 |
| mysticusus1 | 53.00 | 17.50 | 17.00 | 0.00 | 18.50 |
| Memorax | 52.25 | 15.50 | 15.00 | 6.75 | 15.00 |
| Robby123 | 52.00 | 12.50 | 19.00 | 8.00 | 12.50 |
| djeeezes | 52.00 | 14.00 | 20.00 | 5.00 | 13.00 |
| Padiddy2 | 52.00 | 14.00 | 16.00 | 9.00 | 13.00 |
| gims77 | 51.50 | 12.00 | 21.00 | 4.00 | 14.50 |
| IsacNL | 51.50 | 11.50 | 21.00 | 5.00 | 14.00 |
| pafax | 51.00 | 13.00 | 11.00 | 10.00 | 17.00 |
| leontave | 51.00 | 17.00 | 16.00 | 3.00 | 15.00 |
| MR.Wildbrain | 50.75 | 14.00 | 19.00 | 9.25 | 8.50 |
| MADSAM | 50.25 | 15.00 | 17.00 | 1.75 | 16.50 |
| ROMCO22 | 50.25 | 15.00 | 13.00 | 11.75 | 10.50 |
| zKwis | 50.25 | 21.00 | 13.00 | 5.25 | 11.00 |
| yz199 | 50.00 | 13.00 | 17.00 | 6.00 | 14.00 |
| a_van_w | 49.75 | 14.00 | 15.00 | 12.75 | 8.00 |
| LPZZ | 49.50 | 10.50 | 21.00 | 5.00 | 13.00 |
| Beseker | 49.50 | 9.50 | 17.00 | 5.00 | 18.00 |
| RiseOf-era | 49.00 | 5.50 | 20.00 | 10.00 | 13.50 |
| SergioXXL | 49.00 | 20.50 | 14.00 | 3.00 | 11.50 |
| big-shoot | 49.00 | 23.00 | 17.00 | 0.00 | 9.00 |
| F.C.INTER | 48.50 | 12.00 | 15.00 | 5.00 | 16.50 |
| mickystar94 | 48.50 | 13.00 | 18.00 | 1.50 | 16.00 |
| Jim1969 | 48.25 | 6.00 | 20.00 | 14.75 | 7.50 |
| jp10@- | 48.25 | 7.00 | 20.00 | 10.75 | 10.50 |
| mr_aces222 | 48.00 | 9.00 | 17.00 | 10.00 | 12.00 |
| Mr_Las_Vegas | 48.00 | 15.00 | 18.00 | 0.00 | 15.00 |
| heidelberg99 | 47.75 | 4.00 | 18.00 | 13.25 | 12.50 |
| SuperTomte | 47.50 | 8.00 | 16.00 | 7.00 | 16.50 |
| sailfun | 47.50 | 7.00 | 20.00 | 7.00 | 13.50 |
| bobistuta | 47.50 | 16.00 | 14.00 | 5.00 | 12.50 |
| pbpassamassa | 47.50 | 3.50 | 21.00 | 9.00 | 14.00 |
| Benny_J_Hill | 46.50 | 1.00 | 18.00 | 14.00 | 13.50 |
| rougier | 46.50 | 13.50 | 18.00 | 6.00 | 9.00 |
| HoTsTePPa | 45.50 | 11.50 | 18.00 | 1.50 | 14.50 |
| r0y_L215 | 45.50 | 1.00 | 16.00 | 14.00 | 14.50 |
| hyahhoo | 45.25 | 10.00 | 15.00 | 4.75 | 15.50 |
| pouskikdtc | 45.25 | 11.00 | 15.00 | 10.00 | 9.25 |
| yin-yang | 45.00 | 11.00 | 13.00 | 9.00 | 12.00 |
| LUCKI69 | 45.00 | 19.00 | 16.00 | 5.00 | 5.00 |
| @16Rittler | 45.00 | 7.00 | 18.00 | 4.50 | 15.50 |
| raquino | 44.50 | 8.00 | 13.00 | 10.00 | 13.50 |
| caramuxoreal | 44.50 | 12.50 | 19.00 | 3.50 | 9.50 |
| dom1960 | 44.00 | 11.50 | 17.00 | 5.00 | 10.50 |
| szergej01 | 44.00 | 5.50 | 21.00 | 10.00 | 7.50 |
| Marcho007 | 43.75 | 7.00 | 20.00 | 7.25 | 9.50 |
| atiyyyyy | 43.25 | 4.00 | 21.00 | 11.75 | 6.50 |
| ToniPeperon | 41.75 | 3.00 | 19.00 | 11.25 | 8.50 |
| janiesengel | 41.50 | 5.00 | 16.00 | 12.00 | 8.50 |
| anguila55 | 41.25 | 2.00 | 14.00 | 8.75 | 16.50 |
| maybebluff23 | 41.00 | 8.50 | 11.00 | 11.00 | 10.50 |
| paperino65 | 40.25 | 8.00 | 13.00 | 11.75 | 7.50 |
| captainreg | 40.00 | 12.50 | 16.00 | 6.00 | 5.50 |
| housemom48 | 40.00 | 0.00 | 13.00 | 13.00 | 14.00 |
| BaDCoDK | 40.00 | 7.00 | 16.00 | 5.00 | 12.00 |
| Pavel1985 | 39.75 | 9.00 | 15.00 | 4.75 | 11.00 |
| lucky.fish | 39.00 | 1.00 | 19.00 | 5.00 | 14.00 |
| joubi44 | 38.00 | 8.50 | 20.00 | 5.00 | 4.50 |
| JonyKJ | 37.50 | 2.00 | 17.00 | 10.00 | 8.50 |
| NLDegen | 37.50 | 2.00 | 17.00 | 5.00 | 13.50 |
| 3erAndy | 36.25 | 0.00 | 17.00 | 5.25 | 14.00 |
| Christian07 | 35.25 | 6.00 | 20.00 | 7.25 | 2.00 |
| Brainst0rm86 | 35.00 | 2.50 | 15.00 | 2.50 | 15.00 |
| Cash_Pisser | 35.00 | 2.00 | 20.00 | 3.00 | 10.00 |
| ciekawy37 | 32.50 | 6.00 | 14.00 | 4.00 | 8.50 |
| restaurant | 32.25 | 9.00 | 14.00 | 4.25 | 5.00 |
| ferros80 | 25.00 | 1.00 | 16.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 |
| D.Elbazian | 23.00 | 0.00 | 14.00 | 0.00 | 9.00 |
Another long but exciting day in Vienna! 200 players qualified and 21 were selected. Today, the finalists are meeting with the decision-makers for the last time, participating in 20-minute interviews with a jury of Everest Poker and international poker luminaries, as well as shooting a quick video interview, taking photos and going through yet one more interview for their player biography.
Understandably, most of the players will return to their hotel for a well-deserved nap before returning for tonight's big decision. Just think, in only several hours, there 2010 Live the Dream Team will be announced!
Not a bad turnout for 9:00 on a Sunday morning. Approximately 100 Live the Dream players registered for today's special freeroll for the chance to win a 2010 WSOP Side Event Prize Package worth $3500!
The 15 runners up will each receive a Step 5 token ($336+24). Team Everest players Voitto Rintala, Steven van Zadelhoff, Maria Maceiras and Kim Wooka are also VIP bounties in today's event. Knock one of our pros out and you will also receive a Step 5 Token.
Play has begun and we're almost to our first break of this deep-stack freeroll (players start with 10,000 chips) with blinds increasing every 20 minutes.
Original Live the Dream Team members -- and current Team Everest players -- Steven van Zadelhoff and Voitto Rintala discuss their lives since winning an Everest Poker sponsorship nearly two years ago.
Steven van Zadelhoff (viktor)
Voitto Rintala (RandomEyes)
It's been a long, long day, but we've finally decided upon the 20 players to continue on tomorrow and a shot at a year-long sponsorship with Everest Poker.
Actually, this year, the field was so talented that we had a tie. 21 finalists will be moving on to the final day of competition!
(FR) Thibaud Durand
popotib
(ES) Javier Martinez
elflacokanu
(IT) Francesco De Vivo
raffa.de
(DE) Tobias Wagner
tobestar11
(FR) Leonard Truche
leoledingo
(JP) Shingo Nozaki
-45-
(NL) Niels Van Gent
nielis
(DE) Mark Willeke
razzelo
(IT) Davide Rugi
M@t@ciclista
(FR) Jerome Senac
jeje130014
(HU) Viktoria Szilasi
SexyGirl
(NO) Sigurd Eskeland
TheBigViking
(BR) Marcos Cesar
XT@TX
(BE) Jonas T'Syen
GiveItAll
(IT) Gavino Bechembauer Virdis
Bechembauer
(DE) Ronnie Pickard
Spadesman
(NL) Koen de Bakker
koendb
(FR) Julien Claudpierre
Garrincho54
(DA) Thomas Frøslev
DannyMcCoy--
(FR) Fabien Perrot
Schumyfab
(BR) Norson Shinti Saho
JenniferWood
It's been a long but exhilarating day. As things wind down a bit before the big announcement of the Top 20 players who will continue on to tomorrow.
Let's check out a few memorable images from today's competition.
Registration began bright and early on Saturday morning...
Followed by the opening ceremonies...
Selected as one of the Top 20 in the previous Live the Dream competition from two years ago, Samir Boldin (MADSAM) just missed making the original team. This year, he's back and ready to go all the way.
So far, MADSAM is having a good day in Vienna, winning his first sit & go -- which will certainly increase his Live Poker Ability score. Good luck to MADSAM and all of our players awaiting their fate on the first day of Live the Dream Casting. Within the next few hours, we will name the Top 20 players to continue in the competition.
But remember, all players who do not make it are invited to a special freeroll for a seat in a 2010 WSOP Side Event and Steps tokens.
After a quick lunch, the second group of 100 players met in the Royal Flush Room of the Palais Auersperg for two single-table sit & go tournaments.
Both the cash games and live sit & gos are an important factor in deciding the 10 players who will be named to the new Live the Dream Team. Live poker ability accounts for 25 points out of the players total score.
Group B Results
Sit & Go #1
Table #1
1) -uvnler-
2) raffa.de
3) Fabio65
4) sirpaul
5) morpheo
6) magico.
7) Christian07
8) joubi44
9) Nollipap.de
Table #2
1) bechembauer
2) frantina
3) jp10@-
4) paperino65
5) raquino
6) @16Rittler
7) Marcilan
8) cobretti
9) Sky141
Table #3
1) razello
2) -GiveItAll-
3) maybebluff23
3) Pavel1985
4) Germain133
5) smalMike
6) litledragon
6) Benny_J_Hill
7) kaleids
8) curtez86
9) 3erAndy
10)XT@TX
Table #4
1) yin-yang
2) SpaceyFCB
3) Memorax
4) Big_Jaws
5) restaurant
6) pbpassamassa
7) D.Elbazian
8) leoledingo
Table #5
1) big-shoot
2) Goalgetter76
3) leontave
4) mickystar94
5) ROMCO22
6) DannyMcCoy--
7) a_van_w
8) yostyle
Table #6
1) zerfer03
2) Romgrav
3) Aasisdebaas
4) Davidamon88
5) tbotoi
6) blesss
7) pierluca
Table #7
1) hetbuffeltje
2) Ronaldinho38=
3) TheSnip
4) LOL_U_91
5) mr_aces222
6) pokerjo18
7) zKwis
8) ADOLPH088
9) bobistuta
Table #8
1) LucasTheKid
2) rougier
3) Mr_Las_Vegas
4) Tidus29
5) djeeezes
6) adosso
7) pouskikdtc
8) IsacNL
Table #9
1) elflacokanu
2) LUCKI69
3) anguila55
4) mysticusus1
5) jeje130014
6) ryanghall
7) caramuxoreal
8) Prcris05
9) tobestar11
Table #10
1) JenniferWood
2) chachoo
3) Anttitoto
4) EvaAngelina
5) Puzo
6) Tommy1000
7) nicbaboul
8) m@t@ciclista
Table #11
1) Tribupoker
2) nielis
3) choiinwook
4) r0y_L215
5) Jim1969
6) F.C.INTER
7) serena90
8) BaDCoDK
9) ferros80
The French are well-represented in Vienna, with 53 players going after their dreams of becoming a sponsored player. Here are a few of the players who may end up being the next Fabrice Soulier or Antoine Saout.
If you follow French poker, you most likely know Anis Zenati, or Tribupoker, as he is known online and in France's large poker community. . The creator of Tribupoker.fr, one of France's biggest poker sites, is also a full-time financial analyst. He says he's not a fan of having free time, which is why he devotes hours upon hours to not only his own website, but also as a regular in many of Everest Poker's deep-stack multitable tournaments, particular the weekly $100,000 Guaranteed and monthly $250,000 Guaranteed. The Paris resident with incredible taste in designer sunglasses is long-time member of the Everest Poker community, mainly because of the wide offerings of affordable, deep-stack tournaments and live event satellites.
Once a civil engineer, Romain Cojean (ROMCO22) gave it all up three months ago. Serious about his poker career, Marseilles' ROMCO22 started honing his poker skills at the Shasta tables three years ago. "Everybody starts at Shasta," he says. Currently, ROMCO22 works with a poker coach in an effort to take his game even further. His specialty are MTTs, and he continues to dominate the Leaderboards at Everest. "I discovered poker with Everest, I started here; of course I have tried many others, but in my heart, it is Everest."
The poker blogger extraordinaire of Leparisien.fr, Nicolas Babel (nicbaboul) has been playing poker since his teens. He is consistently ranked amongst the top players in France among many poker publications (6th in 2009) and has been playing at Everest Poker for three years. Although nicaboul is a regular at the $2/$4 cash tables, he won his ticket to Vienna through an All-France Direct Entry.
While growing up, Michael Janot (smalMike) was one of France's brightest talents on the football field, playing on the highest level team. "The personal and team objectives in football are not unlike what you find in poker," says smalMike. "This is true of both football and poker." A two-time Live the Dream qualifier, SmalMike is also a member of the poker club Marseilles Hold'em, the first official partnership between Everest and France. After winning the Everest-sponsored Marseilles Hold'em Championship, smalMike played the Poker Stars 2007 EPT Barcelona. The married father of two works full time, but poker and travel are his two favorite hobbies, so a sponsorship might be something smalMike is ready for. "I think your personal, social, professional, poker life, all very close one to the other and you have to manage in the same way, but you must always try to find balance in life."
One of the world's top players (Nine cashes in the 2009 WSOP alone, plus a few Omaha titles along the way) and Everest Poker ambassador Fabrice Soulier wants a few new additions to the Everest Poker family.
The first group of sit & go players have finished playing and have moved onto their cash games and one-on-one interviews. After playing their first sit & go, Group A switched tables and faced off against new opponents for their second single-game sit & go. Here are the results:
Sit & Go #2
Group A Results
Table #1
1) LPZZ
2) Pragmos
3) ExaMeter
4) torciec
5) orka76
6) janiesengel
7) TheBigViking
8) ciekawy37
Table #2
1) atiyyyyy
2) Marcho007
3) MR.Wildbrain
4) Golden.Moon
5) yz199
Table #3
1) yz199
2) Cash_Pisser
3) -ORACLE-
4) popotib
5) Tooren
6) Ekzism126
7) Brainst0rm86
8) jahguide
Table #4
1) gims77
2) RiseOf-era
3) maju2280
4) andreosa
5) -MJP-
6) Husmusen
7) SexyGirl
Table #5
1) koendb
3) ToniPeperon
4) Carnicero67
5) NLDegen
6) SuperTomte
7) pierroo
8) housemom48
Table #6
1) Agasajo1
2) Khimboo
3) donkey321
4) ggmanutd
5) MADSAM
6) RichyChip
7) Valentino86
8) szergej01
Table #7
1) ItalArtist
2) paskuda84
3) blurrrr
4) HoTsTePPa
5) tollefomholt
6) captainreg
7) nkeyno
Table #8
1) sebprochess
2) rfl81
3) macqueen
4) garrincho54
5) dom1960
6) U_R_MY_GIMP
7) 69chris669
8) karaknobba
Table #9
1) Spadesman
2) Schumyfab
3) Imobe
4) heidelberg99
5) Black255
6) Caio-Schmidt
7) toaster
Table #10
1) -45-
2) lucky.fish
3) Robby123
4) Rafichon
5) JonyKJ
6) Padiddy2
7) TheSystem
8) Filth22
Table #11
1) GuilhermeOSA
2) sailfun
3) diesereine1
4) MarcoAzul
5) Beseker
6) burle25
7) hyahhoo
8) SoSick_84
9) MrMister82
What factors weigh into the Live the Dream casting? Everest Poker's Olaf Schimpf explains the Live the Dream interview process and what goes into making the decisions on who should represent Everest Poker at the world's biggest live events.
Following an early morning registration, at 10:00 CET the 2010 Live the Dream Casting kicked off. The opening ceremonies featured a bit of inspiration from Team Everest's Cristiano Blanco, Maria Maceiras, as well as original Live the Dream Team winners Steven van Zadelhoff and Voitto Rintala.
In addition to one-on-one interviews, the players also have to compete in a cash game and two single-table sit & go tournaments directed by Thomas Kremser of TK Events and one of the biggest names in international poker. The first group of sit & go players have finished and the results are in for both tourneys.
Each player started at one of 11 tables with a deep stack of 3000 chips. If a player goes out of the first sit & go, they simply wait to play in the second. It's that easy, and with 15 minute blinds, the action in the Royal Flush Room was definitely fast and furious.
Sit & Go #1 Group A Results
Table #1
1) toaster
2) paskuda84
3) sebprochess
4) koendb
5) Ekzism126
6) Husmusen
N/A Misabijoe
N/A 05apa
N/A Brobot
Table #2
1) SergioXXL
2) -45-
3) pierroo
4) ExaMeter
5) burle25
6) -MJP-
7) tollefomholt
N/A LOLOGUIL
N/A HustlaStylez
Table #3
1) popotib
2) hyahhoo
3) LPZZ
4) SexyGirI
5) ToniPeperon
6) MR.Wildbrain
7) Caio-Schmidt
8) 69chris669
9) Filth22
Table #4
1) lucky.fish
2) Agasajo1
3) Tooren
4) Pragmos
5) garrincho54
6) captainreg
7) MrMister82
8) Imobe
N/A soren196
Table #5
1) Carnicero67
2) ggmanutd
3) SoSick_84
4) ItalArtist
5) macqueen
6) andreosa
7) torciec
8) Rafichon
N/A NewKidSon
Table #6
1) MADSAM
2) Spadesman
3) Cash_Pisser
4) atiyyyyy
5) Jack.
6) gims77
7) nkeyno
8) rfl81
N/A Tucapoker
Table #7
1) maju2280
2) ciekawy37
3) U_R_MY_GIMP
4) NLDegen
5) Beseker
6) jahguide
7) RichyChip
8) Golden.Moon
N/A StratoPrince
Table #8
1) SuperTomte
2) GuilhermeOSA
3) -ORACLE-
4) Marcho007
5) Valentino86
6) janiesengel
7) RiseOf-era
8) Black255
N/A dinhooo
Table #9
1) Robby123
2) szergej01
3) orka76
4) dom1960
5) blurrrr
6) MarcoAzul
7) JonyKJ
8) heidelberg99
N/A vinc25
Table #10
1) TheBigViking
2) sailfun
3) Padiddy2
4) yz199
5) karaknobba
6) HoTsTePPa
7) donkey321
N/A Melarvinzz
N/A bompang
Table #11
1) housemom48
2) Khimboo
3) TheSystem
4) pafax
5) Schumyfab
6) Brainst0rm86
7) diesereine1
N/A easyeasy69
N/A Mick_25
Two of our German players, Mark Willeke (razello) and Jo Max Krautwald (pokerjo18) might be competitors at the tables but they're also great friends. How did they meet? From playing online and live events with Everest Poker. Once an aspiring politician, Razello gave up a government job to pursue his dream full time and plays at Everest because he loves the live event offerings, the MTT structures, the VIP Summit Club, and most of all his fellow players. "I love the community, and everything Everest stands for," says the WSOP, SPT and Montesino Grand Slam qualifier. "Everest is not only where I started playing poker, but it is also where I have gotten to know many of the players, who I now consider my friends."
Pokerjo18, a 21-year-old from Wedel, Germany, is another strong German player who often sits on the top of the MTT Leaderboard. He got into poker because of his father, long-time Everest player ulleulle. Like many of Everest's best players, pokerjo18 built the foundation of his bankroll at the Shasta tables. "I started with $0. My father told me that if I bettered my game, he would add money to my account. Once I got up to $50, he gave me $100." Pokerjo18 has played his entire career at Everest, mainly for the simplicity of the software, the deep stack tournaments and most of all, because of his fellow players. (And his father, of course.)
Meet two of the 17 Live the Dream qualifiers from Italy!
Gianluca Trebbi -- maybebluff23 -- won over €100,000 only FOUR DAYS AGO after finishing second in Night of Poker, which was televised throughout Italy on Sky. You can find maybebluff23 in many of Everest's most popular multitable tournaments.
Rikard from PokerTube is filming video throughout the entire Live the Dream weekend. Check out his first video, featuring interviews with Team Everest's Maria Maceiras and Cristiano Blanco from last night's press party.
The first half of the players are almost done with their interviews, and scores from today's first cash games and tournaments are now being tabulated.
Amazingly, the atmosphere in Vienna is still fairly relaxed, with players taking a lunch break in between their interviews and live poker play. So far, everyone seems to be in a very good mood, although many players worry they forgot to add something important in the seven-minute interview, but that's only natural.
Here's a taste of today's Live the Dream action. Let's check out a few photos from this morning's first sit & go. For the Sit & Go Tournaments, one block of 100 players played two sit & gos in the morning, with the final group of 100 going in the afternoon.
The Royal Flush Room, where all of today's Sit & Go action is going down.
Germany's pokerjo18 -- Joe Max Krautwald -- in his player interview.
A few of this morning's sit & go players.
Japan's Shingo Nozaki (-45-)
France's Thibaut Durand (popotib)
Keep checking back for more up-to-the-minute news and information from Vienna!
The 200 Live the Dream qualifiers have descended upon Palais Auersperg and are now getting started on a very busy day. After the opening ceremonies at 10:00am, the players have gone off with their assigned group for interviews and live play
Today, all players will go through seven minute interviews with members of the Everest Poker staff and brand ambassadors. Sounds stressful, doesn't it? When the players are not in their interview (or waiting for it), they will be playing in two sit & go tournaments and a cash game (Sorry, it's not real cash).
By the end of today, the field will be narrowed down to 20 players, but all other Live the Dream contestants are invited back tomorrow for a very special freeroll with a top prize of a seat in a 2010 WSOP Side Event! Registration begins at 8:00am and is open to the first 140 players.
Alas. I wish we could sign everybody.
Tomorrow, 200 Everest Poker players will arrive at the Palais Auersperg in Vienna and compete for one of ten year-long sponsorships worth $100,000. The wait is over! By Sunday evening, our 2010 Live the Dream Team will be decided.
Many of the Everest staff arrived in Vienna yesterday to prepare for this weekend's big event. Last night, after dinner, myself and our Japanese Manager Lina were lucky enough to visit the Montesino Card Casino (site of the Everest Poker-sponsored Montesino Grand Slam) with Team Everest's Voitto Rintala. When Lina and I were leaving, we happened to see Austrian Country Manager Martin Sturc (and Tanja Duhovich/Miss Austria 2003 and Everest qualifier for the 2009 WSOP Main Event qualifier)-- on a poster!
Obviously, we had to take a photo. We had no idea he was a VIP Bounty!
To all our players in Vienna for casting, we wish you GOOD LUCK! For everyone else, catch all the Live the Dream action and learn more about the finalists. Check back to the Everest Poker Blog for updates throughout the weekend.
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