Any sports fan loves a good upset, and film-goers must have realised by now that a good old underdog story makes gripping viewing. Massive upsets are always possible in the poker world as well – I don’t mean grow men reduced to tears as they lose the wedding ring in a “friendly” poker game. Well maybe they wouldn’t be crying after all, but you get the picture. At the moment the WSOPE is taking place in London, with all manner of competitors taking part in five different bracelet events. So the stage was set.
PKR’s customer services manager, 24-year-old Scott Shelley, was unlucky to miss out on prize money at last year’s event three, but this year the Londoner’s luck was in – big time. After winning a satellite tournament at PKR for the second year running, Shelley must have had some kind of confidence heading into the same event, and what he lacked in confidence his band of followers more than made up for.
After making the final table he perhaps had the toughest challenge available, reigning champion, and two-time bracelet winner, JP Kelly. The Aylesbury native was also going for an unprecendented third bracelet, a feat never before achieved by an Englishman – in the process he would have also become the youngest ever to hold three. It wasn’t to be though.
Shelley overcame the odds to beat Kelly, earning £133,857 ($208,060) for the win, and reports have it that he’s off to make an offer on the supermarket he worked in after finishing school.
