The eyes of world poker are firmly set on Aspers Casino in Stratford where 16 talented and tenacious poker players are going to fight it out for the right to be crowned The PartyPoker Premier League VI champion.
Here are the Line ups:
Group A
- Antonio Esfandiari
- Sam Trickett
- Daniel ‘Jungleman’ Cates
- Phil Hellmuth
- Jonathan Duhamel
- Marvin Rettenmaier
- Daniel Negreanu
- Scott Seiver
Group B
- Jason Mercier
- Igor Kurganov
- Tobias Reinkemeier
- Phil Laak
- Talal Shakerchi
- Jennifer Tilly
- Tony G
- Dan Shak
Each player has invested $125,000 and the winner will receive $450,000, but point’s also mean cash prizes, with each point generating $2,000 in additional income. Each group will host four heats in a sit n go format and points will be earned for finishing positions, with the top three players from each group receiving automatic qualification to the final. The fourth and fifth spots will compete, heads-up, in a best of three challenge to make up a final table of eight players.
The league kicked off with the first heat from Group A and it was the former WSOP Main Event champion, Jonathan Duhamel, that took maximum points after defeating Sam Trickett heads up. Last years champion Scott Seiver was the only player not to earn any points.
Group A Heat #1 Final Standings
- Jonathan Duhamel – 16pts – $32,000
- Sam Trickett – 11pts – $22,000
- Marvin Rettenmaier – 8pts – $16,000
- Daniel Negreanu – 6pts – $12,000
- Phil Hellmuth – 4pts – $8,000
- Antonio Esfandiari – 3pts – $6,000
- Daniel Cates – 2pts – $4,000
- Scott Seiver – 0pts – $0
The draw has created an interesting mix, with Group B consisting of a lot of players who are used to fighting it out in the biggest High Roller events around the world. The heads-up action in the first Group B heat was fought out by two of these people. The German Tobias Reinkemeier out-gunning the American Dan Shak to take maximum points from the first heat. Maybe the breaking news that Tony G was going to leave PartyPoker to concentrate on TonyBet took some steam out of him. The G-Meister General finishing with nil points.
Group B Heat #1 Final Standings
- Tobias Reinkemeier – 16pts – $32,000 winnings
- Dan Shak – 11pts – $22,000
- Jennifer Tilly – 8pts – $16,000
- Jason Mercier – 6pts – $12,000
- Phil Laak – 4pts – $8,000
- Igor Kurganov – 3pts – $6,000
- Talal Shakerchi – 2pts – $4,000
- Tony G – 0pts – $0
So there you have it. The scores on the doors after the first blows have been traded, and you can be rest assured there will be plenty more to come, so keep your eyes on CalvinAyre for more news from the PartyPoker Premier League VI.
