World Poker Tour (WPT) Grand Prix de Paris moves into the fourth day of action with Vasili Firsau leading the final 24-players, at the Aviation Club de France (ACF).
It reminded me of an old dance song that I remembered from the 1990s by The Adventures of Stevie V called Dirty Cash.
“Money talks, money talks, dirty cash I want you, dirty cash I need you.”
The Day 3 squad of players needed that dirty cash, and the stress and worry of leaving without it, is what changed the mood.
€14,665 if you come 21st, or nothing at all. When you have invested €7,500 + a €150 Aviation Club de France (ACF) membership fee, purchased flight tickets, hotel costs and a spot of l’escargot and frogs legs you can see why making it into the final 21 players can create the type of tension that I witnessed yesterday.
The re-entry clause doesn’t help either. These people are gamblers. It’s in their blood. The professional players will pay double bubble because their attitude towards the tournament will change significantly with the introduction of this rule. €15,000 in buy-ins (including one re-entry) means that you need to finish in the top 9% of the field just to turn a tiny profit.
Dirty cash indeed.
At the end of six brutal 90-minutes, we had still not crossed that all-important finishing line. The one that has “21 Players Get Paid” emblazoned on the banner.
To the player’s credit, despite the clock hitting the 02:00 mark, and the World Poker Tour Players Party beckoning from the nearby Queen nightclub, they didn’t want the day to end.
These 24-players they didn’t want their dreams to be filled with ‘will I-won’t I’ type thoughts. But for the game to continue you need a unanimous vote and there were a few amongst them that needed their forty winks. The game was halted and the final 24 left for the night.
They will resume today at 14:30 (CET) and leading the way will be the Belarusian Vasily Firsau with 756,00 chips after eliminating David Peters, David Boyaciyan, Dave ‘Devilfish’ Ulliot and Roger Hairabedian in a wonderful day for the man who has only previously cashed once in a WPT event.
Christina Lindley was pushing Firsau hard on that table until an unfortunate double down against Jason Koon QQ<KQ when Koon flopped two kings to find an important double up. Lindley finished the day with 237,500 chips.
It was also a great level for Peter Apostolou who finished the day with 548,000 chips. The Australian has never cashed outside of his home country, but you would never have thought it as he eliminated the likes of the multiple World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, Athanasios Polychronopoulos, in a polished performance.
Jean-Noel Thorel (458,000) and David Hu (291,000) also enjoying great success on the same table as Apostolou that saw the PartyPoker representatives Kara Scott (145,000) and Marvin Rettenmaier (125,000) also make it through the fourth day of action.
The stand out competitor on the third table was Byron Kaverman, if only for his sheer determination and stubbornness to remain in the field against all the odds. When Kaverman does things he takes his time, and although it might rankle those around him, it’s a technique that serves him well. Kaverman doubling up twice to leave him with 166,500 when he returns for more bubble fun at 14:30 (CET).
Day 4 Seat Draw
Table 5
Seat 1 – Gjergj Sinishtaj: 210,000
Seat 2 – Ville Mattila: 151,000
Seat 3 – Byron Kaverman: 166,500
Seat 4 – Matt Salsberg: 218,500
Seat 5 – Jason Koon: 206,500
Seat 6 – David Hu: 291000
Seat 7 – Jonnie Sonelin: 77,500
Seat 8 – Ali Mekhtoub: 189500
Table 6
Seat 1 – Peter Apostolou: 548,000
Seat 2 – Elliot Smith: 48,500
Seat 3 – Marvin Rettenmaier: 125,000
Seat 4 – Guy Halimi: 234,000
Seat 5 – Christina Lindley: 237,500
Seat 6 – Jean Noel Thorel: 458 000
Seat 7 – Mohsin Charania: 102,500
Seat 8 – Kara Scott: 145,000
Table 7
Seat 1 – Victor Choupeaux: 120,500
Seat 2 – Eldos Davlet: 195,500
Seat 3 – Vasily Firsau: 756,000
Seat 4 – Kimmo Kurko: 355,500
Seat 5 – Bernard Guigon: 157,000
Seat 6 – Rony Halimi: 265500
Seat 7 – Darko Stojanovic: 275,500
Seat 8 – Micah Raskin: 64000
