Three tales from partypoker towers including the release of a new live poker tournament format called the Grand Prix Poker Tour Mini; James Akenhead wins the partypoker sponsored World Poker Tour Warm-Up in Vienna; and ringside seats available for the upcoming Anthony Joshua v Charles Martin IBF World Heavyweight title clash.
Partypoker and Dusk till Dawn (DTD) have extended their Grand Prix Poker Tour (GPPT) idea by creating the GPPT Mini.
The new tour will consist of 20-legs, across six UK locations; buy-in will be $109, and partypoker will be guaranteeing $50,000. The format is the same as the GPPT. That means partypoker will be hosting online Day One’s ahead of live Day One’s, everyone making Day Two will be in the money, and the smallest reward will be a $330 prize and a $109 ticket to another GPPT Mini or Main Event stop.
Group Head of partypoker, Tom Waters, explained in a press release how they created the Mini after receiving feedback from players who had competed in the GPPT.
Here is the schedule:
| Dates | GPPT Mini |
| March 23-27 | Aspers Milton Keynes |
| April 13-17 | Aspers Newcastle |
| April 20-24 | Broadway Birmingham |
| April 27-May 1 | 235 Manchester |
| May 4-8 | Rainbow Bristol |
| June 8-12 | Aspers Milton Keynes |
| June 15-19 | Rendezvous Brighton |
| June 29-July 3 | Rainbow Bristol |
| July 6-10 | Aspers Newcastle |
| July 13-17 | Broadway Birmingham |
| July 20-24 | 235 Manchester |
| August 17-21 | Aspers Milton Keynes |
| September 7-11 | Rainbow Bristol |
| September 21-25 | Rendezvous Brighton |
| September 28-October 2 | 235 Manchester |
| October 5-9 | Aspers Newcastle |
| October 12-16 | Broadway Birmingham |
| November 9-13 | Aspers Milton Keynes |
| November 16-20 | Rendezvous Brighton |
| November 30- December 4 | Rainbow Bristol |
James Akenhead is Back
In 2008/09, when poker was exploding onto the world, a small but talented group of players from the UK were heroes in the making.
One of those players was James Akenhead.
Who can forget the maniacal moment in 2008 when heads-up for a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet he snap-called a pre-flop bluff shove by Grant Hinkle holding: [Ac] [Kh] v [Td] [4d].
I still remember Hinkle’s face when Akenhead asked him if he had a pair? It was priceless. So was the flop when it rained down [Th] [Ts] [4h]. To add more flesh eating maggots into the wound, the American turned quads.
The following year, the Brit would recover to make the final table of the November Nine, earning $1.2m for a ninth place finish, and would earn $500,000 more by winning the Poker Million. He has won over $3.2m in live tournament earnings but left the scene a few years ago to start a restaurant business.
“I didn’t realise what hard work was,” Akenhead told me when I bumped into him during the World Poker Tour (WPT) UK Main Event late last year.
Well, he’s back.
After deep runs in all the most significant events at the recent European Poker Tour (EPT) festival in Dublin, Akenhead has bagged his first tournament victory since 2012 after defeating 1,157 entrants to capture the first prize of €65,000 in the WPT Vienna Warm Up
Final Table Results
1st. James Akenhead – €65,000
2nd. Oliver Baude – €40,500
3rd. Lajos Motel – €23,680
4th. David Koglgruber – €17,520
5th. Catalin Dragomir – €12,660
6th. Milos Zerzevski – #9,530
7th. Jozef Faber – €7,810
8th. Martin Toncev – €6,420
9th. Christoph Zobl – €5,160
Win Ringside Seats for the Anthony Joshua v Charles Martin Clash
Partypoker have promoted their boxing theme ever since former World Champ Carl “The Cobra” Froch joined the fray in Nov 2015. It continues, through March with the opportunity to win ringside seats to watch Anthony Joshua challenge Charles Martin for the IBF World Heavyweight title at the O2 Arena on April 9.
Partypoker has three sets of tickets to give away.
There are three ways you can win them.
- The Jab and Contender
Partypoker will select one player randomly from the $5.50 buy-in Jab ($10,000 Guaranteed), and the $22 buy-in Contender ($20,000 Guaranteed) on March 16.
- Freeroll
Partypoker plan to host a special freeroll on Wed 23, March at 8 pm (GMT). The password for the freeroll will be released on the partypoker UK Commnity Forum n Facebook so keep an eye out for that.
- Last Chance Saloon
The final set of tickets will be handed to the winner of a $5.50 buy-in event scheduled for Monday 28, March at 8.00 pm (GMT).
