Global Poker League teams London Royals, and Rome Emperors have selected their wildcard entries, and both Liv Boeree and Max Pescatori will represent their franchises.
Yesterday, we announced the full line-ups for the Moscow Wolverines and Paris Aviators and today we can do likewise for the London Royals and Rome Emperors.
Let’s begin with one of the strongest sides in the Global Poker League (GPL). London Royals Team Manager Liv Boeree emerged from Draft Day with one of the biggest smiles in the room. Many people’s early favorites have just gotten much stronger after Boeree announced on Twitter that Sam Trickett will be joining her franchise.
Trickett is an excellent choice. He is Europe’s winningest live tournament player with earnings exceeding $20m, and he is versatile having competed against the very best players in the world in both cash games and tournaments.
He is quick. There are fewer players who make decisions on the felt like Trickett does and that will suit the format. He has also had experience working in teams after being involved in the Global Poker Index World Cup of Poker and also featured in team competitions at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE).
There is also the Burning Man connection with Kurganov, Boeree, Justin Bonomo, and Sam Trickett all sharing camp at this year’s festival, and that can create a rather unique and special team bonding. He is also English, and I think that’s also important given the franchise he is representing.
Trickett does need a kick in the ass, though. He recently admitted that motivation has been a problem for him since leaving his one-year deal with Everest Poker. Maybe the GPL will act as the cattle prod needed to get him back into the news headlines of the poker world. So far this year he has only earned $13,846 in live tournament earnings (not that he needs the money).
The sixth and final member of the London Royals will be the team manager herself Liv Boeree. The PokerStars Team Pro is the #1 ranked female player in the world, proving that she is has reached a state of flow and is playing at the top of her game.
Check this out for a lineup.
London Royals Lineup
- Liv Boeree (Player Manager)
- Igor Kurganov
- Vanessa Selbst
- Chris Moorman
- Justin Bonomo
- Sam Trickett.
Rome Emperors – Max Pescatori and Todd Brunson Join The Fray
When I look at the Rome Emperors side, I see an eclectic mix of players of differing styles and cultures. I see a lot of outstanding poker players. But I don’t see a winning side.
I think Pescatori surprised a few people when he chose Timothy Adams and Walter Treccarichi, and there will be a few eyebrows raised with the announcement that Pescatori has decided to add Todd Brunson to his side.
Brunson carries a GPI ranking of #1174, but does boast over $4.1m in live tournament earnings, a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, and has experience competing in the highest cash games in the world.
But does he have what it takes to compete in heads-up and 6-max format, online, and standing up in a cube facing off against wizards?
The final pick for Pescatori is to choose himself, and I think that’s a no brainer. His inclusion means the top four ranked Italian players in the GPI are all in the Rome Emperors side, and I like that. I think it will help the team bonding. However, it would have been interesting to see what would have happened had he gone to the members of the GPI World Cup of Poker winning side instead of his non-native selections.
Rome Emperors Lineup
- Max Pescatori (Player Manager)
- Mustapha Kanit
- Dario Sammartino
- Timothy Adams
- Walter Treccarichi
- Todd Brunson
