Some more coverage

19. December 2005 | Category: 50outs

Our local city newspaper, the well respected Hamburger Abendblatt, had a full-page “weekend journal” cover story about poker, featuring Michael Keiner and Katja. There is also an online version of the article (text is german-only, no pictures). Wow, one could start to think that poker might get somewhere in germany. Michael Keiner already suggested that the german championchip might get 4 times as big next year and I am on his side on this. I heard rumors that there might as many as 70,000 online poker players in germany and that the online poker sites are looking for germany as the “sleeping giant” pokerwise. While I hope that might be true (and that the giant finally awakes) I honestly doubt it. Poker, it’s lifestyle, the crazy characters and the obvious disregard for money you got to show to put it all-in on a bluff does not feel like it could get mainstream here in germany. I hope I’m wrong…

Speaking of crazy characters… look at “J.J.” Liu playing at the final table of the $15,000 buyin five-diamonds classic (she got 4th). I know here from playing and she is dangerous. That she is also pretty self-confident is clearly visible here. I remember watching a WSOP NLHE event (as a railbird, my usual place), last 2 tables, where the terrorized everybody and only Layne Flack was able to deal with her due to his fearless play. Layne won the event (a week after winning annother one, earning him the nickname “back-to-back-flack” and almost $500,000)… J.J. is a force at the tables.

70+ years old Dyle Brunson managed to get third in this actual five-diamond event, he is still on top of his game. 1st and 2nd are two scandinavian players – are there any tournaments left which those boyish looking young guns don’t win? If you follow how successfull those scandinavian players are all over the world you can only be amazed. There must be something in their gens and their way to grow up that makes them so successfull at poker. Should be investigated. I already said today to my buddy Frank that I might consider a change of hometown to some small city in denmark or the like if this would help to have any success in the big tournaments…

The “crazy characters” episode is not over here. Look at Frank, shot last week, training for triathlon on his bike. Yep, you see right. There is his laptop attached and he is playing some poker while doing his exercices!

That is motivation 😉

I played almost every online tournament with a buyin over $100 this weekend but except a 2nd place in a PLHE earning me $1,800 I made nothing (this win did not cover all the buyins) and no cash games. Katja is whoring bonuses at some strange poker sites and is very busy therefore also.