Mar
2
by Chad Holloway
Wow, Phil is kicking ass in the Premier League. For those of you who don’t know, it’s a twelve person tournament ($100,000 buy-in) where each player plays four times at an eight handed table and points are awarded based upon performance. The Unabomber has won his first two heats and has basically clinched a spot at the final table. For more updates check out Phil’s blogs (he’s got some great photos).
Another thing that got me really excited about the Premier League was the fact that Daniel Negreanu put a Fantasy Poker spin on it. Negreanu has long been a pioneer in the Fantasy Poker world, so it was no surprise when he and Roland De Wolfe both decided to do a fantasy draft for some extra cash. As Negreanu stated in his blog:
“Before we even got started I ran into Roland de Wolfe who is always up for a bit of gambling action and we decided to do a draft for the tournament. He won the toss and got to choose if he went first or second. It was a snake draft so 1st pick meant you'd also end up with pick #12 as well. He smartly gave me first pick.”
Their draft went as follows:
1. Evgeny Timoshenko (Negreanu)
2. J.C Tran (Roland)
3. Daniel Negreanu (Roland)
4. Tony G. (Negreanu)
5. Luke Schwartz (Negreanu)
6. Roland de Wolfe (Roland)
7. Vanessa Rousso (Roland)
8. Phil Laak (Negreanu)
9. Ian Fraser (Neagreanu)
10. David Benyamine (Roland)
11. Phil Hellmuth (Roland)
12. Online Qualifer (Negreanu)
Whoever’s team earns the most points will win the bet. Negreanu also made a comment on choosing Laak: “I thought Phil Laak was a bit of a steal at #8, because again, this format suits him well and he's done well in these types of events before.” Obviously he was right because Phil is tearing it up. This is especially cool considering the UnaBomber was an alternate selection after “Texas Dolly” Doyle Brunson had to drop out.
I wish I had known about the Premier League a few weeks earlier and I’m sure I would have done a little draft like this myself. On the bright side, it just goes to show you how popular Fantasy Poker is getting and how a league or draft can spring up around any event. I wonder if Phil will be able to keep up his success this summer at the World Series of Poker. I’d like to see him become a major player in the Fantasy Poker realm, or better yet, see him take home his first bracelet. I guess only time will tell, but until then, let’s hope he brings Unabomber Poker a Premier League title.