MONTE CARLO RALLYING

THE last leg of the European Poker Tour (EPT) gets under way at the Concord Casino in Vienna on Thursday.

The final in Monte Carlo the following week will feature 10 finalists and runners-up selected from the six qualifying events.

Although the Vienna leg won't be screened on Eurosport until April 8 it will be worthwhile viewing for any player who wants a sense of what it's like when the real heavy hitters sit down at the table.

The EPT series is the brainchild of John Duthie, a TV director and producer of prime-time dramas including the BAFTA award-winning Clocking Off.

Apart from his TV background the Yorkshireman is also holder of the Ladbrokes Poker Million title, a crown he won when becoming the only player ever to win ?1million in a live televised event.

Winners of the preliminary EPT events have won prizes worth ?10,000 in addition to their tournament winnings.

However, the beauty of the tournament is it has allowed amateur players to try their hand in online satellite tournaments for as little as $3 (?1.50).

Winners have already received their buy-in - around ?7,000 - to the grand final.

For some the satellite tournaments can be life-changing experiencesTake the appropriately-named Chris Moneymaker who went from winning a $40 event to becoming 2003 world champion, claiming a prize of $2.5m.

And chemistry graduate Greg Rayne who began reading books about how to play poker a decade ago came from nowhere to take the world title and a phenomenal $5m prize last year .

These tales highlight one of the game's greatest attractions - no-one knows who the world's best player is. And unless useful amateurs are prepared to take a punt they'll never know how good they are either.

A single-table satellite tournament can be a daunting experience at first, especially as they generally work on a winner-takes-all basis.

You need to play with aggression and an understanding that as Bill Shankly said, 'Second is nowhere.'

If you don't win you're not paid so passive players tend to be forced to gamble or fold. But the guy who gambles intelligently and adjusts as the game gets short handed has a great chance.

However, before we start discussing tournament tactics budding players should watch Norwegian Baard Dahl in Vienna.

He has made the transition from online but is so laid back he has been described as playing high-stakes poker 'as if he were playing tiddlywinks'.

And with a bit of luck Tony Bloom, 40-1 to win in Vienna, might be the overall EPT winner

By Peter Sharkey

News Added: 06 March, 2005

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