The World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe is in full swing this week, with poker players keeping their fans in touch with the action through their Twitter accounts. The biggest news of the tournament schedule has been Phil Laak taking down his first bracelet on Thursday evening.
Laak was quite prolific with his Tweets as play got short. “This is what 468k looks like,” as he posted a picture of his stack with four players remaining. “Minimum cheeze my way is 75,352 dollars!” Laak continued to keep a running account for his fans, including the beat he put on third place finisher Chris Bjorin, Tweeting, “KK vs QQ! All in w Chris and to sew it up I flop a King! Hds up w Andrew! Avg is 900k. I have 750k!” About an hour later, Laak included a Twitpic holding the bracelet and chirped, “Maximum cheeze shippage. £170,802 ($267,010). Plus some gold!”
Following his victory, congratulatory Tweets flooded in from around the poker community. “I better get to London ASAP,” Greg “FBT” Mueller fired off. “I hear they are giving bracelets away! Congrats @RealPhilLaak well done sir!” Howard Lederer, in London for the WSOP Europe, figured out what he needed to do to win: “I’m renting an ATV and driving it off a cliff tomorrow. I’ll do anything to get that third bracelet! Congrats @RealPhilLaak!” Finally, Full Tilt’s Mike Matusow couldn’t resist a little jab at Laak when he Tweeted, “Congrats Phil you a really great guy u deserve it. Just think if you learn how to play poker how good you can be lol.”
Laak’s win in the first event of the WSOP Europe didn’t keep him away from the second tournament on the schedule, the £5,000 Pot Limit Omaha event. Looking for his second bracelet, Laak Tweeted on Friday, “Still in the 5k plo. 35 left. Paying 18. Currently at 50% chip avg.” Others who joined Laak in the second tournament included recent World Poker Tour (WPT) High Roller champion Justin “Boosted J” Smith (“Day 2 of WSOP-E 5k Pound Buy-in PLO tournament… 43,900 in chips… above average… 53 people left”).
While many players are in London for the preliminary events of the WSOP Europe, some are still making their trek to the United Kingdom. “Going to London tomorrow, playing in WSOPE and EPT,” Durrrr Challenge combatant Daniel “JungleMan12” Cates reported to his followers on Thursday morning. “Have heard good things about London, should be a lot of fun.” Another player who is on the way is Kathy Liebert, but she Tweeted her hopes for a change of plans: “Booked flight to London for WSOPE Main Event. Hope I have to miss it because I’m at the final table WPT Borgata.”
Another player delayed in getting to London was Daniel Negreanu, who is doing some promotional work for the upcoming second season of the PokerStars “Million Dollar Challenge,” which begins airing on Sunday on Fox. Flying to New York on Thursday, Negreanu had an amusing moment when he Tweeted, “Lady at airport security stopped me and asked, ‘Were you in American History X?’ I told her no, that’s my older brother Ed.” After arriving in the Big Apple, Negreanu headed to work: “Just landed in NY headed straight to the studio. 21 interviews scheduled over 3 hours on various FOX affiliates all back to back- then sleep.”
Although it seemed his trip was without problems, Negreanu did have to get something off his chest: “I hate credit cards and I hate that you need one to rent a car. I don’t need to borrow money from VISA. Take my debit you ***** so dumb.” For his part, DoylesRoom front man Doyle Brunson agreed with Negreanu when he Tweeted, “Sailor Roberts did the same thing at Hertz 30years ago. He popped 20K down as collateral and they wouldn’t take it.”
For the best Tweets of the past few days, we have to start with Liv Boeree, who Tweeted some of the shenanigans at the WSOP Europe. “Hilarious night of WSOPE partying, a wheelbarrow, and a traffic cone,” Boeree Tweeted, although she provided no details. Former WPT hostess Layla Kayleigh opined, “I have to think about what I did before the internet was born… and then try it.”
Brunson also pondered over the Twitterverse on Thursday, “Watching my daughter put her makeup on, I had to wonder… Why can’t women put mascara on with their mouth closed?”
