Paul Zimbler's one of those guys who never stays still: he was a regular within the London circuit, he opened a club in Marrakech, he helped promote Dusk Till Dawn and played as one of their sponsored players - he's continually on a venture of some sort, and approaches each new challenge with the same impressive enthusiasm and vigor as the last. So, when I heard that Paul would be playing nonstop heads-up No Limit Hold'em for almost four days, I knew the record would be in danger. It had to be - this is Paul Zimbler, failure is not an option, and if it is, he'll go out roaring. But failure for Paul wasn't necessarily about the record, but in making money for the Make-A-Wish foundation who, with Paul at the helm, were destined for a big payday.

I'd been itching to contribute somehow all day, so as the break approached during one of the side events, I decided to temporarily abandon my blogging duties to take on our capeless hero. As a minnow taking on an experienced veteran (despite his youthful looks), this would be paramount to poker suicide, but when your opponent has been playing for two days straight, an imbecile like me might actually stand a chance. Amusingly, I still got trounced. But this was merely indicative of Paul's attitude to the task ahead: he didn't just want to survive, he wanted to come out on top. And having won 102 out of 103 of his matches, that's exactly what he did.

With Paul locking horns with 'name' stars such as Phil Hellmuth, Mike Matusow and Doyle Brunson, I was eager to pull him aside for a few words, but was aware that he'd require a few day's (maybe week's) rest before he was in any sort of condition to discuss his experience. So, imagine my surprise when a guy who was "partially carried" out of the casino upon completing his mission turned up a day later, sprightly, fresh-faced, and on top of the world. "You OK to do an interview?" I asked, shocked that he was still standing. "Yeah, of course, no problem," he replied. He could crash any second; I decided to take my chance.

Snoopy: So, why the hell did you decide to do this?

Paul Zimbler: Well, I was asked to. They phoned me and asked me if I wanted to attempt the world heads-up record. I said, 'What for?' and they said it would be for charity, so I said yes. I love a challenge too.

Snoopy: But why did they dial your number?

PZ: Who else is going to be stupid enough to do it? I mean, it's not easy. It's not like in Vegas where everything's busy all the time and I can keep buzzing. This place was dead at 3am until midday. There was also this slot machine playing the Bangles all the ****ing time. It was driving me around the bend, but I think it actually kept me going at times.

Snoopy: Were you prepared for the task ahead?

PZ: I quit the alcohol, my bad habits, started working out. I'd actually been getting in shape for the Poker Million and Late Night Poker, so it was good timing for me. If I hadn't been in good condition it would have been really difficult, I think I might have gone crazy. I actually didn't sleep the night before, not because I was nervous, but because I was thinking about business related stuff and couldn't get to sleep. I was buzzing. I've played for longer before, when I was younger in Vegas, but the difference was the freedom, being able to have a break when I felt like it and quitting if I'd had enough. I could do that here though.

Snoopy: What really helped you get through this challenge?

PZ: My brother was my rock, and the last night was very emotional. He was really trying to keep me going, poking me when I started drifting off and stuff, and although I wasn't rude, I got really frustrated with him and at one point he walked off because it was all too much. But he was really worried about me, and I can see that now, but at the time my mind told me that everything was fine.

Snoopy: Which players made generous donations?

PZ: Loads of people gave us a lot of money. Richard Ashby was really nice and donated a grand, then Sammy George came along and asked what the record was. 'Well if Ashby's put in a grand then I'll put in a grand too.' 'Nah,' I replied. 'You gotta beat the record, put in 1,050," so he did.'

Hellmuth also made a generous donation.

Snoopy: How much did you make for the Make-A-Wish Foundation?

PZ: We're still going, and I have a few people I need to chase up for their donations. I want to get the figure up to 50,000 though.

Snoopy: Did you get to play Ivey or durrrr?

PZ: durrrr came up, signed the book and T-shirts, but didn't play. Ivey didn't play either, but I don't expect some of these guys to. This is why it was so great that Doyle [Brunson] came up to play. Matusow was phenomenal too. He'd just come off a $100,000 downswing online, yet he still played for two hours, and we had a great time.

Snoopy: Who was the most competitive player you came up against? Who really tried hard to beat you?

PZ: Huck Seed, without  a doubt, we played a really tough game for one and a half hours from a starting stack of 4,000. He really wanted to win. I remember one hand where I flat called a raise preflop with A-K. The flop came A-Q-J and he bet. I called, but I wasn't comfortable. Then on the 4 turn, he bet again and I folded face-up. He was like what the f*** and turned over a set.

Sammy [George] came in and just pushed all in on the first hand, and I folded. I really wanted to win and it was actually pretty important to me that I came out on top overall, which I did.

Snoopy: What did you do during the breaks?

PZ: I would go out, get some fresh air and just walk around. I took most of my breaks in the last hour or two, but had less  than 4.5 hours away from the table overall.

Snoopy: Do you think your game improved?

PZ: My heads-up definitely improved. I played Annette [Obrestad] for two hours and learned so much from her over that time. I don't play much heads-up these days, but years and year ago, all I'd do is play heads-up STTs.

Snoopy: What was the most difficult part for you?

PZ: The last hour. I didn't understand poker during that period, and I didn't really know what was going on. I forgot to eat sugar which made a big difference, but somehow I was able to get through it.

Snoopy: Do you remember when it finished?

PZ: To be honest, it was all a blur at the end. All I can remember is waking up and seeing my brother and asking him if I did it. He looked at me with sad eyes, so I thought I hadn't, but then he said, 'You did it.'

Snoopy: After all that, how will you feel if someone beats your record?

PZ: I don't care about the record, and I don't care if someone beats it. I'm happy with the accomplishment and it was really about the money more than anything.

Snoopy: How do you feel now?

PZ: Yeah, fine, I'm looking for action [laughs]. The other day I had a dream about the whole thing, then suddenly realised it was all real. The last hour or two just felt like I was in a coma. It's like being drunk when you're that tired.

Snoopy: Tell us about Late Night Poker...

PZ: Man, how unlucky can one guy get? I got so many messages after that heat. It doesn't matter though, it's fate, and that's the day I met Lacey [Jones]. We talked over the phone for two hours non-stop afterwards, then I flew over to Philadelphia to meet up with her.

Snoopy: And the Poker Million?...

PZ: I'm going to win it, it's destiny. I can see it. I told Matusow that I was going to knock him out of Late Night Poker with a bigger pair, and I did. I'm in the Semis, and I can't wait to play it.