Continued from Lap One...
With just one day remaining before Peter Vasiliou steps back into the lion’s den, we take a look at Lap Two of Black Belt Poker’s brand spanking new feature, the Poker Pitstop. As we speak, Peter will be undergoing interviews for Sky TV in preparation for the live televised final tomorrow, but before heading to the studios, Peter spent one final session with Neil Channing at the Grosvenor Victoria in London, this time joined by the combined forces of serial GUKPT finalist Nik Persaud and Brown Belt James Mitchell.
He may have freerolled his way into the event and already be guaranteed $50,000 in prize money, but Peter has his sights set on gold and securing a bankroll that will enable him to ambush the poker circuit with gusto. Hopefully, Neil and co. have given him some crucial advice that will guide him to a potentially groundbreaking victory.
A Little Bit More About Peter…
Peter first picked up poker at the ripe old age of 10, playing more traditional poker games like Stud with his father. It wasn’t until three years ago that he stumbled upon No Limit Hold’em. Since then he’s been playing online with a monthly bankroll of $50, focusing his attention on low stake MTTs and the occasional STT. Now and again he will play with his friends, but until his Poker Million heat, Peter had never played a single live tournament. Even one day prior to the final, he’s only played one other tournament, a freezeout at the Grosvenor Victoria in London. For him, poker has always been “a bit of fun” and never anything he’s taken massively seriously.
Thoughts Heading into the Turbo Heat…
“The turbo heat is pretty much the same as the other heats except you only get 20 seconds to act. I'd played all my poker online, so was used to having a short amount of time to act. My opponents this time were equally tough. I think the player I was most worried about would have been Gavin Smith because I knew he was a good player and I'd watched him play lots of times on TV. Then, as well as him, you also had two EPT winners, and John Duthie who won the Poker Million several years ago. Again, I genuinely didn't think I could win.”
Turbo Heat - Line-up…
July 17, 2009
Winner qualifiers for the semi-final.
Seat 1: Gavin Smith
Seat 2: Joao Barbosa
Seat 3: Mike McDonald
Seat 4: John Duthie
Seat 5: Peter Vasiliou
Seat 6: Adam Carey
Results…
1st Peter Vasiliou
2nd Gavin Smith
3rd Mike McDonald
4th Adam Carey
5th Joao Barbosa
6th John Duthie
Key Hand…
Big Slick was kind to Peter during the turbo heat. Having doubled up his short stack courtesy of Joao Barbosa with Ac-Ks versus Ad-Qs, Peter found himself all in again with the same hand just a few hands later.
With the blinds at 10/20, we were three-handed with just Peter, Gavin Smith and Mike McDonald remaining. Pushing all in preflop, Peter was pursued by a call from Smith with A-8, followed by an all in from McDonald with A-2 suited. Smith made the call and we had a three-way showdown. Fortunately, neither an eight nor a deuce hit the felt, but McDonald did eek out a flush draw on a 9c-9h-Kc flop. The Th turn and 3s river, however, were both blanks and Peter tripled up, whilst Smith and McDonald split the side pot.
This was an integral pot for Peter as it got him back in the game and gave him a fighting chance with 205,000 versus McDonald’s 120,000 and Smith’s 275,000. After knocking out McDonald with As-9c versus 7d-4s, Peter took a 325,000 to 275,000 chip lead into the heads-up encounter, before finally sealing his semi-final seat with Ks-7s outgunning Ac-6s on an 8c-3h-6h-2s-Kd board.
Peter Says…
“I was a bit more comfortable in the turbo after playing the initial heat. It's quite a lot to take in at first with all the lights and cameras and everything, but I felt more relaxed on this occasion. Like before, I just tried to remain patient. Again, I was just looking to play good cards but, at the same time, was prepared to move in with nothing if I dropped down to around 60,000. These guys are great players, but I know how to play poker, and have played long enough to know when to move my chips in, so thought that if I just remained patient, I could do OK. Still, I really didn't think I could actually win it. When I won, I didn't even realise I was guaranteed some money until the dealer told me. I had to go and check with Mad Marty Wilson because I couldn't believe it. I was so happy.”
Most Memorable Hand…
“I think the most memorable hand from my run in the Poker Million is the K-7 hand against Gavin Smith. I thought about it for a while, had a feeling I should make the call, and then just went for it. It worked out in the end and I managed to win the hand, and also the heat. In my opening heat, there were lots of times when I played too tight and hesitated on a decision. I'm certainly fortunate to have made it through.”
Feelings about the final...
“The final starts at 4pm on Friday, but I also have to go in the day before for interviews. The final’s live, but I'm feeling quite relaxed about it now and a lot more confident having spoken to Neil and Nik. I can't wait to play, and I'm really looking forward to sharing a table with James Akenhead. I don't know much about Cabe Taylor or Dag [Martin Mikkelsen], but I've seen Juha [Helppi] play on shows like the Pemier League, and obviously I was in the semi-final with Luke. I stopped playing any poker earlier in the week so I can go in fresh, hopefully I can get a double up and go on to win the event.”
Photo of the Day…
Tubro heat line-up
Credit for the image goes to the good people at Matchroom Sports, the photographical prowess of the beautiful Mickey May and Peter Vasiliou’s Facebook page.
Join us tomorrow for Lap Three of Peter Vasiliou’s Poker Pitstop.