The Best Poker Schedule in The World... Probably

London becomes the focus of every poker junkie’s attention in late August. Forty days of poker sees a schedule only Vegas could match with the WPT, WSOPE and _EPT___ back to bak. It’s a mouth watering prospects for those with a big enough bank roll. It doesn’t stop there though as you’ll find the English Poker Tour, Full Tilt Poker Million Dollar Cash Game and World Open shoe horned between this. That’s a lot of poker!

Because of this I wanted to look at some players I believe will have great success in the capital.

Kristoffer ‘Sumpas’ Thorsson

Stats:
• $3000 Amsterdam Masters Classic of Poker Winner 2009 — $944,000
• $10,500 WCOOP High Roller main event Winner 2008 — $415,000
• $10,500 WCOOP High Roller main event Winner 2009 — $611,000
• $10,500 SCOOP High Roller runner-Up 2010 — $851,000

Ask anyone about Kristoffer Thorsson and they’ll probably say “who?…is he related to William?”. Try the same question and use his online alias ‘Sumpas’ and most will repeatedly use the word ‘sick’. Kristoffer is a true winner; I’m not just in his results but in the way he conducts himself, he’s very humble and has a wise head for his 21-years. Kris seems to accumulate big chips stacks right from the off and whenever I check his chip counts update he always in the top 10.

Prediction: WPT High Roller winner & WSOPE main event final table

Paul Foltyn

Stats
• $5,000 no-limit hold’em 41st World Series of Poker 2010, 8th — $ 79,957
• £3,000 no-limit hold’em GUKPT grand final, 1st — $ 250,000
• $1,000 Monday on Full Tilt Poker, 1st — $93,250.00

Paul Foltyn aka ‘Paolo69’ and ‘Leadboots’ is one of a handful of players to win the online triple crown multiple times (if that meant nothing to you it’s, winning three major tournaments on three different networks in a week, a feat only few have accomplished ). Paul had a decent summer at the WSOP, he went deep in a $1500 holdem event and final tabled the $5,000 shoot out, but I know by Paul’s high standards he feels he underachieved in his live game. On home turf I feel he will make it happen as he seems to be in the groove after now settling down in London.

Prediction: WSOPE £1,000 no-limit holdem final table

Kevin Eyster

Stats:
• € 3,000 No Limit Hold’em – Heads-Up EPT Tallinn, Tallinn 1st $ 54,000
• € 10,000 No Limit Hold’em Main Event EPT Grand Final, Monte Carlo 16th $ 79,900
• $200,000 Guarantee (Rebuy), on Full Tilt Poker 1st for $81,000

I first became aware of Kevin Eyster from his online moniker ‘1sickdisease’; I remember thinking “what a great alias”! After talking with Kevin revealed that like every good nick name it was given to him by an old enemy who he constantly reraised. Kevin has a big reputation online taking down big titles with ease, but the big live result eludes him; he was in touching distance of a major, unfortunately busting a few spots away from the final table in Monte Carlo. The post exit interview revealed an extremely pissed looking Eyster. His facial expression suggested that the interviewer had just forced him to swallow a steaming turd; however it later transpired that he had been slow rolled with Queens. Thankfully Kevin is back. With a mini Euro tour which started with a win at the EPT Heads-up Challenge in Tallinn.

Prediction: Deep runs in WSOPE and EPT and if he gets slow rolled he is liable to floor somebody.

Jeffrey Lisandro

Stats:
• $ 10,000 WPT Bellagio Cup VI, Las Vegas 15th — $33,986
• $ 3,000 H.O.R.S.E. 41st World Series of Poker 2010, 5th, — $68,417
• $ 10,000 H.O.R.S.E. 2010 Aussie Millions, 2nd, — $64,792

For me Jeff has always been a top 10 world player; I put him up there with Ivey, Negreanu and Brunson. Lisandro cashed over $112,000 and made one final table over July, most would be very happy with those returns. Not Jeff. For Jeff it’s all about win. So it’s precisely why I am tipping Jeff for ultimate glory at this year’s World Series of Poker Europe.

Prediction: WSOPE Winner Main Event