CPC
8:15 I get a call from Stockholm sitting on the Gatwick Express on my way to the airport. It’s one of our players that got stuck in Stockholm due to a broken windshield in the cockpit. He will not make the St. Kitts flight. Bummer. Not a good start. The good news is that that was the only bad news. 2007 Caribbean Poker Classic has started. Sweet! After 9h on a crammed plane we finally landed on the beautiful island of St.Kitts. 300 players plus guests have a week of sunshine, poker action and social activities lined up during the week.
After a short bus ride from the airport we arrive at the Marriott resort and have a few hours to freshen up before the welcome reception. If you are not me that is. Of course someone managed to lose my bag in the hotel so I had to stay in my old clothes until 2 in the morning, until they finally located it in an another Nilssons room. And it doesn’t surprise me that it is another Nilsson here. My estimate would be that there is more than 50% Scandinavians. InterPoker have 60% Scandinavian customers attending CPC.
20:00 Welcome reception and a chance to meet all the InterPoker players. I caught up with InterPoker’s in house pro Juha Helppi who brought his family. Juha, who has got to be one of the nicest poker pro’s on the circuit claimed that my job was to cater for whatever wish he had. He had spoken to my boss and he confirmed that this is the case. I wasn’t thinking much of it being stressed with sorting the other players’ bags and answering questions. He was clearly taking the piss. First he started with a few valid general requests;
Henrik can you help me getting money out of my E-cash account?
Of course, speak to Rick on mobile xxx.
Henrik can you get me the structure for the main event?
Of course I will get it from tournament director Thomas Kremser
and then.
Henrik i don’t like to change the diapers of my one year old son, can you sort that for me?
Wait a sec.
And on it went.
After socialising with our 52 players plus guests and having something to eat I figured it was time to try my luck on a $100 STT.
After starting out fairly well and managing to almost double my stack I decided to play the sheriff and take on a Finn who had the nasty habit of going all-in on every second hand. I figured that AQ suited would do the trick from big blind. The Finnish bloke once again went all in and I called. He showed 97 off suite and managed to not spike one, but two sevens.
Tired and slightly grumpy I went to bed at 2AM local time, 6AM my time as a sour looser.
Keep your eyes open for my next update tomorrow.
Henrik Nilsson
Head of Poker
www.interpoker.com