2015 European Poker Tour Deauville: Fantasy Poker Guide
The European Poker Tour Deauville, a 11-day festival that includes a €1,100 France Poker Series Main Event, will take place at the Casino Barriere from Jan. 27 through Feb. 7, 2015. The fifth stop of Season 12 will culminate in a €5,300 Main Event, and in preparation for that event we've decided to offer some tips and recommendations for those that like to play fantasy poker on the Global Poker Index Fantasy Poker Manager.
Like other fantasy sports, there's an art to success. When it comes to building a fantasy poker roster, you want to make sure to choose players that have the best chance of putting together a deep run. Sounds easy, right? Well it's not nearly that simple.
Here are a few things you'll want to consider when setting your lineup for the EPT Deauville.
Make Sure Your Players Will Actually Be Playing
Choosing players that don't play the event is an amateur mistake. Oftentimes there are multiple poker events taking place at the same time — the Aussie Millions and EPT Deauville overlap slightly, and there's also a big World Poker Tour event at Borgata that could keeps one players in the U.S. — so your favorite players don't always play all the stops. The best ways to see if a player is going to be in the tournament is to either monitor social media or wait to see if they play Day 1 (most events keep lineup selection open until the start of Day 2, which I talk about below).
The EPT Deauville doesn't traditionally attract the star power as other EPT stops, so you'll definitely want to do some research. It's still a bit early to know who is going for sure, but some safe bets are the French contingent such as Ben Pollak, Erwann Pecheux, and Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, as well as those who have had success at the venue in the past like last year's champion Sotirios Koutoupas and runner-up Eugene Katchalov.
Wait Until the Last Minute to Set Your Lineup
I've been playing fantasy poker for a long time, and this is without a doubt the move that's contributed to my success. You see, Fantasy Poker Manager rules allow players to set their lineup up to the start of Day 2, at least for most events. That means you can peruse the top chip stacks in the PokerNews Live Reporting section and set your lineup accordingly.
Hint: Those with more chips stand a better chance of making the money, although experience and skill level also play a part.
Make a Few Sleeper Picks
Those who wait for the Day 1 chip counts to set their lineups are generally going to choose the bigger stacks. It’s a wise move, and your lineup should largely consist of these players. However, you'll also want to sprinkle in some sleeper picks. Go a little further down the chip counts and find some players you think will go deep. This ensures your lineup will differentiate itself from the masses, and in the instances when your picks pan out, you'll score major points.
Have a Default Plan to Fall Back On
Adhering to the above advice will give you a better shot at fantasy poker success, but I realize not everyone has the time to research and wait for the Day 1 chip counts. In those instances, I urge you to just set whatever lineup you'd like. Even filling your roster with random players gives you a shot at fantasy points, whereas leaving them empty will guarantee you exactly zero points.
Three Picks to Consider
I'll preface this by saying I'm not 100 percent sure these players will be at the EPT Deauville. That said, they should be, and if they are I highly recommend you give them a spot on your roster.
Sylvain Loosli (Fantasy Poker Manager Cost: 72,870): The 2013 World Series of Poker November Niner notched his first-ever cash at the EPT Deauville when he placed 24th in 2011 in a €2,000 no-limit hold'em event for €2,350. Surprisingly, the Frenchman hasn't had a cash on French soil since. I think he's overdue.
Paul Tedeschi (Fantasy Poker Manager Cost: 30,330): "Poor Paul Tedeschi." That's what I think every time I see him. It's because I've seen his talent firsthand, but he's yet to have his big breakthrough. He's finished second and third in plenty of tournaments, so he definitely knows how to go deep, and I think it's only a matter of time before he hoists a trophy.
Roger Hairabedian (Fantasy Poker Manager Cost: 21,930): "Big Roger" is a character. The WSOP Europe bracelet winner currently ranks fourth on France's all-time money list with more than $4.8 million in live earnings. You really can't go wrong having him on your team.
Don't forget to set your fantasy poker lineup for the EPT Deauville and then sweat your team right here on PokerNews. Our Live Reporting team will be bringing you updates from the €5,300 Main Event from Sunday, Feb. 1 through Saturday, Feb. 7, as well as the €10,300 High Roller from Thursday, Feb. 5 through Saturday, Feb. 7.
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